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Dreadnought Cruiser - An Objective Review
asardetemplari
Member Posts: 447 Arc User
I'm grinding for the Tactical Scimitar, and I wanted to make sure there's nothing else I wanted for my main toon, and I came upon the Dreadnought Cruiser (also known as the Galaxy-X). I wanted to review this ship, but I wanted it to be completely unbiased, so I chose not to buy it, but look at it from the stats point of view. I'm going to do this piece by piece, starting with the armament.
ARMAMENT
The Dreadnought Cruiser comes with 4 Fore and 4 Aft weapons, as well as a Spinal Phaser Lance. From what I understand, the lance's only use is hitting something like a Borg Cube or something that can't exactly get out of the way quick enough. The Dreadnought is also the only Federation Cruiser that can equip dual cannons. That's brilliant. Allowing a cruiser that turns like a whale to equip cannons. Good job there.
ABILITIES
The Dreadnought's bridge officer slots are as follows:
Ensign Tactical
Lieutenant Tactical
Commander Engineering
Lieutenant Commander Engineering
Lieutenant Science
This isn't a bad set up. BUT here's where I have a problem. They give the Dreadnought the ability to use cannons, but they give it insufficient tactical bridge officer ability slots to properly use them. The Engineering and Science abilities make it very tanky depending on your equipment and whatever bridge officer powers take your fancy. On to the consoles.
CONSOLES
This is what the Dreadnought Cruiser comes with:
Enginerring: 4
Tactical: 2
Science:2
First of all, what the hell? This is a DREADNOUGHT Cruiser. This thing was made to fight the Klingons for crying out loud. One slot has to be taken up by a cloak, should you use it. They give what's probably one of the nicest looking cruisers in the game the ability to use cannons, and they shaft it with insufficient tactical capability. Sure, slap some Fleet Neutroniums and some Field Generators, whack MACO shields on it, and you're good to go, but... what the hell? Maybe, just maybe the Fleet Dreadnought Cruiser will have Saucer Separation (which, now that I've seen it separate, i support ^^) and three Tactical consoles, as well as a Lieutenant Tactical in place of a Ensign.
In conclusion: I do not recommend buying this unless they update it. I've seen some badass Dreadnoughts (Haka.. Hakashin? Hakaishin? Dreadnought, you're one of those), but to me it seems like they struggle when it comes to firepower. It's the same with the Galaxy-class. Now I'm not saying they need to make the galaxy-class into a tactical cruiser, but just something to make it have teeth and not make it look like a whale shark that's big and imposing but it does precisely barely anything.
ARMAMENT
The Dreadnought Cruiser comes with 4 Fore and 4 Aft weapons, as well as a Spinal Phaser Lance. From what I understand, the lance's only use is hitting something like a Borg Cube or something that can't exactly get out of the way quick enough. The Dreadnought is also the only Federation Cruiser that can equip dual cannons. That's brilliant. Allowing a cruiser that turns like a whale to equip cannons. Good job there.
ABILITIES
The Dreadnought's bridge officer slots are as follows:
Ensign Tactical
Lieutenant Tactical
Commander Engineering
Lieutenant Commander Engineering
Lieutenant Science
This isn't a bad set up. BUT here's where I have a problem. They give the Dreadnought the ability to use cannons, but they give it insufficient tactical bridge officer ability slots to properly use them. The Engineering and Science abilities make it very tanky depending on your equipment and whatever bridge officer powers take your fancy. On to the consoles.
CONSOLES
This is what the Dreadnought Cruiser comes with:
Enginerring: 4
Tactical: 2
Science:2
First of all, what the hell? This is a DREADNOUGHT Cruiser. This thing was made to fight the Klingons for crying out loud. One slot has to be taken up by a cloak, should you use it. They give what's probably one of the nicest looking cruisers in the game the ability to use cannons, and they shaft it with insufficient tactical capability. Sure, slap some Fleet Neutroniums and some Field Generators, whack MACO shields on it, and you're good to go, but... what the hell? Maybe, just maybe the Fleet Dreadnought Cruiser will have Saucer Separation (which, now that I've seen it separate, i support ^^) and three Tactical consoles, as well as a Lieutenant Tactical in place of a Ensign.
In conclusion: I do not recommend buying this unless they update it. I've seen some badass Dreadnoughts (Haka.. Hakashin? Hakaishin? Dreadnought, you're one of those), but to me it seems like they struggle when it comes to firepower. It's the same with the Galaxy-class. Now I'm not saying they need to make the galaxy-class into a tactical cruiser, but just something to make it have teeth and not make it look like a whale shark that's big and imposing but it does precisely barely anything.
Dreadnought class. Two times the size, three times the speed. Advanced weaponry. Modified for a minimal crew. Unlike most Federation vessels, it's built solely for combat.
Post edited by asardetemplari on
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Comments
I have it, sometimes use it, but never excel in it. It's not bad and it can take a very firm beating, but, yeah... It's not overly impressive.
WTB fleet version with additional tac console and Lt Cmdr tac boff.
Fleet Admiral Space Orphidian Possiblities Wizard
My concept of a "Dreadnought" fits what this ship can do: Strong defense and heavy (but not consistent) offense while being big, bulky and slow.
As a Dreadnought I do not expect it to turn like the Excelsior either. It's strengths (what they are) are tempered by it's speed. This is obviously overcome through warp cores or turn-boosting consoles if the player absolutely demands it turn faster.
It's consoles are fine. It's still, first and foremost, a cruiser. As such, its BOff seating is also on par with expectations. I must admit, the cannon armament option did strike me as odd as well, then it started to make sense after a stretch: It's really good at an alpha strike. This is in-line with how the ship was introduced in the TV show. In game terms, Cryptic designed it to be like the show - fly straight and shoot big. After that, it's going to need a little help.
I'm still not sure why it should have saucer separation. Although based on the Galaxy-class, it makes perfect sense that the spinal weapon is mounted on the saucer but receives its power from the main hull. The cloaking ability seems to be a decent compromise to having saucer separation: give up one advantage for another.
This ship is not, nor should it be, the only ship any Captain flies. Its a situational design, used when needed or wanted. But is clearly not for every situation. A jack-of-all trades is a master of none and it seems to me the only really good thing about this ship, is the spinal lance and survivability.
I'm not saying Cryptic made the perfect ship, but I do think they made a very reasonably balanced ship in relation to ships of its class.
this is a point of view that daesn't come from using the ship extensively , i can tell.
stating the the lance is a "really good thing" directly discredit you right away.
this thing have a 3 minute cooldown and a terrible accuracy, if the target isn't flying toward you in a straight line, you have a good chance to either miss or not have the full damage applied to the target.
as for the alpha strike, a simple defiant can do better with BO3 and 2 and not every 3 minute only, and the defiant will remain efficient even after the alpha.
and that just in escort ship in the federation camp.
nowaday you can find cruiser that do this role better in klink, romulan and federation camp.
but to finish i will quote a guy in the " what is your beef with the galaxy cryptic" thread who resumed it better than me, it was about the galaxy retrofit but it work for the galaxy dreadnought too.
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=528931&page=271
As neo1nx has said and quoted, the Galaxy's and Galaxy-X's total inadequate performance for today's game standards is reducing this game into a "BIG DPS = WIN" game type.
For as much the dreadnaught can literally make a punch throught multiple ships with a single spinal lance attack, it's overall alpha and effectivness is ridiculous.
I, being a sci cpt anyway, once made this try:
Tac Team + Sensor Scan + Weapon Battery + Spinal Lance = Max 9900 dmg x2 (almost 20k dmg)
vs.
Tac Team + Sensor Scan + Weapon Battery + Beam Overload II = up to 16k (critical hit)
On the very same ship which holds it, the spinal lance (which should be the ultimate weapon for a ship with such an awful turn rate) pales to the damage of a beam overload attack from a beam array.... really, this is totally wrong.
Given they ain't gonna buff a weapon like that by increasing it's damage, why can't we have it with the same cooldown time as a beam overload, uh?
Or some romulan might come over to complain about their so useless scimitar having its thalaron pulse being not of the same power as Donatra's?
Because last time i checked the I.S.S. Stadi in the mirror invasion doesn't one-shoot a player's star cruiser with a spinal lance.
Cryptic has a problem with dreadnaughts in general, where the ones they like are made the ultimate ships, and the ones they don't like are just reduced to flying marble bathtubs costing 2500 Z each.
The dreadnaught doesn't need a total buff, it needs it's actual unique role brought up to date with the current needs.
Upgrade the Tac station both by one level
One extra Tac consule slot
No saucer separation........this thing had a lance attracted from the neck connected to the saucer, it's not ment to come off.
Movement buff are not needed especially with fleet RCS+resist all, only level X gear i get 30% resist all and such a turn rate that I power slide all over the place.
The lance, buff damage, buff accuracy that's badly needed.
Join The Space Invaders,..... Federation and KDF fleets.
You see it a lot because most veteran players had it way before F2P for STO was even conceived.
"Back in the days", like an old man would say, the dreadnaught cruiser was THE cruiser.
It could be carried easly by both Tac and Eng captains with quite a good efficency once they could get the proper Mk X (at the time max level was lvl40) gear.
About the lance. You're partially right, the lance needs to be more "adaptable". But remember that being the dreadnaught cruiser amongst starfleet's most advanced or hi-tech ships, it follows starfleet's tradition to use phaser weaponry.
Infact, the spinal lance DO can be upgraded with phaser relay consoles, but surely the dmg increase it's not as noticeable as on other weapons.
Actually, if you look closer, the lance it's made to almost foldable-like.
Speed buff maybe not, but giving 1 or 2 extra deg/s to the turn rate wouldn't hurt anyone's TER or andorian escort. (And i say this that i got Mk XI Enhanced Neutroniums, 2 with HullRep and 1 with Turn + Adv Fleet Combat Impulse)
Again, the spinal lance's the problem. Its only integrated ability (which apparently prevents the dreadnaught to have a fleet-issued version) it's not worth the ship itself.
last night i made another try with the spinal lance, and i could reach almost 40k dmg on a tac cube after it got:
- About 3-4 sensor analysis debuffs
- 2 sensor scans
- destab. plasma torpedo debuff
- aceton beam x2
- no shields
- plasma hull melt
It's ridiculous.....
Because most of the old ships are already sold. In fact, most of the ships which are now almost useless date back to the pre-F2P era. If they update those ships they probably don't profit from it as much in comparision to release a new ship like the regent which had to be bought by old and new players alike. For the same reason, an old ship could not be updated to be equal to a new ship because it would neglect the need to buy the new one.
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The ship is just that bad
The last 3 free ships are much better than this expensive failure as a ship
It should mount any cannon
spinal lance CD lowered to 30 seconds damaged increased by 50%
The cloak should be part of the ship not a console
it was the first ship i bought
Saphire.. Science ground......Ko'el Romulan space Tac
Leva........Tactical ground.....Koj Romulan space Eng
JJ-Verse will never be Canon or considered Lore...It will always be JJ-Verse
Nope, free is too much, i'd say that -2000 zen would suffice (you buy it, you get 2000 zen!)
ermm.... not reeally BAD, but surely needs to be reworked.
bringing rhode island or gorn phalanx in elite stf? ok, challenge accepted.
it already can...
1. No, dmg is fine if you lower CD.
2. THAT is right, the cloak console is annoying....
Looking up around the forums or google would have sufficed to prevent that.
The dreadnaught can however be still an asset, but you need to properly equip it, otherwise yeah, it's better a lvl10 rhode island refit...
bought the ship when i first started before i learned to not trust cryptic...Now i just make sure the people in my fleet know the REAL facts before they spend there Zen
Saphire.. Science ground......Ko'el Romulan space Tac
Leva........Tactical ground.....Koj Romulan space Eng
JJ-Verse will never be Canon or considered Lore...It will always be JJ-Verse
The dreadnaught do can mount DHC, like also Quad ones.
And btw you do well to tell people the facts, i try to do the same with mine before they buy stuff like the Gal R for Tac cpt.s
it's not as bad i some people here are saying. Lance accuracy is a problem at times, but with PDP from Thunderchild and with fire at will beam overload, with power to weapns makes the ship tough, it's my prefered fed ship for PVE.
Dreadnoughts and practicality do not go hand-in-hand, often there is too great a sacrifice for raw firepower. Of course a competent pilot can make it function, but it's far from an optimal use of expenditure.
Valdus | Charn | Costello | Typhus | Thyran
Oh, it is.
It is, was, my only ship. Sure I had tried others, but I never stuck it out with them.
But I think that you and I have found ways of making it work for us.
We see that it isn't the best ship out there sure. But we don't really see ourselves holding anyone back either. We make it work for us +)
And what is stopping Cryptic to make a bundle with the Galaxy X variant as a tactical and give the option for the people that already have it to buy the full bundle with the additional 2500 zen and see a crazy sale like the Scimitar one.
For me the issue is that they do not see it. They believe, sales wise, that new is better and not iconic is better.
My belief is that Scimitar sales proves them wrong.
And yes I bought the Scimitar bundle but I prefer the iconic Mogai (Valdore skin)
KDF Eng: Boreas I.K.S. Demonon Nemesis {Fleet: HoS}
Rom Sci: Crius I.R.W. Noctem Aeternus {Fleet: LoS}
Fed Tac: Kronos U.S.S. Xibalba, I.S.S. Theogonia{Fleet: HSF}
hmm, sorry, no.
when the game went free to play, so you mean season 5: call to arm.
the galaxy x was already behind everythings else at that time.
it is true that the gap is growing with all new ship and universal console, we don't have the number of console of a fleet ship and if we want the cloack we must sacrifice an other one.
but the galaxy x never was a "killer".
season 5 give him 3 tact console slot at the price of transforming the integrated cloack into a console, and got a little bump to the hullpoint.
3 month before season 4 , gecko update the ship by increasing the lance firepower to 2 time it older value and give him, at last, it 4th weapons slot in the back.
you would said that this ship got all the love she need, but all what was given should have been there since the beguining.
no one would buy a cstore tier 5 cruiser with only 8 console slot, 3 weapons slot in the back nowaday.
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=528931&page=271
Dreadnought class. Two times the size, three times the speed. Advanced weaponry. Modified for a minimal crew. Unlike most Federation vessels, it's built solely for combat.
well that is a bit subjectiv, i grant you that, what is bad for you may not be bad for me.
this is also my prefered ship... at all. and when you properly build it with good gear and well thaught skillpoint layout you can do great things with it.
the problem is when you realize all what you have done for this ship, that would have give you far much better result in others cruiser.
and that here where you realize how bad it is.
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=528931&page=271
now comon, that a bit extreme..
the lance firepower don't need to be increase, it accuracy in the other hand need some love.
the fact that the lance rarely do better damage than a BO1 for example is due to that.
because when your ship isn't properly allign with the target you loose a big part of the dps.
if the way the lance work would be "rework" to have something functioning more like a beam overload it would be fantastic.
and i don't care that we would not be able to kill 4 target perfectly align in the beam shot, is that thing ever happened to any of you in pvp anyway, heck, even in pve.
with LOR and the trait respec everyone have now acces to accurate trait, and i known that my lance miss much less thank to it nowaday, and i sometime do insane crit that i didn't do before, it even surprised me, it is not rare now, that i kill the target with the lance only ( if the target is not at full hull and shield )
even if i known that this only happened against people that are not good enought to protect themselve properly , it is still good to see the progress.
i am all for reducing the cooldown of the lance, but hey! 30 sec, that a joke?
i would be in heaven if they give him the same cooldown as the gurumba ( 1minute 30sec )
but even 2 minute would feel like a big improvement, especially if the accuracy is enhanced.
as for the cloack, i completely agree, we loose a console slot just to use an abilitie that is sold as part of the ship abilitie, and it even not a battle cloack!!
not that i want a battle cloack, but if this one take a console slot it must be worth it!!
the dreadnought cruiser didn't get a favor from cryptic for having a cloack! it cannon, just like the negvar can cloack, i wonder what the klink and romulan would said if we make their cloakc and battle cloack a console?
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=528931&page=271
Happened all to often
That's all I needed to read!
Good luck bro and I wish you well on your grind.
I personally gave up grinding for a Jem'Hadar Dreadnought Carrier. I have much respect for all of you grinders out their, it take "a lot" (heavy emphasis on a lot) to keep grinding.
When you finally reach your goal, I'll see you on an Elite STF and I'll nod my head in agreement at your success.