Star Trek Online - fileplanet Subscriber beta access

[phyzik]

Must be a subscriber. First batch of keys is already done, they will have more tomorrow.

http://www.fileplanet.com/promotions/star-trek-online/


All FilePlanet subscribers are invited to grab a key and download the 8 GB beta client. This will be a closed beta sneak peek that will then include full open beta. (2 weeks of gameplay!)

The sneak peek gameplay schedule is:
January 6 @ 11:00 am PST to 8:00 pm PST
January 9 @ 10:00 am PST to January 11 @ 10:00 am PST
January 12 - Open Beta Begins!!

[cool cat]

Nice find, thanks. I already pre-order so I have the open beta ready but this is cool being able to check it out a week early.

I been interested to see how this game is going to be. Everything I read says its fun but I wonder if it will be good enough to keep playing for months or does the fun wear out after a week.

[dolacheck]

How can they call it open beta, if you have to PAY to essentially get into open beta. I mean I know you can cancel and what not but that is just total crap imo.

[cool cat]

How can they call it open beta, if you have to PAY to essentially get into open beta. I mean I know you can cancel and what not but that is just total crap imo.

It's called Open Beta not Free Beta. Open Beta is just when the NDA is over.

[phyzik]

Waiting for NDA to be lifted, hopefully today or tomorrow, but I liked it so far. Space combat is fun.

As far as open beta, I think you just sign up on their website and you get access to it, I dont think you have to purchase anything.

[cool cat]

From their site

Q: Where can I get a beta key?
A: Open beta keys are included in all pre-order boxes, and are given out by selected partners:

FilePlanet
More to come, check back often!
Can't find a key at a partner site? Still feeling lucky? Well, if you have a registered account with us, you may also receive one of the keys we'll be sending out at random to our userbase.

[cool cat]

Ok NDA was lifted so here is a preview of mine.

First, don't base if you are going to buy this game or not by beta testers opinions. It's better to check out a game for yourself to see if you like it. If you need some incentive to check it out here are a few things.

Star Trek online is not a hardcore MMO like the original SWG or EQ. It is a more casual MMO. It is casual but it doesn’t hold your hand and walk you through the game.

There is plenty to do in the game and you never feel lost and wonder what to do next. This is done by sector space which is the equivalent to the world map in most MMO. In sector space you don't fight, you just fly to different systems or other sector depending on what you want to do.

Here is a list of things to do from shortest time to longest time.

If you want to do a quick space battle you will see klingon ships in sector space, you just fly to them and you are put into an instance and you get to battle them. Great thing about the instances is that they are open so if other players fly into it as well they will be in there with you. This makes for some really great large battles with out having to spam the chat channels looking for a group.

Next you can explore and go where no man has gone before, kind of. There are certain sectors you can go to that will let you “explore” basically it’s a map that has random anomalies pop up. You click on them and you might get items or be put into a random mission. Some missions are as simple as a ship has been attacked now you have to protect it from raiders. Or a planet just learned to get warp speed and they want to trade with the Federation so you have to get them medical supplies.

Patrol mission are the next longest. Here you go to certain systems, not random ones like the explore, and you must complete a longer mission. These typically last between 15-30 mins. Some that I have done is search around asteroid for cloaked Klingon ships. Or beam to a space station and investigate “accidents” that having been happing on the station.

The longest thing I did was the main story quest line. These last anywhere from 45 mins to over and hour. From what I can tell you can get one each time you level, at least that’s how it was for the first couple of levels. These go from space to ground back to space and sometimes back to ground. These are done like episodes of the TV show. They have great plot twist and you get to usually get to meet children and grandchildren of the characters from the TV shows.

I said it’s not a hardcore MMO but that doesn’t mean hardcore people won’t have fun. It’s more casual in that you don’t have to play for 6 hours a day to experience the fun stuff in the game. If you wan to pop on for 30mins you can play in a big space battle. You got an hour you can explore unknown space. You want something deep the main quest line has that covered.

I will post more if anyone is interested.