Klingon Academy: Any Fans?

[Praetor]

I have recently pulled out my "Klingon Academy" discs and been playing through again on my trusty PC, and I'd forgotten just how awesome this game is, despite being almost a decade old now.

Besides the excellent combat sim itself (which I think is still pretty unparalleled) we get some nice exposition for TUC, including lots of Chang. (There's no such thing as too much Chang, in my book.)

We also get some really cool in-universe Klingon perspective on the Federation, Romulans, and other enemies. It's actually this game that turned me more in favor of the Romulans than the Klingons, as I realized just how complex and interesting the Klingons could be when they weren't just "Blah blah blah honor, blah blah blah Kahless, blah blah blah bloodwine..."

Okay, maybe the Federation didn't "actually" build the ginormous Missouri and Yamato battleships (drawing boards?), though I can see the Klingons and Romulans investing in theirs, and I'm not fully sure the Sha'Kurians are worth being considered canon. But still, I consider the game a part of my personal canon.

Particularly interesting in the in-universe stuff is how the Klingons see the Federation as dishonorable because of the way they "subvert and exploit" other civilizations rather than conquering them, and compares Klingon Intelligence and Romulan Tal Shiar to the Federation Diplomatic Service. Orwellian.

Anyone else have fond memories of this game?

 

[Kaziarl]

I loved that game. Someone stole my copy though, and I haven't been able to find another one since then. Who knows, maybe one day I'll find it in an antique store like I did recently with Star Trek:Klingon.

And honestly, my favorite part of the game is when you click the icon and it brings up the splash screen... Gotta love klingon opera

 

[Praetor]

Man, that sucks yours was stolen. I dig the load screen opera, myself.

 

[Amaris]

I love the game and still have it. The problem is that it doesn't play well on widescreens, or at least, on my widescreen PC. I have had three PCs since I bought that game, one with Windows 98, one with WinXP, one with Windows Vista. I wish I could play it.


J.

 

[Sisko]

@Praetor

How do you play it? If I use Xp it doesn't start and on Vista I can only play the first 4 missions, after that it always crashes.

 

[137th Gebirg]

I tried it. Although a definite step-up from Starfleet Academy on many levels by an order of magnitude, I found the controls to be a bit too complex. I couldn't even get past the first mission - fighting an Oberth in a BoP along the neutral zone (I am truly embarrassed to admit this, but there it is). Although I found the Chang/Gorkon cutscenes an excellent lead-in to the events in ST6. Mixed feelings about it, but a good attempt nonetheless, IMHO.

 

[TheGodBen]

I never played it but I have found a channel on YouTube that has uploaded all the story FMVs over the last few days, here's the link. I can't believe they brought back Christopher Plumber and David Warner for a video game!

 

[Sisko]

That Youtube channel is strangely familiar

 

[Praetor]

I love the game and still have it. The problem is that it doesn't play well on widescreens, or at least, on my widescreen PC. I have had three PCs since I bought that game, one with Windows 98, one with WinXP, one with Windows Vista. I wish I could play it.


J.

@Praetor

How do you play it? If I use Xp it doesn't start and on Vista I can only play the first 4 missions, after that it always crashes.

Frustratedly. I've read that a LOT of other people have the same problem. On Vista, I was never able to start it at all. This computer I have now has XP Service Pack 3 and nVidia, and it crashes infrequently, but long enough to play it. I'm not sure about the specifics of getting it going, though.

(I'd be happier if the short in my motherboard would let me have my sound card working all the time.)

I tried it. Although a definite step-up from Starfleet Academy on many levels by an order of magnitude, I found the controls to be a bit too complex. I couldn't even get past the first mission - fighting an Oberth in a BoP along the neutral zone (I am truly embarrassed to admit this, but there it is). Although I found the Chang/Gorkon cutscenes an excellent lead-in to the events in ST6. Mixed feelings about it, but a good attempt nonetheless, IMHO.

The controls are rather complicated - but once you get used to it, it becomes easier, I think. Still, I miss the simplicity of the controls of other games, but it's nice to be able to micromanage. Personally, I also hate not being able to see the ship you're in, but then, I don't really like first-person shooters much either.

I never played it but I have found a channel on YouTube that has uploaded all the story FMVs over the last few days, here's the link. I can't believe they brought back Christopher Plumber and David Warner for a video game!

That Youtube channel is strangely familiar

Excellent.

 

[caisson2delta]

I bought the game when it first came out, but haven't played it in years. I've had a mac for many years now and truly miss the game. One of my favorite features was having your marines board ships and capture them. The simulator/instant action was also very cool. I like that you could choose whatever ship you liked and do battle with any other ship as well. I think I once tried to attack a starbase with a shuttle, unsuccessfully I might add.

I have tons of old PC games that I would love to play again, but don't know if I will be able to with the tech level of these new PCs.

 

[Kaziarl]

I bought the game when it first came out, but haven't played it in years. I've had a mac for many years now and truly miss the game. One of my favorite features was having your marines board ships and capture them. The simulator/instant action was also very cool. I like that you could choose whatever ship you liked and do battle with any other ship as well. I think I once tried to attack a starbase with a shuttle, unsuccessfully I might add.

I have tons of old PC games that I would love to play again, but don't know if I will be able to with the tech level of these new PCs.

A virtual hard drive is one way to go. It can be a pain to set up, and if you have a computer like mine that doesn't have enough ram, it can be excruciatingly slow. It's what I had to do for Star Trek Klingon, so I know it does work.

 

[Praetor]

It's just occurred to me that this thread is useless without screencaps. I'll see if I can fix that.

I still love the way the Klingons' view of the Federation was depicted in the manual. I truly understood why they believed the Federation was dishonorable based on that.

 

[caisson2delta]

After reading this thread, I really want to go play the game again. I might actually be forced to buy a PC again. I'm out of the loop on PC's these days, any suggestions?

On a side note, there was one little glitch, so it were, with the game that bothered me. I was curious if anyone else had this issue as well, the pesky kamikaze AI on enemy ships. It seemed like, no matter what I would do, the damn ship I was facing would always ram me and either cripple my ship severely, or outright destroy me (usually in the BoP).

 

[Amaris]

^ The 2.0 patch fixes that problem.

Has anyone tried the game under Microsoft Virtual Machine?

J.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Speak of the devil. I just unearthed my KA discs a few minutes ago.

Unfortunatley, my PC is a Vista.

Blah.

 

[Amaris]

Yeah. Vista (and Windows 7) hates KA.


J.

 

[Kaziarl]

Speak of the devil. I just unearthed my KA discs a few minutes ago.

Unfortunatley, my PC is a Vista.

Blah.

Yeah. Vista (and Windows 7) hates KA.


J.

In that case you probably have no choice but to either get an old pc from goodwill, or use the virtual machine

 

[Amaris]

Speak of the devil. I just unearthed my KA discs a few minutes ago.

Unfortunatley, my PC is a Vista.

Blah.

Yeah. Vista (and Windows 7) hates KA.


J.

In that case you probably have no choice but to either get an old pc from goodwill, or use the virtual machine

Oh, don't worry. I've got a hammer. I'll work those compatibility issues out.

J.

 

[daedalus5]

^^^^
Lol.

I liked KA an awful lot - the cutscenes were terrific. I liked the cameo (dunno if it was really him or not) when

Spoiler: someone

Sulu turns up in the Excelcior

.......


Was given an extra lease of life when the mods came out too. I always liked the battle damage effects more in this game than in BC.

 

[Praetor]

^I shall have to see about that cameo... I never noticed.

I shall also get some screencaps for us all to drool over.

So this Windows Virtual Machine... works well?