STO Guest Blog: Role-Playing

“To boldly go where no one has gone before.”

That short phrase sums up the dream of most Star Trek fans. Anyone who has seen the various movies or television series has asked the question: What would it be like to live in that time? What kind of life would I lead if I lived in the universe created by Gene Roddenberry? Role-play (RP) in Star Trek Online allows you to explore just a small part of that dream. RP enables you to create a persona who lives in the Star Trek universe. Use your imagination to make an alternate “you” in the 25th Century. Live as that Starfleet officer or Klingon warrior. Not satisfied with the Federation bureaucracy or the constant bickering of the Great Houses? Create a brand-new race, and define its history, culture and society. Make your “toon,” your in-game character, more than just an avatar. React to in-game events as the character you created to add a layer of enjoyment to the game that you might not have known you were missing.

There are many forms of role-play available in Star Trek Online. RP situations can range from small talk in Club 33 to a full operational situation – complete with villains to defeat and obstacles to overcome with your crew. If you want to find STO players who are passionate about the Trek universe, why not talk to the Trill drowning his sorrows in Quark’s Bar on Deep Space Nine? Some role-players organize themselves as starship or starbase crews, allowing them to live out moments similar to what we’ve seen on TNG and DS9. Ask for an invitation to visit their Starbase or Bridge to see how they run their command. Players that role-play create a stronger, more permanent connection with the larger Star Trek Online community. Creating a new Star Trek hero is the foundation of new ideas and stories to explore in-between Cryptic-created missions. Players who go to great lengths to define these characters want to share their creations with other players – role-players or otherwise. Some evem devote hours to live interaction with other players while in-game via the Local chat channel.  For others, the Foundry is the perfect stage to share their character’s adventures with a much wider audience. Every improv scenario in a social zone gives a glimpse into the trials of a budding Star Trek hero, and each new mission published in the Foundry adds to the “story” content we are all clamoring for.

RP has kept many players engaged after they reach end-game. And, like the main STO campaign, it is possible to role-play strictly as a solo player. Being part of a fleet that is based around role-play –or has a division of role-players – can also add to your game-play experience. If your fleet does not have a RP division yet, consider speaking with your Fleet Officers about starting one up. When you're role-playing with fellow fleet members and players, and you let your created persona interact with others regularly, you’re no longer limited by just your imagination – your creativity is multiplied by the minds of your friends. This can really keep the spirit of the Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek universe alive. You never know what is going to happen out there, but you’re going to face it with the finest crew – your friends.If we’ve done our job, you’re now looking for a role-play group to try out. We can help with that, too!  Hop on over to STO’s Fleet Recruitment forums and have a look around.  Or, while in-game, open your ‘Social’ window (default key “O”), click ‘Find Fleet’, open up the filters and set your ‘Social Group’ to “RP”. Also, we are excited to announce that we will be hosting an in-game role-play roundtable discussion with Community Manager BranFlakes for the community on Saturday, February 2nd – all are encouraged to attend. There will be 2 roundtable timeslots: one at 11 a.m. PST (8pm CET), and another at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST).  We will be meeting and enjoying the sun on Risa, as well as using the local chat around the beam-down point.  Hope to see you there!

-The Trust