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Publisher: Microprose / Developer: Hasbro Interactive "Envision a future where the choices you make determine the fate of an entire galaxy. A future where your sense of diplomacy can forge alliances between solar systems. A future where your strategic skills can win battles, and even wars, to save the very galactic society you strive to create." Thus begins the introduction to STAR TREK: The Next Generation? Birth of the Federation (BotF), the latest from Microprose and Hasbro Interactive, makers of Falcon 4.0 (see our review) and Civilization II. For those of us who already know and love Civilization and its many sequels and spinoffs, this game is just the ticket. BotF is a complex Civilization-type galaxy builder set in the 24th century of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The player chooses between Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Ferengi, and Cardassian empires to build from the home planet up, making alliances, waging war, and discovering new technologies and races on the way. Even the Borg is out there, and there's a chance of encountering them in the course of a game. All that aside, BotF is all it promises. Star Trek fans and fans of this game type will really be impressed at the complexity and consistency of the game universe. Trek trivia lovers will recognize some of the minor races that can be randomly encountered, even if they've only appeared in the background of one lesser-known episode of the show. Warning: This is definitely one of those games that has a risk of eating up your whole day or more. Sure, that's fine for me, but if you have somewhere to be, set a alarm so your not late.