Star Trek Strategic Operations Simulator: Tips and Tricks

TREKCORE > GAMING > STRATEGIC OPERATIONS SIMULATOR > Tips and Tricks

The following arcade version tips are thanks to Arcade History.

  • When you start the game, the Enterprise will be placed into the sector. You will have a 1-2 second delay so take a good look at where everything is at on your radar screen. Your first priority should always be to defend your starbase.

  • Try to use your warp as little as possible. On the early waves, you can make it to your starbase and defend it without having to warp to it. On the later waves, however, you will be needing that warp to get to your starbase quickly. Also, you will also be using your warp to get away from the Klingons, especially when they go into suicide mode (turn white).

  • As the game progresses, the Klingons get quicker and they maneuver faster to keep out of phaser range. When you do have a target within your phaser sight, a spinning yellow ring will outline the target. In addition to faster movement, the Klingons also fire faster so you can lose a ship very quickly in the later sectors.

  • It takes 5 shots to destroy a starbase. After the Klingon bomber has achieved that objective, it will change from red to purple and become a normal Klingon fighter that will attack you. Also, you can collide with the Klingon bomber causing the loss of 1 unit of shield energy.

  • After sector 20, there are random numbers of Klingon fighters in the sector. If the number is below 4, they may instantly turn white and attempt to ram your ship instead of firing on it. Before sector 20, if you take too long destroying the Klingons, they will also turn white.

  • You want to, as much as possible, avoid resupplying at the starbase. If you don't resupply, you will get a much larger score then if you do resupply. Plus, if you get enough points, you will get additional things anyway. So, bottom line, use the starbase only in the most dire of circumstances.

  • You will notice a blue, oval shaped ship on your radar. That is an antimatter UFO and the only thing you can destroy it with are phasers. If you notice, when you attempt to close in on it, the UFO moves away. The best way, if you can safely do it, is to move diagonally until the UFO is within your phaser range. Sometimes you get a lucky break and the sector starts with the UFO already in phaser range.

  • The NOMAD sectors are probably the most difficult sectors to deal with. NOMAD rapidly moves around the sector laying mines. These mines either detonate after a certain time period or when you hit them with phaser or photon torpedo fire. Keep in mind, if there are a lot of mines packed together, they will all detonate and your ship may be in the middle of it all. The best strategy is to hopefully put up a phaser barrage at the beginning of the sector and take NOMAD out quickly. If this fails, don't move around unless your ship is in danger. NOMAD will eventually return within range. In the later sectors, NOMAD moves very quickly so you have to be very quick on the controls.

  • Use your photon torpedoes sparingly since you have a limited number. If you see an enemy grouping of three or more, shoot a torpedo into the middle. Since photon torpedoes have a blast radius, you can probably take out those three ships with one shot. Again, use only on tight groupings of enemies or when desperate measures require desperate actions.

  • Become very familiar with the controls since a moments hesitation could end the Enterprise's 5 year mission prematurely.