Star Trek: Starship Creator
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Star Trek: Starship Creator |
Star Trek: Starship Creator is a vehicle simulation game for computers, developed by Imergy and published by Simon & Schuster Interactive in 1998 for both Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. The title is officially licensed from the Star Trek franchise. The development process involved consultation with series technical experts such as Mike Okuda and Denise Okuda. Within the game, users assemble crews and outfit various starship models drawn from the Star Trek television shows and movies. A more comprehensive edition, Star Trek: Starship Creator Deluxe, was released in late 1999, introducing additional starships, missions, and customization features. The official website also provided downloadable characters from the Star Trek: New Frontier novels. Critics generally responded unfavorably, citing limited gameplay depth and subpar graphics, making it primarily appealing to devoted Star Trek enthusiasts. A follow-up titled Star Trek: Starship Creator Warp II was released in 2000.
Gameplay
In Star Trek: Starship Creator, players have the opportunity to build starships equipped with technology familiar to the franchise, including warp drive, space probes, phasers, and photon torpedoes. Users can assign crews featuring well-known characters such as Spock, James T. Kirk, and Worf, with some profiles expanded to include detailed backgrounds like Rachel Garrett from "Yesterday's Enterprise." The game supports importing personal photographs to create custom crew members complete with unique biographies, allowing players to personalize their experience.
Once outfitted, starships undertake missions that reward credits, which can be used to purchase new gear, additional crew members, or even different starships to enhance ongoing gameplay. Missions can operate in a "stealth mode," running quietly in the background so players can multitask during their progress.
The game showcases a variety of starship classes spanning the franchise’s history: the Constitution class from Star Trek: The Original Series, the Galaxy class featured in The Next Generation, the Defiant class from Deep Space Nine, the Intrepid class seen in Voyager, the Miranda class introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and the Sovereign class debuted in Star Trek: First Contact.
Production
Developed by Imergy—who had previously created multimedia products under the Star Trek license such as the Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive Technical Manual—the game was published by Simon & Schuster Interactive. The design team consulted series technical experts including Michael Okuda, Denise Okuda, Rick Sternbach, and Doug Drexler, all of whom contributed significantly to the television show’s technical authenticity. Mission content was crafted by writers like David Alan Mack.
Reception
James Lileks of the Star Tribune expressed disappointment with the game’s lack of a clear objective, describing it as "just a thing to goof around with." German publication GameStar awarded it a 30% rating, labeling it an "idiosyncratic piece of software" that would mainly attract hardcore Star Trek fans. Another German magazine, PC Games, gave it a 27% score, acknowledging a strong concept but criticizing weak graphics and uninspired gameplay that limited its potential. The review from Macworld rated it three out of five stars but pointed out that gameplay became passive once missions started, comparing players’ roles to "mere spectators."
Scott Udell from Computer Games Magazine also rated the Deluxe edition three out of five stars, recognizing its awkward interface but calling it enjoyable for fans interested in Treknology. Joseph Szadkowski of The Washington Times appreciated observing mission scenarios but felt enhanced visuals and more dynamic action would have broadened its appeal. Summarizing its niche appeal, Boys' Life described it as "Everything non-Trekkies never really wanted to know about 'Star Trek'. For die-hard fans only."
Deluxe Edition and Follow-up
Towards the end of 1999, a "Deluxe" edition of the game was released, introducing three additional starship types: the Akira, Oberth, and Prometheus. This version also brought seven fresh missions, the capability to dispatch two vessels on assignments simultaneously, and options for customizing starship registry numbers. The official website provided downloadable content that incorporated main characters from the Star Trek: New Frontier novel series.
In 2000, Simon & Schuster released a follow-up titled Star Trek: Starship Creator Warp II. This sequel added more starship classes and supported backward compatibility, allowing players to import ships created in the original game. Furthermore, it offered the functionality to export ships into the multiplayer mode of the 2001 release Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Dominion Wars, which often resulted in the sequel being packaged together with Dominion Wars.