Star Trek: Conquest

Star Trek: Conquest
File:Star Trek - Conquest Coverart.png
Developer(s)	4J Studios
Publisher(s)	Bethesda Softworks
Director(s)	Frank Arnot
Designer(s)	Kevin Finnigan
Composer(s)	Jason Graves
Platforms	Wii, PlayStation 2
Release date(s)	CAN: November 27, 2007
Genre(s)	Strategy
Mode(s)	Single player

Star Trek: Conquest is a video game set in the Star Trek universe. The game features both turn-based strategy and real time strategy gameplay. It was developed by Scottish studio 4J Studios, which previously developed Star Trek: Encounters, and was published by Bethesda Softworks for the PlayStation 2 and Wii.

The game is set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation era, with players able to choose six groups and races: Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Breen, Cardassian and Dominion. These races are the main combatants of the Dominion War featured in Deep Space Nine.

Plot

Stardate 41153.2: It is a time of conflict ; all major races are at war. Diplomacy is dead, age-old alliances forgotten and galactic borders ignored as each race battle for supremacy. Powerful fleets prowl the galaxy,establishing outposts, vanquishing indigenous and enemy fleets alike, in the pursuit of the ultimate prize : the capture of all homeworlds and galactic domination.

Gameplay

Campaign

Star Trek: Conquest is played in turns. Each turn allows the player to purchase facilities or ships, construct Special Weapons or commission an Admiral. Fleets can move between friendly and attack enemy systems as well, but if players engage in combat, they must resolve it immediately.

The goal is to conquer the galaxy by eliminating all enemies by taking their Home World.

If players lose their homeworld, they will no longer be able to commission Admirals or construct Special Weapons.

Skirmish

Skirmish mode allows players to set up battles without playing the campaign. Victory is achieved by destroying all of the opponent's ships. Some options will be unavailable until unlocked through the Campaign-mode.

Admirals

Players begin Campaign mode with one free Admiral. Each Admiral comes with a Cruiser and can have up to seven ships. Admirals are commissioned/purchased at the player's homeworld, and come in various types which offer bonuses to players depending on their type: Attack, Defense, or Movement.

Experience and Ranks

Each battle gains experience. Once enough experience is gained, the Admiral will rise in promotion and earn improved abilities. Each Admiral starts at rank one and can move up to rank five. However, if he or she is defeated, all experience will be lost.

Ships

Ships can be purchased in any player-occupied system containing both a Starbase and Admiral.

Special Weapons

Each race has three different Special Weapons which can be purchased one at a time from the player's Home World. They cannot be purchased if the player has a fleet stationed at their Home World.

Upgrades

If enough Research Points, players can purchase upgrades to their race. Each race has a variety of 6 different upgrades.

Reception

Initial reviews were favorable with IGN describing the Wii version as "an interesting game to say the least" and giving it a score of 6.8, but noting that the Wii pricetag means that "only hardcore Trekkies and hardcore strategy fans need apply".

Most reactions though, have been strongly negative, with a 54 Metacritic rating (PS2)". The out-of-character actions of Starfleet "punches gatling-phaser holes in purist Trekdom all over the place" and is seen as "an offensively bad use of a cherished license".

External links

• Star Trek: Conquest at GameSpot
• Star Trek: Conquest at Memory Alpha
• Star Trek: Conquest at Memory Beta