Star Trek Online is due to be released in 2010.
Cryptic is now in charge of creating the game and they have posted several screen shots aswell as an intriguing look at their alien creation software (video below); both which look like the game will hold some real potential for one of the first games that allows for massive
customization for race in a vast galaxy. They have also posted a recent dev update on Star Trek Online producer daniel Stahl. We've got the dev question and answer set below the video of character creation. Enjoy!
Video of character creation on Star Trek Online:
Posted by Awen
I
don't believe that it's possible to out Trek Daniel Stahl, this week's
Meet the Team candidate. He's even created a Star Trek Song! Want to no
more about this producer? Well then you're going to have to continue
reading!
What do you do on Star Trek Online?
I'm
a producer on STO responsible for ensuring that the content we make for
the game is fun to play, meets our expectations for quality, and can be
made with the software tools that we have developed. This also includes
ensuring that the game is available on a stable build internally and
that the team gets a chance to play and provide feedback as new game
features and content become playable.
How long have you worked in gaming, and what did you do before Star Trek Online?
I've
been working in the gaming industry for 12 years including 6 years at
Wizards of the Coast working on Magic: The Gathering and 4 years at
Microsoft working on the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. I also developed a
board game, Pirate's Cove, which uniquely qualifies me as the team
member most likely to actually be a pirate.
Who is your favorite Star Trek character and why?
Kirk
and I are cut from the same cloth, although I find myself relating to
Spock frequently. There is something about Kirk from the first two
movies that I strongly relate to. I admire his struggle with the career
mid-point when he's being asked to take on more responsibility and yet
all he really wants to do is go out there and shoot some more Klingons.
What is an interesting fact about you that players would be surprised to know?
Many
might be surprised to know that I've been an active performing musician
for many years and was approached a few years back and asked if I'd be
willing to front a William Shatner "Transformed Man" impersonation
band. I spent hours trying to get the vocals down, but in the end, no
one... can perfectly... impersonate the Shatner. Especially not his
singing chops.
If you could choose to be an alien on Star Trek, which species would you want to be?
Not
Trill. Not Klingon. Nope. I'm all Gorn. All the time. I will throw a
rock at you. And my big green sparkly eyes will see you sneaking up on
me.
If you were faced with the Kobayashi Maru, what would be your solution?
I'd
perform the dStahl Maneuver™. This is something you might be lucky
enough to see once, if you ever face me in ship to ship combat. I hear
it cursed out loud by others during internal playtests. Let's just say
there's Fed vs Klingon PVP and then there's All vs. dStahl PVP. Like
Bones said... "Lights Out. Kobayashi Maru!"
Which is cooler: monkeys, robots, pirates, or ninjas?
Snake
Eyes judo chops Jack Sparrow. King Kong smashes Snake Eyes. V'Ger
disintegrates King Kong and makes a giant replica of him in his floaty
3D holographic memory banks. Definitely Robots. Even more so if they
travel through space in a magnetic cloud the size of 4 AUs.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into the gaming industry?
There
are a lot of different avenues into the gaming industry and they all
start with pursuing a hobbyist's dream. Find something that you have a
passion for, and develop that passion. Find time in your week to pursue
your hobby and share it with others. Build relationships with the
people you play games with and pour your heart into gaming with others.
Never be afraid to put together a prototype and share it with your
friends. Fun things will happen when you do.
What was your first favorite video game?
The
first game I was deeply enthralled with was the text based Colossal
Cave Adventure. The game inspired me to learn computers and programming
in a day when owning a personal computer was rare. By the time I
finished the 5th grade I had written my own version of Adventure set in
the world of TRON. To work on STO these many years later is a childhood
dream realized.
Is there anything you would like to add?
I'm the Ultimate Klingon!