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Forums > Home› Star Trek Online General Discussion

Pilot ships,why so few around?

warpnugget#0537 warpnugget
warpnugget#0537
 Member Posts: 96 Arc User
in Star Trek Online General Discussion
Was just wondering,why do i see so few pilot ships around?

i own some of the c-store ships,pathfinder,presidio(which i regretted getting,to slow and clunky for my taste),couple more i cant remember at the moment and the pilot bundle.

I love them pilot ships so much,pilot manouvers is so much fun,so i was curious why arent people using them? is it because people prefer cruisers and FAW or maybe escorts just arent liked in the game?

cheers

«13

Comments

  • gjohnny1990gjohnny1990 Member Posts: 116 Arc User
    Many different reasons, they're brilliant ships but for me it's size, I love massive ships and if it's a small vessel I couldn't care less about it.
  • alethkiraenalethkiraen Member Posts: 306 Arc User
    edited August 2016
    Cruisers are generally solid, tough deeps machines, pilot ships are more fun to fly but flimsier. I used to use my sci pilot raptor until I got my pilot D4x raider, which is great but somewhat fragile.

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  • warpnugget#0537 warpnugget
    warpnugget#0537
         Member Posts: 96 Arc User
    thanks for the replies,yeah i get that the visuals of the ship is a big deal hence so many different kinds of ships around.

    in my case since i have the pilot bundle i like to mess around with different visual configurations,really got some weird looking ones i like to use hehe
  • saurializardsaurializard Member Posts: 4,404 Arc User
    edited August 2016
    Also, technically, pilot ships are in few numbers to choose from and one is KDF-exclusive. AFAIK, there are the 3-ship pack for all three factions, and the D4x, and... I think that's it.
    Post edited by saurializard on
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  • farmallmfarmallm Member Posts: 4,630 Arc User
    I didn't get one cause they didn't get my attention.
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  • scarlingscarling Member Posts: 708 Arc User
    edited August 2016
    I haven't used my dedicated pilot ship toon in awhile. But, boy do I love whipping those ships around. It's so fun.
  • goodscotchgoodscotch Member Posts: 1,680 Arc User
    I have all the Klingon Pilot Raptors, although admittedly I don't fly them much. I prefer battlecruisers. The heavy destroyers are also nice ships.
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  • seaofsorrowsseaofsorrows Member Posts: 10,919 Arc User
    edited August 2016
    I think it's because of a number of different things.

    1. Aesthetics - The Romulan and KDF Pilot ships are a matter of taste, many people find them ugly. For me, I only own the Icarus (Science version) and while it's ok looking, I would like it more if I had some customization options. Since I don't own the pack though, I have almost no options on the look.

    2. The role of Escorts overall has been largely minimized. There was a time when Escorts were the damage machines, they were the only ships that could mount cannons (back when that was considered good,) they were the only ships with 5 Tactical consoles and generally had superior tactical seating making them the damage kings (anyone remember escorts online?) Since that time, the role of Cruisers has expanded to where they can match and often exceed the damage potential of escorts while still keeping their increased survival ability.

    3. Preference - Simply put, people just seem to like large ships better then small ones. I know I do.

    I still fly my pilot ship from time to time, it's a fun ship. Overall though, I find myself going back to my Arbiter, Vengeance, or Odyssey.
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  • alexraptorralexraptorr Member Posts: 1,192 Arc User
    I think also a lot of people who are "Star Trek Fans" tend to gravitate towards more canon ships and derivatives.
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  • jade1280jade1280 Member Posts: 868 Arc User
    I got a sci pilot ship and i might actually use it for my new tac character later :3
  • peterconnorfirstpeterconnorfirst Member Posts: 6,225 Arc User
    edited August 2016
    jade1280 wrote: »
    I got a sci pilot ship and i might actually use it for my new tac character later :3

    I fly the Sci pilot ship with my prime toon which also happens to be a tac ever since it has been released. Never regretted it. :)
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  • seaofsorrowsseaofsorrows Member Posts: 10,919 Arc User
    peterconnorfirst wrote: »
    jade1280 wrote: »
    I got a sci pilot ship and i might actually use it for my new tac character later :3

    I fly the Sci pilot ship with my prime toon which also happens to be a tac ever since it has been released. Never regretted it. :)

    I really need to use my Icarus more then I do. I just have a hard time ripping myself out of my Cruisers. The Pilot maneuvers really are a blast. :)
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  • echattyechatty Member Posts: 5,916 Arc User
    I also prefer cruisers/sci ships to escorts. I can fly escorts but they're more fragile than cruisers or sci ships. I do like destroyers, as they're a tougher version of the escort.

    But overall I'm a sci/engi mostly, rather than tac.
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  • peterconnorfirstpeterconnorfirst Member Posts: 6,225 Arc User
    edited August 2016
    seaofsorrows wrote: »
    peterconnorfirst wrote: »
    jade1280 wrote: »
    I got a sci pilot ship and i might actually use it for my new tac character later :3

    I fly the Sci pilot ship with my prime toon which also happens to be a tac ever since it has been released. Never regretted it. :)

    I really need to use my Icarus more then I do. I just have a hard time ripping myself out of my Cruisers. The Pilot maneuvers really are a blast. :)

    Oh I understand sea. I only have two toons left in escorts. Rest all sits in cruiser, dreadnoughts and whatsoever. The way this game works nowadays they simply make the contend run more smoothly on a daily basis. Think escorts are something more for Sundays or so. B)
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    felisean wrote: »
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  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Member Posts: 35,236 Arc User
    Well the devs seem to have not made many things that use pilot seating at all. Apparently only things that are small and nimble can have pilot seats.
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  • seaofsorrowsseaofsorrows Member Posts: 10,919 Arc User
    peterconnorfirst wrote: »
    Think escorts are something more for Sundays or so. B)

    Haha.. very well put. I agree. :)
    coldnapalm wrote: »
    I main romulans...and the romulan pilot ships are ugly as all hell. I don't mind how the feddie and KDF ones look...but they aren't my mains.

    Oh man.. I hear ya.. I hate the look of the Romulan Pilot ships. I generally like the look of most of the Romulan ships, but I just can't make myself like the Romulan Pilot ships.
    markhawkman wrote: »
    Well the devs seem to have not made many things that use pilot seating at all. Apparently only things that are small and nimble can have pilot seats.

    Yeah, that's true. I wouldn't mind seeing some destroyers with Pilot Maneuvers. I get why big cruisers can't do them but Destoryers and even Science ships are both good candidates for Pilot abilities IMO.
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  • feiqafeiqa Member Posts: 2,410 Arc User
    Are they really necessary? With the pilot skill tree you can have dreadnoughts weaving from incoming fire and doing barrel rolls to shake damage. So what makes the pilot ships special if everyone can do that?

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  • goodscotchgoodscotch Member Posts: 1,680 Arc User
    I like the look of the Klingon ones...all except the rear impulse engines. They look like colorful/glowing suck-on candy that's been applied to the rear of the ship. It would have been better if they had actual exhaust ports. The front and sides of the ships are very nice, but the back leaves me wanting ports?
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  • iconiansiconians Member Posts: 6,987 Arc User
    Because we're so fast you never see us fly by you.​​
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  • antonine3258antonine3258 Member Posts: 2,391 Arc User
    I've been seeing a lot of the big dreads lately in pick-up-groups. I'm assuming people are getting mastery on their KT Connies right now, and since the pilot ships are all maxed, they're back at base, buzzing the tower.
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  • scarlingscarling Member Posts: 708 Arc User
    feiqa wrote: »
    Are they really necessary? With the pilot skill tree you can have dreadnoughts weaving from incoming fire and doing barrel rolls to shake damage. So what makes the pilot ships special if everyone can do that?
    Rock n Roll is not nearly the same as the pilot maneuvers.
  • talonxvtalonxv Member Posts: 4,257 Arc User
    I sometimes pull out my pilot escorts, but for the most part my favorite escort is still the Defiant.

    On my main toon I prefer to be light fast and hard hitting. But I do have the 3 pack for the feds and I have them all set up differently.

    My tac escort basically has just about every single reward set I could stuff into it just because I could and I can get some surprising damage from that rainbow setup.

    My Sci pilot is my torpedo boat, but I do have 3 360 arrays on it and 4 torps so I can still put out some DPS, but decent spike damage.

    My Eng pilot I did for fun and stuffed as many 360 arrays and then topped it off with 360 turrets just to see what it was like. Actually a bit of fun though I don't do very heavy DPS, I do keep up a nice constant stream of fire on a target.
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  • e30erneste30ernest Member Posts: 1,794 Arc User
    I own the Fed bundle. Since I mostly fly torp ships, I found the Pilot ships to be eclipsed by the Hestia as a sci-scort torp platforn. As a pure torp ship, I prefer the Phantom both in terms of looks and power.

    They are fun ships but for what I want to do with my ships, they simply fell behind my other ships.

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  • warmaker001bwarmaker001b Member Posts: 9,205 Arc User
    edited August 2016
    Pilot Ships are only the Best Escorts of the game. Still. Pilot Maneuvers lets them get away with so many things that no other Escort or flimsier Raider can do. Pilot Maneuvers is the best ship gimmick in the game, more than even the nice Molecular Reconstruction from the Temporal related ships from AOY. The D4X BOP may have Pilot Maneuvers but it is also not as rugged as the Pilot Raptor. Fragility is something all Raiders suffer from, even the original KDF BOPs when the game launched. For Fed Side, their visuals aren't quite up to snuff. Like the Phantom, I wish they were able to use the Defiant family of ship skins.

    5 Fwd Weapons? - CHECK
    5 TAC Consoles? - CHECK
    BOFF layout to suit your taste? - There's likely a Pilot Ship for that - CHECK
    Fast Impulse Rating that stays with the blazing fast Risian Corvette? - CHECK
    Turning capability that is on par with the very maneuverable KDF Birds of Prey? - CHECK
    Pilot Maneuvers for quick repositioning and "Get Out of Jail FREE (IMMUNITY)" Cards every handful of seconds? - CHECK
    Sturdiness of an Escort and not a Raider for being so maneuverable? - CHECK

    You will be severely challenged to find an Escort or Raider to equal that total package.
    markhawkman wrote: »
    Well the devs seem to have not made many things that use pilot seating at all. Apparently only things that are small and nimble can have pilot seats.

    T6 Excelsior came out not long after (or maybe with?) Pilot Specialization and the Pilot Ships. Personally, I really thought that she would have had Pilot access because that is where the Pilot ability "Fly Her Apart" comes from as Sulu orders Excelsior to go faster to help Kirk on the Enterprise.
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  • birzarkbirzark Member Posts: 634 Arc User
    Like alot of ships i got the sci pilot for the trait. (Speed =armor pen)I mainly fly my phantom which i turned into a speed tank. I went for max defense to continually proc reciprocity. (42% defense parked in esd)
    I do like the pilot ship I even have a build that uses the pilot boff ability reroute emergency power. It can be fun but even with the pilot manuvers i feel my phantom is a better ship. Cant compete with OSS3 and SS3
  • vampeiyrevampeiyre Member Posts: 633 Arc User
    I have a sneaking suspicion we're going to see a T6 Sovereign with pilot BOFF seats or perhaps even maneuvers, which would create an interesting new niche.
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  • warmaker001bwarmaker001b Member Posts: 9,205 Arc User
    Pilot Maneuvers on a Cruiser isn't happening...
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  • echattyechatty Member Posts: 5,916 Arc User
    I agree with warmaker. I don't see cruisers getting pilot maneuvers. They'd be better suited to command. Of which we have several of those, I think.
    Now a LTS and loving it.
    Just because you spend money on this game, it does not entitle you to be a jerk if things don't go your way.
    I have come to the conclusion that I have a memory like Etch-A-Sketch. I shake my head and forget everything. :D
  • meimeitoomeimeitoo Member Posts: 12,594 Arc User
    Pilot ships are really among the very best in game!

    Personally, I *love* small ships (except for the Kemocite visuals, that don't scale along with it).

    Also, Pilot ships/slots allow for Attack Pattern Lambda: very useful to team up with, say, an APB, for when you need that second Lt. Tact slot for something else (besides an extra copy of APB), like aforementioned Kemo.
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