Klingons... why even?

[MSJ-06II-C]

Okay, sorry for the title but I have no real idea on how to summarise my feelings for Klingons - more specifically their in-game content – in a simple title.

I'm currently playing a Klingon, yet, in all the new episodes, that is more or less ignored. The first few episodes were actually gated by faction, meaning being a Klingon, fighting against the Federation, uncovering an internal Klingon plot, etc.

I get that only the first few episodes could be faction gated, both to keep the programmers sane and to not force players to play all factions just to see all of the game (although in my personal opinion... that ain't a bad thing), so, seeing them going the route I know from Guildwars 2, that being that the formerly warring factions unite against a common enemy felt logical, now I was fighting mainly for the Federation, yet, there was an actual reason to.

And with that, we come to the newest episodes in which all that I described... pretty much seems to be forgotten and thrown to the sidelines, the most egregious example would be Downfall where I'm called in to help Starbase 1… against Klingons, and not like before some rebel faction that wants to sabotage the peace… no… just Klingons, one of the Admirals – to my face – called Klingons cowards. Yet, despite the fact I AM a Klingon, I had no dialogue options to “remind” him that I'm currently sitting in a Bortasqu War Cruiser and would very much like to have my honor restored by blowing him out of his ship. I even have to scuttle the ships so they don't fall in the hands of the Klingon Empire – which I would like to remind again is the faction I play.

All that to basically say: In the newer episodes, the player, regardless of actual faction is treated more and more like a Starfleet officer, not even a member of the alliance the Federation and Empire brokered but a literal Starfleet officer.

Sorry for this rant but, I just had to vent my frustrations at that somewhere as this takes pretty much all immersion out of the game for me. And… I suppose is my way of asking if anyone else here feels the same or if I'm alone in that.

[Dave of Infamy]

nope i just play the game and dont cry about insignificant things NEXT......

[MSJ-06II-C]

A bit of salt for your order, lol? No need to get all offened XD

[The Arkady]

So, basically, for someone playing KDF, the STD stuff is a steaming pile of bovine droppings?

Sounds about right.

[MSJ-06II-C]

I mean... I wouldn't say it quite as... direct as that, because as said: I do understand why they did it.

It's just that I am kinda bummed that, instead of acknolwedging that the Federation and Empire have made an alliance before... they just literally adress you as a Starfleet member, I mean I would have been fully fine with them simply adressing you as a member of the KDF-Starfleet alliance.

[CrusaderF8]

Isn't most of the STD stuff supposed to be a holodeck simulation or something like that anyways?
I mean, it's still annoying, but if the simulation is programmed to see you as an federation officer, it's reacting to that role, not the person playing that role.

[The Arkady]

That doesn't actually work as an excuse for some the worst garbage STD content.
For example, the KDF character playing a Starfleet officer should still be able to react like they're KDF, e.g. they should be allowed to side with Vosker about taking a hard-ass approach with that pisoner instead of gaving to support that worthless petaQ idiot human female.
Also, Stamets in the most recent episode is a modern sentient hologram, but his 'Starfleet' reaction doesn't really work even for many Starfleet characters. I mean, say he sees some weird Alien, unfamilar technology and an Andorian in a weirtd uniform... how does that lead to the immediate conclusion this is Starfleet, again?
Shoddy writing.

[Jaq]

I don't really mean this as acidly as it's going to come out, but have you privileged klingons ever stopped to think about how absurdly OVER-represented you are in STO's development? Not only are you vastly outnumbered by the Starfleet playerbase, you're outnumbered by non-Klingons in your own faction. Why should Gorn and Orions have to talk like you? For that matter, where's the Vulcan and Tellarite dialogue options on the Starfleet side? Starfleet Humans are clearly Species Prime, but on those occasions when we do get an alternate dialogue option, it's usually going to be klingon-oriented. And any time we get a non-Starfleet starship design, it's usually going to be a klingon design.

Have you ever looked into how many times Klingons actually appear on the TV shows? Take out Worf, who behaves like he learned everything he knows about Klingons from a very favorably written wikipedia entry, and it's actually pretty scarce. The Cardassians matter more in DS9 alone than the Klingons matter in everything else combined. Yet 9+ years into STO's development, the Cardassians have a player model skin and a few ship skins, that's it.

The Romulans matter more as a political entity throughout the series, and in STO they got the next most attention after Klingons, but you only get to play as Republic Romulans, who may as well be Generic Human-like Alien Colonial Society #57. So despite a lot of work by the devs, who aren't directly responsible for the stupid turn the story took, Romulan fans mostly just got skins too. You don't get to play real Romulans in this game, or experience real Romulan culture. And now they've pretty much discontinued development on Romulans.

At this point, the Jem'Hadar arguably got the next best treatment among the non-Starfleets, and their content is a tiny puddle compared to the mountain of Klingon content. So those of us who are fans of all the other Star Trek cultures and lore don't want to hear about Klingons not getting to shout "petaQ" enough in their dialogue options. Dialogue options which by the way can never actually matter, because it's a MMO and we can't have different individual outcomes in a shared galaxy.

Bummer some of the STD content doesn't treat you special. You still have it better than everyone else. Humans earned their prominence. Klingons are spoiled. If they never get a single pixel of content directed towards them ever again, it'll still be more than they deserve.

[MSJ-06II-C]

It seems I worded my initial post a bit unlcear: I did not mean Klingons as a species, I meant the Klingons as a faction - as in, the KDF as a whole. I didn't mean dialogues should adress me as specifically Klingon, but rather, as a member of the Klingon Defense Force. And the KDF (and by extension all other factions because, as you yourself said, compared to the KDF, the other factions are all but non-existent). Rather, tell me, when in the new episodes was the player adressed as anything other than a member of the Starfleet?

Also yes, yes that came out acenine AF

Also as an aside: Like it or not, but at least in public perception - and yes, in large part due to Worf - Klingons are the non-human species everyone thinks of alongside the Vulcans, even more so than the Vulcans probably enough. There is a reason Klingon is an official language (which, I do admit is kinda sad) and not Vulcan or Romulan or Ferengi or Cardassian or Gorn (should I continue?).

Also, before you acuse me of simply fanboying for my own species: My main PC is a Ferasan, not a Klingon - doesn't mean he is not a loyal member of the Klingon Defense Force

[Sandormen]

Because a decade ago, the KDF was the only other faction, and it was a true opposite of FED, then Cryptic changed their minds and decided that everyones in the whole galaxy are friends, shooting rainbow unicorna at each other... Even the Hur'qs are besties with everyone now.
There are still some fragmented minor species out there that holds a grudge. If everyone were true besties, this game would cease to exist.
-but yeah. The Klingons were once intended to be even more fleshed out, but due to nobody in Cryptic likes Klingons, they decided to give the rats ass regarding making more stuff for them. -Just take a look at the amount of Klingon-specific outfits, for instance. Its only because of lockboxes and later cross-faction-stuff that Klingons got more stuff since Cryptic decided to point the middle finger to everyone interested in the KDF-faction.

[The Arkady]

Originally posted by Sandormen:

Even the Hur'qs are besties with everyone now.

Nah, they didn't even give us a unique boff yet. Now the Elachi, they're true BFFss!

@JaQMarius, that came out rather asinine, especially that "why should Orions or Gorn have to talk like you" pseudo-argument in defense of the actual "all KDF should totally have to talk like self-righteous idiot human Starfleet pricks" issue. You are very much correct, however, that a classic Tellarite almost certainly wouldn't say the stupidly rose-colored goggles crap we're all forced to say in the steaming pile of bullcrap STD content, either.

So, how about: what STO needs is not the utter Craptic sorry excuse for writing of the utter crap STD content, or bad arguments in defense there of; it needs old-school best possible Cryptic writing like it used to have in, say, Midnight, where we actually got ultimately meaningless, but at least available convo choices to reflect not every character is a mindless by-the-book super goodie two-shoes STD-era hoo-man idiot. That helps everyone, except maybe some non-roleplayer asshats who insist that everyone must act like a mindless by-the-book super goodie two-shoes STD-era hoo-man idiot.

[DomDiaemus]

@OP don't cry about Klingons they are fine... but you can cry about Jem'Hadars not the missions but the lack of dominion weapons which other factions such starfleet/Klingons can have but not the Jem'Hadars ;)

[MSJ-06II-C]

Well if it's "fine" for you to have the Starfleet be the only recognised faction in the whole game and all other factions basically being assumed to be Starfleet (that includes the Jem'Hadar, just sayin') then I suppose you will enjoy the new content.

Do note though that there are people who actually try to roleplay their character, for them this is not actually "fine".

[MonkeyMummyMoney]

I made a post probably a year or two ago in which I talked about how the KDF isn't worth playing and it's sad to see that literally hasn't changed. the KDF don't really have a reason to exist in the game anymore now that PVP is basically dead. (I recall the devs giving up on it a LONG time ago.) All it does is create plot-holes and frustration on the player.

[Mothvibe]

"Federation... why even?
Okay, sorry for the title but I have no real idea on how to summarise my feelings for The Federation - more specifically their in-game content – in a simple title.

I'm currently playing a Federation member, yet, in all the new episodes, that is more or less ignored. The first few episodes were actually gated by faction, meaning being a Federation member, fighting against the KDF, uncovering an internal Federation plot, etc."

See how I just copy-pasted something and literally just changed a few words here and there?

That's the KDF, as far as Cryptic is concerned.

Anyway, it's worth having at least one KDF toon because they have a few more opportunities to earn dilithium. My main toon is a KDF, and nowadays they at least have decent ships. It wasn't always like that.

[MSJ-06II-C]

I mean, it's not even that - it's not even "changing a few words". In the new episodes your background faction is quite literally ignored as far as I can see it (do correct me if I'm wrong please). It's not even "The Federation but with a few words changed", it's quite literally "The Federation". Which y'know, feels kinda sad especially so when you want to actually role play your character in this Online Role Playing Game.