Exclusive interview with the Executive Producer of Star Trek Online

November 14, 2012 7:00 ( Interviews ) 1

Take a look to this exclusive interview to Daniel Stahl, Executive Producer of Star Trek Online about the upcoming update Star Trek Online: Season 7 – New Romulus.

He speaks about the mechanics and the features of the update, so don't miss it!

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to interview you about Star Trek Online: Season 7 – New Romulus

First of all, could you introduce yourself to our readers?

Hello. My name is Daniel Stahl and I’m the Executive Producer for Star Trek Online. Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with me.

Could you give us some details of the backstory behind Season 7?

Season 7: New Romulus will focus on the rebuilding of the Romulan Empire. As a point of reference for any of your readers who might not be core Star Trek fans, Season 7 will
give players the first opportunity to actively participate in the story of the rebuilding of the Romulan Empire following the 2009 J.J. Abrams film.

As the title of this next chapter in Star Trek Online suggests, much of the new content will have to do with establishing and rebuilding a new home world for the Romulans, working closely with the Romulan refugee leader D’Tan.

We heard there will be a new zone, New Romulus, coming in Season 7. Could you tell us some more about that zone?

Sure. Located in the new Tau Dewa Sector Block, New Romulus is arguably the largest zone we’ve created for Star Trek Online since the game first launched. After arriving on New Romulus, players will find themselves working with the refugee Romulan leader D’Tan and assist in the establishment and rebuilding of the new Romulan home world.

While there, players will also discover new life forms on New Romulus and investigate the remnants of a mysterious and ancient civilization that once thrived on the planet before the arrival of the Romulans.

This new zone was designed for high-level players and is designed to complement the New Romulan reputation system.

Season 7 features a new reputation system, so how will it work to build up one’s reputation and how does it affects player’s progression in the game?

Players can build up their reputation by working with the Omega Fleet or Romulans as they work towards rebuilding the new Romulan home world. With so many new ground missions, Fleet Actions, and Alerts, we wanted to make captains feel like everything they do matters and helps contribute towards the cause of establishing the new Romulan Empire.

Some words about the new set of missions?

It’s always exciting to be able to revisit the Borg. Two new five-man Special Task Force Missions named “Into the Hive” will pit captains against the Borg Queen, which fans may remember from the Star Trek: First Contact film.

In “The Vault: Ensnared”, 5 captains will help the renegade Reman Obisek defend the Vault space station from a brutal Tholian Web attack.

“Mine Trap” brings together 20 captains to help evacuate a Romulan refugee colony before a horde of Salt Vampires attacks.

Finally, in the “Azure Nebula”, 5 captains will help the Romulan recover stolen starships from a secret Tholian base.

This is only the tip of the iceberg as players will uncover more missions as they level up the new reputation systems.

With Season 7 comes the new Romulan embassy. What can players do with this new feature?

This is a new Fleet Holding similar to the Starbase that was released last Season. Both Federation and Klingon Fleets may construct a diplomatic embassy on New Romulus as they court the Romulan refugees to their cause. As Fleet members work together and contribute towards upgrading this Fleet Holding, players will be able to see it grow and develop, unlocking new Romulan themed rewards along the way.

As with Starbases, the Romulan Embassy gives players the ability to see how their efforts have had a tangible impact on the world of the game. That more tangible connection between player efforts and the game world is something I’d certainly like to see more of in Star Trek Online and MMOs in general.

Are there other significant gameplay changes coming with Season 7

The Omega Fleet and Borg related Special Task Forces have had a significant reward restructuring so that there is a much clearer path to obtain the best gear in the game. Along with this reward restructuring is a redistribution of which missions in the game provide Dilithium. In general we are increasing the amount of raw Dilithium that players may earn every day, but moving the distribution to different types of missions such as Fleet Actions. In general, we feel this will allow the average player more access to this valuable resource.

When will Season 7 be implemented to the game?

Players should expect to be able to dive into Season 7 – New Romulus on November 13.

Would you like to add something?

As I mentioned earlier, the new content in Season 7: New Romulus was mostly designed for high-level players. That being said, if you or any of your readers are strangers to Star Trek Online, now would be a great time to give it a try. Since the game first launched in 2010, the development team at Cryptic Studios has added a wealth of new content, streamlining systems, and improving the overall quality of the game. You can download it now and play it for free at www.startrekonline.com.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you very much!

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