The transcript for yesterday's Star Trek Online dev chat on player progression has been posted on the official forums. System Designer Steve "Snix" Nix answered numerous questions on the topic, which was also covered in the two most recent Ask Cryptic segments.

Nix said your characters will have species traits based on the species you select. "Most species have one or more Traits that are always gained, while allowing the player to chose a few from the species list to customize their character," he said.

In response to a question asking if NPCs can leave your team, Nix said Cryptic is interested in exploring the gameplay options that could occur if your bridge officers advance to Captain. He also said they will be offering a version of "sidekicking" in Star Trek Online to "encourage player groups of various experience to play together." You can read the full transcript after the jump.

<Bizarro_Rekhan> Hello everyone, and welcome to today's dev chat! This week we're talking about player progression. With us today is Steve "Snix" Nix, one of our erstwhile systems designers. If you have questions you'd like to ask, please ask them in #stoquestions. You can talk about the chat in #talktrek

<Bizarro_Rekhan> Here we go!


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <Zoberraz> I would like to know how race selection (beyond cosmetics) changes a character. For example, what gameplay differences will a human and a vulcan science-oriented captains have?

<Cryptic_Snix> Race selection (or species selection as we refer to it) offers Species Traits. Most species have one or more Traits that are always gained, while allowing the player to chose a few from the species list to customize their character.


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <Arokh72> You've given us a hint at the engineering side of things, can have some hints for the other professions such as Science. For example will we have medical as a science tree..think Dr Crusher and the USS Pasteur?

<Cryptic_Snix> There is a medical branch of the Science career, as well as various classes of science vessel to captain. Dr. Crusher and the USS Pasteur is a great example of this.


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <Deltab> Can one go from a Tactical ship to a Cruiser and then back while they are leveling form Commander, to Captain, then to Admiral?

<Cryptic_Snix> Absolutely. Your choice of ship to captain is up to you.


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <ExAstris> Is there a point at which a player gets diminishing or capped returns for skill point accumulation? If so, would it be easier to make a new character and crew to get a fully skilled escort ship, or would it be faster to cross train a captain already skilled in engineer/science (and deal with not having the innate class skills or any of the associat [snip]

<Cryptic_Snix> There is a limit to skill point accumulation, but it is not designed to overly restrictive. Creating a new character in STO should only be necessary to try out another career path, rather than trying to rebuild your original character with a different spec.


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <JupiterJeremy> Q: We know there are plans to allow player captains to respec. Will there be a respec system in place for Boffs, too?

<Cryptic_Snix> You can retrain your Bridge Officers in new abilities throughout your captain's career. They do not 'respec' per se (by respending their points), but can be retrained. We want players to collect a variety of officers to build their crew, rather than respec the same few over and over.


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <Peregrine_Falcon>Will Admiral level game-play be significantly different than lower ranking game-play. And if not, then why not?

<Cryptic_Snix> As you earn higher ranks, Starfleet becomes more dependent on you to be the deciding factor in defending the Federation against its greatest threats. As an Admiral, your missions often call upon you to gather a fleet of ships to tackle a challenge rather than a single ship.


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <Elveon> Will the ground classes be in some way connected to the space careers/abilities? e.g., can you build your Tactical Officer which is 100% tactical in space but on ground 100% medic?

<Cryptic_Snix> Your choice of career for your captain defines your abilities as an individual on the ground. So a Tactical Captain will always have tactical abilities for ground play. In space, your abilities are the sum of you and your officers/crew so you can focus your skill points in other disciplines like Engineering and Science.


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <IT_IS_GREEN> Will our NPCs always be with us? I mean, will we ever have some sort of thing where our "Riker" leaves to become Captain and we break in a new guy?

<Cryptic_Snix> Advancing your bridge officers to Captain has interesting game play options that we are exploring.


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <Zalacious> Going back to what Snix said "There is a limit to skill point accumulation, but it is not designed to overly restrictive. Creating a new character in STO should only be necessary to try out another career path, rather than trying to rebuild your original character with a different spec." Does that mean one will NOT be able to max all skills like what previously said?

<Cryptic_Snix> In regard to the skill point limit, as we continue to develop STO more skills and abilities may become available to captains. The skill point limit is in place to prevent players from 'overspending' before new choices become available and to make those choices a bit more meaningful.


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <Veggiesama> Is there a "sidekicking" option for experienced players to join up with inexperienced players?

<Cryptic_Snix> We will be offering a version of "sidekicking" in STO and encourage player groups of various experience to play together.


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <blarneystone> Will it cost more (action points, or whatever the progression points are called) for a Engineer class to buy a Tactical Ship and vice versa.

<Cryptic_Snix> The cost for acquiring a class of starship isn't determined by your own career choice. We are encouraging players to experiment with different Captain/Ship Class combinations.


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <Dominion1971> In respect to player progression, in your past City Of Games... there was a very nice Badges / Achievement system in place to reward players for doing "other" things then just combat.. Such as Exploration badges and many others.. Will STO have a similar system in place to make the game all the more fun to play?

<Cryptic_Snix> STO will offer a wide variety of achievements for all types of play. This will be a great way to introduce IP reference awards for players to further immerse them in the Star Trek universe.


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <Qweequeg> In ground combat will we eventually progress to the point where we can "one shot" opponents?

<Cryptic_Snix> In STO ground combat, players can momentarily Expose their enemies by using area of effect weapon attacks or kit abilities. When an enemy is Exposed, they are vulnerable to Exploit weapon attacks or kit abilities that deliver significant damage which can effectively "one shot".


<Bizarro_Rekhan> <Kelesh> In Regards to player progression and the Genesis Program. Should players who spend the majority of their time exploring Expect to develop their captain and bridge officers at a significantly slower pace than players who play through the episodic content?

<Cryptic_Snix> Exploration, episodic missions, or Neutral Zone warfare are all designed to reward the player in equal measure. We are designing STO to allow players to play the game in whatever fashion they like.


<Bizarro_Rekhan> And that's about it for us today, folks. Thanks a bunch for making it out. Be sure to check the official site for a transcript of today's chat. We'll see you again soon. Also: Be sure to stop by tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. PDT for trivia. Winners receive a beta key!