Star Trek Online: Captain’s Blog, GDC and STFs

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Posted Wed, Mar 10, 2010 by Medeor

Exclusives

Infected Screenshots and Video
Star Trek Online has been live for just over a month now and during that time, the Cryptic development team has been doing everything except taking a break. Special Task Force Missions are set to start rolling out over the coming weeks, beginning with STO: The Infected. The Borg have become even more efficient and are assimilating entire worlds at alarming speeds. To make matters worse, Starfleet has lost contact with one of its Starbases. It also happens to be the Starbase a key member of the Borg Task Force was located at. It's up to you to reestablish contact, figure out what the Borg are up to, and retake Starbase 89 before it's completely overrun by the Borg!

Interactive Engineering Officer Skill Page
Whether you're a freshly appointed Lieutenant just starting out or an established Admiral within the fleet, you can't conquer space (let alone the Klingons) without choosing the right skills. Fortunately for you, our new interactive class skill pages have all the information you’ll ever need to make those choices that best fit your playstyle! This week, we've added the Engineering Officer Skills page.

Guide to the Player Exchange
Through the use of an auction style exchange system, Star Trek Online offers players a way to sell their wares without sitting in one place barking out the laundry list. Convenient in theory, the exchange can be a bit daunting at first. Today we review the mechanics of buying and selling in the Guide to the Player Exchange as well as offer a few tips for players (and Cryptic while we’re at it).

Captain's Log

The neighborhood is calming down a bit now that the whole drama is subsiding. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. The forums are more populated with notices of "Not quitting" and redemption than the bile and venom flowing last week. Since the qutters are no longer here, we can now talk behind their backs without fear of repercussions.

The Week That Was

This is one of those weeks where real life jumps into the driver's seat and tears off like a bat out of hell and I hold on for dear life. With playtime being precious, I'm once again amazed at the flexibility of Star Trek Online and the options available when thirty minutes is all I've got. Whether I wanted to start sifting through the pages of the Player Exchange or race out for a mission or two, I had options. Not many other games offer such a reward for such a short time investment.

Check Your Schedule

In the sidebar of STO's website with the heading "Upcoming Events" I saw some interesting little nuggets of information. According to the schedule we can expect the next Raidisode of STF: The Cure to launch on the 18th. The Cure will follow STF: Infected which combined sounds as much like a mod concert as a content launch. Heck, we might see a bunch of depressed teens!

GDC Interviews Rolling

Most people involved in the gaming industry (and those with common sense) realize the delicate balance between asking game developers difficult questions about their game's deficiencies and getting kicked to the curb by an interviewee (game developer). Some of the drivel I'm reading people ask the STO devs helps me understand two things. First, they are infinitely more patient than I am. I would have beaten the interviewers with their microphone. Second, through impossible odds, the interviewed (Zinc) is so stoked about his game that though all the BS, he can keep a positive response flowing.

Oh yeah, more buttheads

In the latest Ask Cryptic, we find out that there is more Klingon content on it's way. I like new Klingon goodies as much as the next guy (even though I'm not a big PvP fan), but this one stuck out at me:

Does Cryptic intend to ever create content where Klingon and federation characters can intermingle outside of PVP, be it raidisodes both sides can partake in together, or a social environment (such as Nimbus III?)

Yes. Look for some pretty soon. : )

Now that is interesting. I have no idea how they plan to accomplish even a fraction of this so I really look forward to the news.

Next week has to be better, right?

I'm jealous of you out there that have been able to push through the real life and prep for the raidisodes. I'm still plugging away and enjoying the ride. Have you hit endgame yet? If so, let us know in the forum. I'm curious how many have made it or stand close to achieving the rank of admiral. Hopefully I'll be joining you soon and we can do a raidisode or two.

Have a great week, and thanks for reading.

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