Star Trek Online, Feature and Images

Jon · Post by **Jon** » 2007-03-07 07:10am

MMORPG.com Managing Editor Jon Wood, while at this year's Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco, had the opportunity yesterday to attend a press event at Perpetual - to get a hands on look at their two titles, Gods & Heroes and Star Trek Online. While they didn't get to look at STO itself, due to PE still being in an early stage of development, they had the opportunity to see some of the game's assets.

From the article:

Throughout the evening, it became clearer and clearer that Perpetual was taking full advantage of the fact that they were not held to the limitations of a film or a television series in terms of the look of the game. Remember the Gorn? That species that Kirk (and later Archer) had to battle that, even in the recently produced Enterprise series, looked more like a guy in a rubber mask than a threatening monster? Well, the concept drawing of the Gorn that I saw bore enough resemblance to be recognizable, but was edgier, more hunched, less human, and looked more like a dangerous beast than a laughable, campy monster. One of the biggest complaints that I've heard from people about Star Trek is that the aliens are just "Humans with crinkly noses".

The article also presents some new artwork of the game which, I have to say, is looking beautiful. Check out the full article here: http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm?setv ... 216&bhjs=0

Direct links to the artwork from the article:
http://images.mmorpg.com/features/1151/ ... 1151_1.jpg
http://images.mmorpg.com/features/1151/ ... 1151_2.jpg
http://images.mmorpg.com/features/1151/ ... 1151_3.jpg
http://images.mmorpg.com/features/1151/ ... 1151_4.jpg

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2007-03-07 08:27am

As an MMO, I have some doubts, given both the nature of the beast and the nature of players...but I will say if the pictures are accurate, it's one of the best looking of them.

I just unfortunatly have the dread of STO as I did when I heard SWG....great concept, but the mentality brought upon by EQ, something will breakdown and give.

Hopefully, they will go an EVE like route, and maintain the core concepts and such not.

Enigma · Post by **Enigma** » 2007-03-07 11:16am

I wonder how exactly do you play this game? Do you have free range on the ship? If I can be an engineer can I for shits and giggles release the warp core in the midst of battle? Can I be the one in control of the transporters and randomly transport other players into space? How about being a tactical officer and start shooting friendly ships? Are those onboard armed or would we be unarmed? If we can be armed would I be able to vapourise the captain or spend my time trying to phaser a hole in the bulkhead?

What can one do or not do in this game?

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2007-03-07 12:25pm

The web site just keeps screaming at me that my browser doesn't have cookies enabled (when it does. I'm using FireFox). Ugh.

Ritterin Sophia · Post by **Ritterin Sophia** » 2007-03-07 01:31pm

No, I'm on IE and it's doing the same, however I know I have cookies on, otherwise it wouldn't autologin...

Jon · Post by **Jon** » 2007-03-09 07:23am

I was able to obtain some very high resolution versions of the images, if anyone would like to scrutinise a little more closely or indeed, can't open mmorpg.com for some reason;

http://www.startrek-online.net/images/concepts/STO.zip

I left them unwatermarked, and in turn they make very nice wallpapers!

I wonder how exactly do you play this game? Do you have free range on the ship? If I can be an engineer can I for shits and giggles release the warp core in the midst of battle? Can I be the one in control of the transporters and randomly transport other players into space? How about being a tactical officer and start shooting friendly ships? Are those onboard armed or would we be unarmed? If we can be armed would I be able to vapourise the captain or spend my time trying to phaser a hole in the bulkhead?

What can one do or not do in this game?

There's still a lot we don't know, the best I could suggest right now is taking a look over this guide I've compiled from known data, but recent developer comments suggest a totally new direction is being taken so how accurate that is now remains to be seen;

http://www.startrek-online.net/?page=guide

Jack Bauer · Post by **Jack Bauer** » 2007-03-09 04:32pm

Christ, they finally brought back phasers that actually look like a respectable firearm. No more of this dustbuster / banana/ dildo looking bullshit.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2007-03-09 06:33pm

Oh, I don't doubt there will be PLENTY of 'we just make up' content. I'll be amused to find out how much of the setting, imagery and concepts they had to change/ignore/invent to make it MMO-player friendly.