Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a Star Trek PC simulation game that simulates the life of a typical Starfleet cadet. The object in the game is for the player to learn the basics of flying a starship so that the player can eventually become a captain of his own ship. It includes a simulation battle mode in which the player can pilot and fight ships of their choosing.

This article is about the game. For the comic book series, see Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (comics).

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Developer(s)Interplay Productions[1][2]
Publisher(s)Interplay Productions
Director(s)Brian Fargo (game)
Martin Denning (live action)
Producer(s)Jacob R. Buchert III
Designer(s)Floyd Grubb
Programmer(s)John Price
Artist(s)Michael J. Sherak
Perry Scalf
Writer(s)Daniel Greenberg
Scott Bennie
Jacob R. Buchert III
Composer(s)Ron Jones
Adam Rote
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Mac OS
Release12 September 1997[3]
Genre(s)Space flight simulator
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Gameplay

The player takes the role of human Cadet David Forester, leader of a cadet group at Starfleet's San Francisco–based Command College. The player has to pass all the simulated missions, optionally including the infamous Kobayashi Maru scenario. The scenarios, in addition to simple combat situations, include a recreation of Kirk's near-disastrous starship confrontation with Khan Noonien Singh which Kirk ruefully admits is used to teach cadets to avoid his serious mistake that nearly doomed his ship. In addition, between simulator scenarios, Forester must keep his crew in check and prevent personality clashes from lowering team performance by choosing the right dialogue options during cutscenes.

The cadet crew consists of a Vulcan science officer called Sturek, a female Andorian communications officer named Vanda M'Giia, and a detached and shy human engineer Robin Brady, with Trill Jana Akton at the helm and human Geoff Corin at navigation.

During the course of the game it is possible to foil the machinations of the Vanguard — a fanatical terrorist group dedicated to overthrowing the Federation government and installing Kirk as a despot — and to investigate the cause of increasing tensions around the Klingon Neutral Zone. On the other hand, it is possible to be dismissed from the Academy in disgrace if the wrong choice is made during certain full motion video sequences directed by Martin Denning at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.

The game has a multiplayer starship combat mode that allows up to 32 players to play together.

Development

On the PC, the game is enhanced with numerous interactive live action scenes (FMV) that can affect crew performance, and a storyline involving a terrorist group known as the Vanguard. These scenes feature William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov, and George Takei as Captain Hikaru Sulu, as celebrity guest instructors at the school. The motion sequence Director, Martin Denning, pioneered the use of Green Screen filming to enable the camera to be moved freely in synch with the 3D CGI backgrounds - the first time this had ever been done. Interplay contracted Ron Jones, composer for several Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, for the game's soundtrack, a CD of which was included in some versions of the game. Other versions came with an exclusive 3" metal miniature figure of the female Andorian cadet, Vanda M'Giia. Pocket Books released a novelization by Diane Carey.

The PC game received an expansion pack called Chekov's Lost Missions in 1998 that features seven new missions, two new multiplayer games, and various improvements to the game interface. Walter Koenig and George Takei make return appearances in the introductions to several of the new missions.

Interplay also announced a PlayStation version of the game, but it was not released.[4]

Reception

Sales of Starfleet Academy reached 40,000 units within four days of the game's release.[5][6] According to Interplay, its global sales surpassed 350,000 copies by mid-1998.[7]

Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "As it is, for what it is, Starfleet Academy isn't bad, but it isn't anything special."[8]

PC Zone gave the game 87 out of 100 and GameSpot gave it 5.6 out of 10.[9] Pelit's Niko Nirvi gave Starfleet Academy 75 out of 100, criticizing the game for being unfinished and that the flight model doesn't resemble Star Trek but is instead too similar to Wing Commander.[10]

Starfleet Academy was a finalist for the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' 1997 "Simulation Game of the Year", "Outstanding Achievement in Sound and Music" and "Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering" awards.[11] However, these categories went to Microsoft Flight Simulator 98, PaRappa the Rapper and GoldenEye 007, respectively.[12]

Legacy

A follow-up game was released in 2000: Star Trek: Klingon Academy.

On YouTube, a fan edit of cutscenes from Starfleet Academy and Klingon Academy was released under the name Star Trek - Starfleet Academy (The Movie).[13]

See also
  • Star Trek: Starfleet Academy - Starship Bridge Simulator

Notes
  1. Mobygames credits page for PC version, fetched 1 November 2010.
  2. Mobygames credits page for Mac version, fetched 1 November 2010.
  3. Smith, Erica (15 September 1997). "Games in Stores This Week". CNET Gamecenter. Archived from the original on 16 June 2000. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  4. "Starfleet Academy - Where Legends Are Born". interplay.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 1997. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  5. https://web.archive.org/web/20000610032615/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_09/18_starfleet/index.html
  6. Ocampo, Jason. "Sales at Warp Speed". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Archived from the original on 8 February 2005.
  7. Interplay Entertainment Final Prospectus (Report). Irvine, California. 22 June 1998. p. 36. Archived from the original on 26 February 2017.
  8. "Finals". Next Generation. No. 36. Imagine Media. December 1997. p. 174.
  9. http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/198794-star-trek-starfleet-academy/index.html
  10. Nirvi, Niko (January 1998). "Rakettilaivan kadetti". Pelit (in Finnish). Fokus Media Finland (1/1998): 26–27.
  11. "The Award; Award Updates". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 15 June 1998.
  12. "The Award; Award Updates". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 15 June 1998.
  13. Kirkin' Overtime: The Weird Late-’90s Star Trek Mashup You Didn't Know About.
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