Star Trek Online....

After the past week(and since the last time I posted) I've a strong feeling from what I've seen that the broader playerbase on Xbox is now on par with those on PC in regard to 'certain' players being all about the ego/elitism and pushing it in other players faces. STO hasn't always been like that(no matter the platform) but it's gone what I'd call 'full WoW'. Not a fringe thing as it was but pretty noticeable almost everywhere now. I can't help but waffle and have a slightly 'off' feeling about it. 

I'm guilty of it as well to a certain extent; Maybe every player is to a degree. Like when I complain to my wife about the random pug group in whatever TFO I was in. Or waffle on a blog post about such players not knowing tactics for old content, or even new content.... But I'm never in other players faces one way or the other(good or bad actions). It's been happening more and more but this last week the pot has boiled over, so I'm waffling.

As a waffling example, in the current event the space TFO is a point defence against waves of enemies across two phases(progressively faster/less 'recovery' time). My story is of a random player(on Xbox) in a C-Store purchased (big shiny)ship sitting on the same point as me(5 players and 3 points will cause overlap). Said player is all about ego, I can tell cos he keeps ramming his rather large and expensive epeen ship into my own. Plus other very 'in your face' actions etc....  Just before things get started with the first wave this player types that they(player and ego) want to defend the second objective on their own because 'I can solo it' for the last phase. All that's fine but when he does get to defend it there's another player there as well.... This lead to 'words' in chat and the second player then leaves....... And 10 seconds into the attack the 'I can solo it' player blows up, comes back and gets blown up again.... While I fined that hugely entertaining(in my own humour) it's not good player interaction. Not for that player and not for anyone else in the 'team'. The TFO won't fail if one of the objectives is destroyed(few TFO's do at all) but it is hilarious when ego meets reality like this(at least from my point of view). In general I'd not say that other players present are usually gracious or face saving for the player(or similar); Random TFO players just can't be bothered to type. But these situation do make me chuckle.

Some players are just like that(me and the explodee). I don't even remember the players name; But the situation could have be helped by co-op or being a 'team player'. It seems a hard thing for players to do. Again harder today then years past. It's a lot like WoW now... TFO starts, players don't like it and drop the group. I don't get that either. 

Anyway, it's things like that exploding situation which I'm noticing a lot more. Ego or not. Players with OP dps are on the rise (a steady curve upwards that's been on the go forever) its the nature of the game; As are the subset of OP players with 'ego' who tell you about it; I suppose to add to it all there's the OP players who have good DPS on paper but can't take a tap of aggro from a mob(glass jaw).  

Some of the best moments in TFO's are when teams read the situations and pull together. Take another time in the same TFO/event but players were more evenly spread(2-1-2). Action starts and I can see the other player with me is OP and does not need me on station. I hang around because OP is OP and sure why not enjoy the easy life. But the far point starts to be destroyed I see that the second player at that point left to go to B(shakes head/rolls eyes) so I go from A to C and land on the point in heroic fashion as the player there is neck deep in two groups and a dreadnought, I send some heals to that player, I start DPSing with some impressive(if I do say so myself) torpedo spreads, we beat off the enemies and we both launch fireworks in celebration. Epic!

Another extreme version of the TFO... 3 players on A, nobody on B and 2 including me on C.....  Player 2 with me buggers off so that there are now 4 players on A and just me on C...... End result of the TFO Point B is destroyed, my point C is 75% health and point A with 4 players is at 10 % health! That situation brings up a whole bunch of other 'player issues' about knowing what to do.

Casual is casual and STO is and can be very very casual but a bit of effort is nice all round. I've posted more than once about being on a freshly dinged max level alt in a 'lesser' ship/fit and still doing 'better' in TFO's than others that 'should' be 'decent'.

You can't judge a player by the usual MMO metrics; Big, shiny ship or no, OP or not, ego or none.  You have to see them in action to really tell. Then again, on the rise as well is a level of assumption of players about players. More judgmentalality being a catch 22 for all. What they should know and should act like. Guess I'm guilty guilty guilty there as well. I just don't 'get' some players in this game.... Even at the lowest base level of presumed expectation. Then again I could complain about having any expectation for any player in a TFO as there are plenty that go AFK.

What can I learn from all this.... Blogger gotta blog.... STO complainer gotta complain? And will do so in the future. I'm not sure there's anything to learn; I'm no altruist, I'm no influencer and most players won't 'take help' constructive or otherwise. So it will all go on as it has and will get worse if I gets worse. If it gets better it gets better.

As for the next TFO team based event, there's no team interaction needed whatsoever. Players don't even need to heal the NPC ship they're to protect. I've complained about the changes to the Kobayashi Maru. That said it's an easy space TFO to do(moreso now). Braindead even, I'm sure I'll complain about pug 'team' members in it. I'll do it to do it and gain overall yearly campaign credit(and the Dil....). 

And if you've made it through that wall of text here's something I found I liked in the game..... Or should say appreciate more.

Starfleet Academy has gotten a makeover that I really like. It's not all new but it all works together to make a massive difference. A more clean, sleek look that 'looks' really well.