It's been a year since Cryptic Studios boldly went and released a massively-multiplayer game based on Star Trek, and it's come quite a long way since then. See what's changed and what's next for Star Trek Online.
Star Trek Online is a different game from the one I reviewed a year ago. Back then I said the game wasn't finished, and while it hasn't stopped developing since then, the developers have added level upon level of polish to the already solid Star Trek experience.
Some of the major additions to the game over the past year include a level cap increase from 41 to 51 complete with a new tier of ships, new mission types further emphasizing Trek's knack for generating drama without resorting to violence, and the beginning of the Foundry system, which will allow players to craft and share their own missions.
Cryptic is holding celebrations in-game to celebrate the anniversary as we speak, with in-game prizes to be won via developer-driven trivia contests. Everything in the game's real money C-Store is on sale, and there's a fresh Romulan-themed set of weekly episodic missions - "Cloaked Intentions" - kicking off this weekend.
There's enough going on to get me curious enough to boldly go one more time. Anyone else pondering heading back into space?