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The Never Asked Questions Part 1

carbongripcarbongrip Member Posts: 0 Arc User
edited July 2013 in The Academy
Does anyone know the answer to this set of almost never asked questions?

Question: What is the cool down of dual cannons, dual heavy cannons, cannons, dual beam banks and beam arrays? Everyone always says which they beleave is best but never explain the cool downs much...

Answer: "All weapons have a 1 second 'cooldown' period in between firing cycles. Cannons fire for one half of a second firing two volleys except for Dual Heavies which fire a single volley. Beams fire for four seconds and fire four volleys. Cannon Rapid Fire ability reduces the cooldown duration of cannons between cycles."

Question: What are the best uses for single cannons on a ship? Never really saw a point in putting them on a cruiser...

Answer: "They are a nitch weapon for specific situations," such as
"1) Cannons fire more 'pulses' over time than beams, therefore effects that are determined on a pulse basis (EX: Tetryon Glider) are stronger with cannons than beams.
2) Ships with few to no tactical boff abilities can have a slightly higher damage broadside by mixing single cannons and beam arrays.
3) Ships with many high rank tactical boff stations can use abilities such as rapid fire to create a (relatively) powerful frontal arc damage potential as the abilities will effect both the cannons in the front and the turrets in the rear.

But really one must decide upon fitting a ship what their primary weapon will be. Typically that is either the Dual Heavy Cannon + Aft Turrets or Beam Arrays in the front and the back. Dual beam banks, torpedos, mines, etc are typically used as a secondary weapon for a specific purpose or ability and are not the primary sources of overall DPS although exceptions to this do exist. A ship with a lt. Tac and Ensign tac will do just as well sporting dual beam banks in the front and turrets in the back as they would with cannons. However a ship with a Lt. Cmdr Tac rocking the Auxiliary to Battery and some Technician Doffs will deal more damage with the single cannons and turrets thanks to cannon rapid fire paired with an attack pattern."

Question: Do all hybrid weapons have a different colour and which ones come from which lock box reward...

Answer: "Hybrid weapons are generally the same color and effect as one or the other of the two types being combined, and for resistance purposes count as one or the other. Spiral wave disruptors do have a slightly different color than standard weapons." I have also noticed myself that Phased Tetryon weapons also have a lighter blue colour to them, if there are others please tell and I will add your quote to the answer.

Questions: Will past lock boxes return other than when they return during special events?

Answer: N/A

Thanks for your answers ahead of time! More questions and answers will come over time and will have answers filled in once answered by community to help new players.
Post edited by carbongrip on

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    bareelbareel Member Posts: 3 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    carbongrip wrote: »

    Question: What is the cool down of dual cannons, dual heavy cannons, cannons, dual beam banks and beam arrays? Everyone always says which they beleave is best but never explain the cool downs much...

    Answer: All weapons have a 1 second 'cooldown' period in between firing cycles. Cannons fire for one half of a second firing two volleys except for Dual Heavies which fire a single volley. Beams fire for four seconds and fire four volleys. Cannon Rapid Fire ability reduces the cooldown duration of cannons between cycles.
    carbongrip wrote: »
    Question: What are the best uses for single cannons on a ship? Never really saw a point in putting them on a cruiser...
    Answer: They are a nitch weapon for specific situations.
    1) Cannons fire more 'pulses' over time than beams, therefore effects that are determined on a pulse basis (EX: Tetryon Glider) are stronger with cannons than beams.
    2) Ships with few to no tactical boff abilities can have a slightly higher damage broadside by mixing single cannons and beam arrays.
    3) Ships with many high rank tactical boff stations can use abilities such as rapid fire to create a (relatively) powerful frontal arc damage potential as the abilities will effect both the cannons in the front and the turrets in the rear.

    But really one must decide upon fitting a ship what their primary weapon will be. Typically that is either the Dual Heavy Cannon + Aft Turrets or Beam Arrays in the front and the back. Dual beam banks, torpedos, mines, etc are typically used as a secondary weapon for a specific purpose or ability and are not the primary sources of overall DPS although exceptions to this do exist. A ship with a lt. Tac and Ensign tac will do just as well sporting dual beam banks in the front and turrets in the back as they would with cannons. However a ship with a Lt. Cmdr Tac rocking the Auxiliary to Battery and some Technician Doffs will deal more damage with the single cannons and turrets thanks to cannon rapid fire paired with an attack pattern.
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    hevachhevach Member Posts: 2,777 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    2. Single cannons forward, turrets aft. Gives higher dps than beam array broadside. A lot of cruisers don't have the bridge layout to take advantage of it, though, but ones like the Excelsior or Regent can.

    3. Hybrid weapons are generally the same color and effect as one or the other of the two types being combined, and for resistance purposes count as one or the other. Spiral wave disruptors do have a slightly different color than standard weapons.

    4. Maybe when they run out of ideas.
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    carbongripcarbongrip Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Thanks to you both for helping answer these questions and if there is anything to add to them please post a reply, also would like to answer the last question but that might need a DEV to answer:rolleyes:
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    bareelbareel Member Posts: 3 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    carbongrip wrote: »
    Thanks to you both for helping answer these questions and if there is anything to add to them please post a reply, also would like to answer the last question but that might need a DEV to answer:rolleyes:

    Since that is unlikely to occur the common sense answer is 'no' as for them becoming drops in any other way but you can still buy them on the exchange.
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    bluegeekbluegeek Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Thread moved to the Academy
    My views may not represent those of Cryptic Studios or Perfect World Entertainment. You can file a "forums and website" support ticket here
    Link: How to PM - Twitter @STOMod_Bluegeek
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    molaighmolaigh Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    hevach wrote: »
    2. Single cannons forward, turrets aft. Gives higher dps than beam array broadside. A lot of cruisers don't have the bridge layout to take advantage of it, though, but ones like the Excelsior or Regent can.

    .

    I'm sorry, but this is incorrect. Based on the base values for mk XII gear:

    Single cannon + turret -- 212 + 132 = 344 DPS
    Beam array + beam array -- 176 + 176 = 352 DPS


    Single cannons have some utility on science vessels with front facing BOff skills. Use of canon rapid fire also insures single target pressure, where as BFaW tends to spread the damage if multiple targets are present. Otherwise there isn't much need for single cannons.
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    originpioriginpi Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    carbongrip wrote: »
    Does anyone know the answer to this set of almost never asked questions?

    Question: What is the cool down of dual cannons, dual heavy cannons, cannons, dual beam banks and beam arrays? Everyone always says which they beleave is best but never explain the cool downs much...

    Answer: "All weapons have a 1 second 'cooldown' period in between firing cycles. Cannons fire for one half of a second firing two volleys except for Dual Heavies which fire a single volley. Beams fire for four seconds and fire four volleys. Cannon Rapid Fire ability reduces the cooldown duration of cannons between cycles."

    This is not correct. Cannons should be defined as having a 3 second firing cycle. The regular (not heavy, including dual and turrets) cannons fire for 2 seconds followed by a 1 second cooldown. Dual Heavies fire for 1 second followed by a 2 second cooldown. This makes them the most energy efficient weapon by doubling the downtime during which power is available for other weapons. Because of the 3 second total firing cycle, it is true that beams (with a 5 second firing cycle) will effect more %chance procs than beams.



    Question: Do all hybrid weapons have a different colour and which ones come from which lock box reward...

    Answer: "Hybrid weapons are generally the same color and effect as one or the other of the two types being combined, and for resistance purposes count as one or the other. Spiral wave disruptors do have a slightly different color than standard weapons." I have also noticed myself that Phased Tetryon weapons also have a lighter blue colour to them, if there are others please tell and I will add your quote to the answer.

    I think most, if not all, are a different colour than their counterparts. Polarized Disruptors have a different colour (they are purple and have a solid beam structure unlike Polaron's wavy look), as do Romulan Plasma Weapons (Plasma beam appearance with the deep green disruptor-type colour)

    Responses added above. ^^^
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    fraghul2000fraghul2000 Member Posts: 1,590 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    Single cannons have some utility on science vessels with front facing BOff skills. Use of canon rapid fire also insures single target pressure, where as BFaW tends to spread the damage if multiple targets are present.

    Even on front-arcing Sci ships, which aren't as much of a matter as they used to be after they widened the arc of most Sci abilities, I'd alwys use 2 DBBs with BO and a Torp, than single cannons.
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    questeriusquesterius Member Posts: 8,418 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    I have a question: Does target subsystem work with cannons or do you require beams?

    Edit: never mind. After reading the full name the answer is obvious.
    http://sto.gamepedia.com/Subsystem_Targeting
    This program, though reasonably normal at times, seems to have a strong affinity to classes belonging to the Cat 2.0 program. Questerius 2.7 will break down on occasion, resulting in garbage and nonsense messages whenever it occurs. Usually a hard reboot or pulling the plug solves the problem when that happens.
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    carbongripcarbongrip Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited July 2013
    questerius wrote: »
    I have a question: Does target subsystem work with cannons or do you require beams?

    Edit: never mind. After reading the full name the answer is obvious.
    http://sto.gamepedia.com/Subsystem_Targeting

    Yes you have to have beam's for subsystem targeting, however some weapons such as phasers and a few hybrid weapons have built-in 2.5% chance to proc. a subsystem target.
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