I just finished testing of Start Trek Online Demo and i want to share with You my thoughts about it in short way 
Fisrt i played a lot of space sims but i experianced on multiplayer really a lot only two: Freelancer and EVE Online. No the third game joined to this list and its DEMO of Star Trek Online.
How it looks like and whats special about it?
First of all i couldnt test all features because of demo restrictions - so i compare only those which i could with FL and EVE.
Graphics in STO are really stuning and even new EVE engine cant compare to it. Starspheres are great, ships models are perfect and those all playable characters... I would call this game FL 2 
There isnt any docking or landing sequences like in FL thats a huge MINUS, also except intro there isnt any cutscenes 
Offcourse in ST they rarely landed anywhere using ship they are almost always transported by beam.
DEMO contains tutorial and first storyline mission. First of all stations are huge and a live! Same for planets on wich You have tasks to do on Your missions. Music and sounds are really good - theyre OST from ST and some new mixed one. When You join the game online and see all those players and random events You really feel like in living universe of Star Trek. Space battles are great and much much better than in EVE but still FL has the best ship controls. Even if You dont like Star Trek but like space sims You will like it for sure. Missions are complex and really interesting with fast action going on so You dont have time to for boring.
Is it worth to buy?
In my opinion: Yes - for great graphics, Yes - for great music, Yes - for great sounds, Yes for feeling to be part o real living Universe and the most important YES for Regular NEW CONTENT Updates! Devs are really listen to players there.
If Crossfire has regular content updates it would be worth paying for game too.
Now i have really huge problem: Should i buy it or not? Ill decide soon and i think that situation on SWAT will decide for me in close future
DEMO is free so go and try it and see it your own eyes and hear it on your own ears! Just feel it.
believe me. I see You decided to get really huge task on You - Build Such Huge community isnt easy - You have a lot of experiance and You should know that most people are attracted by graphics! And SWAT portal is in that matter tragedy. It has really great funcionality - i agree - its impressive, but for casual user its too complicated and he will be not interested in those all futures. He will check portal - look for what he need and than leave and rarely get back. I understand You OP very well i tried similiar actions as Yours many times - all failed - few because of my fault. I think that SWAT COMMUNITY and SWAT CROSSFIRE should be separated somehow - believe me those players needs that. WHY You ask? Thats simple - You want to make SWAT Portal as some kind of huge game community like sites as mmogspot.com or something like that - but they have money for advertising theyre site on google ads - and also they get money from other adverts and from community members and thats how it works. Also all those communities got profit from that - and from what i see here really clearly SWAT is non profit portal. You want peple to understand that being a part of CrossFire Comunity member is privileage but You give us everything for free - thats wrong too. Man who doesnt have to earn something wont care about it. I Think we should start New Topic about future of SWAT CROSSFIRE and other for future of SWAT PORTAL. In those topics we would post our ideas on how it should looks like and discuss that and than You could decide in whoch way everything should go. Im not sure about possibility of this feature but just writing theory:
