Gameplay in Star Trek Online is mission-based, and divides itself fairly equally between piloting your starship, and planetside adventures. You'll start out as the captain of your own command, piloting a light cruiser class ship. We were told that the user interface for controlling the vessel wasn't finalized, so we'll gloss over its appearance. That aside, it's extremely easy to pilot -- you'll have a throttle to switch speed, and the standard WASD for orientation. Purists will be happy to know that the physics are close to true; there will be no swooping Star Wars-like flight through space in STO.

You'll also be able to control the flow of energy throughout the vessel, meaning that you have full control over how your ship's shields are deployed, which can be critical during battle. For example, while firing upon an opponent, you might present your port side to the enemy, so that's the side you'll want to divert power to protect. This, of course, leaves your starboard side relatively undefended, so that's a consideration.

You might also choose to favor weapons over shields, or put everything into your engines -- whatever the occasion demands. For those uninterested in such fine control, there will also be preset configurations available: defensive, attack, speed, or balanced.

There are two basic weapons: phasers, a continuous stream of destructive energy; and torpedoes, a more concentrated burst. Phasers are great against shields and torpedoes work well against physical materials, like ship hulls. Depending upon where on your ship these weapons are located, you'll need to turn to face your target correspondingly. Phasers have a wider arc than torpedoes, requiring less of a turn to bring them to bear. Cover is also sometimes a consideration; the ability to place a physical barrier -- say, an asteroid -- between you and a more heavily-armed opponent.

Your ship will also hold other officers, who each bring their particular specialty to the mission. You'll start with only being able to field a small roster of crewmen -- three is the default -- and as you complete more missions and gain more experience, you'll rise in rank, offering you the opportunity to recruit more party members, and members with greater abilities, as well. You'll never be able to have someone on your ship who is of a higher rank than you are, but the ability to choose a well-balanced team should take precedence.

You might want a science officer aboard, who can scan the odd anomaly, which could yield rewards. Or a seasoned engineer, who will benefit the ship's operation. Or a good navigations officer, who will promote the way the ship travels. Picking a good roster is also important when beaming down to a planet with your away team.