Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Captain's Log: Epic adventure, revenge, and an interview with Adam Ihle]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/28/captains-log-epic-adventure-revenge-and-an-interview-with-ad/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/28/captains-log-epic-adventure-revenge-and-an-interview-with-ad/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/01/28/captains-log-epic-adventure-revenge-and-an-interview-with-ad/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Enterprise F Dry Dock
This week, after what seemed like an interminable period of waiting, Star Trek Online's acting Executive Producer Stephen D'Angelo posted a dev blog that outlines most of the details for STO's second anniversary events.

Beginning Thursday, February 2nd, STO will see the return of the infamous Q and his mischievous ways. Players are invited to sign in every day between February 2nd and 6th to participate in a challenge handed down by Q. After doing the entity's bidding, players will be rewarded with a different daily prize, although what those four prizes are has not been revealed.

However, the news that really has the playerbase buzzing is the announcement that the new and very highly anticipated Federation and Klingon flagships will also be up for grabs -- for free.

I will be outlining D'Angelo's follow up posts that give us more details into both ships. Also, in light of the announcements, I took the opportunity to catch up with Adam Ihle, whose winning starship design became the inspiration for the final look of the Odyssey class; we'll hear his reaction to the ship's debut in the game.

Continue reading Captain's Log: Epic adventure, revenge, and an interview with Adam Ihle

MassivelyCaptain's Log: Epic adventure, revenge, and an interview with Adam Ihle originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adam-ihleanniversarycaptains-logcrypticcryptic-star-trekcryptic-studiosfeaturedperfect-worldperfect-world-entertainmentPWEsci-fishipst-onlinestar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestarshipstephen-dangelostosto-gameplaytrek-onlineSat, 28 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Captain's Log: Back to the future]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/19/captains-log-back-to-the-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/19/captains-log-back-to-the-future/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/19/captains-log-back-to-the-future/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Captain's Log, Stardate 64884.1...

Hello, computer (and players)! Guess what's back? That's right! Hailing frequencies are now reopened -- Captain's Log is no longer on hiatus. Over the past few weeks, there has been some great news released about the Star Trek Online universe: the winner of the Design the Next Enterprise Contest was announced, the May Ask Cryptic was released, the dev team revealed the 500-day veteran rewards, and the Featured Episode reruns began. While everyone has had his or her own opinions on these stories, there is one piece of news that everyone can agree on: the awesomesauceness of the latest Engineering Report.

As first announced earlier this week, Executive Producer Dan Stahl dropped his latest report, which describes the updates to the game coming in Season Four. As usual, aside from the imminent new content, Dan foreshadows the future for us. Captain's Log is no stranger to talking about the future of the game, so I am excited to share some more details about the upcoming updates with you. Since Season Four is right around the corner and I believe it will be the "game changing update this game has needed since launch," let's get on to this week's Log entry.

Ensign, warp 10! Let's talk about Season 4 and beyond...

Continue reading Captain's Log: Back to the future

MassivelyCaptain's Log: Back to the future originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academycaptains-logcrypticcryptic-star-trekcryptic-studiosdan stahldaniel stahlDanielStahlDanStahldpsdstahlduty officerduty officer systemDutyOfficerDutyOfficerSystemfeaturedforum-postsforumsground combatGroundCombatGunsIdeasklingonofficial-forumspostssalami_infernoseason 4season fourSeason4SeasonFourshuttlestar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestar-trek-online-gameplaystarfleetstarfleet academyStarfleetAcademystosto-gameplaytutorialVivoxvivox-voice-chatwishstonewishyThu, 19 May 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Captain's Log: Warp trails through deliberation]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/21/captains-log-warp-trails-through-deliberation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/21/captains-log-warp-trails-through-deliberation/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/21/captains-log-warp-trails-through-deliberation/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Captain's Log, Stardate 64806.6...

Hello, computer (and players)! It has been said that the development of a MMO and the direction it takes can attributed to those who were not afraid to speak out and gather followers who are in support of abstract ideas. As I have preached about since I took over the helm of the Captain's Log, the community has been at the forefront of the Star Trek Online universe. Bolstered by numerous fan sites and thousands of fleets and cemented by transparent developer posts and interviews, STO wouldn't be where it is today without such a passionate community. A lot of this passion takes its form through posts in Cryptic's official forums.

Whether the residence of your most beloved troll or the dwellings of your favorite developer, a game's official forums are a place to come together to rant, rave, and be that person who stands out and speaks up. The STO forums are no different. While the past few columns of mine have been about what the developers have said are coming in the future, I thought we should set a course this week for the forums and blaze a trail through the vast expanse filled with wants, desires, and demands. Shields up. Red alert.

Ensign, warp 10! What are the players asking for this week?

Continue reading Captain's Log: Warp trails through deliberation

MassivelyCaptain's Log: Warp trails through deliberation originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>captains-logcrypticcryptic-star-trekcryptic-studiosfeaturedforum-postsforumsGunsIdeasklingonofficial-forumspostspreorder-bonusshuttlest-onlinestar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestar-trek-online-gameplaystosto-gameplaythomasthecattrek-onlineThu, 21 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Captain's Log: A guide to Lieutenant progression]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/captains-log-a-guide-to-lieutenant-progression/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/captains-log-a-guide-to-lieutenant-progression/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/captains-log-a-guide-to-lieutenant-progression/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Star Trek Online goes out of its way to make sure the player always has a bevy of mission choices at their fingertips. That makes a step-by-step guide on progressing through Lieutenant (i.e. the first ten "levels") somewhat worthless to write. So, I'm taking a different approach this week.

This guide is aimed at helping to quicken the pace of leveling towards your first new ship. The Miranda class ship is nice and all -- but everyone just really wants their first real ship. Plus, as an added bonus, you can use these tips throughout your entire Star Trek Online experience!

Continue reading Captain's Log: A guide to Lieutenant progression

MassivelyCaptain's Log: A guide to Lieutenant progression originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>captains-logcruisercrypticcryptic-star-trekcryptic-studiosescortfeaturedguidelieutenantlieutenant-commandermirandasciencest-onlinestar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestar-trek-online-gameplaystosto-gameplaytrek-onlineThu, 04 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Captain's Log: The great skill cap debate]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/28/captains-log-the-great-skill-cap-debate/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/28/captains-log-the-great-skill-cap-debate/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/28/captains-log-the-great-skill-cap-debate/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

There's a lot of unrest over on the official forums concerning Cryptic's choice to add a skill cap to Star Trek Online. As of this writing the thread containing the meat of this discussion is well over 6,000 replies and 111,000 views. As I look through this arguably epic thread, the primary question that continually crosses my mind is: Really, this much upset over such a minor piece of news?

Yes, I said minor.

Continue reading Captain's Log: The great skill cap debate

MassivelyCaptain's Log: The great skill cap debate originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardcaptains-logccpccp-eveccp-gamescrypticcryptic-star-trekcryptic-studiosearly-starteveeve-ccpeve-mmorpgeve-onlinefeaturedlevel-capopinionskill-capst-onlinestar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestar-trek-online-gameplaystosto-gameplaytrek-onlineThu, 28 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Captain's Log: A non-trekkie guide to Star Trek Online]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/22/captains-log-a-non-trekkie-guide-to-star-trek-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/22/captains-log-a-non-trekkie-guide-to-star-trek-online/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/22/captains-log-a-non-trekkie-guide-to-star-trek-online/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Perhaps you've been hearing a lot of buzz about Star Trek Online lately. Or, perhaps you're reading this article in the year 2018, after the robots have begun their bloody revolt. Either way, you've never been way into Star Trek, but find yourself curious about this new MMO based on the franchise. In that cast, this iteration of Captain's Log is just for you.

As a side note, this will be the last week you'll find this feature going live on Friday. Henceforth, a new Captain's Log will appear every Thursday -- so keep an eye out!

Continue reading Captain's Log: A non-trekkie guide to Star Trek Online

MassivelyCaptain's Log: A non-trekkie guide to Star Trek Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abramsataricaptains-logccpcrypticcryptic-star-trekcryptic-studioseveeve-onlinefeaturedfeatured-carouselfederationguidejj-abramsklingon-empireklingonsst-onlinestar-trekstar-trek-mmostar-trek-onlinestar-trek-online-gameplaystarfleetstosto-gameplayteleportationtrek-onlinetricorderwarpFri, 22 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Star Trek Online ship tactics, part 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/20/star-trek-online-ship-tactics-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/20/star-trek-online-ship-tactics-part-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/20/star-trek-online-ship-tactics-part-2/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Part 2 of the Star Trek Online starship tactics video premiered over at IGN, and there are a couple concepts clarified over a few subjects -- but as with the last video, it's nothing really new. The gameplay footage that's attached to the explanation is quite compelling however, especially with the boarding parties where you can see the little shuttlecrafts head towards the Romulan ship. Let's take a closer look at each of the concepts the video covers.

Power management.

Power management is going to play a big role, which we known about for a while. You can see some detailed pictures of part of the power management UI in yesterday's article, located along the bottom of the screen with words like Defense, Attack, and Speed. Say you have 100 units of power, in STO you're going to be able to devote 25 of those units to the shields, 10 to auxiliary systems, 50 to weapons, and 15 to the engines. Power allocation will not be immediate, it will have some sort of delay associated with it. That means you'll have to think ahead about your strategic choices.

Continue reading Star Trek Online ship tactics, part 2

MassivelyStar Trek Online ship tactics, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crypticcryptic-studiosstar-trek-onlinestosto-betasto-beta-videosto-combatsto-gameplaysto-gameplay-videosto-shipssto-tactical-movessto-tacticssto-videoFri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Star Trek Online gameplay trailer]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/new-star-trek-online-gameplay-trailer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/new-star-trek-online-gameplay-trailer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/new-star-trek-online-gameplay-trailer/#commentsFiled under: , ,


There's a new Star Trek Online trailer out from Cryptic, originally released through GameSpot. The trailer features some impressive gameplay footage that illustrates nicely a few aspects of STO we've been hearing about for a while.

There's both ground combat and space combat featured, with Klingon, Federation, and Borg ships taking part in the overall action. In one scene we see a fleet of ships attacking a single Borg cube in quite a nice display of firepower, including several (of what appear to be) quantum torpedoes.

One of the more impressive aspects of this gameplay footage that we picked up on right way was the tactical maneuvering of what appears to be a mid-range ship of Romulan design. A captured still of the scene is pictured above, and you can clearly see in the video that the ship is moving to direct hits against its "bottom side" after the port shields were taking a significant beating. Note that the two ships attacking the main ship with green phasers are Klingon Vor'Cha class, so we're assuming the ship demonstrating the tactical moves is of Romulan origin.

We also noticed that the ship pictured above bares some resemblance to the unidentified "classified" ship listed in the Ships of the Line articles at the official STO website. The above ship can be viewed more clearly in the HD trailer, however the unidentified ship on the STO website doesn't have a clear image -- only a blurry reconnaissance image. The warp nacelles both look similar (espeically if you take the image angles into consideration), both have the same general outline, and both have guns protruding from each wing. An interesting coincidence we wanted to point out.

The video after the break.

Continue reading New Star Trek Online gameplay trailer

MassivelyNew Star Trek Online gameplay trailer originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>borgborg-shipbreakingcrypticcryptic-studiosfederationgamespotklingonstar-trek-online-gameplaystosto-borgsto-gameplaysto-klingonsto-tactical-movessto-trailertacticalWed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST