Star Trek Online Open Beta (Fileplanet)

[Starman]

Might be some interest among people here.

Fileplanet are now offering keys for everyone not just subscribers - http://www.fileplanet.com/promotions/star-trek-online/

Be quick bound to sell out before too long

Anyone who gets in-game - Ralgha@StarmanUK

 

[LeHah]

I thought about getting this - but only for the preorder bonus of getting a TNG and DS9 uniform.

 

[AD]

Well, that didn't take long. You can only get the key by preordering now...

 

[Starman]

Eurogamer are now offering open beta keys for free (currently around 2200 remaining), and you can also download the client for free from Fileplay.

 

[Worf]

Fileplanet keys ran out when I tried it, but they sent me a key today.

Looks like more keys are becoming available.

 

[AD]

Got a key too from Eurogamer (thanks). This 8GB download is going to take forever though.

 

[AD]

Well, it might be fun, but I couldn't tell you. Apparently interest is greater than anticipated and they've maxed out their server capacity for the time being. Supposedly more are on rush-order, but for now most people are stuck waiting with a "Server is busy" message when trying to log in.

 

[Starman]

Fine atm AD. I'd suggest keep trying.

 

[AD]

Fine atm AD. I'd suggest keep trying.

Yeah, I finally got on last night, though I'm still having issues with it this morning... Played for a bit. It's nice and smooth in space combat, but it's glithy as hell on a base with other players running around. I think it's just lag though since turning the graphic effects down doesn't seem to smooth it out significantly. As a result, areas loaded with Human controled characters are painful. There's some neat options at HQ but it was almost impossible to move.

That said, space combat was actually pretty good and some of the missions were nice. Though I did run into at least one where I need some extra Human players since I was outgunned and outnumbered. And the "Away missions" are a suitable diversion. Not sure how they will play out over the long run. Third Person shooter play (of sorts) is not as fluid as I would like. But the various customizing options of your bridge crew and away team are nice.

I did find one particularly boring missions though where you have to find a missing mining ship and escort it back to the nearest base. THis would be fine except that you have to stick extremely close (at least in terms of this game) to the ship the whole time. Meanwhile there are no enemies present either so you just point your ship at the base and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait.

On a plus, the USS Tiger's Claw is suitably green with apropriately positioned and placed nacelles.

 

[ChrisReid]

On a plus, the USS Tiger's Claw is suitably green with apropriately positioned and placed nacelles.

Take a screenshot!

 

[AD]

Take a screenshot!

Tada...

At least initially the actual options for design and shape of your ship are pretty limited. So I faked out the design options till it was at least completely tinted green.

I had fun with the game for a while but you hit a brick wall trying to solo pretty quickly. Almost all the patrol missions require you to at least find a bunch of people doing the same mission at the same time as you, otherwise you are just too outnumbered and outgunned. I haven't tried too much joining up with others since I can't always commit to long play sessions.

I'm enjoying the space combat overall but, considering it's a Star Trek game I kind of wish there was more to do in the ground missions. The game weighs way more into the space combat so far. That's not actually that bad considering the ground combat is kind of boring and clunky in comparison, I imagine it will open up more in that regard once they take the level caps off next week... we'll see.

 

[Sylvester]

Heh - it just occured to me AD. You can change the registry number to NCC-92090. September 20th, 1990 is Wing Commander's birthday.

 

[Starman]

Major patch today which improved the UI, removed the imposed level cap and opened up other areas.

AD, Ralgha@StarmanUK aboard U.S.S. Sivar

 

[AD]

Major patch today which improved the UI, removed the imposed level cap and opened up other areas.

AD, Ralgha@StarmanUK aboard U.S.S. Sivar

Yeah, I only had a few minutes to try it last night. Felt a lot better. There's still some issues and I haven't had a chance to try the busier planet missions yet but It's definitely a big improvement... plus all the pretty new splash/loading screens are nice, as is the Spock voice-over explaining the setting.

 

[WCblitz]

well, I got in to the game after about a 3 hr Patch(not unexpected in a Beta I so pose).

I will say over all I am disappointed...

Graphics well bad outdated really, tho I did not hate them(tho the human figures are really bad...I mean I play Guild Wars and that is over 5 years and the humans look much better). The ships are OK but its 2010, Star Trek Armada had better looking ships, and how come I can plow into a Astoriod at full impulse and I take no damage...and Lag well I was told to warp to Sol-Earth and I was on the loading screen for almost an hr and when I finnly arrived there the game kicked me out....

I have a Video of what was supposed to be the Real Star Trek online back when it was being made by Perpetual Entertainment. (this version was set for a 2008 release originally)
if anyone would like to check it out (its mostly art work and the creators talking tho). I can send it to you.

The original concept had the player starting out at the Academy and going to school basically then you get a small Star ship based on your chosen field of study(Security, Science, Engineering etc)
And theses starter ships were so pose to be new unique to the game and your profession.

Also Whats with all the Txt we have to read...How come they could not get people To speak everything....I mean if this was out for the xbox 360 people would laugh at them.... I mean look at Mass Effect I mean I know its not a MMO but that game is what 2 or 3 years old compare the combat graphics(I mean the squad combat with your men) with whats in this game.

Now I am still gonna play threw the Beta, perhaps it gets better..As I do want to finish the Tutorial part and see if i can really go any ware and explore as you are supposed to be able to. I am currently stuck tho on a patrol mission where I think its the Pica system a freator needs help getting to a station but as far as I can tell there is no station...and tho I have no tractor beam when i get close to the freator it basically seems to attach to me and even at 90% impulse I can't seem to go very fast with it near me and the camera acts real odd with it near me, I stop holding my mouse and both my ship and the freator spin 360 degrees and go the opposite way I wanted to go in....

 

[AD]

I am currently stuck tho on a patrol mission where I think its the Pica system a freator needs help getting to a station but as far as I can tell there is no station...and tho I have no tractor beam when i get close to the freator it basically seems to attach to me and even at 90% impulse I can't seem to go very fast with it near me and the camera acts real odd with it near me, I stop holding my mouse and both my ship and the freator spin 360 degrees and go the opposite way I wanted to go in....

Yeah, you can only go maybe 10 or 20 percent impulse max or the freighter will get left behind. If you go too slow it will try and circle back to stay with you but if it goes out of range (3k) it will just stop and you will have to go back and get it. You need to take the freighter to any one of the white-looking larger asteroids. When you get close you will notice that there is a mining facility on it. There are several of them in the rings spread out around the planet.

 

[WCblitz]

thanks for the tips on that mission, finished that one.
Now my 2nd day playing my views are well a little better on the game somewhat.. I noticed a setting in the graphics options to set Rez to half (i think it does that automaticly with the setting on if the game gets to laggy) I turn that setting on and away missions seem much smoother.

I was doing fairly well I have all 3 bridge crew, and got rid of my phasers for a Distrupter 260degree for the rear and a Distrupter dual cannon for the front(much more damage then a phasor but smaller firing arc) 75 degrees.

I entered in a system with some Gorn ships in it...I thought I took out 4 Orion corvettes and a battleship on my on should be easy......

there where over 20 small ships and some ships I think were Dreadnoughts....I was the only Fed ship in the system so I gave it a go anyway....

MAde a Run for the Dreadnought got its shields down on one side was about to order a Torp salvo from my Vulcan Tactics officer when my Betazed Science officer said Shields down captain....Boy was she right all but one side was down as all the other ships had surrounded me while I was atking the Dreadnought.....well I used a Shield Bat tire and Hit max Impulse....it failed after 2 secs from damage.....Hull was at 70%...I kept trying to turn the ship and run (to keep any working shields facing the enemy), and limped away...I was almost at the end of the system when Bam 7 % hull Captain.....well I lasted another 3 seconds.....

I then respowned and got a call to head for Sol , I then warped away and then got hit with what I call the Sol Lag bug where you head to Sol but seem to get stuck for a few hours...
I guess there is a lot of traffic in Sol system...

I still think the Graphics are rather old, but other then the Sol problem, It looks like it might be a game you can get into..I just wish they used a newer Engine....course odds are if they did my Pc would not be able to play it...

I am still using a P4 2.4 Ghz 800 MHz Front Side Bus (anyone care about Front Side Bus anymore?) with Hyper threading(that used to be cool to have..gives me a software based 2nd cpu) and I have a Ati X1600 decent Card can run Fallout 3 on slightly higher then the lowest settings and I have not found any current game that won't run on my system at lest with some tweaking. Oh I also have 2 gigs of Corsair ddr1 Ram with Red heat sinks.

Cable internet something like 12gig-16gig connecting speed or so the company says.