![]() ![]() I know I’ve got a long way to go because every time I run a Task Force Operation (the STO equivalent of a random dungeon), I’m carried through it by some uber ship with tons of supporting skills and bonuses. The initial space and ground skill trees barely seem to matter and are quickly maxed out and forgotten. There are so many ways to customize ships and characters in STO that I honestly don’t even know what to focus on first. Endeavors are daily challenges that accrue points that can be spent on passive bonuses. If a player has multiple starships, you can even send the entire ship (or several) to perform offline missions. Spaceship parts can be crafted and upgraded. Duty officers can perform offline missions for experience, dilithium, and energy credits. Bridge officer skills can be unlocked via grinding skill manuals. And the character level cap has remained frozen at 65 for years, which is also nice.īut because all of the ancillary progression systems unlock as you level and leveling occurs so rapidly, the sheer number of systems quickly becomes overwhelming. Player skills can be unlocked through reputation projects. Yes, character levels are gained quickly, which is nice. This brings me to the thing I find most challenging about being a new player in Star Trek Online. Can I do something with it? Probably, but I’m not sure what. ![]() Is that a Romulan Ale in my bag? Why yes, yes it is. Most of the gold membership unlocks can also be purchased a la carte from the cash shop.ĭare I say the current bloat isn’t too bad for a game of 12 revolutions? Much can be done with in-game acquirable dilithium and energy credits, but other systems award reputations of various flavors, salvage, and just loads and loads of tradable/craftable/usable stuff. The old subscription option has been replaced by a $300 lifetime gold membership that includes some ships, unlocks, and permanent boosts, but it offers no gameplay advantage over a purely free account. Speaking of monetization, STO is officially a free-to-play game, and by most accounts, it’s pretty good at being one. But iconic elements (Wrath of Kahn outfits, Deep Space Nine station, ships from the TV shows for example) are instantly recognizable and reason enough for any fan to shell out a few extra zen for cosmetics. Even back when I first tried STO nine years ago, the ground combat running animation felt off, and it hasn’t improved over time. On the other hand, animations are janky and some landscapes and environments feel sparse and dated. As first impressions go, some of the costumes and ship skins have aged amazingly well. I’m slightly conflicted about the visuals for STO. I have to admit that I wore a silly grin for much of the TOS starter zone. While the 23rd century lasts only a few missions, my character’s transporter effects and communicator/tricorder animations persisted even after she got caught up with the rest of the timeline. ![]() I’ve never considered myself a pointy-eared cosplaying Trekker, but I have existed on the fringes of Trek since watching reruns of the original series with my dad as a young kid.Īs such, I rolled a fresh original series character and was thoroughly impressed with the aesthetics and sound design of the Kirk-era environment. In some cases, the lack of a relevant tie-in might have doomed a game out of the gate, but Trek fans were hungry for some Trek, and the rest is MMO history.įiguring twelve years into the game’s life cycle that I’d successfully avoided the hype train, I recently decided to give this Cryptic game a try. Sure, the JJ Abrams reboots were starting to kick in, but the longtime favorite shows of the ’90s (TNG, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager) were a fading memory. Play Star Trek Online for freeInterestingly, the game was released during a time when not much was happening in the Star Trek universe. ![]()
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