Quick Update:

The user I referenced previously was removed from the Council due to the massive backlash of responses proving why that person was a terrible choice.

At least Cryptic listens to some degree, they really need to improve communication to ensure that errors like this are not made in the first place.

Originally posted by Xondar123

From the very beginning their podcasts were very positive and often bordered on fanboy gushing. After the game reseased it looked like the strain of gushing for the game started to hit a few of them (it seems like the fat, beared one is a fanboy through and through and he holds no negative thoughts on the game at all) and they started to express more and more negativity. It's like they can't keep up the farce an lie like this all the time, and the cracks are starting to show.

But overall, they still act quite a bit like fanboys and are overly positive about the game. In essence, they are lying about how they feel about the game with every podcast, and I'm really not sure why.

They sell STO from their website. That is all we need to know. They have a financial stake in the game.

Originally posted by Kost

Quick Update:

The user I referenced previously was removed from the Council due to the massive backlash of responses proving why that person was a terrible choice.

At least Cryptic listens to some degree, they really need to improve communication to ensure that errors like this are not made in the first place.

According to the latest entry on her DA page, she decided to remove herself:

http://niccals.deviantart.com/

thanks for the link  there

it was interesting to read her side of the story

one line in particular which went something like "i have been to trek conventions and no one there would ever act like this"

therin lay the hidden problem

mmo'rs and the mmo genre it sought to embrace

trekkies are cerbral  like sci fi and stories

mmo'rs and message board forum people are the opposite-  they write of "levels" and "loot"

once again- trekkies would settle for one ship- to grow attached to- like every incaration of the show displayed

they would have settled for no "loot" or map or pvp

they would have settled for a ship, space with galaxies and planets - with things and species on them-

that you fly around exploring in- meeting other trekkers perhaps- perhaps an enemy.....

crafting?  zzzzz  fleet battles?  zzzzzz  collect stuff and collect more and make a stew? zzzzzzz

that is  for the mmo'rs

people want excitement granted- but killing the bridgecrew, getting scarred or turned into a borg- things that to an mmo'r would "lower" a character- are more dramatic than a new phaser or making "admiral" (hell kirk was demoted - remember?  so he could be a Captain again?  even spock said it was good for him?)

strange they are so blind to this

I applaud Berlin's response.. I give her credit for standing up for her personal views and blog..  I still think the whole idea of a council is nothing more then a PR stunt by Cryptic..   I read the entire Q&A post Cryptic has for the council and all I can say is, "what a crock of shit"..

If STO was really interested in reaching out to NEW people and explain their game, etc etc..  and new ideas..  The smartest move would be to 1)  have surveys that you have to answer at LOG IN screen..  There you catch EVERYONE that is playing for their opinion.. NO need for 3rd party bloggers..  2)  OPEN up a segment of your message boards for the public to respond without the need to be paying customers..  I doubt that will happen because STO doesn't really want to hear anything from anyone..   Cryptic as this point is only using the council idea as a PR stunt..

She's mad at STO players for being upset of her admittance to the advisor council. This is obviously the wrong target for being upset at, the true target is Cryptic for linking her blog in the frontpage. She can say whatever she wishes in her blog, no doubt about that, however she shouldn't be surprised that STO players might not be pleased with their new advisor after seeing that blog.

This is yet another blunder by Cryptic, players shouldn't be attacked by it. Of course it's easier to attack individual posters/forum than a company and I'm guessing it's also the first thing she thought after seeing the negative feedback of her blog. STO players didn't link that blog, they merely commented on it.

Originally posted by Rawiz

She's mad at STO players for being upset of her admittance to the advisor council. This is obviously the wrong target for being upset at, the true target is Cryptic for linking her blog in the frontpage. She can say whatever she wishes in her blog, no doubt about that, however she shouldn't be surprised that STO players might not be pleased with their new advisor after seeing that blog.

This is yet another blunder by Cryptic, players shouldn't be attacked by it. Of course it's easier to attack individual posters/forum than a company and I'm guessing it's also the first thing she thought after seeing the negative feedback of her blog. STO players didn't link that blog, they merely commented on it.

Something that could have been avoided entirely if Cryptic had taken even just 30 seconds to check the website before they stuck a link to it on their front page. It's becoming apparent more and more each week why Cryptic has a reputation for laziness and downright incompetence.

Originally posted by Rawiz

She's mad at STO players for being upset of her admittance to the advisor council. This is obviously the wrong target for being upset at, the true target is Cryptic for linking her blog in the frontpage. She can say whatever she wishes in her blog, no doubt about that, however she shouldn't be surprised that STO players might not be pleased with their new advisor after seeing that blog.

This is yet another blunder by Cryptic, players shouldn't be attacked by it. Of course it's easier to attack individual posters/forum than a company and I'm guessing it's also the first thing she thought after seeing the negative feedback of her blog. STO players didn't link that blog, they merely commented on it.

 I was just going to say this. If cryptic posted a link to her personal blog without her consent, her issue is with cryptic.  But hey it had kind of a star trekish name to it so it must be ok. No need for cryptic to check it out or anything.

Originally posted by Spiderpope

Originally posted by Rawiz

She's mad at STO players for being upset of her admittance to the advisor council. This is obviously the wrong target for being upset at, the true target is Cryptic for linking her blog in the frontpage. She can say whatever she wishes in her blog, no doubt about that, however she shouldn't be surprised that STO players might not be pleased with their new advisor after seeing that blog.

This is yet another blunder by Cryptic, players shouldn't be attacked by it. Of course it's easier to attack individual posters/forum than a company and I'm guessing it's also the first thing she thought after seeing the negative feedback of her blog. STO players didn't link that blog, they merely commented on it.

Something that could have been avoided entirely if Cryptic had taken even just 30 seconds to check the website before they stuck a link to it on their front page. It's becoming apparent more and more each week why Cryptic has a reputation for laziness and downright incompetence.

 has there been a company in recent memory that's been this bad with relating to its playerbase? Only one I can remember is maybe flagship (what a coincidence). Remember when people got charged up to 10 times for monthly and lifetime subs with hellgate?

I don't really get the atmosphere over at cryptic. The mods and devs over at cryptic seem to have being friends with some of the players as their priority rather than taking care of the game.   It almost feels like a private club at times. 

Originally posted by Sanguinelust

What's wrong with this news? It seems to me that they realize that they don't have what it takes to make STO trek enough for people so they found some passionate people to help them along.

Sounds more like a positive to me than a negative.

It would be a positive if they had done this durning beta and not after the game has been launched only to nose dive into the ground.

Originally posted by Rawiz

How are these "councilmen" supposed to represent the playerbase when they were not elected by it?

Seems Cryptic wants some free advertisment from those websites that councilmen run. This is such a joke really..

Agreed, all Cryptic cares about money. They want people who kiss-ass to tell everyone that STO IS a great MMO. This game is not a MMO in my opinion, maybe if It wasn't so heavily instanced, sector space is junk. Bridge Commander is a much better game and it was made many years ago. Cryptic is fail!

I can't argue with all of your impressions, but Champions is far and away the best MMO ever for me, and in the last two months the communication and with the Cryptic team and their delivery of results has been better than any time in any game, beta or post-launch, that I've experienced.      There is no elite private club, they are handling the communication in a professional way, these days almost all threads are answered by devs, no matter who authors the thread.  

But in STO the communication is not as good yet, I have examined them side-by-side, and it is obvious that STO forums has way, way too many disrespectful and negative posts that contain very little useful feedback.   I am not necessarily saying they should silence those peoples opinions (although I can't sympathize with the ones who didn't do their research before buying a product they would not be happy with; I was interested in STO before close to release, but then I used rationality and did not buy it).   But what is your solution to the communication in STO?  How can you help increase communication?  Come up with something good and Cryptic will listen.   

Originally posted by Xondar123

From the very beginning their podcasts were very positive and often bordered on fanboy gushing. After the game reseased it looked like the strain of gushing for the game started to hit a few of them (it seems like the fat, beared one is a fanboy through and through and he holds no negative thoughts on the game at all) and they started to express more and more negativity. It's like they can't keep up the farce an lie like this all the time, and the cracks are starting to show.

But overall, they still act quite a bit like fanboys and are overly positive about the game. In essence, they are lying about how they feel about the game with every podcast, and I'm really not sure why.

It also looks like one of the STOked dudes has been removed from the council, I understand it was because of some comment he made about hating Klingons (was the comment "I've never trusted Klingons and I never will. I can never forgive them for the death of my boy" by any chance?) But I don't think they actively worked to get him fired from the council because of that, it was more of a reaction to having this puppet council foisted on them by the last minute with absolutely no consultation with the community (but hey, that's what Cryptic does best!)

 And there is nothing wrong with having positive podcasts. Again, their show isn't about all the negatives, it's about how to play the game itself. I mean, are you really having that much trouble finding constant negativity about STO that you need them to put it into their podcast every week too?

They aren't lying about how they feel about the game. They enjoy it. But they also know that there are a lot of problems with it, and they recognize it. Enjoying it and not liking parts of it is possible, you know.

Bryan was never on the Advisory Council, so none of the three have been "removed". According to the podcasts, he doesn't have the time to play it very much, which is why he was barely a Lt Cmdr as of last week. Only Chris and Jeremy were ever listed as being on the Council.

The comment about Klingons was that they felt Cryptic should have held the Klingons from launch, instead of releasing them half-assed like they did, and released them at Season 1 or Season 2 when they were much more complete. And in the feeding frenzy of that thread on the official boards, that's been completely changed to them somehow wanting the Klingons removed. One person stated it, and it caught on like wildfire despite being completely inaccurate. It's pretty obvious who watches the show, who doesn't, and who is halfassing it.

For the record, I cancelled my subscription three days into release (at the end of headstart) and there is nothing Cryptic can do to ever bring me back to that mess, except perhaps go F2P and refund my $60. But I'm not going to sit here and let my friend have his character assinated over distortions and outright lies.

Originally posted by warbot7777

Originally posted by Rawiz

How are these "councilmen" supposed to represent the playerbase when they were not elected by it?

Seems Cryptic wants some free advertisment from those websites that councilmen run. This is such a joke really..

Agreed, all Cryptic cares about money. They want people who kiss-ass to tell everyone that STO IS a great MMO. This game is not a MMO in my opinion, maybe if It wasn't so heavily instanced, sector space is junk. Bridge Commander is a much better game and it was made many years ago. Cryptic is fail!

 If as you put it "all Cryptic cares about is money." it would stand to reason that they would be using the council exactly as they say they are and not as some nefarious plan to brainwash us all into thinking this game is great as it is.  From the sound of your post I assume you want them to tear it down and sell the ip or create a game entirely different from what you see and that we all know isn't going to happen.

 I don't see how the playerbase getting to "elect the council" makes any sense.  I know a great many players don't visit the forums and there are players out there who don't know any of the players why waste all that time and money setting up something like that?  why not tap into the pool of already visible Star Trek fans whom you know is going to stick with you through much more than the average mmo player? 

You literally can't make this stuff up.  What great timing...another PR fiasco days before the 2nd monthly billing cycle starts.

Cryptic should change its' logo to a guy having relations with a poodle.

Originally posted by Attacko

thanks for the link  there

 

it was interesting to read her side of the story

one line in particular which went something like "i have been to trek conventions and no one there would ever act like this"

therin lay the hidden problem

mmo'rs and the mmo genre it sought to embrace

trekkies are cerbral  like sci fi and stories

mmo'rs and message board forum people are the opposite-  they write of "levels" and "loot"

once again- trekkies would settle for one ship- to grow attached to- like every incaration of the show displayed

they would have settled for no "loot" or map or pvp

they would have settled for a ship, space with galaxies and planets - with things and species on them-

that you fly around exploring in- meeting other trekkers perhaps- perhaps an enemy.....

crafting?  zzzzz  fleet battles?  zzzzzz  collect stuff and collect more and make a stew? zzzzzzz

that is  for the mmo'rs

people want excitement granted- but killing the bridgecrew, getting scarred or turned into a borg- things that to an mmo'r would "lower" a character- are more dramatic than a new phaser or making "admiral" (hell kirk was demoted - remember?  so he could be a Captain again?  even spock said it was good for him?)

strange they are so blind to this

Actually, I disagree. There are some really great MMO communities out there, some of them are made up of people just as intelligent and cerebral, they appreciate art and story and good writing. I've also seen MMO communities that are, on the whole, an incredibly nice bunch of people.

However, Cryptic built a mindless shoot-em-up with a Star Trek skin. Such a game will not attract the cerebral or artistic parts of any community, but will instead appeal to the "BNet kiddies" who enjoy combat and don't care much for crafting or creating or exploring.

Cryptic absolutely did not make this game to appeal to Trekkies/Trekkers. They made this game to appeal to the lowest common denominator, they dumbed it down for mass market appeal. And because of that it no longer appeals to the best traits of any MMO community, let alone the Star Trek fan community.

But, like I said earlier, I don't think this vitriolic reaction toward Ms. Nicols isd because of who she is, but rather it is a negative reaction towards this entire player council fiasco. They can smell the crap wafting from Cryptic HQ, just as it has been wafting ever since the launch of Champions, and they are rebelling against it.

Originally posted by championsFan

I can't argue with all of your impressions, but Champions is far and away the best MMO ever for me, and in the last two months the communication and with the Cryptic team and their delivery of results has been better than any time in any game, beta or post-launch, that I've experienced.      There is no elite private club, they are handling the communication in a professional way, these days almost all threads are answered by devs, no matter who authors the thread.  

But in STO the communication is not as good yet, I have examined them side-by-side, and it is obvious that STO forums has way, way too many disrespectful and negative posts that contain very little useful feedback.   I am not necessarily saying they should silence those peoples opinions (although I can't sympathize with the ones who didn't do their research before buying a product they would not be happy with; I was interested in STO before close to release, but then I used rationality and did not buy it).   But what is your solution to the communication in STO?  How can you help increase communication?  Come up with something good and Cryptic will listen.   

It seems like CO's communications issues ended when Bill Roper was promoted from lead design of that game. Coincidence?

BTW.. Did anyone ever read exactly what the council was to do and how they were going to do it?   How was the council suppose to communicate to the player base, since they can't use Cryptic's own website?  How much power and voice would the council actually have?  I read the Q&A section about the council and there was not much there that was concrete intel on what the council is and how they do it?

It appeared to me that one of the major criterias to be on the council was to have a 3rd party blog/website about STO.  Since it was stated by Cryptic they wanted to reach to outside 3rd party sources to contact players not using the STO website.. Fair to say that council was all about marketing? 

"Actually, I disagree. There are some really great MMO communities out there, some of them are made up of people just as intelligent and cerebral, they appreciate art and story and good writing. I've also seen MMO communities that are, on the whole, an incredibly nice bunch of people"

i could see this

star trek online was the first massive multiplayer online game i have played

i asked a younger friend- "why not just play a game with multiplayer?  whats the difference?

he said "more people" . 

thats it?  more people?

lesson learned tho- i bought the game and did not know it was something you have to pay another 15 bucks to play

my intial thought was it scam-like- (the whole system) aimed at youth  - but not to be one i gave it a whirl

the whole thing is scam like

Originally posted by Darth_Osor

You literally can't make this stuff up.  What great timing...another PR fiasco days before the 2nd monthly billing cycle starts.

Cryptic should change its' logo to a guy having relations with a poodle.

 Actually yeah you can make this stuff up, sort of like going into a crowded theatre and yelling fire as long as your not getting the same people you'll keep getting people to run out of the theatre whether they smell smoke or not.  That's how I sum up the news about the council, trrolls and the rest of the whiney mmo type of community once they have turned on something go out of their way to convince everyone else out there that it is evil through and through and can do no good.

And people wonder why they want 3rd party input, because nothing can even get suggested as a good idea without all of you folks (mmoers) turning it to doom and gloom.

Originally posted by Rydeson

BTW.. Did anyone ever read exactly what the council was to do and how they were going to do it?   How was the council suppose to communicate to the player base, since they can't use Cryptic's own website?  How much power and voice would the council actually have?  I read the Q&A section about the council and there was not much there that was concrete intel on what the council is and how they do it?

It appeared to me that one of the major criterias to be on the council was to have a 3rd party blog/website about STO.  Since it was stated by Cryptic they wanted to reach to outside 3rd party sources to contact players not using the STO website.. Fair to say that council was all about marketing? 

It's hard to tell what the purpose of the council is as Cryptic keeps backtracking and flipflopping in an attempt to avoid criticism. As it stands is supposedly little more than a marketing tool, but yesterday it was the voice of communities beyond the main forums and the day before that it wasnt a voice of anyone, just a way of offering story advice. It's getting hard to keep up to be honest, who knows what this "council" will be for tomorrow.

Originally posted by Attacko

"Actually, I disagree. There are some really great MMO communities out there, some of them are made up of people just as intelligent and cerebral, they appreciate art and story and good writing. I've also seen MMO communities that are, on the whole, an incredibly nice bunch of people"

 

i could see this

star trek online was the first massive multiplayer online game i have played

i asked a younger friend- "why not just play a game with multiplayer?  whats the difference?

he said "more people" . 

thats it?  more people?

lesson learned tho- i bought the game and did not know it was something you have to pay another 15 bucks to play

my intial thought was it scam-like- (the whole system) aimed at youth  - but not to be one i gave it a whirl

the whole thing is scam like

 

 

You think subscription based mmorpg's are a scam?

---

Originally posted by nikoliath

You think subscription based mmorpg's are a scam?

---

He probably thinks calling THIS game "mmorpg" is a scam... there's nothing "massive" in it and there are no "roles" to play :P

Originally posted by ryuga81

 

---

Originally posted by nikoliath

You think subscription based mmorpg's are a scam?

---

He probably thinks calling THIS game "mmorpg" is a scam... there's nothing "massive" in it and there are no "roles" to play :P

It's more than that though, the hype (advertising) presents a very different game.  It's not just that the game can't live up to the hype or doesn't deliver.  The multiple payment schemes, segregating of the population, dangling of a carrots, botched schemes and  releasing of malformed content are just a few of the "scam-like" activities that Cryptic/Atari are including in the STO experience.   While some players overlook all these things as if STO were the preverbial "Golden Child", just because they are oblivious to the facts, doesn't mean that the facts don't have merit.

Originally posted by jaxsundane

Originally posted by Darth_Osor

You literally can't make this stuff up.  What great timing...another PR fiasco days before the 2nd monthly billing cycle starts.

Cryptic should change its' logo to a guy having relations with a poodle.

 Actually yeah you can make this stuff up, sort of like going into a crowded theatre and yelling fire as long as your not getting the same people you'll keep getting people to run out of the theatre whether they smell smoke or not.  That's how I sum up the news about the council, trrolls and the rest of the whiney mmo type of community once they have turned on something go out of their way to convince everyone else out there that it is evil through and through and can do no good.

And people wonder why they want 3rd party input, because nothing can even get suggested as a good idea without all of you folks (mmoers) turning it to doom and gloom.

 Not sure what you're getting at here...are you saying this ISN'T a PR disaster?

You think Cryptic appointing a person that likes to shave their privates with their dad's razor and tell the world about it, and with a bunch of F-bombs on their blog to an advisory position was a good idea?  Nothing against this person...I'm sure she'd be cool to hang out with, but not someone I would go to for advise about anything related to how I would do business.

You think having a person that thinks Klingons are turds should be in an advisory position?  Some idiot from that person's fleet felt the need to fuel the fire even more on the forums.  I bet people that exclusively play Klingons are overjoyed with this choice.

I have no horse in this race...I jumped ship from this failboat a while ago.  I'm watching now out of some sense of morbid curiousity.  I can't say I blame people for being pissed off about the way Cryptic is handling this.  Was an advisory council a good idea?  Probably, but as usual, Cryptic handles it with all the skill and grace of a bull in a china shop.

Edit: typo