sto-foundry-beginners

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  • Captain's Log: The Foundry and you

    by 
    Brandon Felczer
    Brandon Felczer
    03.31.2011

    Captain's Log, Stardate 64750.3... Hello, computer (and players)! "Ceeeeelebrate good times, come on!" That's right, captains -- it's time to let the good times roll and the never-ending content stream to begin. Earlier this week, Larry Everett helped break Star Trek Online's news drought with his post about the Foundry being moved from the test server, nicknamed Tribble, to the live server, aka Holodeck. (I've always thought the test server should have been called Holodeck, but that is a discussion for another day.) For those of you who do not know by now, the Foundry is a user-generated content (UGC) toolset that allows players to create their own missions and episodes. Since late last year, volunteer testers have been creating hundreds of missions and pushing them out for captains of all ranks to try. Co-developed by Cryptic devs who are working at implementing the system in the upcoming Neverwinter game, the Foundry has gone through extensive changes since its inception -- the evolution of the toolset has actually provided a platform for some UGC episodes that rival those made by Cryptic. But what does this really mean for STO players? Ensign, warp 10! Let's talk about STO's "saving grace."

  • Captain's Log: Foundry-friendly resources and tips

    by 
    Ryan Greene
    Ryan Greene
    01.13.2011

    Greetings, readers, and welcome to another installment of Captain's Log. I'm sure many of you live in sunnier climes and don't know such joys, but by the time you're reading this, I should be dealing with the aftermath of yet another darn snow day. I hope it warms your hearts that as you all sit there relaxing, I'm likely outside shoveling snow for what feels like the 17th time this winter. After last week's look at Massively's readers poll, which named Star Trek Online the best MMO of 2010, your friendly neighborhood Cap's Log focuses this week on how to use the Foundry, STO's user-generated-content tools. I'll point out some handy online resources that explain the fundamentals of using the Foundry and then offer my thoughts on something even more vital to a successful mission: storytelling.