Some Star Trek Online (STO) Foundry authors have invested considerable time and effort into crafting their missions. And like most Foundry offerings, they’ve seen their work passed on, or lost, in the ever-growing mission listings where a low rating (and low mission play) can be the kiss of death, regardless of its quality. In Part Two of our series, we talk with two Foundry authors about their works. You’ll begin to see insights into their original missions — and how the community has (or hasn’t) embraced their concepts… yet.

(All Foundry authors are reminded: Passion, zeal and good intentions are not always rewarded. From lackluster map designs to numerous spelling and grammar errors, plus poor dialog, players may have valid points about giving low ratings/being critical of some missions.)

Author: slickrick1701e

Give us the elevator pitch for your Foundry mission.

I created a mission series called Endeavour. It is a story based around a starship, her captain, Ro Aerrow, and crew. It takes place eight years before STO in 2401 (starting at stardate 81000.00). I wrote (and am writing) the series out of the fact that there is no current Star Trek series in production at that moment. All of the missions have a very Star Trek feel to them. They are in 3rd person format, so you do see the series through the eyes of my characters.

I have, however, gone somewhat into left field. Endeavour is an all-Bajoran crew. Some of their reactions to situations are not what you would normally see from a human Starfleet crew. I did this to get away from the more dry dialog seen in Trek. If it were a show, the feel of it would be closer to the characters in the Stargate franchise. They are intelligent characters, but they are also not that strait-laced as other ship crews we have seen before. Right now, there are 14 complete episodes.

What are some of the hurdles you’ve encountered as a Foundry author?

When I was just starting out, putting together a good map was hard to do. First issue was the interface of the Foundry. I started creating Foundry missions last year. One thing I do not like about some Cryptic’s maps: They are filled with junk. I decided the “simple, easy-to-navigate maps” are the best looking. Now my major issue is trying to come up with good compelling stories.

As of a few episodes ago, this has become a fleet effort with other people helping with writing and editing.

How would you argue against the ratings for your missions? Are there edits you could make to improve your standing?

Some of my episodes have received low ratings due to the fact that some people do not get what I am trying to do. Other reasons have been because of the Foundry bugs. People will give me a one-star. I give a warning before every episode about the fact that there will be a LOT of read.

How/where have you publicized/advertised your mission(s)?

A couple of time I attempted to post my stories in the STO forums, In my experience on the official STO Forums, a lot of people don’t seem to want to do missions that are text-heavy or exploration-based. In my missions, I try to go with what the creators and writers of Star Trek was going for: peace, exploration and diplomacy. As well as good character development.

Don’t get me wrong there are some missions with combat, but the combat has a reason. My missions are not just “fly over here, then blow this up.” In the missions I create, there is a reason why we are facing the enemies.

Why do you think some Foundry authors have gotten more success with their Foundry missions than yours (or others)?

A good Foundry mission is a good story. My writers and I like to make stories that make you think. Some of them are fluff episodes that all series have from TNG to Voyager, plus DS9, but it is a good idea to play them for the fact that there is a story line teaser in there somewhere. For example, I made a mission called Memory Omega. Anyone who does not read through the mission text would completely miss the bomb I drop in that episode. Not to give it away, but much of it is a ship episode.

Why did you choose a Federation Foundry mission? Why not KDF?

I chose the Federation due to the fact my character is a Federation Character.

Why did you create your Foundry mission in the first place?

I wrote and am writing the series out of the fact that there is no current Star Trek series in production at that moment. All of the missions have a very Star Trek feel to them. They are in 3rd person format, so you do see the series through the eyes of my characters. If STO is around for long enough, then I am planning on doing an entire series of two hundred episodes.

Author: Klintobean

Give us the elevator pitch for your Foundry mission.

The Quadrant’s most popular up-and-coming Cardassian techno music artist “DJ Spoonhead” has mysteriously gone missing just before his live concert on the beaches of Risa, for what has been deemed “the most anticipated Cardassian Techno Music Tour event of the century”.

Accusations involving his record label funding the Orion Syndicate have been making their way into music headlines recently. Starfleet is dispatching you to investigate his disappearance at the request of the Cardassians.

Find DJ Spoonhead or DIE trying.

Help us understand what your biggest hurdles were.

I started playing around in the Foundry when it came to Tribble (STO test server). I made a couple “mini-missions” to get my hands dirty. However, TECHNOBABBLE is my first real published mission. I’m excited for the community to play it. I think my biggest hurdles were trying to work around and understand the limitations of the Foundry. I would definitely like to learn more about integrating triggers and more complicated interactions into my missions. I would also like to add more combat into my next missions.

Do you have a newfound respect for Foundry authors after publishing your mission?

Absolutely. So much is involved with developing a quality mission. Dotting every ‘I’ and crossing every ‘T’ is so important. The more you put into detail, the more the mission comes to life. I really respect many of the Authors out there who have made incredible missions and maps like: The City of the Polmar Ree, The Syndicate Extraction, and The Longing are among my favorites.

How/where have you publicized/advertised your mission?

I posted an announcement on the STO forums in the Foundry section, and also in the “Promote Your Foundry Mission” thread. I made a fun trailer for my mission and posted it on YouTube that I hope people will enjoy to get excited about TECHNOBABBLE. I think the process for making the trailer was a rewarding and big learning experience after completing my mission. It forced me to learn more about video editing. I also emailed StarbaseUGC and PrimetimeUGC about my new mission in hopes to get the word out to the community*.

* See Part One of this series to learn about additional online resources for Foundry authors.

Why do you think some Foundry authors have gotten more success with their Foundry mission than yours (or others)?

I don’t think missions are usually a huge success over night. I think it takes time for players to hear about your mission and for it to get noticed more. Some missions out there are pretty incredible and detailed. There are maps I’ve seen that I am like, “Wow, this must have taken a lot of hard work and patience to create.” I think when Foundry Authors take the time to do a lot of planning, use imagination and are familiar with the toolset — it will make their mission stand out more than others that seem “cookie-cutter.”

Why did you choose a Federation Foundry mission? Why not KDF?

I made TECHNOBABBLE for Federation because my main character is Federation and the majority of players are Federation too. Also TECHNOBABBLE’s story seems to fit better with a Starfleet standpoint for storytelling. I wanted to reach the biggest player base I could. I do think it would be a fun challenge to do a KDF faction mission in the future.

Why did you create your Foundry mission in the first place?

I’ve been very excited ever since the Foundry launched. I had a lot of fun creating “mini-missions” for myself to get started and learn what I could and couldn’t do. I made TECHNOBABBLE because I wanted to create a fully published mission with a story that gave insight into the craziness of the Music Industry in the STO universe. I made a story and mission that I enjoy and think is entertaining. Hopefully there will be other players out there that enjoy it, too.

Do you believe there’s favoritism among Foundry community members when it comes to reviews/promotions?

I think that people get to know one another and begin to form a connection which becomes what is featured on reviews, podcasts, shows etc. I think it is great – that is how community is formed. Once an Author has a great mission that players enjoy, they look forward to the next (probably expecting great things again). Luckily there are editorials like this one that help to feature newcomers to the Foundry community. Sometimes it is hard to know what is a quality mission while sorting through the long list in STO. I definitely think the possibilities and future of STO lies with the Foundry.

Stay tuned for Part Three in this article series. Please support the Foundry by playing these authors’ missions.

Also available: Part One