character list loads, but cannot get into game

tac0117

i log into the game through the arc window. the launcher starts as usual and thus launches the game. goes through the cryptic and romulan promotion loading screens it loads up my character list as normal but under each of my characters it shows the text "loading". from there it does nothing, no previews of my character, ship or otherwise, and the play button at the bottom is still grayed out. sometimes i click on it and it makes the noise that confirms that im proceeding to load the map i last logged out of, but it does nothing. ive left it till the point where it disconnects me after the time limit and i cant get in. this i have done several times and the problem is nothing to do with the computer or the internet (having fibreoptic and a clear connection as well as a 2.5ghz processor which should be more than capable with dealing with playing the game). a school down the road from me had really slow connection yesterday however it is on a different network to the schools one. any suggestions to fix this such as technical(computers and internet) is still appreciated and feel free to post as a friend of mine living a few miles away is having the same issue but has problems with his internet and his laptop. his internet is TRIBBLE and has a computer made in the dark ages. ty all