No game developer has ever created a sim based on the Star Trek: The Next Generation universe - until now. Totally Games, which developed four Star Wars space-combat simulations, including TIE Fighter and X-Wing Alliance, is currently working on Star Trek: Bridge Commander, a sim that puts you in the captain's chair of the U.S.S. Sovereign. Aboard this Federation vessel, you'll take your crew to faraway colonies in a remote area of space, where a stellar catastrophe threatens the lives of civilizations. In honor of Star Trek Week, GameSpot spoke with Lawrence Holland, co-founder of Totally Games, to explore some of the challenges in designing Bridge Commander.

GameSpot: Many science-fiction fans would argue that Star Wars and Star Trek can't be compared, but how do you, a game developer who has worked with both Star Wars and Star Trek properties, understand the differences and similarities of the two?

Lawrence Holland

Lawrence Holland: Star Wars is an epic space opera with strong mythological themes of good vs. evil, black and white. Star Trek is much more down-to-earth. In the Trek universe, the stories deal with many shades of gray and human interactions. Other differences are the pacing of the battles, size of the ships and, in Star Trek, an increased emphasis on characters working with each other to accomplish goals. Their similarities are that both have strong, well-developed characters and worlds and, of course, space combat.

GS: In what ways is Bridge Commander different from your previous Star Wars space-combat sims?

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LH: Our previous titles have focused on the player controlling a small, fighter-type craft. In Star Trek: Bridge Commander, we put the player in the captain's chair of a spacecraft larger than a contemporary aircraft carrier. This alone changes the tenor and feel of the game, specifically in combat. We have increased the necessity for strong tactics in combat, with our new model relying less on skillful "twitch" gameplay and more on strong tactics and situational awareness. Characters are more realized than in any of our previous games. No longer are our characters' voices coming from a radio; they now coexist with the player inside the game world. The player will interact with his bridge crew in order to command his vessel. These bridge characters will be a central part of the story and engage in dialogue with the player and each other, offering their viewpoints on the situations that will spring up during the game. Another difference from our previous titles is that the player is never removed from the story or the game world. From start to finish the player is immersed, no longer going out to an interface screen to select new missions. The story and the gameplay flow seamlessly from start to finish.

Next: Design challenges and starships