Live Star Trek Online Q&A today!

By Robert Purchese Published 2 February, 2010

Chatty Craig Zinkievich answers to you.

Craig Zinkievich, executive producer of Star Trek Online, is joining Eurogamer this afternoon for a live chat with our readers - you.

He'll be answering from 5pm GMT, but do turn up a bit beforehand to submit your questionsif you can - there's more chance our moderator will see them.

Zinkievich joins us on the eve of Star Trek Online's launch. He's busy, but then developer Cryptic is a well-oiled MMO machine, having turfed out City of Heroes, Champions Online and now Star Trek Online. Zinkievich has been there throughout.

He likes to talk, too, as we found out last October when we cornered him for a chat.

So, what would you like to know? Cryptic's already laid out an early post-release update plan for Star Trek Online, and the veteran MMO developer will know how important this early part of the game's lifecycle will be.

Want to know the secret to being a Klingon beauty? Keen to discover what makes a starship tick?

Ask Zinkievich on Thursday. There's no man better qualified to answer.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mcmonkeyplc #1 2 years ago

    Do ESA members get priority? :)

  • DFawkes #2 2 years ago

    Possibly not monkey, but if we all ask the same question how can they possibly ignore us?

    Nice to ask some questions now it's finally out, maybe see how things are planned out for the future. I do wonder if there are new playable races planned - the current structure would suggest so.

  • Red-Moose #3 2 years ago

    Question 1: Are your servers made of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter?
    Question 2: Have you considered not running the game on servers made of butter?
    Edited by Red-Moose at 02/02/10 @ 19:39

  • hiddenranbir #4 2 years ago

    Super trekkie question here: Why did you change the recognisable Star Trek icon we all know as Earth Space Dock?

  • Shikasama #5 2 years ago

    When does The Old Republic come out?

    Because like...that'll be GOOD.

  • actionfitz #6 2 years ago

    ^
    lol. i know its trolling but gets a +1 for making me giggle :)

  • 1Dgaf #7 2 years ago

    I'd like to know about paying to respec and buying extra character slots. I'd have thought that, asking people to pay in both instances, lessens the chance they'll roll a new character and keep playing, thus harming the overall subscription.

    Or are they assuming there will be high churn, so they'll take the cash from the 20% or so of hardcore gamers (assuming Pareto's law, or something like it, holds true).

  • darkmorgado #8 2 years ago

    As this is set in the post-voyager/DS9 years and appears to follow the continuity of the TV series rather than the dumbed-down cinema reboot, I'd like to ask how much influence Paramount had on the project and their view of whether or not, in the dev's opinion, the reboot film actually HAS wiped out the last 40 years of trek continuity or if they regard the new film as an alternate timeline. Which is the "real" continuity, to them?

    EDIT: For clarity on who I was directing the question at
    Edited by darkmorgado at 03/02/10 @ 02:07

  • Shikasama #9 2 years ago

    Trolling actionfitz? That was a GENUINE QUESTION!

    I really want to know when it's out, and he's in the industry.

    It's all a conspiracy I tells ye.

    Oooh! I have a question! When will Cryptic admit CO was a balls rbazen attempt to rescue the Marvel engine they built and they don't actually give a flying toss about it once it's amde up it's costs?

    Or:

    Why have they completely failed to innovate in any way in a genre that has become famously stagnant in gameplay mechanics and storytelling techniques despite being two of the most recent and high profile launches of the past few years?

  • Spekingur #10 2 years ago

    CO and STO do not have the same project managers.

    Shikasama, have you even played STO? You know, like recently.

  • Murton #11 2 years ago

    Darkmorgodo: great question. I would like to think that being based post-Voyager/DS9 that the developers wouldn't even recognise Enterprise as a valid part of the Star Trek timeline let alone the movie reboot, that's certainly the way many fans see it.

    My question: many MMOs of recent years have launched with the misguided belief that they will be huge successes and invariably set themselves up with a dozen different servers and the standard $10 per month subscription fee only to find themselves forced into merging servers after as little six months and occasionally shutting down or going free to play after a year. How confident are you in the future of STO? Have you planned to be a huge success from the get go or have you taken a more modest (some would say sensible) approach planning to carve a little niche for yourself and then expand from there?
    Edited by Murton at 03/02/10 @ 13:46

  • Shikasama #12 2 years ago

    Spekingur - See recent Eurogamer news article on selling playable races.

    Pretty much sums up everything about Crytari.

    The thing is, and I know you in particular have seen me bitch about Crytari a lot, is that I like that you like their games. Even though I hate the company, I hate their staff and I hate the absolutely ridiculous way they make their games and are now trying to cream every last penny out of the 'core' players (the only players they will ever have because of their complete lack of vision), I like it whenever someone finds an MMO they enjoy.

    BUT, with that said, the game is still piss poor and adds NOTHING to the industry. Champions Online and STO were supposed to herald the 'next gen' of MMO gaming and instead they took us back 5-10 years. Then charged us extra for it.

    I swear if Star Wars does this to me I may well break down and cry

  • DFawkes #13 2 years ago

    I'm still really enjoying STO, it's certainly my favourite Trek game, though given the general quality of most that isn't a huge challenge.

    Plus I really enjoy the space combat, it feels quite fresh and fun to me, without the fear of losing hours of play due to my lack of skill (which I'll happily admit stopped me investing too much time in Eve). If there is another good space MMO out there I'd love suggestions as I'll take all the sci-fi I can get! I've already had a good stint in AirRivals, which is pretty good but focused on smaller fighter craft.

  • mcmonkeyplc #14 2 years ago

    Shikasama,

    You have played STO right, cause if you haven't your just trolling.

  • Shikasama #15 2 years ago

    The Internet - The boys are girls, the girls are drawn and having a contrary opinion is trolling.

    I meant to say I love STO, I love Cryptic, I love everything they do, have done and will do in the future.

    God bless those stalwart heroes.

  • DFawkes #16 2 years ago

    It wasn't what you said Shikasama, it was more the way you said it - saying "the game is still piss poor and adds NOTHING to the industry" simply isn't true. It does add some things that some people will like.

    Saying "it adds nothing that I enjoy" would be fair enough - if I'm honest I can't see a non-Trekkie enjoying it as much, since a lot of it's draw is the Trek universe, and the space combat probably feels quite samey for most people. And the crafting is admittedly blinking awful.

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #17 2 years ago

    The Internet - The boys are girls, the girls are drawn and having a contrary opinion is trolling.

    Heh - nice phrase.

    Question 1: Are your servers made of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter?
    Question 2: Have you considered not running the game on servers made of butter?

    These I like. Noted.

    I do wonder if there are new playable races planned - the current structure would suggest so.

    Yeah, Cryptic's alluded to this before - it might have even been Zinkievich that rattled off a load of races for possible future inclusion. Of course, we'd need to know what's first etc.

    As this is set in the post-voyager/DS9 years and appears to follow the continuity of the TV series rather than the dumbed-down cinema reboot, I'd like to ask how much influence Paramount had on the project and their view of whether or not, in the dev's opinion, the reboot film actually HAS wiped out the last 40 years of trek continuity or if they regard the new film as an alternate timeline. Which is the "real" continuity, to them?

    I'll try and get this in. Really liked the new Star Trek film. Not patch on the camp heroics of Kirk in the olden days though. Ridiculous costumes ftw.

  • mcmonkeyplc #18 2 years ago

    Question: Will the Klingon war continue throughout the game or will the relationship with the Federation develop dynamically? I have recently done a mission where I fought an enemy with the Klingons, I assume this common enemy could be used to unite the factions in the future or mabye I'm reading to much into it.

  • DFawkes #19 2 years ago

    I know STO is set in an extension of the original timeline, set about 30 years after Nemesis (and after the supernova that destroyed Romulus).

    So if you check the official site, there are extensions to the story everywhere. Picard has retired from Starfleet and is now an Ambassador. Worf joined the Klingon Empire due the brewing Klingon/Federation War, Geordi La Forge is now working at the Daystrom Instituate, Data has his neural net patched over B4 and his commission re-instated due to his special circumstances, Jake Sisko is a fully fledged reporter & Tribbles are back!

    There is other stuff, but it's all set after the existing Trek canon, not in an alternate universe. Though it's not canon itself, if that makes sense.

  • GiarcYekrub #20 2 years ago

    Why choose Sylar instead of Robert Picardo to do the voice of the EMH? Do you see any proper(IE not from JJVerse but Nimoy was cool) Trek actors doing voice parts in the future?

  • Spekingur #21 2 years ago

    I can answer that right away for you. The Atari marketing department probably thought it would be a good idea to involve the voice of the newest Spock because that's what most casual Trekkie's might recognise.
    Which is a bit silly. But then again, everyone knows how often marketing departments do silly stuff.

    I could even hazard a guess with the storyline without having fully played through the game. The common enemy are the Undine. They are the ones that instigated the war between the Federation and Klingon - and, if what was previously said, has something to do with involving the Romulans and Cardassians as their own factions in war for the Galaxy. Just a guess though.
    Edited by Spekingur at 03/02/10 @ 19:58

  • TruSmiles #22 2 years ago

    Question: Why is the UK subscription fee not inclusive of tax? Most MMORPG's charge £8.99, yet Star Trek will be over £10. How do Cryptic intend to be competitive with this price?

    (As a side note, I bought a 12 month sub to bring the price to under £10 per month, but it still feels like we're paying more than we should)

  • DPRBassman #23 2 years ago

    Why are fleet action prizes allocated on damage basis? This seems to result in the escorts recieving all the nice upgrades, and those in science vessels get nothing.

  • Darkjinxter #24 2 years ago

    Had EvE online been reskinned in the Star Trek universe, then....You would have had a 'game'

  • Spekingur #25 2 years ago

    No. Eve is about market share. Star Trek isn't - unless you are Ferengi.

  • Branoic #26 2 years ago

    Please don't ask the question about the games place in the trek timeline - this is easily
    available on the game's site and will just make the asker look lazy and / or retarded. It's accepted as canon that the new film does not "wipe out" 40 years of trek and the "Prime" timeline still exists. The new film and any subsequent films following on from it are in an alternate timeline. There's also a section of the website called STO and JJ Abrams which explains all this.
    Edited by Branoic at 04/02/10 @ 14:04

  • felderpony #27 2 years ago

    Well I have a question that needs to be asked! Where's the Mac client? One of the reasons I love Blizzard is that they develop both PC and Mac at the same time and don't use that awful transgaming Cider engine.

    So, is there to be a Mac version and if so, will it be native?