Get the Star Trek Online Trailer off WP (20mb)

Set in the year 2409, Star Trek Online will allow players to immerse themselves in the future of the Star Trek universe, exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilizations in an ever expanding vast universe. Command a starship as a Federation or a Klingon Captain, outfit it with custom systems and recruit, train and mold a crew into an elite force for exploration and combat. Missions take players into thrilling space battle, planetside for face-to-face combat and even inside starships!

Powered by the Cryptic Engine, Star Trek Online will be developed for both console and PC formats. With customizable ships and characters from the Klingon Empire and United Federation of Planets, ground, space and shipboard gameplay and unique options for player-generated content set in the Star Trek universe, Star Trek Online is the MMOG that allows you to boldly go where no one has gone before!

Klingon Gameplay

Klingon gameplay is one of Star Trek Online’s most unique features. It exists as an additional advancement path for players, and offers different gameplay options to players more interested in player-vs.-player combat.

Klingon Captains have the same number of skills available as their Federation counterparts, including the same professions. Your Klingon Captain can be a Science, Engineering or Tactical officer. However, they must advance through PvP, as they will not have access to robust player-vs.-environment content at launch.

Players will be able to create a Klingon character after they unlock the first sector block of Federation content, about five hours into the game. Their Klingon character will begin at a rank approximately equal to the Federation character that unlocked the content.

That’s not to say Klingons won’t be a robust faction. While they are PvP-focused, PvP in Star Trek Online is something we designed from the ground up to be a viable advancement path, meaning both Klingon and Federation players can reach a rank of Admiral solely through PvP. Players can engage in team vs. team, Federation vs. Klingon, Klingon vs. Klingon and Federation vs. Federation combat. What’s more, certain PvP maps will have PvE objectives over which opposing players can struggle.

There are a number of different types of PvP scenarios available.

• Challenges allow two teams to square off in a private instance created for them on-the-fly.
• Arena maps are team-vs.-team matchups in instances, played either by teams that challenge one another, or by randomly-assigned teams created via a global queue system.
• Scenarios feature objective-oriented gameplay like Assault and Area Control. The Assault scenario is straightforward: Move forces from your area to the opponents’, inflicting more casualties than you suffer. The Area Control scenario is more subtle: Capture key objectives and hold them longer than your opponents to win the day.
• War Zone maps are static maps that are always open for players to join. Both factions may enter this may enter this map, which has Open Mission-style PvE objectives to achieve, with the twist that members of opposing factions can hinder each other’s progress via PvP.

Klingons also progress through their ships in their own way. Rather than gaining access to a standard Cruiser, Escort or Science vessel, Klingons receive special variants of ships as they progress. As players achieve new ranks, new ships become available to them, like so:

Warrior
B’rel Bird of Prey – capable of cloaking in combat.

Lieutenant
Bird of Prey Mk. 1 – capable of cloaking in combat.

Lieutenant Commander
Bird of Prey Mk. 2 – capable of cloaking in combat.
Raptor Mk. 1 – similar to Federation Escorts.

Commander
Bird of Prey Mk. 3 – capable of cloaking in combat.
Raptor Mk. 2.
Battle Cruiser Mk. 1 – similar to Federation Cruisers, but feature more forward-facing guns.

Captain
Bird of Prey Mk. 4 – capable of cloaking in combat.
Raptor Mk. 3.
Battle Cruiser Mk. 2.

General
Bird of Prey Mk. 5 – capable of cloaking in combat.
Raptor Mk. 4.
Battle Cruiser Mk. 3
Carrier – a massive ship with multiple hangar bays capable of launching several smaller fighters.

In general, Klingon ships have more forward-facing weaponry than their Federation counterparts, and boast greater maneuverability. What’s more, Bridge Officer stations aren’t restricted by class, meaning Captains will be able to put any Bridge Officer they like into any station, regardless of their profession. In terms of ship customization, players will be able to alter the ship’s color and use several varying skins to change a ship’s look.

Key Features :

• The Star Trek universe will appear for the first time in a massively multiplayer online game. Everything from the elegant domes of Starfleet Academy to the ancient temples of Vulcan, from the towers of Qo’noS to the Fire Caves of Bajor, from the mysterious Mutara Nebula to the unexplored voids of deep space, all will be represented in stunning 3-D graphics. Immerse yourself in the future of the Trek universe as it moves into the 25th century: a time of shifting alliances and new discoveries.
• Explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations in an expanding vast universe. Make contact with alien races, discover resources and uncover mysteries that will change the future of the Star Trek universe.
• Command your own starship as a Federation Captain or a Klingon Warrior. Outfit it with the systems that you need to make your mark in the galaxy. Customize your ship as you see fit. Recruit, train and mold your crew into an elite force for exploration and combat.
• Command your vessel in thrilling space battles, or beam down to planets with your away team for face-to-face confrontations. Missions will take you and your friends into space, planetside and even inside starships!

Starting Jan. 12, 2010 thru Jan. 26, 2010 fans will be able to explore the Star Trek Universe and play the first-of-a-kind massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

Open beta keys will be given out on a first come first serve basis, sign up now!