My main is an Engineering Captain, and I mainly fly Science Wessels. I'm currently T3 and in no rush to cap out (since there's really nothing waiting for me!). I'm Lifetime and have plenty of slots, plus all the races available to boot... So I'm planning an Alt. STO isn't very min/max centric, but that said, I'm planning to at least mildly min/max this alt.
I mainly solo - and I like
fast killing. So knowing that, I know my primary ship type for the Alt will be Escort. The question is: which Captain type, and what races/traits, and then which BO skills, and other support "stuff" to mix in.
I'd like a bunch of input before I go and do this. As I said, I mainly solo (99% of the time), and I like fast killing - but of course, I'll need to be able to last long enough to kill all the mobs in a group, so I've got to get survivability somehow, and I know Escorts are squishy. So... let's theorycraft this out.
I'm also open to something really unique, if anyone has any ideas. I've got to be able to reliably and "fun-ly" solo stuff though. I know "it doesn't matter", because I can just respawn and zerg it, but my brain doesn't work that way; I like to win, even when there's no "penalty" for losing.
Comments
What about the other 2, 3, 4, +, ships, while you're doing this? Don't they basically blow you up?
I used the Escort all the way up through the Ranks. I didnt use a Science or Cruiser ships. I loved it. I have to say and please dont think I am being sarcastic as we are all NOOBS on this game since it just now came out but your ship will always be evenly matched with other ships if you fly them right. I am currently LvLing up my 2nd Toon which is a Human Engineer Flying Cruisers. He is Commander 5 and is doing Commander 8 Missions. I am trying to learn ALL Classes before I mix an Match them. Ohh and My Admiral 5 is a Tactical Borg. I also Solo'ed all the way up until you get to Admiral Rank and the Borg, I teamed in the Mission but now I am soloing the Exploration Daily Missions. It's still easy. My Advanced Escort is Total Anti-Proton Weapons (Very Rare) And I always Ran 1 or 2 (Depending on Forward Weapon Slots)Duel Beam Disruptor Banks, 1 Duel Heavy Cannon, and 1 Quantum Torpedo Launcher. Aft Weapons were (Depending on Slots) 1 to 2 Beam Array(s) and a Quantum Torpedo Launcher. I hate and still do the Mine Layer
i hope that helps. i am also planning on going fleet escort with emergency to shield and engineering team definitely and switching between reverse shield polarity and directed energy modulation. the science will be science team and hazard emitters. i will then have a ton of tactical officers to switch out for those two slots.
i hope that helps some. this is also my alt. i have a borg engi in a science ship as my main.
Fix'ed
/10 Char
At levels 1-20 it is basically easy no matter what ship you are flying, provided you don't do anything foolhardy.
At 21-30 and beyond, the enemies start having more hull points than you do, and using special abilities regularly just like those you have. Your own tactics have to improve to match.
That being said, I have advanced a Tactical officer all the way to RA5 flying escorts. Yes, the escort is squishier than a cruiser and has less shields than a science vessel, but what it does best is kill things FAST.
Unless you are flying a PvP match or a fleet action, the largest number of real ships you SHOULD face at one encounter is three frigate class vessels. In my experience I can usually eliminate one of these on the first pass, sometimes even two if I slow up and get a lucky torp in thru a down shield. The remainder do not last long when under rapid fire cannons and torpedoes for finishers.
On larger single ships, I just pop all cooldowns and hammer them as hard as I can on the first pass. Occasionally if I get lucky a high yield III spread will finish them right up after the cannons have taken down a shield on the way in. If not, evasive maneuvers gets me distance to turn and come back. They rarely survive the second pass.
Of course it goes without saying, skill up your engineers and science BO's defensive abilities and use them as often as possible.
I also keep 2 sets of cannons in inventory.. they can be switched out between fights as long as you're not in combat. I use singles against frigates as the 180 degree arc keeps a steady stream of damage against ships that can turn with me. I switch to duals against larger single ships as I can do gun passes on them before they get turned around.
I personally see no problem with a tactical captain in an escort myself. That's just my opinion of course.
I regularly run into groups of 5 Birds of Prey or 3 Negh'vars - and that's at Lt Com and Commander level.
3 NV's will rip up even my science wessel.
I currently have 2 RAs, Engineering and Tactical.
Tactical is definitely faster-leveling on the ground. Me, I specced him out for a Rifleman. I like 2-shotting things.
As far as ships go Early on I think Science ships are fine. Load Dual beam banks and a Torp fore, and turrets aft. Get the skills that increase all of those.
If you go Tactical know that by T4 you will want an Escort. Too much of your damage depends on your awesome cannon abilities.
I level mostly on Exploration and Story missions. Exploration is pretty efficient; the Story missions are just because I like the stories. Exploration is pretty ground-intensive.
If you level through fleet action and PvP I would thin that your Escort would be fine for all tiers.
For versatility I am finding that the Engineer can make just about anything work, and is the most versatile, while Tacticals eventually need to wind up in an Escort, and are the least versatile. Im leveling Science now, Ill let you know how that turns out.
I assume you're doing deep space encounters on your own?
In solo missions, you generally face three frigates or a single escort/cruiser/battleship at a time, and these pose little challenge to any combination of captain and ship class.
At RA5, I'll definitely say that although escorts are a little bit squishy, there's more then enough killpower to plow through anything in your way.
The optimal setup for me so far has been
Dual Bank
Cannon
Cannon
Quantum
Turret
Turret
Turret
2x EPS Relay
1x Auxillary power console
1x Multispecto
1x Deflector Array
4x Disruptor Console
Opening is AP Alpha, AP Beta, High Yeild III, Rapid Fire 1, then when in range, smacking Fire on my Mark and Jam Sensors. The cannons and torpedos are enough to get through enough shield to start stacking the AP beta debuff and I finish off onto hull with a Beam Overload III. Usually does 25-36000 damage with all the buffs active.
At RA5 the only reason I die anymore is if I get careless and get tractored by a sphere in the middle of a borg orgy.
Leveling isnt much different, just less stuff to pew pew with. If you're smart, and have Jam Sensors, there's no real reason why you should be dying much.
That's probably where they are, yeah. I never really made a note of it.. Just said "****, a bunch of Neg's... this will suck", hehe.
SInce there is a good supply of BO in Exchange, I have been purchasing the VRs for use and Rares to get skills off off. The most important things with the VRs is the racial stats since they cannot be changed, any other skill can be gotten off a rare. I do not see any purpose in Uncommon or Common BOs. WHen I get a Rare or VR, I check them for skills if none needed I put them for sale in exchange, uncommons and commons I just dismiss. I could sell them, but my exchange slots are always full of tribbles which sell for more than Uncommon BOs (I get more income from Tribbles than I do from adventuring)
I actually uses only Common items so I an pass them on, vs Uncommon and above which are BoE. I will occationally use a Blue Odd Mk looted item, but normally any uncommon or above items goes to Exchange. the 2%-6% more damage is not worth the premium I can get in Exchange I have noticed that uncommons are starting to sell for less than the common version, so others must be doing this too.
I have not gottent there yet, but Mk X is different, since those will not be unequiped, those I will work to get best possible.
And the BO tip, thanks! I have never bothered to look for BOs on the Exchange; I'll have to start looking into that.