Guest Blog: Join a Fleet
By PWE_BranFlakes @ July 5, 2012 at 11:58am
By @Commadore_Bob
I’ve been playing Star Trek Online since right after launch, but up until the release of the Ferasan playable race for the KDF, I played solo. I never joined a fleet as I just never saw the benefit. All of that changed when I got the chance to join the Ferasan Shadow Force KDF fleet. To understand why this is a big deal, I’d like to share my gaming background.
Playing Solo
I grew up playing games by myself. The idea of playing a game where multiplayer interaction was a requirement never appealed to me. How could I trust a stranger on the internet to have the same goals as me?
The only time I regularly played multiplayer was when my US Army unit in Iraq hooked up two XBOXs together for Halo 2 runs every Saturday. While I enjoyed the experience, it was with people I knew, not with people I’d never met.
The reason I gave Star Trek Online a chance was because of the subject matter: Star Trek. Fortunately, the game was designed to be simple for new MMO players like me. The handholding was what I needed. But it had an unintended side effect: I never played a single level with another player because I didn’t need to. Other than a few PvP matches, I never as much joined a team. What changed?
A New Day
On May 17, 2012, the Ferasan playable race was released for the Klingon Defense Force — I purchased it on opening day as something about this race intrigued me more than the other KDF offerings. Later, I stumbled upon the thread “Ferasan Shadow Force” in the Qo’noS Fleet Administrative Station sub-forum.
As it turned out, one of our Community Moderators was starting a Ferasan-only fleet and I decided to ask for an invite. Over the next couple hours, I was made an honorary Fleet Founder. That endowed me certain benefits, like total control of the fleet, but I also gained the great responsibility of ensuring that the fleet continued to grow and remained active. I had never even been a member of a fleet, yet here I was, a leader within a new fleet.
But the camaraderie our fleet enjoys is so pronounce, that I miss it when I am not online. Before, I would just pick something to do in-game, but I now find myself somewhat disappointed when there are few fleet members online.
More than Brothers
A fleet is more than just a group of people you hang out with. They are, to steal an Army term, battle buddies. These are guys and gals who will happily run Infected Space with you for the 500th time just to enjoy seeing you get that one rare tech drop you needed to complete your Mark XI Omega Force set. It doesn’t matter to them if they are stepping down in competition; what makes their day more than anything is seeing a new player advance. They will even talk you through an STF step-by-step to ensure you understand it, even if that means delaying the start of the mission by 15 minutes.
As a man who grew up as a solo player, this completely reinvented the game for me. With a fleet, I find myself further along in my quest to outfit my ship with special STF gear than I did playing solo. Not only have I tried playing different STFs, I already have the optional objective on two of them on elite. For a family man who only gets to play for an hour or two a day, this is a big deal. And this is only possible because of my fleet.
A Great Time to Start
With the addition of fleet starbases, this game is going to jump to another level. Even though I now think fleets are great, players are nomadic and are constantly traveling from one place to another. Fleet starbases will help create a more central location of congregation. I believe this will improve fleet participation and communication. Just go to the fleet starbase and you will find a handful of fleet mates who are ready and willing to run that STF with you even if they have run it 100 times before. And while the STF store will remain on DS9, I know I will spend my idle time on the fleet starbase and will be dedicated to helping it grow.
Go Join!
Too many times I have thrown my hands in the air when playing against or with human beings. I hate, no, loathe multiplayer gaming. And yet, even I have found fleets to be a perfect source of communication and support. Fleet starbases will take this great resource and expand it further.
If you have not tried a fleet, I encourage you to look around. You can use the “Find a Fleet” feature in-game through the ‘Social’ menu to search for fleets based on your interests. There are fleets for every style of play style, whether it be hardcore, role-play, or just the occasional grouping. Or, you and your friends can start your own fleet! If you have a Ferasan character, feel free to look us up.
So, join a fleet. Get to know other players who share a passion for this game. And take advantage of the benefits fighting as a team brings. You will not regret it. I know I don’t.
Commadore_Bob/ LG Twinkers
Shadowcat Master
Ferasan Shadow Force
apershing @ Jul 13th, 2012 11:11AM
Speaking of recruiting, Battle Group Xray is a very small laid back fleet that is currently recruiting. And When I say small, I mean no required playing time, no staff meetings...come and go as you please, solo or a team player? We welcome them all. All levels and experience also welcome. Look us up and contact one of the fleet Commanders....look forward to flying with you...Admiral Adam Pershing- U.S.S. Sir F. Drake-B
d2master @ Jul 6th, 2012 8:29PM
hey dark i also was to trusting at frist in my new fleet and i got took for 5 crafted items and they was high end because i wanted to give are new recruits access to the bank i give them 1 wd per day per tab on are trial officer rank and we had a player that had been with us a week and never took any thing and then one day he took 5 items and then left the fleet 30 seconds after he took them so i had to revoke the perimissions to the trial rank it happens we just have to move on and learn and we do the same as what bobs fleet does once they go through the trial and we see how they are we give them the choice of 3 ranks they can join that have access to the bank we also made a crafting team rank for are crafting items tab and the crafting team is hand picked and has full access to that tab only but the same access as other players to the other tabs just something to think about
fliporican @ Jul 6th, 2012 3:36PM
I agree joining a fleet is great. However, it's also important to find the right fleet to join. I joined a fleet from launched and after 16 months I quit the fleet. They main reason being was that I found it hard to find anyone in my fleet willing to help me complete a lot of the fleet missions. But then when Cryptic changes Fleet missions to a joining que system it allowed me to find others who were either solo players or members of other fleets to help me complete the Fleet missions I hadn't ever completed before. But I see the value in overall gaming experience to become a member of a fleet, especially for some PVP action...just waiting to find the right fleet to join.
pauljones81 @ Jul 6th, 2012 3:19PM
I too was never into the multi-player aspect of many games. When I joined STO for the Star Trek theme, I got an invite from Federation Elite Force. They helped me level up, cheered each rank I achieved, and now I'm second in command of thier MACO fleet. I enjoyed the game before, but with them I love it! Glad you found such a fleet as well Commodore Bob. And from one Army man to another, thank you for your service to this country.
darkdeity20xx @ Jul 6th, 2012 8:36AM
Oh, and I am glad you found yourself a fleet, Bob. =) Sounds like you are where you belong.
darkdeity20xx @ Jul 6th, 2012 8:35AM
I confess I skipped reading most of the, presently, 28 comments. I am sure someone made reference to the fear of recruiting 'new' players. I have had new players enter my fleet, only to rob items in our fleet bank. I have also had old players that have returned to the game, only for them to clear out the bank stores. This has happened to my fleet a number of times. We have taken the necessary security measures to ensure that it doesn't happen again but it leaves a bad feel in the fleet. It has become to risky to welcome new people into my fleet and although recruitment is something my fleet members have wanted to do, especially with season 6 coming out, I am just to untrusting. If you would like to check out our humble fleet page, go to http://socom-fleet.blogspot.com/
commadorebob
I can understand. We enacted some very strict standards with our fleet. No one has access to the bank while they are under "probation". After that, they pick a specialty. That only gives them access to certain tabs in the fleet bank. The only people who can "clean us out" are the Founders and honorary Founders. And we were chosen because of our lower risk of doing that.
darkdeity20xx
We enacted the same restirctions you mention in your reply and it left a lot of my members wondering why they were restricted from specific fleet resources. I have assured them it is in the best interest of the fleet but I think support from the game developers in such instances would minimize such occurances from happening. We're kind of on our own when it comes down to it. Tickets do you nothing, I have learned, after someone has taken millions in energy credits and rare items from your stores. ;-(
brackynews
It's a shame you say that about tickets, Dark, because I have read nothing but good things about Cryptic's attention to resolving issues of account hacking. But it sounds like your bank permissions were quite lax. It should be impossible for anyone below SO rank to drain any tab with valuable items in less than a week, and by then there is an ample trail of logging. Feel free to contact me in game (same @ handle) to bounce some ideas about bank policies. With starbases there will be additional layers of complexity. ;) Cheers.
darkdeity20xx
These issues happened years ago (watch out haha). We have learned from our mistakes. You think you can trust some people and one day - they take everything they can and walk away. A few bad experiences -- but we have overcome them. Feels nice to be able to discuss this with you guys. Man I really hope we can put the fleet emblem on our bases.
sirepical @ Jul 6th, 2012 7:03AM
Great job Bob. This is a great blog here. I was also really happy and surpised when I saw myself on the STO front page O_O fantastic job with the writing, something everyone should read and think about (think being a key word).
commadorebob
See... showing up to Fleet Events pays off. ;)
nynik @ Jul 6th, 2012 6:01AM
Awesome write up Commadore_Bob.
pvtzahari @ Jul 6th, 2012 3:35AM
Are you recruiting fleet members? Can I join you, even though I am just starting to play the game =D I just know that I will be in good use of you!
commadorebob
If you have a Ferasan, then we will be happy to have you!
d2master @ Jul 6th, 2012 1:58AM
i agree with all of you a fleet is ment to be there to make bonds of brother hood to help one another no matter if you do the same mission over and over and over again as i have to help members of my own fleet me and other friends started a few weeks back its not big yet but we take the time to talk to each player befor we invite them to the fleet to make shure they want to join yes you have bad apples on the tree but just because you find one bad apple doesnt mean you cut down the tree now does it just last week we had a member that joined had been in the fleet for a week and then he went to the fleet bank and took out 5 crafted items that wasnt cheap to make and left the fleet 2 minutes after he took them but do i lock every one out just because of one thief no not fair so yes i agree fleets can be both a good thing and a bad thing as you can get them bad apples that rob you blind but you cant let that stop you from finding the right fleet it is out there and on a side note you cant have the good with out the bad happy with out sad joy with out sorrow just something to think on any ways gl all LT Commander Spock founder Omega Delta Force
marman01 @ Jul 5th, 2012 9:26PM
Comm Bob, i agree with you, i also played single player games until i ran into STO, i in fact didn't even do stuff with other players until the STF's came into contact with my Character. Being in a active fleet is perfect for those who need the help getting those rare weaponry or just need help getting a certain accolade, that's what being in a fleet is all about. Some fleets can be off focus and don't even care about playing the game, some just ramble on about personal stuff, true it's disappointing, but, not all fleets are like that. I was once in a fleet that wasn't as active but some of us had a brothers bond, you just need to keep searching and i know that Comm Bob has found a great fleet. You just need to open your eyes fully, you'll see that there's not always disappointment.
fox1echo1
Well said, mate. Cheers.
zeuxidemus001 @ Jul 5th, 2012 8:06PM
I've been one for solo fleets for a long time its just that you have to go through 1000's of players or fleets before you can ever find one that is satisfactory... In reality just being a fleet doesn't make it a fleet its the people and common interests that form and make the best fleets although those out there 500 fleets are lacking the cohesion it takes to make a good fleet... No common interests... Player skill usually you have 1 or 2 good players/good conduct out of them and are not going to have a good reputation.
mattjohnsonva @ Jul 5th, 2012 6:42PM
Like you Bob I have never been a multiplayer fan, always 1st person shooters. For a long time this was true in STO too. I joined a fleet though and met many like minded individuals that gave me far more than I could ever have imagined. I have a new fleet now with guys from 1 day to almost 900 days, they are all pleasant and helpful. We run missions together, even the lower level stuff but put it on advanced and match levels for some really entertaining fights. Even the quiet ones are now starting to join in. All questions are answered from what's the best shield stripping build to where's Admiral Quinn's office because for that person the question is important and so it is for the rest of us too. It's a shame some of the posters have had bad experiences with fleets but I do agree that for every bad one there are twenty good ones. It adds a whole new dimension and when the fleet is quiet I almost feel lost, fortunately there are usually at least 10 online and active at any one time. Give it another go, question the fleet members first, or just go along on some STFs or missions to see how you fit in, when it works it's brilliant. Thanks for the blog Bob and I'm pleased you've found a home for your kitty.
blznfun @ Jul 5th, 2012 4:23PM
All of the updates up to season 6 have been geared toward the SOLO player. Its about time that fleets got some love. By the way this is an MMO... If you want to advance to your highest potential, join a fleet... Jeremy Fleet Admiral 106th Fleet
fox1echo1
I agree. You miss a lot of opportunities by soloing everything. Sure, you can do it, and you can definitely have a lot of fun so doing. But you can go the county fair or the movies by yourself, too. I've always found it more fun to go with friends. Is there any word on whether-or-not we'll be attacking Player Fleet Starbases, etc.? I'd love to see some massive Player Fleet engagements, maybe system battling/conquering (even as a PvE for those not inclined to engage in PvP). Of course, I'm still pretty new... I may just have not reached that point yet.
tostrekkie @ Jul 5th, 2012 4:16PM
Comm Bob, do you know what MMO stands for? If you're a Star Trek fan do you know what the United Federation of Planets stands for? They don't refer to single player shooter. So you played STO for 2 years with closed eyes
commadorebob
No, what I cut out was a longer diatribe on why I hated multiplayer games to the core. The only thing that brought me to STO was the Star Trek part. And STO is designed in a way that multiplayer gameplay is not required. I know what MMO stands for. It just wasn't a factor in my gameplay for the first two years.
verse3 @ Jul 5th, 2012 3:57PM
When I started playing MMORG's I was a stand alone, a rogue, than I entered a guild on the DDO server which was very dramatic. Life moved on, made my own guild and moved on with my life. Than I switched to STO, being a Long Time Star Trek fan and participating in many many play-by-emails I figured it would be a natural progression. My first fleet on STO was dramatic, over bearing and the such... really turned me off of fleets altogether, a small group of us splintered off and again formed our own guild. Long story short, it was full of inactivity. Third time around in experiencing fleets on STO and so far it has been an excellent fit. I first started out not being interested with the fleet upper echelon and only offering my opinion when needed, and now i am one of my Fleet Commanders right hands. My point is, it may take a couple of tries, and a lot of patience now that we are dealing with a world-wide audience, but you too (non-fleeters) will find your place and home on STO.
midniteshadow7 @ Jul 5th, 2012 3:49PM
Joining the SCCFleet was the best thing I ever did in STO. I have so much more fun than playing solo. I feel lonely when my Fleet mates are not online. Even my wife has told me she has never known me laugh as much as when I do when playing with my Fleet mates, non of whom I have ever met in person. Nice blog post Bob.
cobanator @ Jul 5th, 2012 3:25PM
2 years ago i joined a fleet Attack Fleet Omega and to this day i would to anything and everything for the fleet. Everyone in the fleet is unique and we all come together to have fun nd make the best of the game bit even thought we are small we always look out for everyone and watch eachothers back and with season 6 fast approaching we are starting to grow again. To me a fleet is an important asset to have in the game and this asset will always benfit you in the long run.
fox1echo1
Definitely. The right fleet can really make all the difference in not only your fun while in-game, but in your willingness to keep coming back. There have been times when I've been frustrated with content, glitches/bugs, or whatever, and only came back to play because of my fleet (clan, guild, whatever).
e1im @ Jul 5th, 2012 3:12PM
So... fleets started by community mods get promoted on STO site. What a powerful recruitment tool indeed.
commadorebob
Coincidence only. It just happen to be his fleet I joined.
sirepical
Someone would make a comment like that to ANY fleet that got promoted. Like "So BranFlakes son is on a fleet so it gets up here." Or, "So racist fleet get promoted then." Every fleet is different, ANY fleet could be selected but there has to be one of them that ends up here. Your comment isn't well thought-out.
fauth1972 @ Jul 5th, 2012 2:49PM
Itared this game as a solo player and i will continue too play as a solo player fleets are not on my list of things too get involed with i find them not very usefull se are childish...so if i get left behind on things so be it as a solo player i don't have too worrie about other peoples bull s**t
k168m @ Jul 5th, 2012 2:05PM
i joined 3 fleets and just as quickly left them.childish,arrogant,and completely without any sence of honor at all is wat i've found.the last one seemd to talk about everything except STO.and totaly ignored every request i sent for help with say any issue.im not a paying player as i will nt use a credit card to buy a ship that should be available (after much game play) for my continued growth in the universe.saddly this is not the case.im still sporting a soverigne class star ship.need 2400 more points or wat ever to gt next ship that isnt even bigger than my current one.i'll gt it im sure ,but still,now it seems that it wont do me anygood with out a fleet.tried makeing my own but game wont let me for some reason or i did something wrong,at any rate im alone for now. so i geuss i wait and see wat the new season brings,flee or no fleet i will be in space with my lil soverigne ss.look 4 me U.S.S.MISSOURI,KLINN MITCHELL.
sirepical
You just haven't found the right one yet. A lot of the ones people have listed here in their good experiences are good fleets. Maybe you should try one of them, because as I've said plenty of times, every fleet is different.
fox1echo1 @ Jul 5th, 2012 12:56PM
I think everyone above have made valid points. For one, the blog was very well written - cheers mate on painting an awesome picture of what a fleet is to you and what it can be to others - I'll be looking you up when I get my Ferasan captain going. And to combine "bradtucker" and dicecasden's" comments, fleets aren't for everyone, but finding the right one can REALLY enhance gameplay, just like finding the right "guilds" and "clans" can do the same in other MMO's. But I really appreciate the candor of "vinru821's" post here, and the valid point that it raises. Fleets really appeal to end-game players, bent on grabbing the best gear, most powerful ships and consoles and weapons, even if it comes at the expense of others. As a veteran of many MMO/team-based online games, I would tend to agree that fleets (guilds, clans, etc.) can bring out the absolute worst in people and can attract like-minded players interested in exploiting newer players who are looking for nothing more than a little help and a nice experience during their couple of hours a week online. I've seen all of that and worse. However, I would encourage those who have been the victims of these terrible experiences to take each one, ball it up, and throw it away. Don't let these bad experiences color your entire perception of fleets or those who choose to be in them. I've had more bad experiences than good when it comes to player-run organizations (hereafter, PRO's). But the good SO completely outshine the bad that I rarely even think about them anymore. I've met folks in PRO's that I've gotten to know both in-game, and later, out-of-game, some friends that I've known for years now. I've joined less-than-excellent PRO's that are exploitative and immature and rude and mean, filled with players that exemplify all the traits that make online gaming such a trial. But, for every one of the bad, I've known ten or twenty that are truly a joy to play with, and out of all those that make the experience all the better, anyone could easily find five or ten folks that would be willing to form a fleet based around all those qualities that YOU find most important to making your online experience enjoyable. Don't let a few bad experiences lead to bitterness. There's obviously at least one fleet out there, the one our blogger mentioned, that seems to represent the opposite of the circumstances you've mentioned. And if there's one, I'm willing to bet there are others. Great blog mate. :)
cedricophoff @ Jul 5th, 2012 12:22PM
STO does not have the right community for me to try and get closer to it. So far most people have been arrogant, asocial and downright abnoxious. I want to play this game solo or with friends, and not be forced to join a fleet. I still for the life of me cant imagine why they would postpone an exploration revamp and perhaps the one galaxy to rule them all idea for an insane focus on fleets, when before they announced it the total population in a fleet was less then half. Its prob way more now. But w/e ... Poor design decision tbh..
vinru821
1 agreed
sirepical
There are plenty of mean players and plenty of nice ones like in any other game. No one can guarentee that everyone will be nice. There are also plenty of great fleets out there. Some people just have been at the wrong place at the wrong time, and not seen the nice players and good fleets yet, apparently.
genhauk @ Jul 5th, 2012 12:20PM
All I can say is that I would not trade my fleetmates in both sides of the Alliance or our allies for anything.
alastorforthrigh
Not even undeniable proof that Kahless was a cat?
bradtucker @ Jul 5th, 2012 12:10PM
fleets are great, just gotta find that right one to make the enjoyable for yourself and everyone else.
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