Star Trek Online Beta Mission: Assimilation

Today, we will be talking some more about the Star Trek Online Beta and in particular focusing on the mission “Assimilation” which follows on from “Price Of Liberty”. To catch up with the first mission “Khitomer Crisis” read Star Trek Online Beta First Mission: Khitomer Crisis and to understand a little more about what this new online game is all about catch up with First Impressions Of Star Trek Online Open Beta.

“Assimilation” continues after you beam down to the Vega colony and its objectives are:

• Speak to Commander Kelly to understand what’s going on
• Get equipment from a crate – you should get a pulse rifle (just don’t get rid of it by accident like I did!)
• Talk to Commander Kelly again to get your mission assignment
• Rescue 4 colonists who are been assimilated by the Borg
• Shutdown the Transmitter by Lowering the Force Field, then shut down the array
• Beam out and back onto your ship and go to Warp

This mission is relatively short but gives you opportunity to practise engaging the enemy, and in particular gain experience using flanking techniques. The transmitter is almost directly ahead of you in the distance so take your away team member and head off – you will pass the requisite number of colonists along the way. Don’t hang about as the colonists and Borg respawn every few minutes and you gain very little past meeting your mission objective.

At the conclusion of the mission “Assimilation” you will be asked to head to Earth Space (Sol System) and dock (just get close to the space station). Once you have reported to the Admiral you can equip your ship so head off to talk to Officer Sholah in Space Dock about upgrading your shields, weapons, and engines – upgrades appear in the shop’s hold and will need to be equipped to enable them (double click on them). Also, head to Personnel and choose some new Bridge officers by spending merit points. Once you find a suitable candidate you will need to enlist them by double-clicking their requisition orders in your inventory. The Admiral will also want you to report to Commander Akira Sulu, after you have explored Space Dock, for further missions (he is in the same office as the Admiral).

The missions stop being so linear and let you choose what you want to do and where you want to go – though two people you should meet are:

• Commander Balt (in Personnel) about skills, ranks and grades (see our article Ranking Up In Star Trek Online Beta).
• Commander Jenna Romaine who can analyse anomolous items you find – and convert them into upgrades for your ship and weapons (she will later move to Orion sector).

On a side note the level cap has been removed, and all sectors are now open, so the producers of the game are telling us (21st Jan 2010) that the first person to reach Sovereign level will receive a Sovereign class vessel.