Can Efficient Boffs replace Efficiency skill?

skurf · October 2012

I'm wondering if I have a full crew of Efficient Boffs do I still need to use skill points in Warp Core Efficiency. Will the skill points just be redundant and useless or will they still serve some purpose?

Also why does my entire boff tray sometimes grey-out during battles? Is this a bug or some kind of ability/power? If it's the latter, what is the counter. And while we're at it, what's that thing thing that makes my screen go all fuzzy (anti-matter spread?) and what's the counter to that? The only counter I've been able to come up with is just to wait it out, which doesn't do much good when I'm getting fired on and can't return fire.

ertihan · October 2012

No idea about the grey-out, but the efficient traits stack with your captain's trait, so having "Efficient" is still quite effective.

crusty8mac · October 2012

No, efficient BOffs merely raise your power levels by a small amount.

johnny111971 · October 2012

I'd say they can augment, but not replace. Allowing you to spend less points in that category.

As for the graying out... could be a result of multiple things... if power in any system hits 0 and skill related to that subsystem becomes unavailable (viral matrix (brings subsystems offline, power leeches, etc)... some skills are target specific and can only be used with an appropriate target selected (i.e. Extend Shields). There are different fixes for each, but not one answer.

ertihan · October 2012

Every little bit helps, and it is one of the only bridge officer (besides the Human ones and the Veteran ones) abilities that work in space, hence why they're so expensive.

Three Boffs with Efficient captain can raise the Warp Core Efficiency ability by 25, which is the equivalent of putting two and a half points into the Warp Core Efficiency ability even if you hadn't specced into it at all.

While Efficiency does have diminishing returns, this also means you could gain the full benefit of 9 points of Warp Core efficiency with only 6 points in it.

trueprom3theus · October 2012

skurf wrote: »

I'm wondering if I have a full crew of Efficient Boffs do I still need to use skill points in Warp Core Efficiency. Will the skill points just be redundant and useless or will they still serve some purpose?

Also why does my entire boff tray sometimes grey-out during battles? Is this a bug or some kind of ability/power? If it's the latter, what is the counter. And while we're at it, what's that thing thing that makes my screen go all fuzzy (anti-matter spread?) and what's the counter to that? The only counter I've been able to come up with is just to wait it out, which doesn't do much good when I'm getting fired on and can't return fire.

Warp core efficiency is bonus to power when power levels are below 75. Over 75 the bonus is 0. It's a good idea to put 6 in the skill. Efficient boffs add 7.5 points each to this skill, so having a full load out of them on your ship is recommended.

Grayed out boff powers on the tray seems to be caused by an unreplicable bug from scramble sensors I think. Never happened to me but I hear you need to log out/in to fix it. That "thing thing" is anti matter spread more than likely and it's hard countered by sci team and soft countered by points in sensors (you'll be scrambled less time).

Edit: if you look up exchange often, you may find sometimes very cheap prices for them (think you're a klink, so search for lethean boff), I got one recently with 15k ec, probably posted by a goof that didn't know what's selling)

skurf · October 2012

ertihan wrote: »

Every little bit helps, and it is one of the only bridge officer (besides the Human ones and the Veteran ones) abilities that work in space, hence why they're so expensive.

Three Boffs with Efficient captain can raise the Warp Core Efficiency ability by 25, which is the equivalent of putting two and a half points into the Warp Core Efficiency ability even if you hadn't specced into it at all.

While Efficiency does have diminishing returns, this also means you could gain the full benefit of 9 points of Warp Core efficiency with only 6 points in it.

Thanks. Some useful info there.

And about the grey-out. I thought it might be time-ship related cause it only started happening after they were released. I have three rows of boff powers on my HUD and every single one of them will grey-out and become unusable. Sometimes it only lasts for around 2 seconds. Sometimes it lasts 10-15 seconds, but I've never had to log out to fix it. Eventually the grey-out ends and my abilities become available again.

twam · October 2012

Does anyone happen to know if, and if so how much, efficient tactical doffs contribute to these numbers? Got 4 efficient ones slotted now, but the fifth'd be something of an investment to replace; it'd be nice to know if it's worth it...

guriphu · October 2012

Diminishing returns start making additional investment impractical beyond a numerical Efficiency level of about 90. If you don't have the Efficient passive, you still need 4 ranks in Warp Core Efficiency even if you have 5 Efficient BOffs. Efficient passive and 5 BOffs should have only 3 ranks in Warp Core Efficiency. Everyone should have at least 3.

skurf · October 2012

guriphu wrote: »

Diminishing returns start making additional investment impractical beyond a numerical Efficiency level of about 90. If you don't have the Efficient passive, you still need 4 ranks in Warp Core Efficiency even if you have 5 Efficient BOffs. Efficient passive and 5 BOffs should have only 3 ranks in Warp Core Efficiency. Everyone should have at least 3.

This is exactly the info I was looking for. So the boffs can replace skill points, but only up to a certain point. Thank you.

dontdrunkimshoot · October 2012

guriphu wrote: »

Diminishing returns start making additional investment impractical beyond a numerical Efficiency level of about 90. If you don't have the Efficient passive, you still need 4 ranks in Warp Core Efficiency even if you have 5 Efficient BOffs. Efficient passive and 5 BOffs should have only 3 ranks in Warp Core Efficiency. Everyone should have at least 3.

really? i did a little experimenting with this and wasn't sure if to much potential was good or working against myself. does this also assume you have 6 in all performance skills? and then there is leach on top of that. does that power stack on top of your efficient bonus, or does it work against that too?

on both kdf i have all efficient lethians, think it raised all my lower energy level by 5.

savingj · October 2012

I'm pretty sure the efficient doff gives a numerical value, I believe a +5 to warp core efficiency. This would be the same as putting a point in the skill tree in the red zone.

lordmalak1 · October 2012

savingj wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the efficient doff gives a numerical value, I believe a +5 to warp core efficiency. This would be the same as putting a point in the skill tree in the red zone.

It's not a flat bonus, it's scaled- more bonus @ less power.

guriphu · October 2012

dontdrunkimshoot wrote: »

really? i did a little experimenting with this and wasn't sure if to much potential was good or working against myself. does this also assume you have 6 in all performance skills? and then there is leach on top of that. does that power stack on top of your efficient bonus, or does it work against that too?

on both kdf i have all efficient lethians, think it raised all my lower energy level by 5.

http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=251192&highlight=warp+core+efficiency

This is the best study I've seen on the subject, to-date. Beyond that, all I have is personal experience with my own builds. You can see, however, that returns on increasing Efficiency seem to drop off rapidly beyond about 90, consistently, through all his tests. My experience confirms this.

trueprom3theus · October 2012

I am almost sure leech adds to everything. I will do some tests to see if leech gain will nullify the gain from efficiency though, which is fairly easy.

Can Efficient Boffs replace Efficiency skill?

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