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I need help with this KDF BoP flying stuff.
cbrjwrr
Member Posts: 2,782 Arc User
Ok, I've been trying to figure it out for months now, HTF do you fly a BoP? Seriously, I just cannot do it. I am so useless, a less speedy and lower turn rate version of my racing Vo'Quv is more effective in PvP than my BoPs, and that isn't right.
Looking for any advice. From my perspective, anything would be an improvement... I really don't want to do a beam boat though.
Klingon Tac, with a Klingon Sci being levelled.
(Note: While equipment is not the issue as player ability is, build advice VPvP spec only: http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=1223171 )
Looking for any advice. From my perspective, anything would be an improvement... I really don't want to do a beam boat though.
Klingon Tac, with a Klingon Sci being levelled.
(Note: While equipment is not the issue as player ability is, build advice VPvP spec only: http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=1223171 )
Post edited by cbrjwrr on
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Comments
First and foremost, if you're trying to dogfight in a BOP, you're setting yourself up for failure. The hull and shield mods are terrible. The only thing worse than BOPs in hull & shield stats, outside of low tier ships, are SHUTTLES. You have no staying power whatsoever. Your turn rate does help in a turning fight, but someone is going to join into the fight eventually, likely another opponent, and that pitifully low shield & hull mod will be worth nothing when they open up on you. Combine that with all the insane crit rates, crit severity, shield bypass, shield penetration, etc, then that pitiful hull of a BOP is worth absolutely nothing.
Your turn rate of 20+ at one time in this game was truly an advantage. Not as much anymore with the common use of EPTE and/or A2D. More and more Escorts have 17 base turn rate. Combine that with the mentioned BOFF abilities, 20+ turn rate isn't a big deal anymore. You CAN do the same with your BOP, but remember that's precious BOFF space.
The impulse mod of a BOP is average.
You only have 11 BOFF skills compared to 12 everyone gets, and when DR comes out, the 13 BOFF skills of T6 ships. It's only going to get worse.
6 weapon slots.
The best I have been able to get my BOP's cloak cooldown to go down to is 18 seconds. Compared to my Romulan toons and Reman, who I can easily get down to 9 seconds. When you come out of cloak, compared to Romulan gameplay, those 18 seconds are the longest 18 seconds before you can try to reapply the safety of a cloak.
The BOPs have lots and lots of problems.
That said, if you still want to play a BOP for PVP, unless you're a science BOP in a B'Rel, Hit & Run is the only viable way to play. However you want to setup for that, is up to you. It's not so much as a build style, it's all about how you play. The BOP is ONLY built for that decloak alpha strike for not even 1 full firing cycle, and GTFO of town... put some distance, go in the safety of friendly ships, anything... GTFO and recloak after you do your strike.
You do not have the staying power to dogfight. That's for anything else like an Escort. You have to resist the urge to stay with a target until you kill it. You do that and someone will line you up in their sights to kill you. And with your small shield & hull mods, that's very easy to do.
More than any other type of ship to play, you have to really examine the battlefield, think of a safe point to come in and do your strike, and a definite escape point. You have no Singularity Abilities like the Warbirds do. You have no built in escape mechanism other than your Battle Cloak.
Then there's the cloak detector ships out there. Whether they're science ships, carriers built for cloak detection, or even "snooper builds" out there, like Fed-Roms in T'Varos using the Fed Nebula consoles and such. You are even in more danger because if you're detected while cloaked, your bare and pitiful hull is a huge risk to you.
Anyways, to cut the story short, you have to fly Hit & Run. You have to fly Aggressively. But you also have to fly like any second you're going to die as soon as anyone even starts shooting at you.
Lastly, because of the Hit & Run style being one of the very few bonafide styles to PVP with as a BOP, they're a poor choice in Arena Matches. You'll be constantly moving away to slowly repair yourself, trying to setup a good attack run. During this time, the rest of your team will be fighting with 1 less ship.
We still got some great BOP pilots out there as our "Aces" but on average, it's damn tough being even a decent BOP captain these days.
Pretty much. The parameters for success in a BOP are very, very slim and completely unforgiving.
It's very difficult in PVP to fly aggresively, wary of how vulnerable your ship is, constantly looking over your shoulder. But that's the life of a BOP captain in PVP. It becomes more amplified in Arena Matches like I said. But in a more open setting like C&H, you have more room to play the "Hunter." Just as long as you remember that you can quickly become hunted yourself.
Whatever build you setup for your decloaking alpha strike has to be quick and short. Any attack run that requires you to stick around for even 1 full firing cycle of something like CRF is inviting disaster.
That little? 10 seconds?
No wonder I die so much, I keep trying to stick it out...
Would a FBP-based BoP work?
also which BoP are you flying all BoPs are not created Equal.
Heg'ta or Ki'Tang. (keep in mind its for Vanilla PvP, so it is only those two and the C-Store B'rel allowed - normal PvP I am so out of depth I've stopped trying...)
http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=heghta1_0 (the planner doesn't have the Ki'tang up yet)
Procedure is approach to say 15 Km away, buff up, do strike, soon as CRF finishes bail as fast as possible, and repeat until target is down?
And now the game CTDs every time I right click a piece of gear... Sigh.
I don't mind being mentioned, but what guide of mine are you talking about?
Alpha Strike
Really a nice blog there. There does seem to be some misinformation between what is an alphastrike and the console kiddy vapers. And since you won't be using consoles, wouldn't hurt to consult someone that never uses em.
Mirror Ship Hotness
This is your Mirror Dream ship for VPvP
You can set it up like this...
Naked Heavy BOP
Good blog on PvP without extensive gearing rep, or much of anything.
EDIT: adding link
And some painful slow motion
That's a longish video at 13 minutes. Worth it though to anyone that has the idea of "oh this will be easy" or "oh this must be magic". It isn't either one. It's practice. So that 13 minutes could save a bunch of time down the road for those that don't want to do the work.
The B'rel is allowed. Sci/Torp boats are pretty much plug and play out of the box. Cheers.
Thank you, some of those were poetic. And inspirational.
Select
Execute
Evade
Makes it sound simple...
Both are useful of course.
Ah ok, np, it happens.