For fleet projects, for white torp launchers, just buy them from the space equipment vendor. It's a lot faster and cheaper than crafting them. Preferably have a Ferengi do the purchasing; they get a racial bonus that gives a vendor discount.
they "forgot" to put the fleet project launcher on new rom. You have to make a side trip -- if they even sell the aggravating things on qonos, its still a pain to go there for them. Pretty sure earth sells them, they would never inconvenience feds this way.
Apologies if this has already been mentioned ... but you actually don't need to tell first time players to do the tutorial (versus skipping it). The first character on a new account doesn't have the option of skipping the tutorial at all.
I actually discovered that when I created a FTP account alongside my paid one so I could genuinely experience what no-frills FTP gameplay is like again. It had been (literally) years since I'd created a new character on a brand new account and just assumed it'd let me skip the tutorial. Didn't even get the option... just loaded up the tutorial and made me play through the whole thing.
Apologies if this has already been mentioned ... but you actually don't need to tell first time players to do the tutorial (versus skipping it). The first character on a new account doesn't have the option of skipping the tutorial at all.
I actually discovered that when I created a FTP account alongside my paid one so I could genuinely experience what no-frills FTP gameplay is like again. It had been (literally) years since I'd created a new character on a brand new account and just assumed it'd let me skip the tutorial. Didn't even get the option... just loaded up the tutorial and made me play through the whole thing.
Ah, good to know, thanks! And very sensible. I might re-word it a bit to emphasise some of the things to really get a hang of (ie, broadsiding).
Weapons! There is tons of advice around here about weapons! What type is best and what type sucks and why newbies need to only buy or use, this that or the other type or config on their ships.
I went the Antiproton route. Why? "Everyone knows AP weapons are teh bestest evah in the game!" An organic +20% Critical Severity is hard to argue with, true. But being hardheaded and wanting find out things for myself, I decided against staying with AP weapons.
NOTE: This is the point where someone a lot smarter than I about STO [QUOTES] me and points out what a foolishly ignorant non STO playing n00b I am.
I don't really care. I am playing the game for my own entertainment, not someone else's.
I wanted to find out what Romulan Reputation weapons would do for myself. As a part of this, I also decided my Rommie ENG was going to go "All In" with Rommie Rep gear. Lots of people will tell you it isn't very good. This has not been my experience. By carefully listening to the barrage of advice I got and choosing to do only the things I wanted to do I have managed to get [CrtH] to + 24.7% and [CrtD] to + 120.9% And I have not yet fully Upgraded the gear on my Fleet Mogai. I'm not a DPS monster. Nor am I a whale. But I can do my part in an STF and I have fun while playing STO.
Next, I finished the Nukara Rep. I was intrigued about why Tetryon weapons have a rather poor reputation and I wanted to see just how poor they supposedly are. Again, I went "All In" on the Rep gear and Rep weapons. The [CrtD] and [CrtH] did fall off a bit. Not enough to where I was suddenly wasting my time. Again, I was having fun and since I had the MU Mogai, that skin was available in the Ship Customization Menu. Looks good and does very good damage while doing so.
The point here is this: Good advice and bad advice exist in equal measure around here. Lots of really smart people who have spent a large amount of time doing and learning for themselves what works and what does not. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of people who really don't know what they are talking about when they offer advice. I have taken some perfectly terrible advice over the years. I have also gotten some excellent tips from some very generous folks who wanted me to play the game better. In the end I decided it was best to find out for myself.
Things I have noticed about bad advice:
- The people offering it will thrust it upon you without being asked.
- They will repeat themselves over and over to the point where it becomes an irritant.
- They usually try to make your ship into an exact copy of theirs. Not a bad thing but if you copy without understanding the why, you'll not be as effective as you'd like to be.
- When you don't take their advice immediately, they act like there is something wrong with you.
- They usually treat your not taking their advice as some sort of attack on their person.
Things I have noticed about good advice.
- The people offering it have a very good sense of timing. You're probably going to hear about how you could do better after the STF is over, rather than in the middle of it.
- They will explain why their suggestions work well.
- They will usually offer suggestions on how you can do better with the gear you have right now.
- They will do you the courtesy of answering questions and their answers are knowledgeable and based upon actual experience.
- If you choose to not take their advice, for whatever reason, they do not take offense.
A six year old boy and his starship. Living the dream.
The point here is this: Good advice and bad advice exist in equal measure around here. Lots of really smart people who have spent a large amount of time doing and learning for themselves what works and what does not. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of people who really don't know what they are talking about when they offer advice. I have taken some perfectly terrible advice over the years. I have also gotten some excellent tips from some very generous folks who wanted me to play the game better. In the end I decided it was best to find out for myself.
Things I have noticed about bad advice:
- The people offering it will thrust it upon you without being asked.
- They will repeat themselves over and over to the point where it becomes an irritant.
- They usually try to make your ship into an exact copy of theirs. Not a bad thing but if you copy without understanding the why, you'll not be as effective as you'd like to be.
- When you don't take their advice immediately, they act like there is something wrong with you.
- They usually treat your not taking their advice as some sort of attack on their person.
Things I have noticed about good advice.
- The people offering it have a very good sense of timing. You're probably going to hear about how you could do better after the STF is over, rather than in the middle of it.
- They will explain why their suggestions work well.
- They will usually offer suggestions n how you can do better with the gear you have right now.
- They will do you the courtesy of answering questions and their answers are knowledgeable and based upon actual experience.
- If you choose to not take their advice, for whatever reason, they do not take offense.
So, I have updated the first post with the following discussion on Duty Officers. Did I miss anything important?
Duty Officers ('doffs')
Start your Duty Officer missions as soon as they become available.
Focus on the 'Diplomacy' track, as these will give you more transwarp destinations which makes later play less painful. The Beta Ursae, Zeta Andromeda and the Orellius Sector Blocks all have quite a few Diplomacy Duty Officer missions.
You will receive access to the 'Duty Officer' system from Level 11, and receive your first complement of doffs at the same time. Think of Duty Officers as those randoms onboard the ships but you have no idea what they're doing the whole time the bridge crew are busy doing all of the things. In STO, the Duty Officer system provides experience, gradual access to Transwarp destinations via the 'Diplomacy' track, and some unique equipment. As you progress up in each of the tracks (Diplomacy, Science, Military, Trade etc), you will gain additional titles, better quality Duty Officers and an Ambassador's uniform at the end of the Diplomacy track. The duty officer missions that are available vary based on which sector block you are in. I've found that the Beta Ursae, Zeta Andromeda and the Orellius Sector Blocks all have quite a few Diplomacy Duty Officer missions and they are conveniently located right next to eachother. In addition to map-specific missions, your Department Heads also have specific missions. Whilst they are a more stable list, remember to click on your 'First Officer' assignments as you travel between sector blocks, as new Diplomatic missions become available there.
Some players really focus on the doff system as a source of XP, income and for roleplaying purposes (eg, if you're trying to emulate Dr McCoy, the Medical track of the Duty Officer system will open up the 'Doctor' title). Experiment, and play as you see fit.
The Doff System is a great way to level a char whenever it is difficult to find time to play. It is also another way to earn Dilithium. Granted, you'll not get rich overnight, but every little bit helps. Here are some things I have learned about using the Doff system.
- The thing I look at most when assigning Doffs to missions isn't raising the percentage of a Critical Success.
It is reducing the percentage of Failure.
- Fill your crew! You start with one hundred Doff slots. These get used up in a hurry. As soon as is practical, purchase additional Doff slots from the Z Store.
- Don't be in a hurry! I spend as much time running Doff missions on a char as I would running a FE or STF for that char. Look at everything on a mission. Read everything on a mission.
The payoff for doing so is More Dilithium!
- Diplomacy and the KDF counterpart, Marauding are pretty easy to work up.
- Exploration, Colonial, Medical and Recruiting seem to take longer to work up. This is because there seems to be fewer of these missions available more than anything else.
- Purple Doffs are very nice to have. Green ones will get the job done however. Most of the time a Green Doff will give around a 70-77% chance of Success.
- Look at all the requirements of the mission. A Doff with the correct trait(s) for the mission will significantly raise the chance of Success and Critical Success.
- Most of the time, the Doffs suggested for the mission are just fine. They will also be the ones most suited to it as well. But do not hesitate to change out a Doff if you want to. It is the best way to learn which ones do best with which missions.
A six year old boy and his starship. Living the dream.
The Doff System is a great way to level a char whenever it is difficult to find time to play. It is also another way to earn Dilithium. Granted, you'll not get rich overnight, but every little bit helps. Here are some things I have learned about using the Doff system.
- The thing I look at most when assigning Doffs to missions isn't raising the percentage of a Critical Success.
It is reducing the percentage of Failure.
- Fill your crew! You start with one hundred Doff slots. These get used up in a hurry. As soon as is practical, purchase additional Doff slots from the Z Store.
- Don't be in a hurry! I spend as much time running Doff missions on a char as I would running a FE or STF for that char. Look at everything on a mission. Read everything on a mission.
The payoff for doing so is More Dilithium!
- Diplomacy and the KDF counterpart, Marauding are pretty easy to work up.
- Exploration, Colonial, Medical and Recruiting seem to take longer to work up. This is because there seems to be fewer of these missions available more than anything else.
- Purple Doffs are very nice to have. Green ones will get the job done however. Most of the time a Green Doff will give around a 70-77% chance of Success.
- Look at all the requirements of the mission. A Doff with the correct trait(s) for the mission will significantly raise the chance of Success and Critical Success.
- Most of the time, the Doffs suggested for the mission are just fine. They will also be the ones most suited to it as well. But do not hesitate to change out a Doff if you want to. It is the best way to learn which ones do best with which missions.
This is excellent advice.
Also, I havent gone into "Active" Duty Officers for ground and space yet... so more work to do on that section...
Diplomacy is only for feds. KDF get marauding with the same effect on transwarp destinations.
Marauding also gives prisoners and contraband which are a fantastic source for dilithium.
The most diplomacy missions can be found in the area around deep space 9 and in the dyson sphere. But try to do the "entertain foreign diplomats" every day if possible.
Weapons! There is tons of advice around here about weapons! What type is best and what type sucks and why newbies need to only buy or use, this that or the other type or config on their ships.
I went the Antiproton route. Why? "Everyone knows AP weapons are teh bestest evah in the game!" An organic +20% Critical Severity is hard to argue with, true. But being hardheaded and wanting find out things for myself, I decided against staying with AP weapons.
NOTE: This is the point where someone a lot smarter than I about STO [QUOTES] me and points out what a foolishly ignorant non STO playing n00b I am.
I don't really care. I am playing the game for my own entertainment, not someone else's.
I wanted to find out what Romulan Reputation weapons would do for myself. As a part of this, I also decided my Rommie ENG was going to go "All In" with Rommie Rep gear. Lots of people will tell you it isn't very good. This has not been my experience. By carefully listening to the barrage of advice I got and choosing to do only the things I wanted to do I have managed to get [CrtH] to + 24.7% and [CrtD] to + 120.9% And I have not yet fully Upgraded the gear on my Fleet Mogai. I'm not a DPS monster. Nor am I a whale. But I can do my part in an STF and I have fun while playing STO.
Next, I finished the Nukara Rep. I was intrigued about why Tetryon weapons have a rather poor reputation and I wanted to see just how poor they supposedly are. Again, I went "All In" on the Rep gear and Rep weapons. The [CrtD] and [CrtH] did fall off a bit. Not enough to where I was suddenly wasting my time. Again, I was having fun and since I had the MU Mogai, that skin was available in the Ship Customization Menu. Looks good and does very good damage while doing so.
The point here is this: Good advice and bad advice exist in equal measure around here. Lots of really smart people who have spent a large amount of time doing and learning for themselves what works and what does not. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of people who really don't know what they are talking about when they offer advice. I have taken some perfectly terrible advice over the years. I have also gotten some excellent tips from some very generous folks who wanted me to play the game better. In the end I decided it was best to find out for myself.
Things I have noticed about bad advice:
- The people offering it will thrust it upon you without being asked.
- They will repeat themselves over and over to the point where it becomes an irritant.
- They usually try to make your ship into an exact copy of theirs. Not a bad thing but if you copy without understanding the why, you'll not be as effective as you'd like to be.
- When you don't take their advice immediately, they act like there is something wrong with you.
- They usually treat your not taking their advice as some sort of attack on their person.
Things I have noticed about good advice.
- The people offering it have a very good sense of timing. You're probably going to hear about how you could do better after the STF is over, rather than in the middle of it.
- They will explain why their suggestions work well.
- They will usually offer suggestions on how you can do better with the gear you have right now.
- They will do you the courtesy of answering questions and their answers are knowledgeable and based upon actual experience.
- If you choose to not take their advice, for whatever reason, they do not take offense.
Playing for fun --- its the only way to play, if you are not having fun, its not a game anymore, and at that point, what are you doing again? I agree completely, play for fun! Plenty of folks role play or do other things for fun. That said...
Going off on your own, you discovered new and exciting ways to do less dps, and inadvertently verified that the advice people were giving is more or less correct... ?
All damage types are good enough, but some hit harder than others. All rep gear is usable, but some items are better than others. Giving advice on things that work is not wrong. How the advice is given certainly matters, but pointing out things that work is not "bad advice" -- even if it is "poorly worded" or even annoying. Bad advice is to tell you to make an 8 turret tetyron build with the plasma set. Good advice given poorly is to harp on swapping to AP until you want to konk them in the head with your tribble. What is missing, often, is the guy that recommends the right stuff in a nice way, sure. But don't confuse bad advice with elitist jerk attitude problems.
Thank you for this. I've been looking and looking for a Beginners Guide and this it the only one I've found. I'm definitely going to read this whole guide and then the whole thread. But I have a quick question.
Are you sure I cannot keep T'Vrell? She looks like my niece (minus the pointy ears, of course). Do I really have to delete family? :eek:
I'm around 16th level and been doing my best to just push through. I don't mind getting "blowed up" in an MMO since it doesn't really seem to matter in the long run (unless I'm missing some vital STO info thing). On CO I just pretend that instant resurrection is just another of my heroes Super Powers.
Thank you for this. I've been looking and looking for a Beginners Guide and this it the only one I've found. I'm definitely going to read this whole guide and then the whole thread. But I have a quick question.
Are you sure I cannot keep T'Vrell? She looks like my niece (minus the pointy ears, of course). Do I really have to delete family? :eek:
I'm around 16th level and been doing my best to just push through. I don't mind getting "blowed up" in an MMO since it doesn't really seem to matter in the long run (unless I'm missing some vital STO info thing). On CO I just pretend that instant resurrection is just another of my heroes Super Powers.
Anyway, Thanks again for making this thread.
Why would you delete a boff? I still have my first boffs that I got 4 years ago. Yes, they're green quality and not the best, but they get the job done. I even made one of them an intel officer recently.
You can replace them with a "better" boff, and copy the costume and name of the old one. But the minor stat boost isn't usually all that important... unless it's a Romulan, and your build revolves around de-cloak alpha strikes.
Are you sure I cannot keep T'Vrell? She looks like my niece (minus the pointy ears, of course). Do I really have to delete family? :eek:
So I take it, I'm not the only one who has made one of their Humans into a self-portrait? Of course, it serves no purpose, but having your real face on one of your officers is rather fun.
Playing for fun --- its the only way to play, if you are not having fun, its not a game anymore, and at that point, what are you doing again? I agree completely, play for fun! Plenty of folks role play or do other things for fun. That said...
Going off on your own, you discovered new and exciting ways to do less dps, and inadvertently verified that the advice people were giving is more or less correct... ?
And this is a problem for you because...? I'm not a min/maxer. I don't spend hours and hours poring over spreadsheets trying to squeeze the last 0.01% of DPS out of the 'perfect' build. I have a real life and a real family and a real job. STO is my entertainment. Not my lifestyle. I quite often ask others for advice about how to do something better or if a console or tactic will improve my ship's performance thusly. And just because I do not mindlessly worship at the altar of DPS, does not mean I discredit it. Last time I checked I was averaging about 11k DPS on the ships I fly regularly. That's good enough to play any of the Ques and not have to be carried or catered to.
Most of that comes from figuring things out on my own. There is input from others, yes. But I only trust the things I can verify for myself. Just because someone says X is better than Y and their build works well does not mean I am not going to purchase/acquire both X and Y to check it out for myself. And I strongly encourage others who take my advice to do the exact same thing.
All damage types are good enough, but some hit harder than others. All rep gear is usable, but some items are better than others. Giving advice on things that work is not wrong. How the advice is given certainly matters, but pointing out things that work is not "bad advice" -- even if it is "poorly worded" or even annoying. Bad advice is to tell you to make an 8 turret tetyron build with the plasma set. Good advice given poorly is to harp on swapping to AP until you want to konk them in the head with your tribble. What is missing, often, is the guy that recommends the right stuff in a nice way, sure. But don't confuse bad advice with elitist jerk attitude problems.
At 53yo, I am quite certain I can tell the difference between the two. Had lots of practice long before STO appeared. I've been playing STO long enough now (since 2012) I can probably offer advice on how to make a build better or an Away Team more effective. Usually, unless I am specifically asked about something while ingame, I do not give advice. Too many 'experts' far too quick to contradict whatever I am saying. Also, far too many 'experts' who rely upon items which ordinary players cannot acquire. Bad advice and Elitist Jerk Attitude always seem to go hand in hand in this game. A passive-aggressive attack, such as you have displayed here so elegantly, is another way bad advice is passed on. Others may disagree with what I post. So be it. Doesn't mean I am wrong.
This thread was started to give newer players a heads up. This is something I can get behind. Playing better = better enjoyment of STO. This is a pretty basic equation. I will continue to contribute as long as it is open.
A six year old boy and his starship. Living the dream.
aww, i wanted to start trying star treck olnine with a caitian, but as a free to play, and fist creation i could not.
Dunno if it is payd content or a unlock.
Meh I made an alien, that will do, do not want to be too boring.
Then again i read that they where a popular choice.
But i wanted to mainly try it for the combat bonus thingie i heard they had on the ground.
But i am going to try to use this thread, seems like allot of usefull tips already.
oh and can i safly turn of gameplaAnnounce some how?
Is it simply turning of the item chat or somethign?
As i do not really care about what other people get for items.
But turning of game system messages seems like a bad idea.
Would it be worth adding that if you're playing a Romulan you should choose the bridge officers with the "Romulan Operative" or "Superior Romulan Operative" traits as you progress through the storyline so you don't have to spend a fortune buying them later?
what about the unstable particle ting, omega traces or watever they are called, is that a good way to get some spending cash at the start by selling them?
Or shuld one hoard em because the rewards(i have no idea how that works or gives) are so verry good for a new player?
Oh and for those starting out as an alien, what traits are most usefull and perhas shuld be picked?
I myself have no idea.
Probably the one who gives negative acuracy to the enemy when i crit him, but really shuld like advice on that too.
what about the unstable particle ting, omega traces or watever they are called, is that a good way to get some spending cash at the start by selling them?
Or shuld one hoard em because the rewards(i have no idea how that works or gives) are so verry good for a new player?
they are for a special event. I think after the event they most likely will be of no value until next year, but that is not clear or if there was an announcement I missed it.
In a nutshell... sell them if you want. Its good starter money. If you can craft the actual upgrade item, do so and keep it for later. But that takes a fair amount of them. Selling seems a good bet unless you plan to collect a LOT of them.
Oh and for those starting out as an alien, what traits are most usefull and perhas shuld be picked?
I myself have no idea.
Probably the one who gives negative acuracy to the enemy when i crit him, but really shuld like advice on that too.
Leveling up, pick a good mix of ground and space traits.
Debuff on crit won't help early on... you don't crit much at lower levels. When you have a 20+ crit chance, maybe, but you won't until level 40 or higher, most likely (?).
some quick ideas:
accurate -- be more accurate, and its extra useful to shoot down enemy target missiles/mines/etc.
efficient -- helps power levels early on before you can get the power level fixing gear items.
warp theorist -- helps power again
soldier -- ground damage
aggressive -- ground damage, and NPC target the PLAYER anyway so threat is not important.
creative -- use your skills better
elusive -- harder to hit in space
but you should, IMHO, read each one and choose them yourself once you understand what they DO.
you can study them from here: http://sto.gamepedia.com/Alien
Would it be worth adding that if you're playing a Romulan you should choose the bridge officers with the "Romulan Operative" or "Superior Romulan Operative" traits as you progress through the storyline so you don't have to spend a fortune buying them later?
Great guide!
Technically, you need no more than one "subterfuge" preferably superior as this one doesn't stack. Then get as many infiltrator and operative as possible because both of those do stack.
aww, i wanted to start trying star treck olnine with a caitian, but as a free to play, and fist creation i could not.
Dunno if it is payd content or a unlock.
Meh I made an alien, that will do, do not want to be too boring.
Then again i read that they where a popular choice.
But i wanted to mainly try it for the combat bonus thingie i heard they had on the ground.
But i am going to try to use this thread, seems like allot of usefull tips already.
Hello, welcome to STO!
You dont need real world money to acquire the 'Caitian' playable character - if you grind about 100,000 dilithium (at current market exchange rates) you will be able to earn 600 Zen to purchase it from the Zen Store and start on the journey to a new character.
This sounds like a huge number - and early on, it is - but if you play regularly then you'll get there surprisingly quickly once you hit level 50 and you can do the Fleet Actions (you dont need to be in a player fleet for these).
As for what traits to pick for an Alien, well you have the most to choose from. Noroblad kindly outlined some good ones, but really you should just go out and play for a bit and have fun - noone's first character is really ultra "uber" because you dont yet know what is important to prioritise.
Thank you for this. I've been looking and looking for a Beginners Guide and this it the only one I've found. I'm definitely going to read this whole guide and then the whole thread. But I have a quick question.
Hi, welcome! I'm glad that the guide is being useful! Sorry it took so long for me to reply, I didnt notice that this thread had activity
Are you sure I cannot keep T'Vrell? She looks like my niece (minus the pointy ears, of course). Do I really have to delete family? :eek:
I'm around 16th level and been doing my best to just push through. I don't mind getting "blowed up" in an MMO since it doesn't really seem to matter in the long run (unless I'm missing some vital STO info thing). On CO I just pretend that instant resurrection is just another of my heroes Super Powers.
Anyway, Thanks again for making this thread.
As for keeping or not keeping T'Vrell, it is totally your choice. Later ships have a maximum of 5 bridge officers, so even if you stacked them all with humans, you will have a couple of boff slots free for specialist ground warfare officers - go make (via the Duty Officer system), find (particularly through the completion of some later missions that award boffs), or buy (from the exchange) some Vulcan Female Science officers that are blue (or by later game, Purple as you'll easily be able to afford it then) and re-name them (and re-face them?!) to look like T'Vrell, and bob's your uncle!
If you see me fly by in-game, feel free to send a message and I can help you out - I'm often mucking about on a new character testing some things, so I might have one kinda-close to your level .
Why would you delete a boff? I still have my first boffs that I got 4 years ago. Yes, they're green quality and not the best, but they get the job done. I even made one of them an intel officer recently.
You can replace them with a "better" boff, and copy the costume and name of the old one. But the minor stat boost isn't usually all that important... unless it's a Romulan, and your build revolves around de-cloak alpha strikes.
As I outlined in my Guide (see the original post in this thread!) I recommended ditching the boffs you started with (other than Flores) and acquiring some human boffs to improve your ship's performance in space.
Still, I know what you mean - my first (white quality, back when those existed) boff was a Trill female science officer; I ended up dismissing her from my main character and used her name and likeness as my second playable character (hence Admiral Seshaz Kahn began her journey amongst the stars, after leaving the warm comforts of my main character's bridge behind...)
I delete anything lower than purple quality. No exceptions.
So I take it, I'm not the only one who has made one of their Humans into a self-portrait? Of course, it serves no purpose, but having your real face on one of your officers is rather fun.
I havent used my own likeness, that's kinda wierd. Standing on Earth Spacedock and looking at the characters as they run past, I'm now alert and alarmed at the people who play STO...
if youre romulan, do not throw away the d'vex boff. he has two great traits that you cannot get anywhere else; space warfare specialist and ground veteran. the veteran trait even carries over to teammates.
Comments
they "forgot" to put the fleet project launcher on new rom. You have to make a side trip -- if they even sell the aggravating things on qonos, its still a pain to go there for them. Pretty sure earth sells them, they would never inconvenience feds this way.
My character Tsin'xing
Thanks, glad that the work is being used!! :-)
Happy trekking
I actually discovered that when I created a FTP account alongside my paid one so I could genuinely experience what no-frills FTP gameplay is like again. It had been (literally) years since I'd created a new character on a brand new account and just assumed it'd let me skip the tutorial. Didn't even get the option... just loaded up the tutorial and made me play through the whole thing.
Ah, good to know, thanks! And very sensible. I might re-word it a bit to emphasise some of the things to really get a hang of (ie, broadsiding).
I went the Antiproton route. Why? "Everyone knows AP weapons are teh bestest evah in the game!" An organic +20% Critical Severity is hard to argue with, true. But being hardheaded and wanting find out things for myself, I decided against staying with AP weapons.
NOTE: This is the point where someone a lot smarter than I about STO [QUOTES] me and points out what a foolishly ignorant non STO playing n00b I am.
I don't really care. I am playing the game for my own entertainment, not someone else's.
I wanted to find out what Romulan Reputation weapons would do for myself. As a part of this, I also decided my Rommie ENG was going to go "All In" with Rommie Rep gear. Lots of people will tell you it isn't very good. This has not been my experience. By carefully listening to the barrage of advice I got and choosing to do only the things I wanted to do I have managed to get [CrtH] to + 24.7% and [CrtD] to + 120.9% And I have not yet fully Upgraded the gear on my Fleet Mogai. I'm not a DPS monster. Nor am I a whale. But I can do my part in an STF and I have fun while playing STO.
Next, I finished the Nukara Rep. I was intrigued about why Tetryon weapons have a rather poor reputation and I wanted to see just how poor they supposedly are. Again, I went "All In" on the Rep gear and Rep weapons. The [CrtD] and [CrtH] did fall off a bit. Not enough to where I was suddenly wasting my time. Again, I was having fun and since I had the MU Mogai, that skin was available in the Ship Customization Menu. Looks good and does very good damage while doing so.
The point here is this: Good advice and bad advice exist in equal measure around here. Lots of really smart people who have spent a large amount of time doing and learning for themselves what works and what does not. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of people who really don't know what they are talking about when they offer advice. I have taken some perfectly terrible advice over the years. I have also gotten some excellent tips from some very generous folks who wanted me to play the game better. In the end I decided it was best to find out for myself.
Things I have noticed about bad advice:
- The people offering it will thrust it upon you without being asked.
- They will repeat themselves over and over to the point where it becomes an irritant.
- They usually try to make your ship into an exact copy of theirs. Not a bad thing but if you copy without understanding the why, you'll not be as effective as you'd like to be.
- When you don't take their advice immediately, they act like there is something wrong with you.
- They usually treat your not taking their advice as some sort of attack on their person.
Things I have noticed about good advice.
- The people offering it have a very good sense of timing. You're probably going to hear about how you could do better after the STF is over, rather than in the middle of it.
- They will explain why their suggestions work well.
- They will usually offer suggestions on how you can do better with the gear you have right now.
- They will do you the courtesy of answering questions and their answers are knowledgeable and based upon actual experience.
- If you choose to not take their advice, for whatever reason, they do not take offense.
This is really well said.
Duty Officers ('doffs')
You will receive access to the 'Duty Officer' system from Level 11, and receive your first complement of doffs at the same time. Think of Duty Officers as those randoms onboard the ships but you have no idea what they're doing the whole time the bridge crew are busy doing all of the things. In STO, the Duty Officer system provides experience, gradual access to Transwarp destinations via the 'Diplomacy' track, and some unique equipment. As you progress up in each of the tracks (Diplomacy, Science, Military, Trade etc), you will gain additional titles, better quality Duty Officers and an Ambassador's uniform at the end of the Diplomacy track. The duty officer missions that are available vary based on which sector block you are in. I've found that the Beta Ursae, Zeta Andromeda and the Orellius Sector Blocks all have quite a few Diplomacy Duty Officer missions and they are conveniently located right next to eachother. In addition to map-specific missions, your Department Heads also have specific missions. Whilst they are a more stable list, remember to click on your 'First Officer' assignments as you travel between sector blocks, as new Diplomatic missions become available there.
Some players really focus on the doff system as a source of XP, income and for roleplaying purposes (eg, if you're trying to emulate Dr McCoy, the Medical track of the Duty Officer system will open up the 'Doctor' title). Experiment, and play as you see fit.
- The thing I look at most when assigning Doffs to missions isn't raising the percentage of a Critical Success.
It is reducing the percentage of Failure.
- Fill your crew! You start with one hundred Doff slots. These get used up in a hurry. As soon as is practical, purchase additional Doff slots from the Z Store.
- Don't be in a hurry! I spend as much time running Doff missions on a char as I would running a FE or STF for that char. Look at everything on a mission. Read everything on a mission.
- Diplomacy and the KDF counterpart, Marauding are pretty easy to work up.
- Exploration, Colonial, Medical and Recruiting seem to take longer to work up. This is because there seems to be fewer of these missions available more than anything else.
- Purple Doffs are very nice to have. Green ones will get the job done however. Most of the time a Green Doff will give around a 70-77% chance of Success.
- Look at all the requirements of the mission. A Doff with the correct trait(s) for the mission will significantly raise the chance of Success and Critical Success.
- Most of the time, the Doffs suggested for the mission are just fine. They will also be the ones most suited to it as well. But do not hesitate to change out a Doff if you want to. It is the best way to learn which ones do best with which missions.
This is excellent advice.
Also, I havent gone into "Active" Duty Officers for ground and space yet... so more work to do on that section...
Marauding also gives prisoners and contraband which are a fantastic source for dilithium.
The most diplomacy missions can be found in the area around deep space 9 and in the dyson sphere. But try to do the "entertain foreign diplomats" every day if possible.
Playing for fun --- its the only way to play, if you are not having fun, its not a game anymore, and at that point, what are you doing again? I agree completely, play for fun! Plenty of folks role play or do other things for fun. That said...
Going off on your own, you discovered new and exciting ways to do less dps, and inadvertently verified that the advice people were giving is more or less correct... ?
All damage types are good enough, but some hit harder than others. All rep gear is usable, but some items are better than others. Giving advice on things that work is not wrong. How the advice is given certainly matters, but pointing out things that work is not "bad advice" -- even if it is "poorly worded" or even annoying. Bad advice is to tell you to make an 8 turret tetyron build with the plasma set. Good advice given poorly is to harp on swapping to AP until you want to konk them in the head with your tribble. What is missing, often, is the guy that recommends the right stuff in a nice way, sure. But don't confuse bad advice with elitist jerk attitude problems.
Thank you for this. I've been looking and looking for a Beginners Guide and this it the only one I've found. I'm definitely going to read this whole guide and then the whole thread. But I have a quick question.
Are you sure I cannot keep T'Vrell? She looks like my niece (minus the pointy ears, of course). Do I really have to delete family? :eek:
I'm around 16th level and been doing my best to just push through. I don't mind getting "blowed up" in an MMO since it doesn't really seem to matter in the long run (unless I'm missing some vital STO info thing). On CO I just pretend that instant resurrection is just another of my heroes Super Powers.
Anyway, Thanks again for making this thread.
You can replace them with a "better" boff, and copy the costume and name of the old one. But the minor stat boost isn't usually all that important... unless it's a Romulan, and your build revolves around de-cloak alpha strikes.
My character Tsin'xing
My Ship Builds: USS Conqueror, HMS Victorious, HMS Concord, ISS Queen Elizabeth, Black Widow III
Click here to view my DeviantArt.
And this is a problem for you because...? I'm not a min/maxer. I don't spend hours and hours poring over spreadsheets trying to squeeze the last 0.01% of DPS out of the 'perfect' build. I have a real life and a real family and a real job. STO is my entertainment. Not my lifestyle. I quite often ask others for advice about how to do something better or if a console or tactic will improve my ship's performance thusly. And just because I do not mindlessly worship at the altar of DPS, does not mean I discredit it. Last time I checked I was averaging about 11k DPS on the ships I fly regularly. That's good enough to play any of the Ques and not have to be carried or catered to.
Most of that comes from figuring things out on my own. There is input from others, yes. But I only trust the things I can verify for myself. Just because someone says X is better than Y and their build works well does not mean I am not going to purchase/acquire both X and Y to check it out for myself. And I strongly encourage others who take my advice to do the exact same thing.
At 53yo, I am quite certain I can tell the difference between the two. Had lots of practice long before STO appeared. I've been playing STO long enough now (since 2012) I can probably offer advice on how to make a build better or an Away Team more effective. Usually, unless I am specifically asked about something while ingame, I do not give advice. Too many 'experts' far too quick to contradict whatever I am saying. Also, far too many 'experts' who rely upon items which ordinary players cannot acquire. Bad advice and Elitist Jerk Attitude always seem to go hand in hand in this game. A passive-aggressive attack, such as you have displayed here so elegantly, is another way bad advice is passed on. Others may disagree with what I post. So be it. Doesn't mean I am wrong.
This thread was started to give newer players a heads up. This is something I can get behind. Playing better = better enjoyment of STO. This is a pretty basic equation. I will continue to contribute as long as it is open.
Dunno if it is payd content or a unlock.
Meh I made an alien, that will do, do not want to be too boring.
Then again i read that they where a popular choice.
But i wanted to mainly try it for the combat bonus thingie i heard they had on the ground.
But i am going to try to use this thread, seems like allot of usefull tips already.
Is it simply turning of the item chat or somethign?
As i do not really care about what other people get for items.
But turning of game system messages seems like a bad idea.
My character Tsin'xing
Great guide!
Or shuld one hoard em because the rewards(i have no idea how that works or gives) are so verry good for a new player?
I myself have no idea.
Probably the one who gives negative acuracy to the enemy when i crit him, but really shuld like advice on that too.
they are for a special event. I think after the event they most likely will be of no value until next year, but that is not clear or if there was an announcement I missed it.
In a nutshell... sell them if you want. Its good starter money. If you can craft the actual upgrade item, do so and keep it for later. But that takes a fair amount of them. Selling seems a good bet unless you plan to collect a LOT of them.
Leveling up, pick a good mix of ground and space traits.
Debuff on crit won't help early on... you don't crit much at lower levels. When you have a 20+ crit chance, maybe, but you won't until level 40 or higher, most likely (?).
some quick ideas:
accurate -- be more accurate, and its extra useful to shoot down enemy target missiles/mines/etc.
efficient -- helps power levels early on before you can get the power level fixing gear items.
warp theorist -- helps power again
soldier -- ground damage
aggressive -- ground damage, and NPC target the PLAYER anyway so threat is not important.
creative -- use your skills better
elusive -- harder to hit in space
but you should, IMHO, read each one and choose them yourself once you understand what they DO.
you can study them from here: http://sto.gamepedia.com/Alien
Technically, you need no more than one "subterfuge" preferably superior as this one doesn't stack. Then get as many infiltrator and operative as possible because both of those do stack.
Hello, welcome to STO!
You dont need real world money to acquire the 'Caitian' playable character - if you grind about 100,000 dilithium (at current market exchange rates) you will be able to earn 600 Zen to purchase it from the Zen Store and start on the journey to a new character.
This sounds like a huge number - and early on, it is - but if you play regularly then you'll get there surprisingly quickly once you hit level 50 and you can do the Fleet Actions (you dont need to be in a player fleet for these).
As for what traits to pick for an Alien, well you have the most to choose from. Noroblad kindly outlined some good ones, but really you should just go out and play for a bit and have fun - noone's first character is really ultra "uber" because you dont yet know what is important to prioritise.
Let us know how you go!
Hi, welcome! I'm glad that the guide is being useful! Sorry it took so long for me to reply, I didnt notice that this thread had activity
As for keeping or not keeping T'Vrell, it is totally your choice. Later ships have a maximum of 5 bridge officers, so even if you stacked them all with humans, you will have a couple of boff slots free for specialist ground warfare officers - go make (via the Duty Officer system), find (particularly through the completion of some later missions that award boffs), or buy (from the exchange) some Vulcan Female Science officers that are blue (or by later game, Purple as you'll easily be able to afford it then) and re-name them (and re-face them?!) to look like T'Vrell, and bob's your uncle!
If you see me fly by in-game, feel free to send a message and I can help you out - I'm often mucking about on a new character testing some things, so I might have one kinda-close to your level
As I outlined in my Guide (see the original post in this thread!) I recommended ditching the boffs you started with (other than Flores) and acquiring some human boffs to improve your ship's performance in space.
Still, I know what you mean - my first (white quality, back when those existed) boff was a Trill female science officer; I ended up dismissing her from my main character and used her name and likeness as my second playable character (hence Admiral Seshaz Kahn began her journey amongst the stars, after leaving the warm comforts of my main character's bridge behind...)
I havent used my own likeness, that's kinda wierd. Standing on Earth Spacedock and looking at the characters as they run past, I'm now alert and alarmed at the people who play STO...
free jkname
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