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The Journey to MACO.

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
edited May 2012 in Ten Forward
Starting today, I will be embarking on a journey. A journey to buy all of the MACO Veteran ship gear as well as all of the MK XI Borg weapons. It cost 40 EDC to buy each set item and 10 EDC to buy each weapon. To outfit my Excelsior refit, that means I need 200 EDC. So I plan on playing one space STF per day until I reach my goal. Assuming the odd two EDC runs, it should take me six months to complete. I'll be using this thread to discuss the experience from how the STF went to purchase highlights.

Why are you doing this?
It gives me a reason to run a space STF.

Why not the ground STFs?
I enjoy space combat more.

That sounds like grounding.
It is. But I'm doing it for the journey. I don't need it now. My ship can hold its own without the MACO gear. But I hope that by the time I finish I not only have a better understanding on the STF environment, but of the people who play it.

So why only one space STF per day?
Space STFs take ~15 minutes if you plan on having any hope of getting the optional objective. I may run more per day. But I am going to try to at least run one per day.

***********************************
Beginning Status
EDC: 1
Mk X Req: 1

STF Gear Owned
Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
Post edited by Unknown User on

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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    I think once you start, you'll not stop!

    I started STFing in on the second week of April and just one under month later I purchased my Veteran Omega set using EDCs. I have done about 250 STFs to date though the total may be closer to 300 as I run them back to back, at least 3-5 elite space STFs and 6-10 normals a night when I'm on 'fast' mood, abotu half that when I'm in a slow session (due to work fatigue etc).

    Before the Omega ground set purchase I outfitted two cruisers and one fleet escort with full Mk XI and XII loadouts. Got a few Mark 12 ground weapons too but I don't use them often. That's quite a lot of proto and rare salvage in a month!
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    First STF done. Did Infected Space on Normal. All objectives were met and the entire team seemed to know what the deal was. Not one death amongst the team with the closest person to destruction getting healed by almost everyone else at the same time. Out of the five ships, only 1 wasn't a cruiser and only two were not Odysseys. Mine was one of the two.

    I'm going to leave ESD and relocate over to DS9. But I've noticed that despite hitting Ambassador and getting my cross-faction DOff, I do not have a "Transwarp to DS9" option. Bug?

    ***********************************
    Current Status
    EDC: 2
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    I'll need to look up some more info in the morning, but I may have been able to skip the Borg weapons. I upgraded to Mk XI weapons when I got 500 emblems long ago. And at first glance there doesn't appear to be much of an advantage going with the Borg weapons. I'll look into it some more though.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    Commadore_Bob wrote:
    I'll need to look up some more info in the morning, but I may have been able to skip the Borg weapons. I upgraded to Mk XI weapons when I got 500 emblems long ago. And at first glance there doesn't appear to be much of an advantage going with the Borg weapons. I'll look into it some more though.

    Borg weapons help a ton when you're using rapid fire or so my experience goes. I'm unsure if cannons trigger procs and criticals on a per hit or per salvo basis.

    But with my 3 cannon 3 turret cruiser builds the upgrade to [borg] weapons did make a lot of difference. It absolutely murders grouped targets now, but had DPS problems before the switch.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    carmenara wrote:
    Borg weapons help a ton when you're using rapid fire or so my experience goes. I'm unsure if cannons trigger procs and criticals on a per hit or per salvo basis.

    But with my 3 cannon 3 turret cruiser builds the upgrade to [borg] weapons did make a lot of difference. It absolutely murders grouped targets now, but had DPS problems before the switch.

    Well, I'm using a beam boat build with 6 Antiproton Beam Arrays and 2 Quantum Torps.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    Commadore_Bob wrote:
    Well, I'm using a beam boat build with 6 Antiproton Beam Arrays and 2 Quantum Torps.

    From what I notice the beam arrays fire 5-6 shots per 'salvo' with no possibility of re-targeting during said salvo. If the beam array calculates damage per hit during that salvo, there's thus a 5x 7.5% chance per beam array per salvo to produce an additional 1,000 'chaotic particle' anti Borg damage. Seeing as you're firing multiple beam arrays in a broadside for most of the time you're in the STF, that could be serious additional damage.

    If you're using BFaW which produces an insane number of hits in a very short period of time the anti Borg proc could mean a fair damage boost (someone with actual knowledge of STO weapons fire mechanics would helpful here).

    You can even use Beam Fire at Will to fire all fore and aft beams on a single massive-sized target like a transwarp gate or a Borg cube, by parking above it. If there's only a single target in view BFaW will unleash all of its insanely high DPS on a single foe.

    My opinion is that any additional damage in an (E)STF is a good idea because you don't know if you need to pull off additional DPS to cover the occasional non-performing team member, or if you need to cover transwarp gates by your lonesome. Makes you more self sufficient, y'know?

    Besides, you might as well put the Rare or Proto salvage to good use and continually upgrade your weapons. More damage done = less time to win missions = more chance of Optionals.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    Don't use any Commom borg savage on purchase equipment to ship. Focus on one ground set (why?, beacouse you get a faster remodulation of weapons and you can free a slot for anoter device as nanite immunosupport).

    Use rare borg savage to upgrade your ship. Even if you don't take any space set, you can pick por two rares a shield with plama ressitance (or you can pick one from exchange)

    For ground, you also need the "borg" weapons more than on space. On ground the borg weapon do 15 of damage when they are adapted on space, you do a additional 1000 of damage with 7% of change, or 1000 for any torp if you use it.

    When you can, if you use torps on space or tactical teams on ground you can pick the special officers to that from Roxy (ECD Officer) they increse your damage numbers.

    With time use another rares to take several kits and try it (even you see that you can go with some of them on inventory and change for different part of the missions).

    Play normal until you have sufficient "counter-borg" equipment (more necesary on ground) and until you take the point at your ship. Then read the forums to see how do de missions, and do elites... but please, listen and read to the rest of players on team (chat) do elites isn't go happy to strike some borg, it need a carefull preparations and follow secuences to win. Miss that secuences can destroy all mission (sometimes, that can be corrected beaocuse the team have very high dps and lots of experience, but no always.

    On ground normals are more "similar" to elites if you do it you really will be "more" ready to do elites. It's of capital importante have maco, klingon guard or omega ground set to do ground elites (for the addcional features of thats sets)

    And of course, good luck :)


    Thanks to everybody for the fun, sorry for my bad english.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    Timberjac wrote: »
    Don't use any Commom borg savage on purchase equipment to ship. Focus on one ground set (why?, beacouse you get a faster remodulation of weapons and you can free a slot for anoter device as nanite immunosupport).

    Well, to get a full MACO ground set would also take 120 EDC. During this journey, I'm hoping to get random drops that would allow me to take short cuts. But I'm still going to focus on the ship. After the ship is fully made out, I can run it on elite and pull in 2 EDC per run. Making my trip to full MK XI Omega Gear that much quicker.

    Oh, and I'll be buying the Omega Ship Gear.

    But, I will go ahead and add that to my objective. So I have 2 EDC with 318 more to go. :eek:
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    Commadore_Bob wrote:
    Well, to get a full MACO ground set would also take 120 EDC. During this journey, I'm hoping to get random drops that would allow me to take short cuts. But I'm still going to focus on the ship. After the ship is fully made out, I can run it on elite and pull in 2 EDC per run. Making my trip to full MK XI Omega Gear that much quicker.

    Oh, and I'll be buying the Omega Ship Gear.

    But, I will go ahead and add that to my objective. So I have 2 EDC with 318 more to go. :eek:

    I've got MACO shields + Borg everything else, but intend to purchase the Omega shield when am able. Might be interesting to see which works out best - full Borg set, Borg set - shield in favour of MACO shield or Borg set - shield in favour of Omega.

    The Omega appears to have a superior recharge rate.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2012
    reyan01 wrote:
    I've got MACO shields + Borg everything else, but intend to purchase the Omega shield when am able. Might be interesting to see which works out best - full Borg set, Borg set - shield in favour of MACO shield or Borg set - shield in favour of Omega.

    The Omega appears to have a superior recharge rate.

    That'd be good information to have.

    ***

    I ran another STF this morning. The fight went well but the drops were almost non existent. Other than the optional objective loot, there were only two drops the entire time... and one of those was a lockbox.

    But the mission was a success.

    ***********************************
    Current Status
    EDC: 3 (320 needed)
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Wow. This must have been the most competent fleet I've ever had the pleasure of playing with. The entire Infected Space map took us all of seven minutes. And I managed to get some rare borg salvage. Getting another one will save me a weeks worth of STFs.

    ***********************************
    Current Status
    EDC: 4 (320 needed)
    Rare Borg Salvage: 1
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Wow! I currently had 2 rare borg salvage and 1 borg shield tech (common) from 4 STF runs (my first four). (had because I spent it on mk X gear.) :) I'm also running the same journey as you. I can't space the time to run an STF every day, unfortunately.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    startrek1wars wrote:
    Wow! I currently had 2 rare borg salvage and 1 borg shield tech (common) from 4 STF runs (my first four). (had because I spent it on mk X gear.) :) I'm also running the same journey as you. I can't space the time to run an STF every day, unfortunately.

    I almost did do it today. And I really wasn't in the mood but I went ahead and did it.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    My TAC oddy is in drydock,I am 8 EDCs away from the MACO refit.My Defiant has the full Omega set.I dont do ground STFs.Im in this for the space Pew-pew.I roll better in other FPS games. I cant get the feel for ground. Good luck on your journey,I will check your status daily.I had two good STFs last night, and one dumpster fire this morning.I dont mind the bad ones, I dont think the group spoke english, and flew rainbow boats. It just sharpens my out of the box thinking.DO share your best, and worst experences here.I love a good STF story.:)
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Woah. That was a barn burner! It took almost the entire 15 minutes to beat the map, but we succeeded. And I managed to pick up two, that's right, two Rare Borg Salvage. Now to go ahead and upgrade something with my haul.

    Edit: Bought an antiproton beam array. The DPS is lower than what I was packing but I'm told the 7.5% chance to do 1,000 radiation damage makes it worth it.
    ***********************************
    Current Status
    EDC: 5 (320 needed)
    Rare Borg Salvage: 1
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
    Mk XI Antiproton Beam Array [Borg]
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Today marks a sad day. This is the day I died to a sphere for the first time. Though, in my defense, I was fighting three of them at the same time and just couldn't break away to heal up. In any case, the mission was a success and I got two of the three optional objective rewards. Too bad it was the third item I really wanted. :rolleyes:

    ***********************************
    Current Status
    EDC: 6 (310 needed)
    Rare Borg Salvage: 1
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
    Mk XI Antiproton Beam Array [Borg]
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Just engaged in nice battle. This one had a Klingon Carrier on my team. I can see the advantage as the Borg tractor beams kept targeting the fighter pets, but the Carrier was the only one to die and he died twice.

    My haul was great. The usual 1 EDC and two Rare Borg Salvage. A great deal!

    Edit: Used 2 0f my Rare Borg Salvage to buy another Antiproton Array I'm going to save my EDC for the Maco gear as I seem to be getting enough Borg Salvage to get the weapons.
    ***********************************
    Current Status
    EDC: 7 (300 needed)
    Rare Borg Salvage: 1 (4 spent)
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
    Mk XI Antiproton Beam Array [Borg] : 2 ea.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Decided to run it again today. In this group were two Catian Carriers, one Gal-X, one Odyssey, and my Excelsior. At first, it looked as if the battle would go quickly as we whipped the opening cube and two spheres with little effort. But the mission drug on after a while. We still managed to make the optional objective.

    The plus side of this map is I actually got a chance to do something other than kill nanite Borg ships. The two carriers and the Odyssey spawn-camped at the Gateway allowing the Dreadnaught and myself the freedom to take care of the rest. It was an otherwise enjoyable run.

    My rewards were a bit of a disappointment with only one EDC, one cannon, and two lock boxes.


    Edit: Did the entire Devidian series and decided to run an STF one last time tonight. We came very close to failing the optional objective (the countdown timer made it to 58 seconds) but we succeeded. My haul was again a bit lacking with mostly Exchange stuff rather than the desired Borg Tech.
    ***********************************
    Current Status
    EDC: 9 (300 needed)
    Rare Borg Salvage: 1 (4 spent)
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
    Mk XI Antiproton Beam Array [Borg] : 2 ea.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Those spamboxes feel like a slap in the face after all that work.Check your inventory for the holo-cheerleaders.:D
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Speed kills. This team was so effective in destroying the Nanite Generators that we were being spammed with Spheres. Almost all of us had to stop with the nanite generators and spend several minutes mopping up all of the Spheres running around. But we were able to complete the level as well as the optional objective.

    No Rare Borg Salvage was ever in our drops.

    Edit: Second run of the day. Got bit by the PUG. I thought when a group of ships was breaking off they were going to sit on gate duty, but nope. They decided to take out the transformers on the other side resulting an a swarm of spheres and failure of the optional objective. Only picked up one EDC and the drops were non-existent.

    ***********************************
    Current Status
    EDC: 11 (300 needed)
    Rare Borg Salvage: 1 (4 spent)
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
    Mk XI Antiproton Beam Array [Borg] : 2 ea.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    In an effort to better my chances of survival, I went ahead and equipped the rest of the Borg Retro STF set. Hopefully, I'll be able to hang longer during the battles and be more effective.

    ***********************************
    Current Status
    EDC: 1 (300 needed; 15 spent)
    Rare Borg Salvage: 1 (4 spent)
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Assimilated Deflector Array
    Assimilated Module
    Assimilated Regenerative Shield Array
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
    Mk XI Antiproton Beam Array [Borg] : 2 ea.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Commadore_Bob wrote:
    In an effort to better my chances of survival, I went ahead and equipped the rest of the Borg Retro STF set. Hopefully, I'll be able to hang longer during the battles and be more effective.

    ***********************************
    Current Status
    EDC: 1 (300 needed; 15 spent)
    Rare Borg Salvage: 1 (4 spent)
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Assimilated Deflector Array
    Assimilated Module
    Assimilated Regenerative Shield Array
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
    Mk XI Antiproton Beam Array [Borg] : 2 ea.

    Good move - I've kitted my ship with the Borg deflector & console but have Omega shield & engine. Have found it pretty effective so far.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    A very quick fight. I died once because I got caught in the onslaught of spheres when the rest of the team took out all of the generators in no time at all. I also picked up some Common Borg Shield Tech. Going to see what that is all about.

    Ah, I can get a Mk X Ship Shield.

    ***********************************
    Current Status
    EDC: 2 (300 needed; 15 spent)
    Rare Borg Salvage: 1 (4 spent)
    Common Borg Shield Tech: 0 (1 spent)
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Omega Force Shield Array Mk X
    Assimilated Deflector Array
    Assimilated Module
    Assimilated Regenerative Shield Array
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
    Mk XI Antiproton Beam Array [Borg] : 2 ea.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    How the Ship Looked:
    At the Start
    After Week 1

    ***********************************
    Goal: All Mk XI Omega Force Gear (Space & Ground)

    Current Status
    EDC: 2 (300 needed; 15 spent)
    Rare Borg Salvage: 1 (4 spent)
    Common Borg Shield Tech: 0 (1 spent)
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Omega Force Shield Array Mk X
    Assimilated Deflector Array
    Assimilated Module
    Assimilated Regenerative Shield Array
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
    Mk XI Antiproton Beam Array [Borg] : 2 ea.
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    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Another run, another EDC. But I did get another Rare Borg Salvage. Time to add another Anti-proton Array.
    ***********************************
    Goal: All Mk XI Omega Force Gear (Space & Ground)

    Current Status
    EDC: 2 (290 needed; 15 spent)
    Rare Borg Salvage: 0 (6 spent)
    Common Borg Shield Tech: 0 (1 spent)
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Omega Force Shield Array Mk X
    Assimilated Deflector Array
    Assimilated Module
    Assimilated Regenerative Shield Array
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
    Mk XI Antiproton Beam Array [Borg] : 3 ea.
  • Options
    Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2012
    Had a loser in the group this run. Sat there the entire time and when we failed the optional objective, he bailed. Leaver penalty needs to be raised. But I'll discuss that in another thread. Got another EDC.

    Edit: Ran another one. Very good group. Mission went well.
    ***********************************
    Goal: All Mk XI Omega Force Gear (Space & Ground)

    Current Status
    EDC: 5 (290 needed; 15 spent)
    Rare Borg Salvage: 1 (6 spent)
    Common Borg Shield Tech: 0 (1 spent)
    Mk X Req: 1

    STF Gear Owned
    Omega Force Shield Array Mk X
    Assimilated Deflector Array
    Assimilated Module
    Assimilated Regenerative Shield Array
    Assimilated Subtranswarp Engines
    Mk XI Antiproton Beam Array [Borg] : 3 ea.
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