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Starship skills for starships (a suggestion)
nikkojt
Member Posts: 372 Arc User
So this is a suggestion for new skills, tied to your starship. And it's a pretty long read, get your reading glasses on
"But NikkoJT", you say, "there is already a Starship Skills section in my character sheet!"
Yes there is. But this is for a different kind of starship skills - specific to the individual ship, not captain skills applied equally to all your ships.
How It Works
Each ship gets a few MINOR bonus stats, a bit like crafting schools or doff commendations, which depend on what kind of ship it is. For demonstration purposes, I'll use four of my own ships, one of each overall type, as examples for what kind of bonuses they could be.
These stats could be improved by earning Starship XP in a couple of ways: by using career-appropriate space boff abilities, completing missions, or perhaps investing fleet marks since they're only used for one thing in the entire game. Hey, why not throw in doff missions since Cryptic's apparently trying to make those a bigger deal.
Ship skills are really more like crew skills and familiarization; they require experience to be effective, and if you get a new ship, with a new crew, it comes with a blank slate of skills. The only exception is if the ship is exactly the same type as one you've dismissed previously - then it comes with the skills pre-levelled to half of whatever they were on your previous one.
Now for some examples.
USS Chaos Theory (Fleet Assault Cruiser Refit)
Cruiser bonus: +range for Cruiser Commands - same for all Cruisers
Fleet bonus: +acc when fleet members on team - same for all Fleet ships
Assault Cruiser bonus: +res to Borg effects - same for all Assault Cruiser variants
Federation bonus: +XP when using phasers - same for all Federation ships
USS Renegade Heart (Tactical Escort Retrofit)
Escort bonus: +dmg when within x km of a friendly Science Vessel
Retrofit bonus: +aux when all Retrofit/Refit consoles are equipped - same for all Refit and Retrofit ships
Tactical Escort bonus: +res to polaron damage
Federation bonus: +XP when using phasers
USS Gannet's Peak (Mirror Universe Deep Space Science Vessel)
Science Vessel bonus: +sensors for all ships on team
Mirror Universe bonus: +critH against Mirror Universe targets - same for all Mirror Universe ships
Deep Space Science Vessel bonus: +loot from scan objects
Federation bonus: +XP when using phasers
RRW Onyx Sentinel (Ha'Nom Guardian Warbird)
Warbird bonus: +stealth to team members when cloaked
Standard Issue bonus: +power when most equipment is equal or lower level than the ship's issued level - same for all ships that are not Refit, Retrofit, Fleet, Lockbox, or Time Limited.
Ha'Nom Guardian Warbird bonus: +aux when using shield heals
Romulan Republic bonus: +XP when using plasma weapons
In addition to these, each ship would have a customizable Crew Bonus, which would be created through the duty officer system, and once chosen could not be respecced. This bonus would gain an additional "slot" every ten levels, which would be filled by the player's choice of a variety of interesting bonuses, new and old. In the event of the crew system ever being revamped, the effectiveness of the Crew Bonus could be tied to your percentage of living crew.
"But NikkoJT", you say, "power creep!"
Well, yes. That's the big thing affecting everything else these days, isn't it? Obviously a rebalance might be needed, and hopefully there's one already in the works with Delta Rising and the oft-rumoured A2B Nerf. However, my aim with these skills is to add a little bit of flavour and personalization to ships without seriously affecting their overall OP-ness. Though this system could be used to spice up some of the ships generally acknowledged to be underperforming...
Also note that these don't have to be combat-based; if a ship is more science-y, it might have a bonus to crafting or exploration-y doffing.
Please remember that while I list flat "+ thing" bonuses in the examples, these are intended to be earned skills, with levels, which even when maxed out do not provide a massive benefit. To reiterate, this is about flavour and personalization, not buffing.
Feedback, as always, is welcomed. (as are dev posts saying "we're doing this" *cough*)
Below, in the next post, for those curious is a list of possible bonuses, and suggested names. Note that I'm not really a KDF player so I can't speak for what's good over there. Maybe someone could help out with that?
TL;DR: no, go back and read it. I'm serious.
"But NikkoJT", you say, "there is already a Starship Skills section in my character sheet!"
Yes there is. But this is for a different kind of starship skills - specific to the individual ship, not captain skills applied equally to all your ships.
How It Works
Each ship gets a few MINOR bonus stats, a bit like crafting schools or doff commendations, which depend on what kind of ship it is. For demonstration purposes, I'll use four of my own ships, one of each overall type, as examples for what kind of bonuses they could be.
These stats could be improved by earning Starship XP in a couple of ways: by using career-appropriate space boff abilities, completing missions, or perhaps investing fleet marks since they're only used for one thing in the entire game. Hey, why not throw in doff missions since Cryptic's apparently trying to make those a bigger deal.
Ship skills are really more like crew skills and familiarization; they require experience to be effective, and if you get a new ship, with a new crew, it comes with a blank slate of skills. The only exception is if the ship is exactly the same type as one you've dismissed previously - then it comes with the skills pre-levelled to half of whatever they were on your previous one.
Now for some examples.
USS Chaos Theory (Fleet Assault Cruiser Refit)
Cruiser bonus: +range for Cruiser Commands - same for all Cruisers
Fleet bonus: +acc when fleet members on team - same for all Fleet ships
Assault Cruiser bonus: +res to Borg effects - same for all Assault Cruiser variants
Federation bonus: +XP when using phasers - same for all Federation ships
USS Renegade Heart (Tactical Escort Retrofit)
Escort bonus: +dmg when within x km of a friendly Science Vessel
Retrofit bonus: +aux when all Retrofit/Refit consoles are equipped - same for all Refit and Retrofit ships
Tactical Escort bonus: +res to polaron damage
Federation bonus: +XP when using phasers
USS Gannet's Peak (Mirror Universe Deep Space Science Vessel)
Science Vessel bonus: +sensors for all ships on team
Mirror Universe bonus: +critH against Mirror Universe targets - same for all Mirror Universe ships
Deep Space Science Vessel bonus: +loot from scan objects
Federation bonus: +XP when using phasers
RRW Onyx Sentinel (Ha'Nom Guardian Warbird)
Warbird bonus: +stealth to team members when cloaked
Standard Issue bonus: +power when most equipment is equal or lower level than the ship's issued level - same for all ships that are not Refit, Retrofit, Fleet, Lockbox, or Time Limited.
Ha'Nom Guardian Warbird bonus: +aux when using shield heals
Romulan Republic bonus: +XP when using plasma weapons
In addition to these, each ship would have a customizable Crew Bonus, which would be created through the duty officer system, and once chosen could not be respecced. This bonus would gain an additional "slot" every ten levels, which would be filled by the player's choice of a variety of interesting bonuses, new and old. In the event of the crew system ever being revamped, the effectiveness of the Crew Bonus could be tied to your percentage of living crew.
"But NikkoJT", you say, "power creep!"
Well, yes. That's the big thing affecting everything else these days, isn't it? Obviously a rebalance might be needed, and hopefully there's one already in the works with Delta Rising and the oft-rumoured A2B Nerf. However, my aim with these skills is to add a little bit of flavour and personalization to ships without seriously affecting their overall OP-ness. Though this system could be used to spice up some of the ships generally acknowledged to be underperforming...
Also note that these don't have to be combat-based; if a ship is more science-y, it might have a bonus to crafting or exploration-y doffing.
Please remember that while I list flat "+ thing" bonuses in the examples, these are intended to be earned skills, with levels, which even when maxed out do not provide a massive benefit. To reiterate, this is about flavour and personalization, not buffing.
Feedback, as always, is welcomed. (as are dev posts saying "we're doing this" *cough*)
Below, in the next post, for those curious is a list of possible bonuses, and suggested names. Note that I'm not really a KDF player so I can't speak for what's good over there. Maybe someone could help out with that?
TL;DR: no, go back and read it. I'm serious.
I am NikkoJT, Foundry author and terrible player. Follow me!
There used to be a picture here, but they changed signatures and I can't be bothered to replace it.
There used to be a picture here, but they changed signatures and I can't be bothered to replace it.
Post edited by nikkojt on
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Comments
Assault Cruiser (Old Enemies): +res to Borg effects
Advanced Escort (Superior Manueverability): permanent Auxiliary Thrusters effect (see [Aux] impulse engines for more)
Advanced Research Vessel (Border Guard): +sensors to team, increases based on team size
Advanced Heavy Cruiser (Next Tuesday): +tractor beams
Andorian Escort (Broadside): +arc to dual cannons
Caution: non-alphabetical from here. CTRL+F is your friend.
Patrol Escort (Watchful): +critD against decloaking targets
Tactical Escort (Dominion Warrior): +res to Polaron damage
Long Range Science Vessel (Lessons Learned): +critH for team against Delta Quadrant enemies
Science Vessel (Alternate Future): +dmg against Klingon targets when they are attacking another Federation ship
Cruiser (Old Ironsides): +res to Disruptor damage
Escort (Mainstay): +res against all targets not being fired upon, when firing
Exploration Cruiser (New Life): +all stats when using Alien bridge officers
Deep Space Science Vessel (Scientist): +loot from scan objects
Reconnaissance Science Vessel (New Generation): +XP and commendation XP from diplomacy and science doff assignments
Heavy Escort (Missile Massacre): +RoF to photon torpedoes
Light Cruiser (Reliable): immune to shield piercing damage except torpedoes and mines
Star Cruiser (Explorer): chance to locate additional Diplomacy/Exploration doff assignments and scan objects in sector space
Federation Battlecruiser (Cutting Edge): reduces chance of critical hit on incoming fire, except if enemy is a Flagship or 2409 Battlecruiser (i.e. Mogh)
KDF Bird-of-Prey (Always Ready): Red Alert clears faster
Romulan Republic Flagship (Shinzon's Legacy): small chance to proc thalaron radiation on target
Federation Flagship (Enterprising): +heals on any friendly target below 25% hull
Klingon Empire Flagship (Warrior Spirit): +dmg when firing at targets above 50% hull
Warbird (Behind You): +stealth bonus to team members when cloaked
Dyson Science Destroyer (Joint Command): +aux to team when two or more factions are represented
Research Science Vessel (High Pressure Vessel): chance to boost speed when fired on
Multi-Mission Explorer (Adventurous): +speed when science abilities are used
Light Escort (Prototype): chance for weapons to proc a different weapon type's proc or deal a different damage type (still boosted by consoles boosting original type)
Light Science Vessel (Old Soul): +XP from using science abilities
Destroyer (Unstoppable): +speed when firing
--
Cruiser: +range for Cruiser Commands
Science Vessel: +sensors for all ships on team
Escort: +dmg when in x km of a friendly Science Vessel
Federation: +XP when using phasers
KDF: +XP when using disruptors
Romulan Republic: +XP when using plasma weapons
Mirror Universe: +critH against Mirror Universe targets
Refit/Retrofit: +aux when all Refit/Retrofit consoles are equipped
Standard Issue: +power when most equipment is equal to or below the ship's issued level
I am reluctant to give lockbox, lobi, or special time limited ships a unique bonus type - mostly because they are usually the only ship of their specific type, and because they're usually pretty powerful and interesting to start with.
I'm also not going to even try to outline ship skills for Delta Rising/Tier 6 ships until we know more about them.
Got one for KDF ship types or small craft? Think one of these would be better suited as something else? Suggest it!
There used to be a picture here, but they changed signatures and I can't be bothered to replace it.
I like this concept but this... this has got to be the single most useless thing you could possibly give to this ship... Nobody who has only two science abilities is going to think even for a second "I know, I'll slot a tractor beam"...
There used to be a picture here, but they changed signatures and I can't be bothered to replace it.
Lol, that's probably what they were thinking in Generations. :P
Support 90 degree arc limitation on BFaW! Save our ships from looking like flying disco balls of dumb!
First off: Restricting some "starship class" skills to owning fleet ships, screws over those who dont want to be in fleets.
Two: unless this is added in with the expansion and 10 more levels worth of Skill points, this is yet another form of min maxxing, which cryptic tried to avoid when they overhauled the skill system the first time. If you werent around, they had Ship type skill trees that improved said ship types (escort, raider, cruiser, battlecrusier, ect) hull/shields/turn rate ect in one skill, but inorder to get the most out of it at level 50, you needed to get every single skill at every rank. meaning your builds were extremely specialized and you had to respec to switch ship types, or even weapon types.
Fleet ships
Fleet weapons
Fleet consoles
Fleet warp cores
Fleet uniforms
A ship's Fleet skill applies ONLY to that EXACT ship, is only available by purchasing that EXACT ship, can ONLY be earned by using that EXACT ship, and appears INSTEAD OF a Retrofit, Refit, or Standard Issue bonus. What's more, what the Fleet skill actually does (bonus acc for having fleetmates on your team) is a minor effect, and is a function common to any ship with a Fleet skill.
There's nothing min-max about it. Out of a ship's five associated skills (Role, Type, Class, Faction, and Crew) precisely one is customizable, and maxing out one skill does not prevent you maxing out all the others. Yes, the pro-est of the pros will have all of them maxed out, but there's no tradeoff system. Given time and a little hard work, you too can have level 5 Federation Flagship, if you own an Odyssey. This is like saying that maxing out the Diplomacy doff commendation is min-maxing.
Just to make it clear, a ship's skills, and their earned levels, are associated with THAT SHIP ONLY. Not the character. Not every ship of the class. THAT. SHIP. Earned level 5 of your Advanced Escort's Escort skill? As long as you have that specific Advanced Escort, that skill remains in place. It does not apply to any other Escort, or Advanced Escort, unless you dismiss that Advanced Escort and then purchase another Advanced Escort that is exactly the same, and then you get 2.5 levels of it to start with. That level 5 skill does not do ANYTHING to stop you getting level 5 of a Fleet Advanced Escort's Escort skill, or a Heavy Cruiser's Cruiser skill, or a Science Vessel's Federation skill.
There used to be a picture here, but they changed signatures and I can't be bothered to replace it.
I'm sorry to people who I, in the past, insulted, annoyed, etc.
they don't work.
I noticed a bug where sheild drain abilities where eating my ship's hull!
power drain abilities where also doing damage...
Something was wrong!
You can have 99 in power insulation, 99 shield skill, 99 shield emitters,
2 x Ultrarare fleet MK XII power insulators (+sheild heal), About +80,
Bonuses from deflector, a ship set, special consoles,
Activate ENGINEER CAPTAIN command "nadion inversion" for +200 resist drain (?)
ALMOST HAVE 500 power insulators - and shields just drop/pop/gone...
Looking at the science officers "Science fleet ability", the Nukara set, and other things that add to power insulation and....
+17 power insult-ya-laters. it's a joke.
Sheilds drop, shields pop, they are pretty much worthless.
Many skills in the game simply do not work.
lets take "SENSORS" skill, does it actually do anything? I haven't noticed.
Which skill is more important to "GRAVITY WELL III"? is it;
it just does this - and it just does that. The skills trained and bonuses totaled...
Worthless.
Subsystem repair maxxed out +bonuses... does it work? at all?
What does the Battery skill do? it seemss like a whole lotta nuthin.
Does inertial dampners maxxed out+stuff help your helm officer pilot the Starcruiser, by reducing the effect of inertia? nope. not in the least.
Does a 120+ impulse thruster skill even *DO ANYTHING*? doesn't even seem to help you escape a G-well I with 40 aux power.
I would like a skill system that works. Heck, it doesn't even have to be a "SKILL" system at all! it could be a metaphorical representation of how your ship functions. unique to your traits, that crew, those consoles, components, that Hull.
I find the combat system to be something of an oxymoron too.
aside from the ADAPTED MACO SPACE SET, you may as well not have crew. none.
just take part in a C.E. elite, engineering captain ability engineering fleet+ Pollarize hull, +5X Ultra rare Fleet Neutronium MK XII...
Nope, crew's dead and gone.
wait that is weird, my MARK XII Jem hadar set doesn't even help spare my crew's lives!
Hey, lets top it all off with the UNDINE reputation space set...
Does it do what it says it is supposed too - you know, remove all the slippy slidey ANNOYING fludic space idiocy?
no... it doesn't.
Can an ESCORT player with targeting set, "Nearest - CENTER OF CAMERA" actually TARGET something AHEAD of those cannons instead of something behind/off screen?
uhm, no.
It seems to me that STO needs to be done better by someone other than CRYPTIC (*Replace the "Y" with an "A")
+25% accuracy to hitting small targets (fighters, destructable torpedoes, etc)
Does it worK? the sad answer is NO.
I have accuracy out the freaking wazoo, targeting skill maxed+stuff....
Do I hit EVERYTHING more often? do I get more critticals because of over flow from my accuracy? the game text for the targeting skill description says I do, but no.
I do not.
I love using "FIRE-AT-WILL", and the only traget damaged...
is the one I have selected. turns out "Fire-at-will" is just a light show.
The fluidic singularities, power drain, ship pull, inflict damage...
these make me mad. I can have the undine set, MAX engine power, and punch "EVASIVES"...
Nope still stuck. it just does, and that's all.
Skills, consoles, builds, worthless.
You want to be invulerable? get a cruiser, with bridge officer comander eng and LTC command eng. NOTHING BUT "PUSHBUTTON" REVERSE SHIELD POLARITY...
It just does, it just is...
you want to escape that fluidic space power-drain-tractor-hulleater thing?
Push one button, ATTACK PATTERN OMEGA.
it just is, it just does.
I think I will reset my captains skills to "tidily-winks" 300,000.
Set all captain traits to ground skills.
Equip a Flavor-of-the-month Zen ship with nothing but UR FLEET and PAY TO WIN consoles...
Something tells me that there will be no difference in my game play experience.
None.
That's what I thought of, too, and I am glad those are gone. Though the OP may have something slightly different in mind - that you earn skills on a ship (not the usual skill earning way). So maybe something if you fly your Assault Cruiser long enough, you get better at using the AC, and if you switch to a Advanced Escort, you get better at that ship - without needing to sacrificing any points from other things.
It seems more like a "ship reputation" to me. (Except he seems to want it to be very narrow - only the very specific ship you actually flew?)
This is exactly what I mean. A mini-reputation for a specific ship, except instead of projects you just do stuff with the ship, and the tier rewards are increases to the ship's skills.
There used to be a picture here, but they changed signatures and I can't be bothered to replace it.
Give an order to the the helm,
"I wanna go to vulcan, DO IT!" and Duh, auto pilot to vulcan.
I can vist my ship interior, and I love the idea, but the execution is just wrong.
like trying to SEW on a bike tire patch. yeah, I can go inside. talk to some folks. put stuff in the cargo bay (account bank).
visit my holodeck? nope.
Watch cinematics? nope.
not even "Hamlet - in klingon"...
Order the lovely yeoman in my quarters to wear only her regulation thong...
When on the bridge, I can give no orders. not one single command.
Imagine if you tell your helm:
- GO TO, (system, friend, station, planet, moon, fleet member, here), ENGAGE.
- Patrol sector, Patrol system, "Keep me posted of any alerts"
- Orbit the target at a distance of 9.9 km,
- Helm, make passes and keep making passes until we have a new target.
- Intercept course!
- Set a pursuit course., maxximum warp.
- Helm, move with our fleet Leader in a staggered wall formation.
- Station keeping, match speed.
- ALL STOP! HOLD THE LINE!
WHILE YOU ARE SITTING IN THE CAPTAIN'S CHAIR!Heck, you could add directions to the deflector/shield distribution officer.
for that matter, you would not need a 1 through = 'Big powers tray' if you could just issue comands! like using the emote window with the mouse wheel and clicking!
Rotate sheild freq, extend shields, transfer to sheild, emergency power to (blah). everything that can be done in the game should be availiable as a captain command.
************************************************************
would you still need a TACTICAL VEIW? yes, especially for combat but not of sector space!
Bam!
no need for a sector space map.
no need for zone changing screens when you are just going to "planet bob"...
They could actually use the atlas of the stars and use star common names, as destinations.
the helm could estimate travel time. "Helm, Warp factor 13! barnard's star, 6 light years away. Estimated time of arrival?"
oh yeah, and skills should matter...
Yeah, STAR TREK ONLINE needs a complete re-do.