trek-online
Latest
Today only: Get STO for $27.99 at Amazon
Amidst all this GDC 2010 news is a great one-day-only sale over at Amazon, where you can pick up Star Trek Online at the low-low price of $27.99. If the mood strikes you, there's also a one-day sale on the collector's edition. While the CE may still be $47.99 it's a good deal cheaper than the regular cost of $79.99 and it comes with a bunch of in-game items, too. Whatever you end up deciding, the sale just goes to show that a patient gamer can save a lot of money in the end. Of course, missing out on five weeks of boldly venturing out into space may not be worth the wait, for some. [Thanks, Jason!]
Newest responses to Ask Cryptic for Star Trek Online talks Klingons
There's a certain mystique that Klingons hold for Star Trek fans, having shown up for many different stories in every show and even several movies. That's not even counting the fact that they have an entire language to back them up. So it's probably not a huge surprise that the most recent Ask Cryptic has been dedicated to questions about the Klingon Empire in Star Trek Online. Players have enjoyed the concept, but there have been more than a few expressions of disappointment at the lack of non-PvP options for the faction and the customization available (or not available) to the participants. The short version is that many of the things being asked for by Klingon players are coming -- more customization, more ship types, and more options to advance oneself without blasting honorless Federation ships out of the sky. There's even a promise of opportunities for the two factions to interact outside of combat, although the question of capturing landmarks via PvP is met with a negative. One of the responses also hints that there may be yet more factions in the game. All of the questions may be found here, which promise an interesting future for Klingons and Federation players alike in Star Trek Online.
Star Trek Online launches new forum section, hints at incoming respecs
Ever since the implementation of a hard skill cap in the game, Star Trek Online's lack of respecs has been keenly felt by players. With the highly skill-oriented progression arc through the game, it's all too easy to have a few missed points early on translate into big problems further on down the line. Cryptic has hardly been deaf to the player cries for respecs, and it seems that they've (quite wisely) moved them on the priority list ahead of issues such as the game's lack of a death penalty. The official forums for the game have just launched a new section, dubbed "Engineering Reports," summarizing the development team's focus areas. To no great surprise, the first such report features "respec options" right at the top of the list as a tested feature. According to the mission statement of the reports, features that high on the list are likely just a couple weeks from hitting the live servers... which means that Star Trek Online players likely won't have to wait much longer to fine-tune their character builds. It's a welcome piece of news for the game, and proof that the developers are working hard at shoring up their weaknesses.
Community upset causes Cryptic to make a statement on STO promotion
Part of the Star Trek Online community was heaved into an upset recently by an Atari.com promotion that added an extra 30 days of free play time on top of the preexisting 30 days, bringing the total to a whopping 60. (Edit: The promotion added an extra 60 days, bringing the total to a larger 90 days of free time.) Atari.com buyers would also pay $10 less, making it a good deal for anyone still sitting on the proverbial fence. Some players who were unhappy with the sale expressed a feeling of betrayal from Cryptic, saying this was too good a deal too soon after the game's February 2nd launch. Cryptic has given an official statement on the matter and it appears that the promotion has been removed. So if something like this would've pushed you into checking the game out, we're sorry to say it's no longer available. We'll keep you updated on any further developments or sales. Plus, there's always Steam weekend deals.
Screens and details for Star Trek Online's first raid missions
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/playable_web_games/Star_Trek_Online_s_First_Raid_Missions_Look_Awesome'; Star Trek Online will soon see it's first wave of "Special Task Force Missions" go live, most of which are centered around the new, deadlier Borg. Shared by both Federation and Klingon players, these five-man missions are end-game content designed to give any captain cause for caution. So, if you're the type of player waiting around for some really difficult-yet-rewarding PvE content, this update should be of particular interest. We've got a smattering of screenshots to ogle while we wait for patch day. Additionally, there's an official rundown of the first five STF missions just after the break. %Gallery-86596%
Star Trek Online's producer: "In hindsight, it was pretty darn risky"
Star Trek Online hit some pretty major windfalls, even disregarding the fact that it's built on a popular intellectual property with legions of dedicated fans. It launched during a timeframe when there were no other major releases scheduled, came out not too long after a very popular movie in the franchise, and caught a lot of exposure with its open beta. And as executive producer Craig Zinkievich points out in a new interview, the entire operation relied not just on hard work, but also on luck. The full interview confirms that the whole game had a two-year development cycle -- an astonishingly short turnaround for a game starting, essentially, from nothing -- and details the scope of problems that the staff had to deal with. The game included a number of major departures from expected norms, up to and including divorcing the player from their avatar to a greater extent than normal and creating two different combat systems with just one team on the assignment. Whether or not you're happy with the end result is a matter of personal opinion, but Zinkievich is quite pleased with what the team produced operating under their several constraints. He also details some of the planned enhancements for Star Trek Online in the near future, which promises to be a bit less risky and a bit more straightforward. [Thanks to Randomessa for the tip!]
Star Trek Online reaches one million accounts
If it's not too dated, you can feel free to do the Dr. Evil voice as you read the announcement in your head. Star Trek Online has reached one million registered accounts, an impressive milestone for any game. The announcement follows in the vein of Cryptic's announcement that players had created over one million characters in Champions Online, which was also an impressive milestone... well, until you started to do the math and ask why they were counting the number of characters created rather than players. There are similar questions to be asked about the latest Star Trek Online announcement, if you're the suspicious type. In short, we don't know the criteria that is being used to get the figure being thrown around. One million accounts could refer to open beta and head start accounts, or it could refer to everyone registered on the forums, even if they've long since stopped posting. It's an odd metric to use. Still, it's a sign of how strong the IP of Star Trek still is after all these years, and as one of the few major launches planned for the year it's bound to attract quite a bit of attention. Congratulations to Cryptic, and here's hoping that those million accounts stick with the game after a few months. Enter the Star Trek universe with Cryptic Studios' Star Trek Online. From hands on reviews of the early levels and space combat, through noob questions and developer interviews, we've got everything you need to know about the game trekkies are dying for. Check out Massively's Star Trek Online page for the latest!
Captain's Log: A guide to Lieutenant progression
Star Trek Online goes out of its way to make sure the player always has a bevy of mission choices at their fingertips. That makes a step-by-step guide on progressing through Lieutenant (i.e. the first ten "levels") somewhat worthless to write. So, I'm taking a different approach this week. This guide is aimed at helping to quicken the pace of leveling towards your first new ship. The Miranda class ship is nice and all -- but everyone just really wants their first real ship. Plus, as an added bonus, you can use these tips throughout your entire Star Trek Online experience!
Massively's Star Trek Online launch day roundup
Today marks the official launch date for Cryptic Studios' newest title, Star Trek Online. We know there's a massive amount of information for new players to process, so we've put together a nice round-up of our various guides, tips and op-ed features to help out. Follow our advice and you should be more than ready to begin your heady Starfleet (Or Klingon Empire!) career. Of course, of you're looking for an even more wonderful hub of information, you should check out our shiny new dedicated Star Trek Online page. It'll serve as the go-to place for any new guides, interviews, patches game lore and videos. So -- as Sera Brennan would say -- without any further delay, let's take a trip down memory lane and look back at the best of our STO coverage...
The WoW Player's Guide to Star Trek Online
Massively has been covering Star Trek Online extensively, and we've complied a guide for all the WoW players out there looking to get into the game. As a WoW player, you'll find numerous similarities and be comfortable with the controls overall. Nothing is too terrible different from WoW, especially if you're used to vehicle combat, and players transitioning to the game (even for a quick evaluation) should have an easy time. Read on for the WoW Player's Guide to Star Trek Online, and don't forget to check out Massively's Star Trek Online page for everything related to STO.
Star Trek Online head start begins
The Star Trek Online head start program has begun, allowing all those who pre-ordered STO access to the game before it officially launches next Tuesday, February 2nd. The servers should be up and running just as they will be during the full release, although don't be surprised if there are some problems along the way, just like there are in any newly released MMORPG. Cryptic has been working hard to increase their server stability since the start of the beta, and people are hopeful that things will be more or less smooth sailing warping. With the beginning of the head start, it's also important to note that all characters in the beta have been deleted. This is par for the course with MMORPG betas, and Crpytic was diligent in keeping everyone informed of this -- so hopefully no one is surprised that their beta toon doesn't exist anymore. Massively staff has been hard at work preparing guides and other information for you. Everything is available to look at via our new Star Trek Online page. Stay tuned to Massively as the head start progresses and moves into the full release next Tuesday. Update: From the error page on the STO forums at 2:10 p.m. EST: "Some players may experience difficulties logging into Star Trek Online Right now, we are aware of this issue and working on a resolution." Read all of Massively's STO coverage
Star Trek Online official dev blog: Chris Menard
For the third and final Star Trek Online developer blog we present to you Chris Menard discussing his experience as a special effects artists for the game. It's a short but fun look into one developer/fan's experience working on a title set within the Star Trek universe, and we think you'll enjoy the read. It's a funny thing, getting to work on something with such a high profile. We can't imagine that the men and women doing the animations, effects or really any aspect of a high profile MMO would want to put too much thought into just how many people will be seeing (and judging) their work. Our hats off to the hard working developers behind each and every game out there!
Star Trek Online head start patch now available
The last patch for Star Trek Online is now available to be downloaded and installed via the Cryptic Launcher. According to Cryptic Community Manager Stormshade, the patch will be the last one before the head start begins. The head start is for players who purchased a pre-order -- if you haven't purchased the STO pre-order and are interested in it, there is still time to do so. More information is available from Cryptic. If you have been participating in the open/closed beta, your client just needs to be patched up to the latest version. There is no need to download and install an entirely new client. If you want to copy your game installation to another computer to run, just copy the folder across via normal means -- again, no need to download an entirely new client. This patch which you'll get is about 60 megs and is a quick download right now, although that is likely going to change once the masses get to it. It's also worth reminding people that their beta character has been deleted, and you'll need to start anew. The head start begins today at 10:00 a.m. PST. Enter the Star Trek universe with Cryptic Studios' Star Trek Online. From hands on reviews of the early levels and space combat, through noob questions and developer interviews, we've got everything you need to know about the game trekkies are dying for. Check out Massively's Star Trek Online page for the latest!
New info and screens for upcoming Star Trek Online content
Earlier we got a small taste of what's to come in Star Trek Online through the State of the Game feature, but already Cryptic is treating the community to a brand new "What's Next" page that lays bare their free update plans for the next two months. While all the major points themselves are old hat, it's the details of those major points that are in fact, new. We've got a breakdown of the coming updates after the break, plus new screens in our gallery.
Captain's Log: The great skill cap debate
There's a lot of unrest over on the official forums concerning Cryptic's choice to add a skill cap to Star Trek Online. As of this writing the thread containing the meat of this discussion is well over 6,000 replies and 111,000 views. As I look through this arguably epic thread, the primary question that continually crosses my mind is: Really, this much upset over such a minor piece of news? Yes, I said minor.
Star Trek Online's State of the Game: The first patch
According to the latest State of the Game from Cryptic, Star Trek Online's first update will be surprisingly hefty. "The first update is going to have more PvP, Klingon exploration content, more ground fleet actions, more ship costume pieces, more playable species, and then some," says the executive producer Craig Zinkievich. Of course, that's only a small piece of the rather titillating article outlining the current plan for the first few months of updates. The future holds new Federation episodes, deep space encounters, Borg exploration clusters, quality-of-life updates, daily missions and an encounter with the Borg Queen. Cryptic teases at what they're calling "Raid-i-sodes" or high-end episodes requiring a five-person party to pull out all the stops for a win. The first of these will see players heading off against the Borg Queen, and we're quite excited to learn more in the coming months.
Star Trek Online official dev blog: Tracy Jasperson
Today we bring you a developer blog from Tracy Jasperson, an animator for Star Trek Online. We're a bit jealous of Tracy's job, because the chance to animate some of the very cool -- and often iconic -- moves and moments in the Star Trek universe sounds like a deliciously rare kind of fun. Still, now we can all live the experience vicariously, through this developer blog! If only holodecks were real... Be sure to come back Friday for the final installment of our entire week of developer blogs for Star Trek Online. Enjoy!
Skill cap changes hit Star Trek Online's open beta
Cryptic has been getting some fan heat over a recent revelation that Star Trek Online would, in fact, have a skill cap. This runs counter to the original message, which was that players who've reached the maximum rank of Admiral continue to gain skill points. In the new design, those skill points will dry up along with the new ranks once you've reached the cap. It's a sound design choice, as game balance, respecs and future expansions all require some kind of level cap. However, Cryptic noticing this problem so late into the game's open beta is not such a great thing. The dedicated player base is used to the old system, and to them this change appears incredibly insidious. We doubt the more casual players will ever notice or care about the change, but that doesn't help with the ire fermenting amongst the core community. Star Trek Online's Community rep StormShade has addressed the skill cap change and that sound design reasoning explanation is front and center just as expected. We only wish this move had been made a little earlier on, before so many players got used to the idea. [Thanks, Damian!] Enter the Star Trek universe with Cryptic Studios' Star Trek Online. From hands on reviews of the early levels and space combat, through noob questions and developer interviews, we've got everything you need to know about the game trekkies are dying for. Check out Massively's Star Trek Online page for the latest!
Star Trek Online official dev blog: Jeremy Mattson
Today marks the first of this week's three exclusive developer blogs from Cryptic's Star Trek Online team here at Massively. For Monday, we've got Jeremy Mattson discussing what it's like being a Principal Artist for Cryptic and giving some insight into their powerful character customization tools. He also delves into the past a bit, which should interest any of you City of Heroes fans out there, too. Be sure to come back again on Wednesday for our second installment of this week's developer blogs. We'll have an animator's perspective of life at Cryptic and working on Star Trek Online.
Five decidedly cool Star Trek Online screens
Fleets of Klingons! Super-massive space ships! Klingons in mid-disintegration! These are some of the things you can find in our five new exclusive Star Trek Online screens. Sure, you can play open beta and take screens yourselves, but some of these babies aren't the sort of screens most beta players would be able to nab -- at least we think. That's not a challenge, although if you do think your screenshotting capabilities are rather impressive, you could always send some to our daily One Shots feature email! That's oneshots AT massively DOT com for all of you who suspect that, perhaps you too, are screen-taking gods.%Gallery-28615%
