I’m trying to remember the last time a blog post made me laugh out loud. Its been a long time, if ever. So deserving of my version of the pat on the back, such as it is, goes to Potshot as he describes the continuing adventures of his crew on the USS Boursalt. Maybe one day, I too will get to venture forth against the OrionPirates with its brave crew.
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Meanwhile, over elsewhere, The Ancient Gaming Noob ponders lifetime subs.
I think I’ll be going the one year route myself I think. The odds of me playing a game more than 16 months are slim (16 months is $240/$15). EQOA, my first MMO is the only one I’ve ever lasted that long in (over two years). WoW is a close second (13 mos), and EVE is third (prepaid to 12 mos). So I know a game I really enjoy will last me a good year. I know enough from Open Beta to know I’m going to be playing initially more than a month or two, which means I’m willing to take the bet that $10 a month for a year is not a bad deal. Even if I only play 8 mos, I break even to be honest.
I will say that the enticements for the year and lifetime sub are laughable. STO does not lend itself to alot of alts, and if the Beta is an indication, you will be getting 3 character slots. Moving to 5 is…meh. And the Borg character is a “whatever” moment. You can easily build such a character without the lifetime sub – several of the characterstics it offers are duplicated elsewhere – same mechanics different fluff – but all anyone but you sees is the mechanics.
I’m still stunned at the hate poured out onto Cryptic. I wish I had done a year or lifetime for Champions. I like their design style and thought process. Hey – don’t worry! If STO is as bad as those who dislike Cryptic say it will be, I will be joining your ranks shortly…
The upside of the Open Beta was the game itself – its fun, it has some room for RP elements (more important to me than I indicate in my blog I think). Its very stable as a client, and while it needs more polish, its pretty much ready to go…on the Federation side.
The downside – the Klingon side is a mess of non-existence (I went to five consecutive systems before I found one that worked last night), and the PvP system needs alot of work (though the play itself is fun). Ground controls are still sluggish in response time. Bridges are…as Potshot points out so eloquently…not what was hoped for.
In any case, I’m looking forward to Friday.
Harbinger Zero 
Looking forward to Friday, too.
And I’m in the same boat about lifetime subs. On the one hand, I’d actually like to never have to pay again to play a MMO – the idea is very viscerally appealing. On the other hand, the year-long sub is probably the best deal.
And the lifetime perk is… meh. Apparently the liberated Borg character is human-only, and I’ve already decided I want to play a Cardassian (if possible) or an Andorian. So that little bit is lost on me.
Thanks for the hat tip! Something about Trek makes stuff like that write itself. All throughout beta a similar screenplay was running in my head for even the most mundane of activities.
I think the one year deal is probably the sweet spot for me. Not too big of a bet, but enough to keep me interested as the game finds it feet.
I really did enjoy it! My wife, across the room is asking me “What’s so funny?” When I told her it was a blog post she rolled her eyes at me. Your post is a prime example of why the “Captain’s Log” and “Biography” features, while small in stature, are important in defining the nature of the game and providing a unique outlet for players to take the game in hand in an old school way.
I think Cryptic is doing the classic “door in face” tactic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door-in-the-face_technique) with the lifetime sub, and quite frankly, its working on me. :-p