Star Trek Online: Dev Log

[Klade]

There is a new developer log (http://startrek.perpetual.com/2006/02/creating_a_galaxyclass_starshi.html) up for Star Trek Online. The log focuses on ship layout and what the team envisions the ships function to be. The interesting part of the article is at the end. Consider as you read it that this is a MMOG that has been in development for a little under 2 years now.

Thanks to Bluesnews (http://www.bluesnews.com/) for pointing this one out.

The Model

Speaking of which, the final phase of this process would be to take a concepted space and realize it in 3D. Even now, on the other side of the project, our art and tech guys are doing some incredible 'look development' work. They've taken a portion of one of our Galaxy-class hub spaces, modeled it, textured it, lighted it, and applied some incredible effects. While we're still early on, the results are already damn impressive.
Thats right, a little under 2 years of development and they have yet to finish the ship's 3d model. Look as hard as you want online and you won't find a single screen shot anywhere. Just what exactly have they been doing?

[Evil Avatar]

Perpetual Announces Addition of Visionary Star Trek Artist
Andrew Probert

Senior Illustrator for Star Trek: The Next Generation Joins Star Trek Online Game Team as Design Consultant

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – February 6, 2006 – Perpetual Entertainment, developer of the upcoming massively multi-player online game Star Trek Online under license from CBS Consumer Products, announced that Andrew Probert has joined the Star Trek Online development team as design consultant.

As the Senior Illustrator for the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Probert designed new spacecraft ranging from the Ferengi Marauder and the Romulan warbird to the Galaxy-class U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D, including both its main and battle bridges. Probert will be working with Perpetual to update the interior layout of the Galaxy-class, creating new deck layouts that realize never-before-seen locations within the massive city-sized starships. Initial blueprints and concept art by Probert are now available at the game’s development site with additional material to be released in the coming months.

Set twenty years after the most recent movie, Star Trek Nemesis, Star Trek Online will be the next step for the Star Trek universe, advancing the timeline and technology into a new era of exploration and discovery. Just as Star Trek: The Next Generation updated the ships and uniforms of the original series, Star Trek Online will bring new uniforms, new equipment, and new starships to Starfleet and its foes.

“I was happy to be asked by Perpetual to contribute new design thinking and explorations into a Star Trek universe no one’s ever seen,” said Probert. “I’m sure the fans will enjoy discovering and exploring all the new spaces we’re creating.”

Andrew Probert’s artistic career spans over twenty years, many of them working on science-fiction fans’ favorite Hollywood productions. In addition to his work on the starships of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Probert also designed many of the first season’s sets, props, and alien environments, and even the main title logo-type. Among Andrew’s other well-known designs are the Klingon battle cruiser’s bridge and Vulcan shuttle in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the interior and exterior of the AirWolf helicopter, and the original Cylon robot villains and Cylon BaseStar in Glen Larson’s Battlestar Galactica.

[Evil Avatar]

As the Senior Illustrator for the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Probert designed new spacecraft ranging from the Ferengi Marauder and the Romulan warbird to the Galaxy-class U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D, including both its main and battle bridges.

Would it be crass of me to say that I never liked the design of any of those ships? I thought the newer Enterprise in Star Trek: First Contact was a much better design.

[Nadreck]

Thats right, a little under 2 years of development and they have yet to finish the ship's 3d model. Look as hard as you want online and you won't find a single screen shot anywhere. Just what exactly have they been doing?

In modern game development terms (especially an MMO), 2 years isn't that much, especially with an IP that has as much handholding as this one (do you have any doubt at all that they've had to check every step of the way with the IP holder?). Hopefully the answer to the question "What exactly have they been doing?" is "Getting it right."

[EGO]

Is this really ever going to see the light of day?

And if it does... will anyone really care?

Seriously, it's hard enough for people to get a decent Star Trek game together, to begin with, let lone an MMO.

[Banacek]

In modern game development terms (especially an MMO), 2 years isn't that much, especially with an IP that has as much handholding as this one (do you have any doubt at all that they've had to check every step of the way with the IP holder?). Hopefully the answer to the question "What exactly have they been doing?" is "Getting it right."

I mean, that's probably true, I don't know enough about development cycles, but that seems like a crazy amount of time not to have anything. What a weird industry. There's Electronic Arts, who works programmers like they're slaves, then these guys, who still don't have the ship's 3D model done yet. Seems odd.

[Banacek]

Is this really ever going to see the light of day?

And if it does... will anyone really care?

Seriously, it's hard enough for people to get a decent Star Trek game together, to begin with, let lone an MMO.

I would in a second, if it's like how I would make it. Play out your entire career in the game, all the way up to captain. I'd have WAY too much fun playing it, and it's have to be hidden from the gf, or else she'd be so pissed. :)

[Ervin]

I mean, that's probably true, I don't know enough about development cycles, but that seems like a crazy amount of time not to have anything. What a weird industry. There's Electronic Arts, who works programmers like they're slaves, then these guys, who still don't have the ship's 3D model done yet. Seems odd.

Well, if you're planning on the development to take, say, 4 years, why would make any kind of finalized models at this point - the team has to try to think what kind of hardware will be most common 2 years from now, and any miscalculations will cost. Especially since it's a habit for all projects to get delayed for a year or two - in 4 years the models that look great now will look dated and won't take advantage of the newest 3d-graphics developments.

What they have been doing, I think, is figuring out the classes, roles, races, quests, missions, battle, character development system etc. There is a LOT more work on those than some ship models, and they also mean a lot more to the game's success than the graphics... I hope.

[thecrazyd]

They should not have announced the game yet.

[mightbe]

"What have they been doing?"

Standard answer: Snorting coke out of a hooker's navel.

[Rirath]

Just what exactly have they been doing?

Begging Patrick Stewart for a voice over?

[saneman]

Would it be crass of me to say that I never liked the design of any of those ships? I thought the newer Enterprise in Star Trek: First Contact was a much better design.

I doubt it. That it'd be crass, I mean. The Enterprise D was a nice looking ship and I really liked the look of the bridge, but the Star Trek 6-era designs will always be my favourite. The ship looked great, and the bridge - both the layout and the consoled designs - looked amazing. The designs of the Enterprise E took it back towards that (as far as the bridge went anyway).

As for this game, I love Trek, and since WoW broke me in, I'm not adverse to MMORPGs. I have no idea how they're going to make this game any fun at all.

[mixuk]

Where does it say they've been doing it for two years? The only thing I found was that they started pre-production in july, 2005.

[Mav]

In modern game development terms (especially an MMO), 2 years isn't that much, especially with an IP that has as much handholding as this one (do you have any doubt at all that they've had to check every step of the way with the IP holder?). Hopefully the answer to the question "What exactly have they been doing?" is "Getting it right."

Amen. This isn't SWG, you think the SW fanboys got pissed at how SOE really fucked up that game? Imagine if they only spent two or so years on ST:O and came out with a game that has ships that are subpar or worse yet totally inaccurate to series canon.

Don't be quick to pull out the DNF-card on them, they have some huge shoes to fill. Not nesscarily in a previously released MMORPG but in the expectations and eyes of the fans. Considering Paramount still after all this time rakes in billions apon billions each year in merchandising and syndication they know how meticulous and nitpickery (did I just create a word?) the fans are.

[lost]

Plus, they might not have finished the "Galaxy-class" model but if you read the article it says they have been doing a load of other ship types. Beyond that I doubt the whole game will revolve around being on ships, they will have various worlds they will have been working on too. It'd be majorly dull just to wander around grey corridors for 36 hours a week wouldn't it?

Just take the article in context, like somebody mentioned we haven't even seen a screenshot yet so we don't know what they've been working on at all.

[Klade]

Dark Age of Camelot took 2 years to develop and they published a finished product. EQ1 took 4 years, AO took 4 years, City of Heroes took about 4 years (maybe a bit less). And everyone of them had models available before they were halfway through the development process. I agree with others that they should make sure they do it right.

But really consider if you will how long it takes a team of say 20 people (half a typical dev team) to come up with what races they will use, what game rules etc when they are working normal business hours? Especially in a world like Star Trek where all that info is basically handed to you on a silver platter. 2 years? I don't think so.

That they don't have screenshots yet is a sign that they haven't done much work at all. If they had screenshots they would release them to generate interest, they have been trying to do that already with multiple interviews released every so often over the past 2 years, but it could have been much more effective with a screenshot.

Meanwhile in all the interviews I've read from these guys they talk about very elaborate game concepts but never have I heard about anything being implemented. Personally I don't believe they even have a game engine yet.

[Jukey]

I have no idea how they're going to make this game any fun at all.
Why wouldn't it be fun? Fly spaceships, fight aliens, land on strange planets and make it with the local girls... Have you even seen Star Trek? :rolleyes:

[endrom]

Why wouldn't it be fun? Fly spaceships, fight aliens, land on strange planets and make it with the local girls... Have you even seen Star Trek? :rolleyes:
Ah hell yeah, thats what star trek is all about. except the giant forehead people, infectious robots, and tribbles... dear god the tribbles...

[PixelSamurai]

Are these guys doing full interiors on these ships? Like, can I wander around all the rooms inside the Enterprise? 'Cause that would be cool.

[lost]

Yeah thats what the article made it sound like at least. Thats why they are creating a completely new model rather than straight copying a TV or movie one because thatd be fucking dull.