Star Trek Online: Levelling an Alt on a New Account
Creating alts is an integral aspect of the MMORPG genre. Many players will create a character of a specific class or faction, play it for a while, lose interest in it or they may decide that it is just not for them. Fortunately it is no effort at all to simply re-roll a new alt and set off once again. Furthermore, lots of players never reach level cap of the MMORPG that there playing. When the going get’s tough, so to speak, you can either soldier on for another 50 levels or simply create a new alt and return to the comfort of tried and tested content. Alts also give you the chance to secure an accolade or achievement that you previously missed. They are also of great benefit to the genres social aspects. Creating a new alt so you can play along with a friend who is just starting is great fun. Developer’s love them too as it means you’re still playing the game.
Creating alts is an integral aspect of the MMORPG genre. Many players will create a character of a specific class or faction, play it for a while, lose interest in it or they may decide that it is just not for them. Fortunately it is no effort at all to simply re-roll a new alt and set off once again. Furthermore, lots of players never reach level cap of the MMORPG that there playing. When the going get’s tough, so to speak, you can either soldier on for another 50 levels or simply create a new alt and return to the comfort of tried and tested content. Alts also give you the chance to secure an accolade or achievement that you previously missed. They are also of great benefit to the genres social aspects. Creating a new alt so you can play along with a friend who is just starting is great fun. Developer’s love them too as it means you’re still playing the game.
So it is easy to see why alts are so popular and a key part of the MMRPG scene. I recently resumed playing Star Trek Online and found that I have nearly used up all my available character slots. Rather than pay for more, the easiest solution was to create a new account, which I duly did. I took advantage of the on going Gemma Recruitment Event and claimed the free Level 60 Tactical Vanguard Jem’Hadar character. However, what I really wanted to do was create a new 23rd Century character from the Star Trek: The Original Series era. STO has an outstanding but somewhat short story arc set in this time period which totally catches the vibe of the TV show. Hence I created a new Captain and “boldly” went about the business of saving the universe without ripping my shirt at the shoulder. It didn’t take long for me to spot the difference between creating an alt on this new account compared to my existing one.
My main STO account dates back to the launch of the game in January 2010. In 2015 I upgraded to a lifetime account. I have one primary character that I have used to play through all in-game content and events. In STO a lot of the rewards you receive from events are account unlocks. Ships you have bought from the C-Store are similarly available across your account. So if you create a new alt, as soon as you have completed the tutorial you can start claiming a wealth of gear that greatly assists in your ongoing progression. Kit modules, ground weapons, shield and armour for your away team. Universal consoles and various sets of ship gear. Then there’s dozens of vessels to choose from. You get the idea. Simply put, rolling a new alt under such circumstances is a relatively frictionless undertaking because they get such a leg up with all the material advantage. My new alt on the recently created alternate account has no access to any of this.
Overall this has been a timely reminder as to how all new players experience Star Trek Online. You get a level appropriate ship, default gear and slowly progress using the mission rewards you’re given. Your inventory and bank space is initially small but sufficient for the loot that you receive at this stage of the game. Without the benefits of fancy unlocks, learning combat with the gear the game provides teaches you the situational awareness and tactics you need to master. You can’t cheese it through having access to better stuff. Hence the levelling process, via the missions, means you progress in a measured fashion, gaining access to better gear, as the game intended. The game gives you what you need as you level for free. If you want any more then you can always use the store. This intended scarcity makes the new player consider what they equip and what they may sell or buy.
As I am playing on a new account which I created mainly for short term fun, I am reticent to spend any money on the two alts it is currently home to. I did remember to check on the Alienware website to see if there were any freebie game codes available and there are at the time of writing this posts. So I managed to secure the following items. Terran Empire Odyssey Outfit. An Elite Services Pack and a small XP Boost. The service pack provides 36 bank slots and 36 inventory slots, as well as two bridge officer slots. This usually costs 1000 Zen in the C-Store store so is well worth grabbing while its still available. Beyond this addition, I shall continue to play in the “vanilla” fashion, as Cryptic intended. Although not being able to access my account unlocks has made me appreciate how beneficial they can be. In the meantime, I shall battle the Klingons with my vendor trash gear, like its some kind of Kobayashi Maru test.
I was recently perusing my archive of old blog posts, when it struck me how much I’ve written about the MMORPG genre over the years. Naturally, there was far more material from between 2008 and 2012 as that was period when I immersed myself in the genre and was very enthusiastic about it. I was at a point in my life when I had the time to dedicate to such games and I was happy to participate in the social aspect of they offered. I would regularly play through group content and spend time socialising online with fellow guild members. My experience remains a textbook example of how online games can be more than the sum of their parts and that where you are at in your life has a major impact upon your overall enjoyment. As I read though various old posts it became clear that my experiences where specific to this particular part of my life and that they cannot be repeated. My relationship with the genre is very different now and that’s fine.
Creating alts is an integral aspect of the MMORPG genre. Many players will create a character of a specific class or faction, play it for a while, lose interest in it or they may decide that it is just not for them. Fortunately it is no effort at all to simply re-roll a new alt and set off once again. Furthermore, lots of players never reach level cap of the MMORPG that there playing. When the going get’s tough, so to speak, you can either soldier on for another 50 levels or simply create a new alt and return to the comfort of tried and tested content. Alts also give you the chance to secure an accolade or achievement that you previously missed. They are also of great benefit to the genres social aspects. Creating a new alt so you can play along with a friend who is just starting is great fun. Developer’s love them too as it means you’re still playing the game.
I recently took a break from Crimson Desert choosing instead to to play something familiar and easy going. As I’ve been logging into Star Trek Online daily to participate in the anniversary event, I decided to look through my various alts and see how far they had progressed through the game and what resources they had. At present I have twelve alts. My primary Captain was created in 2015 during the original Delta Recruit Event. I had previously played STO intermittently since its release in January 2010 but I never kept any of those characters. Hence this decade old Tactical Federation Captain has been my main focus when playing. The other eleven alts are the result of other recruitment events or whenever I wanted to try something different, such as playing a specific class or faction. I obviously played a lot of STO during the lockdown as several alts date from that period. Several had maximum reputation across all factions.
This year is the 60th anniversary of Star Trek. The original TV show was first broadcast in the US on September 8th 1966. If you search online you’ll find details of lots of related events. There are documentaries, conventions, new TV shows and even some video games in development. However, what you won’t find are any details regarding what will be happening with the MMORPG Star Trek Online. So far no road map for 2026 has been posted online by the developers but it is still quite early in the New Year. That being the case, I am not especially optimistic about there being any major plans waiting to be revealed. It is not as if DECA Games have demonstrated or stated any major ambitions for STO beyond keeping the endless events treadmill going and regularly adding content to the in-game store, during their development tenure. The ongoing story arc drags on inexorably and is as dull as ditchwater.
I recently read a post on Massively Overpowered about skills rotation in the MMORPG genre. I found the subsequent discussion in the comments fascinating. Mainly because I have never used a fixed rotation of skills in any of the MMORPGs that I play. I understand the reasoning behind such things and why some players want to optimise their combat performance. Using one’s skills in a specific order to maximise damage and manage their subsequent cooldown has a logical appeal. In Star Trek Online, some players go so far as to create keybinds for their rotations and assign it to a specific hotkey, which is then continuously pressed throughout combat. However, rotations are a blunt tool that lack flexibility, often being geared towards dealing with a single target or using an area of effect skill against a larger group. They may not be the optimal approach to combat when things do not go to plan.
If you check the Star Trek Online Wiki, you’ll find that there has been a steady stream of new content added to the MMORPG over the last 15 years. However, it doesn’t quite feel that way, mainly because more recent material seems weaker and less memorable. The last two major story arcs in STO have been somewhat lacklustre and demonstrably inferior to those that went before. Both Terran Gambit and Kings & Queens suffer from uninspired, repetitive ideas as well as an infrequent release schedule. Effectively weak stories have been dragged out over too much time. No doubt changes among the STO writing team have had an impact on content but it also seems that some of the newer stories have been tailored around whatever former Star Trek cast members that are available. As a result there has been a somewhat “square pegs in a round holes” aspect to both story arcs, where the pieces just don’t seem to fit together well.
In massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), alts (short for alternate characters), are new characters created by a player in addition to their primary character (often called the “main”). Alts are often encouraged by developers as a means to keep players engaged with their game(s). Sometimes an MMO will actively reward the creation of alts either with access to exclusive content, or with additional skills or items previously unlocked by primary characters. As the myth that an MMO really begins at endgame still persists in gaming culture, some games sell boosts that will instantly raise the level of an alt to that of the current level cap. Creating alts is such a key aspect of the MMO genre, that some games will sell additional character slots, so that players can create further alts beyond the default amount allowed. There are many reasons why players create alts. Let us consider some.
Star Trek Online is currently running its yearly Klingon Recruitment Event for PC players. Characters created from January 21st to February 11th gain additional rewards and account wide unlocks while levelling. It is a particularly useful way to orientate new and returning players. I created a Klingon Engineer during the 2021 Klingon Recruitment Event which I previously levelled to the current cap. However, I hadn’t taken this character through all the episodic missions, so I thought the current event would be a good time to resume their progress. Therefore today I resumed playing through the Romulan Mystery story arc. It was during the course of the final part of the episode, “Mine Enemy”, that I encountered a curious bug. It amused me sufficiently to prompt this blog post and make a lazy pop culture reference.
I have two monitors on my desk. The first (which is the primary monitor as far as my PC is concerned), is on the left and the second is on the right. The primary monitor is a 24 Dell U2412M, which has a resolution of 1920 x 1200. It therefore has an aspect ratio of 16:10 which adds a little extra desktop real estate, which I prefer when writing. The second monitor is a 24 inch Dell S2421H with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080. It has an aspect ratio of 16:9 which is standard FHD. My chair is adjacent to the middle of my desk and I can turn according to each monitor I’m using. I tend to use the primary, larger monitor on the left for tasks such as writing via Google Docs and emails. The second monitor on the right is used for YouTube and gaming. This is because of its FHD format. I also have a Nintendo Switch connected to the second monitor for the same reason.
Yesterday the MMORPG Star Trek Online updated Earth Spacedock for the PC version of the game. The console version will be released a little later on. This replacement impacts upon Sol system space, the entire exterior model of ESD and elements of the interior. The outgoing model was somewhat old with several anomalies that linked to aspects of the game that have changed over the years. Perhaps the biggest reason for the change is a canon update to ESD as seen in the third season of Star Trek: Picard. The TV show features a new Earth Spacedock, also known as Probert Station, which boasts a larger superstructure designed to meet the demand of Starfleet in 2401. It would appear that this update is the first substantial release from the developers at DECA Games and may potentially indicate the quality of future content.
Bree Royce, editor-in chief at Massively Overpowered, recently asked the question “what is the most expensive MMORPG right now”. My first thought was to search through my old draft blog posts and track down an MMO cost analysis I wrote circa 2019. It includes data such as subscription rates and the price of current expansions. There was also information on what were the most popular cash shop items at the time. However, I then read some of the comments that had been left on Bree’s post and I quickly realised that this wasn’t just a matter of financial expenditure. Whether or not an MMO is expensive is also determined by one’s disposable income, respective wealth and personal relationship with money. The latter is perhaps the most important, irrespective whether you consider yourself rich or poor.
It is customary for me to write an end of year summary of my gaming activities but I suspect that on this occasion it will be somewhat short. For me, 2024 has really hammered home the notion of the ephemeral nature of video games as well as their commercial ubiquity. The moment a game fails to satisfy for whatever reason, rather than complain or worry about it, I just move on to something else. It’s not as if there’s a shortage of games out there. I have a substantial back catalogue of games that Epic and Amazon prime regularly giveaway. I have bought numerous discounted bundles in the past, in the pious hope that I’ll play one of the games included, at some point in the future. Games may well be enjoyable and engaging but many are also disposable. That’s not to say they’re bad. While playing them you are indeed “entertained”. However, when you’re “done”, it’s amazing how you quickly find another and forget what you were previously playing.
If you’ve ever played an MMORPG, then you have more than likely encountered this problem. Especially if you start playing a game that has been long established. You diligently create your character and spend time and effort customising them to suit your needs. All you’ve got to do next is choose a name, so you type in a pithy and droll title only to find that it has already been taken. So you quickly come up with another and that too is rejected. Next you try the same name but with some “alternative” spelling but the game resolutely tells you that even that permutation is already in use. I have found that even with a list of names that I’ve drawn up prior to playing the game, it can still take anything from 5 to 30 minutes to find one that is available. Naturally, this process is very frustrating, which is hardly the ideal user experience for a new player.
It would appear that one of the reasons potential new players avoid the MMORPG genre is due to the perception that they are all time sinks. I wouldn’t argue against this assumption because the reality is that it’s true. However any game that you enjoy, irrespective of genre, can become a time sink. That being said, the main difference between other genres and MMOs is as follows. A new player can jump straight into a FPS game and within minutes enjoy some multiplayer action, whereas in an MMO, a new player has to play through a tutorial and several hours of a starter zone before they start making headway in the game. This distinction does not have to be a deal breaker. An FPS can provide a quick fix of gaming and as such fulfils a need. MMORPGs can provide long term entertainment which scratches an ongoing gaming itch. Both are valid ways to enjoy gaming.
Cryptic Studios appear to have started a new round of layoffs, following those made last November. Although the developers of Star Trek Online and Neverwinter have not formally commented on the situation, it is more than likely that this is a continuation of their owners, the Embracer Group, ongoing restructuring program. So far, the Swedish company has laid off over 1,500 employees since June 2023, in an attempt to address its ill considered over expansion in recent years. At present development of Star Trek Online and other titles are being transitioned from Cryptic to DECA. The German developers are mainly known for mobile games and have recently positioned themselves as “breathing life into old games”. Their intent is to keep developing content for STO and to maintain a working relationship with the owners of the intellectual property.
If you are a new player, then Star Trek Online has 14 years of content to play through. It is all story driven and is frequently couched in existing lore from the various Star Trek TV shows. It also benefits from many of the original actors reprising their respective roles within the game. This provides an additional air of authenticity to the proceedings as well as being a spectacular fan service. Furthermore, much of that content is faction specific, hence there is a great deal of replay value to be had from this MMO. Apart from The Lord of the Rings Online, I cannot think of another game that manages to successfully tap into the style and idiom of its source intellectual property. Simply put, Star Trek Online looks and feels “very “Star Trek”. Which is why it has a robust and loyal player base and still proves to be a viable financial asset to its owners, DECA Games.
“The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”. One of the integral game mechanics of the MMORPG genre is the acquisition of loot. As you travel your virtual world of choice, committing random murder against all forms of flora and fauna, you acquire miscellaneous items by looting the corpses of the slain or stealing from houses and NPCs. Oh it’s a glamorous genre, the MMORPG. These random items can be crafting resources such as hides or ore. They may be food items or healing potions that provide some kind of statistical buff. If you’re fortunate, they may be gear that corresponds with your class or specific build, providing a much needed upgrade. Loot may also be the in-game currency, thus boosting your respective wealth. As you can see, loot comes in all shapes and sizes but how important is it?
Ever since the Borg have been part of the MMORPG Star Trek Online, players have had to equip a Frequency Remodulator. The Borg adapt to damage from beam weapons after a few minutes and so players have to recalibrate their rifles or pistols, accordingly, using a Frequency Remodulator. This takes 5 seconds to perform and so has to be timed carefully to ensure that the player is not vulnerable to attack during this period. An upgraded version called a Fractal Remodulator, has been available from Federation and Klingon vendors in the Base Camp of the Defera Invasion Zone. It can be crafted for 50 Nanopower Capacitors, 50 Fibro-Neural Interface Cabling and 50 Cybernetic Armatures. It is quicker than the standard model, taking 3 seconds to apply new frequencies. Kinetic weapons do not require remodulation and the Borg cannot adapt to them.
Cryptic used the same statement on their recent news release. Except they ended it with an exclamation mark whereas I’ve chosen a question mark instead. Because I really do question the wisdom of expanding the Experimental Ship Upgrade path and the benefits of applying additional tokens to your ships, unlocking further device, console and trait slots. This is a classic example of doing something because you can, as opposed because you should. Do players at level cap who have already upgraded their ship(s) from Tier 6 to Tier 6-X really need to augment it further? Beyond the immediate stats boost, does it offer any significant benefit to the player or the game in the long run? Or does this situation simply boil down to the fact that it’s another cynically contrived excuse for Star Trek Online developers, Cryptic, to sell you something. For the record, Experimental Ship Upgrade tokens are available for sale in the Zen Store (for money) or can be purchased via Phoenix Prize Pack (for dilithium).
All MMORPGs have bugs. It is a certainty in life, just like death and taxes. However, some have more than others. I’m sure we could argue for hours as to which particular game has the most but I’ll leave that discussion to others. Star Trek Online has its share, many of which have persisted for years. But there is one that stands out, due to its longevity and sheer annoyance. To be specific, the “trait bug”. Like many MMO’s STO has a trait system that offers a range of passive or active buffs, skill boosts and statistical tweaks. STO is very much a number game, especially if you are chasing a high DPS output, which lots of players do. The trait bug is the random “unslotting” of some of your characters traits. It can affect any of the seven categories of traits but tends to most often happen to Personal Space Traits and Starship Traits. Unless you regularly check, most players will not immediately know this has happened.
“The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”. Dying in an Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game is a clear and unambiguous fail state. A means by which to teach the player that they’re doing something wrong and that they need to rethink their strategy. IE Don’t mess with the foul Marmydons unless you have back up and are wielding the Sword of Kagnazax. Dying is a reminder to not get overconfident and maintain situational awareness. It teaches us to ensure you have the right gear and consumables, to be au fait with the mechanics of any fight you’re about to get into and that winning is not a given. Any enterprise that offers a tangible reward will come with potential risks and consequences. If you’re playing in a group then death provides a timely reminder not to rely on Colin.
“The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”. I was in London recently, idly walking to the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, when a group of tourists started running for no discernable reason. Someone I was with asked “ I wonder why they’re running” and I replied “perhaps they think they’re in an MMO”. The quips fell on deaf ears but that is a cross I often have to bear. This anecdote highlights one of the points of this post. Namely, why do our avatars in the MMORPG genre run by default? I would also like to discuss the manner in which MMOs address the issue of travel around an ever expanding virtual world. Is fast travel lazy? Our mounts a boon or a bane?
Here we are again with another summary of my gaming activities in recent months. Or in this case since last September. It’s been a while but I’ve been on a blogging hiatus until recently. However, I’ve kept myself busy gaming wise and often I find the hunt for news video games, just as entertaining as I do playing them. Perhaps that could be a future blog post. Back to the matter in hand. Gaming wise, pretty much all things related to the MMORPG genre are currently on the back burner. I’ll give specifics later but I am taking a break from these for the present. I am currently looking at trying games outside my usual comfort zone and also trying to test whether you can or cannot teach an old dog new tricks. Fortunately, the answer appears to be yes you can. Enough summation, on to the specifics.
This afternoon Cryptic launched the latest season update, Ascension, for the MMORPG Star Trek Online. Furthermore, I’m sure it will not come as a shock to long term players that it was broken and an emergency patch had to be applied. Oh how we all laughed. Even after being “fixed” players are still experiencing bugs with the new content, especially the ground mission part of the update, but this sadly is just par for the course. Personally speaking, it is not the bugs that I have a problem with as they are just part of the overall gaming experience when playing STO. What I am saddened about is the actual gameplay found in Ascension. The space combat section of the game is simply “more of the same”. Destroy some specific vessels and once the goal has been met, watch the cutscene. But the ground combat is especially uninspired and repetitive, despite its interesting setting.
The Lord of the Rings Online was my first major MMORPG. I started playing in late 2008 and quickly discovered that there was a necessity to become familiar with the game world. Although the game provides quick travel options they were not ubiquitous at that point and often a player would simply travel on foot to travel costs down and to take the most direct route. Back in 2008 you could not own a mount until level 30. Hence I began “learning the maps” in the game and to this day still remember how to travel from one side of Moria, to another. The maps in the base game remain clear in my mind as they were so well trodden. Not so those in the regions. There are far more stables with fast mounts present in the game now and so convenience trumps any requirement to become so familiar with newly added zones. Nowadays Standing Stone Games designs new zones that tend to funnel players through them from quest hub to quest hub.
I’ve been playing Star Trek Online on and off for about 8 years. During that time I read a lot of Wikis and watched a lot of videos on YouTube that explore the game’s various systems and mechanics. I find a lot of the recommendations made by “expert” players to be impractical. The commonest being builds that include traits and consoles that you can only obtain from buying specific ships. Or using resources in quantities that take months of grinding to build up. This is hardly what I’d call handy advice for a new player. So I thought I’d give five tips of my own in no particular order, that I feel are useful. Some are glaringly obvious. Others not so. But hopefully they will prove useful to both new and returning players.
Cryptic are once again running the Temporal Agent Recruitment event in Star Trek Online from Tuesday 6th September 2022. Players who create a TOS (The original series) era character during this time are eligible for bonus dilithium, equipment and special traits as they play through the game. Progression also unlocks rewards for existing alts which can prove very useful. There are also unique tasks associated with Temporal Agents such as finding and unlocking Temporal Probes, which are hidden throughout the game’s story content. Once a player has created a 23rd century Starfleet character, completed the tutorial and received their special Temporal Agent transceiver device, they will gain the title Temporal Agent. The goals and bonus content associated with the event can be completed anytime, even after it ends on October 4th.
I have confined my gaming to three MMORPGs in recent months and have not strayed into anything new. Time has been an issue due to a great deal of change in my domestic life. Hence The Lord of the Rings Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic and Star Trek Online have proven suitable for my needs. Being able to log into a game and commence an activity without any complicated preamble is convenient and currently suits my schedule down to the ground. I will be buying Sniper Elite 5 at the end of the month as this is a franchise that has always proven entertaining and engaging. While recently perusing the various game launchers I have installed, I took the opportunity to remove several games that I’m no longer playing or that have proven to be a “five minute wonder”. Hence I said goodbye to GreedFall, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint and Days Gone. Their removal is no reflection upon their quality.
There was a perennial question being discussed over at Massively Overpowered recently. Justin Olivetti asked “why do you play MMOs solo” and as you would expect, there was a wide variety of answers. I have written about this myself in the past, as when I first started playing MMOs, I was very enamoured by the social element and therefore very disposed towards group content. However, that experience between 2008 and 2011, when I played The Lord of the Rings Online most days and dedicated Friday and Saturday nights to raiding, was very much down to circumstances. I had the time and inclination to spend hours online. That is something that I don’t have now. Plus the novelty of the social element has worn a little thin over the years. Nowadays, I do not have the luxury of waiting for a raid group to assemble, nor do I have the tolerance for the inevitable delays that always stem from any kind of human interaction.
Returning to Star Trek Online in 2026
I recently took a break from Crimson Desert choosing instead to to play something familiar and easy going. As I’ve been logging into Star Trek Online daily to participate in the anniversary event, I decided to look through my various alts and see how far they had progressed through the game and what resources they had. At present I have twelve alts. My primary Captain was created in 2015 during the original Delta Recruit Event. I had previously played STO intermittently since its release in January 2010 but I never kept any of those characters. Hence this decade old Tactical Federation Captain has been my main focus when playing. The other eleven alts are the result of other recruitment events or whenever I wanted to try something different, such as playing a specific class or faction. I obviously played a lot of STO during the lockdown as several alts date from that period. Several had maximum reputation across all factions.
I recently took a break from Crimson Desert choosing instead to to play something familiar and easy going. As I’ve been logging into Star Trek Online daily to participate in the anniversary event, I decided to look through my various alts and see how far they had progressed through the game and what resources they had. At present I have twelve alts. My primary Captain was created in 2015 during the original Delta Recruit Event. I had previously played STO intermittently since its release in January 2010 but I never kept any of those characters. Hence this decade old Tactical Federation Captain has been my main focus when playing. The other eleven alts are the result of other recruitment events or whenever I wanted to try something different, such as playing a specific class or faction. I obviously played a lot of STO during the lockdown as several alts date from that period. Several had maximum reputation across all factions.
I created a Klingon Defence Force Captain in early 2021, going so far as to buying a Legendary D7 Intel Battlecruiser for them. So I decided to resume playing through the various story arcs with this character, while tinkering with the his gear, away team and ship as I went. It has proven a most satisfying experience because the game offers a great deal of scope for change and fine tuning. It is also a good example of a game where it is easy to pick up where you left off and if you want instant action, you can always jump straight into a Task Force Operation. STO is a process driven game with a strong set of underlying mathematically driven systems. Hence improving your overall build is an unambiguous process. However, if learning the theory behind build creation does not appeal to you, you can always just follow one of the many guides that can be found online. The story driven missions certainly provide adequate gear for all the PVE content.
Endgame in STO seems to be predominantly focused on min-maxing, increasing your DPS and running Elite level content. However, the game certainly lends itself to roleplay for those disposed to such things. Having twelve alts means I can always return to one and find some aspect that needs improvement or tweaking. The story content is also very engaging and certainly captures the heart and soul of most Star Trek shows. Having so many of the original cast providing voices helps immensely with atmosphere and immersion. Some of the minor mini-games and their subsequent accolades and benefits can become obsessive pursuits. The Lore Mission, The Path to 2409, being one example. I recently discovered that you can still breed specific species of Tribbles and despite the age of this systems, some can still offer some very useful buffs when equipped. Then there is the rabbit hole of visiting the in-game tailor and customising your outfit.
However, you cannot play STO without referencing the persistent bugs as well as the element of “jank” that is present in several aspects of the game. Despite being based upon a premium franchise, STO has always had a the air of a second tier MMORPG, with developer’s Cryptic having to fight for resources. Although I am very fond of this game and think that it captures the essence of the franchise well, it always feels like it hasn’t fully met its potential. I’m sure now that Cryptic are back in full control of the development that they have aspirations to improve the game which is currently showing its age. Yet whatever plans they may have, they will not be realised immediately. Which means that anyone returning to STO or playing for the first time, has to accept the game as it is at present. The low level bugs and glitches can be annoying at times but for me, they never make the game unplayable.
Having watched a few videos on the subject of playing STO in 2026, the issue of the C-Store comes up quite quickly. Simply put, STO monetises multiple aspects of the game. Ships, personnel, items, services and more. However, it must be said that they are always selling you more of what you have already. The resources that are available to free players are adequate. As you level a new character through the game you are given free ships that may not be the best but can get the job done. You have sufficient bank and inventory spaces. If you want more then there is scope to earn in-game currency or participate in regular events that reward you with gear or ships. As for the argument of “pay to win”, I’m not sure what you win exactly? You can create a high performance ship build made up of premium items but you can also do the same with regular gear. Skill is also an important factor and that cannot be bought.
As a franchise Star Trek is in a state of flux at present. The acquisition of Paramount Global by Skydance Media has led to all current TV productions being halted. Long term plans have yet to be announced but the new owners seem focused on feature films rather than episodic television. This leaves a substantial gap in the market for fans. Something that a persistent world game with regularly updated lore adjacent content, could address. Whether Cryptic can rise to such a challenge remains to be seen. In the meantime if you fancy trying STO, there is a convenient on going Quick Start Event running until May 21st. Both old and new players can login to the game and claim a free Tactical Vanguard Jem’Hadar character. They are level 60 by default and come with appropriate gear, skills, traits and ship. Alternatively you can start the game from the beginning, choosing between multiple factions, all of which begin with unique starter missions.
As I mentioned at the start of this post, STO is currently celebrating its 16th anniversary. That’s a long lifespan for an MMO. Developers’ Cryptic recently posted a new road map for 2026 and they certainly have plans. As a lifetime account holder, I wish them well but I do hope that they can do more than just put new events, items and episodic stories. I would like to see a comprehensive ongoing project to address the bugs in the game and to streamline and restore the existing story content. Due to the story arcs being tweaked (some have been removed altogether), what is left although narratively good, has some continuity issues. Ground combat needs to be revised and any improvement to the character models would go a long way to improve things. The game needs more story content that is in the idiom of that produced in the first decade of the game. In the meantime, I shall continue to progress my alts and play what content is available.
Star Trek Online has many in-game systems that are common to the MMORPG genre. The reputation system is one such example. In STO there are 13 reputation factions. Once a player has reached level 50 they may start progressing through the 6 reputation tiers of each one. Players gain progression through daily projects (20 hours in duration). Hourly projects are also available though they yield less reputation advancement and are limited to three times a day. Hence 20 hour projects are consider by default the most efficient way to gain rep. Projects require 30 Faction Specific Marks (earned via various activities in-game), 15,000 Energy Credits (standard in-game currency) and 2000 Expertise points. The most efficient way to tackle the reputation grind is to build up the necessary resources in advance and then at a designated time each day, start all 13 respective projects. Upon completion projects yield a player bound lockbox containing a random space or ground weapon, a console or Elite Marks which can be used to acquire faction gear.
I was recently perusing my archive of old blog posts, when it struck me how much I’ve written about the MMORPG genre over the years. Naturally, there was far more material from between 2008 and 2012 as that was period when I immersed myself in the genre and was very enthusiastic about it. I was at a point in my life when I had the time to dedicate to such games and I was happy to participate in the social aspect of they offered. I would regularly play through group content and spend time socialising online with fellow guild members. My experience remains a textbook example of how online games can be more than the sum of their parts and that where you are at in your life has a major impact upon your overall enjoyment. As I read though various old posts it became clear that my experiences where specific to this particular part of my life and that they cannot be repeated. My relationship with the genre is very different now and that’s fine.
Creating alts is an integral aspect of the MMORPG genre. Many players will create a character of a specific class or faction, play it for a while, lose interest in it or they may decide that it is just not for them. Fortunately it is no effort at all to simply re-roll a new alt and set off once again. Furthermore, lots of players never reach level cap of the MMORPG that there playing. When the going get’s tough, so to speak, you can either soldier on for another 50 levels or simply create a new alt and return to the comfort of tried and tested content. Alts also give you the chance to secure an accolade or achievement that you previously missed. They are also of great benefit to the genres social aspects. Creating a new alt so you can play along with a friend who is just starting is great fun. Developer’s love them too as it means you’re still playing the game.
I recently took a break from Crimson Desert choosing instead to to play something familiar and easy going. As I’ve been logging into Star Trek Online daily to participate in the anniversary event, I decided to look through my various alts and see how far they had progressed through the game and what resources they had. At present I have twelve alts. My primary Captain was created in 2015 during the original Delta Recruit Event. I had previously played STO intermittently since its release in January 2010 but I never kept any of those characters. Hence this decade old Tactical Federation Captain has been my main focus when playing. The other eleven alts are the result of other recruitment events or whenever I wanted to try something different, such as playing a specific class or faction. I obviously played a lot of STO during the lockdown as several alts date from that period. Several had maximum reputation across all factions.
This year is the 60th anniversary of Star Trek. The original TV show was first broadcast in the US on September 8th 1966. If you search online you’ll find details of lots of related events. There are documentaries, conventions, new TV shows and even some video games in development. However, what you won’t find are any details regarding what will be happening with the MMORPG Star Trek Online. So far no road map for 2026 has been posted online by the developers but it is still quite early in the New Year. That being the case, I am not especially optimistic about there being any major plans waiting to be revealed. It is not as if DECA Games have demonstrated or stated any major ambitions for STO beyond keeping the endless events treadmill going and regularly adding content to the in-game store, during their development tenure. The ongoing story arc drags on inexorably and is as dull as ditchwater.
I recently read a post on Massively Overpowered about skills rotation in the MMORPG genre. I found the subsequent discussion in the comments fascinating. Mainly because I have never used a fixed rotation of skills in any of the MMORPGs that I play. I understand the reasoning behind such things and why some players want to optimise their combat performance. Using one’s skills in a specific order to maximise damage and manage their subsequent cooldown has a logical appeal. In Star Trek Online, some players go so far as to create keybinds for their rotations and assign it to a specific hotkey, which is then continuously pressed throughout combat. However, rotations are a blunt tool that lack flexibility, often being geared towards dealing with a single target or using an area of effect skill against a larger group. They may not be the optimal approach to combat when things do not go to plan.
If you check the Star Trek Online Wiki, you’ll find that there has been a steady stream of new content added to the MMORPG over the last 15 years. However, it doesn’t quite feel that way, mainly because more recent material seems weaker and less memorable. The last two major story arcs in STO have been somewhat lacklustre and demonstrably inferior to those that went before. Both Terran Gambit and Kings & Queens suffer from uninspired, repetitive ideas as well as an infrequent release schedule. Effectively weak stories have been dragged out over too much time. No doubt changes among the STO writing team have had an impact on content but it also seems that some of the newer stories have been tailored around whatever former Star Trek cast members that are available. As a result there has been a somewhat “square pegs in a round holes” aspect to both story arcs, where the pieces just don’t seem to fit together well.
In massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), alts (short for alternate characters), are new characters created by a player in addition to their primary character (often called the “main”). Alts are often encouraged by developers as a means to keep players engaged with their game(s). Sometimes an MMO will actively reward the creation of alts either with access to exclusive content, or with additional skills or items previously unlocked by primary characters. As the myth that an MMO really begins at endgame still persists in gaming culture, some games sell boosts that will instantly raise the level of an alt to that of the current level cap. Creating alts is such a key aspect of the MMO genre, that some games will sell additional character slots, so that players can create further alts beyond the default amount allowed. There are many reasons why players create alts. Let us consider some.
Star Trek Online is currently running its yearly Klingon Recruitment Event for PC players. Characters created from January 21st to February 11th gain additional rewards and account wide unlocks while levelling. It is a particularly useful way to orientate new and returning players. I created a Klingon Engineer during the 2021 Klingon Recruitment Event which I previously levelled to the current cap. However, I hadn’t taken this character through all the episodic missions, so I thought the current event would be a good time to resume their progress. Therefore today I resumed playing through the Romulan Mystery story arc. It was during the course of the final part of the episode, “Mine Enemy”, that I encountered a curious bug. It amused me sufficiently to prompt this blog post and make a lazy pop culture reference.
I have two monitors on my desk. The first (which is the primary monitor as far as my PC is concerned), is on the left and the second is on the right. The primary monitor is a 24 Dell U2412M, which has a resolution of 1920 x 1200. It therefore has an aspect ratio of 16:10 which adds a little extra desktop real estate, which I prefer when writing. The second monitor is a 24 inch Dell S2421H with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080. It has an aspect ratio of 16:9 which is standard FHD. My chair is adjacent to the middle of my desk and I can turn according to each monitor I’m using. I tend to use the primary, larger monitor on the left for tasks such as writing via Google Docs and emails. The second monitor on the right is used for YouTube and gaming. This is because of its FHD format. I also have a Nintendo Switch connected to the second monitor for the same reason.
Yesterday the MMORPG Star Trek Online updated Earth Spacedock for the PC version of the game. The console version will be released a little later on. This replacement impacts upon Sol system space, the entire exterior model of ESD and elements of the interior. The outgoing model was somewhat old with several anomalies that linked to aspects of the game that have changed over the years. Perhaps the biggest reason for the change is a canon update to ESD as seen in the third season of Star Trek: Picard. The TV show features a new Earth Spacedock, also known as Probert Station, which boasts a larger superstructure designed to meet the demand of Starfleet in 2401. It would appear that this update is the first substantial release from the developers at DECA Games and may potentially indicate the quality of future content.
Bree Royce, editor-in chief at Massively Overpowered, recently asked the question “what is the most expensive MMORPG right now”. My first thought was to search through my old draft blog posts and track down an MMO cost analysis I wrote circa 2019. It includes data such as subscription rates and the price of current expansions. There was also information on what were the most popular cash shop items at the time. However, I then read some of the comments that had been left on Bree’s post and I quickly realised that this wasn’t just a matter of financial expenditure. Whether or not an MMO is expensive is also determined by one’s disposable income, respective wealth and personal relationship with money. The latter is perhaps the most important, irrespective whether you consider yourself rich or poor.
It is customary for me to write an end of year summary of my gaming activities but I suspect that on this occasion it will be somewhat short. For me, 2024 has really hammered home the notion of the ephemeral nature of video games as well as their commercial ubiquity. The moment a game fails to satisfy for whatever reason, rather than complain or worry about it, I just move on to something else. It’s not as if there’s a shortage of games out there. I have a substantial back catalogue of games that Epic and Amazon prime regularly giveaway. I have bought numerous discounted bundles in the past, in the pious hope that I’ll play one of the games included, at some point in the future. Games may well be enjoyable and engaging but many are also disposable. That’s not to say they’re bad. While playing them you are indeed “entertained”. However, when you’re “done”, it’s amazing how you quickly find another and forget what you were previously playing.
If you’ve ever played an MMORPG, then you have more than likely encountered this problem. Especially if you start playing a game that has been long established. You diligently create your character and spend time and effort customising them to suit your needs. All you’ve got to do next is choose a name, so you type in a pithy and droll title only to find that it has already been taken. So you quickly come up with another and that too is rejected. Next you try the same name but with some “alternative” spelling but the game resolutely tells you that even that permutation is already in use. I have found that even with a list of names that I’ve drawn up prior to playing the game, it can still take anything from 5 to 30 minutes to find one that is available. Naturally, this process is very frustrating, which is hardly the ideal user experience for a new player.
It would appear that one of the reasons potential new players avoid the MMORPG genre is due to the perception that they are all time sinks. I wouldn’t argue against this assumption because the reality is that it’s true. However any game that you enjoy, irrespective of genre, can become a time sink. That being said, the main difference between other genres and MMOs is as follows. A new player can jump straight into a FPS game and within minutes enjoy some multiplayer action, whereas in an MMO, a new player has to play through a tutorial and several hours of a starter zone before they start making headway in the game. This distinction does not have to be a deal breaker. An FPS can provide a quick fix of gaming and as such fulfils a need. MMORPGs can provide long term entertainment which scratches an ongoing gaming itch. Both are valid ways to enjoy gaming.
Cryptic Studios appear to have started a new round of layoffs, following those made last November. Although the developers of Star Trek Online and Neverwinter have not formally commented on the situation, it is more than likely that this is a continuation of their owners, the Embracer Group, ongoing restructuring program. So far, the Swedish company has laid off over 1,500 employees since June 2023, in an attempt to address its ill considered over expansion in recent years. At present development of Star Trek Online and other titles are being transitioned from Cryptic to DECA. The German developers are mainly known for mobile games and have recently positioned themselves as “breathing life into old games”. Their intent is to keep developing content for STO and to maintain a working relationship with the owners of the intellectual property.
If you are a new player, then Star Trek Online has 14 years of content to play through. It is all story driven and is frequently couched in existing lore from the various Star Trek TV shows. It also benefits from many of the original actors reprising their respective roles within the game. This provides an additional air of authenticity to the proceedings as well as being a spectacular fan service. Furthermore, much of that content is faction specific, hence there is a great deal of replay value to be had from this MMO. Apart from The Lord of the Rings Online, I cannot think of another game that manages to successfully tap into the style and idiom of its source intellectual property. Simply put, Star Trek Online looks and feels “very “Star Trek”. Which is why it has a robust and loyal player base and still proves to be a viable financial asset to its owners, DECA Games.
“The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”. One of the integral game mechanics of the MMORPG genre is the acquisition of loot. As you travel your virtual world of choice, committing random murder against all forms of flora and fauna, you acquire miscellaneous items by looting the corpses of the slain or stealing from houses and NPCs. Oh it’s a glamorous genre, the MMORPG. These random items can be crafting resources such as hides or ore. They may be food items or healing potions that provide some kind of statistical buff. If you’re fortunate, they may be gear that corresponds with your class or specific build, providing a much needed upgrade. Loot may also be the in-game currency, thus boosting your respective wealth. As you can see, loot comes in all shapes and sizes but how important is it?
Ever since the Borg have been part of the MMORPG Star Trek Online, players have had to equip a Frequency Remodulator. The Borg adapt to damage from beam weapons after a few minutes and so players have to recalibrate their rifles or pistols, accordingly, using a Frequency Remodulator. This takes 5 seconds to perform and so has to be timed carefully to ensure that the player is not vulnerable to attack during this period. An upgraded version called a Fractal Remodulator, has been available from Federation and Klingon vendors in the Base Camp of the Defera Invasion Zone. It can be crafted for 50 Nanopower Capacitors, 50 Fibro-Neural Interface Cabling and 50 Cybernetic Armatures. It is quicker than the standard model, taking 3 seconds to apply new frequencies. Kinetic weapons do not require remodulation and the Borg cannot adapt to them.
Cryptic used the same statement on their recent news release. Except they ended it with an exclamation mark whereas I’ve chosen a question mark instead. Because I really do question the wisdom of expanding the Experimental Ship Upgrade path and the benefits of applying additional tokens to your ships, unlocking further device, console and trait slots. This is a classic example of doing something because you can, as opposed because you should. Do players at level cap who have already upgraded their ship(s) from Tier 6 to Tier 6-X really need to augment it further? Beyond the immediate stats boost, does it offer any significant benefit to the player or the game in the long run? Or does this situation simply boil down to the fact that it’s another cynically contrived excuse for Star Trek Online developers, Cryptic, to sell you something. For the record, Experimental Ship Upgrade tokens are available for sale in the Zen Store (for money) or can be purchased via Phoenix Prize Pack (for dilithium).
All MMORPGs have bugs. It is a certainty in life, just like death and taxes. However, some have more than others. I’m sure we could argue for hours as to which particular game has the most but I’ll leave that discussion to others. Star Trek Online has its share, many of which have persisted for years. But there is one that stands out, due to its longevity and sheer annoyance. To be specific, the “trait bug”. Like many MMO’s STO has a trait system that offers a range of passive or active buffs, skill boosts and statistical tweaks. STO is very much a number game, especially if you are chasing a high DPS output, which lots of players do. The trait bug is the random “unslotting” of some of your characters traits. It can affect any of the seven categories of traits but tends to most often happen to Personal Space Traits and Starship Traits. Unless you regularly check, most players will not immediately know this has happened.
“The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”. Dying in an Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game is a clear and unambiguous fail state. A means by which to teach the player that they’re doing something wrong and that they need to rethink their strategy. IE Don’t mess with the foul Marmydons unless you have back up and are wielding the Sword of Kagnazax. Dying is a reminder to not get overconfident and maintain situational awareness. It teaches us to ensure you have the right gear and consumables, to be au fait with the mechanics of any fight you’re about to get into and that winning is not a given. Any enterprise that offers a tangible reward will come with potential risks and consequences. If you’re playing in a group then death provides a timely reminder not to rely on Colin.
“The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”. I was in London recently, idly walking to the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, when a group of tourists started running for no discernable reason. Someone I was with asked “ I wonder why they’re running” and I replied “perhaps they think they’re in an MMO”. The quips fell on deaf ears but that is a cross I often have to bear. This anecdote highlights one of the points of this post. Namely, why do our avatars in the MMORPG genre run by default? I would also like to discuss the manner in which MMOs address the issue of travel around an ever expanding virtual world. Is fast travel lazy? Our mounts a boon or a bane?
Here we are again with another summary of my gaming activities in recent months. Or in this case since last September. It’s been a while but I’ve been on a blogging hiatus until recently. However, I’ve kept myself busy gaming wise and often I find the hunt for news video games, just as entertaining as I do playing them. Perhaps that could be a future blog post. Back to the matter in hand. Gaming wise, pretty much all things related to the MMORPG genre are currently on the back burner. I’ll give specifics later but I am taking a break from these for the present. I am currently looking at trying games outside my usual comfort zone and also trying to test whether you can or cannot teach an old dog new tricks. Fortunately, the answer appears to be yes you can. Enough summation, on to the specifics.
This afternoon Cryptic launched the latest season update, Ascension, for the MMORPG Star Trek Online. Furthermore, I’m sure it will not come as a shock to long term players that it was broken and an emergency patch had to be applied. Oh how we all laughed. Even after being “fixed” players are still experiencing bugs with the new content, especially the ground mission part of the update, but this sadly is just par for the course. Personally speaking, it is not the bugs that I have a problem with as they are just part of the overall gaming experience when playing STO. What I am saddened about is the actual gameplay found in Ascension. The space combat section of the game is simply “more of the same”. Destroy some specific vessels and once the goal has been met, watch the cutscene. But the ground combat is especially uninspired and repetitive, despite its interesting setting.
The Lord of the Rings Online was my first major MMORPG. I started playing in late 2008 and quickly discovered that there was a necessity to become familiar with the game world. Although the game provides quick travel options they were not ubiquitous at that point and often a player would simply travel on foot to travel costs down and to take the most direct route. Back in 2008 you could not own a mount until level 30. Hence I began “learning the maps” in the game and to this day still remember how to travel from one side of Moria, to another. The maps in the base game remain clear in my mind as they were so well trodden. Not so those in the regions. There are far more stables with fast mounts present in the game now and so convenience trumps any requirement to become so familiar with newly added zones. Nowadays Standing Stone Games designs new zones that tend to funnel players through them from quest hub to quest hub.
I’ve been playing Star Trek Online on and off for about 8 years. During that time I read a lot of Wikis and watched a lot of videos on YouTube that explore the game’s various systems and mechanics. I find a lot of the recommendations made by “expert” players to be impractical. The commonest being builds that include traits and consoles that you can only obtain from buying specific ships. Or using resources in quantities that take months of grinding to build up. This is hardly what I’d call handy advice for a new player. So I thought I’d give five tips of my own in no particular order, that I feel are useful. Some are glaringly obvious. Others not so. But hopefully they will prove useful to both new and returning players.
Cryptic are once again running the Temporal Agent Recruitment event in Star Trek Online from Tuesday 6th September 2022. Players who create a TOS (The original series) era character during this time are eligible for bonus dilithium, equipment and special traits as they play through the game. Progression also unlocks rewards for existing alts which can prove very useful. There are also unique tasks associated with Temporal Agents such as finding and unlocking Temporal Probes, which are hidden throughout the game’s story content. Once a player has created a 23rd century Starfleet character, completed the tutorial and received their special Temporal Agent transceiver device, they will gain the title Temporal Agent. The goals and bonus content associated with the event can be completed anytime, even after it ends on October 4th.
I have confined my gaming to three MMORPGs in recent months and have not strayed into anything new. Time has been an issue due to a great deal of change in my domestic life. Hence The Lord of the Rings Online, Star Wars: The Old Republic and Star Trek Online have proven suitable for my needs. Being able to log into a game and commence an activity without any complicated preamble is convenient and currently suits my schedule down to the ground. I will be buying Sniper Elite 5 at the end of the month as this is a franchise that has always proven entertaining and engaging. While recently perusing the various game launchers I have installed, I took the opportunity to remove several games that I’m no longer playing or that have proven to be a “five minute wonder”. Hence I said goodbye to GreedFall, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint and Days Gone. Their removal is no reflection upon their quality.
There was a perennial question being discussed over at Massively Overpowered recently. Justin Olivetti asked “why do you play MMOs solo” and as you would expect, there was a wide variety of answers. I have written about this myself in the past, as when I first started playing MMOs, I was very enamoured by the social element and therefore very disposed towards group content. However, that experience between 2008 and 2011, when I played The Lord of the Rings Online most days and dedicated Friday and Saturday nights to raiding, was very much down to circumstances. I had the time and inclination to spend hours online. That is something that I don’t have now. Plus the novelty of the social element has worn a little thin over the years. Nowadays, I do not have the luxury of waiting for a raid group to assemble, nor do I have the tolerance for the inevitable delays that always stem from any kind of human interaction.
MMO Tropes: Alts
In massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), alts (short for alternate characters), are new characters created by a player in addition to their primary character (often called the “main”). Alts are often encouraged by developers as a means to keep players engaged with their game(s). Sometimes an MMO will actively reward the creation of alts either with access to exclusive content, or with additional skills or items previously unlocked by primary characters. As the myth that an MMO really begins at endgame still persists in gaming culture, some games sell boosts that will instantly raise the level of an alt to that of the current level cap. Creating alts is such a key aspect of the MMO genre, that some games will sell additional character slots, so that players can create further alts beyond the default amount allowed. There are many reasons why players create alts. Let us consider some.
In massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), alts (short for alternate characters), are new characters created by a player in addition to their primary character (often called the “main”). Alts are often encouraged by developers as a means to keep players engaged with their game(s). Sometimes an MMO will actively reward the creation of alts either with access to exclusive content, or with additional skills or items previously unlocked by primary characters. As the myth that an MMO really begins at endgame still persists in gaming culture, some games sell boosts that will instantly raise the level of an alt to that of the current level cap. Creating alts is such a key aspect of the MMO genre, that some games will sell additional character slots, so that players can create further alts beyond the default amount allowed. There are many reasons why players create alts. Let us consider some.
Trying different classes: Many MMOs offer diverse classes, races and specialisations. Alts allow players to experience these without abandoning their main character.
Experiencing alternative gameplay: Alts can offer a fresh perspective on the game world, allowing players to engage in different activities, storylines, or even roleplay.
Farming resources: In some MMOs, alts can be used to gather more resources, complete daily quests, or participate in other activities. These often offer rewards such as items or currency, which can benefit the player's main character.
Socialising: Alts can be used to play with different groups of friends, or to participate in content that requires a specific group of classes.
Avoiding burnout: Playing the same character for extended periods can lead to burnout, and alts can provide a break from the routine.
Roleplaying: Some players create alts for roleplaying purposes, developing unique backstories and personalities for each character.
Increased and unique rewards: Some MMOs offer rewards for having multiple characters, such as bonus experience, unique items or account wide unlocks.
The MMO genre handles the issue of alts in a broad fashion. Some older games such as Age of Conan (now Conan Unchained) only have one path through game content. If you roll a new alt you will still have to play through content you have already experienced. The Lord of the Rings Online takes a different approach with your character’s race determining their starter area. This offers a degree of difference for alts, although the storylines come together after a certain level. Guild Wars 2 takes a similar approach, again favouring race specific starters areas. In The Elder Scrolls Online, new characters begin in a tutorial area called Coldharbour's Wailing Prison, then are sent to their alliance's starting zone. After the tutorial, players can explore their alliance’s respective zone and choose which quests to pursue. Players then have the option to explore other alliances’ zones later.
Star Wars: The Old Republic takes a far bolder approach to alts. The starting area for each character is determined by their chosen class. There are four starting planets shared between two classes. However, every class has a completely unique story that runs throughout the duration of the base game. This greatly improves the games replayability across the eight classes. Similarly, the MMO Star Trek Online offers bespoke stories across its six main factions before the stories converge into a unified episodic arc. The game also has regular events that unlock account wide rewards. Someone who has played the game regularly with a primary character, has the benefit of being able to access numerous bonuses and items whenever they create a new alt. Items, such as ships, bought in the cash shop are also available to all alts.
Alts are often encouraged and in some specific titles an integral part of that game’s lifecycle. The MMO genre certainly has a requirement for players to roll alts. They offer increased variety, engagement and sometimes additional resources within the game world. Where other genres struggle with replayability, MMOs fare far better via the medium of alts. However, alts are not a foolproof solution to player engagement. Alts often end up abandoned, especially if the new class on offer is not a good fit for a player’s style. Many are experiments or something undertaken on a whim. Many are created purely for storage or to perform specific tasks, such as resource farming. But some choice is better than no choice and alts are an opportunity to try new things. Whether we personally take advantage of them or not, it is a positive thing that they exist.
I recently read a post on Massively Overpowered about skills rotation in the MMORPG genre. I found the subsequent discussion in the comments fascinating. Mainly because I have never used a fixed rotation of skills in any of the MMORPGs that I play. I understand the reasoning behind such things and why some players want to optimise their combat performance. Using one’s skills in a specific order to maximise damage and manage their subsequent cooldown has a logical appeal. In Star Trek Online, some players go so far as to create keybinds for their rotations and assign it to a specific hotkey, which is then continuously pressed throughout combat. However, rotations are a blunt tool that lack flexibility, often being geared towards dealing with a single target or using an area of effect skill against a larger group. They may not be the optimal approach to combat when things do not go to plan.
In massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), alts (short for alternate characters), are new characters created by a player in addition to their primary character (often called the “main”). Alts are often encouraged by developers as a means to keep players engaged with their game(s). Sometimes an MMO will actively reward the creation of alts either with access to exclusive content, or with additional skills or items previously unlocked by primary characters. As the myth that an MMO really begins at endgame still persists in gaming culture, some games sell boosts that will instantly raise the level of an alt to that of the current level cap. Creating alts is such a key aspect of the MMO genre, that some games will sell additional character slots, so that players can create further alts beyond the default amount allowed. There are many reasons why players create alts. Let us consider some.
If you’ve ever played an MMORPG, then you have more than likely encountered this problem. Especially if you start playing a game that has been long established. You diligently create your character and spend time and effort customising them to suit your needs. All you’ve got to do next is choose a name, so you type in a pithy and droll title only to find that it has already been taken. So you quickly come up with another and that too is rejected. Next you try the same name but with some “alternative” spelling but the game resolutely tells you that even that permutation is already in use. I have found that even with a list of names that I’ve drawn up prior to playing the game, it can still take anything from 5 to 30 minutes to find one that is available. Naturally, this process is very frustrating, which is hardly the ideal user experience for a new player.
It would appear that one of the reasons potential new players avoid the MMORPG genre is due to the perception that they are all time sinks. I wouldn’t argue against this assumption because the reality is that it’s true. However any game that you enjoy, irrespective of genre, can become a time sink. That being said, the main difference between other genres and MMOs is as follows. A new player can jump straight into a FPS game and within minutes enjoy some multiplayer action, whereas in an MMO, a new player has to play through a tutorial and several hours of a starter zone before they start making headway in the game. This distinction does not have to be a deal breaker. An FPS can provide a quick fix of gaming and as such fulfils a need. MMORPGs can provide long term entertainment which scratches an ongoing gaming itch. Both are valid ways to enjoy gaming.
“The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”. One of the integral game mechanics of the MMORPG genre is the acquisition of loot. As you travel your virtual world of choice, committing random murder against all forms of flora and fauna, you acquire miscellaneous items by looting the corpses of the slain or stealing from houses and NPCs. Oh it’s a glamorous genre, the MMORPG. These random items can be crafting resources such as hides or ore. They may be food items or healing potions that provide some kind of statistical buff. If you’re fortunate, they may be gear that corresponds with your class or specific build, providing a much needed upgrade. Loot may also be the in-game currency, thus boosting your respective wealth. As you can see, loot comes in all shapes and sizes but how important is it?
“The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”. Dying in an Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game is a clear and unambiguous fail state. A means by which to teach the player that they’re doing something wrong and that they need to rethink their strategy. IE Don’t mess with the foul Marmydons unless you have back up and are wielding the Sword of Kagnazax. Dying is a reminder to not get overconfident and maintain situational awareness. It teaches us to ensure you have the right gear and consumables, to be au fait with the mechanics of any fight you’re about to get into and that winning is not a given. Any enterprise that offers a tangible reward will come with potential risks and consequences. If you’re playing in a group then death provides a timely reminder not to rely on Colin.
“The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”. I was in London recently, idly walking to the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, when a group of tourists started running for no discernable reason. Someone I was with asked “ I wonder why they’re running” and I replied “perhaps they think they’re in an MMO”. The quips fell on deaf ears but that is a cross I often have to bear. This anecdote highlights one of the points of this post. Namely, why do our avatars in the MMORPG genre run by default? I would also like to discuss the manner in which MMOs address the issue of travel around an ever expanding virtual world. Is fast travel lazy? Our mounts a boon or a bane?
“The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”. Many MMORPGs are set in open worlds that are designed to mimic a real and living reality. Beautiful fantasy or science fiction themed environments, rich with diverse fauna and flora. Settlements are filled with people that go about their daily routine. There is often a day and night cycle and changing weather. All of which is intended to make the game world feel alive. Furthermore, these open worlds become a source of content of their own. Not only do they provide the environment for the various quests and missions that players undertake but a source of exploration and discovery. Something that many players value more than other types of game content.
“The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”.
The MMORPG genre is a curious subset of video games. Not only is it predicated on violence against the individual, institutions and “others”, as so many video games are but also species-specific genocide and general mass extinction of fauna and flora. It is easy to understand how this gaming specific trope came about. Early MMOs often had very little or no narrative driven quests and players simply levelled their characters by gaining XP from any sort of combat. Be that against other players, mobs or general in-game wildlife. What is far more perplexing is why such an arbitrary mechanic still persists in the modern MMO. Is it simply due to “laziness” and the fact that it’s easy to implement and rely upon? Or is there more to it than that?
If I may quote myself “The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”. This time round, I would like to discuss the following. The Hero, the Chosen One, the Übermensch. As that is the role that we so often are assigned in this genre. Developers broadly assume that most players want a power fantasy and precious little else is on offer. Hence we find ourselves in a story in which we are destined to do great deeds in a virtual world, whether we wish to or not. I can see the superficial appeal of such a conceit. Most of us are not such overachievers in real life. So a game in which we get to do stuff to the world, instead of the world doing stuff to us has an inherent allure. But like most MMO tropes, unless it is implemented with some panache and creativity, it quickly becomes a tiresome cliche.
I have played more than “a few” MMORPGs over the years. It’s an enjoyable (and accessible) genre of video games. But like any other type of game, MMOs have a fairly standard formula based on a handful of game mechanics. There is levelling, gaining experience and the acquisition of skills and points. Gear such as armour, jewellery and weapons come and go as you progress through the game. Then there’s crafting, trading and gaining “gold”. Another key aspect is the social dynamic. Often there’s content specifically designed for groups to complete. But this homogeneity also extends beyond the systems that underpin the games. The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post.
Creating Alts and Copying Settings in ESO
If you are a veteran player of The Elder Scrolls Online, this post will simply be a statement of the “bleedin’ obvious”. However I have written this article for the benefit of those relatively new to ESO as well as the occasional or casual player who are not au fait with all the subtleties and nuances of the MMORPG. If I can spare someone the hassle that I’ve had over the past 48 hours trying to figure this shit out, then I consider that a valuable social service. Because unlike other MMOs, creating a new alt in ESO causes some additional problems to arise. If you know about them in advance, they are a lot easier to manage. If, like me you were not aware of them, then it can be frustrating attempting to trouble shoot them on the fly.
If you are a veteran player of The Elder Scrolls Online, this post will simply be a statement of the “bleedin’ obvious”. However I have written this article for the benefit of those relatively new to ESO as well as the occasional or casual player who are not au fait with all the subtleties and nuances of the MMORPG. If I can spare someone the hassle that I’ve had over the past 48 hours trying to figure this shit out, then I consider that a valuable social service. Because unlike other MMOs, creating a new alt in ESO causes some additional problems to arise. If you know about them in advance, they are a lot easier to manage. If, like me you were not aware of them, then it can be frustrating attempting to trouble shoot them on the fly.
In older games such as The Lord of the Rings Online and Star Trek Online, you can customise you UI and key mapping easily and when complete save all relevant settings to a file. Hence when you create a new alt, once you finished the important task of tweaking their appearance you can start the game and load all your customary settings. You bags, hotbars and other onscreen paraphernalia is all where you expect it to be. You can now focus on the game rather than fine tuning your HUD etc. However, things are not so simple in ESO. New alts enter the game world with defaults settings. Yep, you read that right. All changes made to the key mapping of your other character are not present. Furthermore, assuming you want to use the same addons on your new alt, all those settings have not by default been carried over. Hence hours of tweaking await you if you’re unprepared.
So, before you start the process of creating your alt, get ahead of these potential issues by installing the following addons (yes, it takes an addon to solve and addon problem). Joviex's Addon Settings Transfer (Updated) and Voltan's Keybinder. Once these have been added to your existing collection, log into your primary character whose settings you wish to replicate. Use the command line /jovast to bring up the addon settings transfer window. You then highlight which characters you wish to transfer settings from and to. Congratulations, you’ve now duplicated all your addons settings and GUI locations to your new alt. While still logged into your primary alt, press the Esc key and navigate to Controls and then to Settings. You’ll find Standard Keybinds and Addon Keybinds listed. If you investigate further, you’ll find that all the existing keybind settings have a tick box next to them. Use this to choose which key mappings are duplicated on your new alt.
Following the above steps will save you time and a lot of bother. But due to the foibles of ESO there are still a few settings that have to be dealt with manually. For example, some onscreen displays only show during combat. Chat can also fade if not active. If you want to change such settings you have to alter a drop-down box or toggle a switch. None of the above tools port these settings and you’ll have to make them manually. So I would advice making a comprehensive list beforehand, taken from your primary alt or if you have a second monitor, simply take some screen captures and use them as a crib sheet to fine tune your new character. I suspect that if you implement this process several times, eventually it will become second nature as you refine it and make it more efficient. If you are feeling particularly generous you could categorise this foible of ESO as part of the game’s charm. I wouldn’t go that far myself but now that I’ve learned the hard way, I have no intention of being bothered again in the future with other alts. Forewarned is forearmed.
I was recently perusing my archive of old blog posts, when it struck me how much I’ve written about the MMORPG genre over the years. Naturally, there was far more material from between 2008 and 2012 as that was period when I immersed myself in the genre and was very enthusiastic about it. I was at a point in my life when I had the time to dedicate to such games and I was happy to participate in the social aspect of they offered. I would regularly play through group content and spend time socialising online with fellow guild members. My experience remains a textbook example of how online games can be more than the sum of their parts and that where you are at in your life has a major impact upon your overall enjoyment. As I read though various old posts it became clear that my experiences where specific to this particular part of my life and that they cannot be repeated. My relationship with the genre is very different now and that’s fine.
I have two monitors on my desk. The first (which is the primary monitor as far as my PC is concerned), is on the left and the second is on the right. The primary monitor is a 24 Dell U2412M, which has a resolution of 1920 x 1200. It therefore has an aspect ratio of 16:10 which adds a little extra desktop real estate, which I prefer when writing. The second monitor is a 24 inch Dell S2421H with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080. It has an aspect ratio of 16:9 which is standard FHD. My chair is adjacent to the middle of my desk and I can turn according to each monitor I’m using. I tend to use the primary, larger monitor on the left for tasks such as writing via Google Docs and emails. The second monitor on the right is used for YouTube and gaming. This is because of its FHD format. I also have a Nintendo Switch connected to the second monitor for the same reason.
Bree Royce, editor-in chief at Massively Overpowered, recently asked the question “what is the most expensive MMORPG right now”. My first thought was to search through my old draft blog posts and track down an MMO cost analysis I wrote circa 2019. It includes data such as subscription rates and the price of current expansions. There was also information on what were the most popular cash shop items at the time. However, I then read some of the comments that had been left on Bree’s post and I quickly realised that this wasn’t just a matter of financial expenditure. Whether or not an MMO is expensive is also determined by one’s disposable income, respective wealth and personal relationship with money. The latter is perhaps the most important, irrespective whether you consider yourself rich or poor.
“The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”. Dying in an Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game is a clear and unambiguous fail state. A means by which to teach the player that they’re doing something wrong and that they need to rethink their strategy. IE Don’t mess with the foul Marmydons unless you have back up and are wielding the Sword of Kagnazax. Dying is a reminder to not get overconfident and maintain situational awareness. It teaches us to ensure you have the right gear and consumables, to be au fait with the mechanics of any fight you’re about to get into and that winning is not a given. Any enterprise that offers a tangible reward will come with potential risks and consequences. If you’re playing in a group then death provides a timely reminder not to rely on Colin.
The Lord of the Rings Online was my first major MMORPG. I started playing in late 2008 and quickly discovered that there was a necessity to become familiar with the game world. Although the game provides quick travel options they were not ubiquitous at that point and often a player would simply travel on foot to travel costs down and to take the most direct route. Back in 2008 you could not own a mount until level 30. Hence I began “learning the maps” in the game and to this day still remember how to travel from one side of Moria, to another. The maps in the base game remain clear in my mind as they were so well trodden. Not so those in the regions. There are far more stables with fast mounts present in the game now and so convenience trumps any requirement to become so familiar with newly added zones. Nowadays Standing Stone Games designs new zones that tend to funnel players through them from quest hub to quest hub.
There was a perennial question being discussed over at Massively Overpowered recently. Justin Olivetti asked “why do you play MMOs solo” and as you would expect, there was a wide variety of answers. I have written about this myself in the past, as when I first started playing MMOs, I was very enamoured by the social element and therefore very disposed towards group content. However, that experience between 2008 and 2011, when I played The Lord of the Rings Online most days and dedicated Friday and Saturday nights to raiding, was very much down to circumstances. I had the time and inclination to spend hours online. That is something that I don’t have now. Plus the novelty of the social element has worn a little thin over the years. Nowadays, I do not have the luxury of waiting for a raid group to assemble, nor do I have the tolerance for the inevitable delays that always stem from any kind of human interaction.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned this issue before in previous video game related posts. But I don’t think I’ve devoted an entire article to the matter, which is what I’m going to do today. So to provide some context, I logged into The Elder Scrolls Online today as I’m fast approaching that point in the year where I spend a few months subscribing to the game. Due to some recent patch, once again all my Champion Points have been refunded. Judging by the change in graphics, it may be that the entire Champion Point system has been updated. Whatever the reason, I have to re-allocate 501points into three skill trees. I wasn’t au fait with the last system, so I followed a build I found online. Now that it has changed, I’ll have to find a new one and copy it. Until I do, my character will be gimped. Shame the game doesn’t offer a selection of generic builds that can be easily implemented at the press of a button.
The last installment of A Month in Gaming was at the end of April. I have decided to update this recurring post less often to ensure that I have more to write about than just cataloguing my generic activities in The Lord of the Rings Online and Star Trek Online. The only downside of such an approach is that it invalidates the title but that can’t be helped. Fortunately, I have done more than usual over the last two months. My daily schedule has changed temporarily and I now have a little more leisure time available. Hence I’ve dabbled with several new games as well as using my Nintendo Switch more often. I also took part in a “tag team” playthrough of XCOM 2, which was a very interesting experience. And I finally took the time to go through all my games libraries on the various different platforms to catalogue exactly what I have. I found a few hidden gems but the majority is just “filler” that you find in most video game bundles.
The other day, I was undertaking a daily mission for the Undaunted in The Elder Scrolls Online. I do these to level my companion’s associated skills line. The mission required me to go to a particular delve, set some soul traps and defeat the boss. Nothing unusual there, so off I went. Whenever I go into a delve in ESO, I usually do the quest associated with it. It provides a story and some additional experience points. Thus I arrived in the vicinity of the delve in question and found a note not far away. I read it and accepted the quest assuming it to be the one associated with the delve. To cut a long and confusing story short, it turns out it wasn’t. I discovered this about 20 minutes later when I found myself running around, confused with three separate lots of quest markers on my in-game map. Not for the first time I found myself pondering “where am I and what am I doing”.
This post is not intended as a player housing guide. There are plenty of those available already. Instead, it is my personal musings on the various factors that have determined my choice of player house in The Elder Scrolls Online. In fact, at the time of writing, I have not yet purchased the house in question. It is dependent not only on a large sum of in-game gold but also a substantial achievement. The house in question is Gardner House in Wayrest. As it is a large player house it costs 1,015,000 gold. Alternatively, it can be bought for 5,700 Crowns, unfurnished. If you want it furnished it will cost 7,100 Crowns. I shall not be buying this property with Crowns as it works out at about £36 or so. I think that price is a little exorbitant especially in light of what I want the house for.
The Blackwood expansion for The Elder Scrolls Online launched a little over a fortnight ago. During that time I have become accustomed to having an AI companion. Not only are they an enjoyable new addition to the MMO, they also have quite a significant impact upon PVE gameplay. Both Mirri Elendis and Bastian Hallix can provide robust support and cover a variety of roles. This is down to the flexibility of the skills system associated with companions. Gear requirements are simpler and a lot easier to manage compared to that of your main character. Levelling is driven by XP gained from combat. Thus, if you go questing with either one of your companions they will level accordingly. They also have personal quests associated with them, ensuring that both companions have an appropriate backstory. The rapport system means that it is prudent to be nice to your AI chum or they’ll leave you for a time.
Justin Olivetti posed an honest question on Massively Overpowered yesterday. “Do you have any clue what’s going on in your MMO’s storyline?” he asked and I must admit that my answer varies greatly according to what I’m playing. Yet before I give a more comprehensive response, let me make clear that one of the aspects of the MMO genre that I enjoy the most is its penchant for complex and sprawling narratives. Both The Lord of the Rings Online and Star Trek Online are based upon intellectual properties with in-depth lore and an established canon. I was also drawn to the RPG Skyrim due to its enigmatic story which linked into a much wider history. It was one of the reasons I started playing The Elder Scrolls Online, as every quest seems to have a story that is connected to another. My enjoyment of these dense plots found in the MMO genre stems from my love of reading as a child.
Last night, I finally had sufficient time to log into The Elder Scrolls Online and check out the new Blackwood expansion. The plan was to go straight to the new zone and complete the relevant quests to obtain the two companions that have been added to the game. Unfortunately, life seldom goes to plan as Robert Burns alluded to in his famous quotation. As I haven’t played ESO for a while, I’ve missed several major game updates. Consequently all my champion points have been reset, along with all my skills. So, I had to spend some time trying to remember how my Dragonknight was previously set up. I checked a few screenshots to see what skills were on the hotbars but as they don’t display the name, plus the icons change after morphing a skill, it was tricky trying to reverse engineer my prior build. Eventually I just winged it and managed to blag my way through the two quests.
There are many factors that can add to an MMORPGs replayability. Multiple races, classes and factions can all potentially offer a new experience to the player. Some games even have unique stories associated with different types of characters, ensuring that rolling a new alt means that the player doesn’t repeat material they’ve already completed. Many gamers enjoy this aspect of the genre and will experiment with different builds, resulting in a character selection screen filled with numerous alts in various states of progress. However, irrespective of whether you get to experience a new story or if you indeed like the new character you’ve created, there comes a point when you look at your new alts progression and reflect upon the long, long journey to level cap. It is at this point that many alts fall by the wayside. The aforementioned character selection screen is often populated with unfulfilled potential.
If I may quote myself “The MMO genre is rife with its own set of tropes; recurring themes and motifs that have become established and ubiquitous. All of which are ideal material for a hastily produced, lazily conceived, recurring blog post”. This time round, I would like to discuss the following. The Hero, the Chosen One, the Übermensch. As that is the role that we so often are assigned in this genre. Developers broadly assume that most players want a power fantasy and precious little else is on offer. Hence we find ourselves in a story in which we are destined to do great deeds in a virtual world, whether we wish to or not. I can see the superficial appeal of such a conceit. Most of us are not such overachievers in real life. So a game in which we get to do stuff to the world, instead of the world doing stuff to us has an inherent allure. But like most MMO tropes, unless it is implemented with some panache and creativity, it quickly becomes a tiresome cliche.
Last year I wrote a post about several “quality-of-life mechanics” found in MMOs. Systems and functionality that just make a game more manageable or convenient. Despite having many features in common, MMOs are far from identical in their interface and controls. If you’re a genre aficionado, then you can usually bluff your way through a new game and decipher how to play it. But for new players, often just trying to figure out how to do a simple thing, like find your skill points, can be an uphill struggle. However, every now and then, you’ll come across some simple functionality in a game that is useful and makes a task much easier. So I have collated another five “quality-of-life mechanics” that I feel are significant and beneficial to the player. Some are very minor but that does not diminish their value. Sometimes, less can indeed be more.
As I mentioned recently in my monthly gaming roundup, I’ve currently stopped playing the three MMORPGs that are my usual gaming mainstay. Namely The Lord of the Rings Online, The Elder Scrolls Online and Star Trek Online. It’s something that I do from time to time when I’m tired of the repetition this genre offers. At present none of these titles has anything on offer that motivates me to play them enthusiastically. Especially LOTRO. I find weddings tedious and self indulgent in real life, so I’m hardly going to get “excited” about a virtual one set in Middle-earth. However, that’s not to say that I’ve lost interest in the MMO genre. I’m merely temporarily burned out at present. I find that after a few months or so, either new content is released that lures me back to these games or I tire of what I’ve been playing in their stead. It’s a cyclical process that I go through from time to time and nothing to worry about.
I stopped subscribing to The Lord of the Rings Online in June. I’ve always had a very cyclical relationship with this MMO and at present I feel I need a break from the games somewhat linear formula. Plus the new content scheduled for release centred around the wedding of Aragorn and Arwen doesn’t exactly sound enthralling. So I’ve left my primary character in Langflood and will return to the game later in the year when I feel the need to catch up with content. I have also abandoned the ongoing events in Star Trek Online as they’re getting too repetitive. I would like to see a new longterm story arc rather than just a continuous cycle of short term events and repeatable content. I don’t mind working towards a goal but it has to be something I want and the rewards offered in this MMO are getting a little too generic for my liking. I shall return to the game at some point as I’m a lifetime account holder and I’m curious to see how developer’s Cryptic overhauls the Klingon story arc.
Whenever you use a skill on your hotbar in The Elder Scrolls Online, there is an associated animation as it is inducted and utilised. These animations may vary in length from one to several seconds depending upon their nature. Although these animations add to the ambience of the game, they do come with a direct consequence. The player has to wait for the animation of one skill to complete before they can use another. For those seeking to optimise their performance or DPS output, these delays are an impediment. However, they can be negated through animation cancelling and weaving. Animation cancelling is as it states the stopping of a skill related animated sequence by the use of a follow up action such as bash/tap block/dodgeroll. Weaving is slightly different, in so far as instead of stopping the inducted animation immediately, it allows for the process to be cut short as another animation is started. Typically this is done by using a light attack and then immediately using a skill.
I managed to find a very good deal on the Digital Upgrade version of Greymoor for The Elder Scrolls Online, so I bought it. The key included a pre-order bonus as well as a few other “trinkets and baubles” which clinched the deal. I wasn’t planning on returning to ESO this month plus I still have a bee in my bonnet about playing through the game in narrative order. However, after speaking to friends about the new expansion, I was curious about the new Harrowstorm events that occur in the new zone of Western Skyrim. So I logged into the game and after the obligatory “let’s spend 30 minutes fixing broken addons”, headed over to Solitude and waited for the next Harrowstorm to appear. As ever, Zone Chat is invaluable for determining what is happening and where, so it wasn’t long before I was riding headlong towards the Black Morass Ritual Site ready for my first Harrowstorm.
ZeniMax are allegedly addressing some major performance issues with the forthcoming Update 25 for The Elder Scrolls Online. If this latest patch improves loading times, the game’s overall performance and makes updating the client faster, then it will be well received by players. However, Update 25 requires players to reinstall the entire game client due to technical reasons. Furthermore, the patch is not going to be available prior to release on Monday February 24th, so player’s cannot download the necessary files in advance. Unfortunately, as soon as the patch server comes online, all players will have to reinstall the full ESO client and wait accordingly. Considering the disparity between internet connections in the US and Europe, player experience will vary greatly. Some will download the client in hours where others will have to simply leave their PC running and wait all day. Considering the popularity of ESO and the estimated size of its player base, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are queues or connectivity issues.
Over the years I’ve played numerous MMOs (to varying degrees of success). As a genre there are certain game mechanics that are standard and common to most games. Initially during the “golden age” of the MMORPG, there was a focus on collaborative team player. This meant that successfully undertaking group content required a spectrum of players in specific roles. This particular mechanic has diminished over the years but the genre still has numerous common tropes. Quest hubs, reputation factions, gear grinds and vertical levelling are just some that spring to mind. However, many developers in this field attempt to polish and refine these “default” systems, often with interesting results. So I thought I’d cite some specific examples of what I call “quality-of-life mechanics”. Frequently these are bog standard facets common to the MMO genre, that have been polished and refined in a particular game. Small things that just make a game more manageable and provoke a positive reaction as well.
Life is often cyclical, if you don’t believe me go watch The Lion King. I started 2018 playing The Lord of the Rings Online and by writing a post about how gamers collectively seem to repeat the same mistakes. And as the year and indeed the decade ends, I find myself once again playing the Yule Festival in LOTRO and reflecting upon how some games that garnered criticism over their egregious business models, have ended up as huge hits. It would appear that gamers are their own worst enemy. I shall leave the psychological analysis of paradox to others. From my perspective, irrespective of the iniquities of the video game industry and certain quarters of the gaming community, it has been a good year, gaming wise. I have enjoyed my time playing MMOs such as Star Trek Online, The Elder Scrolls Online and the aforementioned LOTRO. These and other titles have entertained me, provided me with an opportunity to unwind as well as affording me some much-needed social interaction. I particularly enjoy Wednesday evenings when I log into my Discord server and then chat and play collaboratively with longstanding gaming friends.
A major challenge for any MMO is to keep players logging in to the game. Obviously, regularly adding content and ensuring that there are sufficient quests, activities and tasks for players to undertake is essential. However, experience has shown that no matter how much content developers add to an MMORPG, players will always veraciously consume it and want more. Hence you need an additional “carrot on a stick”. Something that get’s player sufficiently interested to log into a game, even when they don’t have anything especially compelling to do. Login incentives are designed to do exactly that. They offer of some bauble or trinket that motivates you to log into a game once a day. Hopefully once you login, you may then find something to occupy yourself, either on your own or with fellow guild members. And of course the player who is actively playing may well even purchase something from the in-game store. At the very least, a successful login incentive contributes towards active player statistics. If those figures are presented in the right fashion on paper, they can bolster a declining population.
I was initially going to call this post “crafting can fuck right off” but I felt that was a somewhat bellicose opening gambit and a little hyperbolic. So I’ve toned it down to “the esoteric nature of crafting in MMORPGS”. Now to begin with, I tend not to craft when playing MMORPGs. The effort to reward ratio is often insufficient and I have yet to find a crafting system that is engaging and fun. However, for me the biggest sin that crafting can commit is being deliberately arcane and obtuse “with malice of forethought”, if I may invoke legal analogy. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with game systems and mechanics being complicated. Intricacy can be both intriguing and rewarding if presented correctly. However, all too often game developers cross over the line, stepping from “complexity” to “fucking annoying”. For example some card games such as Poker can have complex rules but mastering them transforms the proceedings from random chance into a game of skill. But at the other end of the spectrum there’s Fizzbin, which was invented purely to be frustrating due to its arcane nature. I frequently find that crafting in MMOs is just like Fizzbin. Except they’re not amusing or ironic, just tedious and irritating.
As my first post for International Picture Posting Month, I have decided to share some pictures and thoughts on the MMORPG, The Elder Scrolls Online. Out of the three games from this genre that I currently play, it’s the one that I’m currently enjoying the most. It has plenty of content to play through, the virtual world is immersive and the stories, characters and lore are very detailed and satisfying. As a more recent MMO, the game engine is robust and the visuals are far from dated. The game mechanics are multi-layered but combat is straightforward. There is no obvious skills bloat as you choose what you want on your hotbar. I also greatly enjoy the ambient music and recurring themes that play throughout the game. ESO is both solo and group friendly. You can also greatly augment your UI and the way you interact with the various systems, through the use of addons if you like. Alternatively, if you feel bold enough, then you can go with the default layout. From my perspective, ESO offers a great deal and ticks many of the boxes I favour. Yes it can have its foibles but name me an MMO that doesn’t?
I raised the question in a previous post as to what’s the best way to follow the various stories in The Elder Scrolls Online in an orderly, coherent fashion. After some further research, it would appear that the most practical solution is to play through all the games DLC and chapters in release order. Hence, after finishing the main and faction storylines (in my case the Daggerfall Covenant), the next place to go is The Imperial City. Now I was under the impression that Cyrodiil was just a pure PVP zone but it would appear that there are 8 PVE quests that have a narrative arc. I was most pleased to learn this as I don’t like to miss out on content, especially if it sheds light on the lore and advances existing plot and themes. However, the problem with this series of quests is that despite being PVE content that requires you to kill Daedra mobs, you are still operating within an PVP zone. So you’re at risk of getting picked off by other players of differing factions while undertaking these quests.
Whenever I start a new MMO I tend to research the various classes and make an informed decision about which one to choose as my primary character. This policy has worked out well over the years and therefore compared to other players, I don’t have multiple alts across numerous games. That’s not to say that I’m averse to creating a new character, I simply need a good reason to do so. When I do, its usually because there’s an option to experience a different story. Hence, I currently have three alts in The Elder Scrolls Online. Last night I reached the current level cap of 50 with my Imperial Dragonknight, having recently completed the Daggerfall Covenant storyline. I have now experienced all three faction stories (which I have enjoyed) and more importantly, have learned what is the best way for me to progress through the game. ESO offers players the chance to play the MMO in a manner that suits them. If you want to simply travel Tamriel and do things as you go along, then you may. It’s a very flexible in this respect. But if you want to play in a more structured way, it can be a little confusing navigating a linear path. So here are a few tips I’ve learned the hard way.
Star Trek Online has many in-game systems that are common to the MMORPG genre. The reputation system is one such example. In STO there are 13 reputation factions. Once a player has reached level 50 they may start progressing through the 6 reputation tiers of each one. Players gain progression through daily projects (20 hours in duration). Hourly projects are also available though they yield less reputation advancement and are limited to three times a day. Hence 20 hour projects are consider by default the most efficient way to gain rep. Projects require 30 Faction Specific Marks (earned via various activities in-game), 15,000 Energy Credits (standard in-game currency) and 2000 Expertise points. The most efficient way to tackle the reputation grind is to build up the necessary resources in advance and then at a designated time each day, start all 13 respective projects. Upon completion projects yield a player bound lockbox containing a random space or ground weapon, a console or Elite Marks which can be used to acquire faction gear.