​You know I will fully admit to all of you right now, that once ‘Mirror of Discovery’ came to a close, I was a touch worried as to whether or not I would have that much to discuss with all of you when it comes to Star Trek Online. After all, I’m maxed out when it comes to leveling up, and every inch of the U.S.S. Galactica is armed and equipped with Mark XV gear and of course, I’m up to date on every single story and mission arc that’s available at the moment, and it would be lame to start replaying old missions on the regular just to have something to jot down on digital paper here, yet…here we are, with plenty more to discuss about this glorious game.
 
That’s due to the fact that the developers keep packing all kinds of goodies into this game with every single update, and with the latest patch I’m discovering all kinds of new delights to explore and all of them seem to revolve around combat. Because the first new thing that I noticed while I was out on patrol, was that some of the fights that used to be a breeze out there are now presenting quite the challenge. Case and point, the fact that some waves of enemies during these missions arrive earlier than they are supposed to, and they have quite the active strategy in mind when it comes to defeating the player, meaning I’ve had to be on my toes when it comes to shield and hull management, or they will be downright successful in beating down the Galactica, and really, all of this has made for a more entertaining combat experience and it doesn’t end with that little surprise.
 
Because I am noticing, the more I patrol, the more I keep getting an assist from the U.S.S. Enterprise and I won’t lie, seeing the NCC-1701-F warp into a system before receiving a hail that they’re here to watch our backs, makes me geek out pretty hard every single time it happens. Because, what Star Trek fan hasn’t dreamed about battling alongside Starfleet’s most famous vessel and there are some supremely cinematic moments that happen when she opens fire, the kind that still send chills down my spine, and all of these elements have re-energized my love of the patrol mission since it seems the unexpected is going to come to my way when I undertake them and I love that, it really does make these missions a blast once again. 
 
But truly, the new centerpiece of the game combat wise, are the changes that were made to the Endeavor missions. Gone are the days of doing a five-minute R&D mission or replaying a quick mission from the past. Those have all been replaced by TFO Missions that are about as challenging as they come. In fact, on several occasions now I’ve been served up a little humble pie in combat by some tough enemies that have slapped my ship around with little effort, but that has made the these TFO battles worthwhile in the end since it is lovely to have a challenge present itself on a regular basis, and these new, fiercer enemies definitely force one to ponder and strategize for a moment, rather than just jump into the fray with weapons blazing.
 
If anything, these new changes are really enriching the game, and they’ve definitely made me hungry to play because who doesn’t love a surprise here and there, and that’s what I keep running into and I really can’t get enough when all is said and done. I keep hitting up patrol runs on a regular basis now to see what twists and turns await me once we go to Red Alert, and quite frankly, I’m starting to find myself addicted to the challenges present in Task Force Operations, and I’m gobbling those missions up, and oddly enough, there’s a TFO coming up on console this weekend that would take care of another nerdy dream, and that’s precisely where we will pick up, next time. Until then.   

​I’m quickly coming to realize that the end of a particular series of missions are both a blessing and a curse, in regard to Star Trek Online. Because in essence, you crave more of this game after enjoying the fine storytelling it provides its fans with, but then you are left with nothing new to consume, meaning you’re left searching for more and that’s precisely where I’m at in the game right now. For ‘Mirror of Discovery’ has come to a close, and I need my fix, so I’ve started to dig into my mission lineup to see exactly how many stories either need to be replayed or completed due to the new lineup changes and it turns out, there’s quite a bit.
 
So, in the coming weeks, I’ll definitely be sharing those stories as they come about, but today, well today we get to talk about a particular set of missions that quite frankly, I think I glazed over initially in this blog. Because one segment of the story that features quite a bit of one’s time, is dedicated to voyages on New Romulus, and thanks to the mission realignment, this was definitely my next destination since there were at least three or four new missions for me to undertake and I’m honestly quite glad that I took the time to return to this planet because the importance of this world, and the missions that take place here were clearly lost on me as I worked hard to earn that next ship and that next promotion.
 
I say that, simply because replaying some of these stories now, with their new improvements, allowed for me to really understand the devastating plight of the Romulan people following the destruction of Romulus and Remus by way the Hobus Supernova and well, while they are a strong people, it’s obvious they have one hell of a road ahead of them. For New Romulus is uncharted territory, a place teeming with life that needs to be studied, and that lack of knowledge makes this world dangerous in certain places and it was just fascinating to properly observe how hard the Romulans are working to coexist with the wildlife on this planet, and make it their home, and that truly helped me appreciate this mission set a whole lot more when all is said and done.
 
Especially when one considers, just how much help the Romulan Republic needs. It’s truly fledgling and it’s clear there are plenty of factions out there that want to see it fail since the Tal Shiar continue to fight its existence from the shadows and because there are plenty of foreign elements interfering on the planet as well, since we ran into Tholians and the like and well, this is another set of missions that flat out instills a sense of duty in the player. Because this is what Starfleet and the Federation do, they build up their allies, they work to see them succeed and that’s why replaying some of this segment offered up new meaning for me. For helping the Republic with whatever they need, will go a long way in creating a lasting peace with an enemy as old as the Federation itself and it’s quite cool to be part of that push for peace. 
 
If anything, it’s clear that re-doing some of these missions goes beyond getting them off of a digital checklist, they stand for the best parts of Star Trek, and that’s why I’m looking forward to revisiting whichever missions await me from all the various story arcs present in the game. But in the here and the now, my adventures on New Romulus have come to a close once again, and I am quite curious as to whether or not new missions involving this brave new world will appear down the line in the game, because it would be pretty slick to see the Republic get a grand storyline that sees them working alongside the Federation on something bigger. But for now, this will do just fine, and I cannot wait to see what newfound value I will discover as I return to old stories one more time.

​You know, I have to admit, that taking my time with new Star Trek Online missions is undiscovered country for me. Because if there’s one thing I love, it’s this game, and consuming as much of it as possible. But with ‘Mirror of Discovery’ only offering up a pair of new missions for me to enjoy, the prudent path seemed to serve the story better here so that I could properly reflect upon and savor the wonder of new missions in this magnificent universe and well, I may have to start doing this from now on because it really was a wise idea to slowly move my way through both of these missions.
 
Because this time around, I simply didn’t feel rushed in the slightest, and I was able to really absorb what was happening around me story wise and that made the next mission in this tiny arc, ‘Illusion of Communication’, a supremely enjoyable experience to say the least, since this new episode, quite frankly, impressed me with its fantastic writing. For in this tale, the crew of the Galactica returned to Pahvo at Somet’s request to try and retake the planet from the scourge that is Captain Killy and well, the decision to return to Pahvo now in the storyline, paid off in spades since there was a real sense of danger permeating this tale.
 
That of course, came courtesy of Captain Tilly, who figured out a way to use the Terran Antagonizer Booths to change the makeup and chemistry of this peaceful planet and that also meant, it was up to us to stop her from completing this planetary makeover because eventually, Pavho would become a powerful weapon, one capable of destroying countless worlds in the Federation and well…who doesn’t love a challenge of that caliber? If anything, this wonderful setup led to some breathtaking moments combat wise since it was hauntingly beautiful to see phasers being discharged on a planet this beautiful and the twisted nature of this tale came to its peak by way of a grand showdown with the Captain herself.
 
If anything, I want to say that I was downright surprised by how difficult a battle with the Captain of the I.S.S. Discovery turned out to be, but in the end, I wasn’t shocked in the slightest. Captain Killy is about as cunning as they come and I have to admit that duking it out with her was one of the toughest ground battles I’ve endured in some time in this game and while I was victorious, I’m quite curious as to what the future holds with Captain Killy in this game since she managed to escape in the firefight, and honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her aligning herself with the Klingon forces that are lurking about the Alpha and Beta Quadrants and that could be bad news down the line because J’Ula and Tilly working together is a dangerous proposition indeed.
 
But until that time, if I want my Mirror Universe fix, I’ll need to play these missions ad nauseum, or swing by the ol’ Badlands Battlegrounds for ‘Mirror of Discovery’ has come to a close story arc wise and well, credit is due to the folks behind the scenes of this game because they are giving us just enough to feast upon as they prepare the next chapter in this saga and while I wait to see where the story goes from here, at least I will have other stuff in the game to keep me busy for now. Because I just discovered, that the TFO upgrade from ages ago added some new missions that I need to complete across the board, and…it would seem I have some new TFO/Endeavor missions to toy with as well, and one of those journeys is where we will pick up, next time. Until then.  

I have to admit that I am extremely picky when it comes to my video games for one simple reason, sometimes they can get a tad repetitive or too immersive into a world. Now I'm not knocking the industry, they do incredible work as a whole year in and year out, I just have my particular tastes.  

Some folks love an endless world where the only border is their imagination, others enjoy first person shooters where the action never ends. I personally, like my video games that aren't Madden or Star Trek Online to be rich in storytelling and immerse me into a tale that captivates my imagination and leaves me in awe in a true cinematic style. One such game did all those things a few years back and in my quiet time as of late, I've popped it back into the old XBox console to be terrorized by horrible things that roam the night in, Alan Wake. 

This was a game whose main character shared the namesake of the title, and we join Alan and his wife in Bright Falls, Washington at the start of an important vacation. For Alan is a best-selling writer who is dealing with a nasty bout of writer's block and it is the hope of his wife and agent that this break does him some good and brings back his ability to do amazing things with words. But there is something else that hopes Alan can find his stride once again, a dark force that has been silent for some time has reawakened and it needs Alan's creativity to give it strength and life once again so that it can possess the living and shroud the world in darkness.

This is a game that drew me in for several reasons. My love of horror was perhaps the biggest reason since the story works like a Stephen King novel with some fresh twists. Plus, there are some genuine scares in this game that manage to catch you by surprise because there is a sense of dread that hangs over the story once the sun goes down and you're never quite sure what to expect, and it truly plays out in cinematic fashion, in fact it resembles a television show and the episodic format only helps the story.

Not to mention the fact that the stakes are incredibly high in this game, after all the whole world, not just Alan's wife, stand in the balance here as evil prepares to take over big time and that makes for one enriching story that is complimented by incredible graphics and voice acting that doesn't irritate like it can in some games. But those graphics help the most, because Bright Falls is a rich and interactive environment that quickly switches from beautiful to terrifying on a moment's notice. 

The only down side to this game, for me...is the fact that an epic sequel hasn't come to fruition yet. There was Alan Wake's American Nightmare, and while that was plenty of fun, it paled in comparison to the storytelling that the first game provided. This is a story, for me at least I hope they eventually finish because I would love to see just how Alan Wake's terrifying story ends. But until then...at least I have this gaming masterpiece to keep me busy since I always find something new when I set foot in Bright Falls once again…  

​When I was younger, getting excited for a video game was quite the easy task. Because I craved them and everything they have to offer, and as I got older, that desire and excitement was tempered and focused toward the handful of games I buy a year, like say, Madden. But over the past couple of years, something has changed, I now find myself keeping an eye on the calendar, or carefully perusing a particular Facebook page for important updates so that I can properly enjoy my Star Trek Online fix. Because the creators of this game keep adding wonderful new wrinkles to the fold, and I am beyond excited to play whatever new offerings they send my way.
 
Which brings us to all the important updates that landed on console platforms this week. Because not only is the Ninth Anniversary celebration under way, complete with beautiful holographic banners at Earth Spacedock and Q and his…’dancing girls’, there are new missions to behold since ‘Mirror of Discovery’ is now live and being a fan of the latest Star Trek series, and the Mirror Universe plot line it employed last year, and loving this game like no other, I more or less rushed to my console to log on once the update was live. And well, after spending a little time working to entice some friends of Q to join his party down at Starfleet Academy, I made sure to hit up my mission log and make my way to the Pahvo system to see what wonders awaited me storytelling wise.
 
As it turns out, the opening salvo of this new story arc was filled to the brim with action and adventure. For the instant the I.S.S. Discovery arrived in the story, the Galactica was under fire from legions of Klingons from the early 23rd Century and the non-stop explosions didn’t end with a grand battle above the planet Pavho, there was plenty going on aboard the Discovery as well since there were plenty of Klingons fighting to disable to destroy the ship, all while an active mutiny was going on and I have to admit that at first, this new episode, ‘Para Pacem’, outright took my breath away. Because you’re constantly under siege in this one, and you have to keep your wits about you and well, the action is fun to say the least.
 
But what mattered more when it comes to this mission is that a little slice of Star Trek history is present for any player who takes part in this particular journey in that, one does get to meet the infamous Captain Silvia ‘Killy’ Tilly on the bridge of the Discovery and this was just a true stroke of genius to say the least. Because not only does Mary Wiseman brilliantly play a complete opposite of Ensign Silvia Tilly, she does it with a magnificent zest and zeal that makes this new character a delight to interact with and it truly was a nerdy treat to fight alongside her, albeit briefly…
 
I’ll say no more when it comes to the plot because you need to go and play it on your own and I have to be perfectly honest. The more time I’ve had to think about this mission, the more I truly like it. Because the writing really is sharp in this episode and it features a lovely beginning, middle and end that takes you on quite the ride and honestly, I think I need to replay this one again as soon as possible to properly appreciate all the nuances present in this script and to also enjoy a complete storytelling experience. For there is one more episode that’s ready to roll when it comes to this latest expansion and something tells me, playing these stories back to back is going to make for a wild experience. So, if you’ll excuse me, I think it’s time to order the Galactica back to the Pahvo system, and finish what we started. Until next time.