Why can't we get even a half-way decent Star Trek Game?

[Twisted Traveller]

Am I the only one who is literally crying out for a good Star Trek game? We've not seen an actually mid-way decent game since Armada 3, a bunch of people modding on ModDB manage to put out better content than Triple A studios, this IP is languishing without a seriously decent videogame behind it outside of STO.

How hard can it be in this day and age to do a "Star Trek meets Mass Effect"? Or what I had been reluctant to expect this game to have been (A decent 4X). It just really feels like the only way to enjoy a Star Trek experience is to get back into STO or go hunting online for the old ass games which are finnicky as ♥♥♥♥ on modern systems.

EDIT:/ Alright guys seems most people are missing my point so let me point this out here rather than write it 4 times in comments.

I am well aware there are great mods out there for this IP. If anything you're proving my point which is "Why is it Triple A studios cannot put out a good Star Trek game but somehow a bunch of modders in their basements can?". I've played a lot of the mods you guys have suggested and DO agree they're brilliant. But that's not the topic at hand.

Second Edit:// People keep pointing out Resurgence, despite me already pointing out I wasn't counting it, let me explain why. I am not counting it because it's on the Epic Games Store and I, on a personal level, refuse to support EGS with a penny of my money or a kb of my hardware. If you want to that's fine, but I won't buy games on their platform ever, if Resurgence makes it to Steam I will consider buying it.
I have already played Resurgence with a flag flying high, it was alright and had some very interesting writing, it was definitely cut from the Tell Tale cloth, but I feel it was far too unrefined and janky. I will also point out that it's only realistically good for a single afternoon of playing, I know the storyline, I know the major beats, all I'll get is a slightly different ending or w.e. I am more interested in a game I could play across weeks and months.

[archonsod]

Originally posted by Alyx Xandyr:

Am I the only one who is literally crying out for a good Star Trek game? We've not seen an actually mid-way decent game since Armada 3,

I'm not sure I'd trust the taste of anyone who thought the Armada series was even mid-way decent :P

[Bovril Brigadier]

Originally posted by Schigera:

You're thinking of Star Trek Bridge Crew. Bridge Commander was one of the old Activision Star Trek games from the early 2000's that's often regarded as the best Star Trek game for space combat.

Klingon Academy eats Bridge Commander alive.

Originally posted by archonsod:

I'm not sure I'd trust the taste of anyone who thought the Armada series was even mid-way decent :P

Armada I was decent. Armada II was basically trying to be Sins before Sins was a thing and an absolute spam fest forgetting everything good about Armada I.

[Aranador]

Bring back Star Fleet Command :) Sigh, I am old :(

[Twisted Traveller]

Originally posted by Pookie101:

Star Trek Resurgence came out a few months back (Check EPIC) and captures the feel of Trek but is janky but also fun

Yeah so, you know how at the bottom I said "Don't mention it"?

I pirated it because it was on Epic (I absolutely refuse to support that platform for any reason) and for what it is, a "Tell Tale-Lite" game, it was ok, but I feel it was far too janky and not what people want from a Star Trek game unless you plan to make it a series.

Originally posted by Rando:

It is halfway decent. Halfway. Just look at the art for the NPCs and ships.

The whole game is a platform to make better Star Trek mods.

That said, it's disappointing they didn't put more effort in.

They already had that with Stellaris Rando... And ultimately a "Star Trek Game just to platform mods" is a really bad idea.

Originally posted by SteffenHin80:

Star Trek Infinite is a strategy game, not an adventure or a mmo-game.

Oh joy a smartass.

I did mention I wanted a strategy game (4x) from this series which was good, it's not a defense to go "WELL THEY'RE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT GENRES SOOOOOOOO" when you're talking to a guy who spends thousands of hours primarily on Strategy games (I have nearly 3000 hours in total war games) and when I was mentioning "Mods from Moddb have done this better" I was pointing to the Star Trek mod for Sins of a Solar Empire 2, maybe I should clarify better for people who make a point of pulling the "BUT DIFFERENT GENRES" like it matters.

A game series like Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings (etc) will always have it's games compared to each other regardless of the genres and that's fine, they should measure up to each other or surpass each other with time due to how lore-heavy/beloved they are.

[Bovril Brigadier]

Originally posted by Alyx Xandyr:

I pirated it because it was on Epic

Best not to admit to yar-har-fiddle-dee or mods may bring out the paddles!

[Twisted Traveller]

Originally posted by Strayed:

Originally posted by Alyx Xandyr:

I pirated it because it was on Epic

Best not to admit to yar-har-fiddle-dee or mods may bring out the paddles!

Idrc, they'll ban me off the board for a bit lmao, I'd of bought this if it was on Steam I ain't fronting. Maybe Epic should stop trying to exclude Steam users.

[volbound1700]

So here is some strategy IP for Star Trek besides Infinite:

Stellaris - Star Trek New Horizon
Civilization 4 - Star Trek mod (You can get Civ 4 cheap, Mod is on CivFanatics, it is an EXCELLENT Mod with scenarios from different periods in Star Trek history and a scenario with full Galaxy)
Civilization 3 - Star Trek Scenario, this one is pretty cool to you. They use a spy method where you can invite people to Federation but it is expensive
Birth of the Federation - You can find this as abandonware
Star Trek Conquests - Wii game that is a mix of battle elements and strategy. It is very rudimentary but was fun
Star Trek Ascendancy - This is a Board Game but if you can snatch up 3-4 people, it is an excellent game based on Star Trek. It has expansions for tons of races that really add to the game. Don't get the Borg Expansion though, it isn't very good

[Twisted Traveller]

Originally posted by volbound1700:

So here is some strategy IP for Star Trek besides Infinite:

Stellaris - Star Trek New Horizon
Civilization 4 - Star Trek mod (You can get Civ 4 cheap, Mod is on CivFanatics, it is an EXCELLENT Mod with scenarios from different periods in Star Trek history and a scenario with full Galaxy)
Civilization 3 - Star Trek Scenario, this one is pretty cool to you. They use a spy method where you can invite people to Federation but it is expensive
Birth of the Federation - You can find this as abandonware
Star Trek Conquests - Wii game that is a mix of battle elements and strategy. It is very rudimentary but was fun
Star Trek Ascendancy - This is a Board Game but if you can snatch up 3-4 people, it is an excellent game based on Star Trek. It has expansions for tons of races that really add to the game. Don't get the Borg Expansion though, it isn't very good

Again though, bar the last two these are all mods (which is what I was saying, how the ♥♥♥♥ is it that mods are better than the proper triple As). I might grab that board game though as I own/collect/play boardgames with friends. You got a good link for it?

[krighaur]

Play Star Trek new horizons or Star Trek new civilizations, two mods for stellaris that are far better than Infinite

[ORION]

Originally posted by Aranador:

Bring back Star Fleet Command :) Sigh, I am old :(

Star Fleet Command II is the best Star Trek game ever made IMHO

[GP]

Originally posted by Pixx:

Bridge Commander 2 please

Like seriously, lets go?! Drop the "expanded timeline" bs and lets get back to being a captin with our beloved 80 and 90's characters.

[GP]

Originally posted by SteffenHin80:

Star Trek Infinite is a strategy game, not an adventure or a mmo-game. So, if you want to compare STI with an other game, than you have to do it with BotF from 1999. That was great to that time, it made so much fun like STI, but it was buggy and in the late gamy laggy. You can not STI compare with STO, Armada II, Bridge Commander or Resurgence.

STI is a good game, it has some bugs, which have to be fixed and it needs more content. But that is all.

Totally agree. However, the question still stands: Why can't we get a good star trek game? You'd think the industry would want to pump these out. BotF is ancient, and was a huge hit. All the older games actually were awesome.

[Letobrick]

Star Trek Resurgence is out now on Epic Games!

[kingts]

Originally posted by GP:

Originally posted by SteffenHin80:

Star Trek Infinite is a strategy game, not an adventure or a mmo-game. So, if you want to compare STI with an other game, than you have to do it with BotF from 1999. That was great to that time, it made so much fun like STI, but it was buggy and in the late gamy laggy. You can not STI compare with STO, Armada II, Bridge Commander or Resurgence.

STI is a good game, it has some bugs, which have to be fixed and it needs more content. But that is all.

Totally agree. However, the question still stands: Why can't we get a good star trek game? You'd think the industry would want to pump these out. BotF is ancient, and was a huge hit. All the older games actually were awesome.

Microprose is back, so you can message them directly. If they can get the license, which is a big if, they do have rights to what they created and as I have said.
There are two playable versions of BOTF, the original, and Supremacy, which I worked on.

Back to the OP, a decent Star Trek game. Well there are all types now. Star Trek Online, is still a fine game, but that is like having a job.
You have two gacha types, which you can play free, but not a fan of the game play myself. Star Trek Timelines is a just collecting pretty portraits, and Fleet Command is a brutal Raid game.
There are two new Star Trek Games in development for 2024-2025, but no news on what they are.
Resurgence was mentioned. Not everyone was an RTS fan of Armada, which was just Starcraft in another format, but a NEW updated version of that, could be fun.
Rumor of a Strange New Words and Lower Decks game in development, which makes sense since they want to take advantage of the new brands they are making.

This game is just a base game. It has a lot of bland mechanics in it, copied from other games, Endless Space's planet crafting, Stellaris' UI, and the issue with this is you can start off with their base formats, but you must evolve and bring something new, push the envelope. To much cloning done today. An example.
The Diplomacy system, fine boring as is, should be a great game in itself. Here it is merely obstacle building. There are wonderful diplomacy games alone you can learn from, but here the boring classic style bores the player. Has no life. That is just one small part of this game. I do think a year from now, it will have a ton of content. Have to give them that chance, but so far, very bland game.

If you are going to do a Grand Strategy game then why confine your boundaries. Never made sense to me.
Anyway. Star Trek is a great brand. Be a great Telltale Games point and click game. A wonderful RPG game. I think if they redid Star Trek Online, though very expensive, be a great addition, but that game does keep updating its content. Why don't they make a great Star Trek game? Because the lack the imagination to push boundaries to do it and its a massive investment to do so.
Peace

[Bovril Brigadier]

Originally posted by kingts:

Microprose is back, so you can message them directly. If they can get the license, which is a big if, they do have rights to what they created and as I have said.

Microprose brand is back as a name but its nothing close to the same company and frankly owned nothing other than their name. They have to buy back all the rights from the old games if they want access. It's like saying THQ Nordic made and has rights to everything THQ did when it just isn't anywhere near true.

As for grabbing IP's currently Microprose is mostly interested in military simulation style games at the moment and while they've got a lot of games currently in their portfolio being developed, not a lot of them are remotely close to being released.

Anyway on a side note, rule of thumb, generally the best Star Trek games let you play as someone other than the Federation.