Star Trek Online interview answers questions of combat, grouping, launch, and more
by Rubi Bayer 
Oct 10th 2009 at 10:00AM
Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Interviews, New titles, Star Trek Online
Details of player interaction has been one of the biggest questions. How much interaction is possible when it's just you and a ship full of NPCs? STO doesn't disappoint, offering a space station that serves as a central social hub. There is also an over-world view that allows you to see what others in the area are up to, and join up with players pursuing the same things you are.
Zinkievich also addressed ground combat (yes, there is ranged and melee combat and not just phaser fire exchange) and rewards (lots - plenty of upgrades for you, your crew, and your ship), as well as plans for the first year after launch. He also reminds us that launch is planned for early 2010, and that they are still taking beta applications.
The original interview contains more details and more answers -- it's definitely worth reading.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Renko said on 10:59AM 10-10-2009
I've been looking forward to STO for a loooong time but the official forum post confirming Cryptic's decision to force Klingons to use the Federation tutorial due to time constraints has got me worried. What else is going to be dropped or cut in the rush to get it out the door and what shape will it be in when it gets there? The days of blindly giving developers the benefit of the doubt are long gone and this move doesn't bode well.
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Tyranor said on 11:02AM 10-10-2009
I'm just worried they've dropped attempts to make the ground combat not fail. Which it looks like currently, it does. Gatling phaser shotguns are just not okay. It just feels like a horrible clone with horrible convention.
mysecretid said on 9:31PM 10-10-2009
Actually, playing the Klingon faction doesn't unlock until a little way into the game, so they're not forcing non-Feds through the Fed tutorial.
Everyone goes through the tutorial as a Fed; you create your Klingon Alliance main after you've learned the game basics.
BlackIce said on 11:26AM 10-10-2009
Hmm, strange feature for them to cut. I'm sure the two factions will be largely cosmetic in the end, making the one tutorial suitable for both, but it smacks of a lack of love for their game to cut corners like that. It can't possibly be that hard, what is in a tutorial for a game as simplistic as a Cryptic mmog that can't be finished in time?
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Pingles said on 12:15PM 10-10-2009
A bit of a concern. Cuts like these (like the ones Mythic made just before Warhammer's release) are signs that the management team didn't have good grasp on the development needs/scheduling.
What else will they be skimping development time on?
Still, for some reason I am optimistic with this one. Silly for any of us to have strong opinions one way or the other I suppose. We'll see when some of us can get in to test it.
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Ingrod said on 5:55PM 10-11-2009
I dont see that how a "cut"
For me that move makes easy the possibility for add new factions in the future. Develop that how WoW style opposite factions makes much more hard to implement new races, is more easy add a new race to an consolidated base game instead of add a whole new faction changing the core of the game.
Many MMOs (WAR, Vanguard, etc.) with separate starting areas for every race in the end are forced to create a common tutorial some time after release, the conclusion is obvious: Separate starting areas or tutorial for every race = fail.
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