The usual sources have once again dumped a fair amount of information regarding upcoming game elements. The big news so far is the number of new missions (five!), Nog, the Krenim (aren’t they dead?) and the list of T6 variants of fan favorite ships. As always please do not repost this article on Reddit or the Cryptic Forums.
Warning: this post contains foul language, and references to religion in the same sentence.
T6 Ships
Confirmed with images
- T6 Avenger Battlecruiser (from the front it looks like the USS Vengeance)
- T6 Mogh Battlecruiser (hope we can keep the existing Mogh skin)
- T6 Mogai (disappointing design, but as always the picture don’t do it justice)
Referenced, but no images yet.
- T6 Defiant
- T6 B’Rel
- T6 T’Varo
- T6 Krenim vessel (likely a lockbox or game-reward ship. I know it’s not going to happen, but I would love it to be Annorax’s Krenim Weapon Ship.)
The thought of a proper T6 B’Rel is making me very happy. The real question – what kind of seating specialization will it have? Will it retain it’s universal seating arrangement?
While there is lots to speculate on with the latest data-dump, I’m holding off listing the various episodes here. To many potential spoilers, and I have been seriously enjoying the stories to date.
Massively Overpowered Gets it Wrong, and in the process starts another flame war in their forums.
Earlier this week there was a short troll session on Cryptics forums about having gay characters briefly alluded to in ‘House of Pegh’. It didn’t take long for a few troglodytes to realize the one line of text referenced a gay relationship, and suddenly Cryptic was responsible for the end of modern gaming.
I don’t get it. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination. That’s Star Trek at it’s core. Who you love has little to do with the game, but frankly is perfectly safe territory to investigate in a story. And if your maturity levels can’t deal with the realities of life, then it’s time you took a step back from the fictional world and relax a bit.
[rant] Regardless of what your interpretation of a two-thousand year old misogynistic and brutal text may be, it’s NOT a part of MY Star Trek. If you take solace and strength from an organized religion or religious beliefs – good for you, and more power to you. But don’t think for a minute that your fictional beliefs can be imposed on my fictional fun or in real life. To quote the Shat, “Get a Life”. [/rant]
No sooner than Laughing Trendy ban-hammered the thread, and extended her good graces on a few malcontents, Massively OP published the story talking describing it as something it wasn’t. Fast forward 24 hours, and 180 530 posts later, Massively OP has stoked the flames of intolerance by allowing that same discussion to flourish. Hate speech isn’t free speech.
SNR’s are back, and worse than ever.
While I appreciate that Cryptic is making a serious attempt at ‘re-jiggering’ the code to improve performance, Sunday has been hellish in all aspects of the game. From simple episodes to space and ground STF’s the lag spikes have been ridiculous.
Not all of the complaint can be laid at Cryptics feet. Cogent has been it’s usual crappy service, and for me the local ISP’s have been suffering as well.
I can’t wait for the full range of fixes to be implemented.
Conversations with the Lootcritter 
…that Avenger hit every “ugly” pylon on its way out of dock, specifically in the saucer. Please let there be old skin options. Though the hull looks very Vesta-y from the side profile, especially with the elongated nacelles, with almost no rise for the split neck.
And I want to know that the Mogh flew into to split its saucer like that. The nacelles are ridiculously out of scale, but at least they tried. (The Mogai, on the other hand…)
I kinda wish it was the Hegh’ta instead of the B’rel, but still. Definitely shiny.
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* what the Mogh flew into. Gah, typing.
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Best reply i saw to “Gasp gay klingons!” was ‘and that surprises you?’
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I’m surprised by how appealing the T6 Avenger (Arbiter-class) feels to me. On one hand, its styling makes it feel it it’s a Vesta-ized Avenger, but the shape also evokes the Avenger-class star cruiser (before it got renamed to free the name for the present Avenger-class). The only real quibble I have with the design is that thing which stretches out of the middle of the deflector to pose as somesort of Sovereign-like torpedo turret; it’s bluntness doesn’t feel like it speaks the same visual language as the rest of the ship. Also, impulse engines on the tail-end was not a feature I liked of the CBC, and I’m not thrilled to see it make a return.
T6 Mogh… well, I never owned a Mogh, but always thought they were very badass ships when I came across other players captaining it – this T6 version, not so much. The T6 Mogai… feels too close to the original Mogai to be a real alternate variant… and what’s up with Cryptic’s ship devs increasing focus on the upper necks and stunting/removing the lower necks of the latest Romulan ships? I can’t really get behind that design change.
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I’m in the same boat about the T6 Avenger – looks good, but unsure about the neck. Photos don’t do it justice, so the jury is out on whether I’ll buy this too.
Real question – will there be a cross faction pack ?
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Well, THAT escalated quickly!!! The Wise Sages of High IQ have MOAR up!!!! WE’VE GOT A CLOGGED SHIP PIPELINE!!! 😉
Also, my quiet two cents on the “unrest”: many, many people are claiming IDIC over this “uproar.” IMHO, if you’re starting from the position of “side X is wrong…” (no matter which side you are on), then you’ve missed the intention of IDIC.
Looking forward to the next few posts… you’re gonna have a lot (of fun stuff) to talk about, Lootcritter. 🙂
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…I’m sorry. Does that say “Flight Deck Raptor”? And a t6 Armi? (Nice trait, too.)
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Well, I guess the Raptor is more of a heavier escort… it makes some sense (I wonder if these will be Command spec)…?
Cryptic wants my money, bad, LOL…
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I’d prefer Pilot specialization for the BRel, but I would happily take Intel – or both
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People have been screaming for a good science ship for a while. I wonder if that will be the Science Dreadnought from the lockbox. The T6 Defiant should also make alot of players happy. I doubt they’ll give it the pilot ship maneuvers but that would be fun. Overall some really nice ships coming down the pipe!
The Klingon couple is a minor inclusion that shouldn’t even raise peoples’ eyebrows. As usual it was blown out of proportion. I thought Massively’s article was fair, but then I completely avoided the comments.
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Okay, first I am checking out your blog for the first time because I saw your interview with timberwolf. I like your perspective on game issues.
I have no idea what was said on the forums or on massively… frankly it doesn’t matter. Video games really don’t need to pretend to be appropriate places to explore sexuality. We are here to have a good time, blow up space ships, and explore our shared humanity as it relates to incredible tech. So please Do not presume to lecture about hate and intolerance …. while at the same time belittling all faith as fictional. And to not talk about diversity out of one side of your mouth, while firmly stating your version of Star Trek is the only one that matters.
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Hey Chris –
Thanks for the feedback. Having been raised in a loving home by devout Catholics, going to a private school and going through everything that a Catholic does in their life I have a unique perspective on these issues. I don’t belittle individual belief. I can proudly say I know many people with whom religion has been a good part of their daily lives. They are good people.
Massively and the broo-ha-ha comes from a few people who took offense from having 2 side characters admit they were in a relationship. The conversation degraded. Both sides took umbrage on something that’s been in the game for over a year.
For me personally I have no issues discussing anything in Star Trek online. Sure it’s a game, but if we’re dealing with aliens as ‘higher beings’, Risa and aliens using technology to fake us out – why not have discussions on faith and sexuality?
For me though – I hate bullies, no matter if they’re forcing their beliefs on me, or beating me up for my lunch money. My gay niece is still my niece. Her partner is a human, that she loves. So I will neither hide her, nor will I stand idly by and allow others to tell me it’s wrong.
Because it isn’t wrong. heck even the Catholic Church is finally coming around.
I made a choice, and walked away from religion because of the double standards, the intolerance AND the sheer stupidity it represented for me. Hence my somewhat aggressive response to what I see as intolerance.
Faith isn’t fictional. It helps many people. I can’t begrudge that.
I just don’t share faith in an institution designed to keep people in the dark, from making decisions based on reason, and for trying to make me believe that people who don’t share my set of values are somehow less value in our society. That’s the foundation of Star Trek, in IDIC, and what I hope I can live the rest of my life as.
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Seeking only to engage in honest dialogue, not to blast you here.
I can tell you have had very bad experiences of Christians in your life… but that does not excuse your gross over-generalization of Christianity, the Bible, and what the ‘institution’ is motivated by.
If you listen to what Christian theologians are actually saying about the issue, you will not find any hatred or vitriol, but a deep regard, compassion and LOVE for all people.
I would direct you to people like this man Ravi Zacharias, Louie Giglio, Al Mohler etc.
You, yourself have said you have seen the dramatically positive effects of Religion for people in your own life. That in itself counters your last statement.
I do not ask that you submit to my morality or religion… but I do ask that you stop assuming the motivations of millions of people.
I don’t know what kind of Christians you have been around… but no one I know believes themselves any better than anyone else… the very heart of Christianity is that we are all in the same boat. …. and finally The Bible is full of verses encouraging believers to think for themselves, and use their brain.
So much of the vitriol around these social issues is manufactured by simply not being willing to listen to the other side and instead dehumanizing opposition.
Not that we need to, as this is not a political/religious blog…. but IF we were going to have a full fledged discussion on any issue…. in order for it to be civil we both have to approach from mutual respect…. which means If I like mo-peds and you Like Chevy 4×4 trucks my accusing you of being a whale-baby-killer-misogynist for wanting to drive ‘manly’ trucks at the outset, would not bode well for the civility and constructiveness of said conversation.
Instead, if we wanted a civil conversation… we would start by outlining the actual reasons we preferred mopeds or trucks… such as Gas mileage, Hauling Capacity, speed, etc.
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To take the analogy a step further…. Say we’re on a road trip in the earlier mentioned 4×4 Chevy, and we get a flat tire…. Now, you, you are a mechanic expert, could change a tire in your sleep with your arms tied behind your back and know 42 different ways to shave time off of changing a tire … But me, well, I’m a ‘by the book’ kind of guy, and this is the first flat tire I’ve had in this vehicle.
…. How well do you think the conversation would go if when I pulled out my Owner’s manual you said “Not only was that Manual written by a Misogynist because it uses the word “He” ….. its only purpose is to keep people in the dark about how to quickly change a tire….”
….What if you instead said…. “Hey man I know some tricks that aren’t in your book that we can use to really shave some time off changing this flat.” ….Then we could figure out that my preference is to do things ‘by the book’ Because it gives a universal standard and concise information … and we’d still be friends after the flat tire.
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