Two interviews have appeared for two very different Star Trek-themed titles which should both be out very soon. While these games may seem similar in subject matter, they are based on different licenses (Deep Space Nine and Voyager), different 3D engines (Unreal Tournament and Quake 3), and they even use different perspectives (3rd versus 1st person).

The DS9: The Fallen team at The Collective has answered a few questions from PlanetUnreal in the first of a two-part interview. They answer question about using the Unreal Tournament engine, and the help they received from Paramount with the Star Trek license. Here's a clip:

Tomasz: 5) What was the deciding factor for The Collective to do a Star Trek game? Did the Curse of the Bad Star Trek Games scare anybody?

[Tony] I took the "Curse" as a challenge more than anything frightening. Making a fun game out of such strong subject matter seemed like a no-brainer. I think many people lately don't put enough effort into the core gameplay of their products. People have forgotten, that the reason people play games is to have fun. Now, with that said, we at The Collective fully understand that raw-uncooked gameplay alone cannot satisfy the modern gamer (Pong anyone?), so graphics, audio, and storyline have all been worked on in unison to create the best Star Trek game yet.

The other Trek game in the works is from Raven Software and is called Voyager: Elite Force. A new interview with Kenn Hoekstra at PlayNOW! discusses some of the more interactive aspects of the game:

PN!: That seems to be mainly AI stuff. What's a more "interactive" environment example?

KH: Okay, on way to engineering, there is an explosion in the hallway ahead of you. A crewman in the hall is knocked down by the explosion and tells you to use the control panel to erect a containment field. Four things can happen:

1. You use the panel, erect the containment field and leave the crewman trapped inside. The explosion coming down the hallway will kill him.

2. You can wait for the crewman to get to you and then use the panel to erect the force field, stopping the explosion, and saving his life in the process. He then gives you useful information about the rest of your mission.

3. Don't use the control panel in time and the explosion will kill you. The crewman and the men in the hallway will also die.

4. Don't use the panel. You can run down the hallway to the left and escape the path of the explosion. This creates a radioactive leak that spreads through the deck and you slowly die of radiation poisoning. So do your teammates.

PlanetUnreal The Fallen Q&A

PlayNOW! Elite Force Q&A

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