Star Trek Online releases the first chapter of its Age of Discovery update today

October 9, 2018 12:00 PM

Today, Perfect World Entertainment has announced the release of the first chapter of Star Trek Online’s latest major update, Age of Discovery. Going live on PC today and on consoles “at a later date,” Age of Discovery adds a wealth of new content tying into the new CBS All Access series, Star Trek: Discovery, which recently concluded its first season. Age of Discovery picks up in the year 2256, “shortly after the Battle at the Binary Stars launched the United Federation of Planets into a savage war against the Klingons.” Players will jump into the boots of fresh Starfleet Academy cadets who, following a “vicious Klingon attack” orchestrated by the cunning J’Ula, must join the fight to defend the Federation.

“Leading the resistance against J’Ula will take Starfleet Captains on an unforgettable journey aboard the U.S.S. Glenn, to iconic locations featured in Star Trek: Discovery, from Starbase 1 in Federation Space to the Dilithium Mines of Corvan II. Captains will also encounter a few familiar faces along the way, including Thy’kir Shran (voiced by Jeffrey Combs), son of Thy’lek Shran from Star Trek: Enterprise.”

Players won’t be alone in their journeys, however, as they’ll be joined by fellow cadet Sylvia Tilly, voiced by Star Trek: Discovery actress Mary Wiseman reprising her role from the TV series. On the new-content front, players from all factions can access two new episodes “where they will be tasked with fending off Klingon boarding the U.S.S. Glenn, and defending Starbase 1 from an assault by Klingon House D’Ghor.” The update also adds a new Task Force Operation, which “[takes] players back to 2256 through historical simulation to protect Starbase 1.”

This is just the first chapter of Age of Discovery, but there’s plenty more for players to look forward to down the line. In November, players will be able to experience the very first Featured Task Force Operation, which will be “centered around the pivotal Battle at the Binary Stars.” Then, early next year during STO’s anniversary event, “players will be able to explore the mysterious forest planet of Pahvo from the Discovery episode ‘Into the Forest I Go.'” Chapter one of Age of Discovery is live on the PC version of Star Trek Online right now, and you can check out the update’s launch trailer just below.

Source: Press Release

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ghostlight

Just finished the Age of Discovery starting area content, and here’s my quick spoiler free take:

Pros:
1) Tilly is a joy to work with. One of the best NPC’s STO has ever had.
2) Discovery aesthetics are excellent…….ship interiors, weapons effects, uniforms, etc.
3) Discovery ships are very cool.
4) Age of Discovery starter pack a very good deal, especially considering most of its items are claimable by all your Fed alts.

Cons:
1) The tutorial is mostly recycled/reskinned content from the regular Fed tutorial.
2) Way too short. It’s maybe half the size of the Agents of Yesterday starting zone experience.

Bottom line: It’s a lot of fun while it lasts, and Mary Wiseman knocks the ball out of the park. I just wish it had gone on a bit longer.

BalsBigBrother

Should my return to lotro not end well then I feel STO might be my next port of call, well its either STO or Neverwinter one or the other. Either way I guess Cryptic get some of my monies.

Natalyia

If you enjoy Star Trek, STO has some excellent experiences. And between the two, I much prefer the monetization in STO. Neverwinter feels a lot more restrictive w/o spending a lot of money.

Castagere Shaikura

LOL is this another timeline thing? How does this even fit into the last update story?

Mewmew

It *does* seem to start in its own timeline. You have to create a special DSC Starfleet character – which like others that start in the past etc will end up merging later on with this timeline.

I ding Cryptic a half point for the recycled material in the Discovery tutorial, but to be fair the changes do get more substantial the farther you go in to it. Also, the Discovery ships and aesthetics are beautiful, and Tilly and Savea are a gas! :D I’m definitely looking forward to continuing the Discovery story arc later.

Armsman

Well, it IS a tutorial, and they have to effectively show the basics of various UIs and game mechanics; and (while I know some will think this impossible) ST: D content probably has brought some players who have never seen/played STO before; and there’s only so many ways a ‘newly graduated’ Cadet can get on a Starship fresh out of the Academy. ;)

Interesting you would comment on my rather mild negative as opposed to my positives. In any event Cryptic made completely new tutorials for the KDF, Romies, and TOS, and feel they should have done as much for Discovery. That said, it’s definitely not a game breaker for me by any means. Overall I give the expansion an A-/B+ so far.