Very interested in everything that happens around me.
Very interested in everything that happens around me.
Member since:17.04.2003
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We've had a Star Trek game for just about every PC game genre under the sun - and this grand strategy game is one more, which, as Spock might say, was the next logical genre for the franchise to tackle.
MicroProse's Birth of the Federation, like the interstellar alliance it chronicles, has very high ambitions. Set in the "Next Generation" timeline, it tries to be an all-in-one strategic playground for fans of the series. The fact that it treads over all the same ground covered by games as far back as MicroProse's own Master of Orion, adding little new to the genre beyond some official Trek paraphernalia, is a big letdown.
Right out of the gate, you'll know you're looking at something you've pretty much seen before. Most of the gameplay is directed from a boring, static command screen that lays out the galaxy in the most predictable way possible - starfield, homeworld, grid overlay, etc. Play progresses in turns through the colonization of neighboring planets, the
micromanagement of production on each world, the research of empire-specific technology trees, the assessment of diplomatic and espionage assets, and the occasional brushfire of combat. It's much the same as you've seen in any game of this genre, but with a discouraging lack of creativity.
After all, we're talking about Star Trek, one of the most consistently creative and enthralling fictional universes of all time. Movies, episodes, and games may hit or miss, but rarely are they boring. Nevertheless, Birth of the Federation takes the most straightforward, uninspired route possible through the genre. And while the game is serviceable from a strategy fan's perspective, it seems a great shame that the designers did almost nothing to capitalize on the singularly rich treasury of Trekdom. You could pretty much delete the race names, change the ship designs, and nix the talking-head videos, and this could be just any old space strategy game.
The basics of empire management will be very familiar to fans of Master of Orion and its ilk (and lets face it: MOO casts a shadow over this genre that is practically impossible to escape, much like a black hole). You can play as any of five empires. The United Federation of Planets is the beacon of light shining in the darkness of the interstellar abyss, and their technology and diplomacy are first-rate. The Klingons just like to stomp the guts out of other races. The Ferengi are financial wizards with no diplomatic tact, the Cardassians are craven intrigue-mongers, and the Romulans continue to demonstrate what happens when Vulcans don't get enough affection. There are also dozens of minor races (the Bajorans, Angosians, Edo, etc.), and the gameplay places great importance on making first contact with them.
Birth of the Federation shines momentarily in these encounters, doing a good job of remaining true to the series' emphasis on these historic meetings between cultures. Depending on your empire and temperament, you can negotiate treaties with new races or just open a can of whup-ass on them. But the subtleties of diplomacy have far-reaching impact. For example, you may be playing as the Klingons and may really hate those obnoxious Ferengi, but you'd be insane to deny them trade routes through your empire because it's just plain silly to try and compete economically with them. Much as in the series and films, cultures are generally forced to find some way to coexist if they want to continue expanding their own influence.
Combat is a real snoozer, though. When starships encounter each other, the game shifts to a tactical screen detailing that sector of space. Your fleets can then be maneuvered in a turn-based engagement, but the dry, limited tactics and unimpressive combat graphics make for a hugely underwhelming experience. Star Trek battle is supposed to be jaw-dropping, but I'd have settled for just plain old interesting. As it stands, the combat screen becomes more of a distraction than anything else, and I eventually began to auto-battle so as not to take more time away from the command screen. The combat offers no room for Kirk-style audacity or Picard's icy determination. You pretty much just charge and fire, and may the toughest fleet win.
Birth of the Federation isn't a bad game, but it's got nothing on its older competition and squanders the romantic appeal of the Trek-based grand strategy concept. Only die-hard fans will get much out of it.
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Spot on with your review, Mate. Speaking as someone who played the game multiplayer with two other, perhaps less devout Trekkers, it was definitely an easy way of passing a couple of afternoons and still being able to talk about other stuff without losing track of what is going on...
kepler3001 13.02.2004 14:26
Not a fan of Star Trek I'm afraid so I didn't go anywhere near this. A very good review though. Wayne : )
Advantages: Excellent graphics, good gameplay, brilliant dogfights Disadvantages: Unoriginal soundtrack, computer AI gone gaga, needs vast amounts of RAM at times, good processor needed for larger games/fleets
Dec 21st, 2003
very helpful by (100%):
