Cryptic has released a ton of Star Trek Online news over the past week for eager fans. The revamped site and finalized box art have been unveiled, the open beta has been scheduled for Jan. 12-26, and we were just given five exclusive screenshots to share with our readers. In the midst of all that, Cryptic also released two videos outlining starship combat.

Parts one and two of the Starship Tactics series can be found on the site's video page, and both of them give you a taste of what it's going to be like to engage your enemy in starship combat. Players will need to use their energy weapons to weaken enemy shields and then cripple the hull with photon torpedoes.

The first video focuses on the three types of ships, component customization and the importance of bridge officers. The second video explains how you will be able to allocate power between your weapons and shields, and confirms that you'll be able to launch shuttles full of boarding parties at enemy ships. Both videos are full of pre-beta gameplay footage and show examples of the user interface, so check them out to see what Star Trek Online will look like when it launches on Feb. 2, 2010.