Graphics

Warp Engine

Dominion Wars uses a proprietary engine that focuses on showing off the ships. There aren't a lot of models to render in outer space, so Gizmo dumped the polygons into the vessels. For example, the model of the Defiant looks like the Defiant on the TV series, from the curved warp nacelles to the quantum torpedo bays. Gizmo also worked on incorporating "Star Trek Physics" into Dominion Wars. Ships bend as they enter warp, light fighters fly circles around the cruisers, and the ships always fly in straight lines. Also like the series, the battles occur on a 2D plane. There is only slight movement up and down, and definitely no Wrath of Khan flying straight down at the Enterprise action going on. This doesn't take away from the gameplay, since Dominion Wars isn't trying to be Homeworld, and it stays loyal to the Star Trek universe.

The Defiant's Ass

Explosion in the background

The ships are the stars of Dominion Wars, but Gizmo didn't hold back with the "terrain". The Badlands of series fame is a common battleground. Like the show, the environment affects the performance of ships. The Badlands disable all shields, while running into a stray asteroid will dent the hull of any ship. Speaking of denting hulls, the ships of Dominion Wars feature plenty of battle scars and visible damage. Every object has dozens of skins and deformations to show its damage. You'll see everything from scuffs to electricity racing across the hull to bits and pieces flying apart when the ship is destroyed.

Weapon Effects

Wallpaper 1

The camera has two modes, battle and strategic. The strategic mode is a basic overhead view found in most RTS games. The battle mode is an over the -shoulder cinematic view, reminiscent of the TV series. The sound effects are broadcast TV quality -- probably because most of them came from the TV series. The quantum torpedoes, warp drives, and phasers among others use the same sound effects as the series. You'll even hear a few familiar voices (that we can't mention since the details are still being worked out).

Wallpaper 2

Wallpaper 3

UFOs

Dominion Wars is all about the ships. Gizmo has gone to great lengths to model the ships as accurately as possible. The Federation ships have the alternating shades of gray panels and curved ship designs, while the Cardassian ships are blocky and fish-like. You'll see ships from several races in Dominion Wars, including the Klingons, Romulans, Jem'Hadar, Ferengi, and even the Breen.

There are 30 total ships, half original Gizmo creations, and half from the Star Trek universe. Gizmo team members are Star Trek fans, so they jumped at the opportunity to design their own ships. Approved by Paramount, the new vessels range from the Cardassian "Hutet" Super Carrier to a new Federation ship we're not allowed to talk about yet. We did get a good look at the secret ship, and we think it's damn cool. Gizmo went all out with the design, which includes a back-story of how this new came to be, and they're working on full schematics you normally see in Star Trek encyclopedias. Besides new ships you'll see orbital weapons platforms, sensor arrays, shipyards, and yes, Deep Space Nine itself.