We recently scored an exclusive interview with the lead designer of the Star Trek Online massively-multiplayer game -- and we were full of questions for him about this long talked-about project. Our own Gareth Von Kallenbach talks Trek with Glen Dahlgren of Perpetual Entertainment to find out what lies beyond Trek gaming’s final frontier.
PCG: Welcome! Can you tell us who you are and your position on the development team?
GRD: I’m Glen Dahlgren, lead designer of Star Trek Online from Perpetual Entertainment. While I’m happy to discuss the design for our game, you have to remember that we’re still very early in the development process. What I’m describing are intentions, rather than realized features. Things can and likely will change. With that out of the way, bring it on!
PCG: The idea for the game sounds amazing, as fans have been clamoring for a Trek MMO game. How did the idea come about?
GRD: For a number of years, Perpetual Entertainment has been in discussions with Paramount to bring Star Trek to the Massively Multiplayer Online landscape. The folks at Perpetual are dyed-in-the-wool fans of the franchise, and the Star Trek universe lends itself particularly well to an MMOG. It represents a galaxy ripe for exploration rather than a single, static, pre-established storyline.
PCG: Which of the 24th Century shows and films are your company’s favorites, and who are your favorite characters? And that being said, how have you attempted to incorporate this into the game?
GRD: There are elements to like in all of the shows. The last few seasons of DS9 explored the military side of Starfleet, and Voyager pushed technology forward. That said, TNG is probably most people’s 24th century touchstone, and the public is definitely most familiar with those characters.
Our license is wonderful; we can draw from all of Star Trek mythos including the 23rd century material. And we are!
PCG: 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?
GRD: All of the departments (medical, science, engineering, flight control, and tactical/security) have vital tasks to perform both in space and on land. Star Trek lends itself well to team-based activities. And while great teams’ expertise will pay off, players can still solo. Content can always be played alone or with NPC teammates.
PCG: What sort of graphics engine is the game using?
GRD: We’re still nailing down our graphic technology, although Perpetual Entertainment has developed an incredible platform for the MMO side of things. Its feature list is amazing, including unheard-of connectivity. Want to assign new missions from a cell phone? How about check up on the progress of your crew via mission reports on the web? Perpetual’s platform can do that and much more.
PCG: How are commerce and combat set up in the game? And how will players gain experience and level? I assume they will all start as Ensigns.
GRD: That’s four questions! A player starts as a cadet, but as he completes missions and gains experience, he’ll advance both his skills and his rank. Of course, command of a ship doesn’t come automatically; a player will have to put forth considerable effort to gain a commission.
Combat is divided into ship vs. ship and ground dynamics. Ship combat is strategic and dependent on all departments working together. Ground combat is an action-packed FPS experience. And they both come together in the PvP game dynamic (introduced in the holodeck), which is quite compelling.
PCG: How will player deaths be handled in the game?
GRD: Player characters won’t die. They’ll be fatally wounded. If their Away Team lacks a medic, they’ll be beamed up to sick bay and resuscitated.
PCG: What weapons and ships will players be able to select from and how will players go about upgrading their weapons? Can they make their own weapons?
GRD: Both weapons and ships will be upgradeable, although sometimes the process requires the help of a trained engineer. Weapons will start with basic Starfleet technology, but battlefield hybridization will produce interesting results (incorporating Voyager’s attitude toward technology adaptation).
A new captain will likely start with an old clunker (perhaps TOS era), but with the help of a talented crew, he can refit and upgrade it to almost new condition. And then he’ll be able to trade up.
PCG: How will missions and tasks be assigned, and will command characters be based on player level?
GRD: Missions can be assigned by NPC department chiefs, delegated from other players, generated from player department chiefs and captains, or received directly from Starfleet. The person who receives the orders usually leads the mission.
PCG: What races will players be able to select from, and what character classes?
GRD: Players will have the choice of Human, Vulcan, and Klingon, although I’m looking into ways to expand this set of races without diluting the significance of the choice.
PCG: Will the Borg or known enemies from the past series be in the game?
GRD: Absolutely. We’d be remiss not to include known characters and enemies.
PCG: Is ship navigation and combat real-time?
GRD: Everything will feel real-time, although the ship combat is somewhat slower and more about making good decisions rather than getting a target into your crosshairs. Ground combat is definitely real-time, as it most closely resembles an FPS.
PCG: The scope of the game sounds amazing. What are some of the biggest obstacles you see in creating the game, and what are your biggest goals for the game?
GRD: The fact that we have two very different dynamics, ship and ground, is daunting. Both will need to be refined and compelling experiences. However, I see the melding of these two dynamics as one of the keystones of the game. Everyone to whom I’ve described the experience cannot wait to play it.
As to the scope, I’m not so much concerned as excited about the sheer amount of raw material to draw from. I think people will appreciate the ability to revisit elements from their favorite episodes, interact with known characters and races, and live the adventures they’ve only seen on screen.
PCG: Will players be able to pilot shuttles in the game?
GRD: We intend that flight controllers will have a number of vehicles to pilot, likely including shuttles.
PCG: Being able to use a transporter is a new dimension in online games. How do you plan to include this in the game?
GRD: Absolutely. Transporters can get you in and out of an away mission or enemy ship without trouble, although remember that transporters are affected by shields, storms, interference, etc. Part of the game play will be to have the engineer.
PCG: A past online space game Earth and Beyond, lost players due to the very long travel times between destination. How do you propose to address this in the game?
GRD: We anticipate very little downtime. This game isn’t about chewing up time with travel. It’s about getting into the meat of a mission and having fun. We’ve got so many ways to feed the player content that he shouldn’t find himself without cool things to do most of the time.
