Star Trek Online Interview and Preview

There are two more Star Trek Online articles to share with you today - an interview with an unnamed member of the development team on GamePex and a hands-on preview over at Games Relay.

From the Q&A:
How about the look of the non-Earth worlds? Are they based from the films and shows as well as creative speculation?

We have many familiar worlds, bases, and systems that Star Trek fans will recognize as well as new worlds that our art team has created. The non-Earth worlds are very different and unique worlds as well. Just as you would expect, some are very exotic looking with lush forests, some are desert or ice planets. Some have been Borgified. That's right, I said Borgified.

And a bit from the preview:
All ships come under three categories: Escort, Science and Cruiser. Escorts are your down-and-dirty combat vessels, primed with all the phasers and photons you need to blast a Klingon's honour all the way back to Qo'noS. Science vessels act as a support class, sacrificing superior firepower for superior tactics, using advanced technology to assist other ships and detect enemy cloaked vessels. Cruiser ships are the mighty, grandiose craft that many Trekkers are acquainted with, like the Enterprise and the Excelsior. Their greatest assets are their large warp cores and crew compliments, allowing repairs and boarding parties to be faster and more efficient.

As a captain, you have complete dominion over your little piece of atmosphere sailing through the vacuum of space. The effectiveness of your ship is decided by the Bridge Officer Powers of your senior staff, and there are 100 of these Powers available. A number of these Powers are universal to all Staff, while others are unique to different career paths. These paths are Tactical, Engineering and Science well-rounded, heavy-hitter and support classes, effectively and respectively. These skills are upgraded with Bridge Officer Points and you may promote your prized Staff with Starfleet Merit. The ship can be upgraded with Energy, which is used as a currency to buy new equipment and other customisations.