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Tactical newcomer/newbie guide

eealexeealex Member Posts: 10 Arc User
edited August 2014 in The Academy
Yeah we know, you like the red sign and we know you believe the damage dealers get the best of the game. Well in STO, everyone has a fair share, but since you picked the Tactical, I could share a few of my "newbilicious" wisdom with you.

First of all, STO has a more mature community and a more balanced gameplay than most of your MMO's played before and not to mention the smart scaling of numbers through leveling.

That means your lack of overpriced weapons won't cripple you to nothingness as long as you push the buttons almost right.

I will be short on three tactical types I'm currently playing (yeah, I'm the tac one).

1. The typical federation tactical officer.

This guy has a simple way of playing. Alpha striking and punching a hole through single targets. Even if in this game, splash is a very viable alternative, since under correct circumstances can deliver a very powerful punch, it needs good maneuvering and positioning.
You pack cannons and (optionally, if you don't get friendly with full cannons and want an alternative) you got for the 4th weapon slot wether a Photon Torpedo (which will be running Torpedo Spread III - which your ELISA FLORES bridge officer has by default) or use a dual beam bank which would better pack some critical damage, because you will run it with Beam Overload skill (BO II or BO III, more details on forum).
Torpedo spread chews hull while Beam overload draws a hole through the shields (possibly can hit hard on the hull if it crits, but mostly strips the shield facing so you throw your cannon shots).
The simpler alternative, but more demanding at maneuvrability is all forward cannons. It will drain energy power like hell, but if you land maximally 2 rounds, every normal target on Default Difficulty will be at least severely damaged.

Pick Disruptor (has a chance of dealing +10% extra damage on affected target) or Polaron (has chance of lowering all enemy stats down, giving you a severe edge). Phasers do as well, but they tend to get expensive and against strong targets like borgs, it's a game of luck on your side and a certain way on theirs.

If you choose Dual Cannons, you may wanna opt for Cannon Scatter Volley skills, if you choose Dual Heavy Cannons, you wanna opt for Cannon Rapid Fire.

Traits: Pick as you wish but 3 are mandatory for a safe flight, no matter of your race.
Accurate (bonus chance to hit what you target)
Elusive (as you fly around, you get a bigger chance not to be hit)
Warp Theorist (boosts your stats a bit, so you get a great edge)

2. The beam tactical

Under simmilar trait and energy type selection, this guy is fairly great against any moving target, but needs a capable team in PvE or you ll attract aggro and you'll die.

Pack 3 dual beam banks forward and a photon cannon.
Pack 2 Beam arrays aft and another photon cannon.

Run Fire at Will III (you can train your officers into using it). Beam Overload II and Omega Attack Pattern. You can hit hard as well, but need lesser maneuvrability to land shots.

3. The romulan federation sided.

This guy is by far the most squishy. If the other two have Patrol Escort at level 40 which lands them safely, this guy is squishy in Hafeh, is squishy in Dhelan Mirror and not to mention T'varo mirror.

You may wanna opt for Dhelan for a more beam like approach (like upper) or for Hafeh for Cannon punching.

Pick Plasma (don't ask why, just do it. Burning hulls as you just finished your alpha strikes is a good thing).

Trait selection is simmilar. If you are Alien, you know what traits to pick. If you are Romulan, be sure to select the Romulan Operative or whatever. It has a romulan head as a sign and it boosts crit chance and crit power of your space attacks.

Okay. Now generics for the tactical class (space).

1. Don't fall for the trap of "stay and dps" like cruisers do. I did. It was stupid. You are best suited alpha striking. (boost your damage, fast hit all your damage buffs, your attacks and unleash hell on the target).

2. Trade Shield power for Engine power. Your main survivability lies in moving (so that you get higher def. percentage and they miss) and entering and exiting combat range. Lowering shield power does NOT lower your MAXIMUM SHIELD CAPACITY. It lowers their recovery and damage reduction, but you' re supposed to hit and leave, or happily hit and pick the loot.

3. Weapons to maximum. Put your weapons to maximum (100 base set, could reach 125 at good build). They boost your punch severely.

4. Have fun. This game is played for fun. Play fun, teamwork with others, be a better colleague than they are. It pays the price.

If you liked or found it useful, feel free to mail or message me ingame @eealex.

Have a good flight, tactical captain!
Post edited by eealex on

Comments

  • kaelderonkaelderon Member Posts: 0
    edited August 2014
    - "Pick Disruptor (has a chance of dealing +10% extra damage on affected target) or Polaron (has chance of lowering all enemy stats down, giving you a severe edge). Phasers do as well, but they tend to get expensive and against strong targets like borgs, it's a game of luck on your side and a certain way on theirs." -

    Sorry to disppoint you, but

    - Disruptors just have a CHANCE to lower the targets' RESISTANCE by 10% and
    - Polaron just has a CHANCE to lower the targets' Power levels, not stats; the Voth Polarons have an additional procc, but never saw THAT one really do damage.

    Nice sets to start with (and you can collect em during raising rep):

    the Biomol-Disruptor-Set of Countercom; you get the chance of -10% resistance + the radiaton damage procc (4% with set). The torpedo REALLY kicks TRIBBLE with THY; always got it in my rear launcher.

    Another "must have" I discovered recently: the Dyson Photon gun set (you can only mount 1(!)) with console and Grav Torp Launcher. The gun works with BFAW, CRF AND BO (!). But the real kicker is the grav torp; especially on a Sci-Ship (and char) wiht boosted Graviton and Particle Generators a spread of em really hurts.

    Another option (but not my favourite): the AP-set for Beginners. Doing the last borg and the 1st dyson mission several times you can get a nice AP-set for starters. "Just" Mark XI, but nice for a start and until you can get the fleet APs.

    Romulan Plasma is an alternative because these guns offer the same resistance reduction as the disruptors + a non-stackable dot. Quite nice, and you can get em from the romulan rep boxes.
  • jarodroto123jarodroto123 Member Posts: 1,337 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    kaelderon wrote: »
    - "Pick Disruptor (has a chance of dealing +10% extra damage on affected target) or Polaron (has chance of lowering all enemy stats down, giving you a severe edge). Phasers do as well, but they tend to get expensive and against strong targets like borgs, it's a game of luck on your side and a certain way on theirs." -

    Sorry to disppoint you, but

    - Disruptors just have a CHANCE to lower the targets' RESISTANCE by 10% and
    - Polaron just has a CHANCE to lower the targets' Power levels, not stats; the Voth Polarons have an additional procc, but never saw THAT one really do damage.

    Nice sets to start with (and you can collect em during raising rep):

    the Biomolecular-Disruptor-Set of 8472 Countercommand reputation system; you get the chance of -10% resistance + the radiaton damage proc (4% with set). The torpedo REALLY kicks TRIBBLE with Torpedo High Yield ; always got it in my rear launcher.

    Another "must have" I discovered recently: the Dyson Photon gun set (you can only mount 1(!)) with console and Gravimetric Torp Launcher. The gun works with Beam Fire At Will, Cannon Rapid Fire AND Beam Overload (!). But the real kicker is the grav torp; especially on a Sci-Ship (and char) with boosted Graviton and Particle Generators a spread of em really hurts.

    Another option (but not my favourite): the AP-set for Beginners. Doing the last borg and the 1st dyson mission several times you can get a nice AP-set for starters. "Just" Mark XI, but nice for a start and until you can get the fleet APs.

    Romulan Plasma is an alternative because these guns offer the same resistance reduction as the disruptors + a non-stackable dot. Quite nice, and you can get em from the romulan rep boxes.


    just editted for those who dont know the short hand...good info, kudos to you
  • norobladnoroblad Member Posts: 2,624 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    Newbie guides are great, and there is some good advice in here, but ...

    DBB front beam array aft ... provides a ship that has no aft weapons firing at all if the front weapons are on target. Even turrets aft are better than this, despite not getting any boosts from your beam skills. Or use all beam arrays and broadside. If you like this layout, fine, but it is not really great "advice" for others.

    weapon type does not matter. Use whatever you can get. At about level 20 you can repeat missions for a matched set of blue weapons. Crafting of course would work if you have the materials and patience to build your gear, though it will likely be white quality you can at least get matching consoles and weapons.

    Pick plasma, pick disruptor... both are nice, but it really does not matter before 50, any of the types is fine before 50.

    - there is absolutely nothing wrong with full bore dps in pve. Slow down and keep your guns on the target is perfectly acceptable unless you are dying. If you are dying at lower levels, you are doing something wrong (usually, you lack the trifecta of hazard emitters, shield and hull healing, and tac team) with your survival skills.

    - power to engines? Power to aux instead for healing, keep your guns on the target all the time, always. Blowing past the target, doing a 180, and repeating, is 50% dps loss as you spend 1/2 your time with your guns facing the wrong way. Might as well be in a beam array "cruiser" if you want to have that low dps output.

    - you won't die in pve if you have defensive officer skills. A "cruiser" beamboat tactical is quite effective, esp against solo level up trash enemy. Heal yourself and win.

    - attack pattern beta is very, very good. Omega is for slow turning ships, beta is for everything else, generally speaking.
  • eealexeealex Member Posts: 10 Arc User
    edited August 2014
    - All chances are good, but disruptors are cheap and effective even later for STF-s where even if you can't match the dps of others, your procs are useful, helping the plasma damage your friends hit through shields and the fact that they'll hit even harder, so will you, on the target hull. Which overall means more usefulness in pve and faster pve completion.

    - The beam forward banks and aft beam arrays are for constant moving escorts, which need to hit something as they move. Standing still can be deadly, especially being an undergeared newbie in an escort.

    - power to engines allows you to get out of the mess and as I noticed, combined with Omega, breaks tractor beams pretty fast, not letting borgs slice you open.

    - Before you embrace beta, I have to remind you that before you hit a hull, you're gonna hit SOME SHIELDS. And omega lets you live more to take em down, gives you an OVERALL bonus damage which helps you when hitting both shields and hull. Since Borgs have stubborn shields, it is pretty self explanatory which omega>beta. Plus that most of the people with good gear use beta because they shred shields fast anyways. So the undergeared benefit more from omega pattern.
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