Space combat is Star Trek defined. In fact, it plays a lot like the Star Trek games of yore. The crux of battle is your shields – if they fail, your ship won't last any assault. There are four different shields defending the four sides of your ship, and each acts independently. In this way, if the shields on one side begin to fail, you can manoeuvre into a different direction and let another shield take a beating while it repairs. This can give battles an extremely tactical edge, as you try to protect your own hull while trying to expose your enemies'. Phaser or beam type weapons are used to wear down shields, but are not very effective against the hull. Conversely, torpedo weapons are not as effective against shields, but deal critical damage to the unprotected ship. Not all of your weapons are available at once, as there are firing arcs for each weapon. Phaser weapons have a wide arc, so much so that a rear phaser and a forward phaser can actually be fired at once if you line up with an enemy vessel, having an effect similar to a broadside attack. Heavy Disruptors are much narrower, and can be difficult to line up, but are extremely effective against shielding and hold their own on the hull. Photons have long recharge times, so choosing the right moment to fire is very important. All this brings a strategic flavour to the fighting, and is the biggest attraction as well as the largest part of the game.
Ground combat plays out much the same way except it's entirely different. When you beam onto a planet or a space station or any other location, you do so with four other officers or security. As captain, you have access to two weapons, but the others are only able to hold a single firearm. Each weapon has a primary and a secondary firing mode, but the first being the basic shot with no recharge, and the second varying from weapon to weapon. A sniper phaser can do a high-powered long distance attack, while other weapons could fire an area-of-effect burst or increase the rate of fire. Multiple other abilities are available as well, from ones that you learn from ranking up to others that come depending on what Kit you have equipped. These Kits can only be equipped on the Captain, and grant passive bonuses that could, for example, increase your accuracy or unlock attacks such as a Photon Grenade. Areas in which you fight on the ground are usually quite short, and may not involve combat at all, but end up being a scavenger hunt, looking for a certain number of items in the vicinity of your beam down point.
Missions can be of shockingly disparate length, it must be noted. While some missions are literally over in minutes, others can last well over an hour, featuring multiple battles, in space or on the ground. There's no indication of how long the mission will be when you start, and logging out midway through a mission can have unpleasant consequences, even to the extent that enemies being taking out completely disappear, and you're left unable to complete the mission you were playing. The game also has the tendency to enter you into "Open Instance Teams" when you're entering missions – basically putting you into a mission with other players. It's great to work together to take out whatever threat you face, but it can drop you right into the middle, and even the end of whatever quest you were undertaking. While playing, I entered a system, joined another's team, and was literally in the sector for five seconds before the mission was completed in front of me and I was given all the awarded experience points. It's a rarity, but it does happen, but bugs are to be expected at this early stage. In fact, from the beta, the instances of bugs showing themselves have been massively curtailed. The graphical bugs are essentially wiped out now, but some instances such as those above still remain. Cryptic has been consistently patching the game since launch, so it should be expected that these bugs should be incinerated in due course.
Yet not everything is from a Starfleet point of view. Upon ranking up to Level 6, you unlock the ability to play as a Klingon and take part in a second portion of the game. This is much quicker to get started than the Federation gameplay, quickly putting you behind the helm of a Bird of Prey. All the game requires you to do until you're out in the Beta Quadrant is choose three people to become your bridge officers, and then beat them over the head with a bat'leth. In this way, the game teaches you the only major gameplay difference between itself and the Federation, and that is the emphasis on melee combat, even including a powerful combination attack to the fray. Nonetheless, you still find yourself sailing the cosmos much more than being on the ground. The Klingon mode is almost entirely a PvP affair, pitting you against other players. Hence, it is much, much more difficult than the ordinary game, and this also carries over to the battles against the AI Federation. You're casually asked to take on hordes of shuttlecraft, and even taking on upper-tier starships in your dinky little Tier 1. It's instantly apparent that it's for players that really want to challenge themselves, and in this fashion, it's a frightening success.
If you're still reading down this far, you've probably noticed that the game has been made to cater for the already-existing Star Trek audience. While the gameplay is accessible to anyone who'd like to try their hand at helming a Starship vessel, an understanding of the background, characters and mission content does rely on some prior knowledge. Otherwise, you won't be able to understand the importance of meeting a man named Sulu, and the background of the Undine would be a mystery. The game is made by Star Trek fans for Star Trek fans, and is stuffed to bursting with the lore of the franchise.
The greatest strength Star Trek Online has is the mixture of the two gameplay systems. While most other MMOs are content with a single combat system, the inclusion of the two differing systems gives the game a longer life. With the strength of the brand behind it, the game is able to be compelling to all fans of the franchise, allowing them to become immersed in the universe that has been created if they allow themselves to. While it may have its design flaws, and while it may have its share of bugs, this is only the beginning of what Star Trek Online should evolve into over the years to come. To Star Trek fans, with the lack of a television series and more movies looking to be a long way off, it's a highly recommended treat. Even without, it's an MMO that has been made with the wealth of Cryptic's long experience, and succeeds in achieving and forming its own identity.
