You're using an unsupported web browser. Some features may not work correctly. Please check out our list of supported browsers for the best experience. Dismiss

Star Trek Online

The Emperor's Lock Box!

By Ambassador Kael | Tue 15 Jan 2019 09:00:00 AM PST

The Terran Empire’s latest incursion into the modern universe was accidental but no less effective for it. Details around the actual conflict are tightly classified, but debris and technology from that conflict have appeared in our universe, much to our scientists' delight.

Starfleet, the Lobi Consortium, and a handful of other interested parties have acquired and replicated all manner of interesting tech from the dark side of the mirror. What twisted paths might the Terrans have taken as their trek through the cosmos diverged ever farther from Starfleet’s? What advances unchecked by treaty or conscience have now arrived in our universe? The Emperor’s Lock Box is filled with brutal machinations Emperor Georgiou saw fit to grace with a berth aboard her flagship, the I.S.S. Charon. It contains a ship, space weapons, duty officer assignments, kit modules, and traits. Additionally, each box contains a Terran Fortune Cookie, packed with the wisdom and nutrition of the Terran Empire!

The Mirror Universe is a classic premise given special life by the universe of Star Trek. Dystopias are common, but a dark take on Starfleet is something more—all the understanding, embrace of science, and broad vision of Roddenberry’s creation alloyed with the traditional jackbooted nightmare of a future turned dark, resonating strongly in memories carried by the grandchildren of the wars to end all war. It’s our fervent hope that as you gaze into the mirror and all you know reverses before your eyes, you find something rewarding and new gazing back at you. This lock box will let you use the Emperor’s finest, but take care not to reflect too deeply on these dark designs…

 

The Emperor’s Lock Box contains a mighty Grand Prize: the Styx Terran Dreadnought Cruiser [T6]. While its origins are undisclosed, some enterprising engineers have produced a ship design clearly inspired by the mighty I.S.S. Charon. Incorporating understanding of the Terran Empire’s military structure, the Styx encapsulates imperial military doctrine. Its hangar bay deploys Magee-class frigates, by mass an order of magnitude more impressive than traditional fighters, by design sadistic and debilitating to ships well above their class. Even as the immense ship and its enormous “fighter” support loom above the battlefield, its opponents shrivel, broken by the agony of Terran majesty. More details about the Styx will be available in a future blog post.

 

The Styx Terran Dreadnought Cruiser comes equipped with the Magnetohydrodynamic Fusion Expulsion Universal Console. When activated, this console distorts the magnetic fields around the ship’s exotic fusion core, causing a violent expulsion of the ionized plasma at the device’s corona. As this blindingly hot coronal matter is ejected, any ship not vaporized instantly is flung away, their hull lit afire and weakened by the aftermath. If activated from any ship other than the Styx, this console instead creates an unstable variant of the Straal-class phenomenon believed to power that vessel, which detonates to approximate the same effect.e.

After achieving level 5 in the Styx Terran Dreadnought Cruiser starship mastery, you will unlock the Vaulting Ambition Starship Trait. While this trait is slotted, your energy weapons gain massive Critical Severity against foes at low health.

 

The Styx has one hangar bay equipped with Mirror Universe Frigates. These ships are significantly larger and more powerful than traditional fighters, and come equipped with an Agony Beam to debilitate their foes. These Frigate pets can only be launched from the Styx.

(Additional information on the above starship will be contained in a separate Developer Blog.)

 

A special console can be acquired from the Emperor’s Lock Box as well: The Approaching Agony Universal Console. When activated, this console deploys a small pressurized bubble of coherent Agonizer discharge, directing it via projected magnetic fields towards a nearby enemy starship. Once close enough, the field is released, causing the bubble to burst into a cloud of highly charged particles and a massive amount of Agony energy stored within. With nowhere else to go, the cloud naturally seeks the nearest enemy ship. Ships inside the cloud suffer waves of Agonizing energy discharging into their hulls, damaging their systems and torturing their crews. The cloud deals significant Phaser damage over time, and each wave of damage has a chance to disable the enemy ship outright for a few moments.   

 

Additionally, the Emperor’s Lock Box has new Space weapons within the Emperor’s Weapon Pack. A rich variety of Mirror Universe space weaponry has become available. With the choice of either Disruptors or Phasers, within them either beams or cannon, and within that Focusing-linked, Targeting-linked, and Resilience-linked, these weapons provide tremendous customizability.   These weapons provide a bonus to ability cooldowns within their discipline (Science, Tactical, or Engineering respectively) as well as an additional stat boost appropriate to their type. Rarely, weapon packs contain the Emperor Vanity Shield, providing the aesthetics of the Charon to a ship that equips it in its vanity shield slot. 

 

Captains may also find Emperor’s Kit Module packs. These Kit Modules are universal, and can be used by any class.

  • Emperor’s Execution Spinner
    • Most famously employed by Emperor Georgiou, this brutal metal disc deploys razor sharp blades, flying in an arc and slicing through all enemies inside it for heavy physical damage.
  • Deploy Agony Field
    • This ability places a small generator that deploys an enormous dome-shaped field of Agony, continuously damaging any enemy in contact with it. The dome shrinks slowly over the next 20 seconds.
  • Deploy Ambush Turrets
    • Suddenly deploys a pair of short-lived turrets which spray rapid fire phaser bolts in a narrow cone, mowing down any enemies unlucky enough to be caught in their field of fire.

 

New Captain’s Traits are also available within the Emperor’s Lock Box. They are universal and available to all species.

  • Ground: Terran Vision
    • Significantly improves your Critical Severity. However, receiving a critical strike slows you somewhat for a brief duration. This drawback is limited in how often it triggers. 
  • Ground: Make an Example
    • Defeating an enemy impresses nearby enemies with the consequences of their actions, temporarily debuffing their resistance to damage based on the rank of the defeated enemy.
  • Ground: Show No Weakness
    • Improves your resistance to incoming damage from the front and the sides. Reduces your resistance to incoming flanking damage.
  • Space: Terran Targeting Systems
    • Significantly improves your Critical Severity. However, receiving a critical strike slows you somewhat for a brief duration. This drawback is limited in how often it triggers. 
  • Space: Into the Breach
    • Defeating an enemy impresses creates an opening for your ship to exploit, temporarily debuffing nearby enemies’ resistance to damage based on the rank of the defeated enemy.
  • Space: No Retreat, No Mercy
    • Improves your resistance to incoming damage from the front and the side arcs. Reduces your resistance to incoming damage in the rear arc.  

 

Captains who wish to gaze darkly into the mirror can do so in the Terran Empire Research Duty Officer Assignments. Each of these five assignments yields high XP and Dilithium rewards. Completing all the assignments gives additional Dilithium ore, extra Duty Officers, and a Title!

There are many other prizes within the Emperor’s Lock Box for players to acquire, such as R&D Packs, Boosts, and other assorted items. Each box also contains a Terran Fortune Cookie, with a similarly assorted fortune.

The Lobi Store also has a two new items available for purchase:

 

The Emperor’s Sword - This replica of Emperor Georgiou’s sword inspires nearby allies with the terror and majesty of the Empire in each swing. In addition to this inspiration combat aura, the sword’s attacks carry a chance to inflict a bleed. Lastly, the wielder of the sword can call in a Terran Assault Squad to reinforce their position in the field.

 

Make your enemies cower in fear with the uniforms of the 23rd Century Terran Empire! One of the most requested items from Star Trek: Discovery Season One, these stylish gold outfits are as fashionable as they are intimidating.”

Bringing the technology and ideals of the Terran Empire into this universe surely can’t undo too much of the good work done by Starfleet over the years. What’s an arms control treaty without a few exceptions? The Emperor’s Lock Box, as well as the additional Lobi Store entries, will be coming to PC on January 23rd, 2019.

Jon “20thCenturyFaux” Herlache
Systems Designer
Star Trek Online

sto-news, sto-launcher, star-trek-online,

Most Recent More

All platforms get the Phoenix Prize Pack Event starting tomorrow!
Read more
Captains on all platforms can save 50% on a Lifetime Subscription for a limited time, and then 33% on it for a longer time!
Read more
Return to the Defense of Pahvo, and begin a new Event Campaign that will grant you ALL of the rewards!
Read more

hover media query supported