It should have been done like this, only slightly modified to make it work for an MMO.

Watch from 6:34 - 7:04 only

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QycIUFxRuU


If it was done like that, modified so that you were closer to your ship, travel times were longer (with the traditional star trek warping look of stars passing by) and when you went to a planet in a system you would go to your instance for missions, IT WOULD BE PERFECT.


EDIT: As people seems to be COMPLETELY confused.... Here is what I mean with what STO should adopt.

ME2 does Galaxy --> area in the Galaxy w/ solar systems, etc. ----> solar system ---> planet ---> enter planet/starbase instance for mission.

How you move betwen each one can be adopted for STO, w/ 3rd person view of ship and being able to control ship just like it is now. Obviously, travel times would need to be a bit bigger and the galaxy probably a bit bigger as well.

Sector space is fine, it just needs to be accessable "on screen" whilst on your bridge or in another room via a projection like voyager & later enterprises, flying around in a graphical representation makes no sense

Wow.


I am blown away!

I have not heard of this Mass Effect game before, but that felt more Trek like than STO does! It so realistic too! I may have to get that when I grow bored with STO. No offense to Crptic, but those guys who did ME2 really did a good job! Imagine if they did STO? sigh


EDIT: It was Bioware! I shaould have known! Oh CBS, why didn't you guys get them to do STO????

Seriously

If you think ME was good, you should try Dragon Age: Origins, also from bioware. A-mazing.

It might have to do with them working on a different MMO at the moment.

Probably because they were developing SW:TOR

Because they are making a Star Wars MMO instead

Because CBS is looking to make a quick buck, not to ensure that the franchise maintains any sense of quality or continuity. The contract was likely similar to the one that's now in litigation over the Fallout MMO.

CBS guy 1: We need money fast, lets get someone to make another ST game. I hear MMOs are the hot thing and can make money in the long run, not just at launch.

CBS guy 2: Yeah, but MMOs take forever to develop. Lets see if we can't find someone who can just re-skin another MMO. Hey developers, any interest? Oh, BTW, you have only 2 years, or we'll take the IP elsewhere, including any code/design work you may have done.

<chorus of reputable developers>: Go F*&K yourselves.

Cryptic: Oh! We can just skin CO and add a space combat system! What's Star Trek? We've never heard of it before. It'll make billions! Finally, we can compete with Blizzard, without having to develop a quality IP, or without any history of producing quality products that stand the test of time.

CBS guy 1: I think I just jizzed myself.
CBS guy 2: This is a Star Wars game we're making, right?

The sad thing is that's probably 99% accurate.

The design of sector space is fine, I just feel the graphics should have been toned down by about a factor of 4. If the solar systems and the bottom grid were actually subtle and high-res instead of glowing and low-res, people would stop trying to redesign it on the forums and enjoy it.