The ships can be upgraded and customized in several ways both aesthetic and functional. The player travels through space with their own customizable starship, which can be replaced as the player advances in rank with an array of more powerful ships, which branch off into different specialties depending on the player's chosen field of specialization: Engineering, Tactical, or Science. Alternatively, the player can create their character from the ground up using the game's extensive species creator, customizing everything from eyebrow shape to finger length. The player can build his or her character from a range of familiar races such as Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, Ferengi, Bajorans, Klingons, Orions, Gorn or Nausicaans.
The two factions are close to open war after the collapse of the Khitomer Accords. In Star Trek Online players can play as a member of the United Federation of Planets or the Klingon Empire. Development of the game began six years before its final release, with original developer Perpetual Entertainment declaring bankruptcy in 2008. Star Trek Online (STO) is Cryptic Studios' MMORPG set in the Star Trek universe.
