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Why do we have to skill one single type of ship?

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
My main toon is a Tac skilled for fleet escort.

I don't know how you feel about this but I love to change ships from time to time. So it happens that I take out the Defiant-R or even my advanced escort out for a spin. What makes me wonder why do we have to specify skills for one single type of ship?

I think most captains don't just fly around in one ship!?

What do you think? Are these buffs so marginal that they are expendable?
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    This all comes down to the skill cap and how it prevents multi-speccing in different ships. I never noticed a game changing difference, but I bet in PvP it matters a lot.

    Personally, I've kept to my Intrepids and BoPs most of the time, while taking another ship out not and again. I haven't noticed too much of a difference since the difference between class and ship type usually outweighs the speccing bonuses, so it's hard to get a feel for the difference.

    End point: If you *know* you're going to use a ship for all your heavy lifting and PvP, then spec in that. Otherwise don't put the skillpoints in so you don't feel forced to respec every time you change ships.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    they increase you hull ratings as I understand it. I pull my fleet escort and defiant reetrofit out and have no problems, with no skills in them except the base escort skill.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    I typically take my numerous other ships out for a spin as well. I've tried to make my BOff skills as transferable as possible among many classes. It's worked out ok. Lets just say I prefer to have my Sovy if I'm going into PvP. It works out really well if I switch to any of my other cruisers.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Cable_161 wrote:
    What do you think? Are these buffs so marginal that they are expendable?

    No, they're not.

    You're looking at a decent buff to shields, hull, and turning. They used to buff damage as well (or at least the tool tips said they did), but I believe that was dropped (assuming it ever actually existed... this is a Cryptic game, just because it's on the tool tip doesn't mean it's right).

    It's noticeable if you've had experience in a ship skilled and unskilled, and they do make a difference.

    Personally I can see breaking them down into ship types (ie. Escort, Bird-of-Prey, Cruiser, etc.) but breaking them down practically into individual ships is... just dumb.

    A cynical person would suggest that it's an attempt to cajole us into burning respecs so we have to buy more. An optimist would likely say they're just randomly TRIBBLE us because to someone behind a desk it seemed like a good idea to do this. Someone in complete denial might option the notion that they're just trying to make characters "more distinct" but you'd have to ignore a lot of stuff to try and ascribe to that viewpoint.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Cable_161 wrote:
    What makes me wonder why do we have to specify skills for one single type of ship?
    In my opinion, to provide yet another reason to roll alts.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    LordOfPit wrote: »
    In my opinion, to provide yet another reason to roll alts.

    This.

    needmoreletters
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    There's not a principled reason as far as making a fun game is concerned. There may, however, be some 'principled' reasons as far as business is concerned, I suppose, because of course that's not the same thing. :rolleyes:

    Frankly speaking, the skill system in this game does more to inhibit character differentiation and variety than to promote it, unless you think being awful at ground combat or being incompetent with all but one kind of ship or one or two weapon types is "interesting character differentiation". As far as I'm concerned, variety of bridge officer abilities is quite a bit more interesting. We'd have actually more reason to customize our characters if we just had 9 of every skill, because we then wouldn't be thinking of trying to stack a bunch of BO abilities or weapons on just a few skill investments, but deciding what we want based on less arcane concerns. Indeed, we might even switch or even mix and match weapons or tactics based on the situation--somewhat like a captain in Star Trek:eek:-- rather than stubbornly sticking to phaser beams and ignoring torpedoes because I need those points for my Auxiliary Systems, Hazard System, Spatial Anomaly and Doctor Skills.

    I have no objection to the idea that my captain learns things over time. I do have an objection to the idea that my captain, after reaching a certain rank, must selectively erase his (or her) memory in order to learn anything else. Now that's just plain silly.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited November 2010
    Cable_161 wrote:
    My main toon is a Tac skilled for fleet escort.

    I don't know how you feel about this but I love to change ships from time to time. So it happens that I take out the Defiant-R or even my advanced escort out for a spin. What makes me wonder why do we have to specify skills for one single type of ship?

    I think most captains don't just fly around in one ship!?

    What do you think? Are these buffs so marginal that they are expendable?

    Some people I know on Tribble found that retrofit ship skills also affect the T5 ship captain skills.

    Most captains do stay with one type of ship, actually. Until they are promoted and get something bigger and slower. Submarine commanders, for example, don't usually get swapped from subs to cruisers to destroyers and then back to submarines. Boat captains, however, can move up from destroyers to cruisers or frigates and, ultimately, to carriers if they choose. Not even Star Trek showed a lot of horizontal mobility among the captains.

    The buffs are significant in and out of PvP. You can always use extra hull in an escort and definitely extra mobility in a cruiser. Just remember that there is a diminishing return on your skill points, so don't max out your captain skill unless you plan to PvP or fly an escort. Every little bit counts in an escort...
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