History VideoGame / StarTrekStarfleetCommand

* ThePlague: The Romulan campaign in ''Starfleet Command I'' revolves around checking the spread of a hideously contagious disease called "The Traveler's Death", which is essentially the Black Plague InSpace.

* MacrossMissileMassacre: Many of the races can use missiles, but the Mirak specialize in them. That was until [[UpToEleven Orion Pirates upped the ante to levels of insanity never before dreamt with the MIRV]]. Essentially, it's one missile that splits into six, which is bad enough. But keep in mind, a ship can only guide so many missiles at once up to a maximum limit of 12, but [[GoodBadBugs as the six smaller missiles register as only one]] [[DeathInAllDirections it is possible to fire up to 72 missiles at one target]].

* TimTaylorTechnology: Usually [[JustifiedTrope justified]] by the fact that on average, not one of the systems on your ship will be functioning at their limits, ever. This is because you only have a limited amount of power that must be divided amongst dozens of subsystems at any given time. However, the [[WaveMotionGun Mauler]] in Orion Pirates takes this trope UpToEleven, as unlike the other weapons it doesn't do fixed damage. The damage the Mauler does is based purely on your ships power output, and does greater or less damage accordingly.

* AliensAndMonsters: ''[[RecycledInSpace Space]]'' Monsters, to be precise.

* ExplosiveOverclocking: Your ship can perform "[[Instant180DegreeTurn High Energy Turns]]" in combat that have a random chance of ''[[UnusualEuphemism frinxing]] up your ship but good''. Effects include damage to your ships hull and engines, and your ship may "break down", [[SpaceDoesNotWorkThatWay as in literally coast to a stop in space]] and shut down completely for several seconds. During which, of course, you are totally defenseless.

The first and second entries focus on conflicts from the various ''TabletopGame/StarFleetBattles'' campaigns, while ''Starfleet Command III'' is a prequel to ''Film/StarTrekNemesis''. The first game has been re-released through Website/GOGDotCom.

* NukeEm: {{Orbital bombardment}} is a common mission objective. Also, ''Starfleet Command II'' has the player in one mission beam an away team down to an enemy base to plant a massive explosive device. Fully weaponized and [[FrickinLaserBeams Frickin Laser Beam'ed]] by the Hydrans with their Fusion Cannon.

* MacrossMissileMassacre: Many of the races can use missiles, but the Mirak specialize in them. That was until [[UpToEleven Orion Pirates upped the ante to levels of insanity never before dreamt with the multi missile]]. Essentially, it's one missile that splits into six, which is bad enough. But keep in mind, a ship can only guide so many missiles at once up to a maximum limit of 12, but [[GoodBadBugs as the six smaller missiles register as only one]] [[DeathInAllDirections it is possible to fire up to 72 missiles at one target]].

* DynamicDifficulty: The enemy ships you face in each mission are (most of the time) scaled to the strength of your ship(s). In ''SFC 1'' the system works just about perfectly (though it does have a tendency to spawn fleets that are slightly too strong for your fleet when you're flying multiple ships, such as spawning three cruisers when you're flying a cruiser, a light cruiser and a destroyer, but in ''SFC 2'', the difficulty is all over the bloody place, being perfectly happy to spawn frigates against your battleship and battleships against your cruiser. Part of this is to do with the fact that the game will sometimes pit you against the enemies that are already present on ''SFC 2's'' hex-based galaxy map (as on this map there are NPC ships flying around all over the galaxy flying missions of their own in the background), which can easily be much stronger or much weaker than your ship(s), instead of spawning fresh ones, but other times the computer simply (and inexcusably) gets it horribly wrong.

* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill (Target's hull is down to one point? [[DeathInAllDirections ALPHA STRIKE]].

* ExplosiveOverclocking: Your ship can perform "High Energy Turns" in combat that have a random chance of ''[[UnusualEuphemism frinxing]] up your ship but good''. Effects include damage to your ships hull and engines, and your ship may "break down", [[SpaceDoesNotWorkThatWay as in literally coast to a stop in space]] and shut down completely for several seconds. During which, of course, you are totally defenseless.

The first and second entries focus on conflicts from the various ''TabletopGame/StarFleetBattles'' campaigns, while ''Starfleet Command III'' is a prequel to ''Film/StarTrekNemesis''.

* AlternateContinuity: ''Starfleet Command III'' is set in the same [[TheVerse 'Verse]] as ''[[VideoGame/StarTrekBridgeCommander Bridge Commander]]'', ''VideoGame/StarTrekArmada'', and the ''[[VideoGame/StarTrekEliteForce Elite Force]]'' games. All also published by Activision). On the other hand, ''Starfleet Command I'', ''II'', and ''Orion Pirates'' are set in a variant continuity of the ''Star Fleet Battles'' pen and paper roleplaying game (there are a few things ''Star Fleet Battles'' aren't ''allowed'' to use that ''SFC'' has, such as ridge-headed Klingons, Excelsiors and Wrath of Khan-style uniforms, and conversely there is one thing ''Battles'' can use that ''SFC'' couldn't -- the Kzinti).

** Starfleet Command 4 is being developed by Dynaverse...or was...[[{{Vaporware}} or something]].
*** Is, but priority is given to a Windows 7-adapted version of ''Empire at War'', to better familiarize the current developers with the source code.
*** Spaceflight and space combat in ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'' looks like it borrows quite a bit from ''Starfleet Command III''. This is in no way a bad thing.

** Nah, they're basically shrunken versions of William Christophers "Masters" (From the Tripods Trilogy), so of course they got the British hat.

* HeroicMime: Subverted. The player character speaks often, though usually only in the form of text on the screen.

* TwoDSpace: No Z-axis for you!

* AlternateContinuity: ''Starfleet Command III'' is set in the same [[TheVerse 'Verse]] as ''[[StarTrekBridgeCommander Bridge Commander]]'', ''VideoGame/StarTrekArmada'', and the ''[[VideoGame/StarTrekEliteForce Elite Force]]'' games. All also published by Activision). On the other hand, ''Starfleet Command I'', ''II'', and ''Orion Pirates'' are set in a variant continuity of the ''Star Fleet Battles'' pen and paper roleplaying game (there are a few things ''Star Fleet Battles'' aren't ''allowed'' to use that ''SFC'' has, such as ridge-headed Klingons, Excelsiors and Wrath of Khan-style uniforms, and conversely there is one thing ''Battles'' can use that ''SFC'' couldn't -- the Kzinti).
* AllThereInTheManual: The ''Sovereign's'' description connects the events of ''III'' to ''StarTrekBridgeCommander''.

* GameMod: Not nearly as many as ''[[StarTrekBridgeCommander Bridge Commander]]''. But definitely present.

* KnightTemplar / BloodKnight: Again, the Interstellar Concordium, ''Starfleet Command III's'' BigBad.

* ExplosiveOverclocking: Weapons such as Photon Torpedoes, Fusion Cannons, and the Phaser X, can be set to overload mode. This effectively doubles the power of each, but ''will destroy that weapon if overused''. Your ship can also perform "High Energy Turns" in combat that have a random chance of ''[[UnusualEuphemism frinxing]] up your ship but good''. Effects include damage to your ships hull and engines, and your ship may "break down", [[SpaceDoesNotWorkThatWay as in literally coast to a stop in space]] and shut down completely for several seconds. During which, of course, you are totally defenseless.
** Not quite. The only weapon that can be destroyed by overloading it is the Hydran Fusion Beam, and only on "Suicide Overload" (it also has a normal "overload" mode, which cannot destroy the weapon). Photon Torpedoes, Disruptors, etc cannot destroy themselves no matter how many times they are fired on "overload", Sulu's line in the first game's tutorial about "overload" mode on photons causing "significantly more wear on the photon torpedo launcher" being purely for flavour. Also, High Energy Turns can only cause damage if they cause the ship to break down. "Engine doubling" on Orion ships (which, as the name suggests, doubles the power output of the ship's engines) in the Orion Pirates expansion will, however, damage the ship's engines over time.

* AllTheMyriadWays: A story mission in Starfleet Command 1 has the player [[spoiler: hunt down their MirrorUniverse alternate]].

* LateToTheTragedy: What kicks off the plot of ''Starfleet Command'', and later ''[[ChekovMIA Starfleet Command II]]''.

* AlternateContinuity: ''Starfleet Command III'' is set in the same [[TheVerse 'Verse]] as ''[[StarTrekBridgeCommander Bridge Commander]]'', ''VideoGame/StarTrekArmada'', and the ''[[VideoGame/StarTrekEliteForce Elite Force]]'' games. All also published by Activision). On the other hand, ''Starfleet Command I'', ''II'', and ''Orion Pirates'' are set in a variant continuity of the ''Star Fleet Battles'' pen and paper roleplaying game (there are a few things ''Star Fleet Battles'' aren't ''allowed'' to use that ''SFC'' has).

A series of space combat/strategy games initially developed by Creator/{{Interplay}}/Taldren and later by Creator/{{Activision}} that took ''Franchise/StarTrek's'' SpaceIsAnOcean sensibilities and ran with them full-steam ahead. Initially inspired by the pen and paper/board game ''TabletopGame/StarFleetBattles'' during Interplay's time as developer. When Activision took over for ''Starfleet Command III'', the game shifted from the period of ''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries The Original Series]]'' to the ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Next Generation]]'' era, and took an approach to the ships and gameplay that more reflected Trek Canon.

-->"Finally, a starship naval combat game worthy of the name Franchise/StarTrek."

A series of space combat/strategy games initially developed by Interplay/Taldren and later by Activision that took Franchise/StarTrek's SpaceIsAnOcean sensibilities and ran with them full-steam ahead. Initially inspired by the pen and paper/board game StarfleetBattles during Interplay's time as developer. When Activision took over for Starfleet Command 3, the game shifted from the period of [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries The Original Series]] to the [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Next Generation era]], and took an approach to the ships and gameplay that more reflected Trek Canon.

The first and second entries focus on conflicts from the various StarfleetBattles' campaigns, while Starfleet Command 3 is a prequel to Film/StarTrekNemesis.

* AbortedArc: Starfleet Command 2: Orion Pirates was originally intended to include campaigns for all the major empires [[spoiler: fighting against the Andromedans]], which were all dropped. Likely due to serious financial troubles faced by Interplay and Taldren at the time.
* AliensAndMonsters: ''[[InSPACE Space]]'' Monsters, to be precise.

* AlternateContinuity: Starfleet Command 3 is set in the same [[TheVerse 'Verse]] as [[StarTrekBridgeCommander Bridge Commander]], The Armada, and the Elite Force games: All also published by Activision). On the other hand, Starfleet Command One, Two, and Orion Pirates are set in a variant continuity of the Starfleet Battles pen and paper roleplaying game (there are a few things Starfleet Battles aren't ''allowed'' to use that SFC have).

* AllThereInTheManual: The Sovereign's description connects the events of SFC3 to StarTrekBridgeCommander
* ApocalypseHow: Pops up occasionally, this being Franchise/StarTrek and all.
* BarrierWarrior: The Lyrans ([[InsistentTerminology That's pronounced Lear-uhns!]]) have the ESG field. Basically a ring of death that surrounds a Lyran ship and damages everything that gets too close, it's practically a death sentence if used against a smaller ship. [[GameBreaker Gets stupidly useful in Starfleet Command 2 and its expansion when dealing with carriers]].
* BigBad: The Interstellar Concordium in SFC2 and the [[spoiler: Romulans]] in Starfleet Command 3. The various races each had their own troubles to contend with in Starfleet Command 1, but by far the greatest of the various threats was [[spoiler: the Terran Empire's plans to destroy the Federation with a ''fleet'' of Planet Killers]].
* BigDamnHeroes: A few times in the first game. Quite a bit in Starfleet Comand 3. There are also random missions where the player must come to the aid of another ship, starbase, or planet.
* {{BFG}}: Your mauler has come equipped with a ship.

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Phasers A and B in Orion Pirates. The Ph A is colored blue and effective against shields, but piss against hull. The Ph B is colored red and devastating to an exposed ship hull, but won't do jack against shields.
* CoolStarship: Too many to begin to list. Collectively, ''thousands'' of models have been made for these games from Franchise/StarTrek to WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}.
* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler: The [[StarTrekAwayTeam USS Incursion]] and the technology behind it play a massive role in Starfleet Command 3's plot]]

* CriticalExistenceFailure: Starfleet Command 3
* CrewOfOne: Played straight. In SFC1&3 you can gather a crew, but they only affect your ships performance (a more skilled helmsman will make your ship handle better, ect.
* DeadlyUpgrade: The Phaser X in Orion Pirates is a more powerful, [[ExplosiveOverclocking overloadable]] version of the Phaser 1.

* DynamicDifficulty: The enemy ships you face in each mission are (most of the time) scaled to the strength of your ship(s). In SFC 1 the system works just about perfectly (though it does have a tendency to spawn fleets that are slightly too strong for your fleet when you're flying multiple ships, such as spawning three cruisers when you're flying a cruiser, a light cruiser and a destroyer, but in SFC 2, the difficulty is all over the bloody place, being perfectly happy to spawn frigates against your battleship and battleships against your cruiser. Part of this is to do with the fact that the game will sometimes pit you against the enemies that are already present on SFC 2s hex-based galaxy map (as on this map there are NPC ships flying around all over the galaxy flying missions of their own in the background), which can easily be much stronger or much weaker than your ship(s), instead of spawning fresh ones, but other times the computer simply (and inexcusably) gets it horribly wrong.
* EarthShatteringKaboom [[StuffBlowingUp Oh so many]]. Even the smallest frigate is capable of producing one given enough time.
* TheEmpire: Plenty of actual Empires abound in both the Interplay and Activision continuitys. But the in the trope's sense, the Interstellar Concordium is pretty much TheFederation's EvilTwin.

* {{Expy}} The Mirak for LarryNiven's Kzinti. Also the Lyrans. And they ''hate'' each other. Expy battle royale!
** The Lyrans, whilst felinoid like the Mirak/Kzinti, are not an expy. They were, in fact, cut from whole-cloth by the makers of Star Fleet Battles (on which SFC is based) and are quite different to the Mirak/Kzintis.

* FasterThanLightTravel: Players can warp around 'till their hearts content in Starfleet Command 3. Not so much in the first two.

* FiveManBand: In Starfleet Command one and three, you assemble your own senior staff who will be under your command throughout the game. Subverted (sp?) in Starfleet Command 2, as the code and text strings remain in the game, but are inactive.
* GameMod: Not nearly as many as [[StarTrekBridgeCommander Bridge Commander]]. But definately present.

* HopelessBossFight: Almost never. Whatever the situation, there is usually a way to come out alive if the player knows their ship well enough. In Starfleet Command 3 it is fully possible to destroy [[spoiler: the [[Film/StarTrekNemesis Scimitar]] ]] singlehandedly, in a ''light cruiser!!!''
** : If you're playing a mod involving the Borg though, expect this trope full stop, unless you're rolling with a fleet of [[MightyGlacier Excaliburs]].
* KnightTemplar / BloodKnight: Again, the Interstellar Concordium, Starfleet Command 2's BigBad.
* LateToTheTragedy: What kicks off the plot of Starfleet Command, and later [[ChekovMIA Starfleet Command 2]].
* MacrossMissileMassacre: Many of the races can use missiles, but the [[LarryNiven Kzi-]] ''Mirak'' specialize in them. That was until [[UpToEleven Orion Pirates upped the ante to levels of insanity never before dreamt with the multi missile]]. Essentially, it's one missile that splits into six, which is bad enough. But keep in mind, a ship can only guide so many missiles at once up to a maximum limit of 12, but [[GoodBadBugs as the six smaller missiles register as only one]] [[DeathInAllDirections it is possible to fire up to 72 missiles at one target]].

* MirrorUniverse: The Federation plot in Starfleet Command 1 [[spoiler: has the player battling their mirror universe alternate and mirror [[Series/StartrekTheOriginalSeries Commodore Decker]] to prevent them from destroying the Federation with a ''legion'' of Doomsday Machines]].
* MoreDakka: The Ph G, or "Gatling Phaser" in Starfleet Command 1 and 2. The entire purpose for the Pulse Phaser in Starfleet Command III.

* NukeEm: Orbital bombardment is a common mission objective. Also, Starfleet Command 2 has the player in one mission beam an away team down to an enemy base to plant a massive explosive device. Fully weaponized and [[FrickinLaserBeams Frickin Laser Beam'ed]] by the Hydrans with their Fusion Cannon.
* ThePlague: The Romulan campaign in Starfleet Command 1 revolves around checking the spread of a hideously contagious disease called "The Traveler's Death", which is essentially the Black Plague InSpace.

* ShoutOut: One of the missions in the Romulan campaign is named "The Secret Of Romulan Fury". This is a shout out to a cancelled game called "The Secret Of Vulcan Fury", that was being developed by Interplay at the time.
* ShowsDamage: In SFC 1, you'd start leaking glowy purple plasma trails. In the sequels, you'd see scorch marks, electrical cracklies, and bits of your ship on fire.

* {{Space Whale}}s:: More like Space ''[[ThreateningShark Sharks]].'' Things. Hideous killer death monster beasties. InSPACE. You get the picture.
* SpiritualSuccessor: Star Trek: Tactical Assault, developed by Bethesda Softworks, used much of the Starfleet Command formula. Meanwhile over on the XBOX 360/PC, StarTrekLegacy also shared many elements with this series.
** : Starfleet Command 4 is being developed by Dynaverse...or was...[[{{Vaporware}} or something]].

*** : Spaceflight and space combat in VideoGame/StarTrekOnline looks like it borrows quite a bit from Starfleet Command 3. This is in no way a bad thing.

* VideogameCrueltyPotential: So goddamn much. See that planet? BLOW IT UP. See that moon? BLOW IT UP. See that ship? STEAL IT AND FLY IT INTO A BLACK HOLE. Alternatively, you could simply drop a Borg Cube into the game and embark on a bloody, psychopathic rampage across the Milky Way, YouBastard.

* WaveMotionGun: The Mauler in Orion Pirates fits the trope to a T. In both Starfleet Command 1 and 2 we have the Phaser 4 (Ph4), which is an insanely powerful weapon that can only be mounted on space stations or planets.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler: The Organians dissapeared in the first game to bring back an enemy in Starfleet Command 2 that could force the major powers from the first game to unite, in an effort to prepare them to repel a massive invasion from the Andromeda galaxy that would have completely wiped them all out otherwise, had they not learned to put aside their differences for a common cause]]. At least that's what [[AbortedArc would have happened]].

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: That ship you just blew up had about twelve marines from your own on it, WhatTheHellHero?