Star Trek: Starfleet Command


Star Trek: Starfleet Command is a computer game based on the table-top wargame Star Fleet Battles. It was developed by 14° East and Quicksilver Software and published by Interplay Entertainment. It was released on August 11, 1999 for the Microsoft Windows. It simulates starship operations, ship-to-ship combat, and fleet warfare in the Star Trek universe. An expanded version was released in 2000 titled Star Trek: Starfleet Command - Gold Edition. It includes the latest patch and all the missions that were downloadable from the official website.

Gameplay

Gameplay consists of maneuvering one's ship to approach enemy ships and assault them in the areas where various systems and ship's shields are vulnerable. It also consists of achieving various other objectives specified in mission assignment, which are provided at the beginning of each scenario. Depending on the specific assignment, this can include interacting with various ships, aliens, planetary bodies, and other objects in space.

Plot

Though the game has no central story-mode campaign, players may play as a member of one of six stellar powers, each one having at least one elite organization that, when joined, will trigger special missions that tell various stories. Though having unique stories, each race's special missions all contribute expository information on the fate of a race known as the Organians and the effect that their departure from known space has since caused.

Reception

John Lee reviewed the PC version of the game for Next Generation, rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "Give us more power, Scotty. This one's a keeper."
The game received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.
According to Erik Bethke, sales of Starfleet Command surpassed 350,000 copies after a year on shelves "without counting the Gold Edition and the Neutral Zone expansion." It was Interplay's best-selling game through direct sales, above Baldur's Gate.
The editors of Computer Games Strategy Plus nominated Starfleet Command for their 1999 "Real-Time Strategy Game of the Year" award, which ultimately went to . They wrote that Starfleet Command "avoided the curse of the Star Trek game and produced a game of remarkable depth coupled with simple mechanics."
In 2016, Tom's Guide ranked Starfleet Command as one of the top ten Star Trek games.
In 2017, PC Gamer ranked Star Trek: Starfleet Command among the best Star Trek games.