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Admirals.. How Do You Do It?

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I've been steaming on about 7-8 hours a day since headstart (given a few days where I couldn't stay connected due to server issues) doing exploration missions in an escort and I'm only Lt. Cmd. 6.. and starting to get burnt out. Any quick leveling advice from the Admirals? :)

And please don't talk about taking your time to enjoy the game. This isn't really a game that has an enjoyable journey in the first place, but I'd rather get into my T5 ship and Roleplay/Explore for the fun of it (as opposed to exploring for progression's sake) with my wife. :p
Post edited by baddmoonrizin on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I've found Exploration Missions to be a bit quicker than DSE's, and far less annoying. Nothing like getting paid 100 Skillpoints or so for scanning a few objects.

    Aside from that, just do all the missions available to you and you should make Admiral fairly quickly.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Hmm.. exploration missions are the ones I have been doing.. for the reason you stated hehe, that and badges are nice.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I actually haven't used them yet. I've found that a good one or two rounds of exploration missions unlock your next set of "Patrol" missions and the mainstream Episodes that are a bit longer.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Err, I haven't played that many hours a day although I have been playing since headstart. My guess is that you are doing it wrong. Since I don't know how you are playing, I can't really make any specific suggestions.

    I have played every storyline mission, etc, etc and just hit RA1 yesterday. Playing as Science, so it's not as if I am some sort of damage dealer.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I leveled off missions.. did DSE's for the quest and enough exploration clusters at each rank to completely update my weapons and a few consoles.

    Just play the game.. not hard at all to hit admiral quickly.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Lennan wrote: »
    I've been steaming on about 7-8 hours a day since headstart (given a few days where I couldn't stay connected due to server issues) doing exploration missions in an escort and I'm only Lt. Cmd. 6.. and starting to get burnt out. Any quick leveling advice from the Admirals? :)

    And please don't talk about taking your time to enjoy the game. This isn't really a game that has an enjoyable journey in the first place, but I'd rather get into my T5 ship and Roleplay/Explore for the fun of it (as opposed to exploring for progression's sake) with my wife. :p

    Storyline Mission coupled with a die-hard 2 exploration mission a level rule.

    Truth be told, I was just having too much fun and then wound up higher level. Don't think about the level, just think about the storyline. Like they say, a watched pot never boils.

    A watched exp bar, never bumps.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Well, id say DSE`s, but now theres a 30 min cooldown to repeat them so....

    I did dse`s, mostly. Episodes too. And dont run from exploration missions where you need to take down enemy ships. They give nice xp too.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Well I have only done a few Storyline missions because from what I remember in beta they all took a very long time. I've always done the highest available exploration cluster (I'm in the Hromi Cluster currently).

    The exploration missions I avoid are "Relief Effort" (due to having to run back to Starbase for provisions) and "Investigate Research Facility" because for me the enemies are bugged and spawn much higher than my current level.

    I am a Tactical Officer in an Escort with all Mk IV equipment. 2 Disrupter DCs and a Quantum Torp up front and a Disruptor Turret in the rear, with a Shield Array. I kill space enemies fairly quickly.. and do not die unless I get really unlucky with the unending Klingon torpedoe barrages, but that isn't very often.

    On the ground the fights are a bit longer despite my heavy use of Focus Fire, Fire on my Mark, and Target Optics. I use Mk IV phaser weaponry for myself and my BOs.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I have to say that exploration missions have been what have leveled me fastest as well... Being in beta and starting off in head start playing with fleet mates on most missions i saw how much slower things were. As I hit Captain and started to rank higher than a lot of other fleet mates i began to solo more often and noticed a much faster leveling rate. As much as it was more enjoyable to mission with others larger groups spawn more enemies and i think that ratio seems to be off since it takes that much longer.

    So if you really want to hit end game that quickly that's the road I suggest as well, but word of caution for what there is for end game now you will be bored quickly and even when the 45 day patch comes I don't know how long that will keep you entertained so I say slow down and enjoy what you can. And for all of you who say we leveled too fast do you really think that when you hit Admiral there's gonna be tons to do? This 45 day patch with it's raidisodes also brings more of the Klingon content so it looks like we'll be waiting at least another month or two after that to get what should have already been there to begin with. Had their been more story line missions and more to do from the beginning maybe the leveling could have been slowed more, but imagine if we had to grind the same things even more than we already do lol, there would have been twice as much whining as there already is.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Well I've actually been leveling by myself because my wife has been working, so it's a nonfactor.. though I did notice before she went away that missions were much slower when we were together.. kind of sucked cause it discouraged playing together.

    I'm not worried about having nothing to do at Admiral for the reasons stated in my first post :)

    Pretty much it sounds like I am doing the right missions but am doing something.. wrong. Either I am not going as fast as I should be able to or I am getting bad luck with longer missions?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    The only things to do at Admiral are get your grade up, hope they remove the level cap and donate credits to your Fleet.

    And show off your ship at the Earth Spacedock.

    Oh, or you can horde credits in an attempt to buy all Blue or Purple Mk X gear for your ship.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Whenever I have a DSE or and exploration mission avail able that offer around my lvl of XP I do it regardless if I haver already done it. It also helps if you allow open instance grouping so when you do patrol mission the more people in your group the more mobs you get, and the more XP you get.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    The "explor missions" have been NERFED. No XP for the scan things anylonger, unless there is combat thrown in. Ending XP for completion of 3, in Horomi Sector, has been cut from 100+ to the low 50 somethings. The 100s come now off of combat missions, either in space or ground, and 50 for doing 3, every 30 minutes.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Im c7 after taking a week out for RL issues etc, and play about the same time as you.. stop touching yourself between missions.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Lennan wrote: »
    I've been steaming on about 7-8 hours a day since headstart (given a few days where I couldn't stay connected due to server issues) doing exploration missions in an escort and I'm only Lt. Cmd. 6.. and starting to get burnt out. Any quick leveling advice from the Admirals? :)

    And please don't talk about taking your time to enjoy the game. This isn't really a game that has an enjoyable journey in the first place, but I'd rather get into my T5 ship and Roleplay/Explore for the fun of it (as opposed to exploring for progression's sake) with my wife. :p

    Well many others have been saying its the content that you do. While this is true it also has to do with the ship and boff setup you're using.

    From my own experience (I leveled 1-40 in 4 days even before the game was released) I found that using an escort is the fastest way to level. Get rapid fire cannon, HYT, and Jam Sensors and you can often take out a mob in 15 seconds without even being hit.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Lennan wrote: »
    I've been steaming on about 7-8 hours a day since headstart (given a few days where I couldn't stay connected due to server issues) doing exploration missions in an escort and I'm only Lt. Cmd. 6.. and starting to get burnt out. Any quick leveling advice from the Admirals? :)

    And please don't talk about taking your time to enjoy the game. This isn't really a game that has an enjoyable journey in the first place, but I'd rather get into my T5 ship and Roleplay/Explore for the fun of it (as opposed to exploring for progression's sake) with my wife. :p

    Do the actual missions quests and episodes. Do the defend sector and explore missions only once each unless you run out of plot missions. Solo, except for fleet actions and defend sector missions (or group with RL friends). Pugs are dumb, 40% of them are trying to leech xp, or won't stay with you, and the chat interface isn't conducive to trying to effectively communicate. If you're having trouble surviving ground combat, take two science officers with you with lots of healing abilities.

    Took me 3 played days to RA2 that way, then I ran out of content. RA2-RA5 is fairly quick now though.

    Some other tips: As with every other MMO, if you want to level fast have high dps and low downtime - regenerative shields that you can swap on (or keep on), abilities that focus on damage over survivability. 100% power to weapons for most fights, 100% power to shields in downtime. Don't go to full impulse unless your shields are close to full.

    Don't be afraid to max out your boff skills. You get such and absurdly large number of boff skill points you won't know what to do with them all later. I've earned about 60k boff skill points and spent about 40k, 20k of which was foolish waste. And I basically stopped playing my main once I hit RA5 other than for dailies.


    If you have to do exploration missions, skip anything that isn't in space, as the ground missions take longer, and force you to waste time zoning.

    Ok so that's if you want to really minimize your levelling time, but some of that isn't all that fun. The control abilities, and defence stuff make you feel a bit more like you're actually trying to be a captain and not trying to die so you can heal faster. The 'aid the planet' missions aren't worth it, under any circumstances sadly.

    PVP is only sometimes viable, so for leveling use it sparingly. The problem is that a single klingon vs 5 feds will just cloak, and then you're trapped hunting for a moving target for a long time.
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