<s>
Star	B-Application
Trek	I-Application
:	I-Application
Birth	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Federation	I-Application
(	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
Star	B-Application
Trek	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Next	I-Application
Generation	I-Application
:	I-Application
Birth	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Federation	I-Application
and	O
Birth	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Federation	I-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
4X	B-Application
turn-based	O
strategy	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
MicroProse	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Hasbro	O
Interactive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
initially	O
released	O
in	O
1999	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
personal	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
fictional	O
universe	O
,	O
specifically	O
related	O
to	O
Star	B-Application
Trek	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Next	I-Application
Generation	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
takes	O
control	O
of	O
one	O
of	O
five	O
civilisations	B-Application
,	O
either	O
the	O
Federation	O
,	O
Ferengi	O
,	O
Klingons	O
,	O
Romulans	O
or	O
Cardassians	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thirty	O
other	O
races	O
from	O
the	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
universe	O
are	O
included	O
as	O
minor	O
races	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
strategy	O
mode	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Birth	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Federation	I-Application
also	O
features	O
a	O
3D	O
combat	O
mode	O
which	O
uses	O
the	O
Falcon	B-Application
4.0	I-Application
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
was	O
intended	O
to	O
tie-in	O
with	O
the	O
film	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
:	O
Insurrection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Birth	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Federation	I-Application
received	O
average	O
to	O
good	O
ratings	O
from	O
critics	O
,	O
who	O
praised	O
the	O
look	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
but	O
were	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
of	O
enemy	O
factions	O
,	O
the	O
research	O
technologies	O
and	O
the	O
time	O
it	O
took	O
to	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
compared	O
to	O
other	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
and	O
Sid	B-Application
Meier	I-Application
's	I-Application
Alpha	I-Application
Centauri	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
4X	B-Application
turn-based	O
computer	B-Application
strategy	I-Application
game	I-Application
set	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Next	I-Application
Generation	I-Application
era	O
of	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
,	O
with	O
only	O
starships	O
and	O
races	O
from	O
that	O
series	O
and	O
movies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
no	O
ships	O
or	O
races	O
from	O
The	O
Original	O
Series	O
or	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
:	O
Voyager	O
unless	O
they	O
appeared	O
on	O
The	B-Application
Next	I-Application
Generation	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
Romulan	O
Warbird	O
from	O
The	B-Application
Next	I-Application
Generation	I-Application
appears	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
Romulan	O
Bird	O
of	O
Prey	O
from	O
The	O
Original	O
Series	O
does	O
not	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
played	O
on	O
a	O
2d	O
Galaxy	O
Map	O
which	O
represents	O
star	O
systems	O
,	O
task	O
forces	O
,	O
empire	O
borders	O
and	O
other	O
space	O
phenomena	O
via	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
icons	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
similar	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
,	O
diplomacy	O
is	O
n't	O
the	O
core	O
means	O
of	O
winning	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
all	O
factions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
games	O
like	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
ability	O
to	O
customise	O
the	O
look	O
of	O
individual	O
vessels	O
or	O
classes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multiplayer	O
for	O
up	O
to	O
five	O
players	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
over	O
a	O
LAN	B-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
was	O
available	O
on	O
the	O
internet	O
via	O
Hasbro	O
Interactive	O
's	O
Games.com	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
title	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
Birth	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Federation	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
choose	O
from	O
five	O
major	O
powers	O
:	O
The	O
Federation	O
,	O
the	O
Klingon	O
Empire	O
,	O
the	O
Romulan	O
Star	O
Empire	O
,	O
the	O
Cardassian	O
Union	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Ferengi	O
Alliance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MicroProse	O
had	O
developed	O
similar	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Civilization	B-Application
(	O
1991	O
)	O
and	O
had	O
been	O
involved	O
in	O
the	O
publishing	O
of	O
the	O
Simtex	O
games	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
(	O
1993	O
)	O
,	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
(	O
1994	O
)	O
and	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Battle	I-Application
at	I-Application
Antares	I-Application
(	O
1996	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Simtex	O
itself	O
closed	O
in	O
1997	O
,	O
but	O
Birth	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Federation	I-Application
had	O
been	O
described	O
by	O
critics	O
as	O
an	O
unofficial	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
Orion	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
in	O
the	O
mold	O
of	O
Civilization	B-Application
and	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microprose	O
had	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
create	O
games	O
based	O
on	O
Star	B-Application
Trek	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Next	I-Application
Generation	I-Application
,	O
but	O
did	O
not	O
hold	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
:	O
The	O
Original	O
Series	O
which	O
were	O
held	O
by	O
Interplay	O
Entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
3D	O
battle	O
sequences	O
used	O
the	O
Falcon	B-Application
4.0	I-Application
engine	O
,	O
with	O
each	O
vessel	O
rendered	O
fully	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
being	O
called	O
Star	B-Application
Trek	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Next	I-Application
Generation	I-Application
:	I-Application
Birth	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Federation	I-Application
,	O
it	O
was	O
also	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
Star	B-Application
Trek	I-Application
:	I-Application
Birth	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Federation	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microprose	O
previewed	O
the	O
game	O
alongside	O
Star	B-Application
Trek	I-Application
:	I-Application
Klingon	I-Application
Honour	I-Application
Guard	I-Application
at	O
the	O
Electronic	O
Entertainment	O
Expo	O
in	O
Atlanta	O
,	O
Georgia	O
,	O
in	O
May	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
release	O
of	O
Birth	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Federation	I-Application
was	O
intended	O
to	O
coincide	O
with	O
the	O
theatrical	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
film	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
:	O
Insurrection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Birth	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Federation	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
May	O
25	O
,	O
1999	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
May	O
28	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
average	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
GameRankings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Peter	O
Suciu	O
reviewed	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
CNN	B-Architecture
,	O
and	O
criticised	O
the	O
computer	B-Application
AI	I-Application
as	O
it	O
did	O
n't	O
portray	O
the	O
races	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
manner	O
as	O
in	O
the	O
television	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
was	O
also	O
disappointed	O
that	O
the	O
earlier	O
ships	O
were	O
still	O
from	O
Star	B-Application
Trek	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Next	I-Application
Generation	I-Application
rather	O
than	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
:	O
The	O
Original	O
Series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Suciu	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
on-par	O
with	O
both	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
and	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
and	O
said	O
that	O
knowledge	O
of	O
the	O
races	O
"	O
makes	O
for	O
a	O
more	O
compelling	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Daniel	O
Erickson	O
in	O
his	O
review	O
for	O
NextGen	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
A	O
wonderful	O
look	O
at	O
the	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
universe	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
actual	O
game	O
is	O
sleep-inducing.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
review	O
in	O
PC	O
Magazine	O
described	O
Birth	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Federation	I-Application
said	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
a	O
"	O
cool	O
design	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
evocative	O
music	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
best	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
game	O
yet.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
the	O
review	O
for	O
CNN	B-Architecture
,	O
the	O
IGN	O
review	O
also	O
criticised	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
a	O
link	O
between	O
the	O
diplomatic	O
characteristics	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
those	O
seen	O
in	O
the	O
television	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
summed	O
up	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
saying	O
"	O
Birth	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Federation	I-Application
is	O
nothing	O
more	O
than	O
a	O
frustrating	O
copy	O
of	O
earlier	O
turn	O
based	O
strategy	B-Application
games	I-Application
that	O
does	O
n't	O
work	O
like	O
it	O
's	O
supposed	O
to	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2017	O
,	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
ranked	O
the	O
game	O
among	O
the	O
best	O
Star	B-Operating_System
Trek	I-Operating_System
games	O
.	O
</s>
