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Command Powers, Undesirability and some suggestions

Comparing the player base's favor for the various BOff specializations, there is a sharp difference in how much people like having access to Intel and Pilot versus the want for Command. Why? Well, to be frank, the command space powers suck. I've spent a few days thinking about it and I have a few suggestions to improve command powers.

Let's start with the ones that people actually use:
Overwhelm Emitters:
While a fine power for increasing shield damage, the shield healing is pretty minor when you're in a team environment or use pets.
Suggestion: Add a self-only buff: Energy attacks against marked target reduce the remaining cooldown on shield heals by 10% once every 5 seconds. (doubles down on the shield healing while also freeing up some healing to go to team mates)

Concentrate Firepower:
Again, decent power to add a bit of 'oompf' to kinetics, but the free THY1 is unreliable as to be non-existant in team/pet environments.
Suggestion: Change the power to give a BO1, CRF1, DPB1, and THY1 to all entities attacking the marked target once per 20/10/5 seconds, add 10% shield penetration to energy attacks. (a team based "make it dead" power should work more like the time we saw it on screen in First Contact where there was heavy torpedo AND beam fire).

Rally Point Marker:
Very nice heal power, basically a shorter CD Miracle Worker that your team can use.
Suggestion: Power is largely fine as-is.

Suppression Barrage:
Strong debuff, easy to spread to multiple targets via FAW or CSV.
Suggestion: Add an offensive component to it such as a small reduction to damage resistance or shield damage resistance to target.

Now, for the duds (while these powers have some very niche uses, they need to be more applicable to common combat situations)
Reroute Power from Life Support:
Burn crew and BOff cooldown speed for some minor +all power and immunity to subsystem offlines. +All power is incredibly easy to add to a build and with ET no longer competing with TT and ST, subsystem offline is a minor inconvenience now.
Suggestion: Tear the guts out and start over. Make the power function like a BOff/Captain power cooldown version of OSS; 20 second duration, 60 second cooldown, +5-30/55/80% BOff/Capt power cooldown speed (increases 2.5/5/7.5% every 2 seconds), Disables BOff and Captain powers for 10 seconds with no cooldown speed/zero recharge rate for 10 seconds.

Ambush Point Marker:
On paper, a very nice damage buff. In practice, the inability to use it while cloaked or in combat completely neuters it.
Suggestion: Again, total revamp. "Strategic Strike Marker": Allies that pass though this point gain a large reduction to BOff power cooldowns and if they deal damage above a certain threshold with a time limited duration, triggers AMBUSH! (+X All damage, summons 2 Attack Vessels for 30 seconds).

Needs of the Many:
So, let's see...disable my own shields for a minor amount of temporary hull to my allies? Sounds like a winner! ...or not.
Suggestion: Instead, apply an amount of temp hull and secondary shield to self every 2 seconds, take 50/75/100% of the damage applied to allies within 10km with increasing level of damage reduction per power rank and number of allies.

Subspace Interception:
Warp to ally needing heal, apply temp immunity...just prolongs the situation doesn't it?
Suggestion: Change to warp/teleport to targeted enemy, knockback and stun/disable them, massive increase to threat for self, reset cooldown on BOff power heals on allies within AoE.

Call Emergency Artillery:
Okayish damage...if it was a ensign rank power. Clumsy deployment ensures most salvos are wasted on the space between you and the target.
Suggestion: Increase the damage, adjust the warp in points and run for the "Bombers" to be centered on the target instead of start at your location and head towards target (i.e. bombers warp in 3km from target, fly past it firing charges, warps out on reaching 3km past target).

Phalanx Formation:
Fair buffs...extremely clunky mechanism to use.
Suggestion: Make it operate like the Draw Fire Cruiser aura, +x% Accuracy and Defense scaling with the number of allies with the AoE, 30 second duration, 60 second CD, 7.5km AoE, perhaps add a flat amount of damage reduction based on power rank to affected allies.

Would these be a panacea to Command not being popular? Probably not, but command powers would at least have more call to be used.

If the Devs ever get around to improving the Command powers, maybe they could give the handful of less effective/used Intel powers a look at too.

Viral Impulse Burst:
Defensively, lowers targets' damage output by lowering power levels, but also lowers self and potentially teams damage output by increasing range to target.
Suggestion: Make target 'waste' power, transfer power to engines like it's going to Full Impulse, but disable engines once the engine power level reaches a threshold based on power rank.

Subspace Beacon:
---
Suggestion: I've actually never used this power, but given the lack of how often I see it used or even mentioned, it needs some help.

Transport Warhead:
Deals shield bypassing damage with minor improvement to damage.
Suggestion: Needs huge damage buff, even though it bypasses shields, it can't even compete for situational applicability with THY at it's lowest rank, and TW starts at Lt. Cmdr to THY's Ensign...

Comments

  • horatiofenixhoratiofenix Member Posts: 51 Arc User
    I use Pilot as main as when flying a Scimitar the buffs to turn rate and other abilities that increase damage the closer you get are a huge plus when using a strong cannon build.
    Intel as secondary due to the temp hull points with attack patterns and accuracy buffs.

    Command is a good option for torp users, it makes torps a bit more useful and less likely to be thrown to one side in favor of another energy weapon, it's also predominantly a team based specialization, the more team mates you have running the same powers and specialization the better it becomes.
    A good fleet of players coordinating their efforts all using Command spec can be brutal, but as a lone wolf (like myself) it's not great :)
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  • mreeves7amreeves7a Member Posts: 499 Arc User
    I use Pilot as main as when flying a Scimitar the buffs to turn rate and other abilities that increase damage the closer you get are a huge plus when using a strong cannon build.
    Intel as secondary due to the temp hull points with attack patterns and accuracy buffs.

    Command is a good option for torp users, it makes torps a bit more useful and less likely to be thrown to one side in favor of another energy weapon, it's also predominantly a team based specialization, the more team mates you have running the same powers and specialization the better it becomes.
    A good fleet of players coordinating their efforts all using Command spec can be brutal, but as a lone wolf (like myself) it's not great :)

    That's good and all, but I'm not talking about the Captain Specializations, but the Bridge Officers.
  • orion0029orion0029 Member Posts: 1,122 Bug Hunter
    edited August 2015
    Actually I like Overwhelm Emitters as it is, perhaps make it boosted by Flow caps though?

    I'm in (partial) agreement with concentrate firepower, it should give the benefit to all attackers, I'm fine with it only giving THY1.

    I've thought about the emergency artillery ability, and I thought it would have been much better if the ships that warp in, fire off a single Torpedo spread (I,II,III based on rank of ability?) toward your target then warp out. It would be more effective and much cooler, in my opinion.

    Transport warhead: It's always irked me that the Pathfinder couldn't use this ability, dispite Ens Kim using it on Voyager. I'd drop it to Lt. I, Lt. Com II, and Com. III. As for effectiveness, it has also bothered me that it could only be used from the firing arc of the torpedo being transported... really? I didn't realize that Transporters were so limited... It should really have 360 firing arc.
  • mreeves7amreeves7a Member Posts: 499 Arc User
    orion0029 wrote: »
    Transport warhead: It's always irked me that the Pathfinder couldn't use this ability, dispite Ens Kim using it on Voyager. I'd drop it to Lt. I, Lt. Com II, and Com. III. As for effectiveness, it has also bothered me that it could only be used from the firing arc of the torpedo being transported... really? I didn't realize that Transporters were so limited... It should really have 360 firing arc.

    I'd never thought about the arc on that...it really should be 360.
  • warmaker001bwarmaker001b Member Posts: 9,205 Arc User
    edited August 2015
    mreeves7a wrote: »
    If the Devs ever get around to improving the Command powers, maybe they could give the handful of less effective/used Intel powers a look at too.

    Viral Impulse Burst:
    Defensively, lowers targets' damage output by lowering power levels, but also lowers self and potentially teams damage output by increasing range to target.
    Suggestion: Make target 'waste' power, transfer power to engines like it's going to Full Impulse, but disable engines once the engine power level reaches a threshold based on power rank.

    Subspace Beacon:
    ---
    Suggestion: I've actually never used this power, but given the lack of how often I see it used or even mentioned, it needs some help.

    Transport Warhead:
    Deals shield bypassing damage with minor improvement to damage.
    Suggestion: Needs huge damage buff, even though it bypasses shields, it can't even compete for situational applicability with THY at it's lowest rank, and TW starts at Lt. Cmdr to THY's Ensign...

    Intel BOFF abilities is a tricky one. Some of the stuff like Surgical Strikes, Override Subsystem Safeties, Ionic Turbulence, EMP Pulse Probe are very strong. 2 of those have been nerfed and are still powerful. There are some however that have clear PVP intentions, but in PVE are not desirable. For one thing, NPCs barely run any buffs, if at all, so stuff like Subnucleonic Carrier Wave would be useless in PVE but in PVP would be a monster. Same thing with Viral Impulse Burst. Force someone's Shield Power down to 25, if even for a short moment, you open them up to so many horrible attacks that their shields will stand zero chance. Not to mention the loss of flight control done by Viral Impulse Burst.

    I've toyed with Subspace Beacon. When you use it the first time, it sets your teleport point. Next time you hit the ability, it sends you back to that point. The annoying thing however is the range. Once you exceed the range, 10km if IIRC, maybe even less (been a while), then it breaks the ability. I'd recommend extending that range, say 15-20km max range to teleport to a safe, predetermined point after an attack run if the player wanted.
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  • seaofsorrowsseaofsorrows Member Posts: 10,919 Arc User
    I definitely agree, Command needs a lot of work. I do use Overwhelm Emitters and Suppression barrage, but other then that, I don't even look at the other abilities. I use several of the Intel powers on my other ships, Intel just seems leagues ahead of Command in almost every way.

    Can't comment much on Pilot, the only 'Pilot' ship I have is the Nandi, and I don't use an Pilot skills on that. Maybe one day I'll get around to actually looking at them. :)
    Insert witty signature line here.
  • warmaker001bwarmaker001b Member Posts: 9,205 Arc User
    edited August 2015
    I definitely agree, Command needs a lot of work. I do use Overwhelm Emitters and Suppression barrage, but other then that, I don't even look at the other abilities. I use several of the Intel powers on my other ships, Intel just seems leagues ahead of Command in almost every way.

    Can't comment much on Pilot, the only 'Pilot' ship I have is the Nandi, and I don't use an Pilot skills on that. Maybe one day I'll get around to actually looking at them. :)

    Pilot is... weird. There's a heavy mix of defense and escapes, a touch of placates / debuffing, and some offense capabilities. It even has a heal. I will say that a lot of Pilot is aimed at PVP, more than Command but less than Intel. Which is kind of sad. A lot of these abilities are real cool in a PVP setting but PVP is neglected in STO by the devs. The special effects these many abilities do have no point in PVE because NPCs are meatbags and effects-based attacks are weak against them.
    Post edited by warmaker001b on
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  • seaofsorrowsseaofsorrows Member Posts: 10,919 Arc User
    I definitely agree, Command needs a lot of work. I do use Overwhelm Emitters and Suppression barrage, but other then that, I don't even look at the other abilities. I use several of the Intel powers on my other ships, Intel just seems leagues ahead of Command in almost every way.

    Can't comment much on Pilot, the only 'Pilot' ship I have is the Nandi, and I don't use an Pilot skills on that. Maybe one day I'll get around to actually looking at them. :)

    Pilot is... weird. There's a heavy mix of defense and escapes, a tough of placates / debuffing, and some offense capabilities. It even has a heal. I will say that a lot of Pilot is aimed at PVP, more than Command but less than Intel. Which is kind of sad. A lot of these abilities are real cool in a PVP setting but PVP is neglected in STO by the devs. The special effects these many abilities do have no point in PVE because NPCs are meatbags and effects-based attacks are weak against them.

    I gave it a quick read over once the Pilot abilities were released and it seemed to be pretty much as you explained it. The only thing that seems cool to me are the Pilot Escorts dodge abilities. Outside of that, I have had little interest in any Pilot powers.
    Insert witty signature line here.
  • mainamaina Member Posts: 430 Arc User
    mreeves7a wrote: »
    Comparing the player base's favor for the various BOff specializations, there is a sharp difference in how much people like having access to Intel and Pilot versus the want for Command. Why? Well, to be frank, the command space powers suck. I've spent a few days thinking about it and I have a few suggestions to improve command powers.

    I don't know who you are and I don't remember you asking me about my BOFF powers....

    Where did you get your info?

    ​​
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  • rmy1081rmy1081 Member Posts: 2,840 Arc User
    I definitely agree, Command needs a lot of work. I do use Overwhelm Emitters and Suppression barrage, but other then that, I don't even look at the other abilities. I use several of the Intel powers on my other ships, Intel just seems leagues ahead of Command in almost every way.

    Can't comment much on Pilot, the only 'Pilot' ship I have is the Nandi, and I don't use an Pilot skills on that. Maybe one day I'll get around to actually looking at them. :)

    Pilot is... weird. There's a heavy mix of defense and escapes, a tough of placates / debuffing, and some offense capabilities. It even has a heal. I will say that a lot of Pilot is aimed at PVP, more than Command but less than Intel. Which is kind of sad. A lot of these abilities are real cool in a PVP setting but PVP is neglected in STO by the devs. The special effects these many abilities do have no point in PVE because NPCs are meatbags and effects-based attacks are weak against them.

    I gave it a quick read over once the Pilot abilities were released and it seemed to be pretty much as you explained it. The only thing that seems cool to me are the Pilot Escorts dodge abilities. Outside of that, I have had little interest in any Pilot powers.

    Yeah, in my opinion for Pilot Powers:

    Hold Together is a great alternative to Hazard Emitters which then can free up a science station. It also requires no aux power, so it's great for A2B builds.

    The rest are really situational.

    I used Deploy Countermeasures in Korfez the other day and it was great being immune to the vaadwaur cluster torpedoes but outside of that it's really useless. It would probably be good in Hive space to get out of the torpedo spreads I guess.

    Coolant Ignition could be really awesome. I can get 20k per tic with it, but by the time the stuff ignites I could have already killed the NPCs with normal fire.

    Reinforcement Squadron does some DPS. When the shuttles ignite the starburst, it sets all nearby enemies on fire. Used with GW it's great, but it has a long cooldown and the shuttles don't really do much.

    Reroute Reserves to Weapons on paper looks cool but the firing haste does nothing for cannons since they already have a short firing cycle. It's a great single target power for beams but FAW still does better. I really like the idea behind this power but I think it needs to do more for cannons.

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