I'd drop at least one of the locators for an exploiter. Most people suggest 10:1 crith/critd ratio, and you're picking up +critH on some of your consoles anyway.
Also you've got cannons and beams, I would pick one type and stick with that, and lose the torpedo. Double up on FaW or CRF/CSV. You can roll both without problems, but broadsiding gives you 2 shield facings to work with, while point n shoot only gives you one.
By doubling up on skills you have enough tac slots to lose the A2B altogether and focus on DoFF's that work with that specific skillset. Using 1 A2B I was capping out around 9k in a galor. Being able to use 2A2B instantly kicked me up to ~13k.
Hop into builds here and checkout the help I got getting to 15k. See page 2 where I'm told to use 2a2b or scrap it. The ships are different but the principals are the same.
Since you're also flying a raider, learn and practice flank locations. Cubes and Spheres can be tricky, but things like generators and gates are static.
*Edit*
Also please update your academy build to include your skilltree. You might well already be in a 10k+ ship but specced in the wrong places.
IMO you're wasting your efforts trying to make it a half A2Bat build. I think you're also watering yourself down a bit, going cannon, torp, and BA all up front. You're spreading your boff skills out to buff all of these and as a result aren't being efficient.
Now, this is all subjective, but...
Drop the A2Bat. Run 2x EPTs and ET if you like. Run 2x purple DCEs if you want fast chaining of these EPTs.
Drop the 3x tech doffs. Instead run 2x or 3x cannon skill cooldown doffs, and run 3 DHCs up front. Put the ERP beam in an aft slot. You'll still get the bonus, and when you're facing sideways it'll still fire and do more damage than just a turret. This way you'll get more forward firepower and it will all be buffed by the same boff skill (CSV) which will in turn be cooled down by your doffs.
Get rid of THY. Run TS1 if anything (honestly, if you slot 2-3 purple PWOs you'll get a nonstop chain of torps without needing a boff skill to take up space).
APO3 does WAY better damage boost than APB3. Problem is the long cooldown. You can lessen this by running APB1 while APO3 is cooling down.
You can run a DBB up front to take the BO and get as much damage from it as possible. If you want to run a cannon up front you'll still be able to use BO with the Omni AP 360. However, if you want to run DBB up front to get the most out of your BO strike, take the Omni AP 360 off your ship. It will steal the focus of the BO and you'll get weaker strikes since BO is based off the damage of the weapon it buffs. BO on an Omni AP array is noticably less than the same BO on a DBB. KCB is safe in this regard since BO/FAW don't affect it.
I could go into what I'd do, I could go into my builds (I'm running a Chel Grett on my KDF tac right now for NWS training), but there's a lot of subjectivity in it. Just looking at your build, I'd say you're watering yourself down by splitting between beams, cannons, and torps. Narrow your focus down and get the harmonization between your boff skills a little tighter/more-cohesive. My Chel Grett does 13k.
After that, I'd say 70% of DPS is piloting. When and where to be and how to fire on the enemy, how to move quickly to the next target. Keep your downtime to a minimum. DPS has a time element. The less time you waste, the higher your end DPS will be. Efficiency is key, and all that.
To get great DPS in PvE, one usually needs to focus on beam arrays or dual heavy cannons/ turrets. I favor beam arrays, others might favor cannon weapons. Go with 1 kinetic cutting beam and 7 beam arrays, 6 beams and add the omni directional AP beam if going with AP weapons.
3 purple damage control engineers to cycle EPTx abilities as often as possible.
2 development lab scientists to reduce science team cooldowns
Cycle EPTW, EPTS and Tac team as often as possible to get buffs going. Use Science team to fill in shields, especially when tac team is in it's last 5 seconds before the next
The MACO shield interferes with plasmonic leech, so use another shield. The nukara or dyson ones are not bad if you happen to have one already. If not, you can run "a step between stars" and use the Solanae one as a cheap stand-in.
That should give you a good start as others will be better at explaining how some gear has synergies, etc.
To clarify that Omni AP is really an Omni plasma. I have the beams, I'll try out a dual FAW2-3 tonight, and maybe take up the rest of the tactical slack with a WAQT. TBR2 with the Pull doff is doable, but I'll have to spec some PartG to keep the DPS up, GW with chain lasts longer,
True, but GW, TBR or even TB3 will all need a little bit of PG skill. I think it's not necessarily required to spec into any of those, but to use them as supplemental damage. If it's the hold you're concerned about, then substitute PG for GravGens.
With TBR not using the 'pull' DoFF, just don't activate it except against immovable targets like gates, gens or cubes. But it should be more beneficial to DPS, especially in a cannon build, where you want to be inside 5km anyway.
Equipment is more than enough to make up for whatever you're not comfortable spending points on. If you've got stuff like projectiles, you'll have points to spare in a respec anyhow.
Running 3x VR Techs which with the MACO set gives me 35% recharge. If I can get this to 15~20k that would be awesome!
Thanks!
You've had a lot of good advice already, but I would also consider using:
Counter Command Deflector: pretty much best DPS Deflector. (but the Nukara is a nice choice for a defensive set up, and if run with the shield is a boost of 2.5% weapon damage.)
Rom Impulse Engines: boosts your attack patterns.
On Shields: As mentioned earlier by riakidrys, particularly if you run Nukara 2-piece. Or an Elite Fleet Resilient [adapt] [ResB].
The missing Sci Console - a Graviton Generator or Particle Generator to boost your Grav Well would be a good idea. Better than a missing console anyway.
Nukara 2pc added 2.5% to base, resulting in only 20dps difference per beam, which isn't much considering it's at 950dps per romulan beam array.
I ran something close to Ryak's suggested build earlier this morning, I may slot FBP in the ltc science position, as it will add to DPS and some protection.
I may grind out the counter command set, or a MKXII Borg, as I only have a MKXI Borg. The KCB gets a boost and it's very durable with the set bonuses.
I could run Omega for Tet Glider.
One thing I noticed when I dropped the single a2b was that only the tactical skills I doubled up on were able to cycle at efficiency. All others now recharged at normal rate, sub the 35% I had, which resulted in a substantially more frail ship. The Borg set helped offset that,
Comments
Also you've got cannons and beams, I would pick one type and stick with that, and lose the torpedo. Double up on FaW or CRF/CSV. You can roll both without problems, but broadsiding gives you 2 shield facings to work with, while point n shoot only gives you one.
By doubling up on skills you have enough tac slots to lose the A2B altogether and focus on DoFF's that work with that specific skillset. Using 1 A2B I was capping out around 9k in a galor. Being able to use 2A2B instantly kicked me up to ~13k.
Hop into builds here and checkout the help I got getting to 15k. See page 2 where I'm told to use 2a2b or scrap it. The ships are different but the principals are the same.
Since you're also flying a raider, learn and practice flank locations. Cubes and Spheres can be tricky, but things like generators and gates are static.
*Edit*
Also please update your academy build to include your skilltree. You might well already be in a 10k+ ship but specced in the wrong places.
Now, this is all subjective, but...
Drop the A2Bat. Run 2x EPTs and ET if you like. Run 2x purple DCEs if you want fast chaining of these EPTs.
Drop the 3x tech doffs. Instead run 2x or 3x cannon skill cooldown doffs, and run 3 DHCs up front. Put the ERP beam in an aft slot. You'll still get the bonus, and when you're facing sideways it'll still fire and do more damage than just a turret. This way you'll get more forward firepower and it will all be buffed by the same boff skill (CSV) which will in turn be cooled down by your doffs.
Get rid of THY. Run TS1 if anything (honestly, if you slot 2-3 purple PWOs you'll get a nonstop chain of torps without needing a boff skill to take up space).
How about:
CMDR: TT1 / BO2 / CSV2 / APO3
LT: TS1 (or BO1) / APB1
APO3 does WAY better damage boost than APB3. Problem is the long cooldown. You can lessen this by running APB1 while APO3 is cooling down.
You can run a DBB up front to take the BO and get as much damage from it as possible. If you want to run a cannon up front you'll still be able to use BO with the Omni AP 360. However, if you want to run DBB up front to get the most out of your BO strike, take the Omni AP 360 off your ship. It will steal the focus of the BO and you'll get weaker strikes since BO is based off the damage of the weapon it buffs. BO on an Omni AP array is noticably less than the same BO on a DBB. KCB is safe in this regard since BO/FAW don't affect it.
I could go into what I'd do, I could go into my builds (I'm running a Chel Grett on my KDF tac right now for NWS training), but there's a lot of subjectivity in it. Just looking at your build, I'd say you're watering yourself down by splitting between beams, cannons, and torps. Narrow your focus down and get the harmonization between your boff skills a little tighter/more-cohesive. My Chel Grett does 13k.
After that, I'd say 70% of DPS is piloting. When and where to be and how to fire on the enemy, how to move quickly to the next target. Keep your downtime to a minimum. DPS has a time element. The less time you waste, the higher your end DPS will be. Efficiency is key, and all that.
As for BO skills....
EPTS1
TT1, APB1, BFAW3, APB3
TT1, BFAW2
ET1, EPTW2
HE1, HE2, ST3
3 purple damage control engineers to cycle EPTx abilities as often as possible.
2 development lab scientists to reduce science team cooldowns
Cycle EPTW, EPTS and Tac team as often as possible to get buffs going. Use Science team to fill in shields, especially when tac team is in it's last 5 seconds before the next
The MACO shield interferes with plasmonic leech, so use another shield. The nukara or dyson ones are not bad if you happen to have one already. If not, you can run "a step between stars" and use the Solanae one as a cheap stand-in.
That should give you a good start as others will be better at explaining how some gear has synergies, etc.
With TBR not using the 'pull' DoFF, just don't activate it except against immovable targets like gates, gens or cubes. But it should be more beneficial to DPS, especially in a cannon build, where you want to be inside 5km anyway.
Equipment is more than enough to make up for whatever you're not comfortable spending points on. If you've got stuff like projectiles, you'll have points to spare in a respec anyhow.
You've had a lot of good advice already, but I would also consider using:
Counter Command Deflector: pretty much best DPS Deflector. (but the Nukara is a nice choice for a defensive set up, and if run with the shield is a boost of 2.5% weapon damage.)
Rom Impulse Engines: boosts your attack patterns.
On Shields: As mentioned earlier by riakidrys, particularly if you run Nukara 2-piece. Or an Elite Fleet Resilient [adapt] [ResB].
The missing Sci Console - a Graviton Generator or Particle Generator to boost your Grav Well would be a good idea. Better than a missing console anyway.
He has been reported to the proper authorities.
I ran something close to Ryak's suggested build earlier this morning, I may slot FBP in the ltc science position, as it will add to DPS and some protection.
I may grind out the counter command set, or a MKXII Borg, as I only have a MKXI Borg. The KCB gets a boost and it's very durable with the set bonuses.
I could run Omega for Tet Glider.
One thing I noticed when I dropped the single a2b was that only the tactical skills I doubled up on were able to cycle at efficiency. All others now recharged at normal rate, sub the 35% I had, which resulted in a substantially more frail ship. The Borg set helped offset that,
Any other ideas? And thanks for your help guys
Oh I remember that post.
Last I checked this was incorrect, the 2-piece is bonus not strength.
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