After being underwhelmed last week, I enjoyed this one a lot.

I appreciated Beto cutting straight to the unspoken conflict at the heart of this franchise - Star Trek is kind of colonialist/imperialist.

When they got to the conclusion, my initial reaction is that “the people are the difference” was sort of trite…but what else is there, really? These are people who are willing to put their morality first, even as they walk an uneasy line.

The Steam page has a description:

Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown is a story-driven survival strategy game in which the fate of the iconic starship is in your hands. Take the helm, manage the ship and resources, and make difficult decisions. Will you be able to bring home the ship and its crew?

“What if?” Scenarios

Did you ever wonder what would have happened had Captain Janeway decided differently? If an important crew member had followed a different path? Or what the outcome would have been had the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager embraced Borg technology to increase their chances of survival?

Wonder no more: Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown allows players to take control and shape the journey of the U.S.S. Voyager as they want. Take a risky approach or play it safe. Be diplomatic or let phasers do the talking. Research technologies that were shunned by the crew. But: Be prepared to deal with the consequences of your actions! The game features rogue-like elements, so in each run you will encounter different situations and even iconic characters might meet an early end if you don’t react accordingly.

Deep Ship Management and Research

After being moved forcefully into the Delta Quadrant, the U.S.S. Voyager ends up heavily damaged and in dire need of repairs as well as internal reconstruction. Restore destroyed rooms, secure life support and energy supplies, and start constructing. Ship systems, crew quarters, industrial and research facilities: You must decide what to build and when, to ensure the ship has what it needs for the perilous journey.

Expedite research into different fields. New technologies and improved layouts will not only strengthen the ship but also boost your crew’s morale. Exotic and dangerous research, like the technology of the Borg, is also within your reach. As captain, will you embrace it for the potential it offers, or will you omit it for the dangers it presents?

Exploration and Resource Acquisition

The dangers and opportunities of the Delta Quadrant beckon to be discovered by you and your crew. Scan celestial bodies to locate precious resources that fuel your journey. Find points of interest and oddities along your way, but beware: While the Delta Quadrant may reward the bold, it punishes the careless just as quickly. As captain, you have the final say in plotting a course and defining an approach.

Ship Combat and Away Missions

The journey of the U.S.S. Voyager would not be possible without both combat between ships and away missions to planets or space facilities.

For away missions, put together a team based on the individual talents of your crew. A team with skills that complement each other might be best suited for the task, but it is up to you to call the shots. Minimize the risk for the team’s members, rush headlong into danger, or take a scientific approach - you decide.

When diplomacy fails, the U.S.S. Voyager and its crew are ready to enter ship combat at your command. From the bridge, you give commands for offensive and defensive maneuvers, targeting enemy ship systems and using special weaponry. And even during ship combat, the individual skills of your crew members come into play: Assign battle stations to crew who bring precious skills to the table and trigger them in crucial moments to maximize your combat effectiveness.

Features

”What if?” scenario and storytelling: The ultimate platform to play out your course of action during the iconic journey of the U.S.S. Voyager.

Complex ship management: Repair, construct, and maintain an efficient and habitable ship to ensure systems and crew operate effectively.

Exploration and decision making: The Delta Quadrant is a fascinating yet perilous place that awaits exploration and demands decisive action.

Combat and away missions: Use the talents of your crew smartly to minimize risk during away missions as well as strike boldly during ship combat encounters.

My takeaway? This time, Tuvix lives.

The Winnipeg sports podcast I listen to really ripped into MLSE and the league for next year’s Toronto “home” games in Hamilton, Winnipeg, and Regina - they argued that this is a prime opportunity to host some games on the East Coast, or in Quebec City, or elsewhere in Ontario - any place they could go to generate a little hype and grow the game. Instead, it seems like they’re taking the easy cash-grab route, and ruining any semblance of a home field advantage for the Argos.

It’s a shame to see them underperforming so far this year, but maybe they’ll get it together. Still lots of games to be played.

What’s the vibe in Toronto, anyway? Does hope spring eternal in the East?

It’s worth noting that the last time I heard Ben Stiller talking Trek - five years ago on the official podcast - he made it pretty clear that he was a TOS fan, and hadn’t really seen anything else.

Nothing wrong with that at all, but relevant IMO.

Also, he definitely doesn’t actually have a pitch.

…they asked him “Do you have any Star Trek pitches?” He promptly replied, “Yeah, let’s do it.”

I definitely noticed, but I wouldn’t say it bothered me. Dammit Jim, he’s an actor, not an astronomer!

And he’s speaking off the cuff at a convention, about a plot that would have been written nearly a decade ago. There’s any number of wires that could’ve been crossed in the retelling.

🙏

Riders @ Stamps should be a good one!

Is there any chance they could both lose this one? It’d help the Bombers a lot.

I don’t think I’ve heard anything about the reasoning re: Sundays, but I’ve definitely noticed it. Scheduling has been kind of odd across the board this year.

…Huh. Was this thing previously announced? I feel like this is the first I’m hearing of it.

I have no idea what the state of the VR games industry is these days - from this non-participant, it feels like it might have peaked a couple of years ago, but maybe I’m just ignorant.

Yeah, I wish I could say I was confident that they will be dismissed…

The “Community” episode was over a decade ago…

It sounds like the suspensions are for the duration of their investigation:

“Although I have been made aware that these events happened in 2023, these members remain subject to administrative and disciplinary action that may lead to their release.”

Assuming you’re referring to the “Uhura” speech, I think what saved it for me was that it had a dual purpose: yes, it was definitely about Star Trek and its place in the world…but it was also about the Amelia Moon novels that inspired La’An as a child.

Giving it a character-focused angle goes a long way in my books.

After a promising start, it seems like the Als might be in big trouble.

This should be an absolute humiliation for Hajdu and Carney, and I hope (but don’t expect) their responses will reflect that.

Indeed, the HQ on “Torchwood” is located directly beneath the water feature thingie.

Don’t worry, that will clear right up in…let’s say 16 or 17 seasons.

I think the script deserves some scrutiny, too.

I’m not one to complain about “quippiness” or whatever - humour in the face of danger is fine! - but there were a couple of moments on the Farragut* in particular that bumped me, with the characters seemingly shifting from somber to lighthearted from moment to moment.

Anyways, I don’t want to turn this into a second episode discussion thread, but it’s pertinent to the interview.

I got around to watching this last night. It’s fine - kind of like Star Trek’s old Ready Room companion show. It’s kind of nice to get an up-close view of props and things like that, but it’s hardly essential viewing.

Yeah, I’m glad that the episode has been quite well-liked overall, but it didn’t land right with me. I’m going to give it another look at some point - often, my opinion shifts once I have an understanding of what the episode is and is not.

It’s interesting that she highlighted the tonal challenges in the interview.