We haven't heard much about Star Trek Online since Cryptic Studio's big reveal back in August, after they took over the plagued project from Perpetual Entertainment. But in a new interview with Skewed and Reviewed (sknr.net), executive producer Craig Zinkievich spilled tons of new info, including more details on how the game will handle letting players command their own starships, and engage in ship vs. ship combat.
"About fifty percent of your time will be spent in space," Zinkievich explained, with players getting to fly their first ships as early as the game's tutorial. "Players will start with a basic starship, and as they progress through the game they will have the opportunity to upgrade to another ship or improve the abilities of the one they have. Some ships are more general purpose and some are more specialized. Your ship and the equipment you outfit it with help define the role you play in combat."
In Star Trek Online, each player is the commander of their own ship, meaning you won't have to rely on anyone else on board. "You have customizable bridge crew pets to help you, and you can increase the skills of those crew members during play. But as far as the direct flying and commanding of your ship goes, it's in your hands," Zinkievich said. As for combat, while battling on-foot sounds like it'll be similar to most other MMORPGs, Zinkievich explained that ship vs. ship battles will be slower paced and more strategic. "You'll have to think about positioning, transferring power to boost weapons or shields, and how to best exploit your opponent's weaknesses," he said.
Other topics covered in the interview include: the game's setting (it takes place in 2409, when "the Klingon Empire and the Federation are no longer allies and the universe is a much more volatile place," said Zinkievich); what kind of enemies will show up (Borg? "Definitely!"); and whether any fan-favorite actors will make an appearance (some may be involved, "but they might not be playing 'their' characters"). So check out the full interview for even more details. Star Trek Online is currently set for release some time next year.
