An interesting concept from an STO forum post...

[Fleet Admiral E. Fortin]

SCIENCE!

I got to thinking recently about the Big Three branches into which Starfleet or KDF characters can go: Science, Engineering, and Tactical.

The main functions of the last two items seem likely to be relatively straightforward. To oversimplify somewhat: Tactical skills are probably all about action (blowing things up), while Engineering skills may be about preservation (putting things together)...

...but what's Science going to be about in this game?

I'd like to suggest that Science gameplay in Star Trek Online should be about knowledge -- about gathering and analyzing information about things.

GOALS FOR SCIENCE-ORIENTED GAMEPLAY

An important point here is that not every character ability in a MMORPG needs to be about relentlessly nonstop action. Certainly action is important in these games, and there ought to be plenty of opportunities for it and character skills to support it. But not all gamers are equally interested in action, especially competitive/destructive action. Some people (possibly a significant proportion of Star Trek fans willing to play a Star Trek MMORPG) will be happier doing less intense things, or at least taking the occasional break from high-stress gameplay. They'll also enjoy -- and be willing to pay for the privilege of -- spending their game time crafting items, negotiating deals with NPCs, hosting social functions for other players, resolving story-based challenges, and exploring the galaxy.

So with Tactical hosting the offensive/defensive action skills, Engineering providing the construction/repair/operations skills, and Command perhaps picking up the social/diplomacy skills, why not design Science to be about helping players explore the gameworld in depth? If Engineering and Science and Command don't sound like non-stop action, I think that's OK as long as those gamers looking for non-stop action can easily find it by creating a Tactical branch character.

Let's assume then that Science skills aren't required to be merely another form of action-oriented play. What are the goals that Science skills -- and perhaps an entire branch full of such character abilities -- should satisfy in Star Trek Online? What should "Science gameplay" accomplish?

Some possibilities:
enable cooperative/creative/non-violent exploratory play, probably around puzzle-solving
showcase the science- and exploration-oriented elements of the licensed Star Trek IP
encourage players to travel in order to discover much of the game's expensive-to-create content
be distinct enough to provide competitive value in an increasingly crowded MMORPG marketplace
secondary: support other areas of gameplay, including combat (Tactical), crafting (Engineering), and diplomacy (Command)
All of those goals are important, but the last one deserves special mention. It's appropriate for exploration-oriented gameplay to support other forms of play in STO, including not only combat but crafting and diplomacy, just as those forms of gameplay ought to include features to support exploration. But a Science branch should not exist only as a support system for combat -- supporting combat should be a secondary goal for Science gameplay, not a primary goal and certainly not the only goal. Science-based gameplay ought to be able to stand on its own as something that's fun to do whether the Science character is helping to fight, craft, negotiate, or explore.

With those goals in mind, let's consider some ideas for the shape of a "Science game" in Star Trek Online -- similar to the "combat game" -- and some of the specific features that could support/enable that kind of gameplay.

KNOWLEDGE AS A RESOURCE

We've been told that "exploration" will be a part of Star Trek Online. That sounds good, but what does it mean? I suggest that it should be one component (albeit an important one) of an overall design for gameplay that's built around the concept of generating and acquiring knowledge as a resource.

"Knowledge as a resource" captures pretty well, I think, the notion that discovering new information allows a player to provide value to other players within a social gameworld, and frames that activity in a way that leads naturally to specific gameplay mechanics:
Exploration -- travel the galaxy to find and survey new places and lifeforms
locate strange new worlds -- catalog and map their physical resources (iPvP, trade)
seek out new life -- catalog and map biological resources (iPvP, trade)
seek out new civilizations -- make contact with intelligent lifeforms (iPvP, diplomacy, crew mgmt)
Data collection -- use sensors to obtain detailed data
scan local environment (combat, trade)
scan other ship (combat, engineering, trade, diplomacy)
scan individual lifeform (medicine, diplomacy, combat)
Analysis/deduction -- identify patterns in collected data to reveal information
use computer to eliminate options that don't fit a hypothesis (puzzle-solving)
translate an alien language (puzzle-solving, trade)
operate alien computing devices (puzzle-solving)
confuse an alien computer/android/robot (puzzle-solving)
detect patterns of thinking (combat, diplomacy)
Synthesis/induction -- combine individual items of collected data to create new information
use computer to identify common elements of multiple objects or events (puzzle-solving)
identify combination of input elements that produces desired output effect (medicine, crafting)
reprogram subroutines to modify an object's behavior (puzzle-solving, engineering, combat, trade)
I expect there are other activities players might be interested in that meet the goals for Science gameplay. With the above list as a starting point, anybody feel like suggesting other ideas for specific gameplay activities and the general playstyles that would be supported?

CONCLUSION

I'm hoping that Science won't be a second-class citizen in Star Trek Online when it comes to gameplay and content.

I understand that combat is important to a lot of gamers, and I support Cryptic's spending time to make sure there's plenty of combat content that's fun and that fits the Star Trek universe. But a strong emphasis on science and reason also defines the Star Trek universe. I don't expect science gameplay will be as well-developed in Star Trek Online as combat, but it shouldn't be an "if we have time for it," either.

I also understand that Star Trek Online is probably well advanced in its design and implementation at this point. As a practical matter, it's unlikely that the ideas here will be considered for implementation now if they haven't already been conceived, specified, and scheduled. On the other hand, who knows? Maybe some suggestion here will be perceived as having enough value to add to the list of what's already been lined up for characters who join the Science branch of their respective factions.

Ultimately, the ideas presented here are part of an effort to show that non-combat content does not have to be "boring" just because it's not about constant destruction. Science-oriented gameplay can not only be fun, it can be an important content segment for this game, distinguishing it in a positive way from its competitors, maximizing the value of the licensed IP, and attracting subscribers who would not consider paying to play a game that focuses exclusively on competitive combat content.

As always, constructive comments are welcome. What do you folks think?

--Flatfingers

[alf13of13]

I'm impressed, I think that flatfingers here has struck a major chord, I firmly believe that Startrek is more about the conscience and principals or standards then the Combat after all, and I hope that Cryptic makes an equally enjoyable role for the non combat aspect. Well spoken Sir.