It seems that Mike Okuda has been hired by Perpetual Entertainment to work on Star Trek Online. They've previewed a little bit of his next LCARS interface here: http://startrek.perpetual.com/?p=media
Interesting. I suppose this time he can't just use random numbers to populate all the buttons?
B.J.
Posted by Wes (Member # 212) on :
I like it. A lot. Are the ships going to have this or will this just be the interface for getting into the game?
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Those new uniforms are... interesting. Are they some kind of assault gear?
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :
Interesting would be the best word... since that doesn't imply I like them. They don't seem very practical though. Wearing tech gear seems rather uncomfortable. I understand the concept of security personnel wearing armor...a phaser-proof vest type thing.
I however do like the LCARS. They actually seem more realistic.
Posted by omi (Member # 1695) on :
the uniforms are nice, but they are so different for each department... i don't like that - different types for different departments, when there are different colors ....
Posted by omi (Member # 1695) on :
The new sharp LCARS evoke in me modern sci-fi movies. Don't remind me Star Trek at all Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
Apparently there's some method to their madness. From here:
quote: Aug 15, 2005 - First Images
Hi
Ken Henderson here, the Art Director for Star Trek Online. As I�m sure you�ve heard about by now we�ve released some imagery that gives a peak into how we�re evolving the look of Star Trek. We were excited to share the images on Friday in Las Vegas and are equally excited to be posting them on our BLOG. It was great talking with some of you at the convention and getting your reactions first hand. Look for more updates of this nature as the project progresses. I�ll also be throwing up a non-image entry from time to time just to share some thoughts or pose some questions. Either way, the BLOG will be a great resource for the projects Art Direction from here on out. Before I dive in I want to acknowledge all the help and guidance from Paramount as we�ve progressed. Harry Lang has been a great source of encouragement and enthusiasm for the work that we have been doing and having his input in this process has been invaluable.
So on to the images.
We revealed two of the visual corner stones for STO yesterday, the Uniform designs by Hyoung Nam our resident conceptual illustrator, and the next generation of L-CARs by Mike Okuda. We decided to tackle these two areas for a number a number of reasons.
Uniforms:
The uniforms in Star Trek have been, and continue to be, one of the single most dentifiable elements of the franchise. We felt that we had to get the uniforms right and that when we did, the design cues and solutions we had come up with would go a long way towards informing how we evolve the rest of the Star Trek universe for STO. As well, we had to tackle the quintessential MMO problem of character customization. How can we make the MMO player experience in Star Trek payoff when we have a world based in uniformity? How can we make our version of the Federation uniforms be personal and malleable enough while still retaining the team feel that is Star Trek? What you see is our solution (well at least 4 images towards it). We had to keep the department colours along with the area between the chin and the chest (shoulder area). These are the key elements of the Start Trek uniform and our design had to work with them. As long as we kept the shoulder area of the uniform "feeling" like Star Trek we realized we could add other elements to the uniform. We�ve also made the uniforms more visibly purposeful so that departments could be distinguished by more than just colours. This has allowed us to add specific features, details and add-ons for every department and every rank which will allow players to differentiate themselves from one another and to wear their accomplishments and progress as all MMO�s allow you to do. To allow for player customization and gear / detail add-ons to the uniforms we had to make rank a much more visible element in the uniform designs. We did this by using a progression of department colour and the placement of it. In the image you can see (from left to right) a Medical ensign, a Lieutenant (Jr. Grade) Engineer, a Commander and a Lieutenant Commander Security officer. You can see that one each of them the base uniform design is the same but the department colour and placement of that colour goes a long way towards showing off their rank. We still have the insignias on the chest for further clarification of their rank but the colour placement and design allows you, the player, to see what rank a player is in an instant.Another thing you�ll notice is the glowing coloured mech elements on all of the uniforms. These are the personal shielding elements that we�re adding for STO and I�ll let Glen tell you all about them. Needless to say this shielding will be upgradeable and customizable as you move through the game. You�ll notice that the Lieutenant Commander Security officer is decked out in what appears to be a combat ready outfit, that�s because she is. This image is a great example of how we will create add-on mech / detail for uniforms that players can earn / wear while still allowing them to feel like Star Trek officers and that allow the rank to show through. We want to make sure that no matter what level of customization is worn or attained that the Federation uniform and rank still shine through. It�s not an easy task but we�re really happy with where we�re at right now.
L-CARS:
As I mentioned above in regards to the uniforms, L-CARs are another one of the most identifiable elements of the Star Trek franchise. We knew we wanted to evolve their look but we also knew how important it was to get that evolution right. So we decided to go to the source and brought Mike Okuda on to help us explore where we could go. Mike has done a great job of creating, what we all feel, is an evolution of the L-CARS. We determined that they still had to "feel" like Star Trek, be recognizable on that level but show an evolution. We decided to really pay-off on the promise of L-CARs in a way that the film and television properties, as of yet, haven�t. That is to say, to show that they are thinking and reacting to situations; the "mind" of a Star ship as it were. To that end we�ve added the background elements which show impulses coursing across data fields, we�ve added a more active and "alive" interface that reshapes itself to accommodate a given user (players) needs. We�ve just begun to explore this new direction but are very excited about where we are at this point. Look for more updates in the future.There you go, your first look. We hope you�re as excited as we are. As always, it would be great to hear your thoughts and I�ll be sure to check out the various forums to see what you�re thinking.Thanks for checking in.
Ken
B.J.
Posted by omi (Member # 1695) on :
so, they will just create a whole new ST universe, so we won't be able to enjoy the one we know - well it's a good way for those various fans of TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY or ENT - hey, here is a new one, so anyone can enjoy it.
does the SW galaxies game changes everithnig how SW universe looks like too?
Can anyone tell me why the official STO web is so brief?
Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
its still about two years off, things could change
Posted by omi (Member # 1695) on :
do you think so? so drastical changes
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
I don't see how you can get an MMRPG out of an essentially military structure anyway.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Craptackular uniforms- waaay too "X-Men" looking.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
The LCARS - has a big NX-01 feel to it. Thoses clipped rectangles.
That, or it also looks very Romulan.
Posted by omi (Member # 1695) on :
Yea, it don't look very StarFleet and if it looks like in ENT, it's great evolution from TNG Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
quote:Originally posted by omi: do you think so? so drastical changes
I meant that the game isn't going to be done for a few years yet, so they might change their minds about the uniforms. The drastic changes of the game are supposed to take place about 2400 or about 20 years later.
Posted by Kazeite (Member # 970) on :
Well, if those are uniforms from 25th century, then I suppose they are acceptable as next generations of uniforms we know.
(I'm particulary happy that they resemble Voyager-type uniforms, which are my favourite
Also check out that phaser gun
(Of course, that "commander" guy has four pips on his chest, but that's a minor error )
And... that LCARS doesn't resemble LCARS at all (Maybe if they replaced those ENTesque buttons with rounded rectangles...)
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :
I admit, the LCARS look more NX-01 like than 24th century LCARS. I like that they seem more functional, something that could exist today on a computer.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Which is, surprise! what they're supposed to do.
I mean, trying to emulate a licensed property to the detriment of actual gameplay is why tie-in games are almost always awful.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
The 'Voyager-type' uniforms were actually originally the DS9 uniforms.
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
I think there's enough variation with the current batch of uniforms to allow significant customization -- and I personally don't believe what we've seen is all that's available.
Given the stated era of the game, however, we're dealing with these uniforms, for which there has been little exploration into variants. I welcome speculation in this arena in that regard, but I think their "conceptual illustrator" needs to be stuffed in the same airlock as John Eaves and Doug Drexler. Back to the drawing board, boys -- and get it right this time. You know, something that actually fits the established continuity (oops, I just said a dirty word!)?
--Jonah
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
And as far as Star Wars Galaxies goes, unless you're playing an actual Imperial officer or some such, you can wear just about whatever you want. Most players are the sort of "scum and villainy" types that inhabited Mos Eisley, or maybe are respectable free traders or shipwrights. So clothing and accessories (or rather the uniformity thereof) is far less a concern than a Trek game might be.
Couple questions leap to mind... Are there going to be Klingons, Romulans, Ferengi, Cardassians, and other races with their own distinctive cultural "look"? Does every Federation player have to be Starfleet, or can we have civilians, or scientific teams or diplomats? What about fringers like the Orion Syndicate? Restricting a MMO Trek game to just Starfleet would be as bad as restricting Galaxies to just Imperial personnel. Yeah, you get to fight the Rebels, but what if someone wants to be a Rebel? Or not be part of the conflict at all? That's what these folks need to look at.
--Jonah
Posted by omi (Member # 1695) on :
Maybe, they think about creating whole new world, just simillar to the one we know and call it Star Trek universe. They think Trekkies are fanatics, have no show right now, so they will play it and they won't care, it's not correct.
Have you noticed they distorted even the DS9/Voy era combadges?
These types of uniforms are meybe suitable for combats and battles, but what about the rest of medics, engineers?
Maybe they will started with StarFleet and then add an Klingon/Romulan/Cardassian expansions...
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
What?
Posted by Kazeite (Member # 970) on :
quote:Originally posted by AndrewR: The 'Voyager-type' uniforms were actually originally the DS9 uniforms.
Yes, but they were used more in Voyager Posted by TheWoozle (Member # 929) on :
Of course, a new movie might change everything. Who know, in two years, there might be a TV show in the making, set at that time period.. or even have a tie-in.
Posted by omi (Member # 1695) on :
Do you think these changes bring Trek new fans? (like Enterprise suppose to do) Or more fans remain watching and enjoying the "old" trek?
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
First, it's a GAME, not a TV show, and thus subject to mainstream playability concerns, and second, I'm sure the number of hypernerds who refuse to play it because the uniforms and computer interface graphics DONT FIT TEH IMPORNTANT CUNTINUDITY has been comfortably factored into the profit&loss equation by Perpetual's publisher, so the future of Trek is probably just as bright or dim as it was before these screenshots sent them all into a frenzy.
Posted by Home Decor and Gardening (Member # 239) on :
Those are gross uniforms they don't even look like starfleat uniforms where before they have been unifrom (like the word implies, everythings the same) where only the department colors are differeant but now they are like making halo-star trek edition and master chief is actually master chief engineer george laforge or something and who wouldreally want to play that like they should have made secret of vulcan fury except they made shattered universe for the ps2 and that sucked and how comes star trek games suck just look at gtasanandreas how come they cant make a game where you are on a starbase and you can interact with anyone and sometimes you can phaser people and you can steal shuttlecrafts and kill space hookers if you want to be a space pirate maybe an ORION but anyway back to the uniforms I don't know why they are making everything look like what normal people would want its as if they dont even want us fans to play the game like my friend Kevin (username CAPTAIN_DALTON_OF_THE_USS_ARCKANGEL_NX-99999) would buy it if it were good and based on ds9 or something and so would I and we live in a small town of like 200,000 so like, in the whole world if the world is 6,000,000,000 the ratio is like 1:100000 and so you could get like at least 60 000 people and that is good for a mmmorpg game like EQ2 is good why not just use that engine but instead of spells use tricorders and instead of swords you could have bulkhead pieces that you swing at the borg maybe they could make a mission based on wolf359 that would be good because you wouldnt have to beat the boss (locutus of borg)
I can't even believe they would do this to me.
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
I can't even believe you didn't use punctuation and did a run-on sentence.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
I'd sure like to play Secret of Vulcan Fury.
Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
If people have this much problems with some different uniforms in a non-canon game, maybe Trek is doomed...
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Star Trek fans having Weird Problems with Star Trek is, you know, not unprecedented.
Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
I apologise. This just seems to be a large case of over-reacting to me. I just can't see a good reason to compleatly reject the game over pre-production images.
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
Simple. The inductive thought chain runs something like this: "If they did that bad a job on something as seemingly simple as uniforms, how badly are they going to rape the rest of the premise/concept/universe?" with a subtext of "Did they do this out of ignorance (bad enough) or deliberate disregard (a.k.a. 'Bragaism�' -- very, very bad)?
--Jonah
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Or, (and here's where things start getting really insane) maybe the uniforms really aren't bad at all.
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
*flat stare*
Riiiiight.
Aside from the fact that from a costume designer's point-of-view, I think they're ass, they also don't fit too well between the First Contact-style uniforms of the 2370s and the "All Good Things..."-style uniforms of the 2400s.
I call it "intellectual laziness". Rather than see what he could do to create more variation (and customizationable-ness) within the established uniforms of the era in question, he started from scratch and who cares if there was already something there. *pff* Storytelling using that same approach is what turned me off to Enterprise -- rather than figure out a way around the continuity problems, the execs just stuck their fingers in their ears and said 'la-la-la' really loudly.
--Jonah
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Because, obviously both Enterprise and this game should be treating minor continuity points as their highest priority.
(It's 2001 all again! Woo!)
Posted by omi (Member # 1695) on :
maybe they'll call it "alternative ST universe", but who cares, this is not the Roddenberry's future vision, it's war, it brings more profits (do they really think so, maybe they do, after DS9) let's change everything from the beginning.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
War! To the Mobile Infantry, recruits!
Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
Not everyone is a costume designer though. Just because they made one bad choice, doesn't mean they will make more. Besides, a game is made by many people, the guys responcible for the costumes will likely have little to do with the gameplay.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"...they also don't fit too well between the First Contact-style uniforms of the 2370s and the 'All Good Things...'-style uniforms of the 2400s."
Of course, the FC uniforms didn't fit too well between the TNG or DS9 uniforms and the AGT uniforms. But, hey, who's counting?
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
Point to you. I still haven't warmed to the FC uniforms and their derivatives. Actually, I prefer what we've seen of the "All Good Things...", "The Visitor", and "Endgame" era's uniforms (although I'd prefer better tailoring).
--Jonah
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
I never watched an episode of TNG after it was clear their blasphemous switching of red and gold indicated a deep hatred of everything Star Trek stands for.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Errr....so when was that exactly? Sometime in seventh season?
It might be possible to tone-down these comic book costumes into functional uniforms, but it really loses a lot of the Trek "feel" that is the real lure to the games (as exploring and making first contacts, then setteling endless squabbles and border disputes would probably not be a big hit with the onling gaming community).
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Bring back the "budgie smuggler" uniforms of TMP! LOL!
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Yeah- the car radios on the waist were really swell.
Though, if it means more jiggling boobies, I'm for it.
Er....jiggling boobies on the female actors! I soo dont need to see out of shape actors bouncing as they run or whatever. (thus the reason for Scotty's Michilen Man radiation suit is revealed).
Posted by omi (Member # 1695) on :
Well, if Okuda can work on their "new" LCARS, maybe they can ask Robert Blackman to design some more suitable uniforms ala Trek.
I know that if the uniforms are not great, the gameplay can be still magnificant, but LCARS looks different too, and that is sign to expect changes in the other thinks too.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Well, if you can get Robert Blackman to design uniforms, I can get Nicole Blackman to write the dialogue.
At least the goth kids will join up.....
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
So, er, I don't know about the canonicity of the costumes or whatever, but I expect the question becomes whether you like them. And my answer is that I do. I think they look neat.
I don't think I like the new blackNblue LCARS, though. It's not really very colorful and I mean OS X looks about 5 times more complex/interesting. Not that it looks terrible. I'm just... not a fan.
Posted by Ahkileez (Member # 734) on :
I'm not sure if this is considered necro-posting or what, since this thread is on Page 2... ah well.
It's been a long time since I've posted on this board, but I ran across this thread and figured I can chime in with some experience here.
I think the nitpickers in this thread are overlooking one very important factor - this is an MMO. If there's one specific thing that players of MMOs are demanding more and more is more character diversity (no more dozens of identical elves or whatever circa Everquest).
As a player of City of Heroes and City of Villains, I can speak from authority in a game that has done it right. Those two games have a nearly endless number of options for costumes and it's absolutely fantastic. For characters playing Starfleet officers, you can't change the coloring (at least of department) and the base color of the uniform will probably be standard as well, so it demands a lot of 'accessorising'.
And if you expect them to be able to properly do that with the standard uniform in use in Trek now... there's no way in hell they can do it. Trek uniforms in all the shows were designed as very form-fitting, shapeless affairs intended to keep the characters looking very svelte in their backgrounds. But having such a restrained design ethic would ruin this game from the get go.
Posted by Toadkiller (Member # 425) on :
Which I think was one of the points - Trek doesn't seem to lend itself to this medium.
Posted by OnToMars (Member # 621) on :
I rather enjoy the LCARS, a bit jagged, sure, but just seeing it with full functionality gets me a little warm in the warp core. But I am forced to wonder just how often one may find themselves needing to realign each individual warp coil. That level of detail is impressive, though, I'm just wondering on how much those types of activities will affect gameplay.
As for individualization, yes it's necessary and yes Star Trek doesn't lend itself to that medium when it comes to apparel. That's why I believe they should've attempted to break some new MMPORG ground and create the individualism in faces and other actual body features rather than in uniforms. More difficutl, sure, possibly impossible as far as my knowledge of MMPORG authorship goes, but it would've been more authentic and more impressive an effort just in the gaming sense.
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