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Skipping t5 ships?

I've heard a lot of people saying it's best to skip buying a t5 ship and just go straight to t6, given how long it takes to try and invest in upgrading t5s to t6.

Any opinions on this? Console has a limited selection of t6 ships currently and there are some t5 designs I like, but I'd rather not lock myself into a grind that can be otherwise avoided

Comments

  • seriousdaveseriousdave Member Posts: 2,777 Arc User
    Yes, T5 is outdated.
    Most T5 ships are still very good & viable but generally T6 has the edge with +1 boff slot, specialisation seats and ship traits. Dunno what's in the console store and what isn't but if you have your eye on a ship that's both as T5 and T6 then go for T6.
  • flash525flash525 Member Posts: 5,441 Arc User
    Unless you want a specific skin (ship costume) or console (they're overrated anyway) skip the entire c-store and just go straight for T6 fleet ships. All you need is fleet ship modules which can be purchased from the exchange if you don't want to spend EC on them.

    T5 ship purchases are a thing of the past.
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  • hugin1205hugin1205 Member Posts: 489 Arc User
    and as you can also play T6s at lvl 50, there'S no use in getting them - even for levelling.
    Delta Rising made my Fleet of T5 Zen ships obsolete - or at least put them into second rank.
    18 characters
    KDF: 2 tacs, 2 engs, 3 scis
    KDF Roms: 3 tacs, 1 eng, 1 scis
    FED: 2 tacs, 1 eng, 2 scis
    TOS: 1 tac
    all on T5 rep (up to temporal)
    all have mastered Intel tree (and some more specs Points)
    highest DPS: 60.982
  • snoggymack22snoggymack22 Member Posts: 7,084 Arc User
    flash525 wrote: »
    Unless you want a specific skin (ship costume) or console (they're overrated anyway) skip the entire c-store and just go straight for T6 fleet ships. All you need is fleet ship modules which can be purchased from the exchange if you don't want to spend EC on them.

    T5 ship purchases are a thing of the past.

    Don't you need the non-fleet ship to grind out the trait? Like if you want to fly the Fleet Arbiter, isn't it:

    Get the Arbiter from the C-Store. Grind it up. Get the trait. Get the fleet module. Get the fleet Arbiter.

    Or am I totally crazy here? I could be. It's Monday. I didn't have coffee this morning.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • seriousdaveseriousdave Member Posts: 2,777 Arc User
    Going straight and soley for fleet ships really isn't a good idea.
    Store ships are account wide unlocked, fleet ships are one time character purchases. Fleet ships got neither traits nor consoles and if you don't have the store counterpart you also don't get the fleet module discount so they cost 5 fleet modules instead of 1.
  • warpangelwarpangel Member Posts: 9,427 Arc User
    flash525 wrote: »
    Unless you want a specific skin (ship costume) or console (they're overrated anyway) skip the entire c-store and just go straight for T6 fleet ships. All you need is fleet ship modules which can be purchased from the exchange if you don't want to spend EC on them.

    Console fleets have lots of work ahead of them before they can have T6 fleet ships.

    And fleet ships pretty much lack the one reason to get a T6 ship at all...traits.
  • leemwatsonleemwatson Member Posts: 5,602 Arc User
    edited September 2016
    OP, the difference between T5 and T6 performance wise is so tiny you couldn't fit a cracker in there. If you see a T5 you like, go for it. T6's give you a mastery that you can use on ANY ship, once acquired. They have in some cases an extra Boff ability and a little extra available Warp power. I still use my T5U Oddy to great effect. There are numerous T6's I only bought for the mastery, which are now consigned to the scrap heap.

    Let me put it this way. It's what you equip your ship with that makes the difference. The ship is a tiny part of the equation.
    "You don't want to patrol!? You don't want to escort!? You don't want to defend the Federation's Starbases!? Then why are you flying my Starships!? If you were a Klingon you'd be killed on the spot, but lucky for you.....you WERE in Starfleet. Let's see how New Zealand Penal Colony suits you." Adm A. Necheyev.
  • kjfettkjfett Member Posts: 370 Arc User
    T5U is still viable and if there is a specific skin you can only get as a T5u, then go for it and know that you aren't so badly gimped that you can't be effective in an STF as you can still be viable.

    If nothing in the T5u range catches your fancy, then yeah...skip and go T6 right away.
    kjfett_14091.jpg
  • jaguarskxjaguarskx Member Posts: 5,945 Arc User
    C-Store T5 (2,500 Zen) ships are still viable for the game. Upgrading them to T5u makes them better and almost equal to a T6 (3,000 Zen) ship. However, the T5u ship will end up costing a bit more because the Ship Upgrade Token costs 700 Zen; unless you purchase it from the Exchange (assuming a player is selling one). The difference between T5u and T6 ships are as follows:

    #1 - T6 ships have hybrid Boff stations like Tactical / Intelligence which depends on the ship. If that is a Commander Boff station, then that allows you to use a Boff with 4 tactical abilities or 4 intelligence abilities or a mix of the two.

    #2 - Starship Mastery Trait - Both will have tier levels that you advance through while engaging in combat. T5u ships have 4 tiers, T6 ships have 5 tiers. The 5th tier is a Starship Mastery Trait that you can slot in on your character and use that trait with any ship.

    The current selection of T6 ships on the console is mighty slim from what I recall... and that is for the Fed faction. I would say that if you can wait for more T6 ship to be released, then wait. If you have a burning desire to spend money... then give it to me :); otherwise, buy a T5 ship and a Ship Upgrade Token.

    The game is still playable with the free T5 ship you selected at level 40 ( but it cannot be upgrade to T5u). On my secondary free 2 play only account my max level KDF Engineer captain is still flying the free T5 ship. Missions may be a bit tougher because of lower specs compared to a T5u / T6 ship, but still manageable.

    One thing to be aware of in STO is that there are 3 events during the year that gives players the opportunity to grind for a free T6 starship that is designed specifically for that event. The STO Anniversary Event is the beginning of February. The Risa Summer Event is roughly mid-June. The Winter Wonderland Event is in early December. If you can hold out until December, then maybe you can get a decent ship to your liking for free.

    Unless there is currently a 20% off ship sale currently going on (I think you a get a free Upgrade Token when you purchase a T5 ship), then my advice is to wait at least until there is a sale, or see that the free ship will be in December. It might be a cruiser since the 2016 Anniversary Event rewarded a science vessel and the 2016 Risa Summer Event rewarded a heavy escort. However, it is possible that another escort or science ship (or carrier?) could be released.
  • mustrumridcully0mustrumridcully0 Member Posts: 12,963 Arc User
    I would definitely advise against buying Tier 5 (or lower tier) ships. The reasons for a Tier 5 ship are:
    - You want that costume unlocked at Tier 6
    - You can't get that costume at Tier 6 yet, and want it NOW, not in a few months or years.
    - You want the console (perhaps for a set bonus).


    It doesn't really matter if you can make these ships competitive with Tier 6 ships, or they can handle endgame content. TIer 6 ships definitely can do that as well, and they give you access to a starship trait, and they give you access to hybrid specialization seats. Why miss out on that?
    Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
  • salazarrazesalazarraze Member Posts: 3,794 Arc User
    I've heard a lot of people saying it's best to skip buying a t5 ship and just go straight to t6, given how long it takes to try and invest in upgrading t5s to t6.

    Any opinions on this? Console has a limited selection of t6 ships currently and there are some t5 designs I like, but I'd rather not lock myself into a grind that can be otherwise avoided
    T5 can't be upgraded to T6. It can only be "upgraded" to be nearly equal to a T6 minus the trait and special powers that come with T6 ships. Depending on the ship, the trait could be a HUGE improvement to your character. Including the "upgrade" cost, the price ends up being the same as just buying a T6 so you should just buy the T6 version first.

    So as others have said, the ONLY reason to buy T5 ships is if for some reason you want the unique visuals or consoles that come with those T5 ships. Meaning, that in many cases, those visuals and consoles can be used on superior T6 versions of that ship.
    When you see "TRIBBLE" in my posts, it's because I manually typed "TRIBBLE" and censored myself.
  • telbasta7386telbasta7386 Member Posts: 761 Arc User
    Guess I'll wait and hope the pilot escorts are available soon on console
  • kjwashingtonkjwashington Member Posts: 2,529 Arc User
    It would be best to wait. T6F > T6 (C-Store) ≈ T5FU > T5F > T5 (C-Store) > free T5 (level 40 ships)

    Basically, if you bought a T5 ship from the C-Store, you would pay 2500 zen ($25). Would then need to get the fleet version, which would cost 500 zen ($5) or several million EC on the exchange. Then you need to upgrade it to the T5FU (fleet upgrade) version, which will cost 700 zen ($7) or several million EC on the exchange. All that to get a ship roughly equivalent to a T6 C-Store ship. (Note: You can skip the first step and start at buying the fleet version, but you would need 4 fleet ship modules instead of 1. This version costs less, but has it's own problems.)

    Alternatively, If you bought a T6 ship, you would pay 3000 zen ($30) and then another 500 zen ($5) or millions of EC, to get the fleet version.

    So in the end, it just costs less to get T6 than equivalent in T5
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  • bonzodog01bonzodog01 Member Posts: 147 Arc User
    On console. a lot of people are getting the free level 40 T5 regardless. As for actual investment, yeah, hold out for T6.
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  • jaguarskxjaguarskx Member Posts: 5,945 Arc User
    bonzodog01 wrote: »
    On console. a lot of people are getting the free level 40 T5 regardless. As for actual investment, yeah, hold out for T6.

    Well... everyone gets a free T5 ship (which cannot be upgraded) at level 40 on the PS4, XB1, PC.
  • fluffymooffluffymoof Member Posts: 430 Arc User
    edited September 2016
    If the Tier 5 is the Excelsior Retrofit (upgraded of course), then go for it. That one ship carried me for so long. Well built, well-armed, and could maneuver better than what I unfortunately spent real money on (Galaxy X).
    One of the many Tellarite Goddesses of Beauty!

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  • dumas13dumas13 Member Posts: 281 Arc User
    My first character's main ship is still an upgraded Sovereign Refit, mostly because a T6 Sovereign hasn't come out yet. Another toon mostly flies an upgraded Romulan Dyson Science Destroyer because it's probably the best-looking science vessel available to a Romulan. The point is, an (upgraded) T5 can be a perfectly serviceable ship if you find one that suits your character and how you want to play. T6 vessels have some nice perks and I'd definitely recommend buying the highest tier version of your chosen ship, but the step between T5U and T6 is small enough it shouldn't stop you from flying a ship you love.
  • wylonuswylonus Member Posts: 471 Arc User
    doesnt make sense when "fleet" is inferior to zen ship because of 5th skill slot get activated and fleet dont have it.
    thought those fleet were "superior version"?, then i guess those fleet model ships just became obsolute? no sense of wasting the ship modules.
    fleet version were just for extra hull/shield capacity.
  • salazarrazesalazarraze Member Posts: 3,794 Arc User
    wylonus wrote: »
    fleet version were just for extra hull/shield capacity.
    The 11th console slot on fleet versions makes the biggest difference. It's not an either/or scenario in most people's eyes. They buy the c-store ship for the trait and account unlock. After that, they buy the fleet version sometimes for their main to get the better version.
    When you see "TRIBBLE" in my posts, it's because I manually typed "TRIBBLE" and censored myself.
  • kodachikunokodachikuno Member Posts: 6,020 Arc User1
    I've heard a lot of people saying it's best to skip buying a t5 ship and just go straight to t6, given how long it takes to try and invest in upgrading t5s to t6.

    Any opinions on this? Console has a limited selection of t6 ships currently and there are some t5 designs I like, but I'd rather not lock myself into a grind that can be otherwise avoided

    You can easily do any and all of the endgame content, on normal difficulty(and even some adv STF) with a tier 4 ship as long as you give it blue/purple mk XII gear. There are people that make a point of doing advanced and elite in t1 vessels. Pick whatever ship you want to fly and run with it. The only reason you "need" a t6 is if you wish to join the min/max crowd for certain builds.
    tumblr_mr1jc2hq2T1rzu2xzo1_400.gif
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  • tousseautousseau Member Posts: 1,484 Arc User
    @kodachikuno

    Agreed completely. My AoY Captain makes use of a T5u Kumari to good effect, as well as my regular Fed Tac Captain make near exculsive use of his T5u Fleet Patrol Escort.

    Just have fun and fly what you like, T5/u ships are still quite capable in today's game play.
  • flash525flash525 Member Posts: 5,441 Arc User

    To revamp my previous statement, it's subjective. If you intend to have a collection of characters and are a hardcore player, then it probably benefits to buy T5 ships from the C-Store. Why? Because it's a one-time purchase for your account, and said ship can then be used on multiple characters. If you're concerned with unique traits and special consoles, you also get that for each character (faction specific of course), in addition to a ship costume or two.

    @OP, If you're going to purchase anything at this point, then I'd wait for a sale and would recommend either the Vesta Bundle or the Odyssey Bundle (if playing FED).
    Don't you need the non-fleet ship to grind out the trait? Like if you want to fly the Fleet Arbiter, isn't it:

    Get the Arbiter from the C-Store. Grind it up. Get the trait. Get the fleet module. Get the fleet Arbiter.

    Or am I totally crazy here? I could be. It's Monday. I didn't have coffee this morning.
    You'll be glad to know you're not crazy, no more than the rest of us anyway. Still, this is all dependant on whether you want that ship trait or not. I personally find the ship traits and special consoles somewhat irrelevant, and the casual gamer isn't likely to care much about them; I know I don't.
    warpangel wrote: »
    Console fleets have lots of work ahead of them before they can have T6 fleet ships.

    And fleet ships pretty much lack the one reason to get a T6 ship at all...traits.
    Both true points, but the latter doesn't apply to everybody. I suppose it's going to be a long process for console players mind, assuming the fleet setup works out the same (not that there's any reason to suspect otherwise).
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  • talientalien Member Posts: 712 Arc User
    T5U ships are still viable for endgame content, but the originally they were introduced with a clear difference. T5U had 11 console slots to 10 on a T6 while T6 ships had one extra boff ability slot, but the fleet T6 and lockbox/lobi T6 ships have both the 11 console slots and the extra boff ability.

    The only reason to still be using a T5U ship is if it has some mechanic not available on a T6 (I.E. the aux cannons on the Vesta line) or you just really like it and don't want to give it up. As others have stated, some skins or equipment are only available on T5 ships which may be incentive to get them.

    Otherwise yes, you can safely ignore T5 ships altogether and go straight for T6.
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