by Chuck Hoodak

Created on: June 10, 2010   Last Updated: June 12, 2010

Star Trek Online is an online multiplayer game by Cryptic Studios. In Star Trek Online, players command starships in battle and beam down to planets to conduct missions with their AI controlled crew members or with their friends.

At the moment, players have the choice of playing either members of the Federation of Planets, or as a Klingon in the Klingon Defense Force (KDF). While the Federation side has both Player-vs.-Environment (PvE) missions and Player-vs.-Player (PvP), the Klingon side has only PvP activities to chose from.

Creating Characters

Creating a character in the game is as involved or as simple as you want it to be. The interface is easy to get used to and the level of detail and variety of species that you can create is satisfying. You can make your character as alien as you wish with gills, spines, mottled skin tones, whatever you wish. While certain species like Cardassians and Romulans aren’t in the game at this time, that doesn’t limit you in trying to create a reasonable facsimile of one of them.

After creating a character, you will choose from Science, Tactical or Engineering as your specialty. Each tree has its specific benefits: Science with healing and technical espionage, Tactical with fighting and Engineering with support.

On the Federation side, once you create your character you will be dropped into the starting scenario which guides you on how to control your character and eventually leads you into commanding your own Miranda class starship.

You perform a few small storyline missions and that show you how to use your ship to get from point A to point B, while defending yourself from Klingon and Gorn ships and landing parties. You earn points that you can assign to attributes to yourself and your AI crew members that increase their capabilities and try to make them more effective for missions.

The Klingon side of the game does not become available until you reach level 6, and once you create your KDF character, you are given a few lessons on how to fight, given a ship and sent on your way.

The Ships

Easily the most popular part of Star Trek Online, you outfit your ship with weapons that you either collect as loot from ships you destroy or buy from vendors. The weapons vary from Phasers to Disrupters, Polaron beams, Photon and Quantum torpedoes and various other weapons. How you want to outfit your ship is purely up to your play style.

Once you reach the rank of Lieutenant, you will be given the choice of ship

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