1621

Timline “Summary” :It is a bit long for a summary.
There is also a short explanation how the new movie factors into STO Link

Hope it helps!

1622

I purchased Steam’s Star Trek Online - Deluxe Edition and clicked on the button that takes me to STO’s website to enter my 25-character key, and it says, “This key does not activate any known products.” Has this happened to anyone else?

1623

Yes. I think it takes a few minutes for the Steam site to inform the Cryptic site that you have made the purchase. Close the window for the Cryptic “enter your key” page, and try again in five minutes.

1624

Two things are working to change my mind. Well, three actually.

  1. Bridges are in the game. I spend a good deal of time on mine when I’m taking a break, sorting loot, going over guild business or just chatting. Often folks travel to my bridge for RP or visa versa. I know what my bridge looks like, where my officers sit and what they’re doing, and so on. I find myself not actually needing additional graphics to see them when I’m fighting or traveling in the game. The only thing I do miss, from my experiences with HSpace in MUSHes and Player-On-Board ships in SWG, is on-ship interactions with characters and the sense of a group of folks really belonging to a crew.

  2. Fleet Stations. It looks like Cryptic plans to implement starbases for Fleet guildhalls. I’d bet that modular player housing will anchor to those (or to public starbases for folks not in Fleets). So, while I might not be serving with other players on the same starship there still can be that sense of ownership and belonging if not to, say, the Enterprise at least to a DS9 of sorts.

  3. I do have trouble imagining how combat would work given the bridge instancing and how everything seems to function at present. Cryptic promised they wouldn’t code things in such a way as to make multiplayer ships impossible but I really have to question that.

And, lastly, if they incorporate scenarios into Exploration that deal with random happenings aboard one’s open ship in different places then I’d feel less need to wander around and just stare at those locales when nothing’s going on.

1625

We haven’t done anything too involved in STO yet. This was more of a dry run than anything else and I expect even after launch many of us will be very caught up in messing around with our new toys than a whole lot of narrative exposition. That said, what we have done has just been people feeling like roleplaying while doing something else. STO brings it out of us.

I think I mentioned the example of Harper, my character, stumbling across a random Exploration mission that had me scanning for signs of the Omega Particle. I happened to know what that was so I had Harper contact the Admiral and we did this whole RP thing this top secret element and that’s actually grown into an extended plot element the Admiral enjoyed it so much.

Two nights ago, three of us got together to solve some technical problems with grouping and ended up going exploring together.

The only three missions we got were all ‘scan for X’. One was in the belt around a gorgeous reddish blue world and we swooped through the asteroid belt, leap frogging each other as we scanned anomalies, and chatted in character. That was done in a blink and we moved on.

The next was probe wreckage we needed to gather up before the primitive locals could get ahold of it. The three of us and a couple crew wandered around this wild tropical setting, complete with beachfront, and lava waterfalls, and palm-like trees, and these amazing giant pink flowers with yellow stamen. Our Tactical guy was all business keeping an eye out for threats while the Scientist wandered off commenting on all the interesting things in the scenery. My guy, of course, just made wisecracks.

After that we soared into a system where the planet glowed like a small orange sun exactly the same color as the distant star it orbited. Plasma plumes were everywhere in local space offering reddish-orange and purple tinges to the surroundings. We assumed the planet’s surface would be near molten but, upon beaming down, we discovered it was a hilly alpine world and there was actually snow falling from an overcast sky. Our mission was to track down and repair ancient artifacts that were leaking radiation into the environment and, as we explored, we started improvising and adlibbing speculation. Were those clouds actually reflecting the sunlight back into space? Were these malfunctioning artifacts the reason?

And so on. Not very fancy stuff but not sitting around a bar and making small talk either.

1626

Thanks. I don’t know if it was a matter of waiting for a period of time, or going to http://www.startrekonline.com/betacard instead of the link Steam provided (https://www.startrekonline.com/user/XXXXXX/activate_key), but going to http://www.startrekonline.com/betacard and entering my pre-order key there worked.

1627

Anyone know if they have said anything about what will be available in the microtransaction store at launch?

1628

I’m in. :)

1629

Also in headstart, but not until the evening, and I can’t say I’ll be doing much RP’ing. However, put me in the surprised camp with how much the game grew on me. I only got to mess around with my Lt. Comm. escort ship for about an hour, but damn, it was worth it. I’ll probably be following the same route in the live game.

Erik J.

1630

likely nothing at all. they took awhile to put anything in the store for the CO launch.

1631

The little I played of the beta impressed me quite a bit too, so I’m really tempted.

1632

i’m in too. First MMO I’ve paid for since um…City of heroes.

1633

Anyone know if we must set up a subscription payment before we can join headstart or is the first month free or something? Forgive me if this is a stupid question.

1634

First month is free, just like any other standard MMO. When I signed up it didn’t bother me for a credit card, just entered my product key from Steam.

I was kinda meh about the game after hearing some reports, and I hadn’t planned on getting it, but my brother gave me a late Xmas present, and the little I dabbled in the beta seems to be fun.

1635

Generally speaking, you make an account, enter your serial key, and then enter your billing information. You won’t be billed until after the head start/first month period, but they make you put billing information in so that it’s automatic. That way, you won’t ‘forget’ to pay them for the next month.

1636

Don’t know, but MMOs have always asked you to set up a payment when signing up, even with the free month. You could sign up with a card and immediately cancel, at which point your sub will expire in a month.

I’m in as well. I’m frightened of Brian’s RP tendencies, but I’ll definitely want to be in a real fleet preferably full of QT3’ers so … yeah.

1637

Same. I’ll be on Friday night, looking to hook up with some Qt3ers. Someone post fleet info if they create it.

1638

My American Express keeps getting declined when I try to purchase the lifetime sub. WTH?

1639

I was kinda meh on the game but eventually decided to check it out. I played the beta for 1 day only but I was really impressed. Although I do have some reservations.

The game seems very similar to Pirates of the Burning Sea and PotBS was really fun for the first 20 or so levels, after that it became really dull. I am afraid STO is also going to get dull once you play a couple of dozens space battles.

My second concern is stability. While I didn’t see that many in game bugs, the server went down probably at least 4 times within the last couple of days.

I think I am going to wait for a month.

1640

That’s part of American Express’s buyer protection program, which tries to prevent you from making poor purchases. ;)