The Mass Effect 1 angle to STO

I recently started up Mass Effect 2 & after playing it & comparing it to Mass Effect 1, I've noticed that all the rough, but interesting features of Mass Effect 1 have been removed (as far as my playing is concerned anyway).  I still liked the way ME1 handled a rover that you could run around on planets & the way the weapons upgraded over time making you feel how the future excelled in technology (even though it was more for level-up purposes, but still).  There were things about ME1 that made it feel like an interesting, generic sci-fi RPG.  I enjoyed it like that.
 
STO reminds me of ME1.  It's not perfect & a goes rough-shot over a few areas, but overall, I really like the broad/generic-likeness to it. Being able to create your own aliens, combining away team missions with space combat, all with a Star Trek field, though Star Trek seems a bit mild in it.  I actually like it more free-form. Eg, you could play the whole game with custom-Aliens & not use the stock.  I sometimes wonder if STO will expand the Star Trek canon, rather than just adding in some old-ass Romulan or Klingon stories.  Why not add your own aliens & stories to it & give something that isn't in the movie?  I think this would be more value-add since you're no longer tied to all the fuckin' Star Trek lore.  At any rate, the imperfections in STO seem to give the game a lot of character. Similar to the character in ME 1.