Star Trek : Starfleet Command Star Trek : Starfleet Command is a computer game based on the table - top wargame " Star Fleet Battles " . It simulates fleet warfare in the " Star Trek " universe . Story . " Starfleet Command " is an open world game ; a player ' s actions during a mission will affect the game world ( i . e , if the player succeeds , their chosen faction also succeeds ) . While the basic campaigns are meant to emulate the ' General War ' period of the " Star Fleet Battles " timeline , the main storyline of " Starfleet Command " spans several unique faction - based missions , focusing on the disappearance of the Organians . Gameplay . " Starfleet Command " is divided into three segments : a " Campaign " game , several " Skirmish " games and a multiplayer component . The " Dynaverse " ( the game ' s ' campaign ' mode ) resembles an adventure in which the captain of the ship ( the player ) earns prestige by successfully completing missions . These prestige points can be used to ' purchase ' new ships , as well as repair and refit them and assign crew members . The " Skirmish " and " play - and - forget " games are fast and self - contained and help the player become familiar with the game and the missions available in the " Dynaverse " . In multiplayer mode , the player connects via IP or using a game matching service such as Gamespy to challenge other Human players instead of the computer - controlled AI . The player can play as one of six races : Popularity . " Starfleet Command " was released by Interplay when the " Star Trek " computer - game franchise was experiencing incredible popularity . Interplay had previously released " , " which had given the company a dominant position among the three primary game publishers of the time . " Starfleet Command " proved equally popular , and a dedicated fan community developed to create modifications to the basic game ; such modifications included new ships , scenarios , alterations to existing game mechanics , and entirely new storylines and missions . The release of " Starfleet Command " is considered to be the beginning of a ' Golden Age ' for licensed " Star Trek " games ; between 1999 and 2001 , Interplay and Activision started producing more and better games in the franchise . The trend continued until 2001 , when Interplay bowed out and Activision took over all of the main components of the gaming franchise . " Starfleet Command " was was followed by three sequels : " " , " " , and " " ; the series is one of the longest - running ( and best - received ) series of the " Trek " game franchise . Gameplay . The game places the player in command of a single vessel , which the player must maneuver in combat to take advantage of weaknesses in the opposing ships ' design . Specific objectives are presented in the mission briefing , most of which involve the player investigating alien planets , ships or stellar objects . Controls and functions . The player must manage his ship ' s weapons , shields , propulsion and life - support via a control panel presented on the left side of the screen . The panel contains various ship settings ( weapons , velocity , and shields ) , and reconfigures depending on the player ' s current action ; the player can move the ship by clicking on it in the ' space ' portion of the window , or choose from several more complicated maneuvers from a selection on the panel . Gameplay dynamics . In " Starfleet Command , " ships are treated as complex entities , with a variety of tactics and resources . Starships are large mobile ' bases ' , and players spend more time managing power - levels and allocating resources than engaging in combat . During a battle , the player may use any of a number of weapons , such as beam weapons , missiles , shuttles , marines and tractor beams . The effectiveness of any particular weapon varies according to the enemy ' s ship type . By crippling specific sub - systems , the player can weaken or disable the enemy vessel , rather than destroying it outright . Some missions require the use of specific weapons or systems ; a player may be asked to use a tractor beam to rescue a disabled ship , or send in a squad of marines when capturing an enemy vessel . Versions . In late , a " Gold Edition " ( called the " Captain ' s Edition " in Germany ) was released with 26 new missions . In a third edition was released , dubbed the " Neutral Zone Edition " . This was a low - priced stripped down version that only included the Federation and Klingon races .