Star Trek Online is, what else, an MMO based in the Star Trek universe.
The Universe is Your Only Limit – Play as much as you like for as long as you like at no cost. No subscription is necessary, nor is payment of any kind required.
Episodic Gameplay – Experience new weekly episodes that feature story-based gameplay and put your captain's ability to command to the ultimate test.
Your Captain, Your Crew, Your Destiny – Become a captain, seek out new life and new civilizations and encounter hostile beings as you advance to maximum level for free.
Familiar Places, New Experiences – Travel to Starfleet Academy, Deep Space Nine, The First City of Qo'noS and many other iconic locations and notable worlds from the beloved Star Trek universe.
CURRENT SEASON CHANGES
Spoiler:
Season 5: Call to Arms
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. Along your journey, you can collect and trade these officers with fellow Captains to help you build the crew of your dreams.
While participating in this new form of gameplay is optional, doing so will earn you special rewards, accolades, and even help you to advance your various ranks. As with any assignment, there are inherent risks, but the potential reward may outweigh the danger. Assign your officers wisely and don’t forget to check in with your First Officer for suggestions.
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.
Meanwhile, in the Gamma Orionis Sector Block, the Borg have developed new strategies to keep the Federation and KDF at bay. Join a Special Task Force (STF) and attempt to rid the Sibiran, Vorn and Quadra Sigma Systems of imminent danger. Completing these missions will earn you special rewards, complete with new space and ground costume sets that grant special abilities.
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. This update will also allow you to experiment with different ship and weapon types without having to utilize a respec token.
Mission 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. If you are short on Energy Credits, or prefer to take in the surrounding sights of Sector Space, plot a course to the starting planet for a chance to access the revamped patrol missions. Also, the journal now includes a calendar that will lead you to special events that deliver new content and rewards.
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 the game’s lore by venturing to these social zones and test your knowledge of the rich history behind The Path to 2409. Completing these will grant new accolades and titles that allow you to show-off your knowledge to your comrades.
Economy Restructuring
Many of the old currencies you have come to know have been converted into a single monetary-form known as Dilithium. Whether you are playing through episodic content, participating in Duty Officer assignments, or completing daily missions, earning Dilithium will allow you to purchase upgraded equipment that can help you more easily defeat your foes and bring you the ultimate bragging rights.
For the first time ever, this update is going to allow players to acquire Cryptic Points without having to spend money. Participate in the Dilithium Exchange program by auctioning off your Dilithium to the highest bidder. Don’t have time to play as much as you would like to earn the Dilithium you’d like? You can now purchase and auction off Cryptic Points to those willing to buy them with this new, uniform currency.
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. Along your journey, you can collect and trade these officers with fellow Captains to help you build the crew of your dreams.
While participating in this new form of gameplay is optional, doing so will earn you special rewards, accolades, and even help you to advance your various ranks. As with any assignment, there are inherent risks, but the potential reward may outweigh the danger. Assign your officers wisely and don’t forget to check in with your First Officer for suggestions.
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.
Meanwhile, in the Gamma Orionis Sector Block, the Borg have developed new strategies to keep the Federation and KDF at bay. Join a Special Task Force (STF) and attempt to rid the Sibiran, Vorn and Quadra Sigma Systems of imminent danger. Completing these missions will earn you special rewards, complete with new space and ground costume sets that grant special abilities.
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. This update will also allow you to experiment with different ship and weapon types without having to utilize a respec token.
Mission 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. If you are short on Energy Credits, or prefer to take in the surrounding sights of Sector Space, plot a course to the starting planet for a chance to access the revamped patrol missions. Also, the journal now includes a calendar that will lead you to special events that deliver new content and rewards.
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 the game’s lore by venturing to these social zones and test your knowledge of the rich history behind The Path to 2409. Completing these will grant new accolades and titles that allow you to show-off your knowledge to your comrades.
Economy Restructuring
Many of the old currencies you have come to know have been converted into a single monetary-form known as Dilithium. Whether you are playing through episodic content, participating in Duty Officer assignments, or completing daily missions, earning Dilithium will allow you to purchase upgraded equipment that can help you more easily defeat your foes and bring you the ultimate bragging rights.
For the first time ever, this update is going to allow players to acquire Cryptic Points without having to spend money. Participate in the Dilithium Exchange program by auctioning off your Dilithium to the highest bidder. Don’t have time to play as much as you would like to earn the Dilithium you’d like? You can now purchase and auction off Cryptic Points to those willing to buy them with this new, uniform currency.
THE FACTIONS
At the moment, there are two factions, Federation and Klingon Defense Force.
The Federation is comprised of Human, Vulcans, Andorians, and more.
The Klingon Defense Force is comprised of Klingons, Orions, Gorn, and so on.
Both are able to create your own race using a fairly powerful character creator.
A third faction, the Romulan Star Empire, is slated for eventual development
THE SHIPS - NSF56k
Federation / KDF
SHIP INFO
Cruisers: Designed to be played by circling your enemy. These have a slow turn rate and are intended to be used as "tanks"
and damage soakers. The common consensus seems to be that players should stick with beam arrays -- this will give them the
largest firing arcs and weapon overlap as they circle their enemy.
Escorts: Designed to be played as a "hit and fade" style of attack. These are very fast and maneuverable ships. They are
intended to make multiple passes on their target, unloading all the firepower they can on each successive pass. They have
the lowest crew population and the smallest shields. This means they have lower survivability and low repair rates. They
must rely on other ships to soak the damage and repair them when necessary.
Science Vessels: These ships are intended to be support ships on the battlefield. They have some incredibly strong buffs
and debuffs at their disposal. They are also fairly maneuverable, although not as much as the escorts. They have the
smallest amount of weapon slots and their primary strength lies in the usage of their abilities, not in their phaser banks
or torpedoes.
NEWBIE INFO
Spoiler:
Q:Can I auto shoot on my ship or on ground?
A: Yes! Go to your control settings, and enable auto-attacks on right click. You'll need to do this for space and ground.
After, simply right click on your weapon attack in your ability tray, and a green outline will show around the icon.
Use the attack once and it will begin auto firing after that. To disable, right click again.
Q: How do I go faster in space?
A: Toggle Full Impulse by pressing Shift + R or else click the Up Arrow button on your throttle display. Warning: Going
into full impulse drains all power from shields, weapons, and aux to allow you to go faster. It is unwise to blast straight
into combat from full impulse. A wiser course of action is to drop out of full impulse a short distance outside of combat
range and let your power levels readjust themselves.
Q: How do I make ground combat not be poop from a butt?
A: At this point, you can't. However, you can alleviate this somewhat by turret spamming. Have your away team be 3
engineers and 1 science, for healing. Equip your engineers with as many turret abilities as you can, or want. Then in combat,
sit back and watch, or go make yourself a cup of coffee. Relax. You earned it.
Q: When do I get a promotion and a new ship?
A: You get new ships at levels 11, 21, 31, 41, 45 and 51. This corresponds with your promotion to Lt. Commander, Commander,
Captain, and Rear Admiral.
Q: How do I access Fleet controls, PVP Queues, the Bridge, and other options?
A: There is an icon to the right of your mini-map which is a down arrow. Clicking this down arrow will give you a drop-down
menu which has several important features on it. Yeah, its fairly well hidden.
Q: What is the difference between Patrols, Exploration, and Sector Defense missions?
A: Patrols are a one-time-only mission in which you are tasked with visiting 3-5 planets and completing an objective there.
Exploration missions are repeatable but have a cooldown timer between repetitions. Typically you will be asked to beam to a
planet and scan a few things, or else fly in space and scan anomalies, or sometimes defend a starbase from waves of
enemies. Sector Defense missions are also repeatable. These are very simple combat missions in which you are supposed to
kill 9 or 10 squads of enemies on a Deep Space Encounter map. All players on the map share the same objective.
Q: How do I turn-in quests or acquire new ones?
A: On the bottom left of your mini-map is a Starfleet icon. If you click this icon, it opens a window with all of your
available mission contacts. From this window you will be able to turn-in and pick-up new missions. You do not have to fly
back and visit your contact in person between each mission.
Q: What are Fleet Actions?
A: Fleet Actions are the same thing as Public Quests in other MMOs. They are a combat zone in which all players are working
towards completing the same goal. The top 4 performers on a map are awarded good loot items, and everyone else is given
vendor trash. Even if you don't score in the top 4, these are still a lot of fun and are worth running at least once to get
quest completion. Scoring is based upon damage done to the enemy's hull. Shield damage does not count.
Q: How do I adjust my power settings?
A: The button on your power control window that looks like two sheets of paper will bring up a small menu with a 1, 2, and
3 on it. If you click button 3, it will change your window to allow you complete control over your power settings. This is
the only way you can raise your aux.
FEATURED EPISODES - These missions offer special rewards. Some are only for a limited time! However, they come back during
the "Featured Episode Re-runs"
Spoiler:
Series 1 - The Breen - 5 episodes
A longtime enemy of the Klingon Empire, the Breen have grown even more aggressive and have taken particular interest in the
planet Defera. It's up to you and your crew to determine what's brought the Breen to Defera and to save the Deferi people.
-The limited time reward was your very own Breen officer! Fancy!
-A few updates ago, a new Breen ship set has been added. This is a permanant reward.
Series 2 - The Devidians - 5 episodes
Thousands of Starfleet officers and KDF warriors have died in the battles in the Neutral Zone. The destruction has drawn
the attention of the Devidians, unseen predators who use chaos as a cover for their kills. This time, however, their plans
involve more than simple survival. You must stop them before they can change the face of the quadrant forever!
-The limited time reward was the Ophidian cane.
Series 3 - Cloaked Intentions - 5 episodes
Battles between former allies threaten to tear the Romulan Star Empire apart. Find the heart of the conflict before it
engulfs the quadrant!
-The limited time reward for this was the Reman officer.
-The Reman Prototype shield from this set is what makes your ship glow green.
A longtime enemy of the Klingon Empire, the Breen have grown even more aggressive and have taken particular interest in the
planet Defera. It's up to you and your crew to determine what's brought the Breen to Defera and to save the Deferi people.
-The limited time reward was your very own Breen officer! Fancy!
-A few updates ago, a new Breen ship set has been added. This is a permanant reward.
Series 2 - The Devidians - 5 episodes
Thousands of Starfleet officers and KDF warriors have died in the battles in the Neutral Zone. The destruction has drawn
the attention of the Devidians, unseen predators who use chaos as a cover for their kills. This time, however, their plans
involve more than simple survival. You must stop them before they can change the face of the quadrant forever!
-The limited time reward was the Ophidian cane.
Series 3 - Cloaked Intentions - 5 episodes
Battles between former allies threaten to tear the Romulan Star Empire apart. Find the heart of the conflict before it
engulfs the quadrant!
-The limited time reward for this was the Reman officer.
-The Reman Prototype shield from this set is what makes your ship glow green.
SPECIAL TASK FORCES - The Raid of STO
-Infected - Investigate a federation station that Starfleet has lost contact with.
-The Cure - A planet has been completely taken over by the Borg. Fight them for control of the planet.
-Khitomer Accord - Travel back in time and uncover and participate in the events that led to the release of old Borg you encountered in the Tutorial Episode.
-Terradome - You're tasked with investigating a strange energy signature, but things quickly take a turn for the dangerous when you uncover an Undine terradome
STFridays!
Infected is no trouble anymore so I'll stop scheduling it for play through STFridays. If anyone wants to run Infected for any reason, just let me know and I'll set one up.
-6/24-9:00 p.m. EST-THE CURE (Federation)
PLAY WITH US!
Penny Arcade has a fleet, the "Arcadian Defense Fleet"
We have a chat channel setup, this is where we Arcadians chat. To join, type the following:
/channel_join "Penny Arcade"
The quotation marks are important, don't forget them.
There is also a PA Klingon Fleet, called the "House of M'rch." Everyone uses the same old Penny Arcade channel no matter
their faction.
Just joined the KDF? Been here all along? Feeling lonely? Worry no more!
A community movement to bring newbies up to speed and have a good time has started. Larger numbers of players pop up here
on Saturdays.
To join, again, type the following:
/channel_join "KDFassistance"
REFER-A-FRIEND
The Deets:
Once your friend has purchased Star Trek Online, you’ll receive a brand new title – Courier – as well as an exclusive
Holographic Tribble Pet! What’s more, you both can enjoy:
-A special power to instantly travel to your friend (first 30 days).
-A 5% Captain and Officer skill point bonus when you’re teamed up (first 15 days).
-A 5% damage bonus when you’re teamed up (first 15 days).
Once your recruit has subscribed to the game for a month, you’ll earn:
-A new title: Recruiter.
-An exclusive Holographic Bridge Officer (works with Federation and Klingon players).
-400 Cryptic Points.
For each additional recruit that subscribes to the game, you’ll receive an additional 400 Cryptic Points. Once you’ve
recruited five subscribers, you’ll receive these great rewards:
-A new title: Master Recruiter
-A special ship: The Tier 5 "All Good Things" Galaxy Class.
GAME INFO
- Previous Thread - Lots of good recent info from about page 90 onward.
- STOwiki - Probably the most helpful for general knowledge
- Cryptic Store - Spend Cryptic Points on new ships, costumes, XP bonuses, and more (C-Points are earned through referrals, and dolla bills)
- Suricata's Star Chart
- Official Forums Information Index
- Character Planner
- "The Engines Can't Take It" information blog
- Memory Alpha Crafting Info Thread
- Trek DB
SO WHO THE HELL PLAYS THIS?
A good number of people! This list is a work in progress that I'm adding to as I can, but it'll be in the format of
- FORUM NAME: @GAME NAME (newbie tip: to add a friend type /friend @name)
If you want to be added, please send me a pm or let me know in-game.
- Valaena: @Bridgeson
- Madcaddy: @Madcaddy
- Regina Fong: @Tom_Quantum
- Shapshifter: @Shapey
- TOGSolid: @Togsolid
- GaryO: @Gary_O
(Lots of kudos to Basil for the last OP, much of this is his, I just updated some of the information.)