It's seems as if subsystem targeting never takes a subsystem offline when in PvE. Since it was nerfed a while back I've never seen a subsystem disabled using this when using a science ship's innate ability to do this. Since I use the Imperial Rift set I use subsystem targeting every time it is up and never seen the disable proc., like shields going down.
Granted the base proc is only 7.5% to knock a system offline, but I should have seen it proc even at the baseline. However I did spend quite a lot of dil to change one of the mods on my secondary deflector to a +25% chance to knock a subsystem offline. So that should mean I have 7.5% + 25% = 32.5% chance to disable a subsystem, but guess what it still never procs, ever.
Not sure if the power drain works or not, but I'm not really interested in that component. Has anyone else noticed this or am I missing something about how this is supposed to work now?
"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.
It does, but as it's a pathetic odd for an innate ability, it's not even worth trying to use it.
And then, there is the Titan console which is basically the same thing, except as a guaranteed disable for ALL subsystems at once+significant damage.
Subsystem targeting is just another system that really needs a revamp, because between casting an ability that has no way to be improved with a 45-second cooldown in HOPE of disabling a subsystem and casting Beam Overload that can be improved with various traits with a 30-second cooldown that is likely to vaporize your target much faster, the choice is clearly made.
It does work, but it does not proc often enough to notice, especially if you are running a phaser build since they hit a lot more often and randomly knock something off line if they proc. One time it was even a lifesaver for me because it actually did knock the enemy weapons offline which was just enough for the engineering repair cooldown but except for wild chance in a niche situation that one time it does not proc often enough to notice in the heat of battle very much.
The boff version of the subsystem targeting is supposed to be a lot better than the built-in version, but I have not noticed a difference in actual use.
So, I presume it is just not working for me then? Either way I've bugged reported it as I'm not seeing the proc occur at all.
The problem here is that you're assuming the 'bigger' effect has a higher chance than you expect. It's major effect is the subsystem 'drain', the system 'offline' has a relatively small chance. Folk have been spoilt by overly generous crit hit chance. You must also account that some NPC's have immunity to 'offline', and even some abilities players can use will auto-fix an offline system.
In short' use it for the Drain, not the 'Offline'. It's not broke, just misunderstood. The ONLY reason I'll use it is vs a Boss NPC such as the Voth Dreadnaught.
"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.
It does, but as it's a pathetic odd for an innate ability, it's not even worth trying to use it.
And then, there is the Titan console which is basically the same thing, except as a guaranteed disable for ALL subsystems at once+significant damage.
Subsystem targeting is just another system that really needs a revamp, because between casting an ability that has no way to be improved with a 45-second cooldown in HOPE of disabling a subsystem and casting Beam Overload that can be improved with various traits with a 30-second cooldown that is likely to vaporize your target much faster, the choice is clearly made.
While you are mostly right, for a dedicated drain/support build, subsystem targeting can be a nice addition.
It's not something that is very useful to most builds or even most science builds, but I wouldn't consider it useless either.
It really depends on what you're trying to do. I have one drain toon where I hardly use any tac abilities as I put science boffs in the universal stations there. No beam overload, only a torpedo spread and tactical team. In such cases, even a minor chance to disable a subsystem on top of all the other disable and drain abilities is better than no chance at all.
The Titan console just does too much and isn't the right thing to compare it with, imo. All systems disable, plus damage against multiple enemies for 12 seconds long? Few things are as good as that, so that the Titan's console is much better, isn't necessarily subsystem targeting's fault.
I'd be nice if they made a few of those Commendation Store Energy Weapons Officers have a different ability than subsystem targeting.
'But to be logical is not to be right', and 'nothing' on God's earth could ever 'make it' right!'
Judge Dan Haywood
'As l speak now, the words are forming in my head.
l don't know.
l really don't know what l'm about to say, except l have a feeling about it.
That l must repeat the words that come without my knowledge.'
The only time I considered subsystem targeting could be useful in general and not just on specific occasions was when I saw the trait for the Tholian Jorogumo Carrier (the T6 Recluse): https://sto.gamepedia.com/Trait:_Precision_Multi-Targeting
where, when you activate a subsystem targeting ability, you get a BFAW and +100 accuracy as well, so normally more chance for procs to kick in and more foes getting drained of their power at once.
But you shouldn't have to buy a whole lockbox ship to make an innate ability interesting.
Comments
And then, there is the Titan console which is basically the same thing, except as a guaranteed disable for ALL subsystems at once+significant damage.
Subsystem targeting is just another system that really needs a revamp, because between casting an ability that has no way to be improved with a 45-second cooldown in HOPE of disabling a subsystem and casting Beam Overload that can be improved with various traits with a 30-second cooldown that is likely to vaporize your target much faster, the choice is clearly made.
The boff version of the subsystem targeting is supposed to be a lot better than the built-in version, but I have not noticed a difference in actual use.
The problem here is that you're assuming the 'bigger' effect has a higher chance than you expect. It's major effect is the subsystem 'drain', the system 'offline' has a relatively small chance. Folk have been spoilt by overly generous crit hit chance. You must also account that some NPC's have immunity to 'offline', and even some abilities players can use will auto-fix an offline system.
In short' use it for the Drain, not the 'Offline'. It's not broke, just misunderstood. The ONLY reason I'll use it is vs a Boss NPC such as the Voth Dreadnaught.
While you are mostly right, for a dedicated drain/support build, subsystem targeting can be a nice addition.
It's not something that is very useful to most builds or even most science builds, but I wouldn't consider it useless either.
It really depends on what you're trying to do. I have one drain toon where I hardly use any tac abilities as I put science boffs in the universal stations there. No beam overload, only a torpedo spread and tactical team. In such cases, even a minor chance to disable a subsystem on top of all the other disable and drain abilities is better than no chance at all.
The Titan console just does too much and isn't the right thing to compare it with, imo. All systems disable, plus damage against multiple enemies for 12 seconds long? Few things are as good as that, so that the Titan's console is much better, isn't necessarily subsystem targeting's fault.
l don't know.
l really don't know what l'm about to say, except l have a feeling about it.
That l must repeat the words that come without my knowledge.'
https://sto.gamepedia.com/Trait:_Precision_Multi-Targeting
where, when you activate a subsystem targeting ability, you get a BFAW and +100 accuracy as well, so normally more chance for procs to kick in and more foes getting drained of their power at once.
But you shouldn't have to buy a whole lockbox ship to make an innate ability interesting.