official Star Trek Online

[Raktael]

My high horse?

Dude, you're the one expecting them to let you wear an 'older' uniform in a game set ~30 years after Nemesis...thats just being unrealistic. Like any game you get bonuses for pre-ordering a game and one of those from 'some' retailers is access to one of the older uniforms, and even then I haven't seen the DLC uniform mentioned by Pabs anywhere else, the TNG/DS9 uniforms are in the US Collectors edition, and the TOS uniform is from D2D or Atari (can't remember 100% what one) download.

Now I'm adding this for you, if you read Star Trek Countdown which is the 4 issue comic prequel to 'Star Trek' you'd have seen the uniform they are wearing already...here is a picture to demonstrate.

[Richard Hammond]

Fair enough but its not unrealistic, watch any future episode from any of the trek series and more often than not the uniforms are the same just with different commbadges. Its not unreasonable to expect them to, when making a startrek game, include some content from the TV shows.

If they can put in old ships like the constitution, miranda, etc.. which are much much older than TNG era uniforms then they can include older uniforms, i refuse to pay for a game before i can even play it and im definately not paying for bonuses that are included with the game code on the disk.

[Raktael]

See the constitution is a pre-order bonus as well, and in all honesty a pretty crappy one because you only get to use it during the starting part of the game (same as the Miranda) sdo the 'tutorial' and a little after that until you rank up, so it's not all that great a bonus.

Starships are also a bit of an unfair comparison for uniforms which have continually changed from TOS to the Movies, then to TNG/DS9 and during that run they both changed their uniforms to the later DS9 and TNG movies and thatsa short time frame, Voyager only kept the uniform because it was stuck out in the middle of no where :D so for a new uniform to be added ~30 years after. I do understand you're point, don't get me wrong, but as I said it's all about selling and the different agreements retailers have with Cryptic and the uniforms whilst nice to have aren't a big buying point for me...I'm happy with my borg bridge officer :shifty: as well as the beta and head start plus in the UK we get the t-shirt and map etc

[Richard Hammond]

It says on STO website that the Constitution is one of the starting cruisers?

I agree it is a bit unfair but im a die hard trekker and i dont want a load of futuristic tosh just because its set in the future, i do agree about uniforms im just being a bit OTT cause i love the ds9/voyager jumpsuit and i dont like having to pre-order just to get it.

[Raktael]

Yeah, everyone has a few ships to choose from for the tutorial and first level and after that you move onto the next ships, so i read on the STO site that you'll only really play in those starting ships for the first several hours.

I know what you mean mate, I love the later DS9 uniforms with the grey/black and colour underneath but I won't get to wear them, i'm not worried though, i'll have my borg mwahahaha :shiftyninja:

edit:

Just re-read you're post, yes the Constitution is, BUT its a gamestop exclusive item (along with the DS9 uniforms i mentioned above for the collectors edition...darn them!)

Edited December 23, 2009 by Raktael

[Richard Hammond]

Ah well. I wont be buying it till its actually out i dont agree with giving developers money for a game i cant play yet.

[Raktael]

Hm actually, I see where the confusion is coming from...

Hokay, shortly after the tutorial players would get a choice between the Miranda, or if you have the right pre-order a Constitution class starship...

Constitution Class Ship

Shortly after the tutorial, a player assumes command of a ship. A player can choose either a standard Miranda class or this exclusive, the Constitution class ship. Players fly around in a non-customizable replica of the TOS ship beloved for decades. Players control this ship for roughly 20 hours before being promoted into the next class of ship.

Now that Constitution Class is the TOS one ^_^ - the one that you can choose in the opening cruiser section is the updated 'Star Trek' Constitution...phew, I think we're sorted now :)

[Richard Hammond]

Ah right, they havent done themselves any favours confusing everyone like that, they should give everyone equal opportunity to get everything not have it so you can only pick one thing if you dont want to buy the game from every retailer.

[kinetix63 Veteran]

Ah well. I wont be buying it till its actually out i dont agree with giving developers money for a game i cant play yet.

Just to point out though - if you order from any of the UK Retailers, then you won't get charged for it until the game is dispatched from the warehouse, so technically you wouldn't be giving the developers anything until about the day before you can have it land through your letter box.

Pre-orders help them out by gauging how popular the game is going to be, and get themselves some statistics in place before they launch. Pre-order "bonuses" are just a small thank you for helping them really.

[Raktael]

Just to point out though - if you order from any of the UK Retailers, then you won't get charged for it until the game is dispatched from the warehouse, so technically you wouldn't be giving the developers anything until about the day before you can have it land through your letter box.

Pre-orders help them out by gauging how popular the game is going to be, and get themselves some statistics in place before they launch. Pre-order "bonuses" are just a small thank you for helping them really.

Exactly right Kinetix, and the good thing really with STO is you're not paying any extra for the pre-order bonuses, many games would just have a normal version and then one with all the added extras, but for STO they have just the one version in the UK and you get all the extras which I think is really good tbh

[Richard Hammond]

Shows you how long its been since i last pre-ordered something then, last time i did it there were no online shops i had to walk into the shop and put money on the counter :p

Exactly right Kinetix, and the good thing really with STO is you're not paying any extra for the pre-order bonuses, many games would just have a normal version and then one with all the added extras, but for STO they have just the one version in the UK and you get all the extras which I think is really good tbh

Do you know if HMV have any pre order bonuses? Is there a specific shop that does the uniforms?

[Raktael]

Do you know if HMV have any pre order bonuses?

Yes...but tbh they are pretty pants! You get the head start and beta access etc, but their bonus is a tribble pet...it gives extra healing regeneration out of combat.

I've chosen Amazon for the borg officer, but D2D gets a spatial shield, game gets a special rifle, gamestation gets a federation shuttle and play gets extra skill points (500, which is a 38% increase)

[Pablo2008jedi]

Well, I'm just glad to get the Borg Officer, open beta and head start, oh and the 30 days. Other items are for , well, meh who cares....

Just need to patiently wait till the 12th Jan '10 :)

[Raktael]

Well, I'm just glad to get the Borg Officer, open beta and head start, oh and the 30 days. Other items are for , well, meh who cares....

Just need to patiently wait till the 12th Jan '10 :)

Agreed, will have to wing it on an older system for a couple weeks until I can get my new system in time for the actual release date :)

[Richard Hammond]

Whats all this about beta access, i thought there was gonna be an OPEN beta in january, now you have to pre-order to get access?

[Raktael]

It's a misconception that 'open beta' refers to everyone being able to play. Remember there are two phases of beta, the first is closed beta, this means testers are under an NDA and cannot tell anyone about their experiences or leak any game information. Following closed beta, you get open beta, the NDA is lifted and the testing pool is made larger, there is never a guarantee you will get into an open beta.

So pre-orders are given definite access to the 'open beta' but it is possible some more people from the pool of applicants are taken on and the testing made much larger, but it is not as I said guaranteed at all that you will get a spot.

[Richard Hammond]

Not like any open beta ive been in and ive been in quite a few, the last one i was in was lord of the rings online open beta codemasters put out 10s of thousands of keys for anyone who wanted, if they are just going to open it up to just a few people more whats the point, they need to do a massive stress test before feb.

[Pablo2008jedi]

In the past I have applied for Open Beta keys, and never got any...for other MMO's so I don't think its that unusual.

Beleive me, with the amount of people talking about the pre-order bonuses there will be plenty of time for stress testing.

[Raktael]

I've been in many closed and open betas, but it is never guaranteed, perhaps you've just been lucky Hammond.

Not long to go now :)

[Richard Hammond]

Perhaps, hope i get a key cause i wont be buying till i try :(

[Pablo2008jedi]

Perhaps, hope i get a key cause i wont be buying till i try :(

If there's a buddy key in the retail packaging I'll let you have it :)

[Richard Hammond]

Awesome thanks a lot.

[draelas]

i gotta ask. with closed beta, and players under an NDA. whats the insentive for the player to keep their mouth shut? the only thing i could think of is losing their beta account, if they're caught, but how could they trace anything back to someone.

or is it just on the honor system?

[QuantumTrickery]

For me, its the honor system. I test quite a few games, including Star Trek Online. I get to try new and exciting stuff early, and in return, I provide as much possible feedback and issues I encounter. I find that there is a mutual respect between the testers and developers. The one thing I can't stand is the individuals who are there just to take, take, take, and give nothing in return.

[Noveed]

woop woop!