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Science Captain abilities

Can someone explain one thing to me...

Tactical Captain abilities (APA, TI, FOMM, GDF) works the same at ANY power levels...
Engineer Captain abilities (NI, EPSpt, RSF, MW) works the same at ANY power levels...

and
Science Captain abilities (Sensor Scan, Scattering Field, Subnucleonic Beam) BOUND to auxiliary power level...
Please explain me WHY??? They are already worst (and most useless +lol Photonic Fleet) compared to Tactical and Engineer abilities...

or this is a bug? if it's not... plz unbound them from auxiliary
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    coffeemikecoffeemike Member Posts: 942 Arc User
    edited August 2015
    Higher aux power means higher potency of those abilities. As to why, the devs from 2010 would know more.

    For me, I'm a Joined Trill Eng but I use the T5U tac Vesta with max AUX power at ~135. When I run my sci abilities, it is quite fun to see things crunched up in GW3 then throwing a TS of Gravimetric Torpedoes.

    I also have a sci alt who runs the T6 Fleet Excelsior and before hitting those abilities, she first triggers Emergency Power to Aux 2 then throws Sensor Scan/Scattering Field/ Subnuc at the target. Plus throw in an AUX battery and it really becomes fun.

    What is your current setup @xiesha911 that you are seeing this on?
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    xiesha911xiesha911 Member Posts: 36 Arc User
    "Higher aux power means higher potency of those abilities."

    Those are Captain abilities and must preform at higher potency no matter what (similar to Tactical and Engineer Captain abilities)!

    How about this - BOUND Miracle Worker and Rotate Shield Frequency to auxiliary? Engineer Captain will be "happy" when Miracle Worker heal their a2b cruiser for 3k hp instead of 15k++???
    Or mb bound Attack Pattern Alpha and Fire on my Mark to weapon power? That will make Tactical Captain in low weapon power torpedo boat very "happy".
    This is bs and need to go away...

    Science Captain abilities must be UNBOUND from auxiliary, and preform at higher potency no matter ship/build Science Captain using!
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    adamkafeiadamkafei Member Posts: 6,539 Arc User
    Have you tried ramping you're aux power up to max? These things get scary... As for photonic fleet being useless, you're probably doing it wrong, it's really rather fun putting a big enemy in a tractor beam, a tykens rift, dropping APB on them and watching photo fleet do it's work.
    ZiOfChe.png?1
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    coffeemikecoffeemike Member Posts: 942 Arc User
    xiesha911 wrote: »
    "Higher aux power means higher potency of those abilities."

    Those are Captain abilities and must preform at higher potency no matter what (similar to Tactical and Engineer Captain abilities)!

    How about this - BOUND Miracle Worker and Rotate Shield Frequency to auxiliary? Engineer Captain will be "happy" when Miracle Worker heal their a2b cruiser for 3k hp instead of 15k++???
    Or mb bound Attack Pattern Alpha and Fire on my Mark to weapon power? That will make Tactical Captain in low weapon power torpedo boat very "happy".
    This is bs and need to go away...

    Science Captain abilities must be UNBOUND from auxiliary, and preform at higher potency no matter ship/build Science Captain using!

    It will always be bound to AUX power. There.

    Also Miracle Worker and Engineering Teams are now more effective with higher points towards starship hull repair.

    As for me, I wouldn't care if MW or ET or RSF are bound to AUX power considering mine is very high on my Vesta for my specific build anyways. I'd be nearly impossible to kill more than me flying in my T6 Fleet Excelsior.

    So what is your setup since you haven't said it yet @xiesha911 ?
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    xiesha911xiesha911 Member Posts: 36 Arc User
    "It will always be bound to AUX power. There."

    Well... Then i stick to Ground.
    3 Elite Ground missin in 10-15 min is better than 1 Advanced Space for the same time :smiley:
    No need to upgrade anything and no need to purchase Starships (Event Ships + MkXII is more than enough for Future Episodes)...

    "So what is your setup since you haven't said it yet"

    I'm using a2b Escorts & Cruisers (aux is always low and i don't need it... ST&ET is more than enough for heal and its not bound to aux). I dont use Sci Ships, in current DPS meta they are useless for PVE...
    And i was very surprised that Science Captain abilities BOUND to auxiliary power level (i dot check it before, just spam them). Tactical/Engineer Captain abilities does not bound to any power lvl, but Science... this is total bs :(
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    coffeemikecoffeemike Member Posts: 942 Arc User
    With space science abilities, that's what they chose and they will not change that from what I can tell.

    Then again, I run a T5U tac Vesta Class on very high AUX power so for me I come in 1st or 2nd on Elite Crystalline Catastrophe or Adv. STF runs like Infected, KA, or Hive.

    It's how you build into what you want... in my case sci ships that make cruisers and escorts look bad when DPS numbers are posted.
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    adamkafeiadamkafei Member Posts: 6,539 Arc User
    I never really put full power in aux, I tend to run about 80-90 and put the rest in weapons so I can run beams. It seems to be the best balance for me, anything higher in aux and I lose more from my beams than I get back from my sci powers.
    ZiOfChe.png?1
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    borgresearcherborgresearcher Member Posts: 451 Arc User
    edited August 2015
    yeah i cant understand why too ... and the fact that subnuke has a limited fire arc, becomes impossible to subnuke in pvp if you are flying a slow ship, sci pilots using the annorax vs an escort is stupid ... plus i dont see apa dependant on weapons power or miracle worker on shields power, why do scis need to get max aux to get the full effectiveness on their skills ? thats kinda stupid

    and btw, sensor scan with 130 aux is not even half as good as apa, with only 2/3 of the duration.
    Post edited by borgresearcher on
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    borgresearcherborgresearcher Member Posts: 451 Arc User
    coffeemike wrote: »
    With space science abilities, that's what they chose and they will not change that from what I can tell.

    Then again, I run a T5U tac Vesta Class on very high AUX power so for me I come in 1st or 2nd on Elite Crystalline Catastrophe or Adv. STF runs like Infected, KA, or Hive.

    It's how you build into what you want... in my case sci ships that make cruisers and escorts look bad when DPS numbers are posted.

    im pretty sure he was talking about captain skills, not boff skills, and whats about with getting "places" in cristalline ? even my lvl50 dill farmers with mk x stuff can get 1place, thats not the point here.
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    dareaudareau Member Posts: 2,390 Arc User
    But But...

    AP-A is "dependent" on weapons. A L60 AP-A powering a T1's set of Mk IIs isn't going to give the same benefit as doing so with a T6s Mk XIVs...

    Same with GDF and even FoMM, which is "even worse" because it's not only dependent on the firer's activity & gear, but the team's as well. (FoMM on a big target when the team's off on another target? Waste...)
    xiesha911 wrote: »
    Please explain me WHY??? They are already worst (and most useless +lol Photonic Fleet) compared to Tactical and Engineer abilities...

    As to the "Unique Sci Captain Powers", I don't think you'll find many who exalt Subnuc Beam for the majority of PvE, since the mobs don't live and die by buffs... However, in PvP, Subnuc beam turns a nasty ebul vaper into lunchmeat.

    Sensor scan is nice, especially with the DOff that hammers the enemy's offense as well as their defense - even unDOffed it's sort of an Ranged AoE AP-B on steroids. Especially backed with high Aux (cause then it's as good as, if not better than, AP-B III)

    Photonic fleet is not "just about" the pet-level DPS they spew. They're excellent aggro magnets & tanks (to keep the heat off the Sci themselves), and as noted above, even their "pet level DPS" is awesome once magnified by a pile of debuffs...

    Finally, scattering field is an above-average ranged defensive boost, in a game where 90% of the team is off in their own little worlds blasting away at the target(s)... Still, there's enough boost to that defense where I can say "Scattering field saved my life that time"...

    By and far, many say that outside of miracle worker, engie captain powers need even more work than Science - at least we can find uses for all our "unique science" captain powers that can save the team - tell me the last story about Nadion Inversion bailing a teammate out of the fire...

    (and for the record: Subnuc vs Queen's Diamond - ITHE, deactivating the aceton field & BFaW. Team survived that pass. Scattering field and an approach to a heavily damaged ally for the heal cooldowns to complete and bail teammate out. Sensor Scanned many an Elite Tac Cube's offense to near 0, letting teams where my 6k Vesta was the "aggro magnet" hang in battle longer. I can't recall an instance where Photonic fleet directly saved a teammate, but it's contribution plus leaving me in the fight a couple of times meant a quicker kill of a foe that could have killed an ally...)​​
    Detecting big-time "anti-old-school" bias here. NX? Lobi. TOS/TMP Connie? Super-promotion-box. (aka the two hardest ways to get ships) Excelsior & all 3 TNG "big hero" ships? C-Store. Please Equalize...

    To rob a line: [quote: Mariemaia Kushrenada] Forum Posting is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever. However, opinions will change upon the reading of my post.[/quote]
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    ryakidrysryakidrys Member Posts: 830 Arc User
    It essentially comes down to figuring out how to make best use of what the game creators gave us to work with instead of trying to bend it to our own will.
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    jamiek81jamiek81 Member Posts: 78 Arc User
    edited August 2015
    Well, while I always play with Tactical Officers, I have tried the other 2 classes and they just ain't my type of thing, most players tend to be all about min-max type of style and that is just so dull and boring, which is why, I use a science vessel, not for the AUX, but cause it turns better then a cruiser and is more durable then an escort, I use beams, torpedo and I have science and engineer teams ready in case I get into any of those 'oh **** moments' and I have tactical team when I am facing 2+ enemies.

    The only good science abilities is Tachyon Beam and Energy Siphon....the rest are....no my type of thing, I mean I would use escorts, but I use beams, I HATE cannons, the only ships that look wrong when using beams instead of cannons are the tier 2 escorts and the defiant class ships, the B'rel and 50-50 the romulan faction tier 1 escort....the one you need legacy of Romulus to get for free.

    Anyway, when it comes to Science abilities, I really do think that they should be bound to a power, maybe the deflector....which would mean....shields.

    I never see the point in min-maxing and I think if you like using escorts or science vessels or cruisers....its up to you....but it is a fact that this game is focused more on dps, but I will never deviate from using science vessels, they are the perfect balance and that is my playstyle, now if that means I will be kept out of endgame content because of some arrogant moron that thinks that you should play a specific way to be viable in their narrow minds, then who the frack cares.
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    adamkafeiadamkafei Member Posts: 6,539 Arc User
    Science done right is insane, science ships done right with a tac captain are even moreso, hence the multitude of science nerfs over the life of the game, because apparently it's easier to nerf sci than the balance skill buffing and APA in Sci's favour where sci is concerned.
    ZiOfChe.png?1
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    postinggumpostinggum Member Posts: 1,117 Arc User
    To the OP, it looks like you're wrong about a some things:
    You can't expect a sci or eng to be as good as a tac in a tac role using A2B or any other standard tactics

    Plenty of sci players are topping 15k, which is fine for almost all content if they can play a rounded roll and there is decent team play

    Sci abilities are often tied to aux, so having sci captain abilities similarly tied is not an issue for most traditionally played scis.

    Sci capt abilities are excellent, but not for a solo player destroying a single target, for that you want tac.
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    tunebreakertunebreaker Member Posts: 1,222 Arc User
    Dareau has very nice explanation why your talk about sci abilities being useless is BS.

    As for why they are tied to aux power? Nobody knows. But I personally find it fine the way it is. I'm just afraid that when Cryptic starts "fixing" them, they actually break something into process. And you can totally do good DPS being a sci captain, way more than 15k.

    P.S. Doesn't matter what class you are, you should have high aux.
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    jamiek81jamiek81 Member Posts: 78 Arc User
    Dareau has very nice explanation why your talk about sci abilities being useless is BS.

    As for why they are tied to aux power? Nobody knows. But I personally find it fine the way it is. I'm just afraid that when Cryptic starts "fixing" them, they actually break something into process. And you can totally do good DPS being a sci captain, way more than 15k.

    P.S. Doesn't matter what class you are, you should have high aux.

    You mean at max level...right?, cause having high aux means, TRIBBLE levels for the other settings, which means you would NEED those science powers to do anything at all, but then they will get nerfed even more.
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    woodwhitywoodwhity Member Posts: 2,636 Arc User
    jamiek81 wrote: »
    You mean at max level...right?, cause having high aux means, TRIBBLE levels for the other settings, which means you would NEED those science powers to do anything at all, but then they will get nerfed even more.

    Not really, having high power levels for all systems and all the time is nowadays a pretty simply feat.​​
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    jamiek81jamiek81 Member Posts: 78 Arc User
    woodwhity wrote: »
    jamiek81 wrote: »
    You mean at max level...right?, cause having high aux means, TRIBBLE levels for the other settings, which means you would NEED those science powers to do anything at all, but then they will get nerfed even more.

    Not really, having high power levels for all systems and all the time is nowadays a pretty simply feat.​​

    If it was that simple it would be posted somewhere, I haven't a clue really, but I am not all that into min-max, but if I can get some reasonable power levels, I would like to know how..
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    woodwhitywoodwhity Member Posts: 2,636 Arc User
    edited August 2015
    -Plasmonic leech with flowcaps-Consoles
    -Astika-Supremacy-Starship trait

    Those are the high-quality and equally high-priced possibilites (though I would count the plasmonic leech for KDF-Players as actually very cheap, but for FED...). Now the cheap ones:

    -Cycling 2 EPtX-Abilities (the doffs to do that are either free from Lt. Ferra if you get them by leveling up the engineering department, or for EC from the replicator (if department is leveled) and small amounts of diltihium at Ferra, if you havent bought them yet. 3 blue are more than enough, and those are actually cheap. If you can get one purple for free, well...)
    -Hypercharged Warpcore with W->A (if W is your highest powersetting. Always use your highest setting)
    -[Console - Engineering - Polaric Modulator Mk XII] (from Episode Delta Flight, though its W->E, it gives you power. And you can use the regulators to transfer the surplus to aux).
    (-Classy for everything BUT aux would be aux2bat.)
    -Energy siphon works great, especially with flowcap-consoles, though only sciships can maintain it for 80-90% of the time.
    -2pc AMACO-Set gives you 8.8 aux. Its overall performance is quite nice. Double buff if you fly a Sci-Torpboat.
    -A number of consoles boosting aux (or energy), though usually only tiny amounts. Usually there are way better (not powerboosting) stuff to fit.

    Given how AMP works, you should have everything over 75 (and E just barely over it), though if you need to compromise its W>S>A>>>E. And if you are a pure Sci-Torpship (which can work very well), its A>S>>>E>W.
    On second thought, seeing how shields dont mean much these day (the oh so laughable hull-tanks actually became a thing), you can also try having E and S barely over 75. Depending on your hullrez and heals.
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    karlbarbkarlbarb Member Posts: 166 Arc User
    edited September 2015
    Honestly, I really like that they tie Sci captain abilities to Aux. In my mind it makes sense as it rewards those players who top off Aux by sacrificing on other things. As a Sci captain, no matter what ship I fly, I always try and keep Aux as high as I safely can. Even flying a cruiser at 125 Weapons energy, I'll raise Aux to past 70 and drop from shields and engines if I have to.

    In essence, Sci captains represent advanced and theoretical technology freaks rather than older brute force mechanics like engis and tacs.

    And those captain abilities at maxed Aux are really very very good. Sensor Scan at max Aux is by far the best party DPS boosting space ability in the game. It's AOE and leaves Fire on My Mark in the dirt. If your Sci captain isn't using this on high hull targets or clustered groups as often as he can, you're playing him wrong. Scattering field is a great damage resist boost that also happens to be AOE (I use it mostly to keep myself alive ... but if it helps an ally, all the better). Photonic Fleet is a noticeable DPS boost ... and also gives those nasty enemy ships new targets to lash out at. Plus, traited, you can use it quite often. Subnucleonic Beam ... okay, this one I use a lot less. It's good for gimping down major targets like Borg command ships or Tethys Dreadnaughts, so save it for them.

    Overall, of the three Captain types, Sci is by far my favorite because of these awesome abilities. That and setting the ground on fire with Exothermic Induction Field ;)
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    jamiek81jamiek81 Member Posts: 78 Arc User
    karlbarb wrote: »
    Honestly, I really like that they tie Sci captain abilities to Aux. In my mind it makes sense as it rewards those players who top off Aux by sacrificing on other things. As a Sci captain, no matter what ship I fly, I always try and keep Aux as high as I safely can. Even flying a cruiser at 125 Weapons energy, I'll raise Aux to past 70 and drop from shields and engines if I have to.

    In essence, Sci captains represent advanced and theoretical technology freaks rather than older brute force mechanics like engis and tacs.

    And those captain abilities at maxed Aux are really very very good. Sensor Scan at max Aux is by far the best party DPS boosting space ability in the game. It's AOE and leaves Fire on My Mark in the dirt. If your Sci captain isn't using this on high hull targets or clustered groups as often as he can, you're playing him wrong. Scattering field is a great damage resist boost that also happens to be AOE (I use it mostly to keep myself alive ... but if it helps an ally, all the better). Photonic Fleet is a noticeable DPS boost ... and also gives those nasty enemy ships new targets to lash out at. Plus, traited, you can use it quite often. Subnucleonic Beam ... okay, this one I use a lot less. It's good for gimping down major targets like Borg command ships or Tethys Dreadnaughts, so save it for them.

    Overall, of the three Captain types, Sci is by far my favorite because of these awesome abilities. That and setting the ground on fire with Exothermic Induction Field ;)

    Ok, say you was starting from scratch a new science officer, you had the Oberth Science Vessel, which consoles should you have in the 2 science slots and how would you set your power levels?? i am curious...if it works for me, i will see how it goes leveling one up..
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    tom61stotom61sto Member Posts: 3,638 Arc User
    jamiek81 wrote: »
    karlbarb wrote: »
    Honestly, I really like that they tie Sci captain abilities to Aux. In my mind it makes sense as it rewards those players who top off Aux by sacrificing on other things. As a Sci captain, no matter what ship I fly, I always try and keep Aux as high as I safely can. Even flying a cruiser at 125 Weapons energy, I'll raise Aux to past 70 and drop from shields and engines if I have to.

    In essence, Sci captains represent advanced and theoretical technology freaks rather than older brute force mechanics like engis and tacs.

    And those captain abilities at maxed Aux are really very very good. Sensor Scan at max Aux is by far the best party DPS boosting space ability in the game. It's AOE and leaves Fire on My Mark in the dirt. If your Sci captain isn't using this on high hull targets or clustered groups as often as he can, you're playing him wrong. Scattering field is a great damage resist boost that also happens to be AOE (I use it mostly to keep myself alive ... but if it helps an ally, all the better). Photonic Fleet is a noticeable DPS boost ... and also gives those nasty enemy ships new targets to lash out at. Plus, traited, you can use it quite often. Subnucleonic Beam ... okay, this one I use a lot less. It's good for gimping down major targets like Borg command ships or Tethys Dreadnaughts, so save it for them.

    Overall, of the three Captain types, Sci is by far my favorite because of these awesome abilities. That and setting the ground on fire with Exothermic Induction Field ;)

    Ok, say you was starting from scratch a new science officer, you had the Oberth Science Vessel, which consoles should you have in the 2 science slots and how would you set your power levels?? i am curious...if it works for me, i will see how it goes leveling one up..

    Endgame Science and leveling Science are entirely different things. I usually just fly escorts whenever I level up a new Sci until level 40, as low level Sci ships are problematic in my experience. At tier 1, just equip whatever the game hands to you, you shouldn't be using that ship very long.
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    mreeves7amreeves7a Member Posts: 499 Arc User
    jamiek81 wrote: »
    Ok, say you was starting from scratch a new science officer, you had the Oberth Science Vessel, which consoles should you have in the 2 science slots and how would you set your power levels?? i am curious...if it works for me, i will see how it goes leveling one up..

    At low levels (Nova, Golfball, etc) Tachyon Beam with a few flow caps to back it up and torpedo high yield on a photon or quantum is a quick way to take out NPCs (Remember to make use of Sensor Analysis and Target Shields). Once you hit the rank to run Lt Cmdr sci, Gravity Well 1 and Torpedo spread is excellent for groups, be sure to tag the clustered targets with Sensor Scan before the torps hit.
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    karlbarbkarlbarb Member Posts: 166 Arc User
    Sci is a more complex playstyle than other ships. On one hand, it'll be tougher to level up. On the other, it'll give you a chance to learn to play early so you're not completely lost later. That being said, don't expect to spit out impressive exotic damage numbers until you get Particle Manipulator from R&D Science 15. Speaking of which, don't forget to level up your science R&D. It's an absolute must for a science captain.
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    lucho80lucho80 Member Posts: 6,600 Bug Hunter
    Energy Siphon has a high percent of up-time at high Aux using the Obelisk warp core. Keeps all power levels maxed out on a drain build.
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    mreeves7amreeves7a Member Posts: 499 Arc User
    lucho80 wrote: »
    Energy Siphon has a high percent of up-time at high Aux using the Obelisk warp core. Keeps all power levels maxed out on a drain build.

    Energy Siphon is also an excellent source for Deflector Officer procs to get Tyken's or Grav Well back up faster.
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    lucho80lucho80 Member Posts: 6,600 Bug Hunter
    edited September 2015
    mreeves7a wrote: »
    lucho80 wrote: »
    Energy Siphon has a high percent of up-time at high Aux using the Obelisk warp core. Keeps all power levels maxed out on a drain build.

    Energy Siphon is also an excellent source for Deflector Officer procs to get Tyken's or Grav Well back up faster.

    Yup, I tend to pick Tyken's over grav well. GW I use on a CC build.
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    mustrumridcully0mustrumridcully0 Member Posts: 12,963 Arc User
    tom61sto wrote: »
    Endgame Science and leveling Science are entirely different things. I usually just fly escorts whenever I level up a new Sci until level 40, as low level Sci ships are problematic in my experience. At tier 1, just equip whatever the game hands to you, you shouldn't be using that ship very long.
    Escorts for levelling up is probably a good choice for everyone. But when it comes to Cruisers vs Science Vessels, at low tiers ,the differences are not that big. In fact, at least before Cruiser Commands got added to the game, Science Vessels at Tier 2 where superior to Cruisers at Tier 2 - same weapons lots, but the SV also had Subsystem Targeting and Sensor Analysis.​​
    Star Trek Online Advancement: You start with lowbie gear, you end with Lobi gear.
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    karlbarbkarlbarb Member Posts: 166 Arc User
    I was a TRIBBLE and leveled with science vessels. Ironically, these days I fly cruisers most of the time ;)
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    antonine3258antonine3258 Member Posts: 2,391 Arc User
    Shield drain, even the humble tachyon beam, is surprisingly vicious while leveling, but enemy shields in STFs makes it less useful. Energy siphon and Tyken's, backed up by flow capacitors, can be really vicious to shutting down an enemy ship, and high-ranked secondary deflectors can give it some extra oomph.

    That said, me and grav well are in a long-term relationship. Grabbing every enemy ship in the area into one spot and unleashing torrents of torpedoes via spread is just fun for me.
    Fate - protects fools, small children, and ships named Enterprise Will Riker

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    My forum single-issue of rage: Make the Proton Experimental Weapon go for subsystem targetting!
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