Star Trek Online to feature PVP, classes

By Oli Welsh Published 13 August, 2008

More details emerge from official FAQ.

Cryptic Studios has published an official FAQ for Star Trek Online that answers a few more questions about the in-development MMO.

At the game's first announcement and official unveiling, Cryptic revealed that it would come to both PC and console, feature a mix of on-foot and space-faring adventure, and make every player the commander of his or her own ship, with a customisable NPC crew.

In the FAQ, Cryptic adds that, although all players will be Captains, they will still choose familiar and iconic career paths that define their playing styles.

"Your character will still be able to choose from a variety of career paths, such as Engineer, Tactical Officer, Doctor, Science Officer, etc. Your career path is your root, and will affect your skills, and how you command your crew," the FAQ reads.

"Consider Jean-Luc Picard, Beverly Crusher, Worf and Kathryn Janeway. Picard was an archeologist and diplomat, Crusher was a doctor, Worf a security/tactical officer, and Janeway was a scientist. Each eventually chose a career in command and became ship captains."

The FAQ also confirms that the game will feature faction-based player-versus-player combat under certain rules, which will not change from server to server.

Players will compete for territory and resources in the Neutral Zone, a "competitive PVE" (player-versus-environment) area where consensual player battles are an option. No-holds-barred PVP will take place in certain outer reaches of space.

The economy will be based on a barter system, since the Federation has done away with money. Players will be able to fight together in space fleets, or add other player-characters to their away-teams for on-foot combat, in place of NPC crew.

The FAQ notes that Cryptic has used some of the concept art from the game's previous life at the doomed Perpetual studio, but that the engine and design were all its own work.

Cryptic said it "would like" to be allow console and PC players to play on the same servers, and said there was "nothing technologically to keep us from making it so". It also noted that it had not decided on whether the game would be subscription-based or not.

Star Trek Online is due out within three years. For media and info, visit the gamepage.

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About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (21) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • jambolio #1 4 years ago

    Why am I so excited by this? I'm not the worlds biggest trekkie but I do love my Sci-Fi. Alas for the collective meaning no playable Borg though.

  • LHH #2 4 years ago

    I like the Star Trek universe, so much detail. So this has to be the first mmo I've actually been interested in.

  • viper_h #3 4 years ago

    Captain Worf?

    There was an episode in DS9 where he made a decision to save his wife over completing an important mission, and was reprimanded. Sisko said he'd never get his own command after that.

    ROAR!!

  • mcmonkeyplc #4 4 years ago

    Im waiting...

  • orakio #5 4 years ago

    too bad... I would have liked it if a guild manned a vessel, instead of the 500k players with each their own ship

  • grussbarbar #6 4 years ago

    How well will the Star Trek feel be incorporated into the game though? True Star Trek isn't about combat, so I'm really curious as to whether the developer can make this a relatively low on combat MMO. So far, "the galaxy is a much more volatile place" (from the FAQ) doesn't really sound right to me.

    "too bad... I would have liked it if a guild manned a vessel, instead of the 500k players with each their own ship"
    Agree, that would be pretty cool. I'd limit it to the bridge crew though. It probably wouldn't be much fun sitting in Engineering doing nothing but reading displays and rerouting power all the time... :p
    Edited by 1 at 13/08/08 @ 13:09

  • Silvervein #7 4 years ago

    @grussbarbar

    They succeded in making fun live player crews in puzzle pirates, with every activity, from patching hulls to setting sails being amusing in its own right. If they did that in a little game, why couldn't do it in much better funded project?

    While I enjoy star trek quite a lot, I'm a bit unsure about the idea of following current trend of making mmo's on 'pc and consoles'.
    That's for one reason: console audience has different expectations than pc. At least in my opinion. Making game for both will probably mean it's going to be very heavy on action, with minimal amount of text, clunky interface (even console-pc conversions suffer from this, how much worse it might be in a game that's supposed to be played on both *at the same time*?) and quite likely, obligatory voice chat (as I can't imagine many console owners getting keyboard just to type in one game). On top of that, everyone a captain?
    I can just imagine situation where Captain N00bblaztrz communicates with his team: (early teen voice) Dood, we gotta gank that newb, see what l33t loot he has?
    A pity. I like star trek, and was quite happy when I heard the project is still being worked on, but after those news...

  • mexalen #8 4 years ago

    meh ... I just read the FAQ, and I just don't quite feel as excited as I want to. I am quite a trekkie, but I just can't appreciate thousands of ships flying around.

    I'll have to wait and see, maybe it will be good, maybe something makes me look into it. At this point I am just not intrigued...

  • mingster #9 4 years ago

    I want to play as Q

  • PearOfAnguish #10 4 years ago

    If it's at all faithful to the TV show the engineer will be the most powerful character. Every mission can be completed by a high-level engineer who simply invents a brand new gadget to solve a problem. That is the lazy Star Trek way.
    Edited by 1 at 13/08/08 @ 15:08

  • riz23 #11 4 years ago

    That sounds a real shame about everyone being a Captain of a star ship. I would have thought the role play and fun would have come from specialising in one of the classes and going up the ranks joining 'away teams' etc. Only the very few should have a captains chair to sit in.

  • AOFanboi #12 4 years ago

    Healer Captain, Tank Captain, DPS Captain, AOE Captain, Mez Captain.

    Yeah, that oughta do it.

    Edit: Forgot the important mez role.
    Edited by 1 at 13/08/08 @ 16:16

  • rhinoxious #13 4 years ago

    Surely the away team would have made a perfect MMO grouping, now everyone is a captain, will away teams be formed of a variety of captains? Captains shouldn't be on teh surface anyway unless absolutely necessary!

    Sounds very dubious to me.

  • benstarkie #14 4 years ago

    I think it will be exactly like the Sealab episode where everyone is made captain....captain.

    Will I have the option of playing Riker either with or sans beard? These are the questions that need answering dammit.

  • malloc #15 4 years ago

    "Star Trek Online is due out within three years."

    Talk about covering your bases. Any more specific?

  • Anhunedd #16 4 years ago

    Can I play a Tribble?

  • GiarcYekrub #17 4 years ago

    I wanna be Ferengi give me gold pressed latinum over your federation "barter system" any day

  • rhinoxious #18 4 years ago

    I'm sure a beard-hack will be available soon after release!

  • benstarkie #19 4 years ago

    Will I be able to replicate sausage and mash.

  • RedPanda #20 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • benstarkie #21 4 years ago

    Barclayyyyyyyyyyy!