A quick Star Trek Online PvP interview with Jack Emmert

We recently had the opportunity to ask Cryptic's Jack Emmert a few questions regarding Star Trek Online and its PvP elements. With the looming open beta (tomorrow!) and similarly imminent February 2nd launch, we consider ourselves lucky to get some fairly definitive answers on topics like the game's Cryptic Store and the Klingon faction's future -- including if deeper customization is in the wings or not.

It's a quick read, but with less than 24 hours until open beta kick starts, that's probably a good thing. We wouldn't want to take away from anyone's Star Trek movie marathon, which is obviously what everyone is doing the day before, right? Khan!

Massively: How integral is PvP play to Star Trek Online as a whole?

Jack Emmert: All of our PvP is optional and consensual.

What challenges were created when looking to add meaningful PvP mechanics into the Star Trek universe?

I think it's pretty obvious that Klingon vs. Federation is a major focus. So we needed to address that first and foremost.

Will items sold via Cryptic Points ever affect PvP play or will this store be more reflective of Champions Online's?

Champions Online is the template for what we're doing.

What were the team's goals when creating the Klingon faction?

We wanted to create content that addressed our hypothetical Klingon player. We knew that we couldn't create a mirror image to the Federation content; we had to do something different. In our minds, the Klingon player is probably someone who likes their aggressive nature, and thus PvP is the perfect fit for content.

What's in store for Klingons after Star Trek Online launches in February?

We're deciding that now! The easiest solution is to create content similar to the Federation, but I'd really like to make Klingon gameplay distinct.

Are you planning to expand upon Klingon ship customization options and if so, what additions will be made?

Yep. We'll expand it. Probably similar to what we did for Federation. But I think more content takes priority.

Will future player factions follow the Klingon's PvP focused play style or is something else in store for players?

We'll decide on a faction by faction basis.

Warzones appear to be Star Trek Online's version of an open PvP system, would you say that's true? Also, how will they operate and be incorporated into the game?

Players race against each other like they do in a regular Fleet Action to get top score, but can also PvP other players in the process. When the objectives are all completed the map goes into a cool down period and resets. There is no queuing for these maps.

There are missions on the Klingon and Federation side that point players to these Warzones.

Thanks, Jack!