Star Trek: Renegade Review

So, any geek worth his weight in gold pressed latinum is fully aware about the new crowdfunded Star Trek: Renegades movie which serves as the pilot to a planned webseries. However for those unfamiliar with its existence you can wan watch the whole movie on youtube if you got an hour and a half to spare. Is it worth losing that much of your time though? Continue reading for a spoiler free review.

Let me begin by saying this trek movie, feels like a “Trek Film” in name only. Sure, it has actors and characters from past star trek shows, but it feels like they were tossed in simply so they could label it as Star Trek and get some crowdfunding from the trekkers who will literally shove all their money down someones throat if it meant a chance to get some new star trek shows/movies.

That’s not to say that the film isn’t good. In fact, it’s quite entertaining! A bit confusing at times since there really is no character introductions. It just throws you in, as if this is a crew from star trek that you should all know. Which gets confusing when some of the characters early on uses their racial abilities, but it’s not explained that it’s his ability. Combine that with the fact that races have new abilities, and tech doesn’t function the way Trek cannon has already  established it to work.

The main characters are a group of criminals who are sent out to save the galaxy. Basically, it’s Suicide Squad in space! The main crew is for the most part likeable, and decent established actors. like Gary Graham(Played Detective Sikes on the Alien Nation TV series), Sean Young(Known for her roles in Dune and Blade Runner), Adrienne Marie Wilkinson(Known for voice acting in video games, many of which were star wars titles) and Edward Furlong(Known for playing John Connor in Terminator 2 and his MANY brushes with the law that followed). So, the acting wasn’t too shabby. Though it’s obvious some of these established actors haven’t acted in a long while and thus are a bit rusty.

Other characters who make appearances in here range from Tim Russ(Tuvok), Walter Koenig(Chekov) and Corin Nemec (Who will ALWAYS be Parker Lewis to me). The previous two characters are established characters from Star Trek lore, but Nemecs character is brand new. He plays a star ship captain that is apparently insane since his answer to any situation is “Shoot ’em! Blow ’em up!” which, again does not fit with the whole star trek setting.

One thing that DID impress me, was the special effects and the makeup. The make up was very well done! Some of the aliens however sounded hilarious, and in fact reminded me of evil muppets. However, they looked good! Not sure who was in charge of the makeup, but they did an excellent job. Color me impressed!

The Special effects were also incredibly well done. Especially the space scenes and star ship design and battles. Many times in these fan films, the space battles are a joke. Either poorly done CGI models with low rez textures moving across a poorly rendered star field, or on at least one occasion a space battle recorded using Star Trek Online space combat. That’s not the case here! The space battles and ship designs were very well done. They looked well done and very polished.

In the end, I enjoyed the movie, and if they release anymore to the series, I will watch those. Just because it didn’t feel like a real star trek entry doesn’t mean it wasn’t enjoyable.

Related articles

• Star Trek Renegades episode available and other Star Trek TV and online possibilities
• STAR TREK: RENEGADES Premieres August 1
• Star Trek: Renegades Review

Abrams set to direct Star Wars

Well, it’s official! J.J. Abrams won’t be directing the next Star Trek film, and is now set to direct the upcoming Star Wars flick. Apparently the fans are rejoicing with this news. I am not exactly sure why! Maybe it’s fans of Star Trek that are rejoicing? Since now, they will actually be able to watch the next Star Trek movie without having to squint through a barrage of lens flares. Perhaps the rejoicing fans are fans of Lens Flares in general! Maybe, they are so excited about the idea of a possible light saber duel that can’t be seen because it’s entirely blotted out by one giant lens flare!

Surely the rejoicing fans can’t be fans of Star Wars right?  Apparently they are! Again, I am not sure why the rejoicing! Am I the only one who seriously finds Abrams over-use of Lens Flares to be more than a little annoying? Sure, his directing isn’t bad in general! I mean, I genuinely enjoyed LOST, but that was before the whole flare fetish thing kicked in. It’s now gotten to the point where his love of all things bright has ruined his actual talent as a director. At least to me, and judging by response of the Star Wars community, I maybe the only one in this mind-set.

I just think they could have went with better directors. Zemeckis would have been good,  Jackson would have been great, as would Spielberg! Hell, I would have even settled for Burton, granted I would have to tolerate Johnny Depp as a sith lord, with claymation troopers doing his bidding on a planet with a bunch of curly leafless trees, but it’s infinitely better than lens flares!

I’m not saying Abrams is the worst possible choice! There are plenty of worse directors for Star Wars! They could have stuck us with Woody Allen or Quentin Tarantino. However, just because there are worse choices, does not make the current choice a good one! Will he ruin Star Wars for me? Doubtful! If he didn’t completely ruin Star Trek for me, I doubt if he could possibly ruin Star Wars. He could however make the experience of watching it, highly unenjoyable.

Related articles

• Star Wars Episode VII: New Director Revealed (news.sky.com)
• J.J. Abrams: Being A Part Of The Next Star Wars Is ‘An Absolute Honor’ (kotaku.com)
• Disney says JJ Abrams to direct next ‘Star Wars’ (miamiherald.com)

My Star Trek Online Wishlist

Image via Wikipedia

One of the best MMORPGs on the market right now, in my opinion is Cryptic’s “Star Trek Online“. Not because of the IP, but because it’s a really well-developed game! Sure, the name “Star Trek” is what first attracted me, but it’s the game play that has kept me subscribed for the last year.

After all, a good IP does not guarantee a good game. Take Star Wars Galaxies for instance, or Star Trek Armada. Both had great IP’s and majorly suckage games.

So, what makes STO stand out from the rest? Well, to begin with the game is always improving. The developers care enough about this title, to go to great lengths to keep it from getting stale. Things are always being added, or improved. In fact, STO has only been out slightly over a year, and already the game has seen more advancement and improvements than any other MMORPG I have played. They have remastered older episodes to add cut-scenes and voice overs, and to make the missions more involving and epic.

Not to mention the foundry which allows you to create and share your own star trek missions with the game community. This means there is a constant stream of new content being added daily, from some very creative minds.

Is the game perfect? No, of course not, but it’s well on its way to getting there! Here are a few things that could be added that would increase my enjoyment of the game.

1) More factions: Currently you can play Federation and Klingon, but I would love to see some other playable factions. The Romulans, Cardassians or even the borg.

2) More visitable iconic planets: Currently you can beam down to a handful of iconic star trek planets. Like Andoria, Vulcan and Risa just to name a few, but I would love more! Ferenginar or Earth for starters! Sorry, I don’t count Earth Space Dock as earth.

3) UGC Slots: Some more slots for making UGC in the game would be nice. It would be a shame if people started deleting some of the great missions available, so they can make new ones.

4) Non-STF mission versions: This probably seems really stupid to people, but one thing I would like to see is versions of the end game missions that don’t require STF. Maybe have the Non-STF versions not give rewards or drops, but there just for the story. Fact of the matter is, I play games for the stories and in an STF(Raid) people tend to rush, which means others who might not have experienced it, miss out on some kick ass storylines. If they had a non-STF version with no rewards, people could play through it for the story, and then play the STF version for the epic lewtz while everyone is rushing around like mad-men.

5) More Q!: Come on, who doesn’t love Q? How about some Q love?? Give us some Q missions, or a Feature Episode series starring Q.

6) Favorite Authors: Since the arrival of the Foundry, the STO community has been blessed with some great missions and authors. Some authors create incredible Feature Episode style missions as well. So, it would be nice if there was a way to tag an author as a favorite, so that you can be notified when your favorite content creators publish a new story for your gaming enjoyment.

Anyway, those are just a few of what I would like to see.

JJ Abrams Trek

Image via Wikipedia

I re-watched the JJ Abrams Star Trek movie the other day, and it is better the second time around I suppose. I’m not saying that I now find it enjoyable, in fact quite the opposite. I really don’t like it, but at least I don’t despise it. I know, a lot of people love it! Most people think it’s the best thing since sliced bread, and I am thrilled that they enjoy it. I however, do not.

So, why do I dislike the movie? To begin with, it makes no sense! Don’t get me wrong, I am not stupid, or ignorant to Sci-Fi plotlines, I get what they were trying to do, and if it were in an original setting, I wouldn’t have an issue with it.
To begin with, it’s established that when Nero and Spock travels back in time, they cause the timeline to split, and create an alternate reality. I get that, and I understand the multiverse. Hell, I theorised about the multi-verse before I even knew there was a name for it, So I get it! I really do. However, it has already been established in Star Trek, that time travel does NOT create alternate timelines, it modifies the prime timeline.

Let me give some examples!

1) In the movie First Contact, When the borg traveled to the past, the Enterprise followed after them, and got caught in the wake of space/time. Before they slipped back into earths past, they saw that the earth had been assimilated, but they weren’t affected cause they were in the wake. That alone, says that prime space/time is modified from the actions of time travel.

2) There is a Temporal Integrity Commission, whose purpose is enforcing the Temporal Accord treaty, which basically prohibits the use of Time Travel to change history. There’s a set of rules and procedures apparently in place so you don’t contaminate the timeline. Now, I ask you, why would any group go through all that trouble, if changing the timeline had no affect on the timeline? If it just created an alternate reality, then the point of this group is moot and pointless.

I could give several other instances, but you get what I am saying!

I am also sure that there are other instances in Trek history, where traveling back in time created a split timeline, though off-hand I can’t think of one, other than the JJ Abrams movie, but like I said, I am sure they exist.

I realise Star Trek is fiction, and I shouldn’t think too much into it. It just seems like a show that created the Klingon Language, would have some rules regarding how time travel works and affects the timeline in place! Maybe I am missing something? I am not the most avid Star Trek fan, So it is entirely possible that I missed an episode or three that actually does help all that make sense.

Related articles

• ‘Star Trek 2′ Delayed Until Holidays 2012 with J.J. Abrams Set to Direct? (screenrant.com)
• ‘Star Trek’ News: JJ Abrams ‘Hopes to Direct’ the Sequel (moviefone.com)
• STAR TREK 2 pre-production, J.J. Abrams’ involvement and Romulans (geektyrant.com)

Foundry goes live!

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The foundry has finally gone live on the holodeck server of Star Trek Online. For those not in the know, the foundry allows its users to creat and play User Created Missions, or more commonly referred to as User Generated Content(UGC). The Foundry has been available for beta testing on the Star Trek Online Tribble server for a while, however it’s now finished and on the main live server, so that everyone can make all their star trek stories and ideas come to life.

Why is this such a big deal? because it increases the content of Star Trek Online, by leaps and bounds. Their will be new missions added, not just weekly but daily! Will the missions be any good though? Well, if you ask any sci-fi geek, he will tell you that star trek fans are one of the most creative groups of people you will find. So, yes! The UGC has high potential for some fantastic missions and stories. In fact, even though The Foundry has been out but for a few days, there are already a few good stories out! Don’t believe me? Check out to Helna and Back, Deep Space 11 and Dissent Part I: Walking in the Air. These are but a few of the already great stories published in just a couple of days.

Granted, at the moment, most of the stories aren’t high quality, however that’s because people are learning the tools and creating basic missions in order to get a feel for things. When they do however, the great missions will come pouring in!

This also means that there will be more missions available for the Klingon faction. As most STO players are aware, the Klingons have been largely ignored in terms of missions, quests and klingon exclusive storylines, because they were intended to be used mainly for PVP, however now the users and players have a chance to change all that, since they themselves can begin making content for the klingon faction.

Basically, the Foundry has some huge potential and I am very excited to see where all this leads.

Star Trek: Early Voyages – Final Issue

One of the most common things known about me, is that I read, collect and enjoy Comic books.In fact, my favorite comic company is Marvel Comics, though I am definitely not a Marvel Fanboy, as I also enjoy a number of titles from DC comics. I just tend to prefer Marvel, since their stories have just a little more realism to them. At least as much realism as you can have when you are producing stories about people in colorful tights swinging through Manhattan on spider webs. I am mentioning all of this here, because while my love for comics is pretty much common knowledge, I am not 100% sure if I have mentioned it here in my blog.

Another thing I enjoy is Sci-Fi. I am also one of those sci-fi geeks, who enjoy both star wars and star trek equally, and really don’t prefer one over the other, since I firmly believe they are both fantastic franchises in their own right.

All that being said, it’s now time to get down to the meat of this post.

I was digging around in my comic collection and came across a Star trek comic, which was produced by Marvel Comics. The series was titled “Star Trek: Early Voyages” and the only one I had, was the Special Final issue. I originally had picked it up, because to be honest, it was the first time I had seen the title, otherwise I would have gotten the whole series, but the other reason I picked it up, was because it was the final issue. I am a sucker for first issues and final issues.

Anyway, I flipped through the book, and looked at the back of the mag, where they say their farewells, and how great it’s been producing the comic, and how they hope you had as much reading them, as they did producing them. You know the routine.

Anyway, after their “Good-bye”, there was a little blurb. I will quote it here.

Attention to all subscribers of EARLY VOYAGES – after this issue, your subscription will be transferred to IRON MAN! Face it, True Believer – You’ve definitely hit the jackpot! If you already have a subscription to IRON MAN, it will be extended accordingly!

To that I say: Huh?!

How does that even make sense?! Where do I start? To begin with, how fucked up is that? If I were subscribing I would be seriously pissed off! To begin with, I think it’s a tad unfair that they willingly took your cash, then cancelled the stories you were interested in, but then to add insult to injury, they decide instead of returning your money prorated, they would just keep it, and pick out a comic themselves to send to you!

Hey, if they want to keep your cash, fine! At least give the subscribers a choice of what comic they want though! It’s their money! They should have a choice on what it goes for!

Speaking of choices? The whole “your subscription will be transferred to IRON MAN! Face it, True Believer – You’ve definitely hit the jackpot!” line? Just stupid! To begin with, they cancelled the comic that the subscriber was interested in! That’s what the subscriber wanted to read. If they wanted Iron Man, they would have subscribed to Iron Man to begin with! So, I ask you, how the hell is that hitting the jackpot? What it should say is “Face it subscriber – You definitely got screwed and didn’t even get taken to dinner first!”

That’s pretty much all the ranting I have regarding that.

Set Phasers to Stunning!

Cryptic today went live on their holodeck server, with a patch for Star Trek Online. This is the 3rd major free content update, and includes many new graphical changes, as well as sets the stage for the soon to come release of the foundry, which will allow users to create their own missions to play.

In terms of graphical changes, the biggest change would have to be for sector space. It’s been totally revamped, to give it a more realistic and expansive feel! Before this update, space didn’t have that Star Trek feel, and didn’t look real at all. Now though, not only does space take on realistic features, but stars fly past you as you zip through the cosmos at warp speeds.

How much of a difference to graphics are we talking here? Well, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Going where no MMORPG has gone before!

Image via Wikipedia

Star Trek: Online, is an MMORPG set in the Star Trek Universe, and it is one of, if not the best MMORPG I have ever played, and I have played them all. Granted, the enjoyment factor is increased if you are a fan of Star Trek, otherwise you might not enjoy it as much as someone who enjoys Star Trek.

The game has several cool features. Everything from ground combat to space combat, the fact that you get your own spaceship right at the start of the game, the fact that many star trek voices appear in the game, including Leonard Nimoy. However one of the best features of Star Trek Online is one, not quite out yet. It releases within the next couple months, and is currently in beta testing. The feature is UGC(User Generated Content), it allows us, the players, to make our own missions, to craft or own adventures, to tell our stories. It’s going to be pretty damn spiffy!

For those who might not be fully aware of what exactly Star Trek Online is, I will inform you. As I mentioned earlier, the game takes place in the Star Trek Prime Universe. What does Prime universe mean exactly? The Star Trek Prime universe is the universe where Kirk battled the Gorn, Where Picard met Q and in turn met the Borg and where the Borg created Locutus. The Prime universe is the universe you watched on TV, and saw in the movies. What of the recent movie you ask? The one by JJ Abrams? That’s apparently an alternate reality.

See, when Spock and Nero traveled back in time, and caused all those changes, they created an alternate reality.That’s the official statement anyway, and is even mentioned in the newer movie. So, since it became an alternate reality, it didn’t affect the prime timeline. Everything happened as it did before, there’s no change. Kirks father wasn’t killed at the moment of his birth, Vulcan was never destroyed and time continued as it always did. What did happen however, is everything that led up to the point of Nero and Spock traveling through time. In the Prime universe, Romulus was destroyed and Spock did vanish. After that however? Life went on.

That’s pretty much where you come in.

See? It’s all pretty simple, and it’s an incredible game, with a fantastic community. It doesn’t matter if you are into Role Play, Group Play or even Solo Play. This game suits all players.

Still not convinced? I’m going to do you a favor, If you are interested in giving Star Trek Online a play, just comment in here with your Email address, and I will send you a referral code. This will allow you to download the game, play through the tutorial and beyond. If you like it, just purchase the game, and continue your character where you left off.

Stargate comic art

If something is popular enough, one thing you can be certain of, is that a publisher will eventually turn it into a comic book, either an ongoing series, a comic adaptation, graphic novel or a Comic book mini-series event. This has been true for as far back as I recall. Everything from Star Trek to Robocop, From Indiana Jones to the Predator. Hell, even hit MMORPGs like Everquest and World of Warcraft ends up getting comics based on them.

Keeping in mind, that popularity usually equals comic book, it should come as no surprise that Stargate ended up with its own comic as well. I am talking about the movie, not the kick ass television series Stagate SG-1, though to be fair SG-1 did get its own comic as well.

That being said, the Stargate comic is an adaptation of the movie, and is done really well, at least in terms of writing, but considering it was an adaptation of a great movie, that’s not surprising. The art department though? While certainly not horrible, it does leave much to be desired. Especially in one particular panel, that shows Doctor Daniel Jackson, played by the ultra-creepy looking James Spader. I could describe it, but I think a picture would explain it much more clearly than words ever will.

While the above artwork, does manage to capture the sheer creepiness of Spader, I think they might have went overboard on the fingers. I mean, I don’t know Spader personally, so I can’t say with complete certainty that his fingers don’t look a thing like that, but I am pretty sure they don’t! Those fingers resemble long creepy alien fingers, not a human beings hand! It’s like, his fingers fell off, and his palm grew spider legs!

Voyager

I’ve recently been watching old episodes of Star Trek: Voyager. I actually prefer Voyager over DS:9, TNG, ST:E or even OST. Im not sure why Voyager appeals to me more than other trek shows, but it does never the less.

Although sometimes in the series, they do something that strikes me as odd. Take for instance the first season episode entitled “Faces”. In the end, they rescued their crew, and they beamed them all out. What happened with all the other slave in the mines? I wouldn’t think they would just leave them there. However, that’s how it would seem. Nothing to say otherwise, no mention of the slaves being rescued, no end of the episode “Captains Log”. Nothing.

That doesn’t really sound right, and on that episode in particular, I think the writers really dropped the ball, unless of course they were leaving it open for a future episode. I don’t know.