Less then 2 weeks way from the launch of the new Star Trek MMO, Star Trek Online, We interviewed Cryptic's Lead Character Artist, Matt Highison

STO Matt Highison

RarityGuide: How long have you been at Cryptic?

Matt:
Around a year and a half.

RG: Can you explain what you do there?

Matt:
I am the lead character artist. I design all the different characters in Star Trek Online, developing the amazing alien creator.

RG: Have you worked on Champions Online as well?

Matt:
Yes.

RG: What's the main difference between the design for Champions online then that of STO?

Matt:
In Champions Online, the focus was on the superhero, the costumes. Here it is more about the features of the alien you create. For example, the head of the alien. We allow an amazing variety of customization.

RG: Do you enjoy designing Star Trek Online Characters?

Matt:
Very much. Have been a fan of Star Trek ever since I was a kid.

RG: You enjoy working more on STO or on Champions Online?

Matt:
STO, because I am a fan of Star Trek. I was really excited when I heard we (Cryptic) got the license for the Star Trek Online game.

RG: You still watching Star Trek to get inspiration for your design?

Matt:
Yes, I watched all the episodes. I would watch 3-4 hours worth of Star Trek every night.

RG: What is your favorite race to design?

Matt:
Probably Species 8472, the 3 legged 15 ft tall alien from Voyager.

RG: How far in Star Trek Online does a player run into these?

Matt:
These are encountered pretty late into the game.

RG: Any chance this species will be made a playable race?

Matt:
(Laughs) Probably not.

RG: You see more playable races being added in the future?

Matt:
Certainly. We have made the alien creator expandable so it fully supports the addition of new playable races. In fact, there are 2 new playable races coming in the near future!

RG: Can you tell us what races and when will they be added?

Matt:
The first race to be added will be the Catians, very soon after launch. probably in a month or two. After that you can expect to see the Tellarites added.