Author: Manuel Lora
Publisher: Interplay
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The Wargamer is proud to present The Wargamer Excellence Award to Starfleet Command, signifying it as one of the year's best games in the strategy genre. Congratulations to the team at Interplay! |
Introduction
Starfleet Command comes close to being a tactician's perfect space sim. One thing to keep in mind is that this is not only for Trekkers, although I must admit that as a Trek fan for years, this game is truly a treat. Those who are alien (no pun intended) to the Trek universe should be able to adjust without major problems, the main exception being the complexity of the game. In the past, many a space simulator has been no more than a bunch of ships trying to blow each other up as fast as possible. This is not the case with Starfleet Command, well, not entirely, as we'll see.
We all know the basic premise: success - or Qapla', for Klingon lovers - in accomplishing mission objectives. Most of the time, these happen to be the interception, engagement, and ultimate destruction of enemy ships. Starfleet Command's gaming universe is none other than the result of several television series and motion pictures, as well as countless print publications, including serialized novels and technical manuals. This game has a lot of ground to cover.
Installation and Documentation
Installing the game was not a problem for me or other staff at The Wargamer. However, the Starfleet Command technical forum shows that there are some snags with certain hardware. Also, as of this writing there were two main patches for the game, one on the Interplay web site, and one on MPlayer, and they are not the same - apparently the MPlayer patch has some problems but is required to play on MPlayer - the patch situation will likely change, so it's probably wisest to read up on the current thinking on the technical forum.
If you can spare the extra disk space, go for a full installation, although the game needs the CD to run anyway. The intro is ok, though nothing spectacular. Don't be fooled; the intro doesn't live up to the Paramount logo's standards. There's a fair share of explosions and sound effects, but nothing to drool over. Sit back, see it once, and then forget about it. Once the game is installed, the CD has a nice auto-run menu that lets you quickly change video resolutions and even get updates.
The Starfleet Command manual is, for better or worse, a must-read for Trekkers or otherwise. Given the complexity of the game, don't assume that Starfleet Command will open itself up and reveal all of its secrets. Although insightful, the manual's structure is somewhat chaotic. While it is ordered according to specific functions of a ship, I feel it would have been better (especially for the Starfleet Command newbie) if it were organized differently. The manual is very detailed and treats every aspect of the game individually. This can have the effect of making the game more interesting to play if you happen to be a hardcore simulator fan. However, I would have preferred the manual to be more of a quick reference guide than an encyclopedia. Apart from the manual, there are the usual installation guide and a quick keyboard reference guide, as well as a large fold-out card with all of the weapon damage tables and the specifications of practically all of the approximately 300 ship classes in the game.
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