Star Trek: Starfleet Command 2 Expansion - Orion Pirates

Known for keeping their identities secret, the mythic Orion Pirates are a deadly cartel of privateers and criminals controlling "territories" of Federation space. Starfleet Command II Expansion--Orion Pirates features an improved user interface and crew voices, 12 new single-player campaigns, and 12 new multiplayer missions. Additionally, there are 26 Star Trek skirmishes andthree bonus missions based on the "A Piece of the Action" TV episode.

This standalone product does not require Star Trek: Starfleet Command Volume II--Empires at War to play.

If you don't know SFC, its level of tactics is unequaled in the gaming industry. There is no space simulation game that is more detailed and fascinating.

It takes skill. This is not a shoot-em-up. While not easy to learn, patience and practice will mold you into a feared and deadly starship captain. The online play, supported by the free GameSpy Arcade, is the most rewarding, for you can pit your skills against other captain wannabes. Do not be discouraged. As I said, it takes seasoned skill to win. When you first begin, you have little hope against a veteran player. Your skills will improve in a few weeks, however. Your first victory against another human opponent will be sweet, sweet, sweet.

Buggy at first, with patches it has become very stable. It is a very rewarding game for those who are looking for a game with a little depth.


A Superior Simulator   August 9, 2002
Steven A. Bell (Kemp, Texas USA)
First let me state that the interface takes a bit of getting used to AND for you old time Star Fleet Battles people, there are some changes to the way things are managed ship-wise.

Okay, when I got used to everything by running the various tutorials (which were quite fun - you get to blow some things up), you finally can go and play against the computer.

The AI is pretty good. I haven't found very many ways to fool things. I found that when an opportunity presented itself, no matter how small, the computer would attempt to take advantage of it (i.e. firing on a weak or down shield, speeding up to gain range from your heavy weapons).

The graphics are excellent. It made me smile to see that they kept the 2-D look and feel of SFB, and being a fan of the miniatures I liked it that they kept the ship types and shapes also. With this game things hop and the stuff flies! The drones are very well done. Especially when running frigates you can actually see detail on them as they pass by!

Anyway, this game is really addictive and I have already burnt too many hours playing it. Well worth the money!

BTW, you do not need to buy any of the previous Starfleet computer products. This one has all that the previous ones have and more (I own all of them). So save your money for any future expansions of this product. Enjoy!


Rocks Hard   September 3, 2004
Accelerate (Planet Earth)
I have played all the Starfleet games and sims. This one is classic both in execution and technical game play. It accurately details hundreds of ships. This game is true to the original Starfleet Command board game. Yes it is several years old but it is the best of the best for strategic and tactical combat. The LAN multiplayer support is also done really well. Buy it! Enjoy it! live long and prosper!


SFC2: Orion Pirates... join a community of gamers   September 9, 2004
Ronin (CA, USA)
3 out of 11 found this review helpful

SFC2: Orion Pirates builds on the SFC series which began in 1999 with SFC1. The Interplay game then became SFC2, which added two new races and a corresponding increase in ship choices. Finally, SFC2: Orion Pirates opens the door to an additional eight playable races, the "Pirate Cartels." Now the cartels vessels are not truly on par with the other eight races, but they are pirates, after all, not races with planetary or system-wide economies. With SFC community patches and upgrades this game is excellent, with bugs and problems a thing of the past.

The game plays extremely well and is, for anyone who enjoys a true mental challenge, heads and shoulders above anything else this gamer has encountered. All too often today game designers presume that a consumer wants "ease of play" more than they want "replayability." Not so here. You will find your mind challenged at least as much as your reflexes. It is a difficult thing to keep track of Electronic Counter Measures, Shield reinforcement, movement rate and direction, weapons systems, point defense systems, transporters, tractor beams and many other things while your opponent is doing likewise in an attempt to reduce your ship to a flaming ruin, but even a basic understanding of how to do this brings a challenge and enjoyment few games offer. I have been playing since SFC was introduced and can say unashamedly that it is the best game I have ever played, hands down.

The game is based on a pen and paper game called Starfleet Battles, which was created by Amarillo Design Bureau. Starfleet Battles is likely one of, if not the most, complex games ever created. Starship tactical combat in the 23rd century using hundreds of pages of rules. You can imagine. Those of us who played it waited patiently for roughly 20 years for it to arrive in PC form. With all the calculations, measurements and headaches removed (the PC does all that) what remains is SFC: Orion Pirates. All the good, without the bad.

If you are interested, allow me to point you to a community of people who all love the game at http://www.dynaverse.net/ where you can learn more about the game, about the community created additions (which add many more ships straight from Starfleet Battles) as well as how you can become a part of the community. (Check the forums.) You can also become a part of a divisional league that uses this game at http://www.gzleagues.com/forum/ where they will be happy to assist you.

Five years of this game in one form or another and I can tell you that there is nothing else like it. Do yourself a favor. Spend the $10 and say hello to the communities I mentioned above. You will be glad you did.

Respects...

Ronin