Rating: 
Summary: poor software design
Review: I would warn anyone to not purchase this game due to the increasing problems I've had with it. I found the game to be a bit plodding over time with no real end goal in sight.
As I continued to play the game it began to glitch more frequently and for longer periods of time to the point where the game would not load but would spool without end. I would have to reboot my computer to disengage the game. I tried the downloads from the net, and that didn't help either. I have sufficient memory etc. on my computer and don't believe I have a hardware problem, Windows 98, 128 ram, 600+ pent processor, 100 mhz clock, etc. I believe this is a poorly designed game. I hesitated buying the game based on prior Star Trek game revues which said the same thing that I am writting now.
If this is the extint of Interplays software capabilities I won't be buying any of their products in the future, as it would be a waste of money.
Oh yea, I am a bit of a Trekkie, enjoy the shows etc.
I very much enjoy the Star Wars simms and have purchased all of them. Needless to say they have all performed flawlessly, hoping that the Star Trek game might do the same I gave it a try.
Be careful what you buy and good gaming.
Rating: 
Summary: Stop thinking about it!
Review: It's hard for me to even describe how much I love this game. It is the most thoroughly enjoyable game I've ever played. Thoughts of up, down, left and right are blown to the wind as you're able to control every aspect of ship functions on your choice of hundreds of different ships. Each ship has it's own unique characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, weapons, etc. Play as a wily ship captain with unconventional techniques and ploys, or take the straight forward mathematical approach to combat. Either way you will be pushed to your limits by this game.Once you think you've 'mastered it'... try signing on to GameSpy's online gaming forum and challenge a veteran over the net. You'll realize there's no mastering this game and that you've just opened up a whole new realm of tactics to explore. Video games don't normally thrill me. The fast ones are too fast and the slow ones are too slow. This game, however feels less like a game and more like actually 'commanding' a starship into battle. I urge all Star Trek fans to make this investment. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Stop thinking about it!
Review: It's hard for me to even describe how much I love this game. It is the most thoroughly enjoyable game I've ever played. Thoughts of up, down, left and right are blown to the wind as you're able to control every aspect of ship functions on your choice of hundreds of different ships. Each ship has it's own unique characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, weapons, etc. Play as a wily ship captain with unconventional techniques and ploys, or take the straight forward mathematical approach to combat. Either way you will be pushed to your limits by this game. Once you think you've 'mastered it'... try signing on to GameSpy's online gaming forum and challenge a veteran over the net. You'll realize there's no mastering this game and that you've just opened up a whole new realm of tactics to explore. Video games don't normally thrill me. The fast ones are too fast and the slow ones are too slow. This game, however feels less like a game and more like actually 'commanding' a starship into battle. I urge all Star Trek fans to make this investment. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent computer game now that its been patched
Review: Okay... sure... it was tough to play, but now that its been patched, this is an excellent computer conversion of the wargame Star Fleet Battles. If you like deep yet exciting strategy plus Star Trek this game has endless replayability. I recommend without hesitation.
Rating:
Summary: Wait untill about version 3.0, as the game is full of bugs
Review: Once you actually get to fight other ships, the game is a blast. Complicated, but learnable. You will spend time mastering stratagy and controls. Unfortunatly, the game crashes A LOT. As you progress through the campaighns, the time between battles stretches to 10 minutes, as the computer does "something" (800 mhz athalon is doing something, as the hard drive and CD aren't doing anything, and the graphics it is changing are minor). It will crash to the desktop with unacceptable frequency. You will reinstall it at least once. And, if you are like me, you will put up with this because the actual battles are visually awesome and really fun. Stratagy is challenging and not covered by any documentation real well (trial and error). I am playing with patch 2.0.0.4 and have read that othe patches are a LITTLE better, but none of them qualify as good. 3.0 will probably be playable.
Rating:
Summary: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Review: Play this game for about 20 minutes if you can't sleep. You'll be out in no time.
Rating:
Summary: Bad Outweighs the Good for the Casual Gamer
Review: Please note from the outset I am approaching this as a casual gamer who was drawn to this game because of my positive experiences with the previous edition. Bottom line: Empires at War offers distinct improvements over the first edition, and glaring problems. First, what was kept: The basic operation of the controls remains the same. There are little quirks that have changed a couple of things, but nothing glaring. Ships remain similar in appearance and function. Second, the improvements. Regenerative shields: if your shields get knocked out, they will regenerate, more accurately reflecting activities of repair crews on the starships. Of course, you have either go to keep your good shields facing the enemy, or keep your distance from an engagement. Of course, your opponent has the same advantage/disadvantage, but it is preferable to the permanently dead shield. Also, if you destroy a ship, unlike in the first game if you sit on top of or close to an opponent when you destroy them you can also be destroyed. Another improvement: Accurate photon torpedoes over a distance. In the previous version, unless you fired point-blank, you often saw half or more of your photon torpedo spread disappear into space. In this version, they are actually an effective weapon over distance, with an appreciably high hit-to-miss ratio. Third - missile defense: Missiles are less effective overall, removing to advantage of the heavy missile cruisers from the previous game. They also come in varied speeds, another good thing. Space Monsters: much more varied - often lethal. They are a great x-factor, and wonderful teachers of caution in an engagement. I ran into one that literally destroyed my ship with a plasma volley in the first exchange. Fleet combat - In skirmish mode, I experimented with fleet maneuvering, and found it a distinct improvement over the prior edition. Ships operate with a number of options in terms of control, and seem more responsive to orders - though not all functions seemed to work as they should. Also, visually, the scenarios are much nicer than the old version. Third, the problems. Where to start? Overall, the gameplay, while in many ways improved (regenerative shields, better torpedoes, greater equity in terms of reduction of the missile effect) is overshadowed by the complexity of gameplay, and overall difficulty presented by the game's progression. One example - Prestige points. While in the first game you had to pay for what you got in terms of supplies and new ships, you could do so in a fashion that assured a steady rise in points that translated into better, stronger ships. In this version, because of the average greater length of battles and commensurate exhaustion of supplies and added repair costs, it is difficult to build significant value. Also, ships lose their value quickly for trade in, and I find I cannot trade a ship in for a new one without first buying the second ship, thereby reducing the prestige points necessary for purchase. Additionally, there is no crew section, where you have officers accruing value that is valuable in trades and/or ship combat effectiveness. Finally, the cost of supplies, as I mentioned, is prohibitive, especially in terms of missiles. Lastly, if you buy something and then decide you don't want it, you can return it but you will not receive the spent value back. This is a glaring weakness in the game, given the increased value of the Capitol ships like Battleships and dreadnoughts. The interfaces, while serviceable, are a step backward in terms of functionality and clarity. While I like having a greater selection of ships (even though it seems nigh impossible to accrue the Prestige Points needed to acquire them), I feel there could have been modified version of the old interface. Still, I admit that right clicking on the ship type to get the schematics is almost as good and provides a quick method of determining value of the ship. Replay is no longer offered. Instead, you're dead and you get to go back to the beginning. Now if you are a serious gamer, I suppose this is no big deal. But for the casual gamer, this is a serious drawback. Also, saves are controlled more by the AI than by the gamer, taking away the feature of being able to branch off in a separate direction and experiment with ships in scenarios. In the end, I won't say don't buy this game. But be warned, in spite of appearances, and some functional improvements, it is not as good, and more important, not as fun.
Rating: 
Summary: how is the game
Review: THIS GAME IS EALLY GOOD. NOT THE BEST BUT VERY GOOD. YOU SHOULD BUY IT PLAY IT & IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT RETURN IT
Rating:
Summary: A TREKKIE's DREAM GAME!
Review: This game is great. Obviously the game has worn off in excitement since first buying it...but the first time you play it is undescribable. The first time you get it loaded and start playing you feel like you're a captain. As a trekkie, that was all I had ever wanted. And controlling every detail about the ship is just amazing. I'm serious, EVERY DETAIL. Probing, electronic warfare, weapon control/firing, shields, shuttlecrafts, special features using your warp engines such as high energy turns, usage of mines, transporters, ship speed, systems repair...ok the list goes on. This game is simply amazing. Now people have told me about bugs...I've never had any problems...EVER. The game should never be minimized or interrupted because you will come back to a messed up screen, which can't always be fixed. But that's the only "problem" I have. The "patch" is really easy to get considering you just go in your start menu under the game and select Update. It will instantly find the udpate and download. With a fast connection this will only take a few minutes. All bugs previous to this are gone. (If there were any, I've always updated first. The game:
The single player game was very cool at first. I never really got into the single player on this game after being dissappointed by continuous repetition of missions on the original Starfleet Command game. And it always seemed as if the missions were to easy or absolutely impossible. However, this game has many more missions, features etc. Besides the campaign you can set up a "skirmish" for short little single missions with the AI. I bought this game almost exclusively for online play. I play with Gamespy Arcade, the only place to play online known to me....It's great battling against other human beings. Your chances are realistic after you get good. This game is about skill, and also knowledge of the other ships and the weapons they have. If you're into Star Trek and realistic battle simulations you can not go wrong.
Rating:
Summary: A TREKKIE's DREAM GAME!
Review: This game is great. Obviously the game has worn off in excitement since first buying it...but the first time you play it is undescribable. The first time you get it loaded and start playing you feel like you're a captain. As a trekkie, that was all I had ever wanted. And controlling every detail about the ship is just amazing. I'm serious, EVERY DETAIL. Probing, electronic warfare, weapon control/firing, shields, shuttlecrafts, special features using your warp engines such as high energy turns, usage of mines, transporters, ship speed, systems repair...ok the list goes on. This game is simply amazing. Now people have told me about bugs...I've never had any problems...EVER. The game should never be minimized or interrupted because you will come back to a messed up screen, which can't always be fixed. But that's the only "problem" I have. The "patch" is really easy to get considering you just go in your start menu under the game and select Update. It will instantly find the udpate and download. With a fast connection this will only take a few minutes. All bugs previous to this are gone. (If there were any, I've always updated first. The game:
The single player game was very cool at first. I never really got into the single player on this game after being dissappointed by continuous repetition of missions on the original Starfleet Command game. And it always seemed as if the missions were to easy or absolutely impossible. However, this game has many more missions, features etc. Besides the campaign you can set up a "skirmish" for short little single missions with the AI. I bought this game almost exclusively for online play. I play with Gamespy Arcade, the only place to play online known to me....It's great battling against other human beings. Your chances are realistic after you get good. This game is about skill, and also knowledge of the other ships and the weapons they have. If you're into Star Trek and realistic battle simulations you can not go wrong.
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