ELIO Well, here we are… at the end of another year. Despite a concerted effort to try and rush towards a return to some form of pre-pandemic life, the impact of this global catastrophe will ripple for years to come. In one way, shape, or form - all our lives have been changed.
Now, many of us are looking ahead and thinking of what’s to come in 2022. Cautiously optimistic and hopeful that things will gradually continue to improve and change for the better. On behalf of the entire team at Priority One: We wish you nothing but the best in this New Year and years to come – that you live long and prosperous lives.
Narrowing our focus on our little corner, 2021 was a monumental year for Priority One. In March of 2021, our production celebrated its 500th episode and 10 years of weekly podcasting. That is no small endeavor. To celebrate the occasion, we were privileged to host several Trek Stars - new and veteran - and with donations from listeners like you, along with a matching gift by Rod Roddenberry - we raised over $4,000 for The Poor People’s Campaign. I can think of no better way to celebrate such a milestone than to work towards finding ways of giving back.
Now, here we are - having just wrapped our 535th episode. As I look back over the last 10 years, I find myself in complete awe over all the things we’ve accomplished. The conversations we’ve had with each other and special guests. The panels we’ve participated in. The events we’ve attended and hosted. The places we’ve been. The laughs we’ve shared. The friendships we’ve forged.
But… as the saying goes… All good things must come to an end.
You're listening to the final broadcast of Priority One Podcast!
I realize this announcement may come as a surprise to most - if not all - of you. With so much going on in the Star Trek Multiverse, why would we stop covering the latest from our favorite franchise? I wish I could give you a simple and satisfying answer but, there isn’t. Behind the scenes, we’ve had long conversations about the future of the show, our goals, our hopes. In the end, we came to the conclusion that now was the best time to jump on our horses and ride off quietly into the sunset – leaving behind an incredible legacy of passion and love for an I.P. that has touched so many of our lives.
CAT It’s been such a fantastic experience being part of the podcast for the past few years. I’m truly amazed at the talented group of people that work behind the scenes that edit and assemble the show. Also to Elio and the other co-hosts and guest hosts that we’ve had - thank you so much for putting up with my dogs and allowing me to join you each week. Getting to discuss Star Trek on these shows has been one of the most enjoyable experiences and during the pandemic - it’s been a lifesaver.
With that said, we want to continue to support our Patrons since they have given so much to support us. We will be pausing all Patreon charges until further notice - but we are considering still continuing our after-hours show for you all. If you are a Patron - please reach out and let us know your thoughts.
So, even though the main podcast is ending, we still want to keep in touch via Patreon- or come and play Star Trek Online with the Priority One Armada - you know we are not going anywhere. We’ll still host our livestream every Saturday - everyone is welcome!
ROSCO I was the most recent addition to the crew. I am one of the many people on this podcast who went from listener to being part of the team. I think I said yes because I felt welcome, and that was just by listening to the podcast.
What I soon realized was that I had found my people. I had found like-minded people who were passionate about one of the things that has been a huge influence on my life. I got the chance to talk about Star Trek EVERY WEEK!! What a dream job.
And although it’s coming to an end and we may not be producing any more episodes, you'll still find our entire back catalogue on our website and wherever you get your podcasts.
I want to add my own personal thanks to my co-hosts for making me feel welcome, my respect and admiration to the team that works behind the scenes to put this show together, and to thank you for listening. We’re an amazing community to be a part of, it has been a privilege to share the news about it.
ELIO Before we leave you, I need to thank the team that has made this possible. Over the last 10 years, we have had a remarkable group of people volunteering their time and talents to this production. Fans of Star Trek from all over the world who decided to come and play with us each and every week. From as far as Australia, the UK, from Germany, Canada, from Argentina, and the US, Priority One was brought to you by a global team of amazingly talented people.
Whether it be our website and social platforms, our livestreams, the copy written for our weekly shows… to the weekly undertaking of editing our ramblings – no single person is responsible for this production. I encourage you to visit our website and look over our cast and crew page to learn more about these remarkable individuals… because without their incredible dedication over the years, this show would not have been made possible.
I also want to thank some of our most influential collaborators and contributors. To folks like Al Rivera at Cryptic Studios who always supported and believed in the work we did to share in the joy that Star Trek Online has brought over the years. To John Champion and Rod Roddenberry, for recognizing our work and welcoming us into the Roddenberry Podcast Family. I will forever cherish the words John and Rod shared with me when I informed them of our decision. It has been an honor.
But, most importantly, a big thanks to you. Our listeners – our friends — our extended family. Over these 10 years, you have been our driving force for producing this weekly show. The team and I are forever grateful for your dedicated and loyal support. For joining us and welcoming us into your weekly routine. It has been an honor to produce this show for you and I am grateful to each and every one of you.
As sad as this may be, it’s important for us to hang on to the best parts of our lives. With that in mind, let’s remember some of those moments and share some laughs with you… Take care.
535 - A Departure To The New Normal
Episode 535
Friday, December 17, 2021 • Duration 52:59
This week on Episode 535 of Priority One: Content deals continue at ViacomCBS, so you’ll see what IP Bob can guarantee to be on TV. A touching farewell to Tilly, with the character’s far future plans on the tip of Mary Wiseman’s tongue. In gaming news, some fresh and refreshed games to add to your Trek catalog, and Mudd is back with a fresh Intel in a big ship bundle. And before we review the most recent episode of Discovery, Dr. Robert Hurt tells us how we’re looking for planets not just around distant stars, but in distant galaxies!
TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Not Every Loss Is Eternal By Jake Cobb
If you haven’t watched Star Trek: Discovery’s season 4 episode 4 “All is Possible” our next story contains spoilers. You’ve been warned.
Still here? Good! Let’s get started!
In the aforementioned “All is Possible”, Discovery said goodbye to one of its own: Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly. This week, TVInsider sat down with Tilly actor Mary Wiseman to talk about the episode, her departure, and the future of Tilly.
And she'll make new friends along the way! Image: ViacomCBS, via Tor. ViacomCBS: Deal With It By Cat Hough Image: ViacomCBS/Trekmovie Paramount+ Opens Revenue Channels By Cat Hough Not like this. Not like this....Image: ViacomCBS, via Space.com Quick News Roundup STAR TREK GAMING NEWS Edited by Thomas Reynolds The Mudd-Slinging Continues Unabated By Cat Hough Image: Cryptic Studios. Faces A By Ross McQueen https://youtu.be/XNer-6JEJk0 The Is Mobilized, Captains By Ross McQueen Anyone else here a Ressikan flute playing? No? Just me? Image: Activision, via GOG. A Dual Trilogy In By Ross McQueen gotta get paid, son. Image: Scopely. ASTROMETRICS REPORT X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/R. DiStefano, et al.; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI/Grendler Image: NASA/CXC. https://youtu.be/oR3Q7RBGmtc
526 - Sit Back And Zap Open An Old One
Episode 526
Friday, October 8, 2021 • Duration 48:26
This week on Episode 526 of Priority One: the Next Generation of tours is in full swing at Ticonderoga, set photos from Picard Season 3, Star Trek Online gets spoOoOoOoky in their first Halloween special, and we review the latest episode of Lower Decks: "wej Duj"!
TREK IT OUT Edited by Thomas Reynolds Touring the Next Generation in Ticonderoga By Elio Lleo
Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of attending some phenomenal Star Trek themed events and exhibits [or seething with jealousy at it–Ed.], but few are as spectacular as what you’ll find in the sleepy town of Ticonderoga, New York. You see, James Cawley–who grew to fame as an Elvis impersonator–is also a die-hard Trekkie. His passion was so great that he decided to rebuild the sets for The Original Series where an old retail store used to be. He didn’t just want to build the Enterprise…he wanted to recreate the old Desilu Set.
Closest we'll probably come to having a religious experience. Image: Star Trek Set Tours.
Now, after 4 years of being open to the public, Cawley is expanding! As they work to acquire an adjacent building, Cawley and his team have begun diligently recreating the sets from . Local news station WCAX got a sneak peak of their progress: when Cawley explains he has all the original blueprints as well as a direct line to ’s legendary creators Mike and Denise Okuda.
Producer’s Sweet Sneak Peek Pics By Cat Hough https://twitter.com/TerryMatalas/status/1442660363573465090?s=20 https://twitter.com/TerryMatalas/status/1445033217875070977?s=20 Episodic Season Habit () By Cat Hough Bridge to Astrocartography, figure out why we keep getting lost in those eyes. Image: TrekMovie.com Quick News Roundup https://youtu.be/XD66suMp3J4 STAR TREK GAMING NEWS Edited by Thomas Reynolds By the Spiking of My DPS, Something Wicked This Way Leaps By Rosco McQueen Honestly the idea of redoing is scarier. Image: Cryptic Studios. What every kid wants this Halloween, a . Image: Cryptic Studios.
438 - Deleted Scenes, Engagements, & Into the Breach | Priority One: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast
Episode 438
Friday, November 15, 2019 • Duration 33:53
This week on Priority One --- We trek out a deleted scene from Discovery Season 2, catch a glimpse of Captain Pike, and celebrate Anthony Rapp’s engage-ment! In Star Trek gaming, we enter the Breach, Strike Wing Escorts are available, and are you ready to step onto the Holodeck.
Of course, as always, before we wrap up the show, we’ll open hailing frequencies for your incoming messages
CQ: Have you seen the new Short Trek, "Ask Not"? What did you think?
AND
CQ: Would you pay $48 to experience the Star Trek Discovery Away mission for 26 minutes? Do you plan on going to the VR experience in the future?
TREK IT OUT Discovery Season 2 Deleted Tilly Scene Captain Pike Short Trek Teaser Star Trek: The Animated Series Leaving Netflix Anthony Rapp's Engagement Captain Spock Statue Star Trek Online and Gaming News Into the Breach TFO Announced and The Patrol System Adds Three New Delta Patrols The Strike Wing Escort Bundle The Kobayashi Maru and Gamma Recruits is Live on Console EVENTS PC: Dilithium Bonus Weekend PC & Console: Hearts and Minds PRIORITY ONE ARMADA NEWS Other Gaming News Beam Into the Star Trek Discovery Full-Body VR Experience
437 - Halloween, CBS Shakeup, and snoop | Priority One: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast
Episode 437
Friday, November 8, 2019 • Duration 36:25
This week on Priority One --- We trek out Toronto’s newest Admiral, who’s coming and going at CBS Interactive, George Takei’s early attempts at LGBTQ representation, and then Klingon’s get frozen? In Star Trek gaming, holograms have feelings too, Shalenak debriefs the players on Destination, and console captains get the Franklin!
Of course, as always, before we wrap up the show, we’ll open hailing frequencies for your incoming messages
CQ: CQ: What do you think of “Let it Go” in Klingon? Do you another favorite Klingon Pop Warrior song?
AND
CQ: Would you like Snoop Dogg to voice a character in Star Trek Online? If so, would he be a Starfleet Admiral, Klingon General, or Romulan Agent? Tell us.
TREK IT OUT Mayor Tory Beams Into a Toronto School, Discovery Style CBS Interactive CEO Jim Lanzone Leaves His Post George Takei Explains Lack of LGBTQ Representation in TOS “Let it Go” + Klingon = Awesome Star Trek Online and Gaming News Stamets and the Doctor Meet in New Lore Story Fiction Destination Star Trek Birmingham Debrief with Shalenak Console Captains can Now Command the USS Franklin EVENTS PC: Tribble Notes PRIORITY ONE ARMADA NEWS WEEKLY TOP TIP Other Gaming News Does Snoop Dogg STO?
436 - Birmingham, Picard, Chabon, and Gaming | Priority One: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast
Episode 436
Friday, November 1, 2019 • Duration 29:35
This week on Priority One --- We take a look at what came out of Jolly Old England for this years Star Trek: Destination! Sir Patrick hints at the future of Picard, we get a glimpse of the new Admiral uniform, hear from showrunner Michael Chabon, and H. Jon Benjamin talks watermelons. in Star Trek Gaming, Star Trek Online console players get exclusive weapon packs, and Star Trek Adventures sets a course for strange new worlds!
Of course, as always, before we wrap up the show, we’ll open hailing frequencies for your incoming messages
What do you think of the new “Star Trek: Picard” admiral uniforms?
AND
What from this teaser video are you most excited about?
435 - Discovery Stars Honored, Ticonderoga, & The Dominion | Priority One: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast
Episode 435
Friday, October 25, 2019 • Duration 44:08
This week on Priority One --- Two Trek Actors are honored in Miami, Nichelle Nichols is the focus of her own documentary, and Food Replicators may be just around the corner. Then, we transport to Ticonderoga, NY for a tour of the Star Trek Original Series Set museum with James Cawley! In Star Trek Online, now might be the best time to pledge your allegiance to the Founders, and those going to Star Trek: Destination in Birmingham can get their game on!
Of course, as always, before we wrap up the show, we’ll open hailing frequencies for your incoming messages
CQ: How have the actors or stories of Star Trek inspired you in your own life?
CQ: Do you plan on buying the new Star Trek Online Starter or Faction Packs? Why or Why not?
CQ: With the new changes to the Event Campaign for another T6 ship will you be playing daily to get your progression or do you plan on buying out any of the individual events?
TREK IT OUT Two Discovery Actors Honored In Miami Nichelle Nichols Documentary Shines A Light On Her Work With NASA Star Trek Online and Gaming News Rejoin the Jem'Hadar Recruits! Defend the Kobayashi Maru to Earn another Free T6 Ship Star Trek Online is coming to Birmingham, England!
434 - Picard, Galaxy Quest, & STO Goes Pink | Priority One: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast
Episode 434
Saturday, October 19, 2019 • Duration 48:07
This week on Priority One --- the merchandising train has begun for Picard with a special DVD/Comic book release; Galaxy Quest celebrates 20 years with a theatrical documentary presentation; Star Trek Online participates in Breast Cancer Awareness month with a limited bundle that is so hot… it’s pink!
Of course, as always, before we wrap up the show, we’ll open hailing frequencies for your incoming messages
CQ: Where does Galaxy Quest rank (if at all) on your list of favorite Trek films?
AND
CQ: With the new changes to the Event Campaign for another T6 ship will you be playing daily to get your progression or do you plan on buying out any of the individual events?
TREK IT OUT Star Trek Picard Movie & TV Collection on Blu Ray Sir Patrick Stewart Beaming Into Destination Star Trek UK’s Channel 4 Buys Into Star Trek: Discovery Galaxy Quest Documentary Coming to Theaters Star Trek Online and Gaming News U.S.S. Franklin from Star Trek Beyond Defend the Kobayashi Maru to Earn another Free T6 Ship Star Trek Online Offers Groupees Bundles for Breast Cancer Awareness Events Hearts and Minds Returns for Halloween Console Events PRIORITY ONE ARMADA NEWS Weekly Top Tip
433 - NYCCC, PaleyFest Red Carpet, and Picard | Priority One: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast
Episode 433
Friday, October 11, 2019 • Duration 01:04:53
This week on Priority One, we Trek Out Star Trek’s New York Comic con offerings, before heading to the Paley Center Red Carpet for interviews with the cast of Star Trek: Discovery! In Star Trek Gaming, #TrekOut the in-game events for Star Trek Online and the latest updated to Star Trek Fleet Command. Then, we look On Screen for our review of the latest Short Trek, "Q&A." Later, we hear from you in feedback!
Of course, as always, before we wrap up the show, we’ll open hailing frequencies for your incoming messages
What was your favorite piece of Star Trek news from New York? Was it the trailers, the release dates, the newest Short Trek?
AND
Now that the new STO Patrol UI has had a little time to settle in, how do you feel about the new system and the new Patrols?
TREK IT OUT New York Comic Con - Star Trek: Discovery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8wy08KcdI4 New York Comic Con - Star Trek: Discovery Teaser Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ec8WnBHes Red Carpet Interviews From Paleyfest New York Comic Con - Star Trek: Short Treks New York Comic Con - Star Trek: Picard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FySrgrKJguE Star Trek Online and Gaming News Events The Mycelial Crisis Hits Consoles The Kobayashi Maru Returns to PC Priority One Armada News Weekly Top Tip Other Gaming News Star Trek Fleet Command Armadas
432 - CBS Studios Canada, Doug Jones, & The Mycelial Event | Priority One: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast
Episode 432
Saturday, October 5, 2019 • Duration 40:33
This week on Priority One we Trek Out CBS Stages Canada, Anthony Rapp and David Ajala talk trek, Doug Jones dips trek nuggets, and Star Wars news? In Star Trek Gaming, we look back at the STO’s Mycelial Event and Timelines’ October schedule before hearing from YOU in feedback!
Of course, as always, before we wrap up the show, we’ll open hailing frequencies for your incoming messages
Before going any further, let’s get the big question out of the way: will Tilly be back, and in what capacity? Wiseman answered (unsatisfyingly) ”I can say that you’ll see me later on in the season.” She continued (also unsatisfyingly) ”I’ll say that her hair is slightly different and she’s wearing a different outfit.”
Being less vague, Wiseman recalled her on-screen goodbyes, telling TVInsiders Meredith Jacobs ”you tend to create a found family and that’s very much the story of our show, both on and offscreen, that we are a found family. So it felt really important to honor those relationships…[i]t kind of feels like...she’s going off to do this thing and all of these people show up for her to say, ‘we’ll still be here for you when you come back and we love you and we’ll miss you’.”
It’s true, we’ll miss you–a lot.
In some not very shocking news, ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish confirmed that Paramount+ is moving towards exclusivity for its major IP franchises, by reducing the amount of third-party licenses...just like the recent buy-back deal for Star Trek: Discovery from Netflix.
In a recent media conference, Bakish was asked about the third-party licensing deals and he said that while the company continues to bring in revenue for many deals cut before the launch of Paramount+, its priorities have definitely changed and that they are not likely to renew any prior third-party deals.
Bakish elaborated on this, saying, “as we increasingly transition to leveraging our particular franchises and original production for our owned and operated streaming assets, principally Paramount+…that, in turn, will create a decline in that third-party business over time as these deals roll off. I would note that as an example of that, we just took back Star Trek: Discovery internationally from Netflix. And so we now have that property globally. That’s clearly a core franchise for us, and it’s working.”
It appears that these efforts are working for Bakish, as he stated that Paramount+ had its best week ever and best month ever in November. However, Discovery has yet to be confirmed for a fifth season. Historically, additional season pickups are announced around the time of the launch of a new season, which they did for Star Trek: Prodigy.
Paramount+ Live Channels also will potentially provide a new bucket of advertising inventory for the streaming service to sell. At launch, there won’t be ads in the channels for either the Paramount+ Premium ($9.99/month) or the ad-supported Essential ($4.99/month) tiers, but eventually ViacomCBS may introduce ads for customers with the Essential package. Through Dec. 31, new subscribers can try Paramount+ for 30 days free by using the promo code “PEAKSALE.”
A Star Trek Adventures-based audio play, Star Trek: Europa, is now available as a podcast with 10 episodes online. The series follows the adventures of the U.S.S. Europa, a Luna-class starship with a new prototype positronic-bioneural computer system and an advanced AI. The ship’s mission is exploration following the Dominion War. It’s available on all of your favorite podcast apps.
In other audio news comes a cryptic tweet with very few details. Coming soon fresh outta spacedock is a new STO series, “Ex Astris: The Ships of Star Trek Online.” The tweet comes from Daniel Orrett, writer and creator of the science fiction audio drama Sojourn HQ. Which could imply an audio drama telling the story of STO ships? With no release date, we’ll have to simply wait and see.
Just in time for the holidays when you have all the extra money, a new bundle hits Mudd’s Market on December 22nd! Mudd’s Secret Intel Choice Pack will be available for 29,500 Zen, and you can choose any three of the following options:
Section 31 Intel Science Destroyer
Son'a Intel Battlecruiser
Elachi Sheshar Intel Dreadnought Cruiser
Na'Qjej Intel Battlecruiser
50x Master Keys
1 Epic Phoenix Box Token
9x T6x Upgrade Tokens
10x Gold Tech Upgrades
Or you can spend 60,000 Zen and get Mudd's MEGA Secret Intel Bundle: a one stop purchase to obtain all eight items in the pack at once! NOTE: Both packs are 50% off in the Zen store from December 22 through January 5.
Star Trek
Resurgence
Star Trek: Resurgence is a narrative adventure game featuring dialog choices, relationship building, and exploration. Alongside dialog-driven role playing and rich branching storylines, you will also engage with the Star Trek universe in a variety of other gameplay styles, including shuttle piloting, phaser fights, tricorder scanning, stealth, and micro-gameplay mechanics.
Star Trek: Resurgence follows two principal characters through a single epic story, with gameplay switching between the characters, similar to Telltale’s Game of Thrones or Tales from the Borderlands. Star Trek: Resurgence is a single player experience without microtransactions, DLC or other additional monetization models.
Armada
Grab yourself an energy drink or three, a bowl of your favourite snacks and let's LAN party like it’s 1999! Actually, the correct temporal coordinates are 2000 and 2001, with Star Trek: Armada and Armada II now available on the GOG store.
This comes after GOG and Activision teamed up to celebrate 55 years of Star Trek, rereleasing six games including Voyager Elite Force and Star Trek: Bridge Commander updated to work on modern operating systems. In Star Trek Armada, war is raging in the Alpha Quadrant with four races to command. The story is then expanded in Armada II, with Species 8472 entering the fray in Federation Space. Both games are available to purchase on the GOG store.
Fleet Command
The latest update has dropped for Star Trek Fleet Command, with Patch 37 bringing with it Part 3 of the Duality Arc, with three notable additions to the game as well as the usual collection of new officers, missions and bug fixes.
Officer presets are now available, meaning you can create, name, and save specific sets of bridge officers which may then be assigned to your preferred ship. Also a third permanent research queue is now unlockable through the in-game store.
On top of this, the Syndicate has now arrived! The morally green Orions bring with them tiers to unlock, daily goal multipliers and an exclusive officer, Ghrush. You can earn Syndicate XP from select events, a daily claim within the Syndicate menu, or from the Offers tab.
For this week's Astrometics Report, we go way past the final frontier to hunt for exoplanets--not just around other stars, but in distant galaxies. And we aren't just talking the homeworld of the Andromedans from the TOS episode "By Any Other Name." They're just from the Andromeda Galaxy, a mere two million light-years away. No, this tantalizing new discovery was found in the Whirlpool Galaxy, or M51, at a whopping distance of 30 million light-years. And this potential planet was found in a particularly wild system. So how do you search for exoplanets in other distant galaxies, when we've only barely started finding them in the nearby reaches of our very own Milky Way galaxy? It's a classic example of the scientific method at work: thinking about what we know, coming up with a hypothetical way to do a different kind of search, and being rewarded with an exciting detection.
Now if you've been following exoplanet discoveries, you may already have heard of a search strategy kjnown as the "transit method." In a nutshell, astronomers hunt for planets orbiting other stars by looking for a small tell-tale dip in the star's brightness, that would happen when a comparatively tiny planet passes in front of its star--blocking a little bit of its light. This only works with planetary systems that, by the roll of the dice, happen to be aligned perfectly edge-on with our vantage point, allowing us to see the transits. Statistically that's a pretty small fraction of al the star systems out there. But it's been incredibly productive so far, leading to the discovery of nearly five thousand planets around other stars in the Milky Way. Since planets are small compared to stars, these dips in brightness may be only a fraction of a percent of the star's overall brightness. It works best with stars that are nearby and can be measured precisely. So the obvious question is how could you hunt for transiting planets in other galaxies, where the light of the stars gets mushed into an unresolved haze?
That very question prompted researcher Rosanne Di Stefano and her team to consider looking far past visible light to another part of the spectrum: namely, X-rays. Only the very hottest processes in the universes light up in this high-energy party of the spectrum, including an unusual kind of system called an X-ray binary. These are typically either a compact neutron star, or black hole, in a close orbit around another star. Gas spilling of the star gets swept up into a disc around the super-dense companion. the inner regions of the disc get heated to incredible temperatures. A large galaxy may gave at most a few dozen X-ray binaries that are so bright we can see them millions of light-ears away. but each one is a single compact source. So what if one of those has an orbiting planet that transits in front of the glowing disk? The team reasoned it would produce a transit signature that would briefly dim the X-ray light, so they went looking for one. And that's how they found the candidate planet in the Whirlpool Galaxy, using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.
It turns out x-ray data sets are ideal for this kind of search. These telescopes typically have to sit and stare at a target for days, or even weeks, to collect enough x-ray photons to build up a picture. Those long staring observations are very similar to those used by exoplanet hunters searching in visible or infrared light. The transit they detected indicates a planet in an X-ray binary system called M51-ULS-1, where they saw the X-ray glow vanish for about three hours. They were able to rule out a variety of other factors that can cause X-ray variability, making a Saturn-sized planet the best explanation for what they saw. The signal was so strong because, in this case, the transiting planet would be much larger than the relatively compact part of the disc emitting the X-rays. So in X-ray binary systems, a planet would pretty much block all of the high energy light for a while.
Now I have to emphasize this is only considered to be a potential planet since confirmations require multiple transit detections. Unfortunately this planet likely has an orbital period of around 70 years or so, which means confirmation could take a very long time. However it points us towards a whole new way to search for other distant planets in the universe, and the awesome thing is that a lot of the data we need is already in hand. This research was carried out on archival data taken in other research programs--reminding us that our vast collections of research data in astronomy can be used to make new discoveries over time. You can bet scientists will continue searching data from Chandra and other X-ray telescopes for other possible planet transits.
I should point out any planets in systems like this are not going to be at the top of the list for habitability searches. Such worlds are going to be flooded with deeply-destructive X-rays way past what you'd get in a doctors office. Our search may be restricted to stars a little closer to home.
Finally I do have to comment on how excited the whole astronomical community is for the upcoming launch of NASA's Webb telescope on December 22. if you want to learn more about Webb, or the exogalactic exoplanet, make sure to check out Ask the Astronomers Live on universeunplugged.org. Every month our host Phil Lamar chats with a couple of astronomers about some of the coolest, or hottest, discoveries in the universe. You can even bring your own questions if you watch live on YouTube or Facebook.
If you’ve been following Star Trek: Picard executive producer and co-showrunner, Terry Matalas on Twitter, then you’ve seen the images he’s been sharing from the set of the show. If you are not following him, then you may want to. Since Season 2 has wrapped filming, the images he posted are likely sneak peaks from season three–either way, they are definitely interesting.
The images are all from what appears to be a Starfleet vessel from the late 24th century: the first image features the helm console for the ship, with Matalas noting the LCARS interface introduced on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Also of particular interest: the replicator display and table setting that includes a 24th-century Starfleet emblem and some new sci-fi cutlery. We still don’t know what the second season holds, but we have been told that the Q storyline will wrap up in Season 2. It’s also very likely that Jonathan Frakes will return to direct some episodes of Season 3.
Anson Mount recently spoke about Strange New Worlds, echoing Akiva Goldsman’s description of the show: “we wanted our show to be more or less a throwback in every way we could... which meant more of an episodic structure. And so every episode is a distinct story...but the star of the show is the ship and the big idea of the week.”
As we’ve also discussed on prior episodes, filming for Strange New Worlds was done using Augmented Reality and Mount also spoke about that experience, saying, “It’s wild, man. Imagine an entire soundstage where the walls are all high-definition screens and there’s a ceiling projection...it’s really interesting to be in these environments because it’s a whole other level of filmmaking than I’ve ever seen before.”
A release date for Strange New Worlds has not been announced, yet. A big thanks to TrekMovie for sharing this exclusive interview from their coverage of Star Trek Day.
Here are a few headlines that we didn’t discuss but might interest you.
In book news, the first novel in the Star Trek: Coda series has been released. This trilogy continues the adventures of characters from The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. The three books in the trilogy are Moments Asunder by Dayton Ward, The Ashes of Tomorrow by James Swallow, and Oblivion's Gate by David Mack. Moments Asunder is already available, with the two sequels following in October and November. The pre-order pages include synopses for the books, revealing a plot dealing in time travel.
Finally, are you ready to take flight on a midlife crisis of cosmic proportions? Then you should definitely trek out the series idea from the creators of Saturday Night Live. This new show would be titled “Star Trek: Ego Quest,” following the voyages of the SS New Shepard and its crew of random weirdos. Its mission: to just...sort of fly around space goofing off in a ship that looks like a penis.
Replicate yourself a pumpkin spice raktajino and prepare to carve out a new experience in Star Trek Online: the MMO announced this week it will hold its first ever Halloween event!
“Captains will find themselves transported to an ancient castle on Pyris VII. The classic aliens from the Original Series episode ‘Catspaw’, the Old Ones, have returned once again to study humanity–but their plans have been disrupted by the Devidians!”
The three week event will be a single activity, where playing the event TFO “Cat's Tale!” every 20 hours rewards you with the usual one daily progress token. After 14 days of progress you unlock the event rewards: the Transmuter Wand Universal Kit Module, the Old One Vanity Pet, with the first character receiving 25,000 Dilithium Ore, and 3 Featured Episode Reward Boxes.
The Universal Kit Module - Transmuter Wand will transform your target into a sentient black cat, complete with Bad Luck Aura! The aura disables shields and most powers to nearby allies, who will flee in fear from the frightful feline.
The event will be available on all platforms on October 13. An interesting note is that this will become a regular annual event, similar to First Contact Day. The article notes it begins with the one TFO, with plans to grow the event year-on-year with more content.
by Shane Hoover
The second season of Star Trek Discovery released this week on Blu-Ray and DVD.
In a teaser last week on the IO9 website, CBS released an exclusive deleted scene featuring Tilly and her Mycelial parasitic pal, May Ahearn.
The scene opens on Tilly trying to ignore the mysterious May by reading a PADD. May peeks around the edge and grins. Tilly, exasperated, tries to flee to the bathroom of her quarters, only for May to suddenly appear in that room. Clearly on the edge, Tilly declares that she can't be in the Starfleet Command Training Program if she's mentally unsound, to which May quips "Well that hardly seems fair!". May argues that Tilly's mind works in “Fascinating ways. I'm inside it, feeling the throb of your neurons, the rush of hot oxygenated blood coursing between hemispheres.” To which a confused Tilly responds, "Are you coming on to me?"
May convinces Tilly to help her in her quest to observe and speak to the Captain. She promises that she can help Tilly reach her ultimate potential and change the universe for the better. Once she's gotten her message to the Captain through Tilly, May swears she'll be gone. And the scene ends.
The Season Two Blu-Ray release boasts over four hours of special features, including behind-the-scenes featurettes, cast and crew insights, and two of the show's Short Treks - "Runaway" and "The Brightest Star". If this deleted scene is any indication, some great material from Season Two wound up on the cutting room floor!
StarTrek.com dropped a sneak peek at the upcoming Captain Pike centered Short Trek, "Ask Not" this week. As Pike narrates that the Enterprise has picked up a distress call from the U.S.S. Bowman, we see a young Starfleet officer in red working frantically at a console. Suddenly, the two wall displays behind her explode in a shower of fire, smoke, and glass. The scene fades to black and announces that the Short Trek would release on November 14th. Next, we see Pike himself declaring to someone offscreen, "I need you to let me out of here." We see an officer in gold, presumably Pike, being led by two guards through a bulkhead door in restraints and a black hood. Next, we see a dark-haired young woman declare that he's a prisoner whose orders carry no weight. An angry Pike barks "Cadet! I am giving you a direct order to release me!" The cadet refuses, and Pike warns that she will never see the inside of a starship again. Ominous music swells as the scene cuts to the Short Treks logo and the date November 14.
There are plenty of sudden cuts and one-sided conversations in this teaser. So it's possible, even likely, that the relationship between the captive Pike and this cadet will not play out entirely as it seems. What's certain, though, is that Anson Mount's Pike will find himself in chains and in peril aboard another Starfleet vessel. Is he the victim of a trap? Was there a mutiny or piracy aboard the U.S.S. Bowman? What are Number One, Spock, and the Enterprise doing to rescue their Captain? If you haven't already, check out the Short Trek now on CBS All Access.
Streaming giant Netflix announced this week that all seasons of Star Trek: The Animated Series will be removed from the service on December 1, 2019. This announcement applies only to Netflix viewers in the United States, for now. The show, which aired for 22 episodes over two seasons, has been carried by Netflix since 2016. Though there has been no announcement, it seems likely that the show will be moving to CBS All Access after it leaves Netflix. While not widely considered essential Star Trek viewing, the Animated Series carried on the tales of the U.S.S. Enterprise where TOS left off. Almost the entire original cast returned to voice their characters for the show. If you're a Trek completist who hasn't yet seen it, or if you just enjoy the wilder side of Trek explored by these animated stories, you can still catch it on Netflix for now.
Star Trek Discovery actor Anthony Rapp took to Twitter this week to make a big personal announcement. He tweeted “So something happened tonight. I asked Ken if he would marry me and he said yes. I am so very happy, and I'm so very thrilled to share this news” The tweet was accompanied by a smiling picture of the happy couple. Voices of actors and fans from around the Star Trek world chimed in to share their best wishes. Everyone here at Priority One Podcast would also like to send our very best wishes and congratulations to Anthony and Ken!
Are you a die-hard collector of Star Trek merchandise? Then you might be interested in a brand new exclusive Captain Spock statue announced for pre-order by Sideshow and Darkside Collectibles Studio. According to the announcement it is “Recreated from original CBS Studio Inc. archived materials and through a thorough examination of the original filming costumes the statue features a breathtaking likeness of actor Leonard Nimoy as Captain Spock of the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE as he appears in the Paramount Pictures STAR TREK II The Wrath of Khan film directed by Nicholas Meyer in 1982.
Leonard Nimoy, posed in the official Starfleet salutation, measures over 25 inches and is presented in an authentically sculpted detailed captain’s costume. The statue captures the noble feeling and character of Spock and is accompanied with the United Federation of Planets flag.”
The statue is truly amazingly detailed, capturing one of Nimoy's greatest performances as Spock in one of the most beloved Star Trek films. Two versions are available, one with Spock's hands behind his back, and another depicting Spock in the act of the famous Vulcan salute. The statue's $1299 price tag might deter all but the most determined collectors, though.
by Anthony Cox
As we reported last week, the next Featured TFO, Into the Breach, has begun. With it, a new Universal Console and an opportunity to make more progress int he Free Tier 6 campaign. We told you that there would be a daily choice between running the Featured TFO once or the new patrol twice. Well, now that Cryptic has officially announced the event there are three reworked Delta Patrols added to the Patrol System and that will count towards your Event Campaign progress. “Tempting Targets” in the Kinbar System finds you and the Voth escorting some Turei ships on a trade mission with The Hierarchy. Ships carrying supplies can make for some Tempting Targets in the Delta Quadrant. In “Aftermath” you’ll need to protect a Borg co-operative ship from some attacking Voth in the Nassordin system. And in “Blockade Runner” you’ll help some Krenim colonists Espace a Vaadwaur attack. These patrols are meant to offer a fast-paced and exciting way to play the game and to earn rewards. The Featured TFO and these new patrols are live in-game now. And the “Into the Breach” event will run until December 2nd.
The Strike Wing Escort Bundle of starships is now available in the C-store for Federation and Klingon characters. This new bundle includes the Earhart Strike Wing Escort and the Sech Strike Wing Escort. Each ship comes with a squadron of fighters to help it eliminate threats. Class-C shuttles for the Earhart and Mo’kai fighters for the Sech. These ships also come with the Universal Console, Cascading Gravimetric Disruptions. This console can emit a pulse that will seek out up to five enemy warp core powered ships dealing damage until destabilizing. This console also boosts energy damage and control expertise. Also included is the experimental weapon, Subatomic Field Disruptor which deals Electrical Damage over time. And finally leveling up each ship’s mastery will earn you the Starship trait, Target that Explosion. When slotted activating any command or torpedo ability will cause allies to fire addition torpedos at your next torpedo target. Fleet versions of these ships are also available.
Console captains can now put their academy training to use in the famous no-win scenario. The Kobayashi Maru Featured TFO is live for PS4 and Xbox One with the Kobayashi Maru transponder reward. A reminder that this is the first event in the Tier 6 ship coupon campaign. Players can earn 50 progress daily by participating in one of three required featured events and once they reach a total of 2,100 progress they will earn a free Tier 6 ship coupon. And as expected, captains can also create new Jem’Hadar captains to join the Gamma Recruits.
PC players should dust off those Dilithium drills for a Dilithium bonus weekend running now until Monday the 18th. Then from the 21st to the 25th gain bonus technology points in an Item Upgrade weekend. Following that will be a Bonus Marks weekend from November 28th to December 2nd. And according to the in-game calendar Q’s Winter Wonderland is scheduled to start on December 3rd and run until January 2nd
And for any of those captains on both PC and console that weren’t able to run the creepy Hearts and Minds mission the two previous times it was available this year, you’re in luck. December brings us another Friday the 13th and another opportunity to get your reward exclusive to that mission. Don’t worry though. 2020 will bring us two more Friday the 13ths.
The Priority One-Gamma fleet is just days away from its final tier 5 upgrade on cooldown for the Colony World fleet holding.
The Priority One-Ferengi Alliance fleet is a couple upgrades away from level 70.
Moving onto the KDF side, The House of Mogh completed now has it’s Tier 5 upgrade for the Industrial Fabricator online and it still needs Fleet Marks and Dilithium.
Finally The Klingon High Council fleet has unlocked it’s first Tier 3 Upgrade on the Colony World fleet Holding. Between all of the current upgrades and projects that are now online, there are over 45,000 Fleet Marks needed for the Klingon High Council. So this is a great opportunity for members to earn Fleet Credits. If you’re interested in joining The Klingon High Council fleet, you can submit an application to join on the armada website.
Holodeck, run Star Trek Discovery Away Mission program. *Program complete. You may enter when ready* Well, you may enter if you’re on the West coast of North America or in Southeast Asia anyway. The company Sandbox VR has teamed with CBS to bring a near 30 minute away team mission in immersive full-body, free-roam virtual reality. Featuring the voice of Mary Wiseman as Cadet Sylvia Tilly and taking players from the bridge of the USS Discovery all the way down to a frozen alien planet. Using VR goggles, body vest, arm and feet sensors, and handheld equipment to mimic phasers and tricorders, the experience will cost you $48 a person for about 26 minutes of the Starfleet experience with up to 5 of your friends. IGN recently tried out the experience and has a lengthy video review about their experience. Sandbox VR currently has locations in Vancouver, San Fransisco, and LA. Along with several locations in Asia. Their website does advertise other locations coming soon to major US cities.
by Jake Morgan
Mayor’s log, stardate 47634.44. I find myself on a planet that is demonstrating - peculiar - customs. It appears the children, and in some cases adults, dress in costumes. Then they approach dwellings and ask for tricks or treats. In every case, treats are distributed, though more study may be required.
Trick or Treat! This past week, many people around the world celebrated All Hallows Eve - or Halloween! If YOU celebrated by dressing as your favorite Star Trek character, then you weren’t alone. Toronto Mayor John Tory donned a blue Discovery Admiral Uniform while visiting school children this year, later explaining his motivation to the just-happened-to-be-there news crew. ”This is the uniform of a Star Trek Admiral. It is really in tribute to the show Star Trek, which a lot of people of course are very familiar with through all of its generations. But also people may not know that Star Trek: Discovery, which is the present series on television, is being produced here in Toronto. And they’ve made a huge contribution to the success of our film and television industry. They’ve spent more than 250 million dollars in Toronto. They’ve created 4000 jobs in the three seasons that they’ve been here. So it was my pleasure to be able to put on one of the Star Trek admirals uniforms.”
The Motion Picture Association of Canada released an infographic of Star Trek’s impact on the Ontario economy, which included the creation of 4,199 local jobs and $257 million spent in local production costs! For a link to the interview and infographic, trek out the show notes!
Regardless of your feelings about CBS ALL ACCESS, or Star Trek’s residing on the platform, there is no denying CBS’s forward-thinking approach in instituting the service. Now the man in charge of overseeing the launch of the Video-On-Demand service, CBS Interactive CEO Jim Lanzone, is bidding the company adieu.
On Monday November 4th, news outlets reported the 48 year-old Lanzone, who’s contract with CBS expires at the end of 2019, will leave CBS Interactive to become an executive-in-residence at Benchmark Capital. Filling the role of CEO will be former Chief Operating Officer of CBS Interactive, Marc DeBevoise.
In a statement, Lanzone said ”It's been an honor to lead the CBS Interactive team for nearly nine years, and I’m thrilled that Marc will seamlessly continue the great work we’ve done together. Marc was one of the first executives I hired back in 2011, and he has been central to our digital transformation of CBS ever since. We've been planning this transition together since early in the year, and I know our team is in great hands going forward.”
George Takei is an icon. Whether he is spouting his famous “OH, MYYY”,creating a presence on social media, raising awareness about the internment of Japanese Americans by the US government during World War II, acting as a leader for the LGBTQ community, or portraying Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, it’s clear that Mr.Takei is tireless....and he always has been.
In an interview with PBS Newshour, Takei praised the original Star Trek for its bravery and diversity before recalling a conversation with Gene Roddenberry regarding the series tackling “the gay issue”. Takei said he stole a quiet moment with Roddenberry at a pool party, offering his suggestion as a liberal rather than a gay man, because he “was too closeted then”. “I said, You know, we’ve dealt with almost every social issue. Every civil rights, human rights issue and the gay issue is another important one. Have you ever considered addressing that? And he said, ‘you know you’re right.I’d like to do that but’, he said, ‘I’m walking a tightrope. The interracial kiss was very controversial [...], and so I’ve got to keep the show on to tell the stories that I’m telling which aren’t being dramatized metaphorically on any other show. I’ve got to keep the show on. And that, as you say, may be a bridge too far’”
With fire and steel did the gods forge the Klingon heart. So fiercely did it beat, so loud was the sound, that the gods cried out "On this day we have brought forth the strongest heart in all the heavens. None can stand before it without trembling at its strength. But then the Klingon heart weakened, its steady rhythm faltered and the gods said, "Why do you weaken so? We have made you the strongest in all of creation." And the heart said...
...The kids asked to watch Disney’s “Frozen” again.
But fret not Brothers and Sister, for we have a hero - Jen Usellis, The Klingon Pop Warrior!
Highlighted on Nerdist.com, The Warrior/Singer demonstrates how to make “Let it Go”, the song heard round-the-world, new-ish again. Take the diddy, originally performed by Idina Menzel, throw it in a blender, add a heavy dose of throaty Klingon pronunciation, and pour it into our Star Trekgoblets...no ice required!
The four minute and twenty six second song is a little more folksy - and a LOT more aggressive - than the original release, but it is no less beautiful! If you can’t get enough of popular songs in Klingon, be sure to follow our link to the Klingon Pop Warriors YouTube page!
Star Trek Online Community Manager, Mike “Ambassador Kael” Fatum, has posted a new fiction blog. In this story titled, “Doctor’s Orders”, the newly created hologram Stamets meets with another member of Starfleet that has some insight into his current “condition.” The Doctor from Star Trek Voyager counsels Stamets on his newfound consciousness and existing in a foreign time period. We encourage you to trek out this new story by following the link in our show notes.
Star Trek Online’s European Community Manager, Shalenak, wrote up a wonderful reflection on his first convention as a Community Manager. He details many of the activities and announcements the STO Away Team were involved with over the weekend. Along with a few anecdotes including a luggage theft. To read Shalenak’s full Destination Star Trek Birmingham debrief, trek out the show notes.
The Tier 6 Ship promotion has returned to the R&D packs on console this week and now includes the new Freedom-class Exploration Frigate. Otherwise known as the USS Franklin starship from Star Trek Beyond. From now until November 14th when you purchase an R&D pack from the C-store you will receive either 10 Lobi Crystals or a Special Requisition Choice Pack for a Tier 6 ship. All of the previously ships are available along with the new Freedom-class.
According to the new events tab in Star Trek Online, the next Featured TFO event will be Into the Breach. And according to the newest Tribble server update, the new 14-day reward looks to be a Universal Console. The Voth Power Subcore, which gives a passive increase to Shield Hit Points, an increase to Shield Resistance, and when activated summons Voth Combat pets, deals Plasma damage over time, and ends with a Kinetic damage core breach. Completing the 14-day progress will also reward players with 3 Featured Reward Boxes and 50,000 dilithium. Participating in this event should also continue your progress towards the Free Tier 6 ship coupon. As with the Mycelial Crisis event, you will have also have a choice in how you complete the daily progress. Needing 28 total progress for completion, participating in the TFO: Into the Breach will give you 2 progress while completing the Voth Encounters patrol will give you 1 progress each time. You can only earn a maximum of 2 progress per day. As of this recording, Cryptic has not officially announced this event, it says in the events tab that it will run from November 12th until December 3rd.
Do you play STO on Playstation and want to get involved? The Priority One Armada Playstation has some openings in Senior Staff for anyone that wants to help out fellow fleetmates. Reach out to us on our website priorityonearmada.com if you are interested. Thanks so much to all our members - and don’t forget that the House of Martok fleet is even closer to its first Tier V Colony upgrade - so keep filling those projects!
One of the most wonderful things about Star Trek Online is its ability to immerse us into the universe of Star Trek. Nothing accomplishes this more than the LCARS user interface with which we use to interact with the game. When you create a character and choose a faction you’re also choosing the LCARS style for that Faction. And sometimes it may not quite fit the theme you’re going for with that character, or you may just like a certain style of LCARS better. Well, you can, in fact, change the LCARS color palette. You can not only choose from the other LCARS faction palettes but also from specific races like Remans, Orions, Gorn, specific versions from TNG or Voyager, and even from classic versions of the Federation and Klingon palette. There is also an option to disable the Red Alert mode so the interface stays the theme colors when going into battle. But who would want to do that? This gives you some options when creating new characters or to spice up the experience on your trusty main character. You can find these settings in the options menu under “Basic” on PC and under “Options” then “Options” again on consoles.
During the first episode of Netflix’s new Cardi B led singing competition, twitter user @justinhall spotted something trek-tacular. While guest judge Snoop Dogg was giving Cardi B a tour of his LA home, they walk past a wall-sized mural of an intergalactic space battle between Star Trek and Star Wars spaceships. And if you Star Trek Online players thought some of the images look familiar, well, you would be right. The Star Trek Online Twitter account confirmed in a reply that some of the starship images were in fact concept art for the game. Namely an STO variant fo the Sovereign-class. In the Tweet Star Trek Online asked if Snoop Dogg played the game and invited him on their live stream. Trekizzle bizzle, f’shnizzle.
by Shane Hoover
Wilson Cruz and Anthony Rapp, the actors behind Star Trek Discovery’s on-screen couple, Hugh Culber and Paul Stamets, were honored last weekend by the National LGBTQ Task Force - Miami at it’s annual Gala. The honors were in recognition of the actors’ contributions to expanding the human rights of those in the LGBTQ community through their portrayal of the first openly gay couple in Star Trek’s television history. Speaking at the gala, Anthony Rapp said //QUOTE// Star Trek has always presented a vision of the future where the things that have divided us as people over the centuries – race, gender, sexual orientation, age, color, all of that – none of that matters in Starfleet. It’s solely about who you are as a human being and what you are inside that matters. //ENDQUOTE//
Mr. Cruz, who once himself worked for the task force was especially touched, saying //QUOTE// To be honored by the task force for my work as an actor and as an activist is incredibly moving to me. I know the hard work this organization does on the ground, in the grassroots, on the state level, on the city level, on the municipal level, so it’s incredibly moving.//ENDQUOTE//
The gala’s theme for the year was “50 Years of Fierce”, in honor of the five decades the national task force has been championing their community.
It is no surprise to Star Trek fans that the great Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek’s original Uhura, has long been an icon and a hero to women and minorities around the world. But what you may find surprising is that in 1977, when NASA was on the cusp of the Space Shuttle program that would define decades of American space exploration, they turned to Nichelle Nichols for help in bringing greater diversity to the astronaut recruiting program. This story is the subject of a new documentary film titled “Woman In Motion”, currently screening at select film festivals. The film chronicles Ms. Nichols’ life, her challenges, and her pivotal role in convincing women, African-Americans, and other minorities that there could be a place for them in America’s space program. The film’s website features a trailer showcasing Star Trek legends like George Takei and Walter Koenig, celebrities like Pharrell Williams and Neil deGrasse Tyson, Nichelle herself, and several NASA astronauts. The website also provides a copy of Nichol’s report to NASA on the results of her team’s recruiting efforts. According to the report, when the project began in February of 1977, from 1500 applications to the space program only 30 were minorities, and only 75 were women. At the completion of the recruitment push, the report states that some 8000 applications were received by NASA. Nearly 1500 of those were from women.
When this remarkable documentary is released to the public, you can bet we’ll let you know! Meanwhile, check out the project website yourself at WomanInMotionMovie.Com.
by Jake Morgan
Do you want to be a part of one of the most powerful military forces in the galaxy? Would you like to shed your need for sleep and food? Do you want to become chemically dependant on an isogenic enzyme and genetically altered to serve callous, shape-shifting overlords bent on galactic domination? Then have we got a deal for you! Well, Star Trek Online does. The popular “Gamma Quadrant Recruitment Event” will be making its militaristic return,and with it comes a slew of goal-based perks and incentives!
Beginning October 24th and running through November 14th, NEWLY CREATED Dominion Captains will be designated, henceforth and always, “Gamma Recruits”. These new level 60 Jem’Hadar characters will have the ability to unlock rewards for themselves - and for the WHOLE PLAYER ACCOUNT! With goals that include leveling to 65, Spending 90 Specialization Points, and reaching level 10 in 3 Admiralty trees; “Gamma recruits” will have the opportunity to unlock EC, Marks, XP Boosts, Starship traits, and Admiralty Cards - to name a few! There’s no better time to tear through the galaxy like a genetically altered reptilian-humanoid than NOW!
If you told us that you thought now seemed like an odd time to run a “Gamma Quadrant Recruitment Event”, we’d commend you for your critical thinking - then we’d tell you to hold your horses!
Announced in conjunction with the Lifetime Subscription Sale and the “Gamma Quadrant Recruitment Event”, which are both scheduled to launch on October 24th, the Star Trek Online team showed off the newest Dominion-themed Lifetime Subscription and Veteran perks! In addition to Jem’Hadar Veteran Uniforms, 1000 Day Veterans and Lifetime Subscribers will have access to the Jem’Hadar Veteran Ship - The Tier 6 Jem'Hadar Vanguard Heavy Destroyer.
According to the lore included in the Star Trek Online post, the new Heavy Destroyer was developed for Odo’s “Vanguard Fleet”, and as such uses the “Vanguard Wingman” mechanic. //QUOTE//Vanguard starships come included with two loyal Jem’Hadar ace pilots. These expert pilots fly their own Jem’Hadar Vanguard Raiders in formation with you, never straying far from your side.//END QUOTE//
With a layout of 4-forward and 3-aft weapon slots, the Heavy destroyer sports seating for one Commander Tactical, one Lt Commander Engineering/Command, a Lt Science, a Lt Commander Universal, and an Ensign Universal Bridge Officer, as well as 5 Tactical, 3 Engineering, and 2 Science console slots.
Speaking of console slots, the Jem'Hadar Vanguard Heavy Destroyer features the new Enhanced Dynamic Tactical System Console! This console, which provides passive critical severity and hull hit points, allows the user to swap between regenerative mode and tactical mode. While in Regenerative Mode, //QUOTE//your Tachyon Inversion Beam is enabled, which can siphon shields from multiple targets. Also, excess power is transferred to the Auxiliary System in this mode, and you’ll gain a bonus to Starship Shield Systems.//END QUOTE//.
Tactical mode, on the other hand, //QUOTE//transfers power to your Weapon Systems, and increases your ships Starship Targeting Systems skill, granting an Accuracy bonus. In Tactical Mode, the EDTS console enables a powerful multi-targeting Polaron Lotus, which is capable of piercing multiple targets. However, while in Tactical Mode, your Starship Shield Systems bonus, Auxiliary Power bonus and Tachyon Inversion Beam are disabled.//QUOTE//. Though the EDTS can ONLY be equipped on Heavy Destroyers, it CAN be equipped in any console slot.
Maxing your Jem’Hadar Heavy Destroyer to Tier 5 Mastery will grant you the Weapon System Synergy Starship Trait //QUOTE//your directed energy weapons will build 1 stack of Weapon System Synergy per cycle. Each stack provides a small boost to bonus Projectile damage and a small boost to Projectile shield penetration. This buff stacks up to 20 times. All stacks are removed when you fire a Projectile weapon.//END QUOTE//
If you plan on attending Star Trek: Destination Birmingham, be sure to keep an eye out for the Star Trek Online team!!! EU Design Lead Tim Davies, Lead Environment Artist Scot Boyd, and Community Manager Mike Fatum will be in Birmingham From October 25th to October 27th with BOFF codes, pins, and comm badges! Whether you meet at one of their panels, including the Friday, October 25th “Star Trek Online launches Awakening with Anthony Rapp” panel on the Voyager stage, or by visiting their booth on the floor, be sure to say hi.
by Shane Hoover
If your ideal Starfleet Captain is principled, intelligent, diplomatic, tough, inspiring… in a word, Picard, then it’s a great time to be a Trekkie! Just in time to prepare yourself for the forthcoming Picard series, CBS Home Entertainment has released a six disc Blu Ray set dedicated to the great Captain himself.
Titled the “Star Trek Picard Movie & TV Collection”, the set includes all four Star Trek: The Next Generation movies (Generations, First Contact, Insurrection and Nemesis) as well as special editions of two-part episodes “The Best of Both Worlds” and “Chain of Command”. These specially reconfigured episodes have been edited to play both parts seamlessly, like a single film.
The new Blu Ray set also includes over 10 hours of previously released special features, like behind-the-scenes interviews and featurettes, gag reels, deleted scenes, and more.
And to cap off the set, IDW Publishing, the home of official Star Trek comics, has created an exclusive 16-page comic book titled “Star Trek: Sky’s The Limit”. Several sample pages of the issue are previewed on StarTrek.com. In the preview, we pick up with a scene of the Enterprise-D crew reminiscent of where “All Good Things” left them - playing poker with Captain Picard. Just as Riker applies the pressure to Picard, calling his bluff, the game is interrupted by a priority Starfleet communication.The Enterprise must respond to a Maquis hostage situation on Akavan 3.
And if you’re an international Star Trek fan who watched, maybe a little enviously, while we brought you our New York Comic Con and PaleyFest coverage of Star Trek Picard, then hold your breath no longer and book your trip to Destination Star Trek in Birmingham, England.
The Captain himself, Sir Patrick Stewart, has been confirmed as a special guest appearing on Saturday, October 26th to talk about the new show. Tickets to his appearance in the main theater are available through the event website, linked in our show notes. Each ticket also includes a limited edition DST “Star Trek: Picard” poster.
In other news of interest to our U.K. listeners, British TV network Channel 4 has purchased the rights to stream Star Trek: Discovery on their E4 digital channel, along with the comedy “Man With a Plan” starring Matt LeBlanc. According to CBS Studios International president of sales, Barry Chamberlain, “Channel 4 is already a licensee for several of our top-rated franchises, including ‘The Good Fight’ and ‘Charmed’, and we are confident they will have continued success with ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ and ‘Man With a Plan’.”
If I asked you, “What’s the funniest Star Trek movie, what would be your answer?”
Obviously, the only right answer is the 1999 classic “Galaxy Quest”!
We’re coming up on the film’s 20th anniversary, and Fathom Events have announced a One-Day-Only special event “Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary”. The documentary, which will screen on November 26th in select theaters, explores how the movie has become a cult classic and fan favorite.
The film features interviews with almost the entire cast, including Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, and Sam Rockwell, as well as appearances by Wil Wheaton and Brent Spiner and other celebrities. Sadly, of course, Alan Rickman passed away before he could be interviewed, but his cast mates share their touching recollections of working with him. Roth Cornet, a producer, says “If you love Alan Rickman, that's the moment for me, when we talk about Alan passing. I got choked up.”
Of the documentary and the film itself, Cornet also says “Something like this highlights [that] when people love something and they come together, it can really, really, really have a huge impact on their whole life, even just a little movie about a TV show. And we're making a documentary about a movie about a TV show.”
by Anthony Cox
The Kelvin Universe continues its invasion of Star Trek Online with the newest Tier 6 ship being that of the U.S.S. Franklin, from the third Kelvin-JJ-Lens Flare movie, Star Trek Beyond. The Freedom-class exploration frigate features a Lt. Commander Universal/Miracle Worker Bridge Officer Station and a Lt. Commander Universal/Pilot station. It can be equipped with 5 forward weapons and 5 tactical consoles. It comes with the Universal console, VHF Disruptive Transmission, which when activated blasts high frequency radio waves towards nearby foes dealing electrical damage, and will increase the ship’s maneuverability. The console also passively boosts electrical damage and hull capacity. The level five starship mastery trait is Smooth Landing, when slotted activating Evasive Maneuvers will apply Brace for Impact, and activating Brace for Impact will also apply Evasive Maneuvers.
You can obtain the Freedom-class frigate from the Special Requisition Choice Pack found in Research and Development packs from now until October 31st. R&D packs purchased from the Ceeeee-store will grant either 10 Lobi crystals or the Tier 6 Promotion Ship Choice pack. You can choose from any of the previous ship available in the choice pack or you can fly home this brand new U.S.S. Franklin style Freedom-class frigate. For more details and stats on the ship, trek out the show notes.
With the return of Starfleet’s ultimate test, the Kobayashi Maru, captains on PC can also earn rewards towards another free Tier 6 ship from the Ceeee-store. You can now find the event details in the shiney new Events tab in the mission journal. There are a few changes to the event. First, the amount of progress needed to claim the reward has been reduced from 3,000 to 2,100. Because the overall progress is spread over several events, when you use the buyout option for a single event you will receive up to 700 progress in the Event Campaign. The actual amount will be determined based on the amount of progress you’ve already made in the single event and the pro-rated discount. There will still be bonus progress periods, however, expect them to be less frequent this time around.
Also, the Kobayashi Maru scenario will see some changes as a Featured TFO. There is no minimum level to participate. As long as your character has completed the tutorial, chosen an allegiance for Romulan and Jem’hadar, or traveled to the present timeline for Discovery and TOS characters, they can participate in the TFO. Also, while the TFO is featured it will complete after wave 6 and the failure conditions of either all players being dead or the transport being destroyed have been removed. After its run as the featured TFO the “infinite” version of the scenario will return with the failure conditions and normal rewards. This feature TFO runs from now until November 7th.
October is breast cancer awareness month and Star Trek Online has teamed up with Groupees to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Players can go to Groupees.com/sto and choose from 3 donation bundles to help fight breast cancer and get some exclusive in game items. For a $1 donation you will receive a Pink Genetically-Altered Safe Tribble which grants +.01 Health Regen and +2% Maximum Hit points, a Pink Risian Lunarian Caracal, a Pink Vanity Shield, and a Pink Ribbon Badge. If you donate just $5 you will receive all of those items, plus a T6 M’Kla Pilot Bird of Prey and a T6 Shran Light Pilot Escort. And finally for just a $10 donation you get all of the previous items and ships, PLUS a T6 Europa Heavy Battlecruiser and a T6 Kurak Battlecruiser. Act fast, the $5 and $10 bundles are limited --- and the $10 has already sold out at the time of this recording! For links to the items and donation page, trek out the show notes.
Captains on both PC and console can run the Hearts and Minds mission from October 30th thru November 1st and receive those special rewards.
And console captains can participate in a Bonus Marks weekend from now until Monday, October 21st. Then look for a Research and Development weekend from October 24th to the 28th.
A couple KDF fleets are getting much closer to Tier V Colony Upgrades - House of Martok and House of Mogh - well done all, keep those colony projects filled.
The Gambling Device, found in the Lobi store for 30 crystals, is probably the best buff device you can get. For those of you not familiar with the Gambling Device, it’s a ground item that when you activate and win, it will buff you +10% Crit Chance, +10% Crit Severity, +15 Dodge for one hour. If you lose it will give you negative buffs for one minute. Now the really great thing about the Gambling Device is that you can remove it and swap in another device without removing the buff. Now don’t get too excited, this buff does not stack with Tribbles. But if you really need that Laser Dino, Hypospray, Frequency Remodulation, and Shard of Possibilities, you can swap in the Gambling Device, buff up, and then swap the good stuff back in.
by Jake Morgan
If you wanna wake up in a city that doesn't sleep - then you go to New York City. BUT if you want to start spreading the news - well - you ALSO go to New York City. That’s exactly what Star Trek’s Discovery and Picard teams did for the Star Trek Universe panel, hitting Madison Square Garden on Saturday October 5th.
At 1PM Eastern, Discovery’s producers and stars, including Michelle Paradise, Heather Kadin, Alex Kurtzman, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Mary Wiseman, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, and David Ajala, took over the Hulu theater at Madison Square Garden. While the team was - predictably - tight-lipped, they did shed a little light on Discovery’s romp 930 years into the future.
Series lead Sonequa Martin-Greene gave insight into the direction of the season, saying “That’s what so exciting about season 3 is that when we jump to this future that is full of uncertainty, like we’ve all been saying. We have to grapple with how that’s going to affect how we see ourselves, and then how we’re going to navigate this. And sometimes it’s ugly, and uncomfortable, and inconvenient, and hurtful - but duty calls.”
Trek rookie, David Ajala, told the Madison Square Garden audience that we’ll meet his character, Book, straight away ”Cleveland Booker, you’ll meet in the first episode. You’ll see early interactions between Cleveland Booker and Michael Burnham. It’s slightly unorthodox but very exciting”
But that’s not all! The Discovery team brought a goodie for the NYCC crowd - Discovery’s FIRST Season 3 Teaser Trailer!
The one minute and ten second video, which ends by promising the new season in 2020, can be found in our show notes!
We caught up with several of these Trek Stars at PaleyFest NY during a Red Carpet event! Let’s TrekOut our follow-up questions for Doug Jones, Sonequa Martin-Green, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, and Wilson Cruz!
A huge thanks to Sue from Women At Warp for rushing to the Paley Center after a panel at the Javits Center to back me up on these interviews!! Be sure to #TrekOut their latest episode featuring an interview with Kate Mulgrew!
But that’s STILL not all! Kurtzman referenced short treks, then said “Last season, obviously we had Captain Pike and Spock and Number One, and that was an incredible - I think - journey for everybody. And we heard you loud and clear how beloved those characters were and are, and so we did a bunch of Short Treks with them. The first one is actually dropping this very moment. It’s LIVE right NOW.”
And it did. But we’ll discuss that in ON SCREEN!
A schedule was also released for the remaining five Short Treks. Following the already released episode titled “Q&A”, … and will continue on October 10th with “The Trouble with Edward", November 14th with “Ask Not”, December 12th with “The Girl Who Made the Stars" and "Ephraim and Dot”, and will end on January 9th with “Children of Mars”.
At the end of the trailer for “Q&A”, fans cheered and, as seems to be the case EVERY time Spock, Pike, and Number One are referenced, there were calls for a Pike-led series with a response from kurtzman saying “Yeah. I love that idea. We’ll bring it to the board”
About 45 minutes into the panel, the Discovery team was tagged out by the Picard cast and crew.
Kirsten Beyer, Hanelle Culpepper, Heather Kadin, Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, Alex Kurtzman, Sir Patrick Stewart, Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera, Michelle Hurd, Allison Pill, Harry Treadway, and Evan Evagora took the stage - and said less about what’s to come in “Star Trek: Picard” than the Discovery team did of their show. The plot and characters of the highly anticipated series are under lock-and-key, but Sir Patrick brought goodies of his own - “Star Trek: Picard’s” SECOND trailer!
The team did spend a good deal of time sharing their memories of the show’s genesis. Originally, brainstormed to be a #ShortTrek featuring Picard, it immediately grew into something bigger. But, according to Akiva Goldsman it was a hard no from Stewart.
Alex Kurtzman: “Patrick walked in the room and was very reserved and gracious, as always, but very unsure.”
Akiva Goldsman: “Wait No No. He wasn’t unsure. He was sure. He said no.”
Alex Kurtzman: “He was sure about saying no. He was positively negative about the whole thing.”
Akiva Goldsman: “Yeah that was a No. I know a no.”
Later, Stewart spoke about the importance of ensemble --- and how, this cast truly came together … saying “Well, you have used the word that has been most important to me since an April day in 1987. I looked on every aspect of Next Generation as being ensemble based. And in fact that has been very much an indicator of where I was in my career. That the ensembles that I’ve worked with whether they were in the theater, or film, or television have always been, to me, like another character. What the ensemble actually amounts to. And so I think when we first met and talked in those early discussions it was my use of that word as the ensemble and the uniting of the group. Because here we sit. Well I can only speak personally, kind of in love with these people on my left...and of course the people on the right too. And that’s where the ensemble element comes from and it’s very important.”
Perhaps the most telling piece of the creative process they shared was about how they did not want this to be a TNG reunion show. Every character, every choice they made, had to influence and propel the story forward. “A big concern was we did not want it to be, and especially Patrick did not want it to be a TNG reunion show. And I think what you can even tell from the trailer, and what you’ll definitely tell when you watch the series is, we only brought people back if their story really mattered to the story we were telling. We didn’t want it to be like ‘Whoop, and then over here is Riker’, you know, because I don’t think the fans would have appreciated that either. And it was really important to Patrick, who obviously has long-standing, deep relationships with these people, that also if we’re going to go to them and say ‘join a show that’s called Picard’ that we give them something significant to do. And I think that you’ll see that each one of them has a pivotal emotional story to tell in our ten episodes.”
by Shane Hoover
Star Trek Online: Awakening, along with the new Event UI, Patrol UI, and new Patrols launches on Consoles October 15th. The Mycelial Crisis Event brings with it all of the rewards we’ve discussed on the show previously, like the T6 Elachi Qulash Frigate, 8 Elachi Crescent Wave Disruptor weapon packs, daily scaling Bonus Dilithium, and more.
The Kobayashi Maru is stranded and in danger… again! From October 17th through November 7th, Captains above level 50 on PC can participate in this Featured TFO Event. Working with a team of 5 players, complete at least three levels per day of this TFO to earn daily progress. Complete 14 days of progress to unlock the Event prize - a Kobayashi Maru Resupply Beacon Device. Details of the device have yet to be announced.
This week in Armada news - a couple more fleets, Alpha and Gamma are getting close to finalizing their Tier V upgrades to their colony holdings. Congrats to those fleets! Also, we have regular events, like TFO Tuesday and special events - like the Halloween Costume Contest - where we are giving away some pretty cool prizes
Today’s tip can help take some frustration out of a TFO that can be difficult for newer players or uncoordinated teams, specifically the Tzenkethi Front TFO. The initial objective of the TFO is straightforward: destroy some Tzenkethi battleships to steal their Protomatter bomb devices. Next, you must carry the bomb to within range of one of five Tzenkethi mobile bases and activate the device without being interrupted. This is where the object can become frustrating if you’re not prepared to work as a team. Even a single hit from a Tzenkethi enemy will interrupt your activation of the bomb device, making it a long and difficult slog to clear all five bases. But here’s how you can be a hero to your next Tzenkethi Front team. Before entering the TFO, equip one of these to your build: the Tethered Non-Baryonic Asteroid ship trait, the Graviton Displacer universal console, or the Tractor Beam Repulsor power with a Graga Mal duty officer to change the repulsor into a pull effect.
When your teammate picks up the bomb device, just escort them to the mobile base, trigger your equipped power of choice, and drag the enemy ships a safe distance away until the base is destroyed. You’ll want to ensure that you’ve built your ship with enough toughness to handle any concentrated fire thrown by pulling a group of enemies close to you, of course.
Step three, bask in the gratitude of teammates who appreciate your strategic thinking!
As a bonus, similar tactics can prove useful in other TFOs like Gravity Kills or Operation Riposte. Give it a try!
Early this week, the Star Trek Fleet Command social media outlets dropped a new video teasing the release of the Armada feature in the month of October. And within the game itself, details of the new system were outlined in patch 8.0 release notes. According to the patch notes, “Players use an Armada to band together with members of their Alliance to form a greater force that is capable of taking on tougher enemies.” These new enemies appear as Armada Targets within level 20 and higher star systems. They can only be attacked by Armadas, not solo players, and are immune to many combat bonuses and abilities. Defeat these Armada Hostiles to earn Armada Credits and upgrade your Armada Control Center. Leveling up the Control Center will unlock improved rewards in the Alliance store. Beware, though, because as you gather your Armada forces to attack the Armada Target, another Armada could arrive to attack you and take the Target for themselves. For full details, check the release notes in the in-game news system.
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