Star Trek: Bridge Commander
Encyclopedia
Star Trek: Bridge Commander is a space combat simulation game for the PC, published by Activision
and Totally Games
in 2002, based in the Star Trek
universe.
The plot revolves around a newly promoted captain who is assigned to investigate an explosion of a star in the Maelstrom. Throughout the mystery, the player will often encounter characters from the Star Trek universe, including Captain Picard and Commander Data. The captain and his crew take command of the Galaxy-class USS Dauntless (NCC-71879) as well as the USS Sovereign (NCC-73811) to combat a new threat to the Federation
.
The game allows two different styles of gameplay: storyline mode and quick battle mode. Quick battle mode allows for customized scenarios within a "simulated" environment, allowing the player to pick their allies/enemies, system, etc. With the advent of modding for Star Trek: Bridge Commander, custom missions and even campaigns have been made possible through this engine.
is piloting a shuttle to a research station orbiting the planet when the star goes supernova, destroying the planet, killing the captain, and severely damaging the Dauntless. After several months of repairs and refits, the Dauntless' first officer
becomes her new captain, and after a brief resupply mission to the surviving Vesuvi colonies, an investigation into the star's destruction begins.
The Dauntless' crew is given the USS Sovereign, the USS Enterprise-E's sister ship, for the investigation. Additionally, Lieutenant Commander Data from the Enterprise is temporarily assigned to the Sovereign to assist in the investigation. Initial hostilities with the Romulans briefly lead the crew to suspect them as the culprits, but further evidence reveals a renegade faction of Cardassians are responsible. They are led by Legate Matan, the game's central villain.
Matan is assisted by a new race of aliens called the Kessok, whom Matan exploited and lied to in order to gain their cooperation. While searching for the technology that destroyed the Vesuvi star in the Alioth system, the Sovereign is ambushed and forced to leave Data behind on the surface of the system's sixth planet.
The revelation of the Cardassians' responsibility for the destruction of the Vesuvi star leads to a full scale war between the Federation and Matan's faction. The Federation is at first at a disadvantage having underestimated Matan's forces; however, they are able to repel an offensive against Starbase 12 and destroy Litvok Nor, a Cardassian space station identical to Deep Space 9, and rescue Data. Additionally a Federation-Klingon-Romulan alliance is formed to put an end to the war in the game's final missions.
Shortly after Data's rescue and the formation of the alliance, the Sovereign is ordered to destroy the remaining Kessok technology that destroyed the Vesuvi star. During an encounter with a Kessok Heavy Cruiser, which makes no hostile movements and is unshielded, the player is presented with a choice: destroy the Kessok ship and the remaining device, or hail it. If the player fires on the Kessok ship, two smaller vessels will de-cloak and assist the heavy cruiser. The final mission will also be more difficult as the Kessok forces will initially side with the Cardassians. Hailing the vessel will open a dialog with the Kessok and reveal the Cardassians' exploitation of them.
The game's final mission involves destroying the remaining Kessok device in the custody of Matan before he can use it to destroy a newly founded Kessok colony. The final confrontation with Matan occurs near the star of the Omega Draconis system. The game ends with Matan's ship falling into the star and the beginnings of formal diplomatic relations with the Kessok. Captain Picard wishes the player good luck on his journeys, and the Sovereign warps away.
Most game functions are carried out by selecting an individual bridge officer, and selecting from a set of commands or options in order to control that individual's set of responsibilities. In this way, the game simulates being in command of a starship. For example, a player could issue the command to intercept a fleeing starship through the Helm menu, or order Felix, the tactical officer to destroy an enemy ship. An AI would then pilot the ship for the player.
Players also have the option to switch to an external ship view, and carry out many piloting and weapons functions themselves. In this view, they are able to view various tactical indicators.
.
Science Officer
Tactical Officer
Helmsman
Chief Engineer
Klingon Ships
Ferengi Ships
Romulan Ships
Cardassian Ships
Kessok Ships
Other Ships
A number of 'supermods' are currently in production. These include Delta Quadrant Pack by JL Studios, and Kobayashi Maru - Remastered by ChronowerX Productions
Unfortunately, many technical issues plagued the multiplayer functionality. Crashes are extremely commonplace, particularly when half a dozen or more players joins a server. Furthermore, the game performs very strict script file comparisons between client and server before allowing a connection. As a result, any player with custom modifications to game files will be unable to use multiplayer unless every other player they want to play with installs the same mods on a fresh install.
Due to the increasing prevelence of competing modpacks for STBC, multiplayer use has declined considerably. This is because each individual mod or modpack makes the game incompatible with all other players who don't have precisely the same mods installed. This, probably combined with the passage of time, has caused the average number of hourly hosted games to drop from several dozen in 2003 to zero in 2011.
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
and Totally Games
Totally Games
Totally Games is an electronic game developer located in Marin County, California. Their titles included X-Wing, TIE Fighter, X Wing vs. TIE Fighter and X-Wing Alliance , a series of World War II Flight Simulator series, the most recent being Secret Weapons Over Normandy, and Bridge Commander based...
in 2002, based in the Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
universe.
The plot revolves around a newly promoted captain who is assigned to investigate an explosion of a star in the Maelstrom. Throughout the mystery, the player will often encounter characters from the Star Trek universe, including Captain Picard and Commander Data. The captain and his crew take command of the Galaxy-class USS Dauntless (NCC-71879) as well as the USS Sovereign (NCC-73811) to combat a new threat to the Federation
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
.
The game allows two different styles of gameplay: storyline mode and quick battle mode. Quick battle mode allows for customized scenarios within a "simulated" environment, allowing the player to pick their allies/enemies, system, etc. With the advent of modding for Star Trek: Bridge Commander, custom missions and even campaigns have been made possible through this engine.
Storyline
The story line begins with the USS Dauntless in orbit of planet, Vesuvi 3. Her captainStarfleet ranks and insignia
Starfleet ranks and insignia are fictional titles and badges that form the hierarchy of Starfleet in the Star Trek television shows and movies.-Overview:...
is piloting a shuttle to a research station orbiting the planet when the star goes supernova, destroying the planet, killing the captain, and severely damaging the Dauntless. After several months of repairs and refits, the Dauntless' first officer
First officer
In commercial aviation, the first officer is the second pilot of an aircraft. The first officer is second-in-command of the aircraft, to the captain who is the legal commander...
becomes her new captain, and after a brief resupply mission to the surviving Vesuvi colonies, an investigation into the star's destruction begins.
The Dauntless' crew is given the USS Sovereign, the USS Enterprise-E's sister ship, for the investigation. Additionally, Lieutenant Commander Data from the Enterprise is temporarily assigned to the Sovereign to assist in the investigation. Initial hostilities with the Romulans briefly lead the crew to suspect them as the culprits, but further evidence reveals a renegade faction of Cardassians are responsible. They are led by Legate Matan, the game's central villain.
Matan is assisted by a new race of aliens called the Kessok, whom Matan exploited and lied to in order to gain their cooperation. While searching for the technology that destroyed the Vesuvi star in the Alioth system, the Sovereign is ambushed and forced to leave Data behind on the surface of the system's sixth planet.
The revelation of the Cardassians' responsibility for the destruction of the Vesuvi star leads to a full scale war between the Federation and Matan's faction. The Federation is at first at a disadvantage having underestimated Matan's forces; however, they are able to repel an offensive against Starbase 12 and destroy Litvok Nor, a Cardassian space station identical to Deep Space 9, and rescue Data. Additionally a Federation-Klingon-Romulan alliance is formed to put an end to the war in the game's final missions.
Shortly after Data's rescue and the formation of the alliance, the Sovereign is ordered to destroy the remaining Kessok technology that destroyed the Vesuvi star. During an encounter with a Kessok Heavy Cruiser, which makes no hostile movements and is unshielded, the player is presented with a choice: destroy the Kessok ship and the remaining device, or hail it. If the player fires on the Kessok ship, two smaller vessels will de-cloak and assist the heavy cruiser. The final mission will also be more difficult as the Kessok forces will initially side with the Cardassians. Hailing the vessel will open a dialog with the Kessok and reveal the Cardassians' exploitation of them.
The game's final mission involves destroying the remaining Kessok device in the custody of Matan before he can use it to destroy a newly founded Kessok colony. The final confrontation with Matan occurs near the star of the Omega Draconis system. The game ends with Matan's ship falling into the star and the beginnings of formal diplomatic relations with the Kessok. Captain Picard wishes the player good luck on his journeys, and the Sovereign warps away.
Gameplay and mechanics
Players also have the option to switch to an external ship view, and carry out many piloting and weapons functions themselves. In this view, they are able to view various tactical indicators.
Reception
Star Trek: Bridge Commander received generally positive reviews from critics. The game currently holds a 9.0/10 on IGN.com and scored 82% favorable on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
Player's crew
First Officer/Executive Officer- Commander Saffi Larsen
Science Officer
- Lieutenant Commander Miguel Diaz
Tactical Officer
- Lieutenant Felix Savali
Helmsman
- Ensign Kiska LoMar
Chief Engineer
- Lieutenant Commander Solian Brex
Playable ships in Quick Battle Mode
Federation Ships- Akira
- Ambassador
- Galaxy
- Nebula
- Sovereign
Klingon Ships
- Bird of Prey
- Vor'cha
Ferengi Ships
- Marauder
Romulan Ships
- Warbird
Cardassian Ships
- Galor
- Keldon
- Hybrid
Kessok Ships
- Kessok Light
- Kessok Heavy
Other Ships
- Shuttle
- Transport
Allies
- Admiral Alice Liu, Chief of Starfleet Operations in the Maelstrom.
- Commander Michael Graff, Commanding OfficerCommanding officerThe commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of Starbase 12. - CaptainCaptain (USA)In the uniformed services of the United States, captain is a federal commissioned officer rank.-U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps:...
Jean-Luc PicardJean-Luc PicardCaptain Jean-Luc Picard is a Star Trek character portrayed by Patrick Stewart. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek Nemesis...
, Commanding Officer of USS Enterprise-E (voiced by Patrick StewartPatrick StewartSir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
). - Lieutenant CommanderLieutenant CommanderLieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
DataData (Star Trek)Lieutenant Commander Data is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe portrayed by actor Brent Spiner. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek...
, Operations Manager of USS Enterprise-E (voiced by Brent SpinerBrent SpinerBrent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr...
). - Captain Korbus, KlingonKlingonKlingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
starship commander. Commands several ships throughout the game, familiar with StarfleetStarfleetIn the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
tactical systems (voiced by Vaughn ArmstrongVaughn ArmstrongVaughn Dale Armstrong is an American actor.-Prior to acting:Armstrong served in the United States military and saw action in the Vietnam War.-Star Trek:...
). - Captain Draxon, KlingonKlingonKlingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
starship commander. Escorts the USS Sovereign through the Tevron system enroute to Starbase 12. - Captain Gregory McCray. Commanding Officer of the USS Geronimo.
- Captain Eina Zeiss. Commanding Officer of the USS San Francisco.
- Captain Neb'lus. Kessok commander. Helps Lt. Cmdr. Data and the USS Sovereign in negotiations between the Federation and the Kessok race.
- Dai-Mon Praag. FerengiFerengiThe Ferengi are a fictitious extraterrestrial race from the Star Trek universe. They first appeared in "The Last Outpost", the fifth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, during which they made first contact with the United Federation of Planets in 2364 on the planet Delphi Ardu,...
trader. Formerly neutral with the Federation, but provides information about Cardassian operations in the Maelstrom.
Modding
Since its release, the game has been heavily expanded upon by modders and gamers of Star Trek: Bridge Commander. Modifications vary in size and quality as the amount of information available to the modding community is extensive. Several thousand mods exist that encompass re-textures, new sound packs, playable maps, and total conversions. Several large mod packs, including: Kobayashi Maru, DS9 FX, Slipstream, Stargate Pack, Battlestar Galactica Fleet Pack, BC Supermod 3.0 and Galaxy Charts 2.0, combine many of the highest quality mods available for Bridge Commander, to allow several normally incompatible mods to work within the same game install, and to increase the number of 'playable' ships.A number of 'supermods' are currently in production. These include Delta Quadrant Pack by JL Studios, and Kobayashi Maru - Remastered by ChronowerX Productions
Multiplayer
Star Trek: Bridge Commander also features multiplayer functionality. The game itself is capable of acting as a multiplayer server without modification. Players can compete in variations of team matches or free-for-all. Hosted games are automatically listed on GameSpy.Unfortunately, many technical issues plagued the multiplayer functionality. Crashes are extremely commonplace, particularly when half a dozen or more players joins a server. Furthermore, the game performs very strict script file comparisons between client and server before allowing a connection. As a result, any player with custom modifications to game files will be unable to use multiplayer unless every other player they want to play with installs the same mods on a fresh install.
Due to the increasing prevelence of competing modpacks for STBC, multiplayer use has declined considerably. This is because each individual mod or modpack makes the game incompatible with all other players who don't have precisely the same mods installed. This, probably combined with the passage of time, has caused the average number of hourly hosted games to drop from several dozen in 2003 to zero in 2011.
External links
- Bridge Commander Scripter: The New Generation
- Official website of Star Trek: Bridge Commander
- Star Trek: Bridge Commander at the Star Trek Games Database provided by StarTrek-Games.com
- Bridge Commander Central Forums
- STG review and downloads for Bridge Commander
- "Bridge Commander" Files hosted by Filefront
- Star Trek Mods, a mod site for Bridge Commander and other Star Trek games
- Star Trek: Excalibur
- IMDB listing
- Bridge Commander: Kobayashi Maru Mod
- Metacritic Review
- IGN Review