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Captain's Log: What to expect in Star Trek Online's Legacy of Romulus expansion
It's a little strange to think that it's already been three months since the developers at Star Trek Online first teased us with the Legacy of Romulus expansion with the March Beneath the Raptor's Wings kicker at the end of the anniversary video. Even then there were many of us who sincerely doubted the teaser meant we would finally be able to play a Romulan character, let alone that the Klingon faction would be filled-out. Yet here we are, on the eve of the release of Star Trek Online's first expansion and a flood of new material. Beware, I will be writing spoilers about the new content, but if you're not worried about that, feel free to join me as I touch on most of what we're going to see!
Star Trek Online fulfills its promise to Klingon players
Klingon Defense Force players who have been crying out for years for a significant update to their unfinished faction will have their prayers answered when Star Trek Online's Legacy of Romulus expansion releases next week. Cryptic posted a blog telling these gamers that they have not been forgotten but will be vindicated with a complete experience from level 1 to 50. "It was always promised that if Star Trek Online was ever going to add a third faction, we would make sure that Klingons would get expanded content first (or at the same time). With Legacy of Romulus adding Romulans as a playable faction, it was a matter of honor that the Klingons get their own content from level 1 to 50," Cryptic wrote. The devs give slight spoilers to the new, reworked, and revised content that Klingons will be experiencing, such as how players will get their first starship and what iconic locations they'll be visiting (hint: a certain prison planet from Star Trek VI will come into play). The studio is also adding a pair of new KDF ships to the store when the expansion hits.
STO's Legacy of Romulus expansion adding Nimbus adventure zone
Cryptic is pumping out the Star Trek Online dev blogs as the game's Legacy of Romulus expansion draws near. The latest comes to us from content designer Sean "Commander Ander" McCann, and it's all about the Nimbus adventure zone. Nimbus is a crime-ridden locale currently lorded over by the Orion Syndicate. The new episode series Wasteland takes gamers all over the planet, from the run-down fugitive haven of Paradise City to a destroyed ship that doubles as an Orion stronghold to a Gorn-filled canyon that houses some sort of mysterious project. Nimbus also boasts dailies, open missions, and accolade rewards for said missions and for exploration. More details are yours at the official STO website.
Combine your consoles and get new ships in Star Trek Online's expansion
If you've already purchased the very expensive Legacy Pack for Star Trek Online's first expansion, there's good news to be had -- you just got more for your $125 investment. For one thing, you've got access to a new ship, the Haakona Advanced Warbird, an assault craft capable of separating into two units for maximum versatility. For another, you've got a set of uniforms based off of the Romulan outfits from the original series, if you want to really hit that "legacy" button as hard as you can. Whether or not this entices you to drop some additional money, the latest development blog on the official site details the bonuses for slotting Romulan refit consoles together in Legacy of Romulus. These include buffs to turn rate, energy weapons, and defensive systems based on speed. The net result is that owners of both refit and retrofit versions of these vessels can access a new playstyle for the class, a new trick to surprise opponents of the Romulans. Which is apropos. %Gallery-28615%
Captain's Log: Story takes center stage in Star Trek Online
Now that Star Trek Online's expansion, The Legacy of Romulus has moved into open beta on the Tribble test server, I think it's high time I wrote about one of the biggest changes the game has ever seen. It's not just about what will occur in the game's story; it's how the story is being told. Players who create a Romulan faction character when Star Trek Online launches the expansion on May 21st will experience something that simply hasn't been seen before in the game. Fair warning: I'll be writing a fair amount about what happens within the first dozen levels of gameplay, so if you're holding out to be surprised, know that there are spoilers after the jump!
Legacy of Romulus adding warp cores to Star Trek Online ships
So, warp cores. Warp cores are a thing in Star Trek, but up until very recently they haven't been much of a thing in Star Trek Online. The upcoming Legacy of Romulus expansion will change that by adding cores to every ship in the game, according to the latest STO dev blog. Systems designer Jeff "AdjudicatorHawk" Hamilton pens the diary, and in it he talks about Cryptic's desire to alter the feel of STO's space combat ever so slightly while simultaneously providing captains with new tools for both exploration and conquest. If you're fond of space combat the way it is, though, don't worry. Hamilton says that the new warp core mechanics can be "largely ignored at little cost" if you prefer. Either way, you'll probably want to read up on all the little details at the STO website.
Star Trek Online announces Tribble Test Weekend
Star Trek Online's first expansion, Legacy of Romulus, is going to be launching in less than two weeks, and to build up some hype for the new addition, the folks at Cryptic have deemed this weekend a Tribble Test Weekend. Beginning tomorrow, players can log on to the Tribble test server and get their first look at the new content coming when Legacy of Romulus goes live on the 21st. But if that's not enough to enthuse you to play on the test server, Cryptic is sweetening the deal. Any players who log in and play on the Tribble server for at least one hour over the course of the weekend will receive a special to-be-announced reward after Legacy of Romulus is released. For the full details on this Tribble Test Weekend, just head on over to the game's official site.
Making friends and recruiting officers in Star Trek Online's expansion
When Star Trek Online rolls out its Legacy of Romulus expansion on May 21st, you'll be playing a Romulan (or Reman) captain on a Romulan ship. But you will be allying with either the Klingons or the Federation, and so you might worry that you'll be surrounded by distinctly non-Romulan officers. Never fear, as the latest development blog makes it very clear that Romulan characters will be able to access a unique pool of Duty Officers and Bridge Officers unavailable to the other factions. While Klingon or Federation characters may occasionally earn a Reman or Romulan Duty Officer, these are rare recruits that can only be obtained after exceptional effort. Actual Romulans will be able to recruit new officers of these races with unique traits simply by visiting New Romulus. They will also have access to recruitment from their allied factions, ensuring that the ship may have a mix of races while still remaining Romulan at its core.
Star Trek Online dev diary details new species: The Remans
Star Trek Online's Legacy of Romulus expansion is slated for release in just over two weeks from now, and if you've been keeping up with the onslaught of dev diaries, you know that means new ships, new fashions, and of course, new playable alien species. The most recent dev diary from the folks at Cryptic Studios focuses on the Romulans' slightly nastier counterparts, the Remans. Players will be able to unlock Remans as a playable species in one of two ways: They can either purchase it from the C-Store (standalone or as part of the Legacy Pack) or "achieve Tier 5 in the New Romulus Reputation." Remans, of course, come with their own unique racial traits, including the powerful Mind Drain ability, described as "a powerful single-target psychic attack which drains vital essence from the victim to the caster." Sounds rather unpleasant to us. Remans also have access to two exclusive ship materials that can alter the appearance of any Romulan vessel they own, and they'll also gain access to spiffy Reman-only uniform variants. To check out the details on the new species, head on over to the official site for the full post, and remember that Legacy of Romulus will be going live on May 21st.
Star Trek Online goes behind the scenes with Denise Crosby
When Star Trek Online launches its first expansion, Legacy of Romulus, players will find themselves facing off against the formidable Empress Sela right from the start. The return of Sela also marks the return of veteran actress Denise Crosby to the game, and the community team behind STO had a chance to speak with Crosby about returning to the franchise and to the same characters she portrayed years ago on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Crosby mentions that while she enjoyed the chance to reprise the role of Tasha Yar (a character she jokingly says simply refuses to die), revisiting Sela is a chance to dive deeper into a character who was not fully realized during her first appearances. Sela's life is the Empire, and she feels that any means necessary to restore the power and prestige of her people is more than justified. Click past the break to see the full video and learn a little bit more about the face of the Romulan Empire in the expansion.
Star Trek Online showcases Romulan uniforms
No expansion is complete without its own fashion spread. Star Trek Online is covering its bases with the most recent Legacy of Romulus dev blog, which goes into the process of designing the Romulan Republic uniforms. Romulans have a long history of fabulous fashion in Star Trek. The design team was able to draw on the go-go boots, metal skull caps, and eighties-tastic shoulder pads that defined the Romulans we've all come to know and love. Those design inspirations were mixed in with cues of the current state of Romulans. The Romulan Republic, as we know it in the game, is made up of scattered refugees. Check out all the glamour shots on the official post.
Star Trek Online dev blog dishes on Romulan rewards
With the new Legacy of Romulus expansion due to go live on May 21st, players might be wondering what goodies are in store once it arrives in their sector. In a new dev blog -- number 11 -- Senior Producer Steve "Salamilnferno"Ricossa, Jr. shows off a fat list of goodies that covers new and free players and all the way to those grand life-timers. Every player gains access to that sweet (and maybe sickly looking) Alien-Gen Hybrid Romulan Species, but the list goes on to show just how smart it might have been to subscribe to the game for life. How about a free Exclusive Romulan Veteran Starship for those 1,000-day veterans? It's on there. The list gives out shinies to almost everybody, so be sure to go look and see what's in store for yourself. Be sure to keep an eye on more detailed coverage of the upcoming expansion and everything else Star Trek Online by reading the Captain's Log!
Captain's Log: More Romulan ships coming in Star Trek Online
Late last week, Star Trek Online community manager Brandon Felczer posted an enormous dev blog delving into the details surrounding the influx of new ships heading into the game the moment the Legacy of Romulus expansion goes live. So today I'd like to touch on these new ships and the new Legacy Pack and Starter Packs that were announced as being available for Star Trek Online!
Star Trek Online's newest Ask Cryptic takes aim at revamps and Romulans
The Romulan faction in Star Trek Online will be unique in many ways, but exactly how the addition will work within the context of the game is still unclear. That's why many of the questions in the latest edition of Ask Cryptic focus on Romulans, such as what ships they will have access to from the C-Store (all ships from a player's chosen allied faction) and how Romulans with different allies will interact (they will not be able to group together for Romulan missions but can group for cross-factional content). Other topics of discussion include the long-anticipated revamp to Exploration, which is being moved over toward encouraging the use of the Foundry to fulfill a similar niche. Klingon progression will be improved with a full leveling path, including episodes ported over and heavily tweaked from the Federation line as well as unique bits of content just for KDF characters. For the usual buffet of questions and answers you can check out the full installment on the official site.
Captain's Log: Romulan content in Star Trek Online
Jolan tru! This week I've had the pleasure of jumping onto the Tribble test server in Star Trek Online again. But this time it wasn't just to check out the new UI or the overhaul of Drozana Station. Nope, this week I was one of several hundred (if not a thousand or so) regular Tribble players offered the opportunity to test out the first several levels of the new Romulan faction! So here's a big warning: Thar be a few spoilers ahead! If you don't want to know anything about the story of the Romulan Republic, then you might want to avoid looking past the jump, but if you're not bothered about seeing some of Star Trek Online's upcoming content before it's released, then press that big button right down there and let's get to it.
Star Trek Online outlines the fine details of Romulan ship progression
The Romulan faction in Star Trek Online's upcoming expansion does not play like mirrors of the Federation or the Klingons. The race's ships are less diverse in some ways, but its cloaking devices that allow for stealth even in combat make it clear that this is a race about subtle manipulation and careful subterfuge. A new development blog outlines the fine points of ship progression including refit ships, retrofit ships, and small craft for the faction. In addition to the cloaking devices, all Romulan ships feature a powerful Singularity Core that allows access to a different tier of special abilities for each ship. As with other factions, refits and retrofits of lower-tier ships can be purchased from the game's cash shop, complete with new customizable skins and new consoles for these variants. Players interested in seeing the full details should take a look at the development blog and get ready to remind the galaxy why the phrase "warbird decloaking" is never a sign things are going well.
Star Trek Online Legacy of Romulus pre-order packs revealed
Cryptic and Perfect World have released pricing info for Star Trek Online's Legacy of Romulus expansion Starter and Legacy Packs. The former will net you a couple of exclusive ships, a Borg Reman officer, and a Survivor of Romulus title if you're willing to part with $19.99. The Legacy Pack will set you back a whopping $124.99 and gift you with the Starter Pack items as well as several additional ships, officers, and in-game items. Full details are available on the official STO website.
Star Trek Online introduces UI updates
Star Trek Online's LCARS (the Library Computer Access and Retrieval Systems) is in the process of getting an overhaul. The "next, next generation" UI will have a cleaner aesthetic and allow for more user control. A lot of the incoming changes were prompted by the upcoming inclusion of the Romulan faction. Using the present tradition of coloring everything on the UI to represent a given faction (in this case, that would mean a crazy green glow) didn't seem the way to go. Instead, a complete revamp was begun. The revamp includes interchangeable color schemes, oodles of customization options, and more immersive elements. Be sure to check out the most recent Captain's Log to get Teri's take on the UI changes and other tasty morsels on the Tribble test server.
Star Trek Online's character creator revamped for Legacy of Romulus
The seventh installment of Star Trek Online's Legacy of Romulus dev blog is live. This time, the subject is character creation, and Cryptic has apparently revamped the system from the ground up to coincide with the introduction of the game's third faction. The dev blog talks everything from design flow to thematic presentation to the UI to selection presets, and it's clear that the company put a lot of thought into STO's character creator 2.0. Read all about it on the game's official website.
Captain's Log: Peeking in on Star Trek Online's Tribble test server
It's been a couple of weeks since I've had the opportunity to write about some of the new features in the upcoming expansion for Star Trek Online called the Legacy of Romulus. Due out on May 21st, 2013, the expansion will boast a new playable Romulan faction as well as additional Klingon content, a new "adventure zone," and some tweaks to existing systems. Among those tweaks is a new look to the game's user interface, a revamp to the trait system, and an overhaul to the Tholian zone on Nukara Prime, which will be converted into a reputation faction similar to the systems already in place for Task Force Omega and New Romulus. Hit the jump to catch a glimpse of what I was able to glean from the Star Trek Online's Tribble test server!
