Is now the right time to think about replacing AP layout?

Comments

• paulyman Member Posts: 228 Arc User

  January 2014 edited January 2014

  why? AP has always served me well and continues to do so. If you really want to upgrade or change weapons get rid of that ACC if you only PvE.
  
  NPCs have no avoidance other than simple physics based avoidance associated with size and movement. I know I know people will go on about ACC overflow. Show me the post from a Dev. The fact is when questioned point blank about the ACC overflow numbers not one single dev can say at X% ACC Y% becomes CritH and Z% becomes CritD. They cant and never will. Also if you want Crit then get it.
  
  Imagine you have a large bucket of water and you must pour it into another large bucket of water. Which is the more efficient way to do so? Would you pour the water into the large bucket directly? Or would you put the large bucket between your feet, hold a slightly smaller bucket between your knees, and pour the water in the smaller one. Hoping that some will fall into the large one.
  
  Personally I use a fleet defiant. I use all DMGX3 CritH weps. I use 2 CritD tac consoles and 3CritH tac consoles. Along with other gear this gives me roughly 20% CritH and 95% CritD.
  
  http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=neivi_4052 is my build if it helps you out any. I know its not amazing or a 20k DPS build but I hope it helps in some way.

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• malnificent Member Posts: 0 Arc User

  January 2014 edited January 2014

  Paulyman, this is a great reply and helpful post. Much appreciated.
  
  Any reply that addresses the OP's question and gives personal genuine feedback and not some typical "you suxxor" reply is tops.
  
  Agreed AP has been good to me and feels right for a Defiant that I associate with pure punch power ... but I had to ask as I don't see myself changing weap consoles again once I buy these new shiny cons.
  
  Cheers amigo, thanks.

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• coffeemike Member Posts: 942 Arc User

  January 2014 edited January 2014

  I'd say stick to AP weapons also... I use beams on mine with either the tac Vesta or the Fleet Avenger.
  
  Look into the Adv Fleet AP weapons. I mostly PVE so I use the DMGx3 + ACC one because ACC & DMG are always guaranteed so for PVE, go with it. Tho when I do PVP, I Have the ACCx2 DMGx2 ones.
  
  How does your Critical Chance and Critical Severity look like? I'm at 13.9% Critical Chance & 89.9% Critical Severity right now on my Joined Trill Eng. I remember reading that the higher crit chance, the more the procs will happen. I'm sure someone will correct me/yell at me about this.
  
  Also, I didn't find the Voth AP weaons that useful for some reason... if you want to try those, buy the cheap MK XI versions first.

  ~My current ship and build~

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• sevmrage Member Posts: 0 Arc User

  January 2014 edited January 2014

  I started on an AP build just before Sphere of Influence dropped for my T4 Galaxy, so I managed to get some half-decent AP Mag Regulator consoles just before...
  
  Anyway, once I got my T4 up and running and kitted out, it was outperforming my Galaxy Dreadnought. It was a learning experience. Had three beam weapons up front firing, a torp, and two weapons in the back firing whenever I had something right in front of me. It hit pretty hard. (Omni AP beam and Borg KCB)
  
  Even now my Dread has the Omni AP in the back and the KCB in the back, and it's almost as good DPS wise. I might give it the full AP build and see what happens. It'll be better than Phasers, that's for sure, even if it is at the expense of the Lance.

  Weyland-Yutani Joint Space Venture - Always open to new members!
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  My name is Rage, and I too support a revised Galaxy family.

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• thunderfoot

  thunderfoot#5163

  Member Posts: 4,545 Arc User

  January 2014 edited January 2014

  Based upon what you posted about how you play:
  - Are you changing because you think the new items are going to perform better?
  - Your current weapons layout is getting the job done isn't it?
  
  My Fed Eng runs Fleet AP beams [Dmg]x3 [CrtD] on a cruiser hull and they still seem to be effective. If I have solid proof the newer items will be more effective, then I'll change. But the difference has to be significant. Not 0.2% or some other piddling number in the same range.
  
  I realize with an Escort, console space is limited in Engineering Slots. On my Mogai Refit, I just removed two of the three armor/plating consoles and replaced them with a Plasmonic Leech and a purple Plasma Distribution Manifold. Because I wanted to see if I could make the ship do more damage. Then, I went and did some STFs and the Tau Dewa dailies. There was a significant increase in the amount damage my weapons were doing.
  
  You should always play this game the way you want to with the gear you like. You want those consoles and newer weapons then go get them. But newer isn't always better, IMO.

  A six year old boy and his starship. Living the dream.

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• robdmc Member Posts: 1,619 Arc User

  January 2014 edited January 2014

  paulyman wrote: »

  Show me the post from a Dev. The fact is when questioned point blank about the ACC overflow numbers not one single dev can say at X% ACC Y% becomes CritH and Z% becomes CritD. They cant and never will. Also if you want Crit then get it.

  
  Um... the Devs did say this a long time ago. You can watch Al say it.
  
  http://www.jupiterbroadcasting.com/6611/meet-al-rivera-stoked-76/
  
  Start at 27 minutes in. Al also provided a spreadsheet and it is attached to the show notes.

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• robdmc Member Posts: 1,619 Arc User

  January 2014 edited January 2014

  I forgot to give my 2 cents for the ap weapons for the Defiant.
  
  At this point you want ap weapons on that ship. the [Omni-Directional Antiproton Beam Array [Acc] [Dmg] [Arc]] and the [Obelisk Subspace Rift Warp Core] shifted favor away from plasma and back to ap. This is because of the 2 piece set bonus of 10% damage after weapons power.
  
  The fun thing about the [Omni-Directional Antiproton Beam Array [Acc] [Dmg] [Arc]] is ou can put it in the aft and it still works with beam overload. This means you can have 4 dhcs on the front for max sustainable dps, make full use of your tac heavy boff layout and have some spike damage.
  
  To boost plasma damage you would need to use embassy science consoles. This cuts into the number of crit console you can put on your ship.
  
  Example.
  Max plasma damage. Older shot.
  
  Max ap damage. Current shot.
  
  Again with similar numbers I have much more crit.
  
  If you do PvP then Acc is the way to go. In PvE it is another story. For PvE it is either crth or crtd. you should choose based on your ships crit values in the attack section of the ship status. If you have low values like 3% then crtd is not helping you. Once you are over 20% there suddenly crth isn't helping either if your severity is low.

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• dahminus Member Posts: 0 Arc User

  January 2014 edited January 2014

  Antiproton are the current most powerful energy type. No reason to swap out unless you care more about colour then dps.
  
  Tbh the dps boost isn't huge, but it is still the best

  Chive on and prosper, eh?
  
  My PvE/PvP hybrid skill tree

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• noblet Member Posts: 0 Arc User

  January 2014 edited January 2014

  dahminus wrote: »

  Antiproton are the current most powerful energy type. No reason to swap out unless you care more about colour then dps.
  
  Tbh the dps boost isn't huge, but it is still the best

  
  Plasma wins out depending on the number of plasma infused science consoles you have room for.
  
  The 10% AP dmg set bonus from that warp core requires you to put in a beam with your turrets. And the Fleet warp cores with AMP that you would use with other weapon types makes up most of the 10% dmg anyway.
  
  The interesting thing with AP these days is now you can set up boats like raiders and breen escorts as beam boats with 5 dual beam banks front and two 360 degree beams back without having to put in turrets. It's now viable, if you want a change of pace. Beams lose less dmg over distance, so I wouldn't say flat out that it's inferior to dhc builds. It might fit the way you fly.

  Critical Hit Calculator

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• kimmym Member Posts: 1,317 Arc User

  January 2014 edited January 2014

  We have reached a point where the choice between beams and DHC is not one of power, it is of function.
  
  They are roughly balanced so far as damage is concerned. Beams do "more" in the right hands, but its spread all over the map. It's great for grabbing agro on everything in sight. It's great if you don't care what order things die in. DHC do a little less by the numbers, but is highly focused, even when using AoE attacks, and shines when you wan't a target dead *NAO!* and/or don't wan't to agro everything in 10k.
  
  The trick is using the right setup for the right task. A beam-scort can be one hell of a build if you can handle the heat. Personally, I stick with DHC, but I fly other ships as beam boats so I get my fill already.
  
  Oh, and back on topic, AP is really good. That said, if you wan't a different color or something the differences between AP and other energy types are minor at best. I prefer AP on my escort, but I don't run it on anything else.
  
  Really, in the end, build/ship/skill is so much greater then energy type that spending too much time agonizing about what color your death is won't help much.
  
  Edit: The trick with the 360 beam is not to use the warp core that comes with it. Use an AMP core for +13.32% damage instead. Or on my Vesta I use the Obliesk core for the 135 aux power with my aux cannons... finally makes those cannons worth a damn... And I get a 360 beam array on the back for my subsystem targeting... Even being AP it does a fair amount of damage, considering I run full aux. Just there for the disables, really, but it feels good being able to actually use them again.

  I once again match my character. Behold the power of PINK!
  
  Fleet Admiral Space Orphidian Possiblities Wizard

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• malnificent Member Posts: 0 Arc User

  January 2014 edited January 2014

  Wanted to come back and say thank you to all who've read this post but especially to those who posted feedback and thoughts!
  
  STO has an amazing online community and your time are replies are really appreciated.
  
  Thank you!

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