New Trek Game To Be ‘A Whole New Series’ – But With Some Cameos

If you haven’t heard of it yet, ‘Star Trek Online’ is a new MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) being built by Perpetual Entertainment. The game allows players to create characters and ‘live’ in the Trek Universe. One of the big decisions was regarding where exactly to set the game in the centuries-long Trek timeline, and the designers decided on 25 years after ‘Star Trek Nemesis’. This is a different approach than other licensed games, for example the  ‘Star Wars Galaxies’ MMORPG is set between episodes IV and V of the saga. In an interview with STO Galaxy the executive producer for the game, Daron Stinnett, explains that they chose the post Nemesis era to allow themselves artistic freedom to create new Trek stories.

no one had done anything in that range, at least not with respect to the movies or the television shows, so it gave us a lot of license to create our own world. And, beyond that, the way we think of this is that we are adapting Star Trek to the MMO genre, or another way to look at it is, we think of it in terms of creating a whole new series.


STO Concept Art

Trek Stars To Appear
Even though the game is set in ‘the future’ past the events of the ‘next gen era’ the game designers do plan on bringing on some Trek stars. Stinnet says "we do have a list of people that we plan to get involved with the game, and make cameo appearances. So, definitely, that’ll happen." Stinnet admitted that negotiations have yet to start with any actors for voice work, but if Bethesda could get all 5 captains for ‘Star Trek Legacy’ then they shouldn’t have much problem getting some good cameos.


A hint of things to come?
Stinnet goes on to explain how CBS have been very supportive of this ‘new Trek’ with a whole new look, and says that CBS are "looking to take Star Trek in new directions, and they’ve been really pleased with some of the ideas we’ve been coming up with." So perhaps Star Trek Online may be a hint of where Trek is headed, at least in terms of CBS and TV.

 

What about Trek XI? 

Stinnett said that at first they got worried when Trek XI was announced. If it were also set in the post Nemesis world it could have created some conflict, but being a prequel has settled their minds.

It’ll be way hundreds of years out of our way. So that’s just all good, because that gives us the opportunity to incorporate some of the things – the potential to incorporate things from the movie without having to deal with potentially being in conflict with the story they’re coming up with.

 

For much more read full interview at STOGalaxy 

also check out their Gallery for more concept art and screenshots 

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Very nice – snazzy looking suit – outfit that they have the female wearing. Its a step in the right direction. Anyone else agree on that? Have a good day!

Not sure about the belt on the Andorian (looks kind of odd), but all of the outfits look really good.

I agree Duane…. love the uniforms…and I see the service color code remains intact from the TNG era… Command is red, etc.
I dislike the fact that TNG changed the color scheme from the TOS colors back then, but what can you do?
This is a very interesting concept… I just don’t want future Trek being too BSG-like in look, feel or story-lines.

I don’t like the uniforms. Actually “Conn” looks rather nice and realistic, as if it could be made and actually BE wearable. The rest look like comic book characters…its a huge departure from the uniforms of ALL the Star Treks. Whats with the boots???

Unless these are “specialty” uniforms for away missions and such? Anyone else agree here??

I don’t like the “Phaser” either…looks like a the small Dominion ones.

Thats my 2 cents…

i like the phasers, they look nifty. also, they have a hand guard, probably because they’re always getting hit out of people’s hands in a fight (Janeway, i’m looking at you…. Picard, you too ;-o)

i like the boots too, they had boots in all the trek series’. they are a little big, but they give a sense of how much ‘dirty work’ that division does. security and engineering have the biggest ones.

maybe that belt the conn officer is wearing is an enhanced interface to the ship’s comm array or sensors, like the headpieces the Vorta wear.

oh, i love games.

The suits look like Batman without the cape. What’s with the toolbelts? Is there some great need in the “future” to carry a bunch of gadgets that they didn’t need to in the 22nd – 24th centuries? And armed security personel? With Enterprise and now this game, it feels like like Starfleet is drifting away from the TNG ideals of exploration and back towards a more militaristic feel.

It’ll probably make an enjoyable game, but it’s a sad way to “continue” the Trek.

Or maybe I’m just reading too much into it…!

Why aren’t they just in First Contact uniforms?

#6. Aaron…
You might be reading to much into it, but I know nothing more than you do on their plans.

I think the look is pretty good, tweaked somewhat from the last generation of uniforms, although somewhat more “combat-suit” like — which, I guess, makes sense given that it’s an adventure game. Sort of makes me imagine a show based more on a sort of “elite squadron,” rather than the traditional ship/captain/officers scenario of the series — a group of equals, sent into various trouble spots to work things out. That said, I’d hate to see it become overly militaristic in tone. The last thing I’d want to see is “Star Trek: Navy Seals.”

Hel-LO nurse!

The belts are supposedly “personal forcefield” generators. Each of those suit designs also theoretically represent different ranks, so you can tell at a distance just by the sort of uniform someone’s wearing what division and rank they are.

They’ve got Michael Okuda on board to help them design the next evolution of LCARS… and not just looking pretty, but fully functional, too, because it’s going to be the main computer interface in the game. Here’s an early preview:

http://startrek.perpetual.com/images/gallery/shockwave/LCARS2-Demo1.html

Galaxy-class ships are going to be the “hubs,” akin to major cities in other MMORPGs. Older ships will be available via holodeck training simulations.

So they’re covering ALL of a Galaxy-class. They’ve got Andrew Probert (the guy who did a lot of the original set sketches for TNG) on board too. Here are 20 different sketches for different locations on Deck 7:

http://startrek.perpetual.com/GalClassHubDeck7SciMed.html

I’m really looking forward to this.

Always really liked Probert’s designs. Slick. Functional.
If he designed a car, it would look better than anything on the road!
Having the uniform colors more visible on the shoulder areas like the early DS-9 uniforms (notice, I didn’t say Voyager) makes sense.
Those boots though…a little much. Game or not.

Anthony, Klingons will probably be available. They’ve taken the “out” provided by Voyager, so these Klingons will be devout followers of he kuvah’magh, the “chosen one,” Miral Paris. As she joined Starfleet, so will they.

They’ve spoken about the possibility of having the Empire itself in an expansion, though. Just not out of the box.

The TNG technical manual states that the Galaxy class design is meant to stay in use for upwards of 100 years. There are still Excelsior-class ships in service throughout TNG, so I don’t see it as a problem.

‘Sides, I don’t know the Sovereign class very well, and while it’d be neat, I don’t really care a whole lot about exploring it. The Galaxy, however, is a whole other bird. I saw it onscreen for seven years (more if you count reruns and DVDs), and I want to visit every single room.

This will sound corny, but it’s late (early) as I write this. I have a liking for symbols. Good, bad or otherwise..it’s good to see the old Star Fleet Chevron still on the uniform after 40+ years.

These uniform designs need just one title: “Power Rangers: The Next Generation” =P

True, boots have always been around in Star Trek, but at least those looked like they were made of leather and not some sort of mecha boot. Even the uniforms from the 29th Century seen in Voyager looked like…well…uniforms and NOT power armor.

As for the armed security, well…there security. There supposed to be armed like those from the TMP era were.

Maybe they should have just stuck with the grey uniforms from First Contact. Add a few tweaks here and there…

Fine, break out the Talosian robes, please!

I would love a Star Trek game done in the style of the rpg game star wars knights of the old republic

Too Berman looking for my taste.

I’d like to see a completely new “neo-futuristic” Trek. Something completely weird looking that wouldn’t necessarily suit a fat actor.

Something very sleek and ulta futuristic. Same for the sets. None of that TNG/DS9 or Harve Bennett Trek look!

TTM

#20 TTM…

Like I said…. robes! Very different, true?

And would make some of the action scenes…. interesting. Kind of like being in a phaser fire fight with a kilt…. OOOO HOOO!

If you like what you have read and need way more information and a place to get your ideas to Perpetual regarding the development of Star Trek:Online:

We at Hailing Frequency (www.hailingfrequency.co.uk) were blessed to be the first to podcast an hour-long Star Trek:Online interview with Daron Stinnett (about this time last years).

A second hour-long podcast with Daron was recently released and : crosses fingers :, at the end of the month, we may be able to bring you another as a Christmas present.

With podcasting we can cover a lot of territory in an hour and go into topics no other interviews have touched on.

These interviews can be found at http://www.hailingfrequency.co.uk

You can also find Hailing Frequency shows on i-Tunes.

Please send us e-mail questions/comments for Daron and all the folks at Perpetual, CBS, etc. or post your ideas in our forums so that we may read them and pass those ideas along in interviews.

Hailing Frequency also has exclusive screenshots and interviews with the developers of: Star Trel:Encounters (PS2), Star Trek:Tactical Assault (PSP,DS) and Star Trek: Legacy (X-BOX360,PC)

Hour-long bi-weekly shows usually include: The Star Trek gaming news, MOD Weekly, LoonyTrek, Fleet Radio, shoutouts, community submitted segments, Fleet Gossip, The Victor1st Zone.

You can also find links to Hailing Frequency and information about Star Trek:Online at many of the major Trek gaming web sites like: http://www.startrekonline.com, http://www.startrek.com, http://www.startrek-online.net, http://www.starttrek-gamers.com

Another great Star Trek gaming podcast is ARGUS ARRAY with host Victor1st of STG (One of the oldest Trek gaming sites on the internet)

Welcome to the beginning of the NEW GOLDEN AGE for Star Trek gaming, folks.

#21…robes only if they are made of spandex. :-)

All is beautyfull, the colours…blablablablabla…., BUT WHEN the game finish…?