Space -- the final frontier. These are the voyages of the USS Why-In-The-World-Are-You-Flying-That-For-Starfleet. The name's a bit cumbersome, but considering the sheer number of different ships you can pilot in Star Trek Online, we think it's rather apropos. Then again, one look at some of the machines on display in the game's newest spotlight video and it's difficult to feel all that bad about explaining why you're flying a ship that belongs to your faction's sworn enemies.

The spotlight highlights some of the new ships from lockboxes, ships available from Fleet projects, and those available for direct purchase from the game's microtransaction store. It also shows off the ships in space combat because while scanning a planet for life is all well and good, it's not terribly exciting to watch. Take a look at the full video just past the break, and consider whether one of these ships might make your trek across the stars a bit more stylish.

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If you're looking forward to betas this week, time to hurry up and wait. Final Fantasy XIV's beta kicks off on Monday. The Aurora World isn't starting until March. Kartuga is waiting until February 27th. It's enough to throw you into despair at the thought that all you can do is play a game that's actually released.

Or you could play some of the games in open beta right now, like WarBane (which just entered a month-long open test) or Firefall's open beta event running through the weekend. But that just feels like a patch. We'll have to console ourselves until next week, which will see an explosion of new tests.

Those who don't want to wait that long can run down the list just past the break and sign up for a variety of tests. Keep your eyes peeled there -- if something has sneaked into launch without telling us, let us know, by all means.

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It's been a while since I visited Remanum, an interesting trade-based MMO brought to us by Travian Games, the same studio that brought us Travian and other interesting titles. I was initially turned on to the game's non-combat options simply because combat is used so much that many of the current combat systems are outdated or just plain boring. Non-combat, or optional systems for play like trade and exploration, are the hope for gamers like yours truly who cannot stand to play a game as though they're clocking in to work.

The only problem with Remanum? I suck at, well, trading. I know that I can grasp the principles of "buy low, sell high" and other market staples, but I simply can't grasp the finer nuances of buying and selling. I have a brother who seems to have a natural way with numbers, but I've always been more of an artist. Numbers and me just sort of stare at each other from across the table.

So why do I like Remanum so much?

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Last week, we pulled apart my livestreaming computer, analyzed each part, and explained why I bought the pieces that I did. I loved the comments as well. Different players have differing opinions of which pieces are needed for which purpose. I appreciate the input; it makes us better streamers.

The one key ingredient that I did not talk about last week was the software. Encoding and uploading software obviously play a key role in how well the stream works and the audience's enjoyment of your broadcast. Currently, the Stream Team uses XSplit for the majority of its broadcasts, so I will spend most of my space today explaining how to set that up. But there are alternatives. What do other pieces of software have to offer, and is there a setup that reduces the CPU lag for older systems? Continue on and we'll get into the nitty-gritty of livesteaming software.

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Hey, you. Yes, you, the person reading this post right now. You want some Guild Wars 2? You want to get in cheap? I know a guy who knows a guy who can get it for you really cheap, man. Specifically, the guy in question is the guy who runs the official store on the game's website, which is offering the game for about 30% until February 25th. So it may actually be multiple guys or girls, since one would imagine ArenaNet has several people working on the store page.

Prospective players or current players who dearly want another copy of the game can buy the standard edition for $39.99 or the Digital Deluxe edition for $54.99. No word on exactly when the sale will end on the 25th, but we'd recommend just going ahead and picking up the game now if it's on your agenda. It's not going to be any cheaper tomorrow.

Prospective players have a lot of questions about The Elder Scrolls Online. What will I need to do to be a tank? How will I heal other people? Will I be carrying around every wheel of goat cheese in the world for no reason? The development team has sat down and answered a variety of player questions in a new feature addressing several assorted topics.

Players interested in tanking will be happy to know that while you will generally want to be in heavy armor, a properly designed character should be able to last for quite some time in light armor. Those who prefer playing a pure role will also be happy to note that while the developers have harped on hybridization a bit, being a "pure" role will be perfectly viable and possible. And lore fans will be happy to see a variety of lore questions answered, especially concerning organizations and races that are important in later games but aren't necessarily around in The Elder Scrolls Online. So odds are good that when you read through the answers, you'll be happy.

Age of Conan's become the latest title to join Steam's free-to-play library. To celebrate the game's release on the digital distribution platform, Steam is offering a special pack of goodies for 35% off.

The Tortage Survival Pack is currently $6.49 (regularly $9.99) and includes a set of beginner weapons, items to teleport you to your origin city, a DPS-boosting ring, a 20-slot inventory bag, fireworks, 10 XP potions, and a blue snow mammoth mount.

Hailan Rising, an up-and-coming PvP title from Reloaded Productions, is currently in the screaming throes of open beta. It's always a fun time, especially for the development team, which is Producer Adam Smith was up for talking about how the game's coming along in these final weeks.

Reloaded Productions is trying desperately to (what else) "wreck" the server by giving out prizes to the first three players to crash the game. Since destruction and mayhem are Massively's watchwords, we think you should help them out.

Check out our interview with Adam Smith after the jump!

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It's tough enough to balance an MMO for a single platform, but DC Universe Online's team has the unenviable task of doing so for both the PC and PlayStation 3. Due to the latter's "strict limitations," Executive Producer Larry Liberty and his team had to prioritize performance and balance over visual oomph.

In a new producer's letter, Liberty recaps the changes that the team has done to four of the game's powersets -- Mental, Gadgets, Fire, and Ice -- and explains why the devs did what they did. Sorcery and Nature powers are next on the retooling table, and he said that SOE will try to get feedback even earlier than before for these changes.

"In short, we want to make sure that powers are balanced, defects are resolved, and ensure that things that cause slow-down or gameplay issues are remedied," said Liberty.

Do you love your printscreen key? Do you have a hankering for some weird or antique game that just doesn't get enough coverage? Do you possess a picture of your drunk BFF dancing naked on a mailbox?

If so, then we need you! One Shots, Massively's weekly feature dedicated to showing off your MMO screenies, is lacking in submissions to keep it going. A quick look at our inbox shows one Runes of Magic image, a vintage 2002-era Ultima Online pic, and approximately eighty billion Guild Wars 2 snaps. We're not too interested in turning One Shots into Guild Shots, honestly, and we don't want to retire the feature again and bring about #oneshotsgate2013.

So please, help us out, keep the feature going another year, and show off your gamer photography skills! Send your favorite MMO screenshots to oneshots@massively.com, and don't forget to include your name, the name of the game, and a description of the scene. Large, colorful, UI-free shots that tell a story and really show off the game make for the best images. We especially love pics from rare/oddball games, older games, and even closed games (like the one above from Star Wars Galaxies) -- stuff that doesn't make the headlines very often anymore. Thanks guys!

Would $10,000 and a 10-week internship at SOE help you on your way to becoming a video game designer? If so, the sixth annual G.I.R.L. Game Design Competition may be just your ticket. This scholarship program, designed to encourage students toward career paths in the video gaming industry "with the ultimate goal of developing video games that are more interesting for women to play," is currently accepting applications.

Interested applicants must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program related to video games, have at least a 3.0 GPA, and not graduate before spring 2014. Entrants must also be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the U.S. If you meet all of the criteria, you must apply online before 2:59 a.m. EST on March 30, 2013; however, earlier is better as only the first 3,000 e-applications will be accepted. That date is also the cutoff for submitting all required artwork (of either PlanetSide 2 or EverQuest II), captions, and the 500-word essay.

See the official rules for complete details on entering the contest.

Avast ye mateys! After 10 years of working together to sail ships and fight foes utilizing puzzles, players in Puzzle Pirates get to set off on a completely new adventure. Well OK, to be precise the adventures will actually remain the same, but how players can access them will change; the pirate-themed social game focusing on cooperation is heading to tablets.

Three Rings co-founder and CEO Daniel James explained that the company has been exploring the possibility of bringing the game to mobile devices since last year, and now it's reached the point where expanding platforms is feasible. Players will be able to switch between the PC and the tablet, playing the same game on the same account. Plans are also in the works to make the game accessible on other devices as well. James did note that with this change, anticipated upcoming features such as the Kraken will be delayed until after the launch of the game on tablets.

Want to learn more about Puzzle Pirates? Check out Massively's exclusive interview with James.

Can you believe that RIFT is almost two years old? It's true, and Trion is marking the occasion with another incarnation of the Carnival of the Ascended. This year's addition features Tier 3 planar attunement, the PvP Wheel of Fate warfront, and the usual collection and quest festivities along with their associated rewards.

If you're not currently subscribing, you can revisit RIFT for free from March 21st through March 25th. If you are a subscriber, you'll get bonus XP, guild XP, prestige, favor, dungeon currency, and more from March 21st through April 4th. Head to the official RIFT website for all the celebration details.

Mounts are kind of a thing in MMOs, and Neverwinter is no exception. The latest Perfect World dev diary shines the spotlight on four-or-more-legged transportation, and the company says that it is "drawing on D&D lore for all kinds of spectacular mounts."

Said mounts will be available from Founder's Packs, the cash shop, and in-game as mid-level rewards. The devs are also planning on dedicated PvP and Foundry mounts. It's also worth mentioning that mounts are not class- or race-specific. As long as you've unlocked a mount, your avatar can ride it regardless of his physical size or lack thereof.

Does your Star Wars: The Old Republic avatar have a bunch of unused Coruscant commendations in his currency window? The upcoming Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion seeks to rectify that by introducing a new commendation system which will bundle all of the previously planet-specific commendations into a single unit.

Darth Hater has some new details on this and other Game Update 2.0 currency tweaks, including new classic commendations which will replace the current Black Hole variant as the default entry-level gear currency.

Those old-school RuneScape servers we told you about earlier this week are launching an early access period today. The shards will revisit the title as it was in late 2007, a window that Jagex says is "heralded as one of the defining periods of the game by its players."

The firm is opening up a voting period through which players will decide how much developer investment should be devoted to old-school RuneScape going forward. The options range from a basic service with critical maintenance to a full dev team that will iterate based on player input.

Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard notes that this isn't the first time his company has left major decisions in the hands of its users. In 2011, RuneScape's Free Trade and Wilderness mechanics were reintroduced to the game following a player poll. "Our players' dedication, passion, feedback, and enthusiasm all provide the compass, energy, and satisfaction that powers Jagex," he said. Jagex says that over 250,000 votes were cast in the old-school poll.

[Source: Jagex press release]

As any soldier, spy, or gun-for-hire knows, gathering intel is an important aspect of assessing risk and making a plan of action to get a job done. Luckily for future Defiance players, Trion is helping the process out by offering a series of enemy intel videos. Now showing: hell bugs.

A result of the terraforming disaster, hell bugs are a very aggressive and territorial subterranean species capable of quickly excavating solid stone. With a hard exoskeleton, razor-sharp appendages, toxic secretions, and a speed that belies their size, these giant bugs are not so easily squashed. For a closer look at the hell bugs, check out the clip after the cut.

[Thanks to SixShot for the tip!]

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Aristocracy is not a job in one sense. You can't apply to be an aristocrat, nor can you get a degree that leads to becoming an aristocrat, and there's a marked lack of professional guilds and unions for the field. You can't even really hope to be one when you grow up, since you're usually born into it. But in the broader sense of roleplaying character professions, "aristocrat" certainly qualifies, as it answers the question of what your character does while on the road.

Some aristocrats might hit the road because they have a duty to those of lower status. Others might be out there because they want to be anywhere other than home. Some have tastes or curiosities that can be satisfied only in a more exotic location. Whatever the reason, many aristocrats pack up their elaborate and numerous bags and head off in search of adventure, or at least the various opportunities that adventure brings along.

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