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Do you still use 4/3 weapon escorts?

djf021djf021 Member Posts: 1,379 Arc User
That's a bit rhetorical, because I'm sure there are plenty of you out there. I used to fly most of them. The fleet patrol escort was my favorite, then the tempest and fleet tempest. Then it was the Phantom. But since I discovered the pilot escorts and most recently the NX refit and their 5/2 weapon layout, I've had a hard time justifying returning to 4/3. All weapons cost the same amount of energy (with a few exceptions under certain situations) so why would I go give up a dual heavy cannon for a turret?
I thought of this as I read the stats of the new escorts today. They look like fine ships, but I have trouble wanting to go from 4/3 to 5/2.
Anyone else feel this way, or am I crazy?
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Don't let them promote you. Don't let them transfer you. Don't let them do anything that takes you off the bridge of that ship, because while you're there... you can make a difference.
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Post edited by djf021 on
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Comments

  • lopequillopequil Member Posts: 1,226 Arc User
    Yup. You're absolutely certifiable.
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  • nightkennightken Member Posts: 2,824 Arc User
    your nuts, there is really not much difference between the two. even a using beams you can have a forward focused weapons with little effort.

    if I stop posting it doesn't make you right it. just means I don't have enough rum to continue interacting with you.
  • postinggumpostinggum Member Posts: 1,117 Arc User
    For a pure escort 5:2 is clearly better than 4:3, its why they were able to dangle the bug ship as a great prize for years.

    I have a rom in a 4:3 Morrigu, which is like an overgrown BoP, I'd prefer that to be 5:2.
  • ffttfftt Member Posts: 715 Arc User
    edited March 2017
    djf021 wrote: »
    ...All weapons cost the same amount of energy (with a few exceptions under certain situations) so why would I go give up a dual heavy cannon for a turret?...

    More realistically you'd be swapping that dual heavy cannon with a heavy weapon and gaining a turret (5/2 -> 1/4/3). As to if it's worth it or not, we'd have to see some of the stats for these heavy weapons.

    EDIT: This is in context of many 4/3 ships soon to gain a heavy weapons slot. As is I would have to go with 5/2 being better than 4/3 for escorts. But personally I'm still flying the 4/3 lifer ship on many characters.
  • dumas13dumas13 Member Posts: 281 Arc User
    Most of my escort-flying toons are in 4/3 ships, mostly because none of the 5/2 options really appeal to me. Boff seating, console layout, special abilities, and hull aesthetics come in well ahead of weapon layout when I pick ships.

    And I always have the Arbiter if I wanted to play a ship with five forward weapons.
  • jaguarskxjaguarskx Member Posts: 5,945 Arc User
    Do you still use 4/3 weapon escorts?

    Yep, because I do not have any 5/2 ships.
  • hillard1959hillard1959 Member Posts: 197 Arc User
    I have a Valient, so yeah, I fly a 4/3 ship on my AoY Tac captain. That being said, if I had a 5/2 escort to fly instead, I'd likely be doing that. I'd trade in a turret or Omni for another DHC or DBB any day.
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,867 Arc User
    Yes, because there ain't no 5/2 which can roll the way I do.
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  • evilmark444evilmark444 Member Posts: 6,950 Arc User
    I fly the ship I like most aesthetically and don't worry about the weapons layout
    Lifetime Subscriber since Beta
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  • discojerdiscojer Member Posts: 533 Arc User
    Honestly, I don't know how people can play escorts without pilot maneuvers. At least if you are using cannons.
  • nimbullnimbull Member Posts: 1,564 Arc User
    edited March 2017
    T6 T'varo now and then when I'm feeling red ball'sh. Sadly the red ball isn't what it used to be since it went from plasma damage to kinetic. I miss when my plasma consoles buffed it. I also miss plasma weapons as a Romulan but since AP and other damage types offer better options with things like crystaline torpedo and such. Meh.
    Green people don't have to be.... little.
  • lianthelialianthelia Member Posts: 7,825 Arc User
    Yes, because there ain't no 5/2 which can roll the way I do.
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    I never really liked most of the Patrol Escort's looks but that one isn't bad at all.
  • seaofsorrowsseaofsorrows Member Posts: 10,918 Arc User
    edited March 2017
    While I prefer 5/2 setup, my best DPS ship is a 4/3 (Morrigu.)

    I see no real difference for beams, but in a 'front facing' build using Cannons or DBB's 5/2 is king.
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  • evilmark444evilmark444 Member Posts: 6,950 Arc User
    discojer wrote: »
    Honestly, I don't know how people can play escorts without pilot maneuvers. At least if you are using cannons.

    On fed escorts i usually use beams anyway cause I think 90% of them look stupid when firing dual cannons, they have typical wide saucers but the cannon weapons almost always fire from the very front tip of the ship anyway. If dual cannons fired from the sides of the saucer I might be able to stomach it, but as it is imho the only fed ships that actually look ok with cannons are the defiant (which I've always thought was a hideous design anyway) and the pilot escorts.
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  • smokebaileysmokebailey Member Posts: 4,661 Arc User
    I fly an NX refit, vera nice.

    I don't care how many weapon on front or back is, so long as it works good, I'll take it.
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  • lordgyorlordgyor Member Posts: 2,820 Arc User
    I have only one escort like ship at T6 ship which I bought for the star ship mastery trait, but kept playing because I really enjoyed it, and that is the Flight Deck Raptor.

    Which I fly basically like I do cruisers as have yet to master dual cannons, I just don't have the dexterity.
  • davefenestratordavefenestrator Member Posts: 10,511 Arc User
    I fly the ship I like most aesthetically and don't worry about the weapons layout

    Space Barbie is the real endgame!

    Same here. And I pick beams (or cannons) by which energy type fits the theme of the ship and captain.
  • nathraelnathrael Member Posts: 264 Arc User
    S'Ateth is love (Yeah, S'Golths too).

    The heavy weapons slot concept brings up a point though. They said the heavy weapons will not be affected by such things as beam overload (and presumably FAW), torpedo HY, probably CRF AND CSV... But what about the [Beam] and [Cannon] consoles? Will neither of these affect the heavy weapons? Or will they have different types that perhaps different consoles will boost?
  • ssbn655ssbn655 Member Posts: 1,894 Arc User
    Yes I do use a 4/3 more often then the 5/2 for one reason... I can have two 360 beam turrets and a 360 cut beam aft or two 360's and a mine or torp aft and 4 forward weapons up front. What doe this mean in game play? I have a very heavy punch forward and heavy punch in every arc around the ship. Yes 5/2 looks good on paper but there are distinct disadvantages at times like when you are surrounded by enemies or withdrawing you have a good smack them up against the side of thier bridge option that you miss with a 5/2 thats dedicated to frontal attacks only.
  • ssbn655ssbn655 Member Posts: 1,894 Arc User
    discojer wrote: »
    Honestly, I don't know how people can play escorts without pilot maneuvers. At least if you are using cannons.

    Easy use an eng console that boost turn rate and it really doesn't matter. I fly pilot escorts and for the most part the pilot manuvers are a gimmick.
  • ussvaliant#6064 ussvaliant Member Posts: 1,006 Arc User
    I fly both, but my T6 Fleet Akira is my highest DPSing Escort. Beats out my other tacts using the NX and Pilot escorts.
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    Hello rubber banding my old friend, time to bounce around the battlezone again, where are all my bug reports going?, out of love with this game I am falling, As Cryptic fail to acknowledge a problem exists, Shakes an angry fist, And from Support all I'm hearing are the sounds of silence.
  • peterconnorfirstpeterconnorfirst Member Posts: 6,225 Arc User
    edited March 2017
    Yea sure I fly 4/3 escorts. I have flown most of them actually.

    In fact my all-time favorite STO ship I use on my lead space toon flies one. The JHSS. Like @seaofsorrows and @ussvaliant#6064 I got my highest DPS out of that instead of modern escorts with 5/2 ports and pilot maneuvers.

    No matter the arrangement of the weapons the main downside of escorts compered to cruiser/dreads has been the lack of 8th gun port and a massive setback when it comes to device slots. No cruiser commands that reduce weapon power cost also factor in. All are a high price to pay for minor benefits of agility depending on what you do.

    Looks like Cryptic is out to correct this a bit. Rest assured everybody that leech and embassy consoles have been nerfed to open up slots for the next generation of consoles that augment our new little gimmicks.

    Won’t take long until the scrubs around here will begin to hate escorts with rail guns and the escort-online-scrub-cycle is finally complete after 4 years. >:)
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  • seriousdaveseriousdave Member Posts: 2,777 Arc User
    edited March 2017
    My favorite escorts (and the only ones I still bust out now and then) are all 4/3. Hestia, Theseus and the Faeht.
    Especially the Faeht.
    Gravwell -> pep-torp spread -> decloak -> plasma lance + intel debuff -> CSV. :)
  • rimmarierimmarie Member Posts: 418 Arc User
    edited March 2017
    postinggum wrote: »
    For a pure escort 5:2 is clearly better than 4:3, its why they were able to dangle the bug ship as a great prize for years.

    umm...the Bug isn't 5:2, its totally 4:3..but it is still a great ship
    just imagine how much win the Bug would be if it had pilot maneuvers
    the Bug and the Defiant are ships that should have gotten pilot maneuvers
  • alsayyidalsayyid Member Posts: 115 Arc User
    I am all about that 5/1 setup...
  • peterconnorfirstpeterconnorfirst Member Posts: 6,225 Arc User
    edited March 2017
    rimmarie wrote: »
    umm... the Bug isn't 5:2, its totally 4:3..but it is still a great ship
    just imagine how much win the Bug would be if it had pilot maneuvers
    the Bug and the Defiant are ships that should have gotten pilot maneuvers

    Shhhhh, do not tell anybody! They do not need to know. :#
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    felisean wrote: »
    teamwork to reach a goal is awesome and highly appreciated
  • maerikcharonmaerikcharon Member Posts: 108 Arc User
    I use my Hestia, as a Cannon-Torp Hybrid build.
    I also just got the Qin Flight Deck Raptor yesterday, and I am enjoying it.

    I have the Mat'Ha Raptor though, and it's 5/2 And a Beast.

    I really think they should re-tool the game, and make all or most escorts 5/2 and change science to 4:3

    So yeah, I use 4:3s
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