First Details For Klingon Gameplay In Star Trek Online – Focus To Be On Player vs Player

The MMORPG Star Trek Online, which is to be released on February 2nd, will allow players to play characters in one of two factions, The Federation or the Klingon Empire. Most of the information released to date has focused on the Federation gameplay, but today Atari released the first details on the Klingon experience. Atari also released a number of new Klingon images from the game.

 

Text via Atari press release

Klingon Gameplay – Get Ready To PvP

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 (PvP) 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 (PvE) content at launch.


Unlock your inner Klingon Warrior in Star Trek Online

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.


In STO Klingons are born in (PVP) battle

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.


The House of ‘You’

Klingon Ship Progression
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.

Klingon Ship images

More Klingon Images

 

Klingon or Federation – prepare to engage February 2nd, 2010
You can pick pre-order Star Trek Online at Amazon.

 

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Im still not interested to be a Klingon, Not that this looks dull as it looks fantastic, but honestly, I think there should of been more options open to begin with.

I just think Klingons are overused and over-rated. (I know, I’ve commited blasphemy)

They could at least get more ships for the klingons, like the K’tinga cruiser.

Federation vs. Federation combat? WTF!

#2. The K’tinga is in the game, the D7 isn’t…at least playable.

Federation for me!

#3. I thought I had read on the Federation side that would be something like “War Games” and the like.

# 5. I hope so… I can’t stand any civil war bullshit within the Federation.

I wonder if it will be possible to modify the exterior of your vessel once you’ve reached a certain level of experience. Like STARSHIP CREATOR where you could build variations of known ship classes. That program was lame but I would love to see something of that kind as a element of STO, like changing your characters hair dressing or giving him tatoos in the barber shop in WoW.

Nothing against a little refit once in a while…

PC only makes me a sad puppy :(

OH ich sag da einfach mal Qaplächen :) grins

The Klin lives in me! I believe in the Komerrex Zha….(the perpetual game….)
(If you have not read The Final Reflection you really need to! Best Trek book ever!) Kai the Klingon! -Chan Sutai Kolarch

Anthony and staff, I have to give kudos to whoever wrote the article; for some reason the caption that reads “the House of ‘You'” absolutely cracked me up; I am Wahl’tohrr of the House of You!

Meh. PvP.

Not interested.

i thought we were getting this for the xbox360 too? bummer… i’ll just look forward to playing mass effect 2. damn you atari!

If only they had a mac port, I’d be first in line. Klingon’s don’t endure the blue screen of death. In the empire, our computers work or we disintegrate them.

@13. Captain Otter-

OSX, like Shakespeare, is much better in the original Klingon!

@13, 14 So sad considering NextGen, DS9, and VOY all used Macs for their terminal displays… Mike Okuda FTW!

I don’t like them making the Klingon’s the bad guys again. Especially what they thought of what the Federation did for them in the Destiny Book series.

I’ll play Klingon!

The Federation is weak!
Time to be washed away by the Klingon Empire!

Qa’pla!

I might consider being a Klingon if it was a TOS klingon.
I plan on having a full head of hair in this game!
Maybe even some anntennas!

@3 and @5 fed vs fed according to a recent podcast in stoked one of the cryptic guys in his interview said it could be federation vs mirror federation. It could very well be war games as well but the first one is more likely.

#6 You dont think there could ever be a civil war with the federation?

#20
No. Otherwise it’s STAR WARS or B5…

#20
No. Otherwise we talk STAR WARS or B5…

^
Sorry for double post.

I picked up my pre-order from Target today!

With it, I get 5 bucks off the actual game, an invite to the open beta, a 2 day head start, and the Target exclusive:

The TR-116 Cerbine Phaser Rifle from Deep Space Nine!

It is a developmental projectile weapon. The rifle has been modified with a micro-transporter, which allows the user to fire without line of sight to their target, bypassing barriers and obstacles.

Should be fun in a fight! :-)

@ 9

You should know better, “Khomerex Zha” is not just the “perpetual game”, but it includes the idea of being a game of that which grows or expands. Perhaps “The never-ending game of expansion and growth” would be a better descriptor. Or perhaps even “The continual battle for growth and expansion”, since the Klin Zha is generally more of a battle than a game.

In any case, it sits well with me to see that at least some people are still familiar with “The Final Reflection”. Every Trek fan should read that book.

Oh, and STO is looking worse and worse. A true pity.

Im with the klingon Empire. it is not the terran Empire. But will do. You Feds are just to soft and weak. Long live the Empire!!!!!!

As much as everything on there looks great, I still think they need to do more to get people to play as Klingon. As I see it now I think when the game launches there’s gonna be a huge majority playing as Federation. I’d want to play as Klingon just to be different and cause I like PVP, but we’ll see. I’ll probably try both out, that is if I get the game. If they don’t make it Mac compatible (like WoW is) then there’s no way.

wont you just bored of the colour RED?

LOL in this game we get to start a Federation civil war!!! I wonder if ppl do Federation v. Federation if the AI will interpret it as a resurgence of The Maquis LOL

and wtf is up with those enormous mushrooms behind the Klingons? With mushrooms that size I’d imagine Klingons be havin psychedelic highs quite often AND I guess they, in addition to Shakespeare, stole pizza and tried to claim it as their own too…hmmm…I wonder if there’s any Dominos or Pizza Huts on Qu’Onos and how the Klingon Legends pizza with Klingon mushrooms and gag’h tastes LMAO

#3: Think “Ultimate Computer.”

Fed vs. Fed is just wargaming.

#28: Ok, that’s funny.

@9, 25: Just wanted to add to “The Final Reflection” love. John M. Ford was epic.

And after reading “Final Reflection”, every Trek fan should read his other Trek book, “How Much For Just The Planet?” (I wonder if Zachary Quinto has a decent singing voice…? :D)

Klingons:

Why wear an eye patch with a lousy strap when you can pound one into your head with nails?

Let’s build a house on the planet of big a** mushrooms–its a warrior planet!

I love the design elements of the Klingon wardrobes – not just repeats of that same TNG style “warrior’s armor”, there’s a TON of the crimson padded jackets and long-coats akin to The Undiscovered Country. Really adds individuality to them and keeps them from being all identical.

I was hoping you could command an old D7. Perhaps that’ll be the difference between a Mk.1 Attack Cruiser and a Vor’Cha.