THIS PAGE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME. WE REVISE AND UPDATE IT ACCORDING TO THE QUESTIONS ASKED AND THE ANSWERS GIVEN TO THEM IN OUR FORUM. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REMAIN UP TO DATE ABOUT THE MOD, BE SURE TO VISIT THE FAQ OFTEN!

What is a "mod" or "modification"?

A "mod" or "modification" is exactly what it sounds: it modifies a computer game in various ways to create something new out of it.

Normally, we can distinguish between two main types of modifications:

It is possible to add new content to a game by using its already existing elements - that is the original sounds, models and textures of the program. In this case, the modification usually serves as an unofficial continuation of the original storyline or tells a separate story which is set in the same milieu in which the original game was set.

On the other hand, there are also modifications which although use some parts of the original game (for example the hardcode of the game's engine, some textures and/or game sounds) it is mostly built up by using custom third-party content (textures, models, sounds, music and game code) which is produced by the makers of the modification (the "modding team"). These modifications are also called "total conversions". In most cases, they are completely different in their atmosphere from the original game, and also introduce several features which cannot be found in the original product.

Star Trek Enterprise : Temporal Cold War (or ST: E-TCW for short) is going to be such a "total conversion" for the Half-Life 2 computer game.

What is ST: E-TCW all about?

E:TCW is a modification based on the fictional Star Trek universe - to be more precise, on the fifth Star Trek TV-series,  Enterprise. It will include all the main characters of the show, while the player will play the part of a crewman who was not impersonated in the series.

The mod will be set after the final fourth season of the show, but as the story is still under development (and as such, it is subject to radical changes) we would rather not give away anything else about it. During the game, the crew of the Enterprise must fight with enemy military vessels, merciless marauders, and with temporal agents.

It seems that I am on the wrong site! I hate Star Trek!

No, my friend! If you like sci-fi, or FPS games in general, it IS your site. :-) Although the mod is based on the Star Trek universe, and is created by Star Trek fans, it will NOT be made solely for Star Trek fans but will be enjoyable also for casual and veteran gamers alike.

Okay, you have convinced me. What are those "temporal agents"?

To give a concise answer: hopefully, a unique addition to the gameplay of the upcoming mod. To be more precise, let me give you a brief introduction to a very interesting concept of the Enterprise TV-show, called the "Temporal Cold War".

This war is not an "ordinary war", as it is a conflict where the primary battlefield is the timeline. This conflict is fought between various secret "temporal factions". The goal of each group is to change the timeline to be able to alter history to their own advantage. At the same time, they all try to sabotage all the other factions to prevent those "temporal modifications" that would be unfavourable for them. All these groups act through the help of the so-called “temporal agents” who will constitute an important part of the mod. They can appear during the long mission of the Enterprise when it is the least expected or wanted. Depending on the faction for which they work, their mission could either be the sabotage of the Enterprise, or the support of her mission in some way.

So the “Temporal Cold War” will play a large role in the mod. How the game-play will be affected by time travel?

Strongly. We are hoping to implement a fully dynamic mapping time-line where everything that is touched/modified/moved or otherwise altered in one time-line will affect other timelines that would be visited later during the game.

Talking about maps… Where will the story take place?

Firstly, the player will spend significant time aboard the Enterprise NX-01 – this is the place where the mission briefings will take place and where the player equips himself/herself for the next mission. The ship will be built for total exploration and will consist of several maps. It will be possible to roam freely between missions to explore the ship, find secret areas and collect valuable items that may help in the upcoming missions.

Secondly, although there will be some missions (including the tutorial mission) which is going to be set aboard the Enterprise, most of the operations will be set in a “strange new world” – that is, on alien planets, vessels, military/supply installations and so on.

What kind of game-play should I expect?

The game-play itself will be a mixture of single-player action and adventure which will heavily rely both on problem solving skills and reflexes. We will try to include also RPG elements by giving the ability to roam freely and explore the maps until a certain event calls you back into the action – and into the main, scripted game-play.

Then, are the maps going to be linear?

Most of the maps will include multiple entrances and exits. Also, there will be more than one task to be done on a map in most cases, some allowing you to access different areas of the map depending on the sequence in which these tasks were completed – increasing replayability in this way.

Will there be a multiplayer mode?

A team-based multiplayer mode is planned to be developed besides the single-player mode.

What kind of weapons will be usable in the game?

The standard Starfleet-issue weaponry, consisting of an electric Stun Baton, Stun Grenades, Phase Pistols and Phase Rifles. Although some custom and/or alien weapons will also be usable, we will stick to the original setting of the show as closely as possible – so do not expect any weapons of mass destruction… ;-)

Will the mod feature any of the original cast members?

Unfortunately, no. Most of the speech, voice-overs and conversations in the mod will be recorded by our own sound technicians and will be performed by our own talented voice actors.

To be concise: You are wrong. :-D
To be precise: Why NOT Enterprise should be the question. Not counting Star Trek Legacy and Star Trek Encounters, there has not been a Star Trek computer game so far that would have featured the Enterprise NX-01 (not to mention that the games listed above also do it only briefly). We are all great fans of the series and think that it was cancelled undeservedly back in 2005. We develop this mod therefore in salute to the cast and crew of this wonderful series, and (on the other hand) to create a faithful representation of the Star Trek universe.

Who works on the mod?

A team of professional, semi-professional and devoted developers, called "Lightspeed Design Studios", consisting of:

CaptainSource - Mod Leader, Modeller, Texture Artist, UV Mapping, Voice Acting, Sound Editing and Recording, Exporting and Compiling, Mapping, Basic Coding
2ndDeer - Modeller
Abs - Modeller
Admiraldougherty - Beta Team Leader Assistant
Archer - Coding, Website, Forum and Image Gallery Maintenance, German Translations and Moderating
Basstronix - Lead Composer
Croesus - Voice Actor/Audio
DrkPhoenix - Voice Actor / Script Writer
ErykGecko - Animator
Flanker - Concept Artist, modeller and textures
Flynn - Modeller, Mapper
GregOConn - Modeller
HerbieZ - Mapper
L337Cthulhu - Voice Actor
LordHorusNL - Mapper, Modeller
ManaT - Coder
RickenBacker - Coder
Shadow - Designer
Ticonderoga - Voice Actor
TripTucker - Modeller
WarpFIVE - Beta Team Leader Assistant/ Enterprise lore
X10 - Voice Actor
Zach - PR & Communications Officer at Hailing Frequency
JohnBart - PR Officer, Forum Administrator, Beta Team Leader, Enterprise lore

I would like to join! Do you have any vacant positions within the development team?

If you would like to contribute to the development of the mod, please start a topic within our forum at the Recruitment section (http://forum.enterprise-tcw.com/viewforum.php?f=2), and give us a short summary and/or presentation of your work. Alternatively, you can also contact CaptainSource via Private Message. Thank you in advance for your application!

When did you start the development?

In May, 2006.

And when will you finish?

Right now, we would rather not specify any exact date. But as soon as we have the demo and the first episode ready for the public, we will let you know!

First episode?!

Yes, we will release the modification episodically as it would suit the series perfectly. But the development of a next episode will depend on the response and remarks of Star Trek fans and players of the mod.

How much will the modification cost?

What will be the requirements of this modification?

Star Trek Enterprise: Temporal Cold War is built upon the Valve Source Engine, and therefore the mod's requirements will not differ from the demands of HL2. You will need:

• An authentic version of HL2 or HL2 - Episode 1
• Internet connection for Valve's Steam system
• The minimum system requirements include a 1.2 GHz CPU, 256 Mbyte RAM, a DirectX8 compatible graphics card and yet, an undetermined amount of hard-drive space to install E:TCW. 

Authentic? But will it be possible to run the mod with a non-steam version of Half-Life 2?

I just inserted this question to the FAQ to make it clear: questions concerning any kind of illegal activity are not tolerated, so please do not even take your time to make up a question about warez. There are several sites on the web where you would probably find the answer to a question like this – but our little community is not one of these.

I really like your main theme! Can I download it somehow?

Not yet. We will make it available upon the mod's release. You will just simply have to copy it from the mod's music folder.

I have not found the answer to my question!

Really? We would be happy to give you more information in the E:TCW Hotline at http://forum.enterprise-tcw.com/viewtopic.php?t=826. Just register, and post away! We hope you will have a nice time here! ;-)