Well hello again my fellow starship commanders and welcome to another edition of The Admiral’s Log, and in today’s edition of this here chat about Star Trek Online we have quite the treat to cover. Because last week’s launch of ‘House Divided’ provided fans everywhere with two delightful new episodes to play, and at long last, the time has come to review the second chapter in this new saga; ‘The Khitomer Discord’. An episode that is quite frankly of major note, simply because it does some incredible things storytelling wise. Which is funny, since this particular story feels like a by the numbers mission in this game, at first glance.
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Because early on in this tale, you do some pretty basic stuff. Such as fly to Khitomer and search the Alliance facility planet side in the hopes of finding J’ula and well, talking to folks in order to get clues and solving puzzles with the map and your tricorder makes for some pretty pedestrian stuff. And there’s little thrill to be found in searching for your target. Because you know you’re going to find J’ula, largely due to the fact that you’re a Starfleet officer and Starfleet always finds the villain. But once you are face to face with the mastermind of a new Klingon Civil War, that’s when the story takes quite the powerful turn. For some secrets come to light, such as the fact that J’ula had zero involvement in killing all those civilians in the last episode.

In fact, her aide Aakar, was the one responsible for that reprehensible attack and he conducted such an act… to help the Chancellor conduct a power grab. One that you are now unfortunately involved in, and in order to keep your character silent from revealing the unfortunate truth that J’mpok is using this war to lock down control of the Klingon Empire and change its course and role in the Alliance, the Chancellor plans to kill you, and that’s when this episode truly takes the story to a whole new level. Because J’mpok uses the Mycelial Rift weapon to kill innocents at Alliance HQ and well… for the first time ever, you come within an inch of your own mortality in the game, which is quite the surprise for certain and the story only gets darker from there.

Because one of your side missions as you try to escape the assault, is to rescue as many innocent lives as you can and well, this is something that I and likely others, have failed at. Because the rift is constantly closing in and trying to rescue folks from that, while the Elachi attack from afar, leads to the death of innocents. And yes, I know, they’re digital and they’re not real. But the fact that this game, actually takes the time to have you face death in any fashion, when it lets you cheat it often via a re-spawn, is pretty damn incredible. As is the ending of this particular tale. For when this story has come to a close, you’re essentially on the run as an enemy of the Empire, without any idea of how to clear your name and that’s just downright brilliant.

For this is brave storytelling for certain, the kind that takes risks in a game where happy endings prevail and it is just wonderful to see STO trying out something new in this manner and truly, it has me excited for where this story is headed. Because the possibilities are genuinely endless at this particular point and this is really the first time that this game feels as unpredictable and as dynamic as a television show and I know I’ll be counting down the days to the next episode in this new storyline, because I need to know how it ends. But alas, it will be a while before we get more fresh stories. So, in the meantime, I’ll pass the time by continuing my daily routine in game and by playing the new TFO missions that ‘House Divided’ offers as well, and it just so happens that a review of those exact missions is precisely where this blog will pick up, next time. Until then, Galactica out.

Well hello again my fellow starship commanders! It’s hailing frequencies open for The Admiral’s Log and in today’s edition of this here blog, we have new content to discuss! Because at long last, Star Trek Online brought ‘House Divided’ to consoles and well, it is just wonderful to yet again be enjoying brand new episodes in STO and really, the folks behind the scenes deserve some serious applause for what they’ve put together this time around. Because the ‘The Centre Does Not Hold’ is quite the epic adventure, one that outright feels like a digital adaptation of a television episode thanks to the incredible moments it brings to the table. 
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A feat that is accomplished by way of an important meeting that you are asked to attend on Qo’nos. For J’ula is finally going to stand before the Klingon High Council and answer for her crimes. Which seems fairly by the numbers and unremarkable since we’ve seen this before in the Star Trek Universe. But what makes this particular part of the episode so epic and so special, is its subtlety and ability to surprise. Because you quickly come to learn that J’ula has been quietly sowing discontent and discord amongst the houses of the Empire. And that her poisonous and dangerous words have been resonating with anyone that listens since you also find yourself in the middle of a firefight when she attempts to assassinate the Chancellor in the Great Hall. 

But while that alone is pretty stunning and powerful in its own right, this particular tale isn’t quite done yet in providing you with grandiose moments that take your breath away. Because J’ula’s attempt to take Chancellor J’mpok out was merely the beginning of a grand campaign on her part to take control of the Klingon Empire and wage war against the Federation once again. For distress call after distress call comes in once you’ve mopped up her forces in the Great Hall and that leads to some incredible combat sequences. The kind where you face off against House Mo’Kai and their allies. And the endless waves of Birds of Prey that head your way, definitely engender concern, since you start to wonder if the Empire can handle this kind of internal threat, and those worries are extended to Starfleet as well. 

For a distress call from a nearby Starbase clues you into the fact that J’ula spent her time in silence, refining weapons and strategy. Because she is able to infect Federation vessels with a computer virus that can turn them against allies and that leads to more epic combat moments. Since you’re forced to disable Starfleet ships before they can purge their systems of the virus and this endless combat really is something special. Because eventually it motivates you to push harder and win the day and while you are eventually successful in pushing her forces back, the victory comes at quite the ugly price. For the aforementioned Starbase is lost in combat thanks to the virus and innocent Klingon citizens are murdered since J’ula believes fear is the best way to rule and to top it all off, a powerful ally of the Federation, is thrust into chaos. 

Because this is in essence, the beginning of another Klingon Civil War, one that is being waged out of fear and that makes this conflict quite dangerous, and it will be interesting to see where this story takes us in the weeks and months to come. But in the here and the now, this is one hell of a way to kick off this new chapter in the game. Because my goodness, action and adventure are everywhere to be found in this story, and you can never go wrong with a tale that forces you to fight alongside the Enterprise. Because if she’s being called into action, you know the situation is dire and the stakes are high and well, this is just the beginning of this blog’s coverage of this event and everything it has to offer. So, we will definitely be taking a break from the Retro Replays as we explore the new TFO’s present here and of course, the next episode in this storyline, and it just so happens that said new episode is precisely where this Log will resume, come next Thursday. Until then, Galactica out.

Well hello again my fellow starship commanders! It is hailing frequencies open for The Admiral’s Log and after taking a quick break from my current task in Star Trek Online to handle some review related duties for the site, I’m back and ready to geek out about STO with all of you! Which means it is time for another edition of the Retro Replay and the subject of today’s replay, is a Romulan themed mission entitled; ‘Empress Sela’. Now in this particular tale, you are sent to a remote world in what was once Romulan territory, in order to offer your support while representatives from the Romulan Star Empire and the United Federation of Planets engage in peace negotiations.
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Which of course leads to disaster since the aforementioned Empress Sela of TNG fame is using this entire conference as a ruse. Because she’s quietly dispatched an armada of warships to Vulcan, in the hopes of laying waste to the planet in the key of Nero, so that Spock’s ‘failure’ to save Romulus and Remus can be atoned for. Which means that it is up to you and your intrepid crew to save an entire planet from Romulan genocide, and that is a pretty juicy plot for certain, one that leads to some epic combat in space. And it just so happens that the space battles that happen in this tale, are precisely why I wanted to replay this one, because holy targ, did those fights kick my butt time and time again.
 
Mainly because I was flying a Cheyenne class starship when I first played this mission. And while they are fine little ships, they are not designed for prolonged combat, and having to face off against Heavy Warbirds and D’deridex Battlecruisers in the rocky rings of Agrama Prime was a sucky, sucky experience. Because the battlecruisers messed my ship up and it took forever to finally bring them down. And once that fight was over, it was off to Vulcan to deal with the armada, wherein more heavy grade ships were waiting for us. Which means, I got spanked in that battle too, despite the fact that I had my own Federation armada to help me out and really, all I wanted this time around was a fair fight, one where I could hang with these ships and give them the business.

Instead, I got an outright slaughter. Because it turns out that those two classes of ships really don’t do well against an Odyssey class vessel in a one-on-one setting. Nor are their shields any match for Mark XV Antiproton Beams and Quantum Torpedoes. So, needless to say the fight over Agrama Prime went far smoother this time, with only a few bumps and bruises coming into play when Galactica went toe to toe with a battlecruiser. And as for the fight over Vulcan, well wouldn’t you know it? That was a smooth and supremely fair fight. The kind that we were able to hang in no problem. In fact, on a couple of occasions, we had to step in and save a Federation ship in peril with a quantum torpedo or twenty, and really all of these elements made for one satisfying replay when all is said and done.

Simply because I didn’t see my ship get torn to shreds in a matter of seconds, nor did I have to use hit and run tactics in order to beat my opponent. I could just hang in a firefight and do some serious damage. If anything, this replay just goes to show that investing in your hardware will pay off in spades when all is said and done and it has me hopeful that more replays down the line will be this enjoyable and this smooth so that I can properly enjoy the story. And now that this mission has come to a close, there will be another slight break in the Retro Replay, but for all the right seasons. For ‘House Divided’ makes its premiere on home console this Tuesday, and we need to recap a fresh story before rehashing old ones, and the surprises that await us in this new chapter of storytelling is where we will pick up, next time. Until then, Galactica out.

Growing up, gaming was a big deal to me, specifically PC gaming. At the time, the best games were only available on a computer since my gaming choices were limited to a PC or a console. Granted, some would likely say the better games were on the consoles, but for me... the best games were the ones that told an incredible story and immersed you completely and I didn't find a game on a console that ever did that for me.

During that era, there were two companies in my opinion, that made computer games that blew you away every single time, Sierra On-Line and LucasArts. Both brought incredible characters and stories to the table with every game that they released, but of all the games that I played back in those days, there is still one that sticks out in my mind as one of the finest ever made, LucasArts' incredible sci-fi adventure, The Dig. 

The plot was fairly simple. An asteroid known as Attila is heading toward earth on a collision course, forcing a handful of astronauts to head up to the rock and detonate nukes on its surface to move it into a safe orbit around the planet. But instead of finding solid rock they discover that the asteroid is hollow and filled with technology from another world that transports the landing party to an unknown and deserted place. Now they are stranded on a planet far from home, and their only hope to survive is to investigate the relics of a civilization now gone in the hopes of finding a way to get back to earth.  

​At the time this was by no means a graphically stunning game, even though it was designed for the PC. In fact, the graphics were simply okay, but the story made up for any visual flaws because it stood out above everything else. It was epic, sweeping, sad and gentle all at once. Giving the player a glimpse into a world that manages to actually look alien as you sift through the ruins of a species that let technology bring about their demise.   

But the engrossing story was only the beginning. Legendary science fiction writer Orson Scott Card handled much of the dialogue and Steven Spielberg himself had a hand in a game that featured vocal work by Robert Patrick and it even managed to add some pretty heavy themes, specifically how we face and handle death. Sadly the game was not a runaway commercial success as some expected it to be, and in my opinion, this is due to the fact it was ahead of its time with an engrossing story that I firmly believe would see incredible success if it were released in this day and age.  

Thankfully, this ancient gem is still available to play thanks to the wonder that is Steam, and I absolutely recommend you give it a try. It harkens back to a different era in gaming where risks were taken by developers on a regular basis, the stories were always rich and stunning and the rewards for the players were endless as we were whisked away to incredible places that captivated our imagination and completely took our breath away.