STO: Season 5 Launched, Dan Stahl Rejoins Cryptic!

Last night, Cryptic Studios launched the most recent update for Star Trek Online:  Season 5!

The update, entitled “Call to Arms” adds a range of new missions for both the Federation and Klingon sides as well as a range of new features such as the much anticipated “Duty Officer” system.  Here is a summary of all of the new features:

• The Duty Officer System – Since the birth of the Federation and Klingon Defense Force, there have been countless unsung heroes that work in a vessel’s lower decks. No matter which department they are in, these officers have pledged their lives to their ship and fellow crewmates. For the first time ever, as their Captain, you will actively manage their activities as you delegate their assignments aboard and away from your ship.
• The Borg Advancement – For the past several months, Starfleet and the KDF have been confronting the Borg armada as they make their advance on the Alpha Quadrant. Recently, a Borg fleet was able to break through the Defari blockades in the Orellius Sector Block, land a probe on Defera Prime and begin assimilating its inhabitants. It is up to you to beam down and eliminate the threat of total annihilation of this important race.
• Klingon Gameplay Updates – Season 5: Call to Arms enhances Klingon gameplay and introduces an improved way to level up your KDF warrior. Not only will your character start out as a Commander (level 21), you will experience a compelling storyline that will allow you to move more easily through the ranks by completing episodic content. It is a glorious day for battle!
• Skills Revamp – Over the course of Season 5, the way you choose to specialize your captain will be updated. Phase One of these changes, the Space Skills Revamp, is now live and provides a clearer understanding of where to spend your Skill Points and which tree affects which innate and Bridge Officer powers.
• Missions Revamp – Season 5 also introduces a more streamlined way to play through the game’s episodic content. Captains will utilize the completely redesigned mission journal to find the latest Starfleet or KDF assignments available, including an option to transwarp instantly to the mission’s starting planet.
• Lore Missions - Along with the release of the Starfleet and Klingon Academy maps, an entirely new type of non-combat play is being introduced. Participate in daily events surrounding

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Mod News: Enterprise TCW mod finds new life as M.A.C.O!

Early last year, the long anticipated modification for Half Life 2, Enterprise Temporal Cold war was cancelled after the resignation of the mods leader, leaving behind a hole in the hearts of its fans and a bucket load of high quality assets that would never be used.

We are happy to say that as of September 2011, the modification has been resurrected, renamed and has some new life, with the announcement of “Star Trek Enterprise – M.A.C.O”.

Star Trek: Enterprise – M.A.C.O. is the re-launch of the cancelled Star Trek: Enterprise – Temporal Cold War (E:TCW) single-player Half-Life 2 modification, now based on CryTek’s CryEngine 3 technology. By learning from the mistakes we made during the development of E:TCW, and utilizing the majority of the modelling and texturing assets created for its predecessor, we are confident that production will move forward at a far greater speed than during our last attempt.

Storywise, STE:M aspires to showcase the character-based storytelling format intended for E:TCW in small, one-hour episodes. Gameplay-wise however, it embraces the formula used in the Elite Force series of video games, offering both linear combat levels and free roam sections to let players explore the NX-01 Enterprise within reasonable bounds.

The official website for the mod is currently in the works and is expected to be launched soon – as soon as it is, we will let you know but until then, be sure to keep an eye on the projects “ModDB” page at http://www.moddb.com/mods/na7240

Fan Games: Star Trek Excalibur marches forward!

Any older visitors to Hailing Frequency should already be aware of Star Trek: Excalibur, but newer visitors may not be.   Star Trek: Excalibur is an upcoming fan developed Star Trek Game which is viewed by most as a spiritual sequel to Bridge Commander.

There is no fixed release date for the game yet, but weekly news updates continue to be posted on their official website at http://www.stexcalibur.com/feed/ – so be sure to check it out weekly!

New Infinate Space Screenshots!

Earlier this month, IGN reporter Charles Onyett got a chance to meet up with Ralf Adam, VP of Production of Gameforge and get some more information about the upcoming browser based game, Star Trek Infinite Space.

Like many online games these days, Infinite Space will be free to play and offer optional purchase options. “There will be many types of items for players to purchase, if they choose,” says Adam. “If you’d like your character to have a unique appearance, you can get many different clothes and other items. If you want to save time, there will be things like XP Boosts to help you progress faster. Let’s say we’re friends playing together but you’re spending twice as much time in the game, leveling up faster. If I want to go on a mission with you, I can buy an XP Boost to close the gap. Ships and systems, however, will always be available to you by playing the game.”

In addition, Ralf added:

“The game is set in the Deep Space Nine timeline. We love this setting, as it gives us so much freedom to tell new stories – the DS9 universe includes everything from DS9, The Next Generation or Voyager and there are even references back to The Original Series (TOS) and Enterprise. Also, the larger main story arc that spans over all seven seasons of DS9 is really inspiring. The Dominion War is an exciting scenario that sparks so many great game situations.”

You can read the article in full at http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/114/1147728p1.html

In addition, several new screenshots were released showcasing the graphics of the game, which look to be shaping up nicely.  (click to enlarge!)

What do you think about Infinite Space?  Let us know by leaving a comment.   Want more information about Infinite Space?  Be sure to keep an eye on Trek Radio (www.startrekradio.com) in April as they attend FedCon in Germany and conduct a face to face interview with Keen Games, the developing force behind Infinite Space!