It's time once again for Executive Producer Dan Stahl to answer Star Trek Online player questions in another round of "Ask Cryptic". This time, Dan answers more questions than usual in a special extended edition. It seems the Cryptic team has wrapped it's weekly content for Season 2 and wants to get at the heart of the most common questions from the player base. A few of the questions were stand-outs for us, especially in regards to Tholians. That's right THOLIANS! Also, there's a distinct possibility that fleets will have their own bases. Interesting. Check out an excerpt from the questions below.

Q: Lilravegirl: Tholians Tholians Tholians Tholians!!! Tholians?

Dstahl: We’re very interested in the Tholians. It could be some time before you see them in game. However, here’s some concept art we submitted to CBS for our take on Tholians. We think it still needs some tweaks. What are you impressions?

Q: Kovorn: Fleet Starbases...i.e. player housing but for guilds/fleets. I've had a few people in the fleet requesting so I thought I'd ask. On the radar?

We reported back in June that Gameforge, the largest independent global provider of online games, had signed a worldwide licensing deal with CBS Studios to publish free-to-play casual browser games based on the Star Trek franchise. It looks like we're one step closer to getting our Trek gaming on in Google Chrome (yeah, that's how we roll).

DS9 will be the setting for the first browser-based free-to-play game called Star Trek: Infinite Space, with two other games in the works slated for 2011. One of the games will be a facebook exclusive, untitled as of yet, and will focus on the original series.

Gameforge has enlisted award-winning developer Keen Games to lead development on Star Trek: Infinite Space.

“Bringing Keen Games on board to develop Star Trek – Infinite Space was an easy decision to make as Keen has a strong history of producing outstanding titles,” said Ralf Adam, VP of Publishing at Gameforge. “Our production team will work closely with Keen Games to bring the vision we have for Star Trek – Infinite Space to fruition.”

Cary Anderson, the writer of “Chad and the Alien Toupee” recently emailed to let us know that his short film contained, not one…but TWO Trek actors. Both Robert Picardo (Voyager) and Tim Russ (Voyager) are featured in this comedy about a suave special agent and his quest to save Earth from the grips of and evil hair piece.

This short film contains plenty of humor, camp and nostalgic movie throw backs. It was released in 2009 and is available to watch here, or embedded below. And, honestly…where else are you going to see Tuvok and The Doctor discuss world annihilation with a living extraterrestrial rug?

Check out "Chad and the Alien Toupee" below.

We’re pleased to announce the second episode of our podcast called, “Life After Trek” featuring none other than Larry Nemecek. Larry spent a good 50+ minutes giving us a great inside look into the early days of Trek fanzines, convention life, his many writings, his work on Star Trek: Voyager, and a real behind the scenes look into the history of Trek & it's fandom from TNG on.

We got to know Larry at Vegas Khhaaan! this year and had a fantastic time reminiscing on the show.  We're always amazed & thrilled by the stories he has to offer. As fans, we can truly say that this episode is a deep dive into Trek fandom. Be sure to check out Larry's website Treklandblog.com as well as his Twitter & Facebook page.

More about Larry from Memory Alpha:

Today we stumbled upon a great reason to bid on and buy your favorite Star Trek actor’s autograph and photo…to help cure breast cancer via Project Teddy Bear.

Project Teddy Bear was started by Lisa Spodak in 2004 as a way to raise money for her third Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. On her website she says, “I’d wait outside theaters, talk shows or other events for celebrities and explain to them that I was doing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and trying to raise $10,000. I’d ask them to sign a little tag that said “Thank You for Your Donation to The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer” and to pose for a picture with the stuffed Avon Breast Cancer Crusade bear. Then I’d post all the pictures on the web and conduct an online auction. Voila! The almost $4,000 that I raised with Project Teddy Bear helped me raise a total of $15,000!” Read the full story here.  Since then she has risen over $150,000 for The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, and is still going.

Cryptic Studios just released new player purchasable items in the Star Trek Online C-store that include assimilated & Undine (species 8472) tribbles. Once only known as lovable (unless your a Klingon) pregnant eating machines, tribbles have become an invaluable resource to players during ground missions in Star Trek Online. Depending on the tribble, some provide special perks to players in-game. You can even breed certain types of tribbles in your cargo hold with varying results. Check out this handy dandy flowchart to tribble types & breeding here.

Now the Tribbles of Borg & Fluidic Space Tribble provide specialties that could help when fighting the Borg & enemies using psionics. Read their details below.

Tribbles of Borg
(120 Cryptic Points)

We can’t help but love the fan-run cons. From the better vantage points and intimacy that a small crowd offers to the camaraderie you feel walking around the floor, they are gems twinkling all throughout the country. Well, we’re here to tell you about another fan-run convention on the horizon. Starbase Indy will be holding their convention in Indianapolis, Nov 26-28. What better way to celebrate your Thanksgiving Day weekend than to be thankful for Star Trek? So far they have a mini Voyager “reunion” happening with their current lineup of guests, including; Tim Russ, Ethan Phillips, and Manu Intiraymi. Other guests include actor Deborah Downey (TOS, The Way to Eden), cartoonist/illustrator David Reddick (STARTREK.COM), and musical guests Five Year Mission.

Tonight, the long awaited release of William Shatner's brand new TV sitcom "$#*! My Dad Says" (spoken as “Bleep My Dad Says”) is upon us all. For those who aren't in the know, amongst The Shat’s many projects has been this new sitcom in which he plays a 72-year-old father who happens to be very outspoken.

CBS describes Shatner’s character, Ed Goodson as “a forthright and opinionated dad who relishes expressing his unsolicited and often wildly politically incorrect observations to anyone within earshot.” You can read CBS’s full synopsis here. 

We love The Shat, I mean, we've made that abundantly clear over the years. It's more than just love, it's also admiration for a man who has never outstayed his welcome in Hollywood. Some may say that he has, but we would argue that Bill simply morphs into another form of himself to stay relevant. You could call him one of the true Hollywood shape-shifters that takes the form of what's necessary to stay in popular culture. In a recent interview with Collider, Bill called it "Survival" and of course made a self-mocking joke about it.

Maybe that's what gives him his true staying power in the popular conscience. He doesn't take himself too seriously. Bill also gives his thoughts on Chris Pine's performance as a young Kirk and if we'll see a Kirk Prime in Star Trek XII. Check out an excerpt from the Collider interview below.

Collider: Have you reflected at all about being an actor that’s never worn out his welcome?

William: That’s true. It must be because I’m lovable, charming and intelligent.