When I heard of this game, I was initially very interested. I am an avid Star Trek fan, and after SOE took a steaming crap on us with SWG, I was looking for something to replace it. Having gamed Star Trek using AD&D rules back before Voyager was even made, this game really sparked my interest.

When I discovered that everyone has to be in Starfleet, and answer to Starfleet, I decided this game really isn't for me. Being in an organized governmental militery doesn't appeal to me, just the technology they use.

My desire in a Star Trek universe is to start a Human character that is a "jack of all trades" with decent combat abilities, and command a large combat class or exploration class outfitted with heavy weaponry, and hire a merc crew to "A-Team" the alpha quadrant. I have no desire to belong to Starfleet, and seek to bend the Prime Directive in any way I see fit. I just want to find badguys and vaporize them. I want to start my own Corporate Enterprise dedicated to dishing out violent solutions to ease the suffering of those pioneers on the frontier that cannot defend themselves against local oppression.

The ship I envision is close to a Nebula Class vessel, and I'd gut about 5 decks inside, to create a large Hangar Bay to store shuttles, dropships, and fighter squadrons. I'd have a deck reengineered to contain stables, and such for Horses for use planetside.

Perhaps I'll seek out a "Firefly" based MMORPG....

I second your disappointment.  I would love to be part of the Star Trek Universe.  But, there is so much more to that than Star Fleet!  Don't run from it just yet, though.  They've already stated that they will include other options in future expansions.  Wait till then.  I'm hoping they will include both games, STO and Gods & Heroes for one subscription price.

No, I don't want to be Star Fleet.  I would choose to be a Trill Civilian leading a colonization effort.

Please readers, if you want to be something other than Star Fleet, tell it here.  Those Perpetual Devs need to know what we want!

They seem to listen to the fans alot (even did extensive research just to fit Klingons into Starfleet), so dont count out being able to be just a "civilian" just  yet, and i agree post post post post what you want and think...they seem to be listening.

Vulcans should not be able to emote emotions.

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Originally posted by cumbom
Vulcans should not be able to emote emotions.

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ROFLMAO

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Originally posted by caine6621

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Originally posted by cumbom
Vulcans should not be able to emote emotions.

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ROFLMAO

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Nasindor, although it may not be set in the ST universe, you might get some satisfaction out of EVE online, if you haven't tried it yet.

But, I agree, give PE some time and a little financial encouragement (i.e., play what they give you to start with) and I'll bet they come up with something that will fit your more adventurous desires.

Yeah, it's rough getting evicted from the best sandbox game yet made, and looking for a new home in such narrowly engineered software. It's sad really...

I have been waiting for the free trial of Eve Online to be available again, but I understand there is no 3rd or first person action, or armed combat. That's a downside to me.

I too dream of playing something other than a starfleet officer. I pictured myself playing a ferengi running my own bar or maybe a transportation business or smuggling operations. Otherwise, I would like to be a scientist working on terraforming worlds for starfleet.

Also it would be fun to get involved with espionage, spying, stealing plans, etc. The romulans were notorious spies, but that doesnt seem to be an option here as only the federation will be in.

What I see PE doing is holding back on development costs to see if the game is a hit. Then if its a hit spend the money on expansions to keep the community happy. However, this is a mistake in my opinion. I doubt the game is going to be a smash hit with only one faction at launch and only starfleet as an option. Since not many will buy the game or stick around for long, PE wont be inclined to spend the big bucks on huge inclusive expansions.

I understand their fears. After all, its risky to spend a fortune on a project with no guarantee of a profit. But their approach isnt going to work either.

Well, that's just it. Star Trek fans alone are not going to make this game a smash hit. It's the general public.

As much as we'd all swear that Star Trek is one of the most awesome sci-fi inspired shows to ever be created, not all people share that view. The true success of this game is going to rely on it's ability to draw both fan and non-fan alike due to gameplay mechanics, and visually pleasing graphics. The "Immersion" into the Star Trek world would be a bonus feature, and those that are into the entire "Starfleet" mentality would have a perfect game for themselves.

Those non-fans that are playing with the primary motivation to play a fun, exciting, and adventurous game will want much more broad spectrum of gameplay, including tradeskills, and money. I am a serious fan, and I want the tradeskills and Gold-Pressed Latnum as well.

Without a black market, and a large number of various factions, and a large number of Planets / Cities to explore, and kill stuff in, and the freedom to give the Prime Directive the finger, and say "Screw the balance of power in the Ceti-Alpha System, buy these military grade weapons, and send your "Nemesis" to the "Hereafter"..."

Well, it's too narrow a view of the Star Trek universe to not include such things.

This game really needs the name "Starfleet Online", cause that's really what it is. It's a religion of peace, diplomacy, and non-aggression. I find that hardly exciting or adventurous.

there going to have to make a wider group like it, do brake star trek steriotype

I think that you should be able to become a complete freelancer. Go to a planet that is not in the UFP. invest in the local industry, rob ships, transport goods, salvage wrecks and mine astroids, get rich and buy your own ships instead of getting shipcommisions from starfleet. If that is possible you wil get people who will play the game for the cash(i mean credit) instead of the prestige. They wil do missions that earn money. Become bountyhunters or shiprobbers. Then starfleet can go stop those people and dun..dun..dun PVP
Hey i should post this on that tread to but that would be spamming now wouldnt it

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Originally posted by Nasindor

Perhaps I'll seek out a "Firefly" based MMORPG....

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If that ever happens I will be right there with you. I just hope they are able to get Firefly on TV again.

However please keep one thing in mind. During public release there will only be one faction. IE Starfleet. They have specifically said down the road there will be others you can play.

You see unlike the mistakes SWG made these guys are learning from other games failures. They are going to release a good strong game and then expand into it. Instead of making a game with 32 professions and that 1/2 of which do not work properly or serve no purpose what so ever.

Alot of people are dissing STO already because initially you will have to be in starfleet. Have patience young pawadan. Logic would dictate that the rest will come with time...

Could you all imagine some fun PVP involving factions? Rouge klingons pirates. Romunlan Spies. Borg Cubes?

I have faith in what STO could be.... and the graphics they have put out are simply amazing.

Perpetual has clearlty stated the whole one faction thing,  and I would play Starfleet even if they had 10 factions going at launch...but I agree that a rogue group or civilian based play should be options with the launch..

Most players don't like being stuck only playing the "good guys." A lot of people want the chance to be bad...do their own thing....destroy  some innocent ship for fun and run to keep from getting caught.

Having a division in Starfleet is the easiest thing for Perpetual to do. That way they can still consentrate on only one faction....but have the option to be a bad guy too. Have a corrupt section of Starfleet...or Maquis type group...or the beginings of a Starfleet Civil War.

Although I definately want to see more than one playable faction, I dont want to be given a 1000 choices of species/factions to play as. Every Star Trek series and film has centered around starfleet...not the ferengi. I cant be bothered to go treasure hunting throughout the game and play an online startrek e-bay, its just not what star trek is about. Creating starfleet alone is a huge work load, so to create every role in the galaxy to keep the x swg players happy shouldnt be a priority. If starfleet is done properly, then it should be diverse enough and in depth enough to keep a lot of people happy...at least until the expansion arrives.

Kontra - Yeah, being able to play the 'bad guy' would be great. Personally, I cant entirely see the point of an online game if everyone is on the same side...wheres the fun in that?

Believe me if I'm saying that this has been one of the largest discussions in the community over the past year. It's not at all a Trekkie vs 'non fan' discussion as has been suggested: There are more then enough Star Trek fans who are opposed to the idea of only one faction. Perpetual has stated multiple times that they want to reach a larger crowd then just the Star Trek fan base.

Perpetual has explained us a couple of times why they chose to only do one faction, the latest one being in hailing frequency #15 (community podcast) which you can find here: //www.hailingfrequency.co.uk/. I think it would be only fair to take a look at Perpetuals arguments before jumping to any conclusions.

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Originally posted by Nasindor

(snip)

This game really needs the name "Starfleet Online", cause that's really what it is. It's a religion of peace, diplomacy, and non-aggression. I find that hardly exciting or adventurous.

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Sends Nasindor a copy of the original 3 season of star trek, the kirk era! Gotta love a federation that has a general order (23?) to wipe out every major power producing center on a planet!

Frankly I agree that alot of the next gen and there after series tended to be way too new age for me.

But I have the utmost faith in my fellow games to take a Captain Kirk mentality for this game and go boldly where no man has gone before and either seduce a green orion slave girl or ignore the prime directive and wax a planet, only later to claim they started it by putting the planet ona collision course with thier ship. (orbit smorbit)