Despite the name, the game has absolutely nothing to do with The Ascendants, the genocidal religious order from the Deep Space Nine relaunch. Gale Force Nine describe the game as a "strategy board game of exploration, expansion and conflict between the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, and the Romulan Star Empire." and have already promised two expansions adding both the Cardassian Union and Ferengi Alliance.
The base game received closed testing back in December and is due out this Summer with the Cardassian Union and Ferengi Alliance expansions before the end of 2016.
In the game, players will take control of one of the major Star Trek powers as they seek to establish and develop their civilization. The game board is made up of planets, with travel lines between them and the map will grow dynamically as you explore, helping to provide a unique experience on each two to three hour play through in what Gale Force Nine describe as "an accessible 4X sandbox game where 50 years of Star Trek provide a galaxy of possibilities."
The game board and contents, featuring 'interactive command consoles' authentically modelled on each of the major powers as well as detailed plastic ship and fleet markers.
The full press release is below.
Gale Force Nine is pleased to announce the summer release of Star Trek™: Ascendancy, the strategy board game of exploration, expansion and conflict between the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, and the Romulan Star Empire. The competition for supremacy widens later this year with introduction of two expansion sets, the Cardassian Union and Ferengi Alliance.
Boldly go where no one has gone before. In Star Trek™: Ascendancy, you control the great civilizations of the Galaxy, striking out from your home worlds to expand your influence and grow your civilization. Will you journey for peace and exploration or will you travel the path of conquest and exploitation? Command starships, establish space lanes, construct starbases, and bring other systems under your banner. With more than 200 plastic miniatures and 30 star systems representing some of the Star Trek™ Galaxy's most notable planets and locations, Star Trek™: Ascendancy puts the fate of the Galaxy in your hands.
The great unknown lies before you; with every turn is a new adventure as your ships explore new space systems, encounter new life forms and new civilizations, make wondrous discoveries, and face challenging obstacles; all drawn from the vast 50 year history of Star Trek™. Will you brave the hazards of Rura Penthe to harvest vital resources, race to develop Sherman’s Planet before your rivals stake their claim, or explore they mysteries of the Mutara Nebula on an ever-growing, adaptive map of the Galaxy. With an infinite combination of planets and interstellar phenomena, no two games of Star Trek™: Ascendancy will ever play the same!
Next week, we’ll take a closer look at how players build the gameboard during play, populating a unique Galactic Map with each new star system, space lane, and interstellar phenomena discovered! In the weeks to come, we’ll profile the three civilizations players can choose from as well as the resources used to fuel your factions, the grand advancements and discoveries they can make, the intrigues of diplomatic negotiations and terrible toll of conflict! Be sure to check back every week for new insights and information about the game.
Boldly go where no one has gone before. In Star Trek™: Ascendancy, you control the great civilizations of the Galaxy, striking out from your home worlds to expand your influence and grow your civilization. Will you journey for peace and exploration or will you travel the path of conquest and exploitation? Command starships, establish space lanes, construct starbases, and bring other systems under your banner. With more than 200 plastic miniatures and 30 star systems representing some of the Star Trek™ Galaxy's most notable planets and locations, Star Trek™: Ascendancy puts the fate of the Galaxy in your hands.
The great unknown lies before you; with every turn is a new adventure as your ships explore new space systems, encounter new life forms and new civilizations, make wondrous discoveries, and face challenging obstacles; all drawn from the vast 50 year history of Star Trek™. Will you brave the hazards of Rura Penthe to harvest vital resources, race to develop Sherman’s Planet before your rivals stake their claim, or explore they mysteries of the Mutara Nebula on an ever-growing, adaptive map of the Galaxy. With an infinite combination of planets and interstellar phenomena, no two games of Star Trek™: Ascendancy will ever play the same!
Next week, we’ll take a closer look at how players build the gameboard during play, populating a unique Galactic Map with each new star system, space lane, and interstellar phenomena discovered! In the weeks to come, we’ll profile the three civilizations players can choose from as well as the resources used to fuel your factions, the grand advancements and discoveries they can make, the intrigues of diplomatic negotiations and terrible toll of conflict! Be sure to check back every week for new insights and information about the game.
You can watch some of the Gale Force Nine team discussing Ascension below.
Whilst we don't know much about the game so far it certainly looks promising with Gale Force Nine clearly demonstrating attention to detail and the fanboy in me was pretty happy to hear Gale Force Nine have done their homework when it comes to the source material, at least in the press release, with accurate lore-friendly mentions of both Rura Penthe and Sherman's Planet.
What do you think? Would you be interesting in a board game drawing on 50 years of Star Trek?
