There have been a few giveaways for beta keys hosted by third-party websites. For instance, one particular fansite I know of was given a thousand beta keys. I have an extra, though (EDIT: Sofaspud just asked for it. Gone.).
One thing I forgot to mention - the voiceovers in-game. This isn't a fully voiced game, but the voices that exist are done a LOT better than Champions. Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto, do voices. You can set 'combat voices' for your custom bridge crew NPCs, choosing from a range (eg. 'Cute Female', 'Tough Female', 'Stoic Female'.)
And then there's the computer voice in combat. Which is awesome. ("Ship is under attack." ... "Forward shields failing.")
The music is excellent, and the sound effects - everything from energy blasts to the ambient sound of rain and birds on an alien planet... it's damn well done. This game raises the bar for MMO sound.
-- Acyl
One thing I forgot to mention - the voiceovers in-game. This isn't a fully voiced game, but the voices that exist are done a LOT better than Champions. Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto, do voices. You can set 'combat voices' for your custom bridge crew NPCs, choosing from a range (eg. 'Cute Female', 'Tough Female', 'Stoic Female'.)
And then there's the computer voice in combat. Which is awesome. ("Ship is under attack." ... "Forward shields failing.")
The music is excellent, and the sound effects - everything from energy blasts to the ambient sound of rain and birds on an alien planet... it's damn well done. This game raises the bar for MMO sound.
-- Acyl