In this weekly series we will look at a different specific aspect of Star Trek: Bridge Crew with each entry, such as the individual roles and game modes, to provide a bit more clarity than a standard preview can provide. This week, we focus on the Engineer role.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew from Ubisoft and Red Storm Entertainment is just about a month away from its debut, set to release on May 30th, 2017, for the PlayStation VR (PSVR), Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive. In addition to releasing for all three major headsets on the same day it will also support full cross-platform multiplayer just like Eagle Flight and Werewolves Within, also from Ubisoft.
For this week’s entry in Trek Tuesdays, we’re looking at the Engineer role. This position is in charge of regulating the ship’s power distribution to make sure all areas are boosted as needed. The Engineer will also send out repair crews to tend to damaged portions of the ship’s infrastructure, prepare engines for warp, and deal with transporting individuals on-board.
By comparison, the Engineer is probably the least stressful and easiest position to play on a moment-to-moment basis. You don’t really need to be concerned with the map at all and even during combat you mostly just take orders from the rest of the crew.
If your ship is getting blasted, it’s probably a good idea to give the shields more power. If the enemy is almost finished, pump power to phasers to take them out. Give engines more power so you can get away or chase down an enemy vessel more quickly. It’s all just one very complex and delicate balancing game. In that regard, you likely won’t have a lot of fun as the Engineer if you like being in charge and don’t enjoy taking direct orders.
There are some elements to the role that add some much-needed intensity, such as being in charge of issuing repair orders for different parts of the ship and preparing coils for warp when you need to travel great distances. If you’re on the verge of being destroyed and everyone is sitting there, holding their breath, praying the warp coils can charge fast enough, things can get very tense.
This is a good position for new players to start out at as it’s relatively clear what to do in most cases (for the Aegis bridge, at least) with clearly labeled sliders and buttons on the digital panel. But for veterans of the game, or those looking for a more exciting thrill-ride, may be better served taking over the Tactical or Helm position. Engineer is important, but all things considered, most crews can probably get by just fine leaving that seat without a real player and just letting the Captain issue orders to an NPC.
Next week we’ll look at the fourth and final role of Star Trek: Bridge Crew — the Captain, which lets players become their very own Kirk, Picard, or other clearly inferior Star Trek character of their choosing.
Which role do you most want to play in Star Trek: Bridge Crew once it releases next month on May 30th? Let us know down in the comments below!
