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October Timelines Q&A
Admiral Prince
✭✭✭
Hi everyone,
I want to thank all of you for taking the time to post your questions for our first dev Q&A. Here are answers to some of the questions you submitted. We weren’t able to get to every question this time, but we did read them all, and we’re going to be experimenting with more ways to communicate with you going forward.
Q1: How are space, planets, and debris bit rendered in the game? How does the VFX/lighting work?
A1: Space is rendered via a series of spherical skyboxes with alpha transparency for the rotating stars, in conjunction with planes with special shaders for the nebulas and dust. Planets are large spheres with triplanar mapping and animated shaders using normal/diffuse and height maps. Asteroids and space junk are simpler models, and some of them are animated. We use VFX for the sun/star points as well as the glares they cause. The main lighting is creating through the Unity Sun with a default lens flare and a reflection probe for additional dynamic lighting on ships and other objects.
If you're interested in learning about how the original planets and space were created for STAR TREK TIMELINES, you can read more here: https://www.slideshare.net/jradoff/creating-the-galaxy-in-unity-5-star-trek-timelines"
Q2: When will you fix the bug with missions where you've claimed all rare rewards, but the 3rd star won't unlock?
A2: Good news! We fixed this bug last week. Your missions should now reflect three stars if you earned all of the rare rewards. This specifically applies to the following missions: Rabid Fans, Operation Isolate, and The Professor's Deadline.
Q3: Can we get some trait fixes/additions for crew?
A3: We pushed out a big update today that adds/fixes a lot of traits for over 50 crew. For example, Mirror Garak now has the Brutal trait, Captain Sisko is a Chef and Diplomat, all version of Yar are Duelists, Captain Sulu is a Pilot, the Duras Sisters are Villains, etc. We used your feedback on the forums to get updates in and will continue to make appropriate changes. Thank you for the help! Edit: More info here! ˜Shan
Q4: What's the ETA/status for episode 8?
A4: We're actively working on Episode 8. We can not give you a release date right now, but we plan to have it out in November (assuming there are no major issues that crop up).
Q5: Are there plans to add new factions?
A5: We're not planning on any new factions, but that doesn't mean it won't ever happen.
Q6: Will we be seeing more characters/ships from TOS, Enterprise?
A6: Yes, we will continue to include new crew from all Star Trek television series. My favorite upcoming crew from Enterprise is Defensive Phlox.
Q7: Would you consider allowing players to customize the outfits of crew?
A7: We'd like to make that happen, but because we're licensing specific characters and actors we can't add crew customization options.
Q8: How does it work for you guys to get the rights to actors' likenesses? Is it per actor? Are there limits on who you can use?
A8: We work with CBS on all characters that show up in Timelines. CBS helps us negotiate with each actor on an individual basis. In some cases, it can be a few weeks or even days to finish a discussion for a new crew. In other cases it can take months, particularly if there are art changes that need to made. It's also much harder for us to get likeness rights for actors that have passed on. This is a reason why the TOS version of Harry Mudd hasn't made it into the game.
Q9: Will you in the future be adding any other characters for purchase exclusively through the Honor Hall, as was the case with Kahless?
A9: Yes! We will refresh the Honor Hall exclusives in the near future. If you'd love to see a particularly honorable crew appear in the Honor Hall please let us know!
Q10: Why have almost all recent additions to the 5s (and 4s for that matter) roster been two-skill classes?
A11: This is a coincidence and wasn't driven by any intentional focus on two-skill crew. We do our best job to create crew that are authentic to the source material and their role in the shows/movies.
Q11: Are there plans to rebalance event rewards? Solo ranked rewards are effectively the same from 26-1,000, while there could be more rewards for hitting higher thresholds.
A11: We plan to try some new reward structures for events in the near future to better reflect the effort invested. We'll be looking at both the Threshold and Solo Ranked rewards and have some thoughts on how to improve Squad rewards as well.
Q12: Can we get a new event type?
A12: We're working on new event types and revisiting the existing events now, but can't release any information yet.
Q13: Will there be achievements coming for Voyages, Arena, etc.?
A13: Achievements are an expanding feature that we will continue to add to as the game grows. For example, we plan to add a round of Achievements for Voyages.
Q14: What can we do with starbase upgrade material after all rooms are complete?
A14: We pushed out a short-term fix recently to address this issue, and we're working on a long-term way to let you donate those materials for daily rewards. More updates and new buffs will be coming too.
Q15: Are you planning on reviewing honor costs, so we either get more honor for dismissing crew or citations/etc cost less?
A15: We're not planning on any changes to Honor costs. Our goal with the Honor Hall was to allow players greater value (compared to before) when dismissing crew and allow players new paths to collect and invest in their favorite crew. We understand that players would like to earn more Honor for dismissing crew, but Honor was designed to be accrued gradually over time. With that said, we do keep a close eye on how Honor is earned and redeemed.
Q16: Has a gauntlet variation that separates 3,4,5 star characters been discussed?
A16: Having different Gauntlet brackets is an idea we've discussed before but we determined it wouldn't solve the core issue of Gauntlet 'staleness'. We definitely want to see a greater variety of crew being viable in the Gauntlet and make other improvements but we don't have any new changes to announce at this time.
Q17: Would you add more benefits to being VIP 14?
A17: Right now, we don't have any immediate plans to make changes to VIP. However, we are aware that this is something players are interested in.
Q18: Can you fix it so I can claim Starbase rewards on my schedule?
A18: We know this is a real problem for many players, and we've been working on a better way for you to be able to claim Starbase rewards. It's not going to be a quick change because of how Starbases are designed. The existing options (such as in-game mail reward delivery) wouldn't work for Starbases (we know, we tried it), so we need to update this system first. We are actively trying to solve this and should be fixed in our next client release.
Q19: Can we get a way to airlock a lot of crew at once?
A19: We absolutely want to tackle this for you. However, this involves UI work and manipulating a lot of data, and that's not a trivial task. I can tell you that this is something we're evaluating regularly, and I hope to have an update for you soon.
Q20: When will we get a Cryostasis update?
A20: We’re actually working on a revamp of cryostasis to include better sorting functionality, and a few other requested changes. It’s still in design, so it won’t come out in the immediate future, but changes are coming.
I want to thank all of you for taking the time to post your questions for our first dev Q&A. Here are answers to some of the questions you submitted. We weren’t able to get to every question this time, but we did read them all, and we’re going to be experimenting with more ways to communicate with you going forward.
Q1: How are space, planets, and debris bit rendered in the game? How does the VFX/lighting work?
A1: Space is rendered via a series of spherical skyboxes with alpha transparency for the rotating stars, in conjunction with planes with special shaders for the nebulas and dust. Planets are large spheres with triplanar mapping and animated shaders using normal/diffuse and height maps. Asteroids and space junk are simpler models, and some of them are animated. We use VFX for the sun/star points as well as the glares they cause. The main lighting is creating through the Unity Sun with a default lens flare and a reflection probe for additional dynamic lighting on ships and other objects.
If you're interested in learning about how the original planets and space were created for STAR TREK TIMELINES, you can read more here: https://www.slideshare.net/jradoff/creating-the-galaxy-in-unity-5-star-trek-timelines"
Q2: When will you fix the bug with missions where you've claimed all rare rewards, but the 3rd star won't unlock?
A2: Good news! We fixed this bug last week. Your missions should now reflect three stars if you earned all of the rare rewards. This specifically applies to the following missions: Rabid Fans, Operation Isolate, and The Professor's Deadline.
Q3: Can we get some trait fixes/additions for crew?
A3: We pushed out a big update today that adds/fixes a lot of traits for over 50 crew. For example, Mirror Garak now has the Brutal trait, Captain Sisko is a Chef and Diplomat, all version of Yar are Duelists, Captain Sulu is a Pilot, the Duras Sisters are Villains, etc. We used your feedback on the forums to get updates in and will continue to make appropriate changes. Thank you for the help! Edit: More info here! ˜Shan
Q4: What's the ETA/status for episode 8?
A4: We're actively working on Episode 8. We can not give you a release date right now, but we plan to have it out in November (assuming there are no major issues that crop up).
Q5: Are there plans to add new factions?
A5: We're not planning on any new factions, but that doesn't mean it won't ever happen.
Q6: Will we be seeing more characters/ships from TOS, Enterprise?
A6: Yes, we will continue to include new crew from all Star Trek television series. My favorite upcoming crew from Enterprise is Defensive Phlox.
Q7: Would you consider allowing players to customize the outfits of crew?
A7: We'd like to make that happen, but because we're licensing specific characters and actors we can't add crew customization options.
Q8: How does it work for you guys to get the rights to actors' likenesses? Is it per actor? Are there limits on who you can use?
A8: We work with CBS on all characters that show up in Timelines. CBS helps us negotiate with each actor on an individual basis. In some cases, it can be a few weeks or even days to finish a discussion for a new crew. In other cases it can take months, particularly if there are art changes that need to made. It's also much harder for us to get likeness rights for actors that have passed on. This is a reason why the TOS version of Harry Mudd hasn't made it into the game.
Q9: Will you in the future be adding any other characters for purchase exclusively through the Honor Hall, as was the case with Kahless?
A9: Yes! We will refresh the Honor Hall exclusives in the near future. If you'd love to see a particularly honorable crew appear in the Honor Hall please let us know!
Q10: Why have almost all recent additions to the 5s (and 4s for that matter) roster been two-skill classes?
A11: This is a coincidence and wasn't driven by any intentional focus on two-skill crew. We do our best job to create crew that are authentic to the source material and their role in the shows/movies.
Q11: Are there plans to rebalance event rewards? Solo ranked rewards are effectively the same from 26-1,000, while there could be more rewards for hitting higher thresholds.
A11: We plan to try some new reward structures for events in the near future to better reflect the effort invested. We'll be looking at both the Threshold and Solo Ranked rewards and have some thoughts on how to improve Squad rewards as well.
Q12: Can we get a new event type?
A12: We're working on new event types and revisiting the existing events now, but can't release any information yet.
Q13: Will there be achievements coming for Voyages, Arena, etc.?
A13: Achievements are an expanding feature that we will continue to add to as the game grows. For example, we plan to add a round of Achievements for Voyages.
Q14: What can we do with starbase upgrade material after all rooms are complete?
A14: We pushed out a short-term fix recently to address this issue, and we're working on a long-term way to let you donate those materials for daily rewards. More updates and new buffs will be coming too.
Q15: Are you planning on reviewing honor costs, so we either get more honor for dismissing crew or citations/etc cost less?
A15: We're not planning on any changes to Honor costs. Our goal with the Honor Hall was to allow players greater value (compared to before) when dismissing crew and allow players new paths to collect and invest in their favorite crew. We understand that players would like to earn more Honor for dismissing crew, but Honor was designed to be accrued gradually over time. With that said, we do keep a close eye on how Honor is earned and redeemed.
Q16: Has a gauntlet variation that separates 3,4,5 star characters been discussed?
A16: Having different Gauntlet brackets is an idea we've discussed before but we determined it wouldn't solve the core issue of Gauntlet 'staleness'. We definitely want to see a greater variety of crew being viable in the Gauntlet and make other improvements but we don't have any new changes to announce at this time.
Q17: Would you add more benefits to being VIP 14?
A17: Right now, we don't have any immediate plans to make changes to VIP. However, we are aware that this is something players are interested in.
Q18: Can you fix it so I can claim Starbase rewards on my schedule?
A18: We know this is a real problem for many players, and we've been working on a better way for you to be able to claim Starbase rewards. It's not going to be a quick change because of how Starbases are designed. The existing options (such as in-game mail reward delivery) wouldn't work for Starbases (we know, we tried it), so we need to update this system first. We are actively trying to solve this and should be fixed in our next client release.
Q19: Can we get a way to airlock a lot of crew at once?
A19: We absolutely want to tackle this for you. However, this involves UI work and manipulating a lot of data, and that's not a trivial task. I can tell you that this is something we're evaluating regularly, and I hope to have an update for you soon.
Q20: When will we get a Cryostasis update?
A20: We’re actually working on a revamp of cryostasis to include better sorting functionality, and a few other requested changes. It’s still in design, so it won’t come out in the immediate future, but changes are coming.
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Comments
Any way you can be more specific on the trait changes? It really makes it hard for those of us who maintain things to go back and verify every single character (especially when it's one we might not have).
You can find them in the communication section in a post by Shan
Hope you can soon give us some info on updating the equipment screen and faction stores.
Live long and prosper 🖖🏻
Shapeshifter - All versions of Odo should have this trait apart from Trader Odo and Stranded Odo.
Prisoner - Prisoner "Bones' McCoy should have this
Ambassador - Ambassador Sarek, Ambassador Spock and Ambassador Fox all need this
President - The President of Earth needs this
Gardener - Groundskeeper Boothby needs this
Also, Lon Suder should not be a "Telepath". The episode in which he was introduced made it clear he had no telepathic talents (despite being a Betazoid).
I'd like to have if possible for holoemitters [won via space battles] to be able to be dropped along with holoprograms in the gauntlet and voyages -- this would be very useful as many fleets like mine has a huge cache of other starbase components but the holoemitters which hold the rooms up from being upgraded are harder to get. Thanks very much
Yeah sorry, I just had to throw in Eris there.
You're right, it was his entire job in the Obsidian Order, and he was great at it. The version of Garak that makes Quark's pants gets the Interrogator trait, but not the version that does the actual interrogations?
As others have said, it's a good start, but there are still a lot of glaring omissions - only the Riker holding the trombone has the Musician trait. There's no reason they shouldn't all have it when all versions of Data and now Harry do. And Durango Troi's a crack shot, she needs the Marksman trait.
Honor: extra ways of earning honor to star crew doesn't change the impossibly inequitable dismissal rates. Dismissal of duplicate crew simply does not add up, in any sane measure, to citations. Especially since in packs, we have characters chosen for us instead of choosing for ourselves (as on the front-page: "Assemble a crew of your favorite characters...").
Another/additional way towards honoring this advertisement: instead of randoms, the 4*s and 5*s in packs could be beholds: a good balance between chance and choice - more involved, and fun. Why after 3/4 of a year of invested daily playing am I still waiting on my favorite main characters?
Thank you for these updates! Looking forward to Episode 8, Voyages failure bug fixes, different event types, 3-skill MED crew.
~· Fly with the Subspace Eddies! ·~
These trait fixes are really, really poorly implemented.
It's interesting going through the various trait changes as well certainly a lot. Thanks.
This seems like big news, especially for those of us that have so far held off on buying the current exclusive characters. Will the current ones still be available and will there be notice of when they may be cycled out?
Thanks for doing this Q&A.
Thanks for the update on this. Yet, I would like to ask a follow up question, in terms of this statement which was made very early on in terms of the intent for the honor hall, from: STAR TREK TIMELINES: What is the Honor Hall?
Does the team also consider the current dismissal rates to adequately address the problem of duplicate crew and the resulting disincentive for pack sales and increase in player frustration?
I understand the point about accruing honor gradually over time, which makes sense. Though I am curious for what segment of the player base are the current rates calibrated for or modeled on? From my perspective as a monthly card player, the time horizon on completing (FF) even a couple legendary crew is arduous to say the least.
Thanks.
Consider participating in civil discourse, understanding the Tardigrade, and wandering with the Subspace Eddies.
I think Zeframe Cochrane would be a nice choice, being the one who achieved first contact.
Maybe a C.O.P Founder Picard.
DB: Do Better.
Member of Starship Trista.
I guess this means there is no point me buying packs anymore! Its very frustrating buying 3 event packs only to airlock everything because you had one of the SR characters FFFE and received 3 copies of them from the packs!
After the latest event I air-locked 7 Blood Oath Dax's and got 1400 honour for them. To get Sarek's last star would cost me another 83 SR crew which is quite frankly insulting!
Yep. There's always at least one 4* in each event pack I've already got fully fused, so I'm guaranteed to get only that wasted character in packs. I'm sure there's big spenders that don't mind throwing money away on air locking duplicates, but for the little people like me that have thrown a pile of cash at a very low-odds gamble and lost consistently, it is frustrating how little value we get for our money sometimes.
I basically just paid almost $10 for 1/100ths of a star on somebody many weeks from now. Yay, that's a terrible incentive to get me to spend more money.
I know you believe that honor rations and crew slots are not hurting sales, but you have a lot of people in here who say they are from first hand experience.
How about the gauntlet problem with skills selection round and near impossible to lose match but still losing problem? Can we change the crits nonsense with up 200%?
Our curiosity hasn't been quenched, so I hope we'll see a new Q&A soon
A6: Yes, we will continue to include new crew from all Star Trek television series. My favorite upcoming crew from Enterprise is Defensive Phlox.
Best part of this whole thing. I can't wait for Defensive Phlox.
Plus it'll be a new med character!
Cardassian wishlist:
Tora Ziyal - Thanks!
Natima Lang
Empok Nor Garak
Tekeny Ghemor
Mira
Makbar
Dejar
Ulani Belor