Star Trek Online

[Xev]

I was in 10-50k channels but they seemed dead so I left em to make channel room

Ohhh you got into 50k, impressive. It's called 'Silver' now. That's the highest one I'm in, too. And the people in that channel blow me out of the sky.

I was in 10-50k channels but they seemed dead

They 'seem' dead due to... conversation is generally limited to deepsing and getting a team together. Otherwise, I get the feeling everyone is doing their chatty-chat in other channels.

I have brought my chatty-chat to DPS-10k... It was received about as well as my chatty-chat was/is in Rampagers......................

DPS channels are pretty no-BS. The higher up you go, the lower the BS level.

There's hundreds of people in those channels whenever I'm online, though. They're pretty full. And you can ignite at least DPS 10k if you want, trust me : D And you can get some pretty lethal teams together fairly fast, from what I've seen and experienced.

[Xev]

PROTOTYPE EXPLORATION CRUISER!!

gah..

Damn that AoD Bundle..

Sooo.. Here's what you need to know about the AoD Starter pack...

The inventory slots and the 150k xp boost.....will drop into the inventory of your purchasing toon - *and be bound to character..*

The ship? Only your Starfleet and TOS toons can use it. No Roms, whether they are Feds or not.

You look in the description of that bundle and tell me where it says either of those things! Why in the world make the no drop items.... bound to CHARACTER... And why not flat out say "Only for TOS/Starfleet" Instead of saying only for toons that complete a Federation tutorial.. Did I not do that with my Fed Roms? Hell, I guess not, I guess I did a Rom tutorial for a Fed toon - sheesh let me grab my damn STO Faction Handbook........... Better yet, why not just make a better Item Description in the Z-store.

This makes nearly the entire bundle completely worthless to me - some toons I never play anymore (Starfleet/TOS) get an Admiralty ship I'll never use due to I never play them..

Just in case this saves someone else some hassle, I pass this info on to you. I'm not flaming them, if it sounds like that. If it were 7k zen... maybe, probably, but not for 750.. If you're an expert at buying stuff in the Z-store maybe you don't need my help due to you are better used to how things work. : ) There it is, anyway.

Edit:
Tech support update..

...do intend to work with our development team to clarify how this ship is intended to be used, or change the current limitations.

They totally refunded me, too, after giving me pretty prompt and helpful tech support during what must be a busy time for them. Which, I feel crummy about, due to this is the second time! In a row..  (I can't even remember what the last thing was they refunded me on atm.) But seriously, I can't use anything in this dang bundle and had no way of knowing due to the way the item description is currently worded.

Edit II: The Sequel
I never asked STO to refund me for any item I ever bought from them. I had what I think/thought were completely legitimate gripes and they did that all on their own, twice, after asking all the right questions in a prompt and friendly way, and then, weighing the facts.

In this case I think it was the only fair solution even though I would have been OK with them not giving me one, due to.... it was only 750 Zen, and, the bundle is pretty great if you have a use for it and well worth the 1500 that it's going to be when it goes off-sale (but I'd wait to get it on the next sale.. of course! hehe).

In the other case... They *totally* took the high road and I thought that was pretty nice of'em due to I still got a lot of use out of what I bought...

I never flamed them or anything like this, I just explained my situation and they did what they did and did it in a way that made me feel like I was subbed in a premium game.

[Angel Phoenix77]

OP for what..? Level 1 - 29?? lol..

I mean, I'm sorry, but.. who cares.

I don't want to actually buy my levels, like they do in Champions Online.. I still believe leveling up to learn, at least the base stuff, about my newbs, is the best possible way to get the inside feel of them - by actually playing them and leveling them and struggling with them, some. Learning my capabilities a little at a time and not with all possibilities available at once is the old way, and, I still think it's the best and most rewarding way..

But..

I'll take twink gear like account bound slightly OP ships (and only OP up to level 30) that level with me so I don't have to redo ship hotkeys every couple hours or less. As soon as they make an Escort version  : ) I mean, with a ship like this, we just have to redo hotkeys at 30, 40, 50 & whenever we get a new T6. Less required trips to ESD.. Much, much better.

Edit: Oops.. No need to do hotkeys at 30, since this is a level 30 ship! when it maxes.. So.. we only have to buy and make hotkeys for this ship.... an Event T6 at 40... and a real T6 at 50. Now tell me, that does not sound better than before! Making hotkeys has to be one of the crummiest parts of leveling in STO. Plus, and a big plus, we get nothing but top quality ships, all the way to 65.. for the price of 2 C-store ships. The cost of this new ship, and a T6.

All my twink stuff is OP for its level. That's what makes it great twink gear  : ) I did not have a twink.. ship, up until now, though.

They could make plenty more newb ships like this to suit me. Starting with a totally OP Escort  : D


That's not why I'm here, though..

Tomorrow's the 9th!!

Are you excited?

I am, a tiny bit... This looks like a good update. The Rep system (<3) is getting what sounds like some significant luv, the queue system (<3) is getting luv.. gah I know I'm forgetting a big thing or two..

There's a somewhat tantalizing new Battlecruiser just announced today.

https://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/11007803-the-stats-of-the-europa-class%21

What I don't get, is... this is the second ship I've seen that the Fleet version is better than the C-store version... I don't get it....?

Edit, once again....

Could be said about this post, too.. My jab to Champions Online Levels Buyers kinda falls apart pretty fast now that I realize I am basically buying a few newb levels with this ship. What do we get when we level, mainly? More (powers) Boff slots.. With this ship we are getting level 30 (powers) Boff slots at level... whatever the level is we get out of the tutorial.

I think I would rather have the console slots scale with level, just like the shield and hull does - based on the fact that I don't want to buy levels.. I just want to skip all the shipbuying and hotkeymaking that feels like it comes with every ding as a newb in STO. Especially if it's a double XP weekend. Well, and I want a top ship - asap, always. With this new ship type, it's all top tier ships from level (whatever it is coming out of the tutorial) to 65 in a much more... efficient/painless way.

I mean, those ships from level 1 - 40 are not memorable, to me.. (Except the first time I flew the Enterprise looking ship!) And then there's that long slog from 30 to 40 for an Event ship. What's memorable is all the crud that goes into getting them and hotkeying them. What's memorable is the slog from 30 to 40, so I can start using the sweet ships - Event T6's, and then real T6's. The real ships. The ships all your toons have right now.. except.. *maybe* one, or two.

But.. yeah.. I want to have twink Gear, not buy Levels. Will I still buy the Escort version? Hmm. Yeah, probably  : D I guess that makes me a hypocrite - but, in my defense, if they had a version of the ship that had consoles slots that scaled with level - I'd get that one. I don't want to buy levels but if they had a sweet escort version I'd probably get it due to all the reasons, above.

It is all good. As you know I really dont care for champions so dig at it all you want.


I should clarify what I mean by over powered. I started as you might know at the very start of sto, so I have the old ways of doing things and thinking. When playing in my honest opinion people should be trying new ships, and not sticking with just one. (and technically this has already been in the game the start I tried it once.) People should see progress in their weaponry, senior staff and so forth. If they are use the same ship through out then they wont improve. (think back with all of the AE babies in City of.)

[Xev]

As you know I really dont care for champions so dig at it all you want.

Yeah, I know! It just seemed like a good example - the buying levels, thing. There was a time... people would mock you to no end.... if you BOUGHT your levels.. They would mock you to no end if you BOUGHT anything in the game with real money, with the purpose of being more uber.

Whereas... Twink gear has been an acceptable ... cheat.. since The Beginning.

I should clarify what I mean by over powered. I started as you might know at the very start of sto, so I have the old ways of doing things and thinking. When playing in my honest opinion people should be trying new ships, and not sticking with just one. (and technically this has already been in the game the start I tried it once.) People should see progress in their weaponry, senior staff and so forth. If they are use the same ship through out then they wont improve. (think back with all of the AE babies in City of.)

I have old ways of thinking, too  : )

One problem with doing things the old STO way is that it is cumbersome.. I mean, look how fast you can ding now, right? I ding every other Romulan Minefield run, on average.. Then as soon as I'm getting warmed up... BLAM I have to go to ESD.. buy a ship... maybe paint it.. redo my hotkeys.. All for a fairly crappy ship.. Unless I spend Zen, but, why should I, when I can still ding with every other Rom Minefield run with the freebies..

Now.. having said all that.. There are people playing STO, like yourself, that are fairly disgusted with this attitude.. They're disgusted I use Rom Minefield to PL myself and they're disgusted that I only want the Prototype Exploration Cruiser for Twink gear.

Me and my online friends would have once been completely disgusted with Pay to Coasters. Why? Because of this exact same attitude..:

I started as you might know at the very start of sto, so I have the old ways of doing things and thinking. When playing in my honest opinion people should be trying new ships, and not sticking with just one. (and technically this has already been in the game the start I tried it once.) People should see progress in their weaponry, senior staff and so forth. If they are use the same ship through out then they wont improve. (think back with all of the AE babies in City of.)

I agree with the spirit of what you're saying.

I don't want to actually buy my levels, like they do in Champions Online.. I still believe leveling up to learn, at least the base stuff, about my newbs, is the best possible way to get the inside feel of them - by actually playing them and leveling them and struggling with them, some. Learning my capabilities a little at a time and not with all possibilities available at once is the old way, and, I still think it's the best and most rewarding way..

But..

I'll take twink gear like account bound slightly OP ships (and only OP up to level 30) that level with me so I don't have to redo ship hotkeys every couple hours or less. As soon as they make an Escort version  : ) I mean, with a ship like this, we just have to redo hotkeys at 30, 40, 50 & whenever we get a new T6. Less required trips to ESD.. Much, much better.

Edit: Oops.. No need to do hotkeys at 30, since this is a level 30 ship! when it maxes.. So.. we only have to buy and make hotkeys for this ship.... an Event T6 at 40... and a real T6 at 50. Now tell me, that does not sound better than before! Making hotkeys has to be one of the crummiest parts of leveling in STO. Plus, and a big plus, we get nothing but top quality ships, all the way to 65.. for the price of 2 C-store ships. The cost of this new ship, and a T6.

All my twink stuff is OP for its level. That's what makes it great twink gear  : ) I did not have a twink.. ship, up until now, though.

They could make plenty more newb ships like this to suit me. Starting with a totally OP Escort  : D

What ships are you actually 'skipping out on the experience' with? The crappy newb ships? The ships many real newbs will experience/use at least once due to they probably aren't buying ships when they just start the game? The ships I used with at least 3 newbs that turned level 60 before I bought my first ship?

When you just start the game I think you're not going to be savvy enough to zoom in on this bundle and let it ruin any part of your STO experience. You're gonna be too buried learning everything else.. You will not even be able to use it unless you make a Starfleet or a TOS character.

I mean... I'm not trying to bury your point. I get it, but, there is soooooooo much to STO, including that huge learning curve, I don't think making early shipbuying for savvy buyers, easier, is gonna kill the game. I think it's a good idea!

The Alternative:
Make newb shipbuying and re-hotkeying way, way, simpler. And.. make the ships more memorable, huh? There may be some nice newb Zen ships but the freebie ones that I think many people use when they first play are totally not memorable. The memorable ships, for me, start at Event T6's.

I mean, when you can level from 1 to 65 on a double XP weekend... wouldn't you rather be able to do it in a less cumbersome, more fun, way?

Again... you are not the only person with the attitude, above. I get it, I've had it. And in my way, I totally share it. But. I also think leveling up in the queue's is perfectly acceptable (it's not so easy if you're a real newb! and, you team with every ding) and I would love to fly just ONE ship until I get a T6. lol.. : D And then I get as many cool T6's as I can find and afford. You know, the ships you fly.....forever(until T7)..

The thing they are cheating real STO newbs out of who are lucky enough to discover and buy and use this bundle is not ship variety - we can experience that with T6's... it's leveling. You get level 30 console slots and Boff slots....straight out of the tutorial. Therefore you are almost skipping some levels with this ship due to... what is the most important stuff you get at lvl 1 - 30 besides higher MK gear and Captain powers and a few traits? More Boff (powers), more console slots, which are both arguably more important than anything else besides the quality of your gear.

[Xev]

Random TFO's...

Now that I finally got my stuff with the Z-store sorted, and... some Ground gear... I hit the button to get into the queue.

It's great! I mean.. I hate being manipulated... But.. I'm glad they did it. I had fun in my first Ground queue. I have only had to run ONE so far.. I got a datacore out of the deal and it was a lot less painless and New (to me) than Gateway to Gre'thor .

If you are like I was and need/want Ground gear.. of all the Ground Rep Gear, the Omega sets are the easiest for me to get by far due to.. ISA, probably. I had plenty of components laying around to get plenty other sets. I still ended up with good olllld M.A.C.O..... and... it's pretty darn good. No Borg assimilation for me (Arena of Sompek...)! And a fast recharge shield regen set bonus power.. and etc. Nice set.

Random TFO's are a pretty great way for people to get the components they want for Rep gear and for people to experience more of the game. I never flew Vicious Cycle until tonite... I thought I flew all the Space queues already. And they're getting me to run Ground queue's, finally, too. And enjoy it...! So far..

The rewards for running Random TFO's vary and even the smallest one seemed worth it to me.

I always liked running random queues! I posted something about doing this, awhile back. I found out, later, other people were doing the same thing. They took it to the next level with this new idea, that.. is supposed to evolve and get better.

My first hour with it has been fun  : ) (minus a couple of bugged Starbase 1's.. but.. oh well..)

 

[Xev]

[Xev]

Well, I thought ... "hey, since they took the high road and refunded me on that AoD bundle I got last week... I'll do the same and tell'em they can have my Zen now that I can use the AoD bundle ship (due to today's patch notes)."

So I wrote them a mail and said to deduct the Zen from my account if they wanted (I still had access to the full bundle after the refund), due to, now, I'm getting what I thought I was getting. I also added a note asking, hey... if it's not too much trouble, would ya mind dropping that no-drop bundle on T'Xev? I deleted it when you guys refunded me.

So, sure enough, they very promptly deducted the Zen.. they even plopped the bundle into T'Xev's inventory..

As a one-time courtesy, we have granted your request, and given the pack to your character "T'Xev".

(No mention of the Zen deduction...but, hey, whatever) Wow! How cool, I thought. T'Xev can use that stuff, and, now we're all even - they made their sale and I got what I wanted.

I then go to open the bundle..



But.. whatever.. They got their zen which I earned.....by playing their very fine game. And I got a very nice ship that I'll probably use someday. They tried to take the high road, so did I, we met somewhere in the middle.

[Xev]

When they first came out with Random Queues/TFOs... I didn't even hit the shiny new button for a day or two until I finally figured out what gear was good enough to run Advanced queue's in, was cheap, and easy to get.

Then I hit the button like 20 times and didn't even get 1 Ground queue..

Now I get them fairly regularly, and, overall, as with Space queue's, they are fun. I really didn't think I'd like them at all but I do. There was this Terak Nor (Terran) Ground queue...where we chased that kinda crazy chick with the mini-skirt around - us, with automatic weapons and grenades and everything else we could throw at her... It would have been so perfect, afterwards... where everyone gathers and transports out... to have been plopped into our ships and then a Counterpoint starts.. and we start taking it to her again, in Space.. as she screams crazily at us "Our reinforcements will put you in your place!". It probably doesn't fit the story at all but it seemed the perfect moment, actionwise, at the time.

The idea, in general, seems kinda cool to meet up with people you just fought with on the Ground, in your hotrod in Space, for some pew-pew/wush-wew. *shrug*

There's all kinds of possibilities with the queue's. I liked what they were doing with them in CoH! They were aways adding stuff. I think this was a smart move in STO. There was some UI-Shock when the column that says how many people are queue'd in all the queue's went away, but.... I can get, like.... *any* queue to pop, now.. so.. now I don't miss that column. If I'm not going for components, then I can hit the 'Random' button just for fun and extra loot. Like I used to do... except, before, I didn't get extra loot for joining the first queue to pop. How can I not like that.

Randomers get rewarded for....being there, and, everyone else can get their components easier. I'm seeing way more content, too. I haven't seen so much 'new' content at one time, since I very first started playing.

So, yay. I hope they, like CoH, continue to expand on what's possible.

[Xev]

MY apols to all Ground queue teams that I have no idea what I'm doing.

NP to all you Space teams that have no idea what you're doing.

I'd tell them not to join Advanced Queue's, but... I am.. (with that shiny new Random button).

[Xev]

There's a little kink with the Random TFO's.

Yesterday, someone in chat couldn't figure out why there were so many newbs in an advanced TFO. ISA, which usually takes a few minutes or so, took 30 spank filled minutes.

Then I got to thinking...

I bet the Ground guys are thinking the same thing. Why are all these newbs joining Advanced Ground TFOs?

It's the new Random system. It's because Advanced Space ppl aren't going to join a Normal queue and Advanced Ground people probably won't either. Well, and.. the opposite of what you're good at - you don't really care about... it's just the TFO you have to run until a Real TFO pops..

kinda thing.

I'd argue that Advanced Ground queues are easier to plod your way through but most of them that I've been in so far go much smoother and faster when there's people in them that know what to do and have the ability to do it. Kinda like ISA's.

Sooooo... a lil kink in the Random system. A system which is new and has tons of room for customization.

And, yeah.. Sorry Ground guys! I did get decent Rep gear and level it up at least. And Gold kit modules! And I'm having fun. But I'm usually fairly lost.

[Xev]

[Xev]

[Xev]

I was in 10-50k channels but they seemed dead so I left em to make channel room

While we're on the subject of Deeps... I gotta make a correction. I Assssssumed that DPS-Silver was DPS-50k..

There is no DPS 50k... And.. DPS Silver is a whole other DPS group. I must be special because this channel is Private and Invite only. It's about as populated as the other DPS channels - thousands of members, always (whenever I check anyway) at least 100+ ppl in channel.

lineup is 10k > 30k > 75k > Elites > Prime

Those are the DPS League channels.

[Felderburg]

I mean... that's pretty cool, really.. I dunno how much it costs! But on paper it sounds cool.

It's several hundred dollars depending on the ship and type, according to the STO site: https://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10831004-3d-print-your-ship-available-today%21

The company that does it is here, but doesn't have prices on the main page: https://gameprint.net/startrek (edit: their faq page prices match the STO page).

What I want to know, is if I can pay in c store credits... I haven't played in ages, but my lifetime account monthly stipend probably has enough to pay for at least one!

[Xev]

It's several hundred dollars depending on the ship and type, according to the STO site: https://www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/10831004-3d-print-your-ship-available-today%21

My jaw literally dropped when I read that..it's now evolved into wide-eye..

I'm in too much of a hurry this morning to say much more right now but lots of words spring to mind!

wow..

I'll have to check into your in-game currency question. I'd Guess they're letting us use lots of Zen, which, you probably have saved  : )

[Thunder Glove]

Even if I wanted to spend the money, my Vonph is explicitly listed as one of the ships they won't print.

[Xev]

What I want to know, is if I can pay in c store credits... I haven't played in ages, but my lifetime account monthly stipend probably has enough to pay for at least one!

OK so, I tried to find out how much this costs in Zen from using the in-game ship vendor, and.... it seized my PC bigtime during the upload process from the printer's website - my admittedly ancient PC that does however play STO on max settings.

You don't order in-game, after all. It looks like the button in-game is mostly just a link launcher to the seller's site. So you might not be able to use Zen after all.

I'm gonna go ahead and say I'm slightly disgusted by that pricing you mentioned. I mean.. it's a kids game..

It does highlight what money can buy you in a Cryptic/PWE game - about whatever you want - if, you're willing to shell out stupid amounts of cash. And then you can go in-game, after, and brag about your purchase and tell everyone how the game is staying alive due to people just like yourself.

I'm not against money or blowing large chunks of it or bragging about it afterwards. What I am against is the mentality that emerges in PWE games, where, if you have stupid amounts of cash to blow, you are special. Not only that, you are specialler than everyone else.

See. One thing about mmo's, used to be, they were the great equalizer. You could be man, woman, fat, thin, tall, short, athletic or not, and be whatever color or religion, live anywhere, and whatever else and have whatever amount of cash in your wallet - and you earned love and respect by.... playing. Not buying.

Today some people seem to *think* money buys them respect from other players in a game. Not only that, they think it buys them the right to disrespect people that don't spend a lot of money in a game. When I started playing the first graphical mmo on PC (and Mac...) and then moved on to Everquest.. these exact same people were about the most disgusting players online. Players who BOUGHT their... anything. And ya know what? They normally didn't brag about it either. It was a big dark secret. Due to only lamers had to buy what gamers earned.

I realize it's a.. whole new virtual world, today, and I for sure am not putting down all the people paying the light bill for the games I play! Just some of them.. And the whole mentality. And the fact that devs actually do seem to cater to these people. I don't want them to cater to me, either! or any one person or group.. That's the point. Let them cater... to the game.

This relationship I see forming between 'rich' players and devs and game publishers with Cryptic/PWE has been gnawing at me for awhile. Things like $100's for a ship print in a kids game kinda set me off. Sorry.. But not sorry enough to delete this, apparently.

On the other side of things - I play mostly for free and think it's fantabulous they figured out a way for me to do so because Cryptic/PWE has.. kept me in the game. I have gotten Subscription Quality Support over the years. Their games are top-notch. Even though CO may be .... a little underdeveloped, it's a great game.

I don't have anything against money, I like it, used to have lots more of it. Which should also tell you I'm not against people having money  : ) Now that I think of it, probably my best friend, is a pretty rich dude. I just don't think about him that way because he doesn't act that way.

P.P.S.
I hope they have a Fridge Magnet option somewhere in this Ship Printing for the kids and players that ... can afford fridge magnets  : )


~~~~

edit....:

See.. I went and did the very same thing as what I was saying is bad. I revealed RL info into the game world. The dividing kind.

One of the most compelling things to me when I started roleplaying was to be in a world where everyone had everything in common and could be whatever they imagined they could be. I never liked giving my age, even when the numbers were good ones. I never liked giving any kind of RL info whatsoever ... that could prejudice anyone in any way. At that point: all that's left is fantasy. I could make up and be whoever I wanted and you couldn't see me from any other light.

I don't care who brags about what in STO and I don't know why I even mentioned the devs. I am nonstop saying the things I like about what the devs are doing, and, players feeling over-important is something I should be used to by now - I just have to learn how to cope with the RL version of it.

Probably none of this makes sense and I'll not be bringing it up again. Just had to say my long-winded peace, I guess. My sincere apols!

[Felderburg]

I'm gonna go ahead and say I'm slightly disgusted by that pricing you mentioned. I mean.. it's a kids game..

I don't think it's out of line, expecially googling 3d printing costs. Looks like they probably use a nicer plastic, and they're also putting all the files together for 3d printing, and painting it for the extra fee if desired. It's not terribly outrageous, in my opinion.

What do you mean STO is a "kid's game"? I've never once seen it marketed specifically to children.

[Xev]

I don't think it's out of line, expecially googling 3d printing costs.

I don't think it is, either. I have no idea at all of what is or isn't a good price and don't really care right now. My point was, if you're going to make something that cool available... make it available to all. Or at least a helluva lot larger percentage... That fridge magnet I had printed had a dang good print on it and they cost me like $1 each. I came up with that idea to go along with Multi $100 ship prints without even trying.

If this still doesn't make sense it never will.

What do you mean STO is a "kid's game"? I've never once seen it marketed specifically to children.

I enjoy Kid's Movies and Shows, too. Doesn't make them bad.

Do you feel all adult running around in your Starfleet uniform using sci-fi weapons on pixels? Or playing with GI Joes? Or making a paper airplane go *zoooooooooooom*?

sure hope not..

I mean, you can be all adult about it but I refuse. It's a friggin kids game to me. A game just like I played..... as a kid. Because *I* got older doesn't make it an adult's game. It just means I still like Kids games..

I'm having some fun with ya, Felder. I've got a point but not a pointy one. I wish I wouldn't have made that post. Would much rather talk about the fun stuff in the game like me finally unpaperfying my rom/tac/escort captain and tearing space a new black hole with it  ; )
 

[Felderburg]

I don't think it is, either. I have no idea at all of what is or isn't a good price and don't really care right now. My point was, if you're going to make something that cool available... make it available to all.

[...]

Do you feel all adult running around in your Starfleet uniform using sci-fi weapons on pixels? Or playing with GI Joes? Or making a paper airplane go *zoooooooooooom*?

Hahaha, fair enough. I will say that I don't feel one way or the other about Star Trek Online, since I don't play it anymore (because I am an ADULT and adults don't play games, kids' games or otherwise!  ).

Your point about the cost of the ship does make me wonder how much of that goes to the printing company, and how much to STO.