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As far as player ships go, the ship configurations and styles are based on well-known ships in the Trek Universe. You’ll be able to customize your ship with materials and pieces inspired by the different eras (TOS, TNG, VOY and the Future).

Star Trek Online begins in the year 2409, about 30 years after Star Trek Nemesis. Because of advances in technology, ship design has changed. So while you may not be able to create an exact replica of a Miranda Class, you will be able to create a starship that is very much like it but still uniquely yours.

Allakhazam : Discovery and exploration play huge roles within the Star Trek universe. How does the game handle the creation of enough new content that everyone who plays gets the chance to seek out new life and new civilizations?

Craig : We’ve developed some really cool technology that will allow us to generate exploration content. Exploration in Star Trek Online is really compelling, complex content - I don’t know of a game that has taken it to this level.

I really think that when all is said and done, the player will be hard pressed to identify which content in STO was handcrafted versus the content that software helped us make

Will ship roles be analogous to naval combat roles or will they be more like the party roles in other MMOs – will ships be cruisers or destroyers or they be tanks or healers?

Federation ship classes are inspired by the television shows. So, for example, you could have a ship like the Enterprise, the Defiant or the Voyager. We call the different classifications of ships Cruisers, Escorts and Science Vessels.

More details on the exact roles and differences are coming soon, but for now, suffice it to say that the ship roles are a combination of naval combat and traditional MMO gameplay. Klingon ships are different, and reflect their style and culture. And everything will be very customizable and very Star Trek.

How customizable will Bridge Officers be? Will players be allowed to choose their race, gender, name and/or physical appearance?

You will be able to fully customize your Bridge Officers' race, appearance, gender, name and physical appearance. It wouldn't be a Cryptic game if you couldn't. You will also train and customize their skills and abilities throughout their career.

Given that the story and character of Star Trek are almost iconic, how will the story element be delivered? Will there be voiceovers or cut scenes?

Star Trek Online takes place about 30 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis and Star Trek: Voyager, in the year 2409. Many of the characters have retired, passed on or otherwise evolved. Certainly, some characters have very long lifespans, and many will have had children. Expect to see the descendants of some of your favorite characters, old enemies return and friends evolve. And definitely expect to visit familiar locations like Starfleet Academy in San Francisco, Deep Space 9, Qo'noS, Vulcan and many others, as well as strange and entirely new worlds.

Could we possibly expect to make our own "log" entries? Star Trek just isn't Star Trek without log entries.

Yes – log entries are an awesome idea with many cool applications. We've got a lot of ideas on how we can do this and to what extent you'll be able to view the logs on and offline – but the details are still to be determined. Make sure you tell us what you're interested in seeing out of this feature on the forums!

If I'm not in the mood for ship combat, gaining Starfleet's favor or earning credits doing jobs for Quark, in what ways will I be able to advance my character doing what I want to do most: exploring the galaxy?

Craig "Zinc" Zinkievich (executive producer): Exploration will never take a backseat in Star Trek Online. Heck – in all the series, Starfleet is always sending captains off to chart new systems or classify nebulas. So we don't view exploration as a "break" from other gameplay – it's integral. Expect to be encouraged to boldly go! And as an incentive to explore space, discovering new civilizations is one of the major ways to open up new resources and equipment and make new alien recruits available to you, your fleet and your faction!

My question is whether the universe will be static. For example, if I log off World of Warcraft and then login a week later everything is pretty much still the same. Nothing has really changed. Will the world be dynamic in STO?

Zinc: The universe of Star Trek Online is shaped and changed by the actions of the players. The Federation and the Klingon Empire will be competing for influence and resources throughout the galaxy and players can influence the results through PvP battles and a system we're calling Competitive PvE.

The actions, victories and defeats of you and your faction will affect how the economy and history of Star Trek Online unfolds. Exploration is always happening – expect to see new planets and races discovered that were unknown the last time you logged in. Your actions could be the deciding factor on whether these new planets side with the Federation or the Klingons.

Q: Can you tell us about the combat system?

A: I think that ship combat is going to be very tactical, its going to be more like, well kinda tall ship combat and not really dogfightering. But I think the ground combat, at least as we have it now, is much more fast paced then a typical mmo. Its not a console like action like champions, but you've phasers, you have energy weapons, disruptors, shields and so I think that right now the pace we are looking for is far more rapid.

Q: Which Factions are in at launch?

A: Starfleet and Klingon. So two factions, full PVE content and those two factions will compete indirectly for resources and directly in PvP.

How long has it been in development?

Originally, Star Trek Online was being made by the now defunct Perpetual Entertainment beginning in 2004. Cryptic bought the rights and art, but not the code, in December of 2007.

When will it be released?

No information, but language on the Lifetime STO Sweepstakes disclaimer seemed to indicate it would be after August 2009. Jack said it will be out "sooner than you think" and also said "less than 3 years".

Will I Have The Option Of Other Players Acting As My Bridge Crew?

Not at launch, but possibly after. Jack Emmert said the following at GenCon Indy:

"[N]ot at first release. If you have [player bridge crews] you're going to have to make the gameplay for each member of the crew engaging...doing it for every member of the bridge crew, is like making 5 or 6 games."

"Now, what we can do is, we start off, with you as the ship. Over time, we can start adding these elements if that's what the player wants, and eventually evolve the game to the point where, sure, we have fully run, a ship, with just a player bridge crew."

"We don't want to put in things that don't have fun gameplay."

What is the level cap?

Star Trek Online does not have "levels" in the traditional sense, but instead allows players to gain ranks, and to increase the ranks of their bridge crew. Higher ranks will give players access to better items, ships, and abilities.

How is class determined?

Each player has a specialty that is the main focus of their character. These specialties have not been revealed yet, but may include science, medical, tactical, diplomacy and others. This focus will determine certain things about character progression, grant special abilities or other factors that have not yet been revealed.

Cryptic's other game, Champions Online, uses a point system that allows the player to increase their stats and abilities over time by spending them in different areas. It is presumable that STO will have a similar feature.

Can I be a pirate?

The Orion Syndicate will be a part of the Klingon Faction.

How will ship-to-ship combat work?

Expect slow-paced, naval-style combat that requires tactics and brains to win.

How will ground combat work?

Ground combat will be much more fast-paced, squad-based, FPS-style. Bridge crew will be there to help, and players must run, dodge, fire, and duck for cover in order to survive.

What about non-combat missions/content?

Players will have the chance to investigate and explore space. First contact, studying a pre-warp civilization, or even diplomacy might be the mission objective.

What kinds of things can fleets do?

Build starbases, mining platforms, satellites, shipyards that allow for specific types of ships, and even form task forces to take on bigger missions. There are some things that can only be accomplished by working together with a fleet.

Will crafting be in STO?

Yes. The galactic economy will be assisted by player crafters and artisans who create unique items.

Allakhazam : Most MMO's include a "loot reward" system in which the player upgrades their character with currency and items obtained from defeated monsters. However, Federation captains aren't known for their graverobbing, so how does STO handle this?

Craig : We’re not going to have Federation captains looting corpses for gear. Much of your currency will come either through rewards or trading. You will be able to get new technology from races you meet as you explore, or you can create new items with resources you gather or trade for and information you learn as you complete missions.

admriker4 · January 2009

another story arc released here

http://www.startrekonline.com/node/136

Newest ship and its specs here

http://www.startrekonline.com/node/137

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