Cryptic's Star Trek MMO Strives to Compete with Eve Online

What geeky Star Trek fan has not dreamed of the chance of commanding his own Federation or Klingon vessel? A new release from Cryptic studios gives players a chance to do just that

The Star Trek franchise has entertain ed audiences for over forty years.   Even though it has maintained its popularity and hundreds of computers games have been released set in Roddenberry's universe, it has not yet garnered its own mmorpg. Cryptic studios may correct this oversite, but it still has to catch up to its other science fiction star competitor, which will soon have its second mmorpg.

The fantasy market is dominated by the giant World of Warcraft and the newer Warhammer online games.  Everquest, Age of Conan, and Lord of the Rings Online all get honorable mentions in this competitilon, but newer makers do not want to compete when they are unlikely to take customers away from the giants of fantasy mmmorpgs.    Designers from Cryptic Studios looked at the highly advertised Eve Online, the most popular pure science fiction mmorpg that attracts legions of loyal players with many pieces of content that player characters generate.

Star Trek Online will share many traits in common with the older Eve Online, but it should not be mistaken for something that is merely a clone of an older game, as many fantasy mmos copy the mechanics of Sony Online Entertaiment first release.  (Older online gamers will know that this was Everquest.)

A limited number of screenshots are available for the planned game, and players cannot sign up yet for beta, but the screenshots show an incredible skill on the amount of artists and the graphic designers, but that does not yet tell the players if they have created an entertaining game.

The setting for the game takes place in the time frame of the Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.  While this precludes adventures in the time period of Kirk, Spock and company, it also precludes any chance that the horrid offering called Star Trek Enterprise will not be forced upon the players.   Star Trek Onlilne players will not currently have the option of  playing Cardassians or Romulans, but there are always expansions.