Hope for the future: The good and bad of Star Trek Online

Hope for the future: The good and bad of Star Trek Online By Cecil Adkins Cecil Adkins is a fiction writer and covers MMORPGs for Examiner.com. He is an active player of City of Heroes, World of Warcraft, and several other MMOs. He can be found on the web at www.ceciladkins.com.

Well, I've never before hit the level cap in an MMO within a month of its release. The fact that this has been the case with Atari/Cryptic Studios' Star Trek Online could mean that the game's pretty easy to play, or that it's designed to get you to the bigger and better ships quickly, or that I've played it too darned much. All three of these, as it turns out, are probably true.

Set in one of the most famous and endearing fictional worlds, Star Trek Online allows fans to participate in the ongoing mission of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets (or, for those who like their politics a little on the rougher side, the Klingon Defense Force). You start strong out of the gate, as within the first hour (by the end of the tutorial, in fact), you find yourself suddenly in command of a starship. That's even faster than Chris Pine's Jim Kirk was able to accomplish the same feat in 2009's Star Trek.

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Other reviews have pointed out the repetitive nature of much of Star Trek Online's content, and I suppose there is some truth to that. The exploration missions in particular follow set templates, so that once you've done one of each type the only real variety is what enemy group you're up against. In reality, this is no different from repeatable quests in other MMOs (World of Warcraft dailies, police scanner missions in City of Heroes, etc.). The "problem" is perhaps more apparent in Star Trek Online, where the sometimes very cool episode missions (the missions where real storylines occur, and which are sometimes tied into past Star Trek adventures) can seem few and far between.

I don't have a problem with the variety of the different mission types. Even during the repeatable exploration missions, you never know whether you're going to get a ground combat mission, a space combat mission, or even a "glowie hunt" (which can take place both on the ground and in space). Looking back at other MMOs within their first month, I'd say Star Trek Online doesn't fare much worse in terms of variety. City of Heroes, in particular, may have lots of different mission types now, but within its first couple of months I think it could be argued that it was every bit as repetitive as Star Trek Online.

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The combat is generally fun, although sometimes the controls can be frustrating, particularly during ground combat. It took me a little while to figure some things out (sticking with a single energy type for ship weapons, for example, is usually better than mixing phasers with disruptors), but once I did I found the combat much more enjoyable. Luckily, the game is pretty forgiving while you take the time you need to learn what you need to learn.

Cryptic Studios has long been known for the insanely detailed customization options within its MMOs, and Star Trek Online is no different. Of course, they had to stick with uniform options that at least evoke a feeling of existing within the Star Trek universe, but there's even a great deal of customization possible in that area. And there are tons of options for face and body types, even enabling you to create your own alien species from scratch.