This latest trailer for Star Trek Online goes into great detail on the nuance of ship-to-ship combat in Star Trek Online. Cryptic Studios appears to be taking a decidedly tactical approach to space warfare, with things such as a ships orientation playing a major role in ship-to-ship combat.

It's easier to draw more comparisons to Pirates of the Burning Sea, than say, Star Wars Galaxies' space component, Jump to Lightspeed. The trailer also provides us a glimpse at the Star Trek Online UI, which while still being a work in progress, is interesting nonetheless.

Watch the trailer here.

god i really wish they could get away from the whole Tank, Healer, DPS system i mean especially in a game like this.

doesn't sound too bad i like the way they handle "gear" and how you can recruit different crews depending on your playstyle.

i really wasnt interested in this game until i watched this video. i liked the idea of being to train your crew to do different things and interchanging your ship parts.

Originally posted by Ravanos

god i really wish they could get away from the whole Tank, Healer, DPS system i mean especially in a game like this.

 

doesn't sound too bad i like the way they handle "gear" and how you can recruit different crews depending on your playstyle.

It actually makes sense in the Star Trek universe, considering thats pretty much what those ships DO in the series (Well, maybe not the science vessels...)

boohoo - a 'tank' ship, a 'dps' ship, a 'debuff' ship? Wtf?! ...

How on Earth can one take this rich franchise and boil it down to WoW in space? KNowing myself, I will try it anyway - but I still have to see something that gets me really excited about this title (less arcade, more RPG).

May not be everything I originally thought it was going to be, but I am still very interested, and I think it will still be worth playing.  Can't wait.

Originally posted by Ravanos

 Tank, Healer, DPS

And coming out the gate, they miss the point of star trek.

DIKU ..... IN SPACCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEE!

Originally posted by Archeminos

Originally posted by Ravanos

god i really wish they could get away from the whole Tank, Healer, DPS system i mean especially in a game like this.

 

doesn't sound too bad i like the way they handle "gear" and how you can recruit different crews depending on your playstyle.

 

It actually makes sense in the Star Trek universe, considering thats pretty much what those ships DO in the series (Well, maybe not the science vessels...)

ALL star fleet ships are science vessels, true that some have more specif designs... but this is not eve, or E&B 2. Its star trek.

EVE 2 anyone?

Originally posted by Valdartak

EVE 2 anyone?

WTF are you smoking?

Seriously at the begining I wasn't interesting and right now, I am really looking forward that game. I just can't wait!

Originally posted by pauldriver

Originally posted by Valdartak

EVE 2 anyone?

 

WTF are you smoking?

A long puff of reality.

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth

Originally posted by pauldriver

Originally posted by Valdartak

EVE 2 anyone?

 

WTF are you smoking?

 

A long puff of reality.

You either haven't played eve or you play it with your eyes closed then.

Originally posted by Lasastard

KNowing myself, I will try it anyway - but I still have to see something that gets me really excited about this title (less arcade, more RPG).

You would be doing yourself (and the gaming population in general) a favour if you didn't. I know I won't touch it unless player crews are in.

All those who plan on buying this while holding their noses, heed what I am saying. Let this horrible idea die early, to give us a chance that another company will try to do Trek right. As long as this game lives, it won't happen.

I said it in the comments section, the trailer looks pretty but I don't see anything much in there that would represent anything in the way of TACTICS.  The ships seem to be pretty mych just sitting there firing all thier forward weapons at one another for a few moments until one of em blows up..... yeah, real tactics.

The Tank, DPS, etc lingo.... shows the real problem (IMO). The guys have no idea how to go about designing a SHIP vs SHIP tactical game. Some-one needs to lock em in a room with an old copy of Starfleet Battles for about 20 hours...

So I guess we'll be able to hire legendary crew so we can do the "Picard maneuver" or O'Brien's shield modulation transport tricks?

One of the intriguing parts of the show was the ability of the crew to think "outside the box" and come up with unique solutions to unforeseen situations while being severely outgunned or on the verge of death (or both).  It did sorta get old since it happened almost every show, but it was one of the unique aspects of the TV shows.  As fun as STO might be, this type of thing simply can't happen in a game.

Tanking?  Really?  Will big ships be able to taunt other ships and suck the photon torpedoes that were aimed at another ship towards itself?  Will it be able to redirect phaser fire aimed at the medical ship to itself?  Will the medical ship be able to magically heal the tank's shields?  Just what we need - another damage sponge based game.  "No no, hit me, not that other ship."  *sigh*

The holy trinity in a ship-based combat system is about as bad an idea as you can get.

I mean what, is the Cruiser's captain gonna haveta hail the enemy ships and throw out insults about how their mother was a Ferengi to get the enemy to attack him? I don't get any sense of actual tactics. I mean yes I can think of examples in the shows even where one ship drew fire while others did their thing, but it still feels silly.

Originally posted by battleaxe

So I guess we'll be able to hire legendary crew so we can do the "Picard maneuver" or O'Brien's shield modulation transport tricks?

One of the intriguing parts of the show was the ability of the crew to think "outside the box" and come up with unique solutions to unforeseen situations while being severely outgunned or on the verge of death (or both).  It did sorta get old since it happened almost every show, but it was one of the unique aspects of the TV shows.  As fun as STO might be, this type of thing simply can't happen in a game.

You make an excellent point, however, I don't see why the point was made.  You are correct, with current technology, this likely can't happen in a game...so why belabor the point?  This is a game, not a TV show, so why insist on the comparison to paint the game in a "lesser" light?

Tanking?  Really?  Will big ships be able to taunt other ships and suck the photon torpedoes that were aimed at another ship towards itself?  Will it be able to redirect phaser fire aimed at the medical ship to itself?  Will the medical ship be able to magically heal the tank's shields?  Just what we need - another damage sponge based game.  "No no, hit me, not that other ship."  *sigh*

I agree with you here.  The problem is...how to make it different?  Yes, if it's Tank, Healer, Buffer, etc...I've likely already played this game.  If the game space feels "alive" and interesting, that is what will keep people playing.  If it does not, it will be another of a long line of titles that people purchase, play for a month or two, and leave feeling disappointed.

The problem with mechanics is that nearly anything you can think of, that is REALISTICALLY FEASIBLE, has been done, several times, in numerous games.  There may still be room for innovation in the intricacies of a mechanic, but the overall mechanics of gaming genres will likely not change.  You don't like the Tank, Healer, DPS type system, then what is your suggestion?  It seems other types of systems, like classless with a point distribution, simply lead to more solo-centric games.  Class-forcing systems of tank, healer, dps tend to force people to group.  Can't find a good group tonight?  Well, you're out of luck, log off and try again tomorrow.

I don't pretend to know the answer, and even if I did, it wouldn't apply to every situation.  Developers are in a no-win situation.  No matter what choice is made on any given topic, there is bound to be a vocal group deriding the decision.  In the end, our constant bitching forces the industry to play a numbers game...what group do we cater to to make the most money?

 

Ok, no 3D movement and now a hint of the classic roles in a sci-fi game... they could have made it different (technically all ships would fill the three roles, the thing would be the amount of detail they could do with each role, for example, people controling turret and torpedo bays against whoever is controling the shields, and so much, so much more) if they actually had player crew...

I just don't hope this game will feature 24-man instance raiding in space...

Originally posted by Zionnax

Originally posted by battleaxe

So I guess we'll be able to hire legendary crew so we can do the "Picard maneuver" or O'Brien's shield modulation transport tricks?

One of the intriguing parts of the show was the ability of the crew to think "outside the box" and come up with unique solutions to unforeseen situations while being severely outgunned or on the verge of death (or both).  It did sorta get old since it happened almost every show, but it was one of the unique aspects of the TV shows.  As fun as STO might be, this type of thing simply can't happen in a game.

You make an excellent point, however, I don't see why the point was made.  You are correct, with current technology, this likely can't happen in a game...so why belabor the point?  This is a game, not a TV show, so why insist on the comparison to paint the game in a "lesser" light?

Tanking?  Really?  Will big ships be able to taunt other ships and suck the photon torpedoes that were aimed at another ship towards itself?  Will it be able to redirect phaser fire aimed at the medical ship to itself?  Will the medical ship be able to magically heal the tank's shields?  Just what we need - another damage sponge based game.  "No no, hit me, not that other ship."  *sigh*

I agree with you here.  The problem is...how to make it different?  Yes, if it's Tank, Healer, Buffer, etc...I've likely already played this game.  If the game space feels "alive" and interesting, that is what will keep people playing.  If it does not, it will be another of a long line of titles that people purchase, play for a month or two, and leave feeling disappointed.

The problem with mechanics is that nearly anything you can think of, that is REALISTICALLY FEASIBLE, has been done, several times, in numerous games.  There may still be room for innovation in the intricacies of a mechanic, but the overall mechanics of gaming genres will likely not change.  You don't like the Tank, Healer, DPS type system, then what is your suggestion?  It seems other types of systems, like classless with a point distribution, simply lead to more solo-centric games.  Class-forcing systems of tank, healer, dps tend to force people to group.  Can't find a good group tonight?  Well, you're out of luck, log off and try again tomorrow.

I don't pretend to know the answer, and even if I did, it wouldn't apply to every situation.  Developers are in a no-win situation.  No matter what choice is made on any given topic, there is bound to be a vocal group deriding the decision.  In the end, our constant bitching forces the industry to play a numbers game...what group do we cater to to make the most money?

 

 

 

Zionnax,

I'm not crazy about the Tank, DPS, Healer mechanic in general but for CHARACTERS in a standard fantasy MMO it fits reasonably well. The mechanic doesn't translate particulary well to GROUND BASED Sci-Fi character combat ( particularly if you are dealing with a setting that doesn't have magic and where the combat is mostly ranged with modern/futuristic style weapons). However trying to impose that sort of dynamic  on SHIP vs SHIP combat truely starts to enter the realm of the absurd.

I wasn't really looking for STO to re-invent the wheel when doing SHIP vs SHIP combat .... just to pick a dynamic that actually fit the genre they were working with. That shouldn't have been particulary hard as there are litteraly a TON of existing games that model SHIP vs SHIP space combat extremely well.... some of them even already Trek themed. They could have looked at Starfleet Battles or FASA's RPG to see how they handled ship classes. Heck SFC would have been a fine model....or even MOO2.  Heck, they could have even looked at WWI/WWII naval history (which alot of these games draw inspiration from) to get a good idea of the dynamic of how different ship classes might have worked.

As it was they probably picked the absolute WORST fitting dynamic that they could to try to shoe-horn in there. If they were making a sword & sorcery game....or even another super-hero game.... the Tank, Healer, DPS dynamic would have been pretty unorigional but certainly would have made sense. For Star Trek  SHIP vs SHIP combat it fits about as well as Gandalf would.