The story in Starfleet Command II pretty much picks up where the last one ended. The Organians, a group that played as the main aggressor in the original SFC, have formed an alliance with a dangerously idealistic group that calls itself the ‘Interstellar Concordium’ (ISC for short) that is willing to back up the Organians in a violent campaign of pacification. Unfortunately, despite the fact that all of the original races now face a common threat, they continue to fight for sectors of space. In addition to this madness, an old enemy of the Lyran Empire has been added to the game. Using weapons systems and ships built upon their skill with missile technology, the Mirak Star League is one dangerous enemy.

The bulk of the story events are presented through a universal newscast of sorts. The screen that is used to view this information does come with a series of filters that allow the player to find out which sectors are in danger, latest diplomatic happenings, among other things. The method that is used to present all of these is unfortunately very utilitarian in design. It serves its function, but while I realize war can be a very cold and calculating thing, a deeper and more involved story would have been nice.

For a sequel this game may look very similar to the original at first. Taldren has simply chosen to stick with what worked so well in the first place, but that sense of confidence didn’t stop them from tweaking the look of the game where it really needed it. One of the major complaints towards the original SFC’s visuals was the lack of damage effects. Although the effects used in SFCII don’t quite go to the degree of those found in Klingon Academy, the result is pretty satisfying. Damage textures scar a ships hull when a photon torpedo rips through the shields and hits home, and all sorts of gasses start leaking out of the ship when hit in certain spots. A boost has also been given to the lighting effects which now paint a much more brilliant picture as they fire across the emptiness of space. All of these improvements have really polished off complaints about the visual representation of the first title.

Since Interplay only has rights to the universe used in the first six motion pictures and the original series, all of the technology seen is still pretty ‘old school’ by trek standards. A lot of newer technology has been added, which has enhanced the ships that were carried over from the original game. For example, missiles were some of the most powerful weapons in the first SFC, and now the Mirak Star League comes in with their missile dominant arsenal. The solution to keeping things balanced is a very potent, but limited, missile defense weapon. Not all ships come with this weapon, but essentially it serves sort of like flak, taking out the missiles before they reach the ship. In addition the to the new technologies several new ship designs (including a carrier) make an appearance on all sides, all with different types of specifications.

Taldren has re-worked on the original single player mission system that took center stage in the first Starfleet Command. The general idea behind this change seems to have been to create a larger experience. The mission structure is setup so that each sector has a set of missions, which are based on what has been happening in or around that sector. For the most part these tend to be escort/defend/patrol missions and they are essential in racking up the resources to purchase/repair ships, a matter I will return to shortly. As the player explores the map, which is divided between all the races, they will eventually come upon the missions that form the backbone of SFCII.

Real challenges in Starfleet Command II come in the form of these campaign missions. They are very challenging compared to the stock missions mentioned a bit earlier, and they often require the player to think like a starship captain. With a wealth of options on the control panel there are a lot of ways to go about accomplishing the set goal, but for the most part there still is a right and lots of wrong ways to do things. Failing these assignments does not lead to the ‘Game Over’ screen as the universe will compensate and change due to a victory or loss. The real stinker about the campaign missions is that once in a sector with one available the player must participate in the mission or forfeit. Predicting when and where these events will take place is pretty tough. Using the news updates via the info window available between missions led me to a few trouble spots, but for the most part the effect seems random. Keeping prepared is tough, and if coming off of enough losses from the smaller missions, the player will not be prepared to take on the difficult tasks in the campaign.

The result is a loss, but why is a loss so important if the universe continues on? In most cases a captain that losses ships and officers isn’t a popular one. The ‘currency’ in Starfleet Command II consists of ‘Prestige Points’. These points are given to the player upon different levels of victory. Complete losses are not awarded, and usually the cost of repairing the ships the player has left results in actually losing prestige points. This wouldn’t be as much of a problem if players were allowed to simply roam around taking care of patrolling jobs for enough points to outfit for the tougher missions, but since campaign missions appear random it is easy to get caught with your pants down.

Those who have played the original Starfleet Command will feel right at home with its sequel. The action takes place in 3D but exists on a two dimensional plane. This creates a sort of ‘Naval Sim’ feel that is actually very fitting considering the size of the ships. The combat places a lot of importance on management of ship systems and positioning of your ship during a battle. Certain classes of ship are more vulnerable from certain sides, some ships turn faster than others, and the knowledge of these types of things must be taken into account during combat. Using a huge selection of weapons, counter measures, and ship systems, the player must utilize all the ships within their arsenal to achieve the mission. At any point during the battle the player can hop to another ship in their fleet and take command from there. The key to victory isn’t always as clear as the mission objectives. Sometimes things must be thought out and options explored before a final decision is made.

The interface has only been added to a little bit to include some of the newer technologies, but for the most part very little has been changed. This was a good move by Taldren as the interface is probably the best that can be utilized in a game like this. Considering the amount of options crammed into each battle, with a little practice most people can become quite adept at speeding across the cosmos. One of the enhancements to this interface regards fleet control. With the addition of sidebars that only appear when the fleet tab is clicked on, controlling all ships within a fleet is very easy to do. There are several options on these sidebars that regulate formation, as well as many tactical options that can be activated for each ship.

As with almost all Star Trek titles, Starfleet Command II: Empires at War benefits from great sound effects. Along with the usual phaser fire, torpedo launches, and explosion effects, Taldren has included officers that actually report in to the player. This feature isn’t really just for fluff as a lot of the information spouted by officers is actually useful info that can really help keep a Captain on their toes. The musical score is for the most part fairly solid as well. The scores used in Starfleet Command II mimic those found in the motion pictures, but also adapt to the current situation during battle. Previous to finding an enemy during a patrol the music is rather calm but the minute danger is detected the music picks up pace and adapts to the tension of the situation. Very cool stuff indeed, but there is one flaw and it is pretty easy to notice. When the music runs its course and it needs to make a transition, the change isn’t very smooth at all. This can work against the effect created by the adaptive score since it creates its own effect of the captain listening to their favorite Star Trek Soundtrack CD.

Without a doubt the most ambitious aspect of Starfleet Command II is the multiplayer game. There has been much debate over what has ended up happening. During development Taldren was working to host a static universe that all players could take part in. This is of course a very interesting and very exciting idea, but business is business and there were some snags. Now Taldren has worked up a deal with Interplay so that hosting will take place there. Unfortunately since all of this happened at the last minute Taldren has to re-work a lot of stuff that is already in SFC II, so that it will run correctly on the upcoming hosted service. This is an unfortunate situation, but it has been said that Taldren is working hard to make this happen. Of course all of the multiplayer options from the original are still intact and playing games hosted by other players on Mplayer is still pretty easy to do and the lag is nominal.

Starfleet Command was a great Star Trek title, and Starfleet Command II: Empires at War does a good job living up to the original. Until SFCII's online universe is officially up and running the extensive, but very difficult, single player campaign will be the major draw for most people. If you want an exciting starship combat simulator that presents some real challenge, this is the best.