Here's the draft of the new thread's front page (thanks to EastX for some usable older info):
Join the CAG Star Trek Online Fleet!
The fleet website is
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ceti-Alpha-Garrison-CAG-Fleet/155581644503467. Feel free to post pictures and ask questions there. If you don't want to use your real life facebook account or don't normally use facebook, simply create a new account using your fictional character's name. In any case, it'd be great to hear from everyone!
To join the CheapAssGamer Star Trek Online Fleet (officially named "Ceti Alpha Garrison"), PM me or metaly your Star Trek Online account name (e.g. @manlai) or find either one of us in game.
About the game
Official Star Trek Online site
Star Trek Online is an MMORPG set in 2409, 22 years after the destruction of the Romulan homeworld (as seen in the latest Star Trek movie) and 30 years after Star Trek Nemesis. Both Spock actors - Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto - lend their voices to this game. It came out on February 2, 2010.
Subscriptions
The game comes with 30 days of playtime. The subscription rate is as follows:
1 month: $14.99
3 months: $41.97
6 months: $77.94
Lifetime: $299.99
Let's compare the subscription prices!
$15/month x 1 year = $180
$42/3 months x 1 year = $168
$78/6 months x 1 year = $156
$299/lifetime = The same cost as paying monthly for 20 months
Full subscription details are here:
http://www.startrekonline.com/subscribe. Lifetime subscribers also get access to the Liberated Borg playable race (not to be confused with the bridge officer)
Referrals:
If you'd like to try the demo out before you buy, PM me for a referral. I may even have a buddy pass or 2 left.
Where to Buy (thanks to Kingdox for some of the info):
**Look below for retailer exclusive bonuses**
Special in-Game items:
Digital Deluxe Edition Bonuses:
Available from Steam, GameStop, Atari, and others for $10 over the regular version, the Digital Deluxe Edition includes the following extras:
TOS Uniform set, NX Registry Prefix, “KHAAAN!” emote, Klingon Blood Wine emote, Joined Trill playable race, and Automated Defense Battery.
Collector's Edition (retail) Bonuses:
Physical items:
Deluxe Packaging - Futuristic 3dX holography set in a high quality brushed aluminum finish.
Deluxe Manual - Hardbound, art book, manual, and disc case in a single, elegant package.
Communicator Badge - High quality cast metal design based on the in-game badge model.
Guest Passes - Credit card-style buddy passes entitling friends for a ten day game trial.
In-game items: Red Matter Capacitor, Next Generation Uniforms, Deep Space Nine Uniforms
Admiral Outfit:
The uniform made famous in the TOS movie The Wrath of Khan can be yours in game for free! Simply go to
http://startrekonline.com/enter_key, login, and enter JIH MUSHA SOH - that's the code.
Retailer Exclusive Bonuses: some are available for purchase in the C-Store and some are still missing. Note that the retail game is dirt cheap now at every retailer. So if you want these items, either because you don't want to use the C-Store or because they're not available there, you can pick up the game with the item you want in that particular store and add the code to your account at:
http://www.startrekonline.com/activate.
Amazon: Borg "efficient" Engineering Bridge Officer (no longer available with newer prints of the game, you can still get lucky and get it if they happened to ship you an older printing that included it)
GameStop: Constitution-class starship
Atari: Standard CE and DDE bonuses, nothing exclusive
Best Buy: Tribble and Targ pets
Direct2Drive: Multi-spatial Personal Shield
Steam: Chromodynamic Armor
SyFy: 500 Cryptic Points, Neodymium Deflector Dish (No longer available as the buy link lands you in the general Atari Store)
Target: TR-116 Ground Rifle (that crazy transporting bullet sniper rifle from DS9)
Walmart: 500 additional skill points (NOT over cap, it's basically like completing a 500 SP mission)
Retailer Bonuses, Worth it in the long run?
- Amazon's Borg Bridge Officer is an awesome item. However, trying to acquire it through Amazon is a bit of a gamble. I recommend buying it directly from the C-Store after purchasing the game to be safe. Feeling lucky?
- Steam's armor is still the only armor in the game that grants you Crit Chance, Crit Severity, Energy Resist, and + Energy Dmg all in the same armor. You get the Joined Trill with the DDE edition coupled with Steam's great download service makes this the DDE to get.
- DDE's Joined Trill is a cool playable race. Slightly different from the normal "Trill" race available to anyone, you get bonuses to +3.3 Starship Energy Weapons Training, +3.3 Starship Projectile Weapons Training ,+3.3 Starship Warp Core Training, +3.3 Starship Engineering Training ,+6.7 Starship Operations Training. Nice bonuses, good race to have.
- Gamestop TOS Enterprise is a great starter ship. You can also continually strip it bare and dismiss it and get it again from the store until you have your fill of TOS phasers that level with you. Given the game's cheap price at GS, this is the retail version to get. The CE is $5 more and has a few other perks like the Red Matter Capacitor and some additional uniforms.
- CE's Red Matter Capacitor is still otherwise unavailable at the C-Store as of 3/22/2011. It gives +25 to your power levels for 10 seconds with a 5 minute recharge. It is a helpful item at any level but not a must-have.
- Target's TR-116 rifle is a fun little thing. It still shoots through walls and is also not available at the C-Store. However, it is a MK 1 item so it does become underpowered a rank or 2 later. It is mostly a fun novel item at this point.
- 500 SP from Walmart. No, just no. Play the game and get the same result in 2 missions.
- The uniforms and emotes are fun extras, purely personal preference.
- Best buy tribble is exclusive but you can breed better ones
- Auto Defense Battery is a mostly useless item, as it clogs up a very useful tactical console slot. It is relevant at the tutorial because you get a little extra pew-pew at the start but you'll soon replace it with a helpful tactical console as soon as you hit Spacedock.
Full descriptions of preorder items: http://www.startrekonline.com/exclusives
Preorder FAQs: http://www.startrekonline.com/preorder-faq
Final Recommendations:
If you want it all and play it safe, I recommend getting the Steam DDE and the Gamestop CE. These 2 put together gives you most everything. Buy the Borg Bridge Officer from the C-Store and you're all set.
For the CAG minimalist, Gamestop's $7.99 is the best deal and still gives you the very cool TOS Enterprise.
For the inner Kenny Rogers in you, buy the Amazon CE and the Steam DDE. Maybe you'll get the Borg Bridge Officer with your Amazon CE, maybe not... who's knows? woooooooooooooo... You'll still get all regular CE bonuses.