Dec 11, 2021
This week on Episode 534 of Priority One: Kurtzman talks crossovers and Nichelle Nichols dances the night away; in gaming, two new starships are available to add to your Star Trek Online collection!
Considering the amount of new Star Trek series either on screen or in development, you may be thinking it’s more than likely there will be a crossover event of some kind. Turns out Alex Kurtzman is thinking along the same lines. Kurtzman and Sonequa Martin-Green were guests on the new episode of Deadline’s Hero Nation podcast speaking about Burham’s journey into the captain’s chair.
But the conversation came around to the idea of crossovers, and if that is a real possibility. Kurtzman says yes, but it’s got to be good. “Here’s the thing about crossovers; I think crossovers can be really, really exciting. But they have to exist for a reason. There has to be a great story reason to do it.” Kutman said he is yet to come up with the right idea for the crossover, as the volume of productions as well as each program’s individual identity are distinct, making it a challenge.
“Because the flip side to doing a crossover wrong is that people are really disappointed and it impacts both shows. So it’s just not a gamble that I would want to take randomly. that being said, it’s certainly exciting to think about certain pairings that you’re like ‘Wow, what would it be like if those two characters were together or those two crews were together?’ But I want to be careful about it.”
The same podcast episode asked about the status of the Section 31 series, which has been in development for some time. The only answer Kurtzman would give was brief, saying “We’re in a very exciting place. I can’t tell you anything yet. But it’s still very much alive.”
If you were watching updates on Twitter from L.A. Comic-Con this past weekend, you undoubtedly saw that Nichelle Nichols made her last-ever public appearance (this was also confirmed on her website). NASA has released a touching Thank You video to Nichols recognizing her impact on the space program through recruiting women and people of color to NASA in the 1970s.
Finally, the ship we’ve been waiting for…mostly because it’s not coming via lockbox and it’s free! The Eisenberg Star Cruiser [T6] was announced as the Grand Prize award for this year’s Q’s Winter Wonderland Event. All you have to do is complete various activities available and gain enough Daily Progress to fulfill the Event’s overall quota. You can earn Daily Progress once per day, per account.
This ship features a 4/4 weapons layout and an Ensign Engineering / Command Specialist Bridge Officer Seat, and a Lt. Commander Universal/Miracle Worker Specialist Bridge Officer Seat. It also comes with the Great Material Continuum Universal Console. This console uses a massive network of tight-beam transporter beams to strip away enemy hull at a molecular scale, briefly buffers that matter, then converts it into energy and project into a protective barrier that can be applied to allied starships even at a great distance. This console also provides a passive bonus to Starship Drain Expertise and All Subsystem Energy Levels.
Also leveling up this ship will give you access to the Ingenious Tenacity Starship Trait. Using this trait and activating any Specialist Bridge Officer Ability (Intel, Command, Pilot, Temp Op, Miracle Worker) will briefly grant your starship the ability to redirect incoming damage from Energy Weapons into Shield Restoration. A portion of all Energy Damage received during this time (pre-Resistances) will be translated into Shield Restoration for the shield facing which the enemy weapon impacted.
By the Prophets, has it been a full week since we got a new Infinity Lockbox ship? Never fear, Cryptic has us covered with another dip into the 32nd century Fed fleet registry. Now available on PC, the Saturn Intel Science Spearhead [T6] will run rings around–and through–your enemies. Assuming RNGsus hears your prayers, that is.
Like most 32nd century vessels, the Saturn’s aesthetics are…challenging, to put it mildly. Consisting of just a flat ring-shaped “saucer” with trailing nacelles, it looks rather like the souvenir bottle openers in the Federation HQ’s gift shop. On the other hand, at least everything is attached with no floaty bits to be found. Dr. Hurt ought to be pleased [HA!–Ed].
As a Science Spearhead with Intel specialization, the Saturn splits its focus between analyzing opponents and blasting the █████ out of them. Commander Science/Intel, Ensign Universal/Pilot, and Lt. Commander Universal Boff seats lend great flexibility in approaching challenges. The Enhanced Battle Cloak and Dual Cannon compatibility quickly turns those challenges into past tense–no temporal shenanigans required.
The Saturn’s Chakram Projector universal console leans into the circular theme even further, creating a spinning toroid of plot matter–excuse me, programmable matter to sandblast enemies in your vicinity. Ships caught within the death doughnut take kinetic damage with an additional kinetic resistance debuff. You, meanwhile, receive a passive buff to hull and shield penetration with all starship weaponry.
Finally, the “Automated Triage” Tier 5 Mastery Trait kicks in a combined instant heal/heal-over-time to you or an ally within 5km whenever the subject dips below 50% hull health. Automated Triage immediately restores 10% of max hull, followed by another 20% of max hull over the next 10 seconds. The trait has a 60-second cooldown, but activating Science Team or an Intel Boff ability shortens it by 10 seconds.
Note that, although it literally says “Science” in the name, you really shouldn’t treat it as a science vessel. Everything about the Saturn may make it a hole-in-one for weapons builds. However only one of the mastery package traits improves your Exotic Damage, and neither the Chakram Projector nor Automatic Triage affect it at all. Expect to go cannons hot and leave the Gravity Wells at home.