Running On Empty

Yeah, it looks like I've reached it, too.

There apparently comes a point in STO, at least currently, where you actually begin running out of new things to do in the game. At the same time, however, it's also important to remember that just because you've been somewhere in-game previously it doesn't necessarily follow that you're done with that area.

For example, after I'd appeared to hit a wall in the game yesterday, I checked my mission logs and realized that I hadn't finished the mirror universe mission. I'd tried it and failed repeatedly when I was still a Commander and flying a less powerful ship, so I'd just put that mission aside in the hopes of beating it once I had better skills and hardware. I went back to that mission and was able to finish it this time, but the experience of doing so pointed up for me one of the problems I have with this game in general: The lack of a sense of continuity within the STO universe.

Here's what I mean: When I'd originally gotten the mirror universe mission, I went to the indicated system and started the mission. I got far enough into it to be stuck on the other side of the portal, in the mirror universe, and had to defeat three docked Terran Empire ships before they could activate. This was where I failed repeatedly, and eventually gave up on the mission for a while.

The next time I logged in, I was placed in sector space and offered a button to press that would take me back to where I was in the mirror universe mission. I chose to ignore that and go do some other things to gain more skill points and a higher rank before taking on that mission again.

Now, here's my nitpicky continuity question: If I'm in a mission where I'm stuck on the other side of a portal but I haven't yet made it through and back to my own universe, how is it possible for me to continue doing missions in my own universe while this mission remains unresolved? A good writer could and should have closed this loophole in the mission story text.

For me, that's the biggest problem with STO. It feels unfinished, like there's a very solid foundation and a well-built core structure, but many of the finer details and amenities haven't been installed yet. There's still sawdust on the floor, bits of loose wiring that await connections, windows and doors to be installed and balanced...you get the idea.

Even after participating in several betas, I still don't possess the arrogance to call myself a gaming expert, but I know what I like and what I expect when a game comes out of beta, officially opens its doors, and begins charging players to participate. STO comes close to that, but it's become clear to me that this game should have launched with significantly more playable content than it did, or the content that was released should have been made to be more difficult and time-consuming to get through.. What's available is good, some is even truly great, but it seems like right now for me it's all about my daily visits to the B'Tran Cluster and chasing down enemy signal contacts to finish tweaking the fitting of my assault cruiser.  

As a player who was there at the very beginning, it's becoming harder and harder for me to find new things to do in STO. I'm not saying that's totally the case as yet, but I can see that time rapidly approaching. If Cryptic's got more content ready to go, I hope they release it soon.

I'm considering starting a new toon, but I'd really rather keep working on this one. On the other hand, I just downloaded Bioshock 2, so maybe that's how I'll spend this afternoon...right after I log into STO and see if there's anything that actually does need my attention and piques my interest. First things first, after all.

Y'know, it's funny.  A while back, I said that waiting for STO to go live was like being a little girl who knows what she's getting for her birthday but doesn't know exactly what it will look like when she finally gets it. I still feel the same way, almost a month afterward, that I know and like this game but I still haven't had a chance to see it in its full glory.

By now, you might think I'm questioning my decision to get the lifetime subscription. The truth is that I'm not, at least, not yet. In my opinion, there's plenty of time for Cryptic to finish the job and make this game what it should be. I understand the business realities that may have lead to this game being released before it realistically should have been, and while I'm not thrilled with the less-than-optimal amount of content, the game itself is entertaining enough and holds enough promise that I'm willing to give Cryptic a little more time to catch up.

There's also one other thing I really like about STO, something that helped me become comfortable with the idea of getting the lifetime sub because it helps to ensure that STO will be a part of my gaming life for a long time to come. I'll talk about that next time.