Star Trek: Starfleet Command

Download Star Trek: Starfleet Command and command your own starship in the legendary Star Trek universe! Engage in strategic battles, explore the galaxy, and boldly go where no one has gone before. Ready to live the adventure? Play now!
a game by Quicksilver Software, Inc., and 14° East
Platform: PC (1999)
Editor Rating: 7/10, based on 2 reviews
User Rating: 10.0/10 - 3 votes
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See also: Star Trek Games
Star Trek: Starfleet Command
Star Trek: Starfleet Command
Star Trek: Starfleet Command
Star Trek: Starfleet Command

As a huge fan of the series, Star Trek Starfleet Command was a game that I spent a lot of time with during the Christmas break of 1999. This would actually go on to be a series of games, but today I am taking a trip back over 20 years as I look at the one that started it all. I feel that there are far more good Star Trek games than there are bad and this one here is good, but its sequels offered far more. Still, it is interesting to look back and see where it all started.

Six For The Price Of One

Star Trek has such a diverse universe and one of the things that this game does very well is tough upon many parts of it. There are six playable races in this game and each one has its own campaign! You can play as The Federation, The Klingons, The Romulans, The Lyrans, The Hydrans, and The Gorn. It is a great selection and each one has their own story, missions, and personality that feels very authentic to the actual show.

Set Visuals To Ugly

As much as I love the series, I have to admit that Star Trek Starfleet Command has not aged very well in the graphics department. Back in 1999, it was usual for a PC game to wipe the floor with anything the PlayStation could do. However, in all honesty, I see nothing here that the PlayStation could not have handled. It is a very basic looking game, do not get me wrong it has the Star Trek feel to it, but I just feel that even at this time, not counting the games that would come after it we had better looking Star Trek games.

Arm The Torpedoes!

The gameplay has held up much better than the visuals and as a result, the game is still pretty fun to play. You pick your race and then you have to complete a series of missions. These range from engaging with another ship, blowing something in space up, and of course, ship to ship combat. Each race has its own story, but once you have mastered one, you will be able to master them all.

Each race has positives and negatives. For example, The Lyrans can do some heavy damage, but their shields are rather weak. The Federation is average in most regards, but they struggle at turning. Figuring out the best way to attack an enemy is where the tactics and strategy come into play. You really do feel like you are a commander on a ship making very important decisions. In contrast to what the sequels would offer this, I will admit is rather limited, but that does not mean it is bad.

I am sure many people will look at the screenshots for this game and think, yuck! I though had a lot of fun playing this again for the first time in a few years. I think the simplicity of the original Star Trek Starfleet Command is something that makes it very easy to get into. I will say that the games that would follow on from this did expand and make things better in every regard. Still, for a first try, this was a damn fine effort.

7.5

Final Score

Pros:

  • You can play as six different races
  • Each race has its own campaign
  • The game is very easy to get into
  • You have to think about the way you attack each ship you come across
  • It has that Star Trek feel to it

Cons:

  • I will admit that it is not as good as the games that would follow
  • The game is pretty ugly in the looks department

Download Star Trek: Starfleet Command

PC

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

You'd be forgiven for being confused by the barrage of Star Trek titles coming out this year. For those of you who can't tell their Klingon from their elbow, Starfleet Command is a real-time strategy game in space where you control your very own starship and develop a career in your fleet. Set in the time of the original series, you have the choice of playing as one of five races (Federation, Klingons, Romulans, Lyrans and Hydrans), each of which plays a part in the game's storyline. To witness the final unraveling of the plot, you need to complete the game as all of them.

The story concerns an all-powerful race called the Organians who, after imposing a peace treaty between the Federation and the Klingons (as seen in the Errand Of Mercy episode), disappear under unknown circumstances. Doors to other universes open up as spatial anomalies ripple through the galaxy, letting in space monsters and causing all sorts of trouble. The core of the game, however, involves fighting it out for supremacy against the other races. You can play a whole campaign or a quick skirmish, depending on how you feel. The campaign is based on the Dynaverse system, which generates different missions depending on your actions and the general state of the universe. This should ensure that no two games are alike, adding even more diversity to the gameplay.

Although Starfleet Command is all in real time, it's based on a popular American board game. And if you're wondering who the hell the Lyrans and the Hydrans are, it's because so far they've only existed in that format. You have access to a further two races in multiplayer mode: the Orions and the Gom, both of which should be familiar to Trekkies.

One of the main disappointments of Birth Of The Federation were the battle sequences, which not only looked rather dull, but you also had very little control over them. The battles are the crux of the Starfleet Command, so it's no surprise that they look gorgeous and offer tons of depth. The first thing you need to take into consideration is how different 'terrains', such as nebulae, black holes and asteroid fields, affect manoeuvrability, communications and so on. You must also remember that your ship is a complex vessel, not just a flying space gun. There are four ships to choose from - frigate, light cruiser, heavy cruiser and dreadnought - each with their own specifications and characteristics. Weapons include phasers, plasma torpedoes and the Expanding Sphere Generator (which creates a sphere of energy around your ship, protecting it from attacks, and causing damage to any ships you come into contact with). You can also use tractor beams, and even beam marines over to enemy ships on hit-and-run missions or to attempt to take them over.

If you're still not convinced, play the exclusive demo on this month's cover disc and be converted.

Snapshots and Media

PC Screenshots

See Also

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