Star Trek Online

By LOC
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Grand Master

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Set in the year 2409 (Stardate circa 86645.315), Star Trek Online kicks off 30 years after the events in Star Trek Nemesis, in the prime timeline rather than in the new timeline created by the events in the 2009 Star Trek film. Things aren't good in the 25th century: the Khitomer Accords have been broken, and the Federation and Klingon Empire are at war. To make matters worse, the Borg have returned to wreak havoc on the Alpha Quadrant.

Every person plays the role of a starship captain in Star Trek Online. You can take control of a Federation or Klingon Defense Force vessel, along with three bridge officers. "It's all about being a captain. That's the game we wanted to make," said executive producer Craig Zinkievich. Star Trek Online was granted an official licence from Star Trek owner CBS, and Zinkievich said the goal with the game was to "make it feel like the TV shows and movies," and from what we saw at GamesCom, it's on its way to achieving that goal. The mission we saw involved ferrying a Vulcan ambassador to a monastery. En route our ship was hailed by several Klingon ships, who warned us that the ambassador was an evil shape-shifter and that we would need to beam him over to them, or die.

Despite the immediate hostilities, the environment looked rather peaceful with our ship floating blissfully around the class-M planet and through a nearby asteroid field. In our intergalactic journey, we also saw some beautiful nebulae and planetary bodies in deep yellow and purple colours. At subwarp impulse speed, you can just coast along and take in all of the sights; however, when travelling at warp speed, you view the galaxy from an astrometric grid view. Despite being able to fly through space at warp speed, the Federation ships aren't particularly zippy with impulse power. Zinkievich explains that these are massive warships with more than 100 crew members, and space combat should reflect the size and scope of these awesome ships.

There are quite a few things to keep you occupied during the heat of battle. For a start, you can move energy from auxiliary systems to the weapons systems and shields. An icon around your ship is split into four quadrants, and these represent your front, rear, and side shields. The quadrants will visually display how weak or strong they are, and you can bolster a sector if you're taking a beating from any particular direction. At your disposal are forward-facing photon torpedoes and forward- and rear-facing phaser arrays. While the torpedo arc is only 90 degrees, the phaser arcs are much wider, and if you're able to broadside an enemy, you can use the front and rear arrays together for a more powerful attack.

In addition to shields and weapons, you'll be occupied with your ship's throttle and power levels and with commanding your bridge officers. You have access to multiple officers, but you can use only three at once. Each one has its own skills and abilities, so you need to take the right ones into battle. Zinkievich said one of his favourite tactics is to have his science officer use a tacyon beam to knock out an enemy's shields, and then use his tactical officer to destroy the craft with torpedoes. After taking care of the Klingon ships, we discovered that some of the Klingons had beamed down to the surface to attack the monastery, and we beamed down to follow them.

Away teams can carry two weapons. Our character had a phaser pistol and a rifle, so he could stun or kill. The phaser's visual effects look great, and we could see the air sizzle around the solid beam of hot energy. In addition to standard weapons, you can unlock other weapons depending on which faction and type of character you play as. One such weapon we saw was a stasis field, which was used to freeze one of the Klingons. You'll also unlock more-powerful weapons later in the game, and we're told these will be one of the bigger rewards.

Star Trek Online is shaping up to be a Trekkie's dream, with plenty of space and on-foot battles, plenty of diplomatic and research missions, and plenty of customisation of both the character and vehicles in the game. We look forward to spending more time in the Alpha Quadrant before the game is released, although that current stardate is unknown.

Source: http://gamescom.gamespot.com/story/6216059...stories;story;4

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Grand Master

Yusuf M. Veteran

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Very interesting. I really hope this game is good. My faith in Star Trek games hangs on a single shred of hope for this game's success. As for a beta, those who purchased a lifetime subscription to Champions Online (for $200) will also get Star Trek Online beta access. Unfortunately, the subscriptions are sold out.

Grand Master

Yusuf M. Veteran

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Actually, they re-instated the lifetime and 6-month subs until August 31st with no limits for Champions Online. To many people complained about it etc.

Cool. I'd get it, but I didn't enjoy playing the Champions Online open beta. It was simply too boring. I really hope Star Trek Online is better.

Grand Master

LOC Veteran

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I dont like it, it NEEDS to be canon not have a load of bullcrap made up starships, i want my Intepid Class.

It IS canon. Paramount has said over and over now that they consider the STO universe part of the "prime" Trek universe timeline/canon. And I'm pretty sure you'll have an Intrepid class starship in the game. After all, they have every other class since the Constitution class in lol

Grand Master

Richard Hammond

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From all the screenshots ive seen they have all over the top engineering sections that have warp cores that look nothing like anything ive seen in startrek, and all the ships have bits bolted to them and look stupid.

924226_20090730_embed001.jpg

924226_20090730_embed002.jpg

I realise its an experimental ship in the bottom shot but it looks nothing like a canon ship.

Grand Master

ToneKnee

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From all the screenshots ive seen they have all over the top engineering sections that have warp cores that look nothing like anything ive seen in startrek, and all the ships have bits bolted to them and look stupid.

924226_20090730_embed001.jpg

924226_20090730_embed002.jpg

I realise its an experimental ship in the bottom shot but it looks nothing like a canon ship.

It's been 30 years after Nemesis, I think Starship designs would change a bit, though, saying that, I don't like the look of the ship, seems to be an afterthought.

Grand Master

Richard Hammond

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Ships between TMP era and TNG era which is what Nemesis was essentially in which was well over a 50 year difference the ships didnt look all that different. Ship design, bridge layout, LCARS, everything was similar, this looks like a ship a child would draw with bits stuck to it, this game is made purely for the WoW crowd so it looks all pretty and futuristic.

They are going to destroy Trek canon with this crap.

Grand Master

Yusuf M. Veteran

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How can they destroy something by adding to it? As LOC said, Paramount considers it to be "canon". That should be good enough for just about any Trekkie. I, for one, have a lot of faith in it. I hope it will succeed where others have failed time and time again. Let's face it, there hasn't been a good Star Trek game within the last 5 years. Star Trek: Legacy was an utter joke. Anyway, initial impressions seem to be good. That's definitely a good sign.

Grand Master

LOC Veteran

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How can they destroy something by adding to it? As LOC said, Paramount considers it to be "canon". That should be good enough for just about any Trekkie. I, for one, have a lot of faith in it. I hope it will succeed where others have failed time and time again. Let's face it, there hasn't been a good Star Trek game within the last 5 years. Star Trek: Legacy was an utter joke. Anyway, initial impressions seem to be good. That's definitely a good sign.

IMO the last good Star Trek game was Elite Force II. God I wish they'd make a 3 lol

As an avid EVE player, this will have to be REALLY good to move me over.

They are totally different games though. STO's space combat/exploration etc won't be anything like EVE's I can almost promise you that. Unless your specifically looking for something different of course...

Any speculations on a release date?

I wish EVE would get the FPS part that STO seems to have, instead of making it a standalone console-exclusive game

Oh the release date won't be until Q1/2 2010 I'm sure. They haven't even started closed beta testing it yet. My guess would be right around March or April next year. But that's just my guess. Remember, they've only really been working on the game a little over a year now.

Grand Master

Yusuf M. Veteran

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You're right, LOC. The last good Star Trek game was, indeed, Star Trek: Elite Force II. I remember playing the demo over and over again. When I finally bought the full version, I played it non-stop. Star Trek: Legacy was an utter failure. I had so much faith in it but when I saw the first screenshots for Star Trek: Online, I felt as though I was literally injected with hope itself.

The whole concept is something that could work so well with the Star Trek universe. I think the expected release date is Q1 2010 so it isn't too far away. I just hope I can get access to an open or closed beta. Anyway, check out the screenshots here. They're all good but some look amazing.

Grand Master

NEVER85

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Cant believe any true trekkie could be excited about this game, they are going to make it for the masses rather than for the trekkies, it just happens to be an mmo that is startrek.

Huge MMO spanning the Star Trek universe. Taking the role of either a Starfleet or Klingon captain. Customizing your own ship.

Yup, can't believe any "true" Trekkie could be excited about a Star Trek-based MMO. :rolleyes:

Grand Master

Richard Hammond

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Its set after Nemesis so they dont have to stick to canon they can make up any old random bullcrap, im having nightmares just imagining Startrek WoW with its gaudy colours.

Yeah customising your own ship just like every starship captain in every trek film/series..........oh wait.

I hate them messing with iconic ship designs and putting sticky-out bits all over it and calling it a ship.

Grand Master

soldier1st

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IMO the last good Star Trek game was Elite Force II. God I wish they'd make a 3 lol

They are totally different games though. STO's space combat/exploration etc won't be anything like EVE's I can almost promise you that. Unless your specifically looking for something different of course...

Oh the release date won't be until Q1/2 2010 I'm sure. They haven't even started closed beta testing it yet. My guess would be right around March or April next year. But that's just my guess. Remember, they've only really been working on the game a little over a year now.

star trek legacy by itself was crap but those mods for it makes it worthwhile.

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