Star Trek Online: The Timeline Needs You (Again)
Cryptic are once again running the Temporal Agent Recruitment event in Star Trek Online from Tuesday 6th September 2022. Players who create a TOS (The original series) era character during this time are eligible for bonus dilithium, equipment and special traits as they play through the game. Progression also unlocks rewards for existing alts which can prove very useful. There are also unique tasks associated with Temporal Agents such as finding and unlocking Temporal Probes, which are hidden throughout the game’s story content. Once a player has created a 23rd century Starfleet character, completed the tutorial and received their special Temporal Agent transceiver device, they will gain the title Temporal Agent. The goals and bonus content associated with the event can be completed anytime, even after it ends on October 4th.
The Temporal Agent Event was originally linked to the launch of the third expansion for Star Trek Online, Agents of Yesterday which was released in July 2016. This content update added a new 23rd century faction with a bespoke starter zone set in that era. Several of the story arcs featured refer to specific TV episodes from the TOS era. Hence players will cross swords with the Gorn, neural parasites and the Romulans. The game aesthetic captures the look and feel of the original series perfectly and features a wealth of sound effects that are lore appropriate. There’s also voice acting from Walter Koenig and Chris Doohan (James Doohan’s son). The opening story that takes place on Taurus II does a good job of orienting new players. If there is any complaint to be had it’s that it’s all too short.
Once a player has completed the story arc of Agents of Yesterday, a lore based plot device is used to bring them to the current Star Trek Online era, so they can continue through the main episodic content. If you are a Trek fan then STO has a lot to offer. The game licence is fully supported by the CBS and Paramount which is why so many of the original cast from the various TV shows continue to voice their own characters. As an MMO STO lends itself well to both short and lengthy game play sessions. But if you are old enough to have grown up watching Star Trek TOS, then the forthcoming Temporal Agent Event affords a perfect opportunity to revel in nostalgia as well as a neat point of entry into STO. The game’s free-to-play business model affords new players plenty of time to determine whether they like this particular MMO and there’s certainly no reason to immediately spend money on ships or other items.
