Design The Next Enterprise Contest (NOW OPEN!)

From a email from Cryptic

Design The Next Enterprise
Seriously. We're working with our friends at CBS and Intel to turn the design of the next canon Enterprise over to you, Star Trek's most dedicated fans. Just visit our special Design Hangar and submit your version of the universe's most iconic spaceship. We'll convert the best design into a ship in Star Trek Online, but that's not where it stops.

Prizes:

Grand Prize: Custom, STO-painted Alienware M11x laptop; STO Collector's Edition; STO Lifetime Membership; and a 3-D model of the winning design.

Second Prize: Alienware laptop (no custom paint job), STO Collector's Edition and an STO Lifetime Membership.

Third Prize: STO Collector's Edition, STO Lifetime Membership and an Intel Core i7-875k processor.

Fourth Prize: STO Collector's Edition and an STO Lifetime Membership.

Twenty-one Honorable Mentions: Standard-edition copy of STO and a Star Trek Online poster.

I think Stonewall has some of the most creative players in the game! Can't wait to see one of y'all win :D

Quick addendum to this: the Design Hangar doesn't exist yet. The contest starts December 9, when Cryptic will make a available a 'special tool' that will allow us to submit our design.

http://www.startrekonline.com/enterprise

I have to say, I'm pretty excited. It's a long shot my design(s) would get picked, but man... the bragging rights alone would be awesome. Can you imagine, being able to say "I designed the Enterprise-F"?

However, I wonder why they're even doing this. Last time I checked, the game is still saying that Data is captain of the Enterprise-E, which implies that ship still exists. I wonder if there's going to be an upcoming mission where the Enterprise is destroyed?

the question is will data perish with Enterprise E????

im looking forward to this got an idea or two just hope i'll be able to use the tools when its released as i cant draw :D

Didn't Data die at the end of nemesis?

DStahl

and then the Fan submitted next Enterprise which will be decided by a contest starting up in the US sometime in December.

.......


Anyone know if this contest is open to all or just the US? Because I'm kinda confused why what he means... :S

Quote by Halish

Didn't Data die at the end of nemesis?

Yes but all of his engrams were placed into the newest found soong android B4(?), b4 could become data in time, as if it was a case of amnesia.

Yeah, what Seannewboy said. Additionally, there's an official 4-part comic that was released just before the most recent Star Trek movie that explains the events in the original universe leading up to the Hobus supernova. In it, Data is captain of the Enterprise-E.

Also, he's mentioned as captain in both STO loading screens and the Path to 2409 entries.

This contest looks awesome, thanks for posting! ^.^

Ok to answer my own question. This contest is for the US only. :(

-sigh-

I have to think long and hard about this. I told myself strongly after the absolute shambles that was Warhammer Online that I'd never allow myself to feel like a second class subscriber again.

I planned to play on the US server of any game that didn't give Europeans a service of equal standard but since STO is one server I didn't have to worry about that here. But then this happens.

I've read the reasons given by the devs and they are all perfectly logical but let me ask you guys this; would you accept this competition if it was open only to the Europeans and you were excluded because of some difficulty in law translation. I doubt it'd go down so well if the Americans were excluded.

The none-US on the official forums will kick up a fuss but it'll blow over Cryptic know that and I accept that but I have to personally think long and hard about my future because of this.

As I said, I promised myself I'd never let myself feel like this any more and I feel it today.

Hal, I'm sure it is really frustrating to hear that it is US only. The only reason this is so is because of International Contest Laws. It's happened with all of their contests, even with Mark and my podcast. Don't let it get to you :) it's nothing they or anyone can change :(


Edit: if it were EU only, it would suck but i am an international business major so I kinda understand. I even told myself before I remembered it was US only, "I can't wait to see Hal's submission!" major boo

How does not being able to enter the contest make you a second-class subscriber? Your ability to enter it has nothing to do with whether you're subscribed to the game (at least, they haven't said that's a requirement yet).

Also, if this is going to drive you from STO, then I wouldn't play any games that are headquartered out of the United States. Due to the laws Brandon mentioned, this is going to be the case if any US-based MMO ever runs a contest.

This is a pretty neat contest. I am excited to see what people come up with. Especially if the winner has a design similar in style to what we're used to (saucer with two nacelles) or if it's a dramatically different new design entirely.

We understand the laws when it comes to contests like this, but at the end of the day it is our right to get frustrated and angry about it. I also feel a little let peeved about it. This is a big thing don't forget, this is a new Enterprise not just some unknown ship.

Now you can say you don't really see a problem with it, but how would you all really feel if the shoe was on the other foot? I'm sure the STO forum server would have crashed and burned by now...

That truly sucks... I wish it wasn't US onry :(

I believe my response would be to go "aw nuts" and move on because designing the new Enterprise and winning contests weren't my reasons for joining the game in the first place. I understand why you'd be disappointed, but being angry and acting like it will affect your ability to enjoy the game seems to be going overboard.

-reads his own post again-

Where exactly did I say that my reasons for playing STO was to design the new enterprise or to win the competition? Where did I say that this would effect my ability to enjoy the game?

I didn't say anything of the sort. Do you honestly think my feelings are purely because I won't be able to win? I have absolutely no chance of winning. I'd be putting myself against major Star Trek geeks with a lot of talent, somebody will design something great! The problem is that we won't get the opportunity.

Star Trek Online sold the game Worldwide on a subscription bases. They have a responsibly to treat every subscriber exactly the same because we're all paying customers. Cryptic is a US company and if they wanted to run a competition like this they should have found ways to include everyone or made the prises something that can be awarded to anybody, anywhere!

If you read the official forums there's quite a few people who have said this; Why don't you give us the opportunity to enter the competition and if we win don't give us the prises? Getting something we created into STO would be reward enough and I agree with that although it still isn't right it's better than going "You guys outside of the US. Sorry but you're not allowed".

The reason it feels like we're second class subscribers is because this is a perk of being an STO fan. If you have a problem with my terminology because people without an active subscription can use it then pretend I said "second class fans". The point still remains.

And yes this is a problem I've experienced before from US based games which is why I mentioned in my post that I'd vowed to play on US servers of any game that didn't give us equal service.

All of this is a problem Cryptic has made for themselves. Why did I get sent the email of an amazing competition twice? Yeah thanks for that, I was really excited for a while. I forgot that I wasn't American and should just accept my place and go "aw nuts".

I feel better now.

Wrote this very quickly before work. May improve it later.

Quote by Halish

-reads his own post again-

Where exactly did I say that my reasons for playing STO was to design the new enterprise or to win the competition? Where did I say that this would effect my ability to enjoy the game?

Quote by Halish

The reason it feels like we're second class subscribers is because this is a perk of being an STO fan. If you have a problem with my terminology because people without an active subscription can use it then pretend I said "second class fans". The point still remains.

The fact that you consider this contest to be part of what you are entitled to as a subscriber is where I inferred that you considered it part of your reason for playing the game. I would argue that your use of terminology actually does change the direction of your argument, as 'subscriber' carries far different meanings and implications than 'fan'.

Additionally, as I said before, I understand your frustration. As a US citizen who has been locked out of a number of very awesome contests from European and Japanese publishers and companies because I'm not located in those respective territories, I understand. (Shocking, I know, it's not just us mean ol' Americans blocking everyone else out.) These include companies of which I have been, and will continue to be, a long-standing fan because I realize they need to make appropriate business decisions based on trade laws over which they have little control.

However, it seems that we'll have to agree to disagree on this, simply because I just don't care about a contest as much as you apparently do and cannot relate to getting so frustrated about it.

If the competition is not open to all than they should not run it, simple as.

Then there are no content contests at all. And to make things equal, no MMO or similar based in any country should have any content contests at all, since, as has been pointed out, this isn't just about US copyright/trademark law, but is also law in other countries.

Copyright laws and such can be a pain, to be sure. But, I mean, they could set up the contest so that anyone from any country could enter, and then there'll be the nice huge lawsuit that shuts down STO outright.

I'd rather that everyone be able to participate, but I'd also like to keep the game from getting shut down.