Star Trek Online is a blast to play, but with that being said, I don't know how I'd ever be able to justify a lifetime subscription to the game - especially at $239.99. It would pay itself over about 15 months, but what guarantee do you ever have you'll still enjoy a game that long after it's been released. The thing that makes it tempting is the fact that it's apparently the only way you'll be able to play as a Borg. The Borg get the following features:

Borg Nanites: +10% Health Regeneration
Description: Ground Trait. Constantly regenerates shields and health.

Efficient: +5 Starship Shield Efficiency, +5 Starship Engine Efficiency, +5 Starship Energy Weapon Efficiency, +5 Starship Auxiliary Systems Efficiency
Description: Space Trait. Provides a bonus to efficiency stats, improving the effectiveness of many of your power management abilities.

The Liberated Borg also has a unique optional trait.

Neural Blast: 30 second debuff. Drastically reduces run speed. Every 4 seconds, Neural Blast has a 40% chance to hold the target for 3 seconds.
Description: Activatable Ground Trait. Inject the target with neural toxins, which continually attempt to hold the target for the duration. Also reduces the target's movement speed.

Second part after the jump

I'm hoping that I can get a review copy of the game, but if I do, I'll sadly not receive any of the pre-order goodies being offered by various box and digital retailers. If you're getting Star Trek Online I'd suggest pre-ordering from your favorite deal. Here's what each place is offering:

GameStop - GameStop customers receive the ability to command the exclusive and always classic USS Enterprise from Star Trek The Original Series.

Best Buy - Best Buy is offering their customers a fun in-game pet. As a Federation Captain, players own a famed Tribble of Star Trek lore that will accompany them on their travels into the final frontier. As a Klingon commander, players control the boar-like Targ, a beast found on the Klingon home world of Qo'noS.

Amazon - Amazon is offering an exclusive "Liberated Borg" Bridge Officer. This bridge officer, who comes with unique nanotechnology augmentations, assists in missions and gains experience as the player does.

Wal-Mart - With the Wal-Mart Bonus Skill Points package, receive addition skill points that enable players to improve their characters quickly.

Target - Target customers who pre-order Star Trek Online receive a unique ground weapon -- a TR-116. This rare projectile weapon is used in dampening fields and other challenging environments; it is also modified with a micro-transporter which beams the fired projectiles to targets at close range so that a user can fire without a direct line of site.

Direct2Drive - Direct2Drive customers receive an exclusive Multi-Spatial Personal Shield. This advanced personal shield system is based on Borg technology, which constantly regenerates itself and the health of its wearer.

STEAM - STEAM is offering customers Chromodynamic Armor. This armor is based on technology brought back from the Delta Quadrant by USS Voyager improves the damage and critical hits of energy weapons.

Personally, I'd go with Amazon's Borg officer, but Best Buy's pet comes in at a close second. What would you/are you choosing?

Are you a Star Trek fan? Do you like MMOs? Have a little more money to spend? If you answered yes to those questions, the Collector's Edition of Star Trek Online might be the package for you.

- Deluxe Packaging: Futuristic 3dX holography set in a high quality brushed aluminum finish. Heavy duty construction with magnetic closures and nested compartments for all components.
- Deluxe Manual: High end, hardbound, art book, manual, and disc case in a single, elegant package. “HD Printing” on over 40 glossy pages of exclusive art from the Star Trek Online Universe.
- Communicator Badge: High quality cast metal design based on the in-game badge model. Fully 3d Sculpted with recessed burst and curved contours.
- Guest Passes: Credit card style buddy passes to invite three of your friends for a three day trial of Star Trek Online.
- Red Matter Capacitor: A unique item that charges up and delivers extra energy to all of your ship’s equipment for a short time. A device that, when used, gives you a small bump in energy, has a long recharge.
- Next Generation Uniform: Uniform Options from and the Next Generation. The timeless look worn by Picard, Data and Riker.
- “Deep Space Nine” Uniform: Uniform Options from the “Deep Space Nine” Series. Grey shoulders, on a black uniform, just like Sisko, Worf and Dax.

On a side note: "Reserve Star Trek Online and receive a GameStop exclusive in-game Starfleet Constitution Class Starship. This unique, upgradable starship comes equipped with blue phasers and an extra engineering station mod slot."

Yep, that's the old school TOS Enterprise.

Cryptic's upcoming Star Trek Online MMO has just been given a release date - February 5th 2010. The game has come a long ways since I first saw it back in some offices at GDC a few years ago; it was barely concept footage and art back then. The game is currently in closed beta right now.

It's been a long time since I first saw Star Trek Online while partying at the original studio's offices at the Game Developer Conference a few years ago, but it appears the game is coming along nicely now. You'll hopefully be able to see for yourself soon, as Cryptic is now taking applications for those wanting the chance to join in on the closed beta. So click on over and hopefully I'll be joining you in-game during the closed beta come this October (I hope).

Imagine flying around in your own Star Trek shuttle, being attacked by Klingons, when all of a sudden Kirk and his bunch jump in to save you from utter destruction. Well, you'll have to keep such fantasies to your own imagination and dreams, as the upcoming Star Trek Online MMORPG won't feature any familiar captain faces...at least when it comes to the original bunch and Enterprise series crew given the timeline. When asked if Kirk will be appearing, Craig Zinkievich - the game's executive producer - had this to say:

"You probably will not. I think you’ll see events and settings, and relatives of the known characters. But we’re in the future where the majority of the known characters have passed on."

Before the original developers were pulled, I saw concept art and the programmers working hard on the game in their offices. Things have changed, but Star Trek Online is still happening, and sounds like it might be a pretty good MMORPG. The coolest new detail? Players are going to be able to be the captain of their own ship! I only hope it doesn't play like Pirates of the Burning Sea when it comes to ship combat...if there is going to be ship combat.

Can you just not get into the world of PC gaming? Is your computer only good for surfing the Internet and creating documents? If so, and you were still hoping to play Star Trek Online, it looks like you have nothing to worry about (assuming you have a console). New reports are suggesting that Star Trek Online will be available for certain consoles as well as the PC.