I like my Nebby, too, but I -do- wish she had some more HP OR more firepower.
What might be cool is if the up-and-coming "Second Deflector" slot on the Nebula could also, at the Player's option, be another forward weapon's slot. After all, that's what the pod IS: An interchangeable component that houses either extra sensor pallets and equipment, or a weapons lab with torpedo bay. So Nebby players could choose either a second deflector with all the stat increases, OR that extra weapon slot. Heck, even swap between them based on what the mission calls for.
That might sound OP, but let's face it, this is a game where a single well-equipped Escort can kill a group of enemies in 5 seconds. Hitting GW3 + FaW + Torp Spread 2 + EWP is fun, but that still takes a good minute to kill a group of low-HP probes that don't even fire back.
Well, you're a science ship. Hitting things with a big stick isn't what you're meant to do. That's what escorts do. Science is, if not by name, by purpose, "hard mode".
You're supposed to be a master of psychological warfare - delaying, annoying, harassing and frustrating opponents while buffing and healing allies. "What's that? Your tac abilities are all ready and you're about to begin another alpha strike? LOOK OVER HERE." ~subnuke~ "Now look back. Your tac abilities have all reset. Isn't that strange?" Or, instead of that, "Why don't you just have a seat over there." ~viral matrix, gravwell, jam sensors~ "I'll be with you in just a moment." Or, "Oh, are you trying to kill me?" ~EP2S III, Aux bat, feedback pulse III~ "Please, continue. Hit me so I can kill you."
Obviously this doesn't translate well to STFs, since the Borg are basically immune to all science powers in the game beyond things like gravwell or feedback pulse, and since the only real hard hitting weapon they use are the invisitorps of doooooom, FBP isn't really all that useful. Hopefully Cryptic fixes this with some new content that doesn't center around "immune to everything but the deeps" enemies.
The Nebula-class seems fine to me. The only reason I don't fly nor ever will fly or own one is because it's HIDEOUS. It's HURR and DURR by definition. It's just derpy looking and I can't stand looking at it (or any Galaxy variant) even though the BOff layout appeals to me in so many ways (as my main character is a Scibro flying Sci Vessels and being able to use Gravwell 3, DOffed TBR and Eject Warp Plasma is my ultimate way of doing CC).
The Vesta is nowhere close to the ultimate Science Vessel. Yes it has a hangar, but it pays heavily for that in terms of hull, shields, and turn rate. The ship has the lowest fleet level shield stats, ties with Voyager for the second lowest hull modifier, and ties Voyager for the third lowest hull modifier. The only science vessel truly made obsolete by the Vesta is the Fleet Long Range Science Vessel Retrofit (Voyager), which is essentially a Vesta without a hangar or universal bridge officer stations in exchange for 5% more shields. Every other Science Vessel on the federation side has unique features and properties. The "flexible" bridge officer layout on the Vesta severely limits the ship's ability to run high end science abilities.
I'm not sure where you get the idea that "The 'flexible' bridge officer layout on the Vesta severely limits the ship's ability to run high end science abilities."
You have the option of going balls to the walls Science to get Commander & LtCdr Science BOFF stations, about as dedicated to high-end Science abilities as you can get. While still having a Universal Ensign to throw where ever you like. And you'd still have Lt TAC & ENG as fixed stations.
In addition, you have the option to:
Go Cmdr Science with LtCdr, Lt ENG, for a much more sturdy layout. Not quite replicating the Nebula layout, but it's damn close enough. And you still have the Universal Ensign to toss around as you see fit, alongside the Lt TAC & ENG fixed stations.
You have the option of going Cmdr Science and LtCdr TAC, similar to the Nova's layout. And you still have the Universal Ensign to use as you see fit, alongside the Lt TAC & ENG fixed stations.
The Vesta's Universal LtCdr & Ens BOFF slots are very powerful in customizing what the ship can and can't do. The Vesta 3-pack gives you more options with the Console layouts. Balanced, full Science, or 4x4 TAC/SCI, a very powerful combo right now. You can do the job of practically every Fed Science Vessel with 1 ship bundle.
It's flexible, powerful, and has Consoles that can have uses. Oh, and it has a hangar, because Cryptic likes to throw hangars around when they're ever in doubt about ship designs.
And please, let's not talk about the Vesta's durability. With the usually very, very high Aux Power Sci Vessels run, most esp. so if you are using Aux Cannons, there are no questions with how the Vesta can hang. You're running things like TSS, PH, HE, etc. with very high Aux Power and the benefits they bring will be that much stronger, as with other Sci Vessels. Yes, it's still not as high hull strength as a Nebula. Yes, it's not a 1.43 shield mod, but it is still a very respectable 1.35.
But considering the Vesta can do the job of the majority of Fed Sci Vessels, it's a non-issue tradeoff. And the game isn't hard at all to survive. The only way the game gets you is with 1-shot instakill cheese, and nothing will stop that.
I'll add my support for a new Nebula. It should be what it's meant to be (even if you use the limited definition given my Cryptic, that is, a Science/Cruiser hybrid). It succeeds at the science part, just not so much the cruiser part.
I don't ask for some superawesomeohmygodubership, I leave that nonsense to the dps mongers and the pvpers. The Ambassador is a more successful hybrid ship (and for that, you are awesome Cryptic).
So what would I suggest? Probably things that already have been. Give it a 4/3 weapon loadout, and maybe adjust it's consoles to 3/3/3 (there are never enough console slots. Universal consoles are too universal ).
It's a simple request, even if it may not be so simple an implementation.
I'm not sure where you get the idea that "The 'flexible' bridge officer layout on the Vesta severely limits the ship's ability to run high end science abilities."
You have the option of going balls to the walls Science to get Commander & LtCdr Science BOFF stations, about as dedicated to high-end Science abilities as you can get. While still having a Universal Ensign to throw where ever you like. And you'd still have Lt TAC & ENG as fixed stations.
That allows for mimicking the Fleet Long Range Science Vessel Retrofit, the Fleet Deep Space Science Vessel, and the Fleet Reconnaissance Science Vessel. That said, the Fleet DSSV has a console layout that cannot be mimicked by the Vesta in addition to a significantly higher hull and shield modifier. The Fleet RSV has better turn rate, hull modifier, and shield modifier. The Fleet LRSV is make obsolete to the Vesta, but that is the only Science Vessel to suffer from the problem.
Go Cmdr Science with LtCdr, Lt ENG, for a much more sturdy layout. Not quite replicating the Nebula layout, but it's damn close enough. And you still have the Universal Ensign to toss around as you see fit, alongside the Lt TAC & ENG fixed stations.
That layout doesn't have Lt. Science, which makes it impossible to chain Transfer Shield Strength II. This forces the player to choose between two high end Science abilities and the ability to slot two copies of the Science Vessel's best shield heal.
You have the option of going Cmdr Science and LtCdr TAC, similar to the Nova's layout. And you still have the Universal Ensign to use as you see fit, alongside the Lt TAC & ENG fixed stations.
The Vesta doesn't come anywhere close to the power of the Fleet Nova. The Fleet Nova is a Wells Class Temporal Science Vessel with Ensign Engineering instead of Ensign Science. The Nova has +3 turn rate and +10 inertia over the Vesta. There are many things the Nova can pull off that the Vesta cannot. Stopping on a dime is one of them.
The Vesta's Universal LtCdr & Ens BOFF slots are very powerful in customizing what the ship can and can't do. The Vesta 3-pack gives you more options with the Console layouts. Balanced, full Science, or 4x4 TAC/SCI, a very powerful combo right now. You can do the job of practically every Fed Science Vessel with 1 ship bundle.
The Vesta's core layout is 2 engineering/4 science/3 tactical. Each ship in the bundle gives an extra console slot to one of those three areas. The Vesta cannot mimic a third of the Federation Science Vessel layouts as a result.
It's flexible, powerful, and has Consoles that can have uses. Oh, and it has a hangar, because Cryptic likes to throw hangars around when they're ever in doubt about ship designs.
The shield modifier pays significantly for that hangar.
And please, let's not talk about the Vesta's durability. With the usually very, very high Aux Power Sci Vessels run, most esp. so if you are using Aux Cannons, there are no questions with how the Vesta can hang. You're running things like TSS, PH, HE, etc. with very high Aux Power and the benefits they bring will be that much stronger, as with other Sci Vessels. Yes, it's still not as high hull strength as a Nebula. Yes, it's not a 1.43 shield mod, but it is still a very respectable 1.35.
If you are running all of those Science abilities, then you have clearly locked the Lt. Commander Universal, haven't you? It is flexible...and durable...oh, but only if the Lt. Commander Universal is used for Science.
Comments
What might be cool is if the up-and-coming "Second Deflector" slot on the Nebula could also, at the Player's option, be another forward weapon's slot. After all, that's what the pod IS: An interchangeable component that houses either extra sensor pallets and equipment, or a weapons lab with torpedo bay. So Nebby players could choose either a second deflector with all the stat increases, OR that extra weapon slot. Heck, even swap between them based on what the mission calls for.
That might sound OP, but let's face it, this is a game where a single well-equipped Escort can kill a group of enemies in 5 seconds. Hitting GW3 + FaW + Torp Spread 2 + EWP is fun, but that still takes a good minute to kill a group of low-HP probes that don't even fire back.
You're supposed to be a master of psychological warfare - delaying, annoying, harassing and frustrating opponents while buffing and healing allies. "What's that? Your tac abilities are all ready and you're about to begin another alpha strike? LOOK OVER HERE." ~subnuke~ "Now look back. Your tac abilities have all reset. Isn't that strange?" Or, instead of that, "Why don't you just have a seat over there." ~viral matrix, gravwell, jam sensors~ "I'll be with you in just a moment." Or, "Oh, are you trying to kill me?" ~EP2S III, Aux bat, feedback pulse III~ "Please, continue. Hit me so I can kill you."
Obviously this doesn't translate well to STFs, since the Borg are basically immune to all science powers in the game beyond things like gravwell or feedback pulse, and since the only real hard hitting weapon they use are the invisitorps of doooooom, FBP isn't really all that useful. Hopefully Cryptic fixes this with some new content that doesn't center around "immune to everything but the deeps" enemies.
I'm not sure where you get the idea that "The 'flexible' bridge officer layout on the Vesta severely limits the ship's ability to run high end science abilities."
Example, Surveillance type Vesta.
You have the option of going balls to the walls Science to get Commander & LtCdr Science BOFF stations, about as dedicated to high-end Science abilities as you can get. While still having a Universal Ensign to throw where ever you like. And you'd still have Lt TAC & ENG as fixed stations.
In addition, you have the option to:
Go Cmdr Science with LtCdr, Lt ENG, for a much more sturdy layout. Not quite replicating the Nebula layout, but it's damn close enough. And you still have the Universal Ensign to toss around as you see fit, alongside the Lt TAC & ENG fixed stations.
You have the option of going Cmdr Science and LtCdr TAC, similar to the Nova's layout. And you still have the Universal Ensign to use as you see fit, alongside the Lt TAC & ENG fixed stations.
The Vesta's Universal LtCdr & Ens BOFF slots are very powerful in customizing what the ship can and can't do. The Vesta 3-pack gives you more options with the Console layouts. Balanced, full Science, or 4x4 TAC/SCI, a very powerful combo right now. You can do the job of practically every Fed Science Vessel with 1 ship bundle.
It's flexible, powerful, and has Consoles that can have uses. Oh, and it has a hangar, because Cryptic likes to throw hangars around when they're ever in doubt about ship designs.
And please, let's not talk about the Vesta's durability. With the usually very, very high Aux Power Sci Vessels run, most esp. so if you are using Aux Cannons, there are no questions with how the Vesta can hang. You're running things like TSS, PH, HE, etc. with very high Aux Power and the benefits they bring will be that much stronger, as with other Sci Vessels. Yes, it's still not as high hull strength as a Nebula. Yes, it's not a 1.43 shield mod, but it is still a very respectable 1.35.
But considering the Vesta can do the job of the majority of Fed Sci Vessels, it's a non-issue tradeoff. And the game isn't hard at all to survive. The only way the game gets you is with 1-shot instakill cheese, and nothing will stop that.
I don't ask for some superawesomeohmygodubership, I leave that nonsense to the dps mongers and the pvpers. The Ambassador is a more successful hybrid ship (and for that, you are awesome Cryptic).
So what would I suggest? Probably things that already have been. Give it a 4/3 weapon loadout, and maybe adjust it's consoles to 3/3/3 (there are never enough console slots. Universal consoles are too universal
It's a simple request, even if it may not be so simple an implementation.
That layout doesn't have Lt. Science, which makes it impossible to chain Transfer Shield Strength II. This forces the player to choose between two high end Science abilities and the ability to slot two copies of the Science Vessel's best shield heal.
The Vesta doesn't come anywhere close to the power of the Fleet Nova. The Fleet Nova is a Wells Class Temporal Science Vessel with Ensign Engineering instead of Ensign Science. The Nova has +3 turn rate and +10 inertia over the Vesta. There are many things the Nova can pull off that the Vesta cannot. Stopping on a dime is one of them.
The Vesta's core layout is 2 engineering/4 science/3 tactical. Each ship in the bundle gives an extra console slot to one of those three areas. The Vesta cannot mimic a third of the Federation Science Vessel layouts as a result.
The shield modifier pays significantly for that hangar.
If you are running all of those Science abilities, then you have clearly locked the Lt. Commander Universal, haven't you? It is flexible...and durable...oh, but only if the Lt. Commander Universal is used for Science.
The ship is a jack of all science oriented trades, master of none.
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Real join date: March 2012 / PvP Veteran since May 2012 (Ground and Space)
Support a proper reboot to the Galaxy Class, an improved Intrepid and a Defiant Class/Akira Class with the Ens tact turned to Eng or Uni
Thank you.