Star Trek Starfleet Command II: Empires at War
Encyclopedia
Star Trek Starfleet Command II: Empires at War is the sequel to Star Trek: Starfleet Command
.
This 'real-time' version of the computer game based on the in-depth Star-Trek starship combat simulation game Star Fleet Battles
is the closest of the Star Trek: Starfleet Command
series to the original game in details and options.
As a result of strong sales of Star Trek: Starfleet Command
, Interplay Entertainment
announced that their division of 14 Degrees East would license out a multi-game contract to the newly created game developer, Taldren Inc., run by Erik Bethke
the lead designer of the series. The first of these games would be the sequel to one of Interplay's best known Star Trek PC games: Starfleet Command.
Taldren gave the second outing of the Starfleet Command series a major overhaul with new graphics, new weapons systems, a completely updated music background, and readings from George Takei (Mr. Sulu from The Original Series). The most ambitious feature was the hybrid development of both a peer-to-peer combat simulation with a client-server MMO world server for strategic battles, ship repair, and upgrades.
The biggest visible difference of Starfleet Command II was the graphics. Luminosity mapping, damage texturing, and shading were added to the graphical engine making Starfleet Command II. New races in the form of the Interstellar Concordium and the Mirak Star League were also added to the existing six races of Federation
, Romulan
, Klingon
, Gorn
, Lyran, and Hydran.
The story line of the game revolves around the mysterious Organians who were also a part of the original Starfleet Command game. The Organians return with the Interstellar Concordium in tow to "save the galaxy from itself" by subjugating all other races into an enforced peace. The game was to be followed up with a Starfleet Command volume III which would have told the story of the invasion by the Andromedans, but due to changing fortunes at Interplay, that was not to be.
In 2001, a small development group led by fans of the game assumed responsibility for maintenance. KhoroMag, which is the combination of screen names for two fans of the game, Khoros and MagnumMan, received source code for the game after signing a contract with Taldren. This effort resulted in two official patches addressing over 150 bugs in the game, many of which were known, and some of which were discovered by code review. This was a great success, allowing Taldren more developer time to focus on their next release of Starfleet Command II: Orion Pirates.
Star Trek: Starfleet Command
Star Trek: Starfleet Command is a computer game based on the table-top wargame Star Fleet Battles. It simulates starship operations, and ship-to-ship combat and fleet warfare in the Star Trek universe....
.
This 'real-time' version of the computer game based on the in-depth Star-Trek starship combat simulation game Star Fleet Battles
Star Fleet Battles
Star Fleet Battles is a tactical board wargame set in an offshoot of the Star Trek setting called the Star Fleet Universe. Originally created in 1979 by Stephen V. Cole,...
is the closest of the Star Trek: Starfleet Command
Star Trek: Starfleet Command
Star Trek: Starfleet Command is a computer game based on the table-top wargame Star Fleet Battles. It simulates starship operations, and ship-to-ship combat and fleet warfare in the Star Trek universe....
series to the original game in details and options.
As a result of strong sales of Star Trek: Starfleet Command
Star Trek: Starfleet Command
Star Trek: Starfleet Command is a computer game based on the table-top wargame Star Fleet Battles. It simulates starship operations, and ship-to-ship combat and fleet warfare in the Star Trek universe....
, Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment Corporation is an American video game developer and publisher, founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by Brian Fargo. The company had been a quality developer until they started publishing their own games in 1988, like Neuromancer and Battle Chess. The company was renamed...
announced that their division of 14 Degrees East would license out a multi-game contract to the newly created game developer, Taldren Inc., run by Erik Bethke
Erik Bethke
Erik Bethke is a computer games designer.Bethke worked on UV Spectrometer experiments under Dr. D.E. Shemanksy at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Southern California, but did not complete his PhD studies in Space Sciences....
the lead designer of the series. The first of these games would be the sequel to one of Interplay's best known Star Trek PC games: Starfleet Command.
Taldren gave the second outing of the Starfleet Command series a major overhaul with new graphics, new weapons systems, a completely updated music background, and readings from George Takei (Mr. Sulu from The Original Series). The most ambitious feature was the hybrid development of both a peer-to-peer combat simulation with a client-server MMO world server for strategic battles, ship repair, and upgrades.
The biggest visible difference of Starfleet Command II was the graphics. Luminosity mapping, damage texturing, and shading were added to the graphical engine making Starfleet Command II. New races in the form of the Interstellar Concordium and the Mirak Star League were also added to the existing six races of Federation
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
, Romulan
Romulan
The Romulans are a fictional alien race in the Star Trek universe. First appearing in the original Star Trek series in the 1966 episode "Balance of Terror", they have since made appearances in all the main later Star Trek series: The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager...
, Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
, Gorn
Gorn
In Star Trek, the Gorn are humanoid reptiles from the Gorn Hegemony.-Fictional history:The Gorn had contact with the Orion Syndicate as early as 2154...
, Lyran, and Hydran.
The story line of the game revolves around the mysterious Organians who were also a part of the original Starfleet Command game. The Organians return with the Interstellar Concordium in tow to "save the galaxy from itself" by subjugating all other races into an enforced peace. The game was to be followed up with a Starfleet Command volume III which would have told the story of the invasion by the Andromedans, but due to changing fortunes at Interplay, that was not to be.
In 2001, a small development group led by fans of the game assumed responsibility for maintenance. KhoroMag, which is the combination of screen names for two fans of the game, Khoros and MagnumMan, received source code for the game after signing a contract with Taldren. This effort resulted in two official patches addressing over 150 bugs in the game, many of which were known, and some of which were discovered by code review. This was a great success, allowing Taldren more developer time to focus on their next release of Starfleet Command II: Orion Pirates.
Notable features
- The game included a similar combat engine to its predecessor, but with improved stability and better graphics.
- The hex-based 'virtual universe' was introduced in this game, and was also adopted by Starfleet Command III.
- Some editions of the game shipped with a special bonus CD containing conceptual artwork for the game along with special MP3 files of the in-game music. One of the extra bonus MP3s, entitled 'The End of the Federation', is virtually identical to a piece of music called "Duel of the Fates" from the film Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms...
, this was an error stemming from a joke file. - Several Canon Movie-Era ships were included with the game, all with Phaser-1s, (usually) a pair of Phaser-3s, (usually) rear-firing photons (a rarity in the game), more power systems, and marginally improved shielding. The ships tend to play badly against many of the more advanced ships in the game.
Gameplay differences
- One difference is the inclusion of fighters for almost all races. It matches Star Fleet BattlesStar Fleet BattlesStar Fleet Battles is a tactical board wargame set in an offshoot of the Star Trek setting called the Star Fleet Universe. Originally created in 1979 by Stephen V. Cole,...
, which implemented fighters for most races. This has a marked effect on gameplay, as it provides a new offensive weapon and more moving units. This differs from the Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
'world' itself, which never really featured fighters (except in later episodes of DS9); the closest equivalent were the ubiquitous shuttles such as the Galileo 7 prominently featured in the original Star Trek series episode "The Galileo Seven."
- Each player can now control up to three ships in formations.
Problems
- Persistent problems with the online universe meant that online dynaverse play wasn't available at launch. Although subsequent patching addressed many of these problems, Taldren and Interplay both failed to identify a monetization model that would have allowed for continuing maintenance of the first Star Trek MMO.
- Single player campaigns were, by player and fan-base standards alike, considered to be very poor and lacked much of the depth of the original. Many in the SFC community were left feeling as though the story was an afterthought or rushed into the final product to give the player some direction. Although many argued that the very nature of the new dynaverse and the freedom of movement within ran contrary to the idea of having a linear storyline and would have benefited as a whole from having several storylines or "campaigns" depending on the region or race the player chose.
- Players noted that there was a discernible lack of balance between starships, with plasma armed ships being much more heavily armed compared with drone armed ships of the same price.
- The cloaking device was not altered from the first game and many felt that the cloaking device was a liability rather than an asset.