Star Trek Online Developer Interview

With Star Trek Online closing in on being the first big MMO launch of the new year, and the closed beta now accepting applications, we sat down to have a chat with the developers about the game, Denobulans, and going Warp 7 to Vulcan.

How will STO be different from the current players in the genre, in terms of gameplay?

STO offers a lot of unique features for gamers looking for something different. Our episodic missions are truly unique and it feels as if you are watching a Star Trek episode. You play in space and on the ground, as well. You command your own starship in space and you command your away team on the ground. The back and forth between the two really wipes away the grinding feeling that you have in other MMOs. Also we have Tribbles. Every game should have Tribbles.

Have there been any balance issues regarding the two styles of combat?

Since this is an MMO we will always be tweaking balancing to make sure something is not too easy or too hard. Also just the pace and style of the two are different. In space it’s a little slower and measured. You want to knock your opponent’s shields down, then maneuver to that exposed side and fire your torpedoes where they can do maximum damage. On the ground, it’s a little more fast-paced. You’re giving your away team orders all while ducking and dodging on coming fire. The difference between the two really makes for fun and unique gameplay.

Why no Denobulans? They’re awesome, never need sleep, and they have long tongues!

Star Trek has a deep history so it’s impossible to put everything in at launch. The cool thing about MMOs is that it’s never done. So if the community really wants Denobulans then it’s something we’ll look at adding after launch. But I do agree. They are awesome.

Will there be any references to last summer’s movie? The disappearance of Spock, for example?

We don’t make references to the disappearance of Spock as our game is set in the prime timeline and in that timeline Spock doesn’t go back in time (he’s presumed dead) and Vulcan is not destroyed. Time travel can be a little confusing so we explain what year STO takes place and where the JJ Abrams universe fits in here.

Will you need to become hostile in order for PvP combat?

We’ve designed PvP to be consensual at all times. You opt to enter maps in the Neutral Zone that automatically flag you for PvP, so you don’t have to worry about getting killed randomly.

Are the bridge crew members passive AI or can you control them individually to your needs?

You can give each one commands. They each have their set of orders. So you can tell one to do one thing and tell another to do something different. For example, you may tell one member to hold their position and another to move to a flanking position. It gives the game a more tactical feel.

The quests are taking an episodic format – but will this mean that players coming into the game later will miss out on older episodes? Will these quests be always available for play?

New players will not miss out on older episodes. They would play the missions and episodes just like everyone before them did. The Episode Missions are built into player progression, so if you wind up starting later than others, you’ll still have that content available to you.

Have any of the Star Trek cast or writers commented upon this game? I know JJ Abrams has…

Not that I know of. Hopefully they will get a chance to check it out and play the game. I think since we’ve announced that Zachary Quinto will be the voiceover for the tutorial that he may have gotten some hands on. But I haven’t received his feedback of the game yet.

How about the look of the non-Earth worlds? Are they based from the films and shows as well as creative speculation?

We have many familiar worlds, bases, and systems that Star Trek fans will recognize as well as new worlds that our art team has created. The non-Earth worlds are very different and unique worlds as well. Just as you would expect, some are very exotic looking with lush forests, some are desert or ice planets. Some have been Borgified. That’s right, I said Borgified.

Last question: ship transport will be awesome, right? Will going at Warp 7 to Vulcan be awesome?

We wanted to make sure you knew what was going on while you were in warp. So you see the animation of warping in and out of a system but then we put you in sector space. Sector space is where you move all around the Star Trek universe. You can see different star systems and move to them as well as different sectors. We didn’t want you to hit warp and then all of a sudden everything around you is flashing in your face and you have no idea where you’re going.