Article:
Star Trek Online: Advisory Council Formed

On 2nd April Cryptic Studios formally announced the formation of the Star Trek Online Advisory Council, which was explained as being ‘an informal group of Star Trek and gaming fans who have been tapped to provide input on the development of ST’ The full statement can be found here:

http://www.startrekonline.com/node/1470

The community of users that regularly post on the Star Trek Online forums have been quick to anger over a number of Cryptic’s announcements since the release of the game in February, and this particular situation was no exception.

Some users complained about being excluded from the selection process, and others raised questions over why the listed players of the game were selected. In fact, complaints were made about one council member to the extent that he has since been removed.

Other users have complained about the lack of fair representation of their views on the game, and others have raised concerns about the views of casual players or non-players affecting the development of the game adversely for more regular and devoted players.

The number of comments made regarding these issues was quite overwhelming, causing Cryptic to backpedal and post forum announcements and an FAQ page to try to clarify the situation:

http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=148994

http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=147842

http://www.startrekonline.com/council_faq

Personally, I’m not entirely sure what all the fuss is about. As Cryptic has noted themselves, they are simply trying to connect with the wider audience for the game, both in terms of existing players, and potential new players. This seems like a great step forward given that, prior to the game’s release, Cryptic hadn’t consulted or engaged with anyone.

Although it may be fair to say that Star Trek Online still has a long way to go in terms of fixing game play bugs and providing a more well-rounded game experience, at least Cryptic is starting to acknowledge this, and is making an effort to gather information that will, in the long run, help them make the game better and hence make it appeal more to Trekkies.