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[STO] Open Beta is On! (you still need a key)
Hardtarget
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan
wait
i mean
Star Trek Onliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!
The Open Beta is now on, the game is super fun, you guys should play!
Dates of interest:
Open Beta: Jan 12th - Jan 26th
Head Start: Jan 29th
Retail Release: Feb 2nd
There are 3 versions of the game
For 50 bucks you can get the normal release
For 80 Bucks you can get the Collector's Edition
Or for 60 bucks you can get the Digital Deluxe Edition which I think is my preferred version
The DDE comes with:
Play with us!
We have a Fleet up and running but if you want to play with us this really isn't as important as joining the PA Chat Channel is. To do so type this:
/channel_join "Penny Arcade"
The Quote marks are super important, don't forget them
Now some links:
Open Beta Info and where to get Keys
Retail Purchase Options (with pre-order bonuses listed)
Pre-Order Faq
And a Game Summary:
The year is 2409, 30 years after the events of Nemesis, and space is once again becoming a hostile playground. Play as one of two factions; Federation or Klingon, to secure (or or simply explore) your corner of the galaxy.....
From the official word:
System Requirements:
The minimum system requirements are:
* OS: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista / Windows 7 (32 or 64-bit)
* CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 Ghz or AMD Athlon X2 3800+
* Memory: 1GB RAM
* Video: NVIDIA GeForce 7950 / ATI Radeon X1800 / Intel HD Graphics
* Sound: DirectX 9.0c Compatible Soundcard
* DirectX: Version 9.0c or Higher
* HDD : 10GB Free Disk Space
* Network: Internet Broadband Connection Required
* Disc: 6X DVD-ROM
The recommended system specifications are:
* OS: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista / Windows 7 (32 or 64-bit)
* CPU: Intel E8400 Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X2 5600+
* Memory: 2GB RAM+
* Video: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD 3850+
* Sound: DirectX 9.0c Compatible Soundcard
* DirectX: Version 9.0c or Higher
* HDD : 10GB Free Disk Space
* Network: Internet Broadband Connection Required
* Disc: 6X DVD-ROM[/QUOTE]
Other Things!:
Want This Uniform?
Because Cryptic is dumb all you have to do is enter JIH MUSHA SOH into your STO profile page
Ship Tiers
I'm not sure if this was mentioned earlier, but this might help folks with ship selection.[/QUOTE]
wait
i mean
Star Trek Onliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!
The Open Beta is now on, the game is super fun, you guys should play!
Dates of interest:
Open Beta: Jan 12th - Jan 26th
Head Start: Jan 29th
Retail Release: Feb 2nd
There are 3 versions of the game
For 50 bucks you can get the normal release
For 80 Bucks you can get the Collector's Edition
Or for 60 bucks you can get the Digital Deluxe Edition which I think is my preferred version
The DDE comes with:
* TOS Uniform Set (in-game item): 3 Uniforms from the Original series (blue, red, yellow)
* Joined Trill: Play as a Joined Trill. Joined Trill come with a symbiote that grants you several lifetimes of experience. The "Joined" species trait grants you a bonus to 5 skills.
* Exclusive “KHAAAN!” Emote (in-game item): An unforgettable moment from the second Star Trek Film. This exclusive emote allows players to relive Kirk’s unforgettable moment of fury, with the timeless cry… “KHAAAN!”
* Exclusive Klingon Blood Wine Toast Emote (in-game item): Raise a glass like a Klingon! Greet and interact with other players with an exclusive Klingon gesture -the blood wine toast.
* Unique Registry Prefix (in-game item): Give your ship the coveted NX prefix, seen only on a handful of elite Starfleet vessels like the Defiant, 22nd century Enterprise, and Prometheus.”
* Unique Ship Item (in-game item): - Automated Defense Battery. This Tactical Module that grants any ship a passive 360 arc attack power with a short range.
Play with us!
We have a Fleet up and running but if you want to play with us this really isn't as important as joining the PA Chat Channel is. To do so type this:
/channel_join "Penny Arcade"
The Quote marks are super important, don't forget them
Now some links:
Open Beta Info and where to get Keys
Retail Purchase Options (with pre-order bonuses listed)
Pre-Order Faq
And a Game Summary:
The year is 2409, 30 years after the events of Nemesis, and space is once again becoming a hostile playground. Play as one of two factions; Federation or Klingon, to secure (or or simply explore) your corner of the galaxy.....
From the official word:
Become part of Star Trek®: The Star Trek universe will appear for the first time in a massively multiplayer online game. Everything from the elegant domes of Starfleet Academy to the ancient temples of Vulcan, from the towers of Qo’noS to the Fire Caves of Bajor, from the mysterious Mutara Nebula to the unexplored voids of deep space, all will be represented in stunning 3-D graphics. Immerse yourself in the future of the Trek universe as it moves into the 25th century: a time of shifting alliances and new discoveries.
Adventure in the Final Frontier: Explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations in an expanding vast universe. Make contact with alien races, discover resources and uncover mysteries that will change the future of the Star Trek universe.
You Are the Captain: Command your own starship as a Federation Captain or a Klingon Warrior. Outfit it with the systems that you need to make your mark in the galaxy. Customize your ship as you see fit. Recruit, train and mold your crew into an elite force for exploration and combat.
Surface, Shipboard and Deep Space Adventures: Command your vessel in thrilling space battles, or beam down to planets with your away team for face-to-face confrontations. Missions will take you and your friends into space, planetside and even inside starships!
System Requirements:
The minimum system requirements are:
* OS: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista / Windows 7 (32 or 64-bit)
* CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 Ghz or AMD Athlon X2 3800+
* Memory: 1GB RAM
* Video: NVIDIA GeForce 7950 / ATI Radeon X1800 / Intel HD Graphics
* Sound: DirectX 9.0c Compatible Soundcard
* DirectX: Version 9.0c or Higher
* HDD : 10GB Free Disk Space
* Network: Internet Broadband Connection Required
* Disc: 6X DVD-ROM
The recommended system specifications are:
* OS: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista / Windows 7 (32 or 64-bit)
* CPU: Intel E8400 Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X2 5600+
* Memory: 2GB RAM+
* Video: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD 3850+
* Sound: DirectX 9.0c Compatible Soundcard
* DirectX: Version 9.0c or Higher
* HDD : 10GB Free Disk Space
* Network: Internet Broadband Connection Required
* Disc: 6X DVD-ROM[/QUOTE]
Other Things!:
Want This Uniform?
Because Cryptic is dumb all you have to do is enter JIH MUSHA SOH into your STO profile page
Ship Tiers
Spoiler:
Hardtarget on
This discussion has been closed.
Posts
The focus is a bit off compared to lots of MMO's. It's not about leveling. It's about story. Levels are just a means to open up new episodes, gameplay features, and combat/crafting options.
It's alot like what the developers of SW:TOR are claiming they want to do. It's just a shame that the STO developers haven't advertised STO as such. Then again, it's been pretty clear to me since CO came out that advertising and PR isn't Cryptic's speciality.
Also, on the "empty gameworld" thing, it's only empty if you have auto-grouping disabled. Otherwise you'll be auto-teamed with anyone else doing the same mission at the time.
Anyone found the mirror universe episode yet? Someone in beta mentioned it was in, and awesome, but I haven't been able to locate it myself. The same with the time travel one which supposedly takes you back to TOS era Star Trek.
The game just doesn't look and feel like it's worth money. Especially not repeatedly paid money.
It does SOUND like it though. Cause the music and sounds are GREAT.
I have to admit it doesn't seem that compelling at first, but I think the game's slowly growing on me. I like the space combat, and the "holy crap it's STAR TREK" factor helps some.
Glad to have not come across any "USS lolwhat"s floating around yet.
I think it has a good future if Cryptic continue to work and expand upon it. I think that yes, it does need a good three months more of overhaul, but it does show alot of promise.
The ideas are good. The Star Trek atmosphere is good. And the Space Battles are something new for an MMO but of course have been done before in games centered specifically around them. Same with the ground combat. Both together in one game is a good idea and definitely fits Star Trek to a T.
The problem is the execution.
The graphics are lacking. The menus are lacking. The graphical style is cold and empty,nothing makes you go wow. Apart from MAYBE the space sections,which also have been done more beautiful before,but it's still "Wow Star Trek".
What I'm saying is,that if this was a single player game for like 30€ or so, I would advise people to pick it up cause it feels like Sid Meier's Star Trek! (Pirates!). You do missions,you fly around,you get new ships/crew,you level up and get new gear.
But for a 60€ game? And then 12.99€ every following month?
Sorry, the product is not worth that much.
Basically,the first thing I thought when I played this was "Oh, Tabula Rasa."
STO meanwhile has a good enough construction base that just needs more work, its lag will probably be resolved soon enough and it's never particularly been hyped other than ZOMG Star Trek.
Yeah I'm guilty of being Captain Silly pants of the USS Rikersbeard
I think you're just determined not to like the game.
The graphics are astounding if you crank everything up, and fit the Star Trek theme right down to a T. Hell, they even diversified character customization to the point where you can choose what era your character's outfit comes from, and what game. They also made, and are still making, a ton of clothing unique to the game as well.
I mean, they actually included numerous armor types that mimic the tactical armor from ST: Elite Force. On top of that, they created their own set of armors as well. That's dedication to diversification right there.
The menu is no different then any other space sim game out there. Hell, it's alot more stream-lined when you compare it to the giants like the X series and EVE.
And what the hell is wrong with ground combat? It's basically Mass Effect meets tactical FPS. That's pretty much unheard of in the MMO market.
Space combat hasn't been "done before" either, in terms of mechanics. The closest thing to it would be Pirates of the Burning Sea, and that's only while you have your starter ship. Once you start getting into escorts, science ships, and cruisers/battleships, the game goes full on Trek.
Though, if you're referring to space combat having been "done before" as a valid reason for a Star Trek game sucking, then I don't even know what to say to you. Space combat is kind of a requisite.
The space combat in STO has been done before in:
Star Trek: Starfleet Command
Star Trek: Starfleet Command: Orion Pirates
Star Trek: Starfleet Command II: Empires at War
Star Trek: Starfleet Command III
Never did I say the game sucked because of the space combat, I just said "They put Starfleet Command minus features into an MMO". That is a statement,not an evaluation.
The graphics are not "astounding". I have everything at max settings. They are not astounding in the slightest. They are ok for an MMO and they certainly bring across the Star Trek feel. But that's because of the art direction and not the graphics engine. Space looks great and the ships look great too.
Character customization has nothing to do with graphics and is not something I even wrote about.
The customization is great,I even said so a few posts back.
The menu being better than games with shitty menus hardly qualifies the menu as good.
It's passable but also kinda awkward and doesn't really manage to fit everything in neatly.
It's ok though, it works and that's all it needs to do.
The ground combat has nothing to do with Mass Effect because there is no actual aiming,no cover and nothing that really distinguishes it from other MMOs. Putting the camera next to the shoulder of your character with a button and thereby upping the damage is not revolutionary or unheard of.
Again, I could say "Hey, Tabula Rasa." which was exactly what I thought about when first playing the ground combat. Which is not a statement about the quality of the combat,but just says "Oh,ok,I've seen this before,it's like Tabula Rasa."
I like the game. I like the customization,the mission ideas,the fleet battles and the general Star Trek feel.
However the only way the game gets away with the price it is asking for is because it has STAR TREK on the box.
Sadly, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on this point.
Animations for ground combat are very basic and don't flow into one another very well at all. There is also a slight "floating" feel to how the characters move during a lot of the animations. This can be seen perfectly when characters are performing melee attacks while strafing, or when they are knocked back in the process of strafing.
Also, a slight pet peeve of mine, the design decision to take away weapons while running. One second you are holding a giant, lumbering, chain gun looking energy weapons.....the next second youre full sprint with nothing in your hands.
Yes, these are aethstetic things and while good enough for an MMO, calling it Mass Effect is sort of a stretch in my opinion.
Eventually the ships will change and we'll have new players joining in the game and flying in the Sol system on their little Maranda and suddenly a bigass Soverign will come out of warp and fly past them and they'll be like... "Damn..."
Also about roles:
You're captain will have his focus, but you can have multiple ships with different command officers on each one. So although your captian might be an Engineering officer you could buy a Defiant-class with energy credits and use it in a pinch.
From the stats of the ships it looks like some of the lower-tier ships might still be faster or more maneuverable then their larger more advanced counterparts so it might be a useful tactic to keep a lower tier/faster ship for scanning missions when you still have your "Main" ship with the high-tier badass weaponry for when youre grouping or doing episode missions.
This neo-feudalism would be more tolerable if our betters had fancy titles.
1) Can someone explain how the Anomaly items work? I've got an inventory full of Ancient Artifacts, Radiation, and Biological Samples, but I have no clue what its for.
2) Is there a good or fast way to farm command points to train your bridge officers? With three officers I feel like none of them are being trained very well. The points are just spread too thin.
Shit... I had like three other questions to ask, but as I was typing this up they slipped my mind. Oh well. Guess I'll ask later when I remember.
The UI could use some work, too. The skills window says to right-click for info, but that does nothing; left click brings up the information box. It's probably just my inexperience showing, too, but I have no idea what putting skill points into a specific skill actually does, other than make the little bars on the info box increase.
EVE at launch was significantly different (in terms of gameplay and UI) to what it is now, though. Hopefully STO will follow suit and improve and not just collapse like Earth and Beyond.
(I actually quite like the game in it's current state, but like everything it could be better
Fake edit: the anomaly stuff can be traded at the Sol Starbase (24?) for different items. There's a vendor at the Exchange which takes them.
Think the graphics are pretty good. The interface I personally love as it should be clean, minimalist and cold which pretty much any interface (consoles, buttons etc) on the Star Trek Series was just that.
How could you not expect the pricing to be what it is? Of course it will command normal because its STAR TREK. It would be the same thing if they put World of Warcraft on a box of bolts, it would still command full price.
Ed & Larry : "Doesn't matter."
I recently was gifted a thing in Steam. If it was from you, thank you very much!
I just said the game isn't worth the price it is asking. Same as about 95% of all MMOs.
My usual rule for this stuff is Ill give them 3 months after live. It seems fun enough in my opinion for that. After those 3 months though there better be serious signs of improvement.
No, they did it so that NPCs don't get stuck when, in some unspecified future time, they have interactive mission events inside our ships.
Cryptic seems to think that you need huge interiors, when well designed ones would suffice. They really ought to take a look at the play-book for the Neverwinter Nights tile-sets for a better way to go about interior sets.
Plenty of room to move, and it doesn't feel stupid-huge.
Ed & Larry : "Doesn't matter."
I recently was gifted a thing in Steam. If it was from you, thank you very much!
Yeah, the spacing between stuff on the bridge got me before I realised why they did it that way.
Is there something I missed ... maybe they are still in maintanence or something ...
EDIT: And on top of that it pretty much fries my comp ... so even opening another browser tab, let alone getting to a website is impossible. What the fuck Cryptic?
Cryptic has stated they will gladly sacrifice realism for game play, so most of these types of complaints will fall on deaf ears.
Ed & Larry : "Doesn't matter."
I recently was gifted a thing in Steam. If it was from you, thank you very much!
So, basically, I'm looking at Miranda => Excalibur => Akira => Defiant => Sovereign. That could change based on how the not-yet-revealed classes look. I actually don't like the Defiant all that much, but I'm not a fan of the Galaxy or Steamrunner.
I got a lot of shit for "U.S.S. Ronald Reagan". But, I also got a few thumbs up for "U.S.S. Bob Hope". I was also greatly saddened when I was asked "Who's Bob Hope?"
Fuckin kids get off my lawn.
I'd like a cover mechanic, but otherwise, I'm fine with it. They could also look at something like GTA4 and see how the characters transition from one move into another to make everything seem a little less floaty.
Klingons are all stupid with the running to melee thing, as you'd expect (I hate swordmasters). I'd like to be able to whip out a katana and go all Highlander on them and freak out my fellow Starfleet officers, but reverse butt stroking them with the rifle butt and then sniper-shooting them when they're rolling on the ground works. (I haven't found any melee weapons for Starfleet, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.)
We have options like having distruptor pistols akimbo. People can be disintegrated. Your "pets" aren't useless in combat... they're actually more a pain out of combat, because they'll get stuck on doors and struts easily.
Actually, with the gear mods they have, they're proving out that Cryptic could easily convert/license their engine out for a fantasy MMO or a near-modern combat MMO. Their engine isn't a one-trick pony in the least.
Starbase Memory Alpha also has some use for the anomaly materials, but to be fair, I haven't explored it.
I imagine their engine is set to make huge rooms by default because in Champions, they needed everything huge so people could fly around and take growth hormones. I think that the large rooms are mostly a holdover of them not going in and customizing their interior assets so that they could get thins running quickly. Or, maybe you're gonna fight a Klingon named T'leios who is going to attack with prehistoric Targs.
Not on my bridge, I'm not.
Ed & Larry : "Doesn't matter."
I recently was gifted a thing in Steam. If it was from you, thank you very much!
thats why interiors are huge.
Ed & Larry : "Doesn't matter."
I recently was gifted a thing in Steam. If it was from you, thank you very much!
I had the same issue. I read somewhere that you can get past the SOL loading hang bug by putting all your video settings to low. (it might be just one or two settings that do the trick, but since I don't know which ones, I just turned them all down)
I started a new character, and managed to get to SOL no problem. This was at 7am EST though, maybe it was due to the fact that less ppl were there.
Anyhoo, gonna try with a better video card tonight, and see what happens.
That kinda worked. I created another character, lowered my video settings and finally made it into the Sol System ... but fuck is that crowded.
How do I lower the settings when in character choosing screen?
The level cap is 16 so I guess you can get another ship,yeah.
They are expensive though...
So one asked about all the mineral samples and radiation samples... You can actually trade in collects of different sames for "stuff" with a lt Commander NPC right in the middle of Stardock Earth...
whyyyyyyy
This neo-feudalism would be more tolerable if our betters had fancy titles.