Is this true?

Yes.

Well yes and no. Everyone is a captain of their own ship but that doesn't mean that they are actually captain in rank. Also Jack Emmert is the head cheese over at Cyrptic but the Executive Producer for STO is Craig Zinkievich. Craig is basically in charge of the project but Jack can step in and override his decisions if he feels it's needed (The general feel is that he hasn't done this a whole lot so far however). So like I said the answer to your questions are yes and no to both.

Bren

honestly, i wish this wasn't true. I liked the way it was going to be when the old studio had the rights. Where everyone is a member of the crew, not just a captain of a ship. I was looking forward to the roleplay of it, but I guess that has gone by the wayside.

Hopefully that'll change in the future, but until then I don't see myself buying this game.

Originally posted by Rejor

honestly, i wish this wasn't true. I liked the way it was going to be when the old studio had the rights. Where everyone is a member of the crew, not just a captain of a ship. I was looking forward to the roleplay of it, but I guess that has gone by the wayside.

 

Hopefully that'll change in the future, but until then I don't see myself buying this game.

Emmert and Zinkievich have not ruled out the possibility of multi-crewed ships. They have stated that they won't be there for launch but it is something that they are seriously discussing and may be put in at some later date. I personally think the game will be good either way and will still provide much in the way of role playing and interaction with others regularly. I never was a big fan of PE's vision for Trek. The multi-crew part was probably the only redeeming quality their version had. The rest of it sounded like it was going to blow chunks seriously. I for one am so much happier that a real development studio with a decent track record has this IP now. This game went from a 10% chance of a successful Star Trek MMO under PE to about a 90% chance of success the day Cryptic took over.

Bren

Originally posted by Brenelael

Originally posted by Rejor

honestly, i wish this wasn't true. I liked the way it was going to be when the old studio had the rights. Where everyone is a member of the crew, not just a captain of a ship. I was looking forward to the roleplay of it, but I guess that has gone by the wayside.

 

Hopefully that'll change in the future, but until then I don't see myself buying this game.

Emmert and Zinkievich have not ruled out the possibility of multi-crewed ships. They have stated that they won't be there for launch but it is something that they are seriously discussing and may be put in at some later date. I personally think the game will be good either way and will still provide much in the way of role playing and interaction with others regularly. I never was a big fan of PE's vision for Trek. The multi-crew part was probably the only redeeming quality their version had. The rest of it sounded like it was going to blow chunks seriously. I for one am so much happier that a real development studio with a decent track record has this IP now. This game went from a 10% chance of a successful Star Trek MMO under PE to about a 90% chance of success the day Cryptic took over.

 

Bren

I hate most everything Emmert did to CoH, starting with the ham-fisted ED. I don't like him, nor do I trust him.

Though I'm a huge trek fan, this game I'll pass on given the evryone is a Captain thing + Emmert anywhere near it.

I hope to see a decent single-player trek game eventually. God I'd love to see one in the mold of Oblivion's freedom.

Well I can understand the way you feel as I know a lot of people got somewhat burnt by the changes Emmert did to CoH. I wouldn't give up on STO just yet however as this is NOT CoH. The way the game is shaping up seems to be in the right direction and the captain thing is actually a very small part of the overall game. The main difference being that Emmert was the Executive Producer of CoH and he isn't for STO. He may be the CEO of Cryptic but he's not the EP of STO. Craig Zinkievich is and he seems to be making the right decisions to get out a great Star Trek experience in as short amount of time as possible. Now I'm not asking you to forgive Jack Emmert for his past mistakes but to condemn a game that he is taking a very stand offish approach to is only going to hurt you in the long run as this is the only chance Star Trek has as an MMO. Perhaps the last chance Star Trek has as a game period. All I'm saying is maybe you need to wait until the game releases and try it before you decide your not going to like it based on prejudice.

Bren

Originally posted by Die_Scream

I hate most everything Emmert did to CoH, starting with the ham-fisted ED. I don't like him, nor do I trust him.

Though I'm a huge trek fan, this game I'll pass on given the evryone is a Captain thing + Emmert anywhere near it.

I hope to see a decent single-player trek game eventually. God I'd love to see one in the mold of Oblivion's freedom.

Buff-nerf cycles are part of MMOs.  ED really was pretty much par for the course.  If it really angered you so much that you are still talking about it more than 3 years later, I honestly wonder if MMOs are for you.

I agree with Brenelael about Cryptic taking it over from Perepetual.  I once beta tested one of PE's (now canned) MMOs.  It was complete amateur-ville.  Absolutely hopeless.  It was readily aparent that they had no ****ing clue, and were definitely not ready for prime time.  Cryptic will at least make an actual game, rather than a tech demo, which is all I think PE could ever have managed.

I do hope that they reconsider their position of "every person a captain" though.  Obviously, much of the interaction in Star Trek is on one ship, crew-to-crew, and it would be a shame for that never to see the light of day in this game.

If anyone can come up with a way to make player crews work, then please share.

Until then, this is the best system we have and it looks like a good game.

Originally posted by Sketch5

If anyone can come up with a way to make player crews work, then please share.

Until then, this is the best system we have and it looks like a good game.

We don't need to come up with a way, they will work just fine. Not everybody wants to be a captain. If they were really interested in making an immersive Star Trek MMO experience, they would do player crews on a ship, but they are clearly more interested in making yet another theme park leveling game.

Originally posted by Aethios

Originally posted by Sketch5

If anyone can come up with a way to make player crews work, then please share.

Until then, this is the best system we have and it looks like a good game.

 

We don't need to come up with a way, they will work just fine. Not everybody wants to be a captain. If they were really interested in making an immersive Star Trek MMO experience, they would do player crews on a ship, but they are clearly more interested in making yet another theme park leveling game.

Oh, so since they're taking the only route that would be functional and enjoyable, it's a theme park leveling game?

That is illogical.

Originally posted by Aethios

Originally posted by Sketch5

If anyone can come up with a way to make player crews work, then please share.

Until then, this is the best system we have and it looks like a good game.

 

We don't need to come up with a way, they will work just fine. Not everybody wants to be a captain. If they were really interested in making an immersive Star Trek MMO experience, they would do player crews on a ship, but they are clearly more interested in making yet another theme park leveling game.

No player levels, wide open quadrants to explore, dynamically generated content and nearly unlimited avatar/ship customization. Yeah, sounds like your basic level based quest grinder. Before you come here and try to dis this game maybe you should actually go and read something about it first. Just some friendly advice.

Bren

Here's some info for you guys....this is from the FAQ

Q: Will everyone be the Captain of their own ship?

A: Yes, but you will have to earn the responsibility and skill to command larger and more powerful vessels. Remember, in Star Trek as well as naval tradition, whoever commands the ship is the "Captain," even if it is not your current rank.

Q:Will a gang of smaller ships, say, several Bird-of-Preys, be able to take out something like a Warbird using superior tactics and numbers?

A:Yes. Since we’re not using a traditional level-based system, smaller ships with good tactics and teamwork can take on bigger ships with a solid chance of success.

Also check the out Videos, got some nice info there like the Romulans and Dominion will be added in expansions, customizable starship interiors with decks and medbay, holodeck etc., people can come aboard your ship....

Wow, that info almost took me like 3 mins to find and theres more on www.startrekonline.com, gosh they have a website!

Originally posted by Mosfet

Here's some info for you guys....this is from the FAQ

Q: Will everyone be the Captain of their own ship?

A: Yes, but you will have to earn the responsibility and skill to command larger and more powerful vessels. Remember, in Star Trek as well as naval tradition, whoever commands the ship is the "Captain," even if it is not your current rank.

Q:Will a gang of smaller ships, say, several Bird-of-Preys, be able to take out something like a Warbird using superior tactics and numbers?

 

A:Yes. Since we’re not using a traditional level-based system, smaller ships with good tactics and teamwork can take on bigger ships with a solid chance of success.

Also check the out Videos, got some nice info there like the Romulans and Dominion will be added in expansions, customizable starship interiors with decks and medbay, holodeck etc., people can come aboard your ship....

Wow, that info almost took me like 3 mins to find and theres more on www.startrekonline.com, gosh they have a website!

 

Yeah, it's like some people got to the no player crew part and stopped reading right there. This game is going to have so much more to offer than just "everyone's a Captain". If some of these people would just open their minds to the concept that it isn't the end of the world and actually go and read some more about the game they may find out that it offers so much more to make up for that. The captain thing is such a small part of the overall game that it's actually pretty unimportant to the overall game play they are proposing.

Bren

Originally posted by Die_Scream

Originally posted by Brenelael

Originally posted by Rejor

honestly, i wish this wasn't true. I liked the way it was going to be when the old studio had the rights. Where everyone is a member of the crew, not just a captain of a ship. I was looking forward to the roleplay of it, but I guess that has gone by the wayside.

 

Hopefully that'll change in the future, but until then I don't see myself buying this game.

Emmert and Zinkievich have not ruled out the possibility of multi-crewed ships. They have stated that they won't be there for launch but it is something that they are seriously discussing and may be put in at some later date. I personally think the game will be good either way and will still provide much in the way of role playing and interaction with others regularly. I never was a big fan of PE's vision for Trek. The multi-crew part was probably the only redeeming quality their version had. The rest of it sounded like it was going to blow chunks seriously. I for one am so much happier that a real development studio with a decent track record has this IP now. This game went from a 10% chance of a successful Star Trek MMO under PE to about a 90% chance of success the day Cryptic took over.

 

Bren

I hate most everything Emmert did to CoH, starting with the ham-fisted ED. I don't like him, nor do I trust him.

Though I'm a huge trek fan, this game I'll pass on given the evryone is a Captain thing + Emmert anywhere near it.

I hope to see a decent single-player trek game eventually. God I'd love to see one in the mold of Oblivion's freedom.

Kinda funny, to me Emmert Saved CoH.  Before ED why play anything other then a tank.

Originally posted by Brenelael

Originally posted by Aethios

 

We don't need to come up with a way, they will work just fine. Not everybody wants to be a captain. If they were really interested in making an immersive Star Trek MMO experience, they would do player crews on a ship, but they are clearly more interested in making yet another theme park leveling game.

No player levels, wide open quadrants to explore, dynamically generated content and nearly unlimited avatar/ship customization. Yeah, sounds like your basic level based quest grinder. Before you come here and try to dis this game maybe you should actually go and read something about it first. Just some friendly advice.

 

Bren

Bren, your posts are usually much higher quality than this. Were you intoxicated when you posted?

The points you made (regardless of being factual or not) aren't directly related to what Aethios said, then you go on to ridicule him/her.

Poor show.

Back on topic.

Here are some simple facts about player crews that many people tend to overlook:

• Many suggestions on how to implement them have been made including ideas from people working in the MMO industry.
• The technology simply doesn't exist that would enable the AI on NPC crews to perform as realistically and intuitively as people are thinking. Well, unless Cryptic have developed something super-duper special without anyone else knowing.
• For many, many people, Star Trek is/was about crew interaction. If you look at the shows, you'll see that as time progressed, it became more about the interaction of the crew with outsiders. Childhood memories aren't an easy thing to overlook - just ask Freud! lol

The bottom line is that player crews are entirely possible, but it would certainly require more development time than the STO brass are willing to commit to. Millions (suggested) want an interactive and immersive virtual Star Trek environment to play around in, and not everyone wants to be their own boss. This could be catered for. The market is ripe for a sci-fi MMO now, and Cryptic/CBS want to get in there as soon as possible. Games aren't are more about making money than anything else nowadays, and that's unlikely to change.

The MMO community loves to argue, and any kinds of facts are largely irrelevant. Just look around this site and you'll see the evidence. One person says something, and someone else disagrees with them, and it goes on from there. My favourite section is for Darkfall - I love watching the whole cultist/heretic thing. It's like the crusades all over again, but fought by people that don't have to account for their actions. Funny stuff.

Try and look at things this way: They are making a Star Trek MMO and they aren't promising anything that would be difficult to deliver and subsequently left out of game.

Originally posted by darwa

Originally posted by Brenelael

Originally posted by Aethios

 

We don't need to come up with a way, they will work just fine. Not everybody wants to be a captain. If they were really interested in making an immersive Star Trek MMO experience, they would do player crews on a ship, but they are clearly more interested in making yet another theme park leveling game.

No player levels, wide open quadrants to explore, dynamically generated content and nearly unlimited avatar/ship customization. Yeah, sounds like your basic level based quest grinder. Before you come here and try to dis this game maybe you should actually go and read something about it first. Just some friendly advice.

 

Bren

 

Bren, your posts are usually much higher quality than this. Were you intoxicated when you posted?

The points you made (regardless of being factual or not) aren't directly related to what Aethios said, then you go on to ridicule him/her.

Poor show.

Back on topic.

Here are some simple facts about player crews that many people tend to overlook:

• Many suggestions on how to implement them have been made including ideas from people working in the MMO industry.
• The technology simply doesn't exist that would enable the AI on NPC crews to perform as realistically and intuitively as people are thinking. Well, unless Cryptic have developed something super-duper special without anyone else knowing.
• For many, many people, Star Trek is/was about crew interaction. If you look at the shows, you'll see that as time progressed, it became more about the interaction of the crew with outsiders. Childhood memories aren't an easy thing to overlook - just ask Freud! lol

The bottom line is that player crews are entirely possible, but it would certainly require more development time than the STO brass are willing to commit to. Millions (suggested) want an interactive and immersive virtual Star Trek environment to play around in, and not everyone wants to be their own boss. This could be catered for. The market is ripe for a sci-fi MMO now, and Cryptic/CBS want to get in there as soon as possible. Games aren't are more about making money than anything else nowadays, and that's unlikely to change.

The MMO community loves to argue, and any kinds of facts are largely irrelevant. Just look around this site and you'll see the evidence. One person says something, and someone else disagrees with them, and it goes on from there. My favourite section is for Darkfall - I love watching the whole cultist/heretic thing. It's like the crusades all over again, but fought by people that don't have to account for their actions. Funny stuff.

Try and look at things this way: They are making a Star Trek MMO and they aren't promising anything that would be difficult to deliver and subsequently left out of game.

No just very tired at the time. I get a little crazy when I'm too tired.   You have made some good points here as well though. Good post.

Edit: Oh and to Aethios... If I came on a little strong in that reply I apologize as it wasn't my intent to directly insult anyone. I just meant to criticize a little.

Bren

Just to add some of the excellent points on reasons why to wait until release before you nay say it... I found it fairly exciting how customizable it will be and they said its not going to be limited to your character and your ship but also your crew will be highly customizable and will look as you design them. I'm excited about it, it sounds unique from everything else I've read or heard about in MMO land so far.

Originally posted by Rejor

honestly, i wish this wasn't true. I liked the way it was going to be when the old studio had the rights. Where everyone is a member of the crew, not just a captain of a ship. I was looking forward to the roleplay of it, but I guess that has gone by the wayside.

 

Hopefully that'll change in the future, but until then I don't see myself buying this game.

The old studio was waiting to be flushed down. Glad Cryptic picked it up license. Otherwise we would be left dreaming about what could be......

i dont know, perhaps the issue with playing as a captain is that some people do not like to be in a leadership position, others may prefer a 'nobody' character from the beginning *shrugs*

Originally posted by Moretrinkets

i dont know, perhaps the issue with playing as a captain is that some people do not like to be in a leadership position, others may prefer a 'nobody' character from the beginning *shrugs*

The issue is how many members of the crew will really have something to do? Sure if you hit some combat the helm will be steering, tactical will be shooting, the captain will be giving orders, and engineering will be trying to keep the engines from blowing up, but what about the science officer? What about the person working the comm? What if you have a regular group, the only group you are part of, and you helmsman doesn't show due to rl reason? Or your captain doesn't show? If I have a player crew I won't want an NPC to take that guys spot, it won't be the same and will most likley cause problems.

 I was concerned the way Perpetual were going. I just cannot see how multi player crews would work, even if you had a NPC clone that took your place when you were offline, it was argued "what if the Captain was offline but the First officer was online, would the NPC Captain defer to him?" If you took that logic and everybody was offline except some newbie and suddenly he was in command your precious ship taken off and fighting a Borg Cube and totalled where is the fun in that. Take the other route and the NPc Captain is in charge..well could be a boring run of the mill day! 

having Eve style command of your ship is the best option. Eve works well and if you have away missions and Spacestation refits to become your player Avatar I think it will be a great mix.

This game will fail. 

Piloting a starship by yourself gets borring.

Originally posted by Shard101

This game will fail. 

Piloting a starship by yourself gets borring.

No... Being "Crewman Ricky" on someone else's ship would be boring. Having total control over your character and the interactions it has with the entire game world is what will make this game a success. What you people are proposing would kill this game fast as it would be just like forced grouping which is never a good idea in a MMO. MMOs are about player freedom and being on someone else's ship that you have no direct control over would be about as far away from freedom as you can get.

Bren

being a cpatain of your own ship doesn't mean you can't form a fleet with some buddies and do some away missions where so and so is in charge of the team or whatever.

personally i'm looking forward to forming an armade of klingon birds of prey to gun down federation dogs wherever their mewling little garbage scowls roam the galaxy.

although it would be cool to have a gunner position tied to the commander's chair a la star trek 3.

KERPLAH?