This week marks fifteen years since the launch of whats become Star Trek’s most consistent and longest reigning video game, Star Trek Online. Developed following the relaunch of a new movie franchise, STO told the other side of the story. While NEro went back in time and created the Kelvin Timeline offshoot, STO focused on the galactic politics following the collapse of the Hobus Star. Customising your player character, you begin at the Academy, get yourself a star ship and rank up as you balance exploration, politics and shooting a lot of things!
Over the years the game has changed and developed with expansions, new additions, rotating Executive Producers – and now new owners! – using multiple guest appearances into the mix for story mission while allowing group events, developing annual traditions and generally letting us all play with cool starships for hours on end! As a combat based MMO, there is of course a lot of combat based mechanics, but it’s not all firing at will and shoot to kill; there’s a lot more fun to the game to be had under the surface that has let us fall deep into a new expanded alternate lore as we lead the future generation in the 2410’s…
Midnight
When they set up shop, Star Trek Online had full rights to everything on the table from the Star Trek Universe and they leaned in hard. Early missions set the galactic stage catching up with Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians in various episodes that got us up to speed with how things had changed between the collapse of Hobus to the new game timeline in 2409. But they needed an original baddie, one that was barely touched in the canon so it could become a huge focus. Enter the Iconian’s; an ancient species never seen with only remnants of their technology left over by the TNG era. After teases, battles across the galaxy and a lot of cool new designs, the story ends with Midnight. It was a vital point in how the game progressed it”s story, allowing the main character to becoming a meaningful element in the wider picture that brought all the warring factions together with…. well, a surprise or two. Without going into spoilers, it’s one of the key points int he gamer that makes a huge effort to entertain, enlighten on what led tot he epic stakes and where it feels like th eplayer is a key role and not just a spectator.
Romulan Story Arc
This is a bit of a cheat. Some of its good, some of its bad. But collectively the whole story is one of the most intriguing for entering the game. Your main choices for creating a character are as Starfleet – an obviously popular choice and core of the game, or Klingon – which is kind of like picking the renegade option in Mass Effect. In the middle is the first expansion, the Romulan Republic. Eventually you pick a side to align with of the two main factions (a trend that carried on with other expansions such as the Jem’Hadar) but on the way ther eyou explore the life of a Romulan and their path to the captains chair following the collapse of the Empire. It’s a new beginning for the Romulans and while all the main players are still around, it offers a unique perspective from a narrative viewpoint that adds a lot more to the game than other routes to the big chair.
Beyond the Nexus
Guest stars have always been around in STO, from Leonard Nimoy offering congratulations every promotion as Ambassador Spock to Denise Crosby reprising her role as Sela as an antagonist in the Romulan arc. For Beyond the Nexus the game brought on board Geordie LaForge himself as LeVar Burton not only reprised his role, but accidentally brought back the Enterprise way before it was cool in Star Trek Picard’s final episodes. The entire episode is a bit of an excuse to bring the Enterprise D sets into the game in fairness, usinog them as backdrop for some ground based combat as you retake a Galaxy Class ship. But it’s short, sweet, has LeVar and you get to prance around the comfy casual bridge of the Enterprise-D. Whats not to love?
Sunrise
Star Trek and the idea of combat based MMO’s has always been a bit of a balance. It’s a franchise that idolises peace and understanding, but of course the big deal here is maxing out your ships combat skills as nearly every interaction needs a payoff to work with. Following the Iconian War arc, which is just as shoot em up as it sounds, the game leaned into a more Trek-ish theme instantly with Sunrise. Sure, there’s combat. Of course there’s combat. But as a contrast to war arc after war arc, Sunrise leaned into Starfleets core mission in showing an science investigation where the core of the fight is protecting the locals from a natural (ish) disaster.
Quarks Lucky Seven
Admittedly, DS9 is my favourite of all the Treks so when STO decided to completely revamp their DS9 map to be more screen accurate while hosting a mini-reunion of the cast, it was already a winner. A few years on and the internal DS9 set reconstruction is still some of the best work in the game when it comes to on screen reproductions and having the chance to mingle with nearly the whole cast is extra fun on top. But the most fun of the story arc comes with a bit of an unusual twist in Quarks Lucky Seven.
Occasionally STO will throw you into another character or ship for a mission or two, whether that be lumbering around as one of the Tzenkethi or flying the Dyson Cruiser as an advert to buy the premium ship. When that happens, it can be painful and dull. When it happens in the Seven mission, it’s oddly a lot of fun. A tongue in cheek follow up to The Magnificent Ferengi, the player takes over several of the group as Quark leads a mission to find the lost Sword of Khaless with Brunt, Nog, Leck, Leeta and Rom. Compared to some of the more thoughtful episodes, it’s technically nothing special. But considering it uses a non-player perspective and balances a lot of silliness, it’s just a ridiculously fun way to spend an hour!
Celebrating 15 years, Star Trek Online is available to play now with new story missions ongoing! STO is available on Playstation, XBox and PC. To find out more visit playstartrekonline.com and download the game for free! (Some premium purchases may apply, but are not necessary)
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