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Star Trek: Armada
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Has a lot of potential but the problems are too numerous to mention.

I'm reviewing this title not as a gamer, but as a customer would. I decided to do this because I think that gaming companies have forgotten the old saying that "the customer is always right".

First, let me set up the scenario. Let's imagine that I am a die-hard Star Trek fan (which I actually am) and I've been thinking about purchasing a computer. Dell and Gateway commercials are bombarding me during my favorite Star Trek episodes. So finally after discussing it with several friends, I settle for a computer that will meet my needs (I don't tell them that I want to play games, but that I'll be using it for "educational" reasons and "paying bills").

I'm psyched about receiving my new computer because one day while in the mall I pass a store -- Electronics Boutique. I'm browsing around and I notice that they have several Star Trek games. I ask the salesperson, who was very knowledgeable, which Star Trek game was the best. He gives me Star Trek Armada (STA) and indicated that the game just arrived. I look at the box and I'm salivating. Wow, a game based on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Deep Space Nine. You can't beat that.

So I take a look at the box and I start to read what the game is about.

Real Time Strategy in the Final Frontier.
Four Races. One Galaxy. Endless Strategy.
Bombard you enemies with long-range weaponry.
Board derelict vessels and repair them to add to your fleet.
Build Starbases to harvest resources and construct your Armada.
Elude your enemy by using one of the five kinds of nebulas to conceal your forces.
Destroy your enemy with phasers, photon torpedoes, or over 30 special weapons.
Asimilate enemy vessels and use their own ships against them.
Reinforce your Armada using wormholes to traverse vast distances in mere seconds.
Defend Earth in an all-out battle for survival as a new and insidious Borg threat unfolds in 20 action-packed missions.
Experience Revolutionary Effects. A true 3D engine showcases the cinematic action of your 30+ starships.

This looks good. I make the purchase even though I don't know the first thing about computers. I haven't even set up a web account yet (hypothetically speaking of course). Once I get home, I watch a few of my favorite episodes on tape, including Star Trek: First Contact just to get me in the mood. I'm a little nervous since this is all new to me. I pop the CD in and a screen comes up telling me what to do. Wow, I'm thinking this is just like the Mac I use at work. I select install and the game installs without any problems. There is an opening movie, a little grainy and blocky, but I almost get a rise from watching it. "They could make this into a movie", I say to myself. Once the movie finishes, the screen returns to the desktop. I wait for a few minutes thinking that the game will load on its own, but after a while, nothing happens. I select the shortcut and the movie starts again. Damn, the same thing happens again.

I'm at a loss so I consult the game manual. The game manual has a lot of information in it regarding the "playing pieces" or ships and equipment that's in the game, but nothing I can't get from the many Star Trek reference books I have in my collection. I say to myself, "self, why don't you call the company", but I can't seem to find any number for the company. And every time I click on the "readme" button it tells me that I have no browser installed. Anyway, I turn the computer off and ponder what to do next. I go back and watch some more tapes. After about an hour I go back to the computer, turn it on and go through the process again. Success. I get the opening screen.

The manual says the game has an "instant action" mode. After looking at all of the ships in the manual I'm anxious to set up a battle between the Enterprise E and a Romulan Warbird. I can't seem to find the instant action option. I check all over the "single player" screen, but I can't find it. At first, it doesn't dawn on me to check the "multiplayer" screen, because I don't have Internet access and the last time I checked I'm the only one sitting in front of my computer. But I do check it, and guess what is there, the "instant action" option. I click on it and I'm confronted with so many options I'm overwhelmed. I consult the manual, and while it tells me what the various selections are, I'm still at a loss. All I want to do is select two ships to fight.

Anyway I select the Federation vs. the Romulans, with me being the Feds. I select launch. Whoa... the game graphics are incredible and crisp; it looks like I'm going to have some fun. It's a good thing I let that customer service girl talk me into buying a Voodoo3 graphics card. The only problem is I don't see any Federation warships, only freighters. What do I do now? Back to the manual; unfortunately there is absolutely no help there. There is nothing in the manual that tells me how to get started or what to do, no "practice missions", nothing. So I start to experiment by clicking around a bit. I figure out some rudimentary aspects of the game, no thanks to the manual. After building several items, I get an important phone call. So I try and save the game. Guess what, I can't do it. How could they make a game that you can't save? *Note: you can save the game in campaign mode, just not in any of the multi-player modes, including Instant Action. The only option is to surrender or return to the main menu. All that work for nothing!

When I returned to the game I decided to play the "campaign". There are four campaigns available. I start with the Klingons, but the game tells me that I have not completed the Federation campaign yet. Presumably I can start with any one of the four "races" or governments, The Federation, Klingons, Romulans, or Borg. The game however wants you to start in a particular order. So I fire up the Federation campaign and begin with the mission titled "Premonitions". Man... this looks good, the mission starts off with a "movie" explaining the current situation and finally I see the Enterprise E flanked by two "Akira" Class vessels.

I have to defend my base against some rogue Dominion ships. The Dominion... damn how come they couldn't be a playable "race". Anyway as the mission progresses, the Enterprise has to go to the assistance of a starship from the future, the USS Premonition, who have come under attack from the Borg and who has a very important message for the Federation. At first I was worried, because the Federation had enough trouble dealing with the Borg from the 24th century, how are we supposed to deal with a Borg ship from the future? Fortunately they are not much of a problem for the Enterprise E commanded by Captain Jean Luc Picard because obviously these Borg ships are the same ships that you'll find in the game.

Anyway after playing this beautiful looking scenario, the screen cuts out and I am suddenly looking at the Windows 98 desktop again. I'm starting to get a little pissed off now because I spent a lot of dough on this game and my son doesn't have this type of problem with his PlayStation. I restart the game and decide to start one of the other campaigns. After playing the first missions of the Borg, Romulan, and Klingon campaigns I notice several similarities. First, all of the missions play almost exactly the same, i.e. you start off on a map that's covered with fog until you "explore" it. Second, you have limited offensive capabilities and you must build up your forces and third, in my experience the game locks up or crashes after every mission.

Now you must remember the scenario. I am a new user with limited gaming experience, no web access and no technical support number in the manual. If you were in this situation, what would you do? Do you keep it or do you return to the store?

Reviewed by Gus Lane, PC Gameworld.

Highs
The Star Trek name; pretty graphics; excellent opening movie.

Lows
Lock ups; frequent crashes; non-existent manual.

Final Verdict
Star Trek Armada is a game that has a lot of potential but the problems with this title can only hurt Activision in the future.

50%

Sep 27, 2002