Where’s my Ding! There was supposed to be an Earth-Shattering Ding!

Stiltwalker
Stiltwalker

Hmmm.  Is the CO interface to Twitter not working?  Margie’s been doing a bunch of Champions Online the past week (mostly to ding Stilt-Walker up to 40), and not only did she do that yesterday, but she’s also been doing all the Shiny Vibora Bay Revelations stuff and, I have no doubt, been racking up Accolades left, right, and center.

But … no Twitter love to BoH about it.  Sad …

Anyhoo, congrats to Margie for hitting level-cap 40! Woot!  We need to get a (better) picture of Stilt-Walker posted up here while we still have active accounts …

UPDATED: To add picture of Stilt-Walker from her profile.  Which really doesn’t do her justice.

Heroic Tweets for 2010-03-16

  • Ask Cryptic with various CO upcoming glimpses. More content at more levels is promised. http://bit.ly/bSxBFv #champs #
  • Ask A Dev – Melissa "War Witch" Bianco – not a lot of CoX info, but enough to be worth reading. http://bit.ly/c4Kcpd #CoH #
  • Quoth Margie: "The only thing cooler than the [Dual] Gun animation? The Gun animation while jumping off something." #CoH #
  • Third-Party STO Add-ons – the Star Trek Online devs are open to it, but not going to actively support it. http://bit.ly/biSFDR #STO #
  • Free Realms adds new pegasus, horse, ponies, and more! – Don't. Show. Kay. http://bit.ly/czQdu6 #

STO Lifetime Perks

I’ve never been so anticipatorially hung up on a game that I really felt the yen for a lifetime sub (which would have SO paid off with CoX, and been SUCH a waste with CO, so I guess it’s a wash).

STO just announced (or re-announced, or firmly established) the perks for lifetime members. It’s worth a comment or two on what works and what doesn’t. Of course, this is just for me — your ego-boo mileage will certainly vary.

Greetings Lifetime Members!
We just wanted to thank you again for purchasing a Lifetime Subscription from us. As you already know, this entitles you to play the game without paying a monthly fee. But, that’s not where it ends. Later this month, we’ll be releasing special perks for you, just to show our appreciation. Here’s some of what we’re working on, exclusive to Lifetime Subscribers:

Exclusive In-Game Chat Channel:
Talk shop with other Lifetime Subscribers. Share thoughts and ideas about the game, or anything else.

Okay, this is pretty easy and straightforward to do — but are any folks (or any significant number) really going to take advantage of this? Is it worth all that and a bag of chips? The chance to chat with, well, other folks so obsessed about Star Trek and so willing to drop a chunk of money?

Folks who like chat will find this the sort of perk they like.

Front-of-Queue Support
Waiting isn’t fun, and we don’t think you should have to do it. Any time the server is queued, you’ll go to the front of it.

Now this is a very, very cool perk. It’s not life-changing, but it’s very appropriate for a lifetime sub.

In-Game Title
Visibly show off your support.

Some people will think this cool. Other people will find it abhorrent.

In-Game VIP Lounge
Spend time in an exclusive area inside the game. This social area is limited to Lifetime Subscribers only.

From what I was reading (and Tweeting) yesterday, this is the Captain’s Table (as in the ST book series). The question is, just like the chat channel, how many people will actually make use of this?

A Unique Costume Piece
Show off that fancy new title in style.

Without knowing what this is, it’s hard to say, but a very cool costume piece is an appropriate thing to have in this game.

So, some stuff that is pretty nice, some stuff mixed, some social stuff that I really don’t see being used all that much (social interaction is most likely to be based on common interests; the intersection of “social players” and “lifetime subscribers” and “folks who are going to want to socialize with other lifetime subscribers” is, I suspect, fairly small.

Queue-jumping is pretty damned cool, though. Getting high priority on support requests / bug reports would also be along those same lines.

I’m not a lifetime subscriber to STO, and am not likely to be, but I think those who are should get some measure of reward to make their lives easier or nicer without giving them an unfair advantage in the game.  Most of these things provide just that.  Nicely done, Cryptic.

Heroic Tweets for 2010-03-15

  • Oh noez! Lulzy figures out how to destroy the #LotRO Auction House! http://bit.ly/bdeep7 #
  • Margie's been soloing a Dual Pistol / Energy blapper this weekend. Already up to 12, after the Traditional Lvl 10 Inaugural Faceplant. #
  • I think it is Teh Awesome Star Trek Online has The Captain's Table bar. Just re-reading the New Frontiers volume. http://bit.ly/9ujI0b #STO #
  • OTOH, it is Less Than Teh Awesome if The Captain's Table is, in fact, only available to lifetime subscribers. http://goo.gl/yKQF #STO #
  • Spiffy new Star Trek Online "Expanding Universe" video, including … crikey, it's Q! http://bit.ly/bO3ZW3 #STO #
  • The On Deck List – What's coming up in Champions Online. Good stuff, but very hostile comments. #champs http://bit.ly/cWRpk8 #
  • How skirmishes have changed #LotRO provoding an alternative (to content) for leveling. Interesting. http://bit.ly/aSSfnh #
  • The future of Champions Online per Roper – FREE CONTENT! WE PROMISE! PLUS FIXES! FOR FREE! http://bit.ly/dfmddw #champs #
  • Champions Online … as a Facebook app? (Shudders.) #champs http://bit.ly/a37kvk #
  • The Borg as the next Playable faction? Or the Romulans? Hmmm. How about more free character slots if and when? http://bit.ly/bbyYnH #STO #

Coming up in STO …

The STO Season One “Common Ground” update, sometime real soon now (“Mid-March”).  Features:

PVP Updates

  • Wargames – Federation players can now participate in PvP against one another to better prepare for the dangers of the battlefield.

Um … PvP meh.  But new PvP map will likely mean a new PvE map to use, so that’s good.

Customization

  • Off-Duty Uniforms – Experience DS9 in style! Starfleet officers will have the option to change into off-duty outfits to enjoy more casual attire.

On the presumption this will cost extra, meh.  I can imagine that if I were doing more RPGing, this would be of value.

  • New Stances and Hairstyles – Further customize your Captain by changing his or her hairstyle, or adopting two brand new stances: Stern and Relaxed.

New stances always good.  Actually, the ability to dynamically change your stance would be welcome.

  • The Captain’s Log – A web-based application to check in on you and your friends’ Captains and ships.

You mean, a website portal to our characters and their ships?  Excellent!

Ships

  • A New Klingon Battle Cruiser – The K’Tanco Battle Cruiser has been made available to Klingon Lieutenant Commanders.
  • Klingon Ship Customization – Use the ship tailor to customize your Bird of Prey, Carrier or Raptor.

Fine, fine.  When I finally roll up a Klingon, I’m sure I’ll find this cool.

Missions

  • New Fleet Actions Everywhere!
    • The Big Dig – Available in Romulan space.
    • DS9 Under Siege – The True Way has attacked and boarded DS9. Repel the invasion to save the day.
    • Klingons Can Play, Too – Klingon Captains may now access the Crystalline Entity, Big Dig and Breaking the Planet Fleet Actions

Skills

  • Respec Is Here – Unhappy with your Captain’s skill point allocation? Use the respec tool to change things up. (Available both in-game and as a C-store item.)

Don’t see a personal need for this, but some folks do.  Hopefully Cryptic will have learned some costing lessons here from CO.

  • New Skill: Starship Attack Vectors – Improve your ship’s accuracy and critical hit chance.
  • New Skill: Combat Maneuvers – Improve your ship’s evasion and turn rate.
  • New Skill: Starship Battle Strategy – Improve your ship’s critical hit severity and damage resistance.

All good-sounding stuff, though I’m not sure we need more skills to split our skill points out onto.

In The C-Store

  • New Bridge Variants – All new ways to update your Bridges’ look, available for a low price in the C-Store for both Federation and Klingon ships.
  • Federation Ship Variants – New takes on your old favorites, available for a low price in the C-Store.
  • Respec – Unhappy with your Captain’s skill point allocation? Use the respec tool to change things up.
  • Character Slot – Purchase an additional character slot if you’d like to have more than three characters on your account.
  • Rename – Changed your mind about the cool name you chose? Get it legally changed! Recognized across the Alpha Quadrant.
  • New Federation Playable Species – Become a Tellarite, Pakled or Rigelian.

Well, no big surprises here, though it’s good to see some new stuff finally showing up in the C-Store. Holding out for the Caitian playable species, though …

This is only a bit of the changes, fixes and updates coming to Star Trek Online in March. Season One: Common Ground will be available in mid-March. For a full list of what will be available in Season One, please visit the Engineering Reports forum. Interested in checking things out early? Visit the Tribble test server forums for early release notes.

Heroic Tweets for 2010-03-06

  • Official update calendar for Star Trek Online. Nice! Wish evry game did this (caveated, even). http://bit.ly/af52MZ #STO #
  • Sounds like the Klingons are getting plenty of upcoming love. Might actually roll one up once the PvE path is set. http://bit.ly/drWzTz #STO #
  • Latest Star Trek Online Release Notes – yay for auto-stacking/slotting device drops! http://bit.ly/ch8BtT #STO #

Leveling up in Star Trek Online

Bierzein is promoted to LC
Bierzein is promoted to LC

I dinged from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander in STO yesterday with Bierzein, my Trill Science Officer. That’s my first LC — huzzah!

Since I haven’t talked about the leveling process in STO (and the rank promotion isn’t clearly laid out either) … let’s discuss it.  If nothing else, it will give me some notes for when I do it with the next toon.

Leveling within a Rank

STO is kind of weird with the leveling bits. Each rank has 10 grades within it (tracked very efficiently across the top). But the grades (at least on the Lt level) don’t make that much difference — there are a couple of skills that come available mid-rank, but there’s no huge power ding.

(Actually, there is a “ding” — a visual effect, and a hearty “Well done, Lieutenant” from Leonard Nimoy. But it’s not a sudden massive and obvious empowering.)

Advancement in STO during a rank is through skills and skill points. The grades, in many ways, serve more to give a short-hand as to where you are. As it stands, every mission you get additional skill points for yourself and for your bridge officers (the latter share a pool). They can be applied at any time, but when they hit some sort of threshold a “Skill up!” small flasher appears in the upper left corner. Click on it and apply the skill points for yourself and for your bridge officers (one or more of them) and you’re done. (Be sure and click Apply!)

It’s very subtle in effect, but it’s a constant advancement, which is kind of nice. While the gaps between levels in CoX can drive one to despair sometimes, the constant application of skill points in STO gives you something regularly to do, even if you’re seeing more obvious changes from kits and drops and other externals.

Leveling between Ranks

It took me a bit of time to figure out what to do with leveling Bierzein between Lt and LC. It’s possible there are difference at other ranks, and, of course, Klingon (native) players will deal with something in parallel but with all the details different.

Actually Getting the Promotion:  First off, I was on a mission chain when I got the big glowy-congrats. I decided to finish it up, just becauise of transit time. So I finished those missions as “Lt 11.” Right, until I actually get the promotion, I’m still a Lieutenant.

I knew I had to go back to Earth Spacedock for promotion (and picking up my New Ship!), so I transwarped back there.

No announcement.

I docked and went aboard.

Nada.

I trotted over to Admiral Quinn (putting away my phaser rifle into katana-space first, to be polite).

His tone of voice made it clear that he had no new missions for me and, in fact, was a bit peeved I hadn’t finished the ones still in progress.

I ran around a bit on Spacedock trying to figure out who I had to talk to. Despite the signs on the wall, the place is not as well organized as it might be (it would be handy if the map showed the various areas).

Finally I realized, “Hey, I never applied those last skill points I acquired. I wonder …”

Applied them to Bierzein, and, “Hey!” Admiral Quinn was suddenly hailing me, congratulating me, and summoning me “back to Stardock” (bugged) where I should meet with him personally and give me stuff.

Admiral Quinn has a short memory.

So I ran back to Quinn. Saluted. He congratulated me, and then handed me a plaque to turn in for One (1) Free Starship.

My New Ship:  The gal I needed to do that with, Lt Laurel, was upstairs (up the ramp, up the turbolift) from the Shipyard section of Spacedock. I went up to her, got the lecture the different types of ships I could choose from …

… to make a long story short, Escorts are scrapper/blasters, high on lethality and speed and maneuverability, but glass cannons (to hear some) in prolonged combat. Cruisers are tanks/defenders, very tough, able to assist other ships, and pretty unmaneuverable. Science Vessels (Support Ships, some call them) have high shields, specialize in debuffing the bad guys, and are the controllers of the STO universe.

Any type of captain (tactical, science, engineering) can operate any type of vessel (indeed, if you strike it rich, you can actually buy additional ships to swap between, or so they say). The differentiator is less with the captain (who lends some skills to whatever ship they are on) than on intrinsic powers of the vessel class plus the bridge crew (different ships allow added bridge officers off the appropriate type).

Since Bierzein was going to be soloing, I decided to play it safe with a cruiser. (Margie and I have a couple of duos we’re running, and will likely be doing more mixed mini-fleets.)

All that Laurel gave me was a requisition slip for the ship of my choice. The rest of the room is full of educational displays about the ship types, plus guys who could sell me all sorts of ship goodies, but only if you had Yet Another Specialty Currency (one of my minor peeves with STO), or maybe vastly more of a currency I actually had.

From there I had to run downstairs and find the guy who does ship requisitions, Ensign Obin. There I actually received the new ship of my dreams …

… which I immediately renamed (both ship name and registration number) — once, for free.  I’d now be commanding the USS Ad Astra, successor to the USS Per Aspera.  (The renaming button comes up in the normal window that shows you and your bridge crew.)

I then turned around and talk to the guys (Golos Vell and Dirz Raxx) who let me design what my ship looks like. I love this particular STO feature.

Finally, I went over to Ensign Shalah to buy stuff for my ship.  Her selection wasn’t very good, so I took the opportunity to run over to the Auction House Exchange to buy (or sell) some swag.  I decided, though, before screwing around with changing the default weapons config on my cruiser (phaser array and photon torpedoes fore and aft), I’d see how she flew.

My New Bridge Officers:  My new ship came with some new bridge officer slots.  You can requisition officers with Elsa Morel over in Personnel, or check to see if you have some still pending to fill in.  With my cruiser, I got an additional engineering station for a lieutenant, so I promoted my existing Engineering officer to LT, and brought in a new ensign who’d been made available to me in the past.

My New Dress Whites:  I also get a free costume token when I got promoted. That’s nice, too.  I could get the new costume from Ghemik Telur (a simple tailor) in Requisitions, but decided to stick with what I had.  Bierzein is not much of a clothes horse.

The Ceremony:  After all the above (though you can do it at any time after the promotion, if you want), I ran over the Stateroom (auditorium) and talked to Commander Menn Hilo, the guy at the podium who’s usually droning on and on about astrophysics. He offered me formal congratulations and give a nice salute, as did other folks in the room. Pictureworthy (hence the picture at the top of the post).

And that’s it!  I was now a Lieutenant Commander, and when I next beamed up to my ship — it was my new ship, but with all the familiar faces (and one more) around me.  Ready for the next adventure!  Huzzah!