Star Trek Online: Set Phasers To Excited!

I would have blogged about this sooner, but I've been waiting for more information. I'm extremely looking forward about this game. Set phasers to excited! Warp factor thrill! Beam me up anticipation! And so on, but my excitement if for several reasons:

1) I'm a huge, huge star trek fan. I'm bordering on being a full blown trekkie if it wasn't for the face my wife would make a disaproving face if I did anything remarkably geeky. My knowledge of most things trek wise is encyclopedic, let alone my DVD collection. I challenge people to quiz me in the comments section, I promise I won't cheat.

2) We need a decent space MMO. EVE online is okay if you like playing with spreadsheets and watching some vague metallic object shoot lasers at rocks for 2 hours. From what I've seen space combat in ST:O is looking very similar to Starfleet Command, which hands down was one of the best Star Trek games ever.


And how many MMOs generally fall into the "grind, kill these, level up character, continue", ST:O seems to be doing something different to the main stereotype of MMOs. You have ground and space based missions, and rather than upgrade your character, you upgrade your bridge crew and ship with different items/skills. These come into play when doing missions either in space or on away missions.

Here's some of the things we know so far that will be in Star Trek Online


You can choose between Federation or the Klingon Empire to start with. Either side will let you have a customised character, possibly being a mercenary for the Empire's part.
Takes place in the TNG timeline, 30 years after Star Trek: Nemesis.
Different configurations of starships will be unlocked as you play, also every starship can be modified to give the user a unique look.



The galaxy can be explored, new systems being generated for users. So one player may discover a completely new starsystem before anyone else, and it will last on the galactic map. These new planets and systems can be named by the discoverer
Fleets are the game's version of Guilds
Missions will feature both scripted and proceduraly generated content.
There will also be dynamic events such as Borg invasions.
Space battles are similar to Starfleet Command, where your weapons will have limited arcs and battles depend on which way your ship is facing. Different shield banks will degrade so you have to keep thinking about your positioning and which systems you allocate power towards.
There will be PVP at launch.

From what I've seen of videos and screenshots this game is going to look good too. There's no release date set yet, but damn, I'm excited!

"Aft shields at 50%, main phaser banks firing! Hull breach on deck 16!"

Glee!

so anyone going to preorder this?

well I'm interested.

GameStop
GameStop customers receive the ability to command the exclusive and always classic USS Enterprise from Star Trek The Original Series.

Best Buy
Best Buy is offering their customers a fun in-game pet. As a Federation Captain, players own a famed Tribble of Star Trek lore that will accompany them on their travels into the final frontier. As a Klingon commander, players control the boar-like Targ, a beast found on the Klingon home world of Qo’noS.

Amazon
Amazon is offering an exclusive “Liberated Borg” Bridge Officer. This bridge officer, who comes with unique nanotechnology augmentations, assists in missions and gains experience as the player does.

Wal-Mart
With the Wal-Mart Bonus Skill Points package, receive addition skill points that enable players to improve their characters quickly.

Target
Target customers who pre-order Star Trek Online receive a unique ground weapon – a TR-116. This rare projectile weapon is used in dampening fields and other challenging environments; it is also modified with a micro-transporter which beams the fired projectiles to targets at close range so that a user can fire without a direct line of site.

Direct2Drive
Direct2Drive customers receive an exclusive Multi-Spatial Personal Shield. This advanced personal shield system is based on Borg technology, which constantly regenerates itself and the health of its wearer.

STEAM
STEAM is offering customers Chromodynamic Armor. This armor is based on technology brought back from the Delta Quadrant by U.S.S. Voyager improves the damage and critical hits of energy weapons.

Read this right kids....THE ENTERPRISE vs a Pet vs A FUCKING BORG BOT (which levels with you) vs more skill points vs weapon vs a shield vs armor. I wonder which Store is going to get more preorders?

Welcome to the Star Trek Online download site! You can download the game now using one of the links below. Some special notes about the Star Trek Online Demo:

* You need a Cryptic account to play. Don't have one yet? Create one here.
* You can play through the entire Star Trek Online Tutorial, as well as the Episode "Stranded in Space." Master your skills in space and on the ground, then rescue the S.S. Azura!
* The Demo is restricted to the Federation faction.
* You have unlimited play time. Play as much as you like. To access the full version of Star Trek Online, purchase the full game from any of these fine retailers.

1. Skill system + item system never really explained well enough for a new player without heavy research on the forums... much of which is out-of-date and does not apply.

- Stat type items are worthless without a skill that uses it. Ok. What skills do I get, crap need to research. Hmmm... this thread is 5 months old, wonder if it still works.
- Wonder if STO has a spread sheet of Skills / stats used. Dang that was hard to find... doh it only shows BO skills. Oh I need to research those too now... etc. Hmm 5 month old spreadsheet... sigh.

2. What information is available in game (Tool Tips / Filters) to help you work through it all... Can't be trusted or is very lacking.

- Sweet a Mk VI suit. Gah why can't I wear it. Oh the icon is wrong the tool tip says VII.
- AAAArgh I just spent all my money on Dual Cannons for my new Assault Cruiser. Cause it says on the tool tip it can equip it
- So if I read all my skill tool tips I'll be able to figure this out! Examples of abilities that this skill uses.... &^%$. Why not -tell me all the abilities ! So I spend all my skill points here and find out it means zero there.
-Deflector Shield! Sweet that will help my survivability... nope only if associated with an ability. Sweet what ability? Figure it out. I'm fine with figuring games out when they make sense.... does the deflector shield not help with base ship shield at all?

3. Anomalies spawning under the ground. Making it impossible to scan for mission targets, as the anomaly can not be gathered.

4. Alt-Tabbing to 2nd monitor unlocks my mouse from the game. Meaning my mouse doesn't stay strictly in-game after I Alt-Tab back. Moving the camera with no mouse pointer (from the button holding) and trying to keep it on screen.....doesn't work well. And I end up needing to restart. Never had this problem with any other game.

- I did find a work-around. Video settings > Full Windowed then back to Full screen fixes it. But that takes a minute or 2 to do and that's every time I Alt-Tab to research....