A New Star Trek Online Interview

[Mr. Hrm]

Recently I had the chance to speak with Craig Zinkievich, Executive Producer, Cryptic Studios about the pending Star Trek Online MMOPG. I had done an interview for the game a few years ago that was picked up by PC Gamer when the game was first in development at another studio, and I want to thank Craig, Danitra, and Jerry for setting up this interview. GVK: How did the idea for the game come about and what can you tell us about what has changed since you obtained the game from Perpetual?
CZ: The Star Trek Universe is an obvious choice for an MMO. It has a incredibly deep, rich history with forty years of fantastic stories to draw upon, and one of the most vocal and loyal fanbases of any intellectual property.

When we received the license for the game, we started from scratch. Perpetual had a lot of concept art, and we’re using some of that. But in terms of game design and in-game assets, we’re creating all of it. If you were given the chance to create a game in the Star Trek Universe, could you resist the temptation to come up with your own vision? We couldn’t.

GVK: Which of the Star Trek televisions series have been your favorite and why?

CZ: I’d have to say Star Trek: The Next Generation. I’m a fan of all of the shows, and I’ve watched the original series since I was a kid, but TNG was the first show that really hooked me on Trek.

GVK: What is the mix between planet, ship, and station missions, and will players have to be a certain level before they can board a ship?

CZ: About fifty percent of your time will be spent in space, and the rest of the time you will be exploring planets, boarding other ships, visiting space stations or performing tasks aboard your own ship.

We get you on the ships right away – you’ll fly your first ship during the tutorial, and from there the starships just get bigger and better.

GVK: What is the story for the game and is it opened ended or story based gameplay?

CZ: Star Trek Online begins in 2409, which is about 30 years after the events in Star Trek Nemesis. In that time, technology has advanced, the Klingon Empire and the Federation are no longer allies and the universe is a much more volatile place.

We will be revealing the story of what has happened in the Star Trek Universe leading up to 2409 in a series of updates on our web site. So check out Star Trek Online Official Site to learn more.

As far as the gameplay goes, there is both story-based episodic content within the universe and open-ended exploration content.
GVK: Will anyone from the series of films show up and provide voices?

CZ: In 2409, most of the major characters have retired or moved on. We’re exploring ways to involve some of the actors from the films and series in the game, but they might not be playing “their” characters.

GVK: How do players figure into ship departments, and how is the ship captained? Will players man science and medical stations and work as a team? Will NPCs come into play, or will command decisions be assigned to players?

CZ: You are the captain of your ship. You have customizable bridge crew pets to help you, and you can increase the skills of those crew members during play. But as far as the direct flying and commanding of your ship goes, it’s in your hands.

Being in command doesn’t limit your role. You can choose from a variety of careers such as engineering, tactical, medical, science, etc. Your career path will affect your skills and how you command your crew. Think about characters like Jean-Luc Picard, Beverly Crusher, Worf and Kathryn Janeway. Picard was an archeologist and diplomat, Crusher was a doctor, Worf was a security and tactical officer, and Janeway was a scientist. They all became ship captains, but what they had done before influenced their command style.

Star Trek Online Interview :: Skewed & Reviewed