Star Trek Online at Ten Ton Hammer

By Chris “Spare” Higgins, Guest Columnist

This week, Cryptic Studios formally announced their intention to develop an MMO based on the Star Trek universe.  This news comes as a relief for Trekkies and Trekkers who were uncertain of Star Trek Online’s fate after Perpetual sold the rights to their claim at Star Trek Online.  Not a lot was known about Perpetual’s plans for Star Trek Online; only a few screenshots and some very basic information were ever released about the mysterious title, so it is safe to assume Cryptic will be starting from a clean slate. That said, a few key questions must be answered before Cryptic has a solid game on their hands.

Cryptic better get Star Trek Online right, or thousands of Trekkies will be looking like this.

What elements will Cryptic need to include in this MMO to make it great?

Well first things first.  At what point in the Star Trek timeline will this game take place?  I would imagine the timeline would be 2385 or beyond.  The new Star Trek movie will begin with Spock recounting memories, which will lead into the movie and that is rumored to be in 2385.  At this point in the time line there will not be much written and it will give Cryptic a clean slate to work with.

Another question on my mind is “What races should appear in this game?”  

I am pretty sure Starfleet humans, Klingons, and Vulcans are a guarantee.  Romulans should be in game but should not be played by players.  There are other races like Ferengi, Cardassians, and Bajorans that could appear as player controlled races.  Races like the Jem’Hadar and Borg could be used in this game but should not be player controlled and only used in player events or in story lines.

Star Trek Online should also have robust space combat and exploration systems.  I think this would be the most critical system because almost everything happens in space.  However there should be a rich ground combat element where players can beam down and really get into some visceral combat sequences.  

One of the biggest challenges Cryptic will face is “How do you make a MMO that feels like Star Trek?”  

Most fans of Star Trek have not found that one game that captures the Star Trek spirit.  Bethesda has put out some decent Star Trek games, but none have really captured that Star Trek spirit.  The Enterprise was on a mission to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life and new civilizations.  How does a game company translate this into a game that is fun for all?  

Another challenge is the Klingon Race.  The Klingon race alone is almost a basis for a whole MMO.  While everyone always thinks about the Federation first, Klingon’s are still very important.  I know once I heard about Star Trek Online my first thought was “I am going to grab my bat'leth and charge into battle and drink blood wine”.  Flying cloaked in your bird of prey to do battle in space is going to be a highlight of Star Trek Online, so I hope this race gets the attention they deserve.

It is going to be interesting to see how Cryptic translates Star Trek into a game.  My only hope is they stay true to the lore and technology in the universe and boldly goes where no game has gone before.