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Captain's Log: Newstime grab bag
Hey, everybody. I did four things this weekend: I saw True Grit, I saw The Green Hornet, I tried kumquats for the first time and I went on a blind date with a dyspeptic wendigo. I recommend doing only one of those things. In other news, it's time for another edition of Captain's Log. We covered some helpful resources for creating missions with Star Trek Online's Foundry last week, even as the folks at Cryptic Studios tossed out a whole slew of new information. Dan Stahl and company meted out an update to the feature-episode calendar, a new Engineering Report and the latest Ask Cryptic. So, what'd we learn?
Captain's Log: Foundry-friendly resources and tips
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.
Star Trek Online and Champions Online both unveil a surfeit of new information
Revealing the date for Champions Online's free-to-play conversion was apparently just the tip of the iceberg for the two MMOs run by Cryptic Studios. Champions Online has been graced with an updated FAQ regarding the business model transition, explaining in more detail exactly what options will be locked to non-paying players (all costume options are open, for example). The game has also unveiled a fansite kit for players looking to spread their love of the game to others, no doubt to help get more people interested in the free version. Star Trek Online, on the other hand, doesn't have a change in model in the cards at the moment. What it does have is a newly updated list of feature episodes, giving players a look at the content that will be emerging on the live servers around the end of the month. The development team has also published a new Engineering Report, complete with the usual detailed breakdown of what's in the works, including a small look to the one-year anniversary of Star Trek Online.
Captain's Log: STO was the best MMO of 2010?
Happy new year, everybody! By now, we've all gotten over our post-party, um, grogginess (children might be reading) and trudged back to work. I'm still on cloud nine after a stellar Sun Bowl for my alma mater, but the time has come to look to the stars for another Captain's Log. This week's edition, tortured metaphors and all, offers up a bit of a grab bag -- which has nothing at all to do with the fact that my day job is frantically hectic this week. We'll check out Star Trek Online's strong showing in Massively's year-end readers' poll, fiddle with a ship-building contest, and maybe whine a little about the Foundry. So, fun!
Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's year in review
Welcome back, Capsloggers! (Note: professional nicknamer here, available for all your mascot-imagining, brand-revamping needs.) I hope you've all had a merry merry and a happy happy so far. And if you haven't, then keep it to yourself, because Massively is no place to be sad. Now the calendar's just one page, and of course I am excited. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and the end of the year means end-of-the-year lists! As we all know, 2010 has been a big year for Star Trek Online, from its release in February to the introduction of Season 3 just this month. Skip away with me down the Memory Brick Road as we recall the biggest STO stories of the year!
Captain's Log: Creating my first mission in the Foundry
Welcome to another edition of Captain's Log, loyal readers! (Disloyal readers and the illiterate are also welcome.) I hope you've been enjoying the ramp-up to Christmas without losing any limbs to last-minute shopping. I ordered everything from the comfort of Amazon this year, though a small, self-destructive part of me misses the Mad-Maxian insanity of the mall right around now. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, or at least a day off from work, and most of you probably aren't primed for a deep discussion of Star Trek Online's future or an in-depth examination of Season 3. Instead, let's play with the Foundry and maybe have a little fun as I try to craft my first actual mission.
Captain's Log: Spending time with the Foundry beta
As Deathwing rages through Azeroth and the inhabitants of other worlds look forward to gift-filled holiday events, members of the Federation and the Klingon Defense Force saw Christmahanukwanzakah arrive early in the form of Season 3. Star Trek Online's third mega-patch brought a fine array of features, including Borg ship pieces and replayable missions, to live servers last Thursday. But the biggest feature (and possibly STO's best) landed on the Tribble test server instead. So let's take a trip to Beta Land and get to know the Foundry a little better by playing a few user-made missions.
Captain's Log: Pros and cons of Season 3
Big-time release news this week, folks! Have you prepared for the biggest, best expansion of game content this side of the Laurentian System? I hope you've battened down the hatches, called in sick and stocked up on frozen pizza, because at long last, the moment we've waited for has arrived. Season 3: Genesis goes live today, and the universe will never be the same. New missions, new loot, a new look and -- I'm sorry, say again? What's a Deathwing? Yeah, you must be thinking of something else. Captain's Log is all over Star Trek Online's latest super-patch, which introduces -- or comes close to introducing -- some seriously welcome changes to the whole of known space.
Captain's Log: Will STO become a sandbox or remain a themepark?
Welcome back from the holiday, readers! I trust everyone has recovered from the excitement of a long weekend, a tasty Thanksgiving and a rabid Black Friday. By now you should have settled back into the slow, miserable slog toward more holidays. I know I have. For this week's Captain's Log, I'm going to discuss themepark and sandbox MMOs. What do those terms mean? And how does Star Trek Online fit into that dichotomy, both in its present form and in its Foundry-expanded future?
Captain's Log: Supplemental on STO's treatment of canon
Welcome to another edition of Captain's Log, everyone's (well, mostly my) favorite column about Star Trek Online. Guess what? It's Thursday, which means Thanksgiving is upon us -- assuming you're in the U.S., in which case I hope you already knew that. At any rate, in the spirit of the holiday, we're going buffet-style this week, talking about a little of this and a little of that. But don't worry; most of you are probably slipping into a food coma already, so I'll keep things light, mostly. For an appetizer, we'll nibble on Cryptic Studios' little preview of Season 3. For a nice second course, I'll revisit my opinion on STO's treatment of Star Trek canon. And for dessert, I'll suggest some Black Friday shopping on the C-Store!
Captain's Log: Wrapping up STO's second series of feature episodes
Space can be a dangerous place, as villains and ne'er-do-wells lurk in every corner. Last time, the Breen invaded the Defera system. Now, the Devidians seek to destroy an entire sector. I'm talking, of course, about Star Trek Online's weekly episodes. The second series wrapped up on Saturday, and because it should be the last major bit of content we get from Cryptic Studios until Season 3, I thought we might check out a play-through of all five episodes. Does STO's second set of feature episodes live up to the fun of the first? Actually, the Devidians blow the Breen out of the water!
Star Trek Online's C-Store goes as basic as possible
With the recent announcement that players will get a chance to design the next Enterprise, Star Trek Online players might want a chance to go back to basics. This coincides nicely with Cryptic's giving players the option to go as far back to basics as is fictionally possible with the advent of the latest items in the C-Store. The original NX-01 Enterprise as well as the uniforms of the prequel series (and its mirror-universe counterparts) are now available for purchase. Although the various options are available for purchase individually, players who either can't get enough of the pre-Federation series or enjoy saving money can also purchase a value bundle with all of the uniforms and the ship for just around $15. As it turns out, the ship itself is a Lieutenant-rank ship, meaning that players can start flying it as soon as they start a character. Star Trek Online has quite a bit on its plate for the future, but that doesn't mean you can't put down roots in the past.
Captain's Log: Nine months of Star Trek Online
Guess who's nine months old? Think red shirts, warp coils and forehead ridges. Think of your favorite Cryptic Studios-published space MMO. That's right! Star Trek Online is celebrating a birthday this week. (OK, it actually happened last week, but who's counting? You there -- stop counting!) We here at Massively like to check in on our games every few months to reminisce about the past, recap the present and ruminate on the future. Let us away!
Captain's Log: A glimpse of Cryptic's free-to-play philosophy
Welcome to another edition of Captain's Log, everybody. I hope y'all enjoyed the weekend's festivities, both in-game and real-world. I've only just woken up from my sugar coma to discover a bright new November Thursday, so I guess it's Star Trek Online time! The folks at Cryptic Studios dropped a big ol' bomb last week. A free-to-play bomb! Sometime soon, Champions Online -- y'know, Cryptic's other MMO, the one about superheroes -- will adopt a fabulously free-ish payment model. What does that mean for the future of STO? Let's speculate!
Captain's Log: Guide to surviving (without) Halloween
Oh boy! My favorite time of year is here again! A time when ghouls and goblins rule the night, I can watch The Monster Squad three times a week without feeling silly and no one has a problem with my wearing leopard-print tights to a party. (I rocked a homemade Kraven the Hunter costume this past weekend. Deal with it.) Yes sir, I love me some Halloween. And like most awesomely major holidays, my MMOs usually help me celebrate in style. My paladin, for instance, finally snagged himself a set of Horseman's Reins this year. Sadly, Star Trek Online offers no such holiday merriment. So what's a forlorn fan of costume parties and pumpkin patches to do in STO? Fresh from the brain trust behind your beloved Captain's Log, consider these alternatives to tide you over until you go trick-or-treating.
Captain's Log: Socializing and the quiet of space in STO
The Star Trek universe caters to a whole lot of different interests. You've got your basic sci-fi fan, who enjoys the shows and movies but doesn't get super into them. You've also got your movie buffs, who perk up for showings of Wrath of Khan or Nemesis (ha!). Futurists marvel at the prophetic nature of old-school Trek tech, and casual fans used to flip on the boob tube to scope out Seven of Nine's ram scoops. And of course, Star Trek has its die-hard fans, the Trekkers. (What's wrong with calling them "Trekkies," again?) I noticed a handful at New York Comic Con, traipsing about in their uniforms, snapping group pictures, scanning the Anime Festival next door for signs of intelligent life. And that got me to thinking about socializing in Star Trek Online. Why is it often so lonely in space?
Captain's Log: Anticipating STO's future in user-generated content
Hey there, folks! Welcome back to another edition of Captain's Log, Massively's rarely-coherent-but-always-fun look at Star Trek Online. I have had just the busiest darn week, you betcha. I spent all weekend at New York Comic Con, where I saw more than a few folks dressed to the nines in Star Trek gear, and then I started a shiny new day job on Monday. Phew! I've been thinking a lot about user-generated content lately. In a recent interview, STO Executive Producer Daniel Stahl offers a few details on the subject, in which we learn a bit about the forthcoming system's abilities and limitations. What do we know about STO's UGC tools? What do we still not know -- mainly, when can we get in there and start crafting our own missions? Why, follow me past the jump to find out.
Captain's Log: Ask Cryptic raises questions about STO's future
The future of Star Trek Online comes up a lot in Captain's Log. Whether imagining cool new features or picking apart comments by Executive Producer Daniel Stahl, I ponder STO's tomorrows fairly frequently. But, hey, it's not my fault the folks at Cryptic Studios talk about the game's near and far future so much, right? Especially with their monthly Ask Cryptic feature, the developers address the game's, er, development all the time. This month's extra-hefty Ask Cryptic offers players a lot of tasty food for thought -- but a forum post I missed last week has given me indigestion.
Dan Stahl talks about Star Trek Online's user-generated content
With its first doses of weekly content a success, Star Trek Online is in a fairly comfortable spot at the moment. But there are still places to expand, including the often-mentioned tools for user-generated content. Although the tool isn't yet in the game, executive producer Dan Stahl has been discussing it for some time, and he goes into a bit more depth in a recent interview. He also discusses some of the upcoming changes scheduled for the game's later major updates, including interior interaction and bridge officer voices. Among the more interesting issues discussed is the impact of user-generated content on the game's licensing. Everything currently in the game required approval from CBS first, which Stahl states has led to some discussion about how the user toolsets will interact with the canonical fiction. He also discusses several improvements planned for season 4, and the possibility of more interaction with ship interiors starting in season 4 or 5. Star Trek Online players are encouraged to take a look at the newest interview for a clearer picture of the game's future.
Captain's Log: Wrapping up STO's first series of weekly episodes
Welcome back to another installment of Captain's Log, your weekly dose of -- y'know what, could you guys hang on for a bit? Glee is on as I write this. Britney can take a flying leap, but John Stamos is somethin' else, amirite? Ahem. So anyway, Star Trek Online's very first series of weekly episodes wrapped up this past Saturday. We covered the introduction of weekly episodes a few weeks ago, and I promised we'd get back to them in due time. So did the Breen win? What can we expect from the next series of episodes? And are STO's weekly episodes all they're cracked up to be?
