by Greg Atkinson on Friday, May 25, 2007
Star Trek's fans might be nearly religious in their worship of all things Star Trek, but few others relate to the TV shows, movies or other media that the giant universe of material contains. Perpetual Entertainment wants that to change as its PC online role-playing game Star Trek Online hopes to feature nearly every beloved aspect from the shows and the movies -- but making sure that the game is accessible to everyone.
STO doesn't have an official list of playable races yet, but some of the names mentioned include nine favorites like Vulcans, Bajoran, Klingon, Cardassian, Andorian, Tellarite, Bolian, Ferengi and of course, Humans. The game takes place about twenty years after the latest installment in the franchise: the movie Star Trek: Nemesis. The game will begin as a new foe threatens to topple a time of relative peace in the galaxy. About 8,000 square light-years should be available for exploration and missions, containing most of Alpha and Beta Sectors.
The class system and character development may prove to be the game's best feature. Characters must attend an Academy, learning to perform the basic actions that any Starfleet member might need, then run through training missions and they're assigned to a ship with other players. The character must decide on a profession between three overall areas: Science, Security or Engineer. These professions each have multiple skill trees. For example Science Officers might specialize in medical abilities or in communication, scanning space and mapping voyages.
Missions take place both in space and on the ground, and Perpetual hopes to deliver evenly between the two types. There should be a lot of variety between missions, as players will only require travel if there's a purpose, since in the Star Trek universe (and in the game) people can instantly teleport almost anywhere. Completing these missions rewards participants with experience and prestige. Experience serves as expected, allowing characters to gain levels, while prestige works much like gaining reputation or faction within the Starfleet. The two allow characters to advance in rank, possibly all the way up to Admiral.
Space travel offers a break from combat, allowing players to warp while piloting large spaceships The largest of these are piloted by computer-controlled characters, and function as a social hub and a place to restock and recover between missions. The missions themselves take place in smaller, player-piloted craft or on the surface of a planet or space station. Occasionally, missions take place aboard enemy craft, tasking gamers with sabotaging or charging in to wipe out adversaries face-to-face.
While Star Trek Online still has years of work ahead of it, the team at Perpetual seems to be handling the job fantastically. If all goes well, the beta will drop next summer, with the final game releasing in late 2009. Look for more coverage in the near future.
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