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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!
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.
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!
Star Trek Online's Stahl talks Romulan faction alignment and more
Star Trek Online producer Dan Stahl sounds off on a variety of expansion-themed topics in the latest Cryptic dev blog featuring a series of questions by Massively's own Terilynn Shull. He devotes a particularly lengthy wall o' text to player concerns about the new Romulan faction being forcibly aligned with either the KDF or the Federation. "Just like the other two factions, Romulans have exclusive species, costumes, and starships that cannot be used by the other factions," Stahl explains. "While these citizens will start out in old ships they've managed to come by, they'll eventually gain access to new Republic ship designs and, when they've achieved proper rank in the Fleet, famous Romulan Warbirds such as the D'Deridex." Stahl also clarifies how STO can go about unlocking the new Reman species once the Legacy of Romulus expansion launches. "All accounts will have the ability to unlock the Reman species, which is an exclusive species to the Romulan Republic, in one of two ways: they can either purchase the species unlock, or they can earn it by achieving maximum tier in the Romulan Reputation with a captain of any faction."
Captain's Log: A Star Trek Online player uses math
On the heels of last week's revelation that Star Trek Online will be releasing its first ever expansion, Legacy of Romulus, many people were apparently waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop so they could rage when their expectations weren't met. That happened within seconds after the release of a special Ask Cryptic blog written by Executive Producer Daniel Stahl last Friday. Massively received a tip or two informing us that there was a Thread of Rage on the Star Trek Online forums, one that arose after the Ask Cryptic revealed that characters in the upcoming Romulan faction will be forced to choose to ally with either the Federation or the Klingon Defense Force and share in their fleet capabilities instead of developing fleets of their own. With the help of my accountant husband, I took on the challenge of dissecting this alleged Thread of Rage to determine how many people really did express feelings of rage, anger, or even disappointment with the news. You might be interested in the results of our analysis. If you are, take the jump!
Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's Romulan legacy
I don't think many Star Trek Online players really believed it was possible. To be honest, I'm not sure many of us yet believe, but late last week the powers that be over at Cryptic Studios and Perfect World Entertainment let the countdown clock on the teaser page expire to reveal the first ever expansion that Star Trek Online has seen. The Legacy of Romulus is scheduled to be released on May 21st, 2013 and contains what appears to be a mountain of new content. Best of all, the new expansion is absolutely free to all players. Let's get to the overview, shall we?
Captain's Log: STO's fleet advancement and reputation systems
In my continuing efforts to mark time until we all find out what the blazes the most recent teasers for Star Trek Online's upcoming March Beneath the Raptor's Wings are hinting at, this column is going to delve into two huge new tech developments the game has seen since its free-to-play conversion. Many players are just now coming back to Star Trek Online after a prolonged absence and have asked me to touch on some of the changes the game has seen in the past two years. Seasons Six and Seven saw the release of the fleet advancement and reputation systems. Both of the new systems work on the same basic principles, so let's go over the basics, then touch on each individual system's idiosyncrasies.
Star Trek Online teaser site starts a countdown
Something very interesting will either happen or be revealed for Star Trek Online on March 21st. We know that not because of our new psychic intern, Francesca, but because the teaser site for STO's May content update now has an exciting-slash-ominous timer counting down to that date. The teaser picture also has been updated to change from the Romulan symbol to a murky picture of warbirds among the stars when you mouse over it. The image caption reads, "Our shadow will dim the stars." Will this be the reveal of a playable Romulan faction, as many have suggested? Or will it be the rise of a prominent adversary in the form of new mission content? Or could it be something as of yet unforseen? We'll just have to wait with the rest of you until all is revealed on the 21st. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Captain's Log: Ruminating on Star Trek Online's future story
As a self-confessed altaholic, I spent a lot of time in Star Trek Online over the past week. The third anniversary celebration is still in full swing (although it does end on Thursday, February 14th), and I needed to get all 13 of my characters through the special featured episode in order to obtain the special ships being given as rewards. Suffice it to say that I pretty much know the episode by heart now. I actually dusted off my two low-level Klingon Defense Force characters and took them out for a spin so I wouldn't miss out on the beautiful new Kamarag class vessel, but in doing so I found myself chewing on the story as presented so far in Star Trek Online and what the most recent missions could mean for the rumored introduction of a Romulan faction, as well as what they might mean for the mighty Klingon Empire.
Captain's Log: Star Trek Online pleases and teases
I have had more fun in Star Trek Online in the past week than I have had in the past six months! Part of the reason has a lot to do with the fact that the game's third anniversary has delivered something that many of us have been craving since the release of last year's featured episode, The 2800: a story-based mission. And it wasn't just any story-based mission; it was a doozy! The team at Star Trek Online also released a third anniversary trailer, which contained a very big surprise at the very end. The teaser sent shockwaves through the loyal player community. There's a lot to go over, so join me past the jump as I touch on the anniversary celebration and ruminate on what the game will bring us in May 2013!
Captain's Log Supplemental: An exclusive interview with Daniel Stahl
Huzzah! It's here! Star Trek Online's third anniversary celebration begins today! So while we all await the patch and loosen up our trigger fingers in order to undertake the new mission that will reward players with either an Ambassador class or a Kamarag class ship, you can sit back and read a new interview with Star Trek Online's Executive Producer, Daniel Stahl. Stahl took the time out his busy schedule to answer a litany of questions about the past year as well as the future of STO. We were also given a few new screenshots and you can view them in the gallery below. There are a lot of questions, so let's get to it! %Gallery-177708%
Captain's Log: Star Trek Online enlists Denise Crosby for secret project
Sometimes it's a little tricky to write about an MMO right before content releases. There's usually a definite slump in developer interactivity as the team prepares for what will inevitably be a very busy time. Star Trek Online is no exception to this rule, and this is one of those weeks. We're still about two weeks away from celebrating Star Trek Online's third anniversary. To date, we have only a few ideas about what the anniversary celebration might entail, but not much else has been revealed by the team at Cryptic. However, that doesn't mean nothing has happened. Quite the contrary! There are a few things to talk about this week, including some fun news that actress Denise Crosby has been tapped to participate in the game. So join me past the break as I touch on some of the fun stuff in STO that we're hearing about!
Captain's Log: Our Star Trek Online year in review plus a look ahead
As I took the time to really go over the past 12 months in Star Trek Online, I began to realize just how much the game had changed between this time last year and now. While some people will never be pleased, I can't say I'm one of those people. I'm utterly delighted by most of the changes in the game and am looking forward to the expansion of the reputation system into 2013. With that said, however, there are improvements that Star Trek Online still needs if it wants to quell some of the harshest (and sometimes deserved) critiques. Join me as I finish up my year in review and then touch on some of Executive Producer Daniel Stahl's answers to player questions in this month's Ask Cryptic post.
Star Trek Online producer says game is 'kicking butt'
Star Trek Online Producer Daniel Stahl isn't beating around the bush about the state of the game. According to him, STO has both purpose and a leg-up on much of the industry. "When you consider what it takes to run an MMO in today's highly competitive marketplace," Stahl writes, "STO has been kicking some butt. Despite what some may think, we have a deliberate path and long-term goals that we've been tracking quite well against. STO has not only survived, but is thriving at a time when many MMOs have kicked or are about to kick the bucket." Stahl goes on to rally the troops by citing how much the team has accomplished this year and what its focus is on for November's Season 7 update and beyond. The team's biggest priorities are in enriching the foundry, overhauling PvP, buffing up Klingon content, and a possible Romulan faction. He also mentioned that Cryptic has hired "great talent" from 38 Studios and Paragon Studios to join the team.
Cryptic releases new Star Trek Online Featured Episode
Ready for Star Trek Online's newest Featured Episode series? Well, ready or not, Cryptic is here to give us the skinny on Series 3: Cloaked Intentions. If you're wondering how STO's episodes work, it breaks down like this: Feature Episodes are tied together to form a single story arc. New episodes under each Feature banner take a bow on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. PST and are freely available to all STO players regardless of level. The new Cloaked Intentions arc involves a series of missions focused on the Romulan Empire; the overarching goal of participating players is the prevention of a bloody civil war. The intrigue kicks off today with Episode 1: The Vault, followed by episodes 2 - 5 every Saturday through March 5th. You can learn more at the official STO website, and don't forget to warp past the cut for the Cloaked Intentions trailer.
Star Trek Online marks first anniversary with in-game events, discounts, and new Feature Episode
Today marks the second straight day that a sci-fi MMO is having a birthday, and Star Trek Online is the title in the spotlight. Cryptic's deep-space extravaganza is celebrating its first anniversary with a new Feature Episode series, discounted C-Store offers (including 20% off lifetime subcriptions), and various in-game events. Beginning today, members of Cryptic's dev team will be appearing in game to challenge players with trivia questions and give out exclusive rewards. The new episode series, sub-titled Cloaked Intentions, sees players tasked with preventing a civil war between factions of the Romulan Empire. The series spans five episodes, introduces a new ship type to STO, and carries the game's storyline beyond the year 2409. The new content kicks off on February 5th. Finally, we've managed to beam a new anniversary retrospective video aboard the starship Massively, and you can check it out after the jump.
STO website adds faction page, hints at future factions
Open beta is here and launch isn't far behind, which is of course why we're starting to see stuff like the recently revealed faction page for Star Trek Online. While you can't look (or click) on them now, it's quite telling that Cardassian and Romulan faction symbols are there for the looking. Cryptic has been pretty open with the fact that they plan to add new factions in the future, but the upfront listing of them causes us to wonder what the schedule is for the launch of faction number three. We really love the approach to this faction page, too. Why? Selecting a faction gives you the perspective of said faction, but from each side. That is to say, you get a Klingon's point of view of their own Empire, as well as the Federation. It's a nice touch of Trek that shows the men and women at Cryptic are keen to stick to the spirit of the series, even when outside of their own game.
Romulans, ho!
Five brand new exclusive Star Trek Online screens. We know open beta is basically here and that screens are now significantly lower on many people's list of priority-one alerts, but this one is for the less fortunate ones. You know, the people with families and 40+ hour a week jobs. There's some cool looking high-end armor to ogle with your optical sensory orbs. Mayhaps you fancy yourself a gentleperson of the finer things in Trek? Well, in that case, we recommend the classic-ish connie style Enterprise. What you can't have? What you can't have, is anything having to do with the show Enterprise or a man known by the name of Archer. No, bad Trekkie!%Gallery-28615%
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!
Slipping through space majestic in five new Star Trek Online screens
Romulans! They're pretty prevalent in today's exclusive Star Trek Online screens, although they're not the only antagonists fighting against the Federation. You've got to remember never to underestimate the Borg in their ability to frustrate and terrify the Feddies into tossing up shields and blaring red alerts ship-wide. Plus, there's the Klingons, whose very name just sounds sharp and dangerous. We're getting off topic, though. If you like phasers, explosions and majestic Trek style space ships then we're certain you'll enjoy feasting your eyes on these five new screens.%Gallery-28615%
