Star Trek Online
http://sto.perfectworld.com/legacyofromulus
By Wardy
VG ENGAGE !!!! Star Trek Online has shown itself in TAW before however this time it comes back with a bite, its new F2P and its new expansion will have trekkies quaking in their boots!!! Here is a rundown on the game
Star Trek Online, often abbreviated as STO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Cryptic Studios based on the popular Star Trek series created by Gene Roddenberry. The game is set in the 25th century, 30 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis. Star Trek Online is the first massively multiplayer online role-playing game within the Star Trekfranchise and was released on February 2, 2010. At launch, the game required a game purchase and a recurring monthly fee.
On January 17, 2012 it relaunched with a tier of free-to-play access available. However, due to it being transferred to free to play, the game is no longer available as a retail game and can be downloaded from Perfect World Entertainment.
Setting
Star Trek Online is set in the year 2409, thirty years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis. The peace treaty between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire, established in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and strengthened by the Dominion War arc of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, has collapsed, and both sides are once again at war. The Romulan Star Empire continues to deal with the fallout of the loss of their homeworld twenty-two years earlier (as shown in J. J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot), and the Borg Collective has re-emerged as a major threat.
Each player is the captain of their own individual ship, utilizing any and all officers who have access to a ship, including the player's character. In keeping with naval tradition, anyone who commands a ship, regardless of his or her actual rank, is considered a de facto "captain".Players can start in Star Trek initially in only one faction as a Federation Captain, but other factions unlock as players level up. Currently there are three factions available: Federation, Klingon and Romulan. With the newest patch Legacy of Romulus, The Klingon and Romulan factions could now be started at level 1 Bridge Officers have a separate progression, including the purchase of skills and equipment, and can be promoted to higher ranks by their ship's captain.
The game features references to several famous storylines, ships, and characters from various Star Trek shows. The story unfolds in the standard timeline established within the televised Star Trek series, mostly ignoring the events presented in Abrams' Star Trek reboot, which is set in an alternate timeline. However, it does follow the plot from the reboot - the destruction of Romulus - that is within the "prime" Star Trek universe. One confirmed reference to Abrams' film was revealed when Zachary Quinto announced at the 2009 Spike TV Video Game Awards that he will be voicing dialogue during the game's tutorial. Leonard Nimoy is heard for all of the gameplay and exploration voice-over samples. The LCARS computer system dialog is voiced by a Majel Barrett impersonator.
Gameplay
In Star Trek Online, each player acts as the captain of his own ship. Players are able to play as a starship, controlling the ship's engineering, tactical and science systems by keyboard/mouse or using an on-screen console. Players can also "beam down" and move around as a player character in various settings with access to weapons and specific support and combat skills relating to their own character's class. The two combat systems are intertwined throughout the game: away-team missions feature fast-paced "run-and-gun" combat, while space combat stresses the long-term tactical aspect of combat between capital ships. Both are offered in concert with the Star Trek storyline and emphasize ship positioning to efficiently utilize shields during space combat, as well as the player's away team's positioning in consideration of flanking damage and finding various weaknesses to exploit during ground combat.