star-trek posts

Those familiar with the City of Heroes mission creator have most likely heard of Star Trek Online's Foundry tool set. Created to allow users to make their own missions and episodes, it's a fairly significant addition to what was once a struggling MMO. This trailer outlines a lot of the developer purpose behind the tool set, the specific things players can do with them, and where the developers want to go with the feature. It's a good behind the scenes trailer for those that are interested in that sort of thing.

Download Star Trek Online 'Foundry' Gameplay Trailer
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Last year, Paragon Studios released its Mission Architect tools, allowing players of the super hero MMO City of Heroes to make and share their own missions and storylines in the game. Now yet another major MMO developer, Cryptic Studios, is prepping to release similar tools for its title Star Trek Online.

Cryptic has already launched a forum for discussing the release of the tools, called The Foundry, on the Star Trek Online message boards. The FAQ page in the forums has more info on the tools which will let any player of the game create missions for the title. The Foundry won't allow players to import their own models and art into the game; you will have to work with Cryptic's content for the game. The tools will be released in beta form sometime in early November.

[Via Massively]

As has been stated many times before, the PC game industry isn't dead by any means. It is changing from a retail brick-and-mortar business model to one where PC laptop and desktop owners will simply purchase and download a game to their hard drive or perhaps use cloud-based streaming technology to play their games.

As a result of this new way of selling PC games we are seeing PC game titles that have been released for years that are still selling copies via download. Just a few years ago, publishers released PC games to retail stores and if they didn't immediately catch on in unit sales, well, that would be it. You might be able to find some older PC games in online auction web sites but in many cases the years of hard work by a development team would be over.

However we think that there are a number of older but still great PC games that should be made available for download yet again that are not yet on the library of titles for Steam, Direct2Drive or GoG.com. We suspect that the main reason for this is publishing rights issues. In any case, in the spirit of the upcoming Halloween holiday, here are 10 PC games that we think should come back from the dead of the retail box coffin and rise up to be added to legal download sites (hopefully without the games biting anyone along the way).

Last June at E3 Gameforge announced plans to release a free-to-play browser game based on the Star Trek license. Today the company announced the actual title of the game, Star Trek: Infinite Space. It also announced that Keen Games will be handling the development duties for the title.

While gameplay details are still pretty vague, it was announced today that Star Trek: Infinite Space would be set during the timeline of the TV series Star Trek Deep Space Nine. That may mean that the game will center on that show's Dominion War story arc that was at the heart of the shows final few seasons. The game is due to launch in the summer of 2011.

Turbine has had a big success with turning its MMO Dungeons and Dragons Online from a subscription-based exclusive game into a free-to-play title with optional micro-transaction and subscription support. The developer plans to do the same with Lord of the Rings Online later this year. Now a post on the official Star Trek Online forums hints that developer Cryptic Studios could do the same for its recent sci-fi MMO.

Responding to a fan's inquiry, the game's executive producer Daniel Stahl stated, "I could easily see STO going into a hybrid model similar to what Lotro is doing. In that model, subscriptions stay as is - but you allow people to play for free but heavily limit what they can do ..." He believes that model will allow new players to demo the game at no cost and then they can either pay for extra stuff via microtransactions or go with the more traditional subscription model. While Stahl doesn't flat out state that Star Trek Online will go that route the fact that he brings it up as a possiblity means that Cryptic might at least be considering such a move.

[Via Massively]

Earlier this week we reported that Germany-based Gameforge had secured the rights to make free browser-based games based on the Star Trek license. Little else was revealed about the games but now we have more info from fan site Trekmovie.com as they chatted with executive producer Ralf Adam. He stated that the first two games will be released in 2011. One of the games will be set in the timeline of the original TV series while the other will be set in the Next Generation-Deep Space Nine timeline

One of the games will be all about space combat and exploration (you can see a concept art piece above this post) and the other will be a "social network game" that will be lighter in tone. Both games are still in pre-production.

With Star Trek Online now, well, online the folks at Paramount are expanding the use of their huge sci-fi franchise to other game outlets. Today GameForge announced they have signed a deal to license the classic Trek TV series as a basis for making free browser-based game titles.

Details about the games have yet to be announced, including when they will go live. We are hoping one of them will be "Kill the Tribble" but that's just us. The German-based Gameforge already operates over 20 browser based game titles all of which can be accessed at the http://mmogame.com/ web site.

[Via email press release]

Paramount, the folks who currently own the Star Trek franchise, have been very lenient when it comes to fan-made Trek movie projects. Basically if you are doing a Trek fan film just for fun and are not selling or profiting from it, they won't bother you with pesky copyright lawsuit. Now there's an effort to make a free fan-made adventure game series based on the original Trek TV show and there's even a playable demo you can check out now.

Titled simply Star Trek Adventures, the demo gives players a portion of the first game planned for the series, which is based on the original Trek TV episode Arena (the big Kirk vs Gorn fight). While the artwork needs a little work the idea of a point-and-click adventure game using the original series as its basis does have an appeal.

Download the Star Trek Adventures Year One demo at Big Download

[Via Fidgit]

Games that are coming out soon have a lot of unknowns that the average person might not know. Who is this character inspired by? Is all the talk of volumetric fog or cel-shaded graphics really worthwhile? Do the game mechanics really seem solid, or are they lackluster? In All You Need To Know we provide information to help you fully appreciate what these upcoming games have to offer.

Feed your head after the jump.

Check out our collection of Star Trek Online related downloads here on Big Download!

Star Trek: D-A-C , the game based on the blockbuster movie, releases today for he PC and PlayStation 3. This video highlights the enhancements that have been added on to the Assault and Conquest gameplay modes. The game is available through Steam and retails for $9.99.

"Star Trek: D-A-C is a fast-paced, top-down space shooter inspired by the new motion picture. This pick-up and play game allows you and your friends to choose from five classes of starships (including the all-new U.S.S. Enterprise flagship class) and battle it out online! Command the large and durable Flagship, the nimble Fighter, the devastating Bomber, the indispensable Support Frigate, or obliterate hostiles with the powerful Missile Cruiser. Each ship class has their own unique strengths and capabilities."

Download HD Star Trek: D-A-C Assault and Conquest Mode Video (62 MB)