I’ve come to learn through the years that anniversaries hold different meanings for people. Some see them as supremely negative since they remind a person of something sorrowful that happened in their lives, while others revel in celebrating them since they bring about wonderful memories and personally…I’m good with both good and bad anniversaries, simply due to the fact that they represent important milestones in my life, period and anniversaries are on my mind today because the Ninth Anniversary of Star Trek Online is upon us.
 
Of course, I’m sure you’re wondering why exactly I would compare this game to personal memories that can bring a smile to one’s face or a tear to one’s eye and we will get to that in a moment. Because first and foremost, we need to celebrate this game’s anniversary and talk about the fact that a nine-year anniversary for a game is quite the incredible feat in this day and age. For these days, games come and go, and we are constantly hearing about the next hot one that is taking the world by storm, but this one…this one keeps on chugging and that’s due in large part to the fact that it offers something so much more for its players.
 
Because this is a game that offers up a wonderful community for those who log on by allowing for players to share in adventures by way of the fleets that they can join, and while I’ve not taken part in that myself, I’ve seen what fleets can offer in game. For on several occasions I’ve seen members of a respective fleet meeting up at Earth Spacedock to make plans, and I’ve seen them all working together in combat to vanquish a foe, and heck, I’ve even run into friends I know in real life at ESD myself and chatted it up before heading out on a mission. And I know precisely what you’re thinking, that something in that vein is pretty standard stuff for an MMO/RPG and I’m silly for thinking it’s special, but hear me out for a moment, because it connects to the biggest reason why this game is so successful; the fact that it is the only real immersive Star Trek experience out there.
 
Which matters because teamwork and unity are all principles of this saga, as is working together toward a common goal and that immersion is why I’ve been dedicated to playing and writing about this game for years now, because it is quite literally, a dream come true. Because those of us who grew up watching the shows and the movies and wanted nothing more than to sit in that chair and travel through the stars get to do that now, and we get to be part of a magnificent universe that continues to grow and it’s just magical to be a part of a community that loves the saga as much as I do, and to immerse myself in a universe that was limited to my imagination growing up.
 
Plus, there is a supremely personal reason why this game has deeper meaning for me as well, because the first year that I really started playing it, was a tough year personally for me, and it was quite helpful mentally, to just log on and lose myself into a galaxy full of hope and positivity, because sometimes you need to escape from the madness of the world and well, if this blog has been a touch too mushy and gooey for your liking than I apologize, but I stand by all my nerdy ramblings. Because any game that can accomplish the feats we just discussed for nine years running, deserves that kind of fawning. So, on that note, here’s to the Ninth Anniversary of Star Trek Online, and here’s to many more, and I cannot thank the people behind the scenes enough for giving every player out there, a chance to step into a future we’ve all been waiting for…

​One thing that a lot of people don’t know about me, is that I am actually quite the naval history buff. I love learning about the history of ships that have served, and of course, about all the battles they’ve fought in because naval combat is downright fascinating. It’s simply a violent form of art since so much thought and care goes into how these giant vessels battle one another on the water and my love of this style of combat and everything that goes into it, extends far beyond the real world and into the science fiction realm as well.
 
Because I’ve seen some beautiful and stunning battles in space throughout the years, the kind that were clearly influenced by our own world and our own naval history and that’s also why I’m such a fan of Star Trek Online. For the combat in this particular game, allows for the user to either go the quick route and put together a powerful arsenal, the kind the that will quite literally rip an opponent to shreds, or allow for the player to take their time in combat, and work out a little strategy to defeating their opponents and by now I’m sure you’ve figured out, that the latter option is where my mind tends to thrive.
 
There’s just something supremely satisfying about being able to carefully take your time to defeat your opponent and look for weaknesses in their shields or their attack style and while I know Trek stands for more than just mere combat and conflict, it’s hard to not dive bow first into battle infested waters and scheme your way to explosive victory. So, as I continue to explore this game and all it has to offer, I realized it was high time to dig deeper into what kinds of combat situations are available in this game and that prompted me to return to the world of Task Force Operations, where combat is king.
 
Now, I’ve spoken about TFO briefly before in The Admiral’s Log, specifically how it’s entertaining to me since I’m not required to join a fleet temporarily and that there’s no need to coordinate an attack in multiplayer fashion and having that freedom actually made round two of TFO quite liberating and downright fun because once the mission got underway, I was able to assess the situation and formulate my own combat strategy and man, that made for some satisfying combat to say the least, since I was able to strike where needed, intercept incoming light vessels before they could cause any harm and face off against incredible odds in Borg themed missions.
 
However, what truly made me enjoy TFO this time around, was the temporary addition of The Battle of the Binary Stars from Star Trek: Discovery, wherein I was placed in a ‘simulation’ of this all-important battle, and even given an early 23rd Century vessel to fit in properly. And man, it was just cool to re-live Federation history and take part in one of the bloodiest battles of the Klingon/Federation War and do my part to have a little more success than Starfleet did the first time around and this was truly a mission that required strategy and patience to accomplish the goals the game outlines for you.
 
If anything, these TFO missions are starting to become quite addicting, and I’m already planning to dive into more in the weeks to come, because they truly satisfy a need in my mind since they allow for the player to enjoy whatever style of combat suits them best and I really am hoping that the creators of the game, add new historical TFO missions to the game down the line. Because let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to take part in the Battle of Wolf 359? Or the First and Second Battle of Chin’toka? Or help Captain Sisko punch the Defiant through enemy lines to complete Operation: Return? In the meantime however, I’ll simply delight myself with more battles against the Borg, or take part in combat laden rescue missions because this part of the game really is a blast to say the least and it will do a fine job of keeping me busy for the next couple of weeks until ‘Mirror of Discovery’ arrives on consoles…

​Normally, when I log on to Star Trek Online, I’m filled to the brim with excitement over the prospect of sailing amongst the stars and exploring the wonders of the galaxy. But I have to be honest in telling you, that there was one time where my overzealous joy for this game, simply didn’t exist, but not for the reasons that one might think. I wasn’t having a bad day, I wasn’t bored with the game in the slightest. No, on this day, I was feeling a little down about logging on because today was the day that I was going to finish my grand journey through the galaxy with an exploration of the Gamma Quadrant.
 
Which in its own right makes it sound as though I was miserable at the prospect of heading into this Dominion controlled quadrant of space, but in reality, what was eating at me was the fact that this was the end of my voyage through the galaxy. Because exploring the entire galaxy was no easy task, and thus far it had been a wonderfully rewarding journey as my ship and my crew explored strange new worlds, while taking in the wonder and majesty of the galaxy we call home and the prospect of all of that coming to an end, definitely hangs a little heavy over one’s head. But while I was slightly hesitant to see this mission come to a close, I’d come too far to just walk away, which meant it was high time to stop staring at the Golden Gate Bridge and get the Galactica underway.
 
If anything, I’m glad I quit being fussy over the matter, because as it turns out, the Gamma Quadrant ended up being quite the fascinating place, and exploring it actually helped to remove any sense of sadness over this being the final leg of our journey, but more on that later. For what I found in this rarely explored part of space matters more and what was truly intriguing about the Gamma Quadrant is the sheer fact that it is supremely isolated. I mean, the Dominion clearly has this place on lockdown and credit goes to them for doing a fine job of protecting their own worlds and handling their own scientific missions because in reality…there was little for the Galactica to do in this place. Instead, what the Dominion needed help with, was combatting remnant of the Hur’q and that turned out to be quite the intriguing challenge.
 
Because while other quadrants of the galaxy feature individual patrol missions to partake in, the Gamma Quadrant features systemwide battlezones, and difficult ones at that because the Hur’q are quite the formidable opponent, and while it was neat to battle them once again, I’ll be perfectly honest in telling you, that if you don’t have a solid team of players joining you in combat, they will gladly replicate you up a slice of humble pie. But all combat aside, this was hands down, the quickest leg of our journey to date since there were just the battlezones to explore and little else and just like that, our exploration of this isolated place came to a close and we were on our way back to the Alpha Quadrant via the Deep Space Nine Wormhole and thankfully, my melancholy moment had come to its end, and I once again felt the raw excitement I know and love when it comes to this game.
 
Because…I freakin’ did it. I actually managed to explore every single star system in the known galaxy, and man…that was quite the cool personal accomplishment, since it was no easy feat. There’s a lot of space to cover in this game, but it was worth every single moment. For I truly saw wonders out there in the void, since there is great beauty to be found in this game, and I got to the play the hero for planets in desperate need of help and any world or place that I’ve seen on the shows, and in the movies (looking at you Mutara Nebula), I was able to visit and that was just magnificent to say the least.
 
If anything, as the Galactica headed back to Earth Spacedock, I could only feel a sense of pride when it comes to this accomplishment, for my curiosity in regard to what the galaxy had to offer was satiated, and thankfully there is plenty more for me to look forward to in the weeks and months to come. After all, ‘Mirror of Discovery’ is just around the corner, and there are some Task Force Operations missions that I still need to finish, and that’s where we will pick up next time, because I couldn’t help but notice that there’s some cool stuff sitting in that particular queue, including battles with the Borg, and what appears to be an important moment from history…

​When one thinks of the Star Trek universe as a whole, a peaceful future for mankind and the various species of the galaxy, is often the first thing that comes to mind. For every iteration of this franchise has shown us the wonder of the United Federation of Planets, and everything it and its allies have achieved to make the galaxy a better place and while there is indeed conflict from time to time, and war for that matter as well, eventually there is peace once again and the quest to create a better life for everyone resumes and well, seeing mankind at its best is one of the many reasons I’ve fallen in love with this franchise over and over again, and it is why I am consistently compelled to play Star Trek Online.
 
But while being a part of a true utopia has its merits, one cannot forget that there are parts of the galaxy that have yet to discover the wonder of unity and peace, something the various shows have reminded us of from time to time and that’s something that I honestly didn’t expect to find in the game, but wouldn’t you know it? That lesson was present here as well. But of course, it wasn’t something that was obvious until I started my massive journey through the Milky Way Galaxy and made the decision to head into Voyager territory and take a system by system look at the Delta Quadrant.
 
Because shortly after the Galactica emerged from the Jenolan Dyson Sphere to begin our exploration of a place that was quite far away from home, I came to notice a couple of key things. First and foremost, that I’d actually been through quite a few of these systems before, thanks to various patrol missions that were present in the ‘Delta Rising’ segment of the game, which meant this leg of our journey was going to go far quicker since I had a better ship this time around and knew what to expect. But more importantly, I came to realize that with no overreaching narrative present revolving around the Vaadwuar, many of these missions exposed the fact that this part of the galaxy was in essence, the 25th Century version of the wild, wild west.
 
For in the Delta Quadrant, there is no one superpower or faction that works to unite people or keep the peace, meaning that quite frankly, it’s a damn free for all in this part of the galaxy. It’s every alien for themselves, and that led to some fascinating patrols wherein we found ourselves under fire simply due to the fact that we couldn’t get two warring factions to listen to reason. Or, it was Red Alert because someone out there wanted revenge upon myself and my crew for interfering for their affairs and in all honesty, this was just fascinating to experience and see. Because I’ve definitely become quite accustomed to the order and stability of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.
 
If anything, all of this just reminded me of the fact that not everyone has it as great as we do, in real life and the game, and while STO offered no easy answers when it comes to the Delta Quadrant’s future, I really appreciated the fact that a game that features action and adventure and big storylines, has such an element present here. But while all of that was incredible in its own right, I have to admit, there was a sense of melancholy hanging over the end of this mission. For as the Galactica made its way back home, I came to realize, that our journey through the galaxy was nearly complete and well, that was a shame in my mind because this has been quite the experience thus far. But one way or another, I was going to see it all, and with the Gamma Quadrant calling to us, it wouldn’t be long before our mission was complete…