Well hello again, my fellow captains and admirals, and welcome to another edition of The Admiral’s Log. And well, perhaps the best way to start off this particular piece is to wish all of you out there a Happy First Contact Day! Because it is indeed that time of the year again where we celebrate mankind’s first encounter with the Vulcans. A move that would bring unheralded peace to our world and the galaxy, and hopefully everyone took the time to watch the wonder that is Star Trek: First Contact on this April the 5th, and/or, logged onto Star Trek Online at some point during the week to take part in the annual festivities that the game offers Trekkers and Trekkies when it comes to this momentous future holiday.
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Which is what we are going to be talking about in great detail today. Because this year, STO felt the need to enhance its already entertaining celebration of this holiday, by adding a little more for the player to do outside of build Phoenix rockets at the Phoenix Complex in Bozeman, Montana. In fact, they straight up added a brand new TFO patrol mission entitled, ‘One Night in Bozeman’. And the plot of this particular mission is quite juicy to say the least, because it lets you take part in saving this iconic moment in future history by having you travel back to the night of April 4, 2063; a short while before the Borg and the Enterprise arrive.

Because it turns out that the Borg, still upset with how that mission ended in failure for them, have returned on this night to ensure success, and you’re here to help Seven of Nine keep the timeline in check and well, while I tend to prefer space TFOs over ground related ones, I have to admit that this was a freakin’ awesome mission to add into the mix. Because it’s you, and your crew, and a big-time character from the franchise, fighting to stop one of Starfleet’s oldest and deadliest enemies and while the combat portion is entertaining in its own right, it’s the wonder of diving into the world of First Contact that makes this experience worth your while.

For the crew of the 1701-E are doing their thing while you handle your business, and it’s just awesome to know that Riker and Troi and Geordi are trying to preserve the timeline while Picard and Data are above you slugging it out with the Borg, and it’s eerie when the game takes that thought one step further, by having you fight assimilated crew members from the Enterprise. Because that just hammers home the stakes of this mission and that a great many crew members lost their lives in that film, but thankfully, not everything that happens here is dark and dreary. For there is one genuine Easter egg treat present in this mission. Because if you take a minute to hang out by the bar when the opportunity presents itself, you can enjoy a slight recreation of the moment when Will Riker meets Zefram Cochrane.

But all fun aside, it does need to be noted that this mission is actually quite the challenge. Because the Borg are no joke in STO and they are relentless in this TFO and they definitely replicated up a healthy serving of humble pie on several occasions during the finale. If anything, this really is an entertaining way to celebrate this iconic fictional holiday, and it is equally as awesome that the powers that be found a way to reward the player for taking part in this celebration. For this now an event that will continue until 4/30, allowing for players to earn a new Temporal Vortex Console if they take the time to play the mission or make a rocket daily, and you can snag more dilthium once you’ve earned that reward. Which means, it’s time to see how much rocket building I can take and that grand quest for goodies, is where we are going to pick up, next time. Until then, Galactica out.  

​One of the big advantages to playing Star Trek Online, is the sheer fact that you can fly just about any ship you want. Which allows for the player to truly customize their experience in the most unique way imaginable. Because if you’re looking to re-live the wonder of the franchise and fly all the cool ships you’ve seen on T.V. or the silver screen, you can absolutely do so. Or if you’re wanting to forge your own path, and go for the coolest looking ships imaginable, that’s at your fingertips as well, and it really is a lot of fun to gain ship tokens as you rise through the ranks and see what incredible designs are ripe for the taking.
 
Thankfully, being able to sample so many different types of ships, helps future Admirals come to understand which vessel will best serve them in the long term, and that’s precisely why I decided upon an Odyssey class operations cruiser to be christened as the Galactica­­-B. Because this class of starship is the best of both worlds, since it offers strong firepower and a resilient hull, yet at the same time it is able to explore the galaxy and strange new worlds in quick and efficient fashion and that’s why I’ve flown this class of ship for the past four years. But while this game does a fine job of helping you to find the right ship for your needs mission wise, it still knows how to inject a little fun from time to time by offering up a new ship to toy with.
 
Which is why there is a Defiant class vessel in my stable of ships and well, thanks to the ten-year anniversary celebration, I am now able to fly the latest starship design available in game; the T6 Alliance Battlecruiser. A ship that I have christened the A.F.S. Pegasus (CSN-17) and well, this beast of a vessel definitely entertains. Because this product of Klingon and Federation engineering is an outright predator amongst the stars. For it features the fierceness of the D-7 Class Klingon Battlecruiser, combined with the streamlined feel of Starfleet vessels. And at long last, I was finally able to take this monster out on a shakedown cruise to see what she was capable of and from a combat perspective, this fine lady did not disappoint in the slightest.
 
For her anti-proton beams do a fine job of making mincemeat of opposing vessels’ shields and this ship can quickly punch a couple of photon torpedoes into the hull before moving onto its next target. But while the weapon systems are indeed impressive in their own right, this vessel’s sheer resilience is where it truly shines. Because this ship can take an outright beating, since its advanced shields and hull hold up well against torpedo volleys or pulse beam weapons that are designed to tear shields to shreds, and that makes combat fun, since it gives one a sense of invincibility for certain. But while she kicks ass and chews bubblegum (and she’s all out of bubblegum) in the depths of space, no ship is without its flaws and this vessel has her own for certain.
 
After all, it’s a hefty ship for sure, and its turn rate definitely reflects the mass of the monstrous nacelles at the aft of the vessel, and that can make combat cumbersome as you slowly shift the ship to bring the torpedo bays to bear. Plus, and this could be related to my officer loadout, I was only able to fire two torpedoes at a time. As opposed to the Odyssey class, where I’m able to launch at a minimum, six quantum torpedoes simultaneously, and not being able to hammer an opponent with that definitely slowed down combat. But perhaps that is the point of this style of ship, in that, it is designed to celebrate the wonder and the art of combat. And while that is cool in its own right, the wonder of war can only go so far. If anything, while this is indeed the vessel I would take into a major conflict; I think I will be sticking with the Galactica.
 
Partly because I know exactly what she is capable of under pressure. But also, because, she offers balance and versatility on a moment’s notice, and that surprisingly comes in handy out there amongst the stars. But make no mistake about it, this new class of starship is a lot of fun, and it really is wonderful that STO gives us the opportunity to mix things up from time to time with little rewards like this. Because this did break up the feel of the grind since a lot of work went in to possessing this new toy and much like that Defiant class ship (The U.S.S. Colorado – NCC-93223 for your starship aficionados), I’m sure she’ll find some star time when the moment calls for her raw firepower. But for now, it’s back to the bridge of the Galactica. For First Contact day awaits us all and with its arrival comes another fresh new mission, one that will apparently revisit the Star Trek movie that shares the namesake of the holiday. And a recap of that new mission, is where we will pick up, next time. Until then, Galactica out.