Avenger Captains: Use your cruiser commands!

lan451

So I finally got my hands on the Avenger (awesome ship btw) and after flying it for a few days, I noticed that not a lot of others are using their cruiser commands. Sometimes I'll have 2 other Avengers on the team and I'll be the only one using any commands at all.

I'm not sure if it was listed in the blogs, but you have to turn your cruiser commands back on every time you zone. That means every time you change areas or jump into a new mission through the queue system, you have to manually turn your commands back on. You can't set it and forget it.

So let's get the word out to all the new Avengers out there. Oh and all you cruiser captains out there make note of that since you guys will be getting commands soon enough. They're free buffs y'all, let's use them.

shpoks

lan451 wrote: »

I'm not sure if it was listed in the blogs, but you have to turn your cruiser commands back on every time you zone.

I think this is the main reason for people not using the comm arrays. Many probably still don't know/haven't noticed that the comm array automaticaly goes offline when you leave a certain map/instance. I guess with time people will get used to it.

That said, I'm using the comm arrays almost religiously. Quite the usefull adition to the cruiser line and the Avenger really is awesome. I sometimes joke it's a boring ship because it melts away enemies before I get the chance to click on anything else.

neoakiraii

And when they do use the commands, they use the same one.

i was in a STF and there were 3 avengers, all using the fire commands try to tell them they don't stack, but well in STF's the Wall listens more.

lan451

shpoks wrote: »

I think this is the main reason for people not using the comm arrays. Many probably still don't know/haven't noticed that the comm array automaticaly goes offline when you leave a certain map/instance. I guess with time people will get used to it.

Yep, that's pretty much what I'm thinking too.

I have admit it caught me at first as well lol. I turned on my weapons command sitting outside of ESD and then entered a mission. Halfway through I looked at my buff bar and was like "Wait, I turned you on. How come you're not..........OH." /smack_forehead. :P

thecosmic1

There's also the fact that the Array only has a 5 km range. I'm seldom with 5 km of another player, past spawn in, when teamed and so would generally only get my own CA bonus.
'

marshalericdavid

I think their should be a default of having the shield command being on.

veritech05

marshalericdavid wrote: »

I think their should be a default of having the shield command being on.

I think the default should be whatever we turn on and we shouldn't have to turn it on every time we zone or die!

starswordc

I agree with having the last one you selected stick when you change instances, but I will say I almost always remember mine. And if I don't, I figure it out when I hit VATA and I get the quantum torpedo version instead of the tachyon one like I wanted (I use shield modulation most of the time).

BTW, useful trick: When you're playing a mission with unshielded structures (Khit Elite, Crystalline, etc.) or battling a Borg Unimatrix, keep a weather eye on your VATA CD. Whatever mode your cruiser command is in, when the CD expires switch to weapon efficiency if you aren't already and fire the console at the target from as far away as possible. Then go back to whichever mode you were in before.

lianthelia

Might not be completely that people don't use them...you could very well be using the same one as someone else. Looking at what ship you're flying I imagine the weapon power command could be popular.

turbomagnus

Slightly off-topic question;
I've been saving up Zen for the DS9 bundle (especially the Belfast bridge), but now I'm wondering...

Should I save a little more and get the Avenger instead?

thecosmic1

lianthelia wrote: »

Might not be completely that people don't use them...you could very well be using the same one as someone else. Looking at what ship you're flying I imagine the weapon power command could be popular.

Plus 2 ships using the same command extends the range. They can each be 10 km apart and still affect any ships between them with the same bonus.

lan451

lianthelia wrote: »

Might not be completely that people don't use them...you could very well be using the same one as someone else. Looking at what ship you're flying I imagine the weapon power command could be popular.

That was actually my first thought as well. When I switch to other commands though, I only see my one command active about half of the time. The weapons command is the most popular though for sure.

sunfrancks

I always remember to use mine, but you are right, not many people use it correctly...

mimey2

I've been enjoying the other two commands more.

Speed and turn one is great for when I need to move around more. Like an STF.

Shield one is great when I can just sit more like in CE. Guaranteed extra resist and such.

jetwtf

Sometimes i really wish they would make things like the comm arays and pets fire and forget. sucks having to spawn pets every single instance and turning on a comm array would amount to the same. With pets it could be the number of surviving pets will spawn automaticly but at 0 stars and the last comm array used will turn on again. just 1 less thing to deal with and would be a huge boost for carriers to have all pets exit the ship once the map started rather than the slow spawn 3-6 wait for cooldown or enter battle and its try to spawn max while they keep dying. Comm arrays it would just avoid the problem of new players not knowing they have to hit it first thing unlike pets that are noticeably missing. The issue will get worse if/when they implement sci and tac versions later as well. Some things should carry over from map to map.

azurianstar

thecosmic1 wrote: »

There's also the fact that the Array only has a 5 km range. I'm seldom with 5 km of another player, past spawn in, when teamed and so would generally only get my own CA bonus.
'

Yeah, I think that's why some think they aren't using them - it's the range.

I don't think I ran into an Avenger yet that didn't use it. So far the favorite is the Attack Buff. But when I fly my Avenger, I try to use the others as well, like using the Evasive when the CE is about to fire the shockwave.

erei1

thecosmic1 wrote: »

There's also the fact that the Array only has a 5 km range. I'm seldom with 5 km of another player, past spawn in, when teamed and so would generally only get my own CA bonus.
'

This. 5km is to short, it should be teamwide. 5km range com array, that's limited for a 25th century technology.
I know I don't really care about what others avenger use for array, as it's extremely rare to have them on the same time on the same people.

timezarg

Like practically everything else, Com Arrays will be of less use amongst pug groups, due to the general lack of coordination. In a more coordinated/organized team setting, it will work better.

Whether or not 5km is too short. . .I think they made it 5km because that keeps 2-3 cruisers from fanning out 20km from each other and forming a wide net of a particular boost. Imagine a net 40km wide. . .

It will be difficult for escorts and other lighter ships to stay in that 5km range and keep their performance up, but it will work just fine for cruisers, battlecruisers, carriers, and other larger vessels.

erei1

timezarg wrote: »

It will be difficult for escorts and other lighter ships to stay in that 5km range and keep their performance up, but it will work just fine for cruisers, battlecruisers, carriers, and other larger vessels.

Which makes the whole buff pointless, as those ship will already have access to their own buff, and will not need another cruiser for it.

My cruisers never stop when they can keep moving while broadsiding, and have more defence. That make my teamate less likely to have access to the buff.

timelord79

It would be helpful if a recipient gets an indicator that a buff is available by his team mate that shows him wether or not he is in range or not with a simple color code (red and green or blue).

redsnake721

Alright dumb question time.

So I have the 3 commands: Shield, Wep, Turn.
When I click on one I see the visual of a single red, green or blue ring (depending on what command I select) eminate from my ship. Then a 5 sec cooldown timer. Does that mean it's on and I can leave it or like it says in the command discription that it only lasts 10 seconds? I notice I can hit this command every 5 seconds and each time I see the visual of the colored rings coming out of my ship. So do I have to hit it once wait 10 seconds then hit it again? Just did a search and did not find any in-depth description of these powers.

here is all I could find and it really does not give any numbers at all:

http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=874351

if someone could give a good breakdown of how long the buffs last and how to properly use them that would be great. mmmm'kay Peter... Thanks a bunch.

heres a little Lumberg to start your day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjJCdCXFslY

timelord79

As far as I know, it's always on until you exit the map or change the command.

tenkari

starswordc wrote: »

I agree with having the last one you selected stick when you change instances, but I will say I almost always remember mine. And if I don't, I figure it out when I hit VATA and I get the quantum torpedo version instead of the tachyon one like I wanted (I use shield modulation most of the time).

BTW, useful trick: When you're playing a mission with unshielded structures (Khit Elite, Crystalline, etc.) or battling a Borg Unimatrix, keep a weather eye on your VATA CD. Whatever mode your cruiser command is in, when the CD expires switch to weapon efficiency if you aren't already and fire the console at the target from as far away as possible. Then go back to whichever mode you were in before.

I use weapon effencincy pretty much exclusively except when running elite stuff, i love opening up with a BO, then unloading a and torp spread at a group, thanks to the weapon drain reduction with that combo i rarely dip below 80ish.

redsnake721 wrote: »

Alright dumb question time.

So I have the 3 commands: Shield, Wep, Turn.
When I click on one I see the visual of a single red, green or blue ring (depending on what command I select) eminate from my ship. Then a 5 sec cooldown timer. Does that mean it's on and I can leave it or like it says in the command discription that it only lasts 10 seconds? I notice I can hit this command every 5 seconds and each time I see the visual of the colored rings coming out of my ship. So do I have to hit it once wait 10 seconds then hit it again? Just did a search and did not find any in-depth description of these powers.

here is all I could find and it really does not give any numbers at all:

http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=874351

if someone could give a good breakdown of how long the buffs last and how to properly use them that would be great. mmmm'kay Peter... Thanks a bunch.

heres a little Lumberg to start your day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjJCdCXFslY

the buff is permanent. that 5 second thing is just a cooldown before it will let you switch to another command.

onyxheart1

5km range does seem short, maybe the devs need to buff the range a little, 8 or 10km would be better, that way when you're flying around an STF and things are a little hectic, you can still get the bonus to your team.

i mean how often are we going to be flying in formation less than 5.1km from each other in a combat situation?

I know my Fed Tac officer is going to love the cruiser commands for her Odyssey Cruiser when they get to retrofitting the rest of Starfleet, even if it's just her getting buffed half the time, it'll come in handy

angarus1

Yup, I use the commands.

gpgtx

i use them i like to follow escorts and use the shield one near them to help them be less squishy especially if they are taking aggro at the moment if not i switch to the weapon command