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Upper-End Solo-Missions: Too hard and too dragged out, or is that me?

kikskenkiksken Member Posts: 664 Arc User
Greetings:

Before anything, this is not a complaint letter.
It is a serious question, which I ask because of my autism...

So, I am catching up for 2 years absence on 14 characters.
These did quite well up to two years ago.

Shift forward to today, and i notice, in the "new arcs", that I no longer cut it.
I am level 65, on A'Nesu I fly a Fleet Matha Raptor with mostly XIV Epic gear, but nope, it's a death fest for me.

Example: "Future Proof - Ragnarok" was a 50 space death mission.
I got often 2-shotted, not even having the chance to use a ship restoration skill.

Every and all upper missions became just mindblowing hard in space (well, mindblowing FOR ME, as I have issues trying to grasp where I go wrong, where I did not go wrong before).

Another thing I noticed is the duration (and I do calculate the deaths times out) of missions.
Sometimes I get into a space mission, needing to kill 3 waves of whatever, followed by two waves of bigger and heavier whatever, and we end our space experience with, yes, three more waves of a mixture of previous whatevers.

I have done the previous, early and mid-end missions, but these were not so dramatically dragged out, or... am I imagining things?
I will not claim I am right, it just is a strong defined feeling on my side.

Also, ships have, if i am not mistaken, MUCH harder in their damage-to-player, as well as their defense-to-player?

Merely asking.

Thank you.
Klingons don't get drunk.
They just get less sober.
Post edited by baddmoonrizin on
«1

Comments

  • questeriusquesterius Member Posts: 8,301 Arc User
    Ragnarok is an annoyance due to temporal mechanics which bypass most defenses and hazards.

    These consoles should help with both:
    https://sto.gamepedia.com/Console_-_Engineering_-_Trellium-D_Plating
    https://sto.gamepedia.com/Console_-_Science_-_Temporally_Shielded_Datacore
    This program, though reasonably normal at times, seems to have a strong affinity to classes belonging to the Cat 2.0 program. Questerius 2.7 will break down on occasion, resulting in garbage and nonsense messages whenever it occurs. Usually a hard reboot or pulling the plug solves the problem when that happens.
  • where2r1where2r1 Member Posts: 6,054 Arc User
    edited November 2018
    I am noticing it dragging out because of: cut scenes, mini games, and running back and forth interacting with NPCs on opposite sides of the map.

    And it is just interacting... no fighting just convos. Very boring on ground.

    The space NPCs are getting gimmicky and I see why people are complaining about "hit point sponges" and spamming abilities willy nilly.

    Luckily, I learned hit and run...heal and come back, having played in BoP for so long. It works, even in battle cruisers. And I am using T 5 ships and Mark 12 gear, no starship or rep traits. I am using Pilot Specialization because I understand how to trigger the immunities on it.

    But yes, the way the missions are structured, it is taking longer to get through...And is pretty brain dead. Even the stories are disconnected...seem only to be about cameos by actors.

    Not really a fan of the higher level missions.
    "Spend your life doing strange things with weird people." -- UNK

    “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin
  • feliseanfelisean Member Posts: 688 Arc User
    most likely you (and/or your ship). everything golden doesnt mean that it perform well if the ship composition is not good.

    use resistance buffs (hazard emitter as example) before they hit you not after that ;)
    the only problem with that mission is, that you get damage during the cutscenes too, so you might just skip them to not get instant killed at the end ^^
  • kikskenkiksken Member Posts: 664 Arc User
    Thank you.

    So, gear check... I can see that, as in 2 years things for sure changed.
    I did not, however, expect such a prominent change.

    My ship: ("Terminator build" (AKA: the "I Kill You Before You Can Hurt Me" build))
    Fleet Matha Raptor
    Coalition Disruptor Dual Heavy Cannons MK XIV (x5)
    Coalition Disruptor Turret MK XIV (x2)
    Aegis Deflector Array MK XIV [CtrlX] [Sh/HullCap]
    Agis Hyper-Impulse Engines MK XIV [Full] [SacSpd-2]
    Field Stabilizing Warp core MK XIV [ACap] [S->E] [SecSpd-2] [W->S]
    Resilient Array MK XIV [Cp/Rg] [Pla] [Reg]x3
    Experimental Hyperexcited Ion Stream Projector MK X (very rare)
    Conductive RCS Accelerator MK XIV [ResB]
    Enhanced RCS Accelerator MK X [ResAll] (x3)
    Universal: Constriction Anchor
    Universal: Heavy Disruptor Spinal Cannons
    Disruptor Induction Coil XIV (x5)

    As you can see, it has virtual no defense specs, and 2 years back this ship did darned well.
    Even right now the damage it throws at the enemy is more than considerable.
    If they give me three to four salvo's time i can take a dreadnought down (using Delta Pattern + Focused Frenzy (4) and Rapid Fire which I engage right before my first salvo.
    Thusfar I did not encounter a ship that I could not take down in no time... unless I am fired upon.
    Do note the Spinal Disruptor Cannon, I placed it there because of the five Disruptor Induction Coils.
    If only I could find an experimental Disruptor weapon...

    Do note that my skills and traits are Offensive as well, to ensure more damage.

    This of course brings death (Glass Cannon).

    Now, I do not mind dying, just 50 times is a bit... much... in one combat. lol
    I am completely broke, with 1M ec over my entire account, about 100K Dil (which of course is useless for trading :( ), and 1000 Zen, any idea how to make my character a tad better with what I have (I do not request gear or donations, but info, thank you)?

    Now, as in prolonged fights in the upper end-end missions, is that mere an idea or feeling i have, or is this indeed lengthened compared to early and mid-end missions?

    Thank you. :)
    Klingons don't get drunk.
    They just get less sober.
  • leemwatsonleemwatson Member Posts: 5,331 Arc User
    kiksken wrote: »
    Thank you.

    So, gear check... I can see that, as in 2 years things for sure changed.
    I did not, however, expect such a prominent change.

    My ship: ("Terminator build" (AKA: the "I Kill You Before You Can Hurt Me" build))
    Fleet Matha Raptor
    Coalition Disruptor Dual Heavy Cannons MK XIV (x5)
    Coalition Disruptor Turret MK XIV (x2)
    Aegis Deflector Array MK XIV [CtrlX] [Sh/HullCap]
    Agis Hyper-Impulse Engines MK XIV [Full] [SacSpd-2]
    Field Stabilizing Warp core MK XIV [ACap] [S->E] [SecSpd-2] [W->S]
    Resilient Array MK XIV [Cp/Rg] [Pla] [Reg]x3
    Experimental Hyperexcited Ion Stream Projector MK X (very rare)
    Conductive RCS Accelerator MK XIV [ResB]
    Enhanced RCS Accelerator MK X [ResAll] (x3)
    Universal: Constriction Anchor
    Universal: Heavy Disruptor Spinal Cannons
    Disruptor Induction Coil XIV (x5)

    As you can see, it has virtual no defense specs, and 2 years back this ship did darned well.
    Even right now the damage it throws at the enemy is more than considerable.
    If they give me three to four salvo's time i can take a dreadnought down (using Delta Pattern + Focused Frenzy (4) and Rapid Fire which I engage right before my first salvo.
    Thusfar I did not encounter a ship that I could not take down in no time... unless I am fired upon.
    Do note the Spinal Disruptor Cannon, I placed it there because of the five Disruptor Induction Coils.
    If only I could find an experimental Disruptor weapon...

    Do note that my skills and traits are Offensive as well, to ensure more damage.

    This of course brings death (Glass Cannon).

    Now, I do not mind dying, just 50 times is a bit... much... in one combat. lol
    I am completely broke, with 1M ec over my entire account, about 100K Dil (which of course is useless for trading :( ), and 1000 Zen, any idea how to make my character a tad better with what I have (I do not request gear or donations, but info, thank you)?

    Now, as in prolonged fights in the upper end-end missions, is that mere an idea or feeling i have, or is this indeed lengthened compared to early and mid-end missions?

    Thank you. :)

    Reverse Shield Polarity and Hazard Emitters are your friends. Very cheap. Get a Doff from the Fabrication Engineer list to extend RSP duration....but they can be expensive the high grade you get.

    I've very rarely had issues with any missions, never found them hard.

    Don't forget that NPC's get access to the exact same skills, which they should. You can't complain about vaping enemies, as you said above, without expecting some pain yourself. Rather than flying into the middle of the pack, gung-ho, stay far enough away so you can get out of range and heal. You have more than enough power, speed and turn-rate to achieve this blind-folded.
    "You don't want to patrol!? You don't want to escort!? You don't want to defend the Federation's Starbases!? Then why are you flying my Starships!? If you were a Klingon you'd be killed on the spot, but lucky for you.....you WERE in Starfleet. Let's see how New Zealand Penal Colony suits you." Adm A. Necheyev.
  • forcemajeureforcemajeure Member Posts: 212 Arc User
    edited November 2018
    Some solo episode/mission fights have you up against quite a few foes at one time, even against fleets. At that point, having a glass cannon ship which can quickly take down a few enemies still = death, since every enemy remaining is targeting only you.

    You can:
    - Check to make sure your game difficulty is set to Normal (and not one of the higher settings)
    - Sacrifice some of your damage consoles for defense consoles
    - Switch ships, preferably to a T6 or something with more hull/defense
    - Switch traits to things that give more defense/survival, switch your Specializations to defensive ones
    - Adapt a different flying style - eg. work in from the edge of the battle, kill 1-2 ships, run away, cloak
    - Select Active traits and abilities that help you survive/escape
    - Equip DOffs for whatever strategy you adopt to survive longer
  • kikskenkiksken Member Posts: 664 Arc User
    leemwatson wrote: »
    Reverse Shield Polarity and Hazard Emitters are your friends. Very cheap. Get a Doff from the Fabrication Engineer list to extend RSP duration....but they can be expensive the high grade you get.

    I've very rarely had issues with any missions, never found them hard.

    Don't forget that NPC's get access to the exact same skills, which they should. You can't complain about vaping enemies, as you said above, without expecting some pain yourself. Rather than flying into the middle of the pack, gung-ho, stay far enough away so you can get out of range and heal. You have more than enough power, speed and turn-rate to achieve this blind-folded.
    Thank you, Sir, I will surely look into this.
    One of the hardest enemies are the Vaadwaur, with them blue ballz...
    Once they begin to spam them it is over.
    For me at least.
    Some solo episode/mission fights have you up against quite a few foes at one time, even against fleets. At that point, having a glass cannon ship which can quickly take down a few enemies still = death, since every enemy remaining is targeting only you.

    You can:
    - Check to make sure your game difficulty is set to Normal (and not one of the higher settings)
    - Sacrifice some of your damage consoles for defense consoles
    - Switch ships, preferably to a T6 or something with more hull/defense
    - Switch traits to things that give more defense/survival, switch your Specializations to defensive ones
    - Adapt a different flying style - eg. work in from the edge of the battle, kill 1-2 ships, run away, cloak
    - Select Active traits and abilities that help you survive/escape
    - Equip DOffs for whatever strategy you adopt to survive longer
    Indeed, this is why I am asking for info on the matter.
    It becomes especially annoying being broke, this means it will not be a short-term fixed issue.

    - It is set to Normal.
    - Yes, I just need to figure out which to swap with which.
    - Fleet Matha Raptor is T6, Cannon preferred ship with the 5 frontal weapon points (or, so I interpreted that, am I correct?)
    - I will check into Traits once the game comes back online.
    - That is what I try to do, but like in some of the massive battles, you are being spawned often right in the middle of combat, due to the ships having moved there..., something quite funny about massive battles: although there are friendly ships you have at your side, the enemy, in my case at least, mostly ignore these friendlies and come for me?
    - As said afore, will look into Traits once back up.
    - Now... DOffs? I was not aware DOffs made an impact on character battles? O_O
    Klingons don't get drunk.
    They just get less sober.
  • kikskenkiksken Member Posts: 664 Arc User
    Thinking out loud here:
    Kobali ship Set (shield and Deflector) or Assimilated Set?
    Or not at all, another one.
    Thinking of these for their defensive cababilities.
    Personally, I would prefer any Resilient shield over any other type for their Bleedthrough (5%BT-5%Absorb vs 10%BT), but that is from a personal PoV...?
    Klingons don't get drunk.
    They just get less sober.
  • feliseanfelisean Member Posts: 688 Arc User
    you might wanna check sto-league.com
    the matha build is not up to date, but if you check the latest published builds you could just adept that to your ship bc you know, its the same gear for every ships using energy weapons ;)
  • bendalekbendalek Member Posts: 1,781 Arc User
    If you are getting too much "aggro" from enemies, you may want to check your traits, as there is one that decreases "threat". Also there is a line of Romulan Embassy "science" consoles that also reduce threat, I have to run three of those on my SciRom because her drain boat generates massive amounts of threat (Sci powers tend to do that) and she's not really set up to be a "tank".

    And, "running away" to heal is sometimes the better part of valor :wink:

    (I also despise the "forced" cutscenes, right in the middle of a battle, when you are dying from being swarmed, and the devs decided you needed to watch some ships warp in <sigh> )
    Oh, hoho hohhhhh, Oh,, hoho, hohhhhh
    My%20STO%20Sig%20Clear_zps5etu86s1.png
  • postagepaidpostagepaid Member Posts: 2,899 Arc User
    Ragnarok, the mission where you get the console that will help you combat the expanse effects AFTER you do the mission and never want to set foot in the temporal arc ever again.
  • szerontzurszerontzur Member Posts: 2,723 Arc User
    Just going to chime in that yup, Ragnarok is a real bummer with all its overscaled bypassing damage. If you don't stay mobile in that mission, and/or spam invulnerability, you're simply going to melt.

    As for general difficulty.. that.. has unfortunately become a very strange and arcane subject in STO. The only 'standards' exist in the form of how far you can stack and abuse mechanics. Each level cap increase further skews the absurdity of the scaling for the sake of fueling powercreep and the upgrade system. Getting everything to mk15 will be a good start, but without chasing the 'meta', you'll be in for a rough time.

    For a glass ship like the Mat'Ha, I'd probably suggest going with the Quantum Phase shield set(Stormbound mission); its resilient and has some very nice survivability even without utilizing the drain aspect. If you have the Kobali Warp Core, it can be a very helpful survival core(with its stats and basically a full shield heal clicky) that also gets [AMP] at UR rarity. Likewise the Samsar's console will help keep your hull alive through rough times. Otherwise, the protomatter anniversary console is another excellent safety alternative if you have it. Should you have a Delta Recruit, the Temporal Insight starship trait can be a real lifesaver for the ship too(brief invulnerability when using hull heal abilities - you can pop an eng team to negate a big exotic damage anomaly long enough to get out of it, for example).

    As for more recent missions... yes.. they're painfully formulaic. The desire to make each mission 'bigger' than the previous typically just boils down to bigger and bigger swarms of spam being thrown at the player with mandatory timers and forced cutscenes that disrupt the pacing. It's not really fun for the players(or alteast this one), nor does it feel particularly 'trek', but atleast it strokes the ego of the design team.. I guess.
  • kikskenkiksken Member Posts: 664 Arc User
    felisean wrote: »
    you might wanna check sto-league.com
    the matha build is not up to date, but if you check the latest published builds you could just adept that to your ship bc you know, its the same gear for every ships using energy weapons ;)
    Ah thank you, will do this RN.
    Most kind.
    bendalek wrote: »
    If you are getting too much "aggro" from enemies, you may want to check your traits, as there is one that decreases "threat". Also there is a line of Romulan Embassy "science" consoles that also reduce threat, I have to run three of those on my SciRom because her drain boat generates massive amounts of threat (Sci powers tend to do that) and she's not really set up to be a "tank".

    And, "running away" to heal is sometimes the better part of valor :wink:

    (I also despise the "forced" cutscenes, right in the middle of a battle, when you are dying from being swarmed, and the devs decided you needed to watch some ships warp in <sigh> )
    Yes, I know, I use both Elusive and Innocuous, but to very little avail...
    It's almost as if i constantly run Threat.
    Ragnarok, the mission where you get the console that will help you combat the expanse effects AFTER you do the mission and never want to set foot in the temporal arc ever again.
    LOL, yes, basically.
    Quite humorous...
    szerontzur wrote: »
    Just going to chime in that yup, Ragnarok is a real bummer with all its overscaled bypassing damage. If you don't stay mobile in that mission, and/or spam invulnerability, you're simply going to melt.

    As for general difficulty.. that.. has unfortunately become a very strange and arcane subject in STO. The only 'standards' exist in the form of how far you can stack and abuse mechanics. Each level cap increase further skews the absurdity of the scaling for the sake of fueling powercreep and the upgrade system. Getting everything to mk15 will be a good start, but without chasing the 'meta', you'll be in for a rough time.

    For a glass ship like the Mat'Ha, I'd probably suggest going with the Quantum Phase shield set(Stormbound mission); its resilient and has some very nice survivability even without utilizing the drain aspect. If you have the Kobali Warp Core, it can be a very helpful survival core(with its stats and basically a full shield heal clicky) that also gets [AMP] at UR rarity. Likewise the Samsar's console will help keep your hull alive through rough times. Otherwise, the protomatter anniversary console is another excellent safety alternative if you have it. Should you have a Delta Recruit, the Temporal Insight starship trait can be a real lifesaver for the ship too(brief invulnerability when using hull heal abilities - you can pop an eng team to negate a big exotic damage anomaly long enough to get out of it, for example).

    As for more recent missions... yes.. they're painfully formulaic. The desire to make each mission 'bigger' than the previous typically just boils down to bigger and bigger swarms of spam being thrown at the player with mandatory timers and forced cutscenes that disrupt the pacing. It's not really fun for the players(or alteast this one), nor does it feel particularly 'trek', but atleast it strokes the ego of the design team.. I guess.
    I try to not be stationary as much a possible.
    I use the speed and improved (by RCS modules) agility of the Raptor, which i also need for keeping the cannons fixed at enemies, or targeting new enemies.
    When things get a wee rough, and I see a shield go down, I dare to turn away, offering a new full shielded side, to have the down one restored.
    This often works, just not in the three, four latest arcs.
    Especially not in the latest massive battles, where wave after wave after wave hits you...
    Now, i really do not mind dying.
    It's just that like 50+ deaths REALLY drags out a mission...
    I only have this in Space, not on the ground (though there I need be careful as well, or i get a balck and blue back returned to me.

    As for Meta, I never ever was a Meta player, as that just kills the story.
    I do not play to become "Mr God-Damage", warp in, erase all by mere thought, and leave with a billion exp, nice stuff, ...
    No, I like to get into a mission and just do what I need to do, and try to survive.
    The game however does not really cooperate, it seems.
    Naughty game. XD
    Now why did I stop as MK XIV?
    So my other toons could use that (or part of) that gear, in order to save out EC, Dil, ...
    Yes, I swap gear between toons.
    I areth poor... :smiley:

    Stormbound Shield, Kobali Warp Core, Samsar Console, Protomatter Anni Console, (I have several DR's, so I have the trait for both ground and space, though that space Trait seems not that awesome when i use this?
    Or do i do this wrong?
    But I have both.
    The Kobali Deflector, any decent?
    It seems to have several tanky specs?
    More to the core: is there a good, more tanky Raptor(equivalent) with 5 frontal cannon slots?
    Because, it could be the ship being weak as well, as you somewhat stated.

    Yes, that's what I noticed.
    The latter missions are more a clickfest/clickhorror (however one sees it, for me it is the latter, large, dragged out battles, no longer fun, but i NEED to complete this being autistic, and yes, for my DR rewards, ofc. Sadly, three arcs cannot be completed due to mission bugs halting me halfway the mission), needlessly dragged IMHO.
    And FAR too overpowered.
    I was taking on a battleship few days back, I think the bloody ship had like a million health... THANKFULLY, it was a lumbering beast, and i managed to stay in it's blind side mostly.
    Thank you RCS consoles!!!

    As for stroking the ego of design team: it far more makes me feel that this is just one made ship, copied into entire endless and mindless waves...
    Not much creativity there, tbh... :(

    I hope that the next arc, will be a lot less 'kill all clickhorror' based, but more into exploration, maybe excavation, something more intellectual than pewpewpewbangbang....

    Thank you for responding Sir!!! :)
    Klingons don't get drunk.
    They just get less sober.
  • powskierpowskier Member Posts: 67 Arc User
    anyone suggest your Specializations.. ??? I been using primary Intelligence..it gives some defense and great offensive buff if you flank enemy ships/ Pilot secondary for attack patter heal and rock n roll to save my TRIBBLE;)

    I do have toon run well in diff specs ..but those 2 are my go to

    There are way better engine/deflector setups >..if you saved reputation from long ago ,the omega Honor guard set is pretty OP(thats why it costs way more than other rep sets)

    check Sto wiki..there's a newer disruptor set from about a year ago ,free in missions
  • szerontzurszerontzur Member Posts: 2,723 Arc User
    kiksken wrote: »
    -SNIP-
    As for Meta, I never ever was a Meta player, as that just kills the story.
    Neither have I ever considered myself one. I've always been more of a.. 'crazy experimenter'. Sometimes that leads to being ahead of the meta, a lot of times it leads to.. disappointment. I've got 12 characters and each one has its own distinct playstyle. With all that said, I still think it's important to try to understand how and why a given meta is currently in favor to further open the possibilities of experimentation. (The prohibitive costs of advanced buildcrafting has severely butchered most of my interest in the game these days though, I confess.)
    kiksken wrote: »
    -SNIP-
    The Kobali Deflector, any decent?
    It seems to have several tanky specs?
    Sure, the Kobali set is (almost excessively) tanky, but you'd honestly see better returns on a bigger ship with more natural shields, health, and eng/sci boff seating. I actually run it on my super-healer/support/babysitter Quas FDC. The Quantum Phase set is recommended because it indirectly boosts your damage while also providing very good survivability.
    kiksken wrote: »
    More to the core: is there a good, more tanky Raptor(equivalent) with 5 frontal cannon slots?
    'Tanky' is subjective, but I'm going to assume you mean having passively higher stats.

    Very few ships can compete with the Mat'ha in terms of raw cannon-based firepower(especially when overcapping with OSS). Most of the other options are either more squishy(less margin for error) or not as nimble - and none of them come with the spinal disruptor of doom. You will have to sacrifice the main strength of the ship you want to consider moving out of it.

    The beefier, less agile option would be the Kurak battlecruiser; the faster, more agile option would be a pilot raptor of your choice(they can immunity-tank damage spikes with their maneuvers). There are plenty of non-CStore options as well, but I figure those are outside the scope of this conversation.
  • where2r1where2r1 Member Posts: 6,054 Arc User
    edited November 2018
    You can, also, adjust for "tankiness" by checking the Personal Space Traits and Reputation Space Traits, and looking for Hull stuffs, Heal stuffs...instead of weapons stuffs.

    But still...hit and run, go and heal, then come back...is much better than : die. Reason: the dang NPC will heal on you back to 100% during the time you are waiting for respawn.
    "Spend your life doing strange things with weird people." -- UNK

    “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin
  • kikskenkiksken Member Posts: 664 Arc User
    edited November 2018
    powskier wrote: »
    anyone suggest your Specializations.. ???...
    About that...
    I have quite a few of these, I went in Spec window, checked it out in a second, smacked it close, and ignored that for the rest.
    One of the reasons I think is, even more to think about.
    I just want to get in game, and go at it.
    Otherwise, I haven't got a clue what these are about, what which does (I do not mean their explanation, but their ACTUAL working ingame).
    Pilot is nicely explained, but it tells me not much of what to expect in actual play.
    Same for the other Spec types.
    I have had quite interesting gear, when you read it, or ships, and you get that because WOW, those specs and that explanation, this is a BEAST, but the first escape pod you encounter you just... DIE... lol.
    So yeah, I learned in STO to not listen to those things too much, and actually ASK PLAYERS of how what performs in reality...
    szerontzur wrote: »
    Neither have I ever considered myself one. I've always been more of a.. 'crazy experimenter'. Sometimes that leads to being ahead of the meta, a lot of times it leads to.. disappointment. I've got 12 characters and each one has its own distinct playstyle. With all that said, I still think it's important to try to understand how and why a given meta is currently in favor to further open the possibilities of experimentation. (The prohibitive costs of advanced buildcrafting has severely butchered most of my interest in the game these days though, I confess.)
    Yes, and that interferes in my game fun, in a way.
    When I log in, I do not want to think any more, i want to sit down and just die, sorta speak (the well-known Male Nothing Box.
    In RL I think already so much, that when i go online, I just want to shut down the system for a wee...
    Meta just... prevents this, I guess?
    szerontzur wrote: »
    Sure, the Kobali set is (almost excessively) tanky, but you'd honestly see better returns on a bigger ship with more natural shields, health, and eng/sci boff seating. I actually run it on my super-healer/support/babysitter Quas FDC. The Quantum Phase set is recommended because it indirectly boosts your damage while also providing very good survivability.
    Thank you.
    FCD = ?
    szerontzur wrote: »
    'Tanky' is subjective, but I'm going to assume you mean having passively higher stats.
    Oh indeed, that simply is subjective.
    One of the reasons i ask stuff here rather than go with the explanations Cryp gives for ships and gear.
    Often those do not streak with reality, I noticed.
    OR, and this surely is a possibility as well, I just use it wrongly?
    Wrong setups for ship X, wrong traits and skill for item Y, ...?
    Anything is possible.
    I am a straightforward fella, 1+1=2, period.
    But often this simply does not work in STO, for some odd reason...

    Probably me!!! XD
    Klingons don't get drunk.
    They just get less sober.
  • questeriusquesterius Member Posts: 8,301 Arc User
    FDC = Flight Deck Cruiser
    This program, though reasonably normal at times, seems to have a strong affinity to classes belonging to the Cat 2.0 program. Questerius 2.7 will break down on occasion, resulting in garbage and nonsense messages whenever it occurs. Usually a hard reboot or pulling the plug solves the problem when that happens.
  • where2r1where2r1 Member Posts: 6,054 Arc User
    edited November 2018
    questerius wrote: »
    FDC = Flight Deck Cruiser

    That will work, too. Leave something behind to punch the NPC along with what you are doing to it.

    But, still hit and run and heal and come back until you get in the groove....and all those cooldowns and understand abilities and how they click together, under your belt.

    It is MORE than just HAVE those things....you have to know how they go together...and when to use. LOL!
    "Spend your life doing strange things with weird people." -- UNK

    “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin
  • kikskenkiksken Member Posts: 664 Arc User
    edited November 2018
    questerius wrote: »
    FDC = Flight Deck Cruiser
    Thank you.
    where2r1 wrote: »
    questerius wrote: »
    FDC = Flight Deck Cruiser

    That will work, too. Leave something behind to punch the NPC along with what you are doing to it.

    But, still hit and run and heal and come back until you get in the groove....and all those cooldowns and understand abilities and how they click together, under your belt.

    It is MORE than just HAVE those things....you have to know how they go together...and when to use. LOL!
    True... but too much enemy or Blue Balls of Death... well...
    If six ships for instance spam these, there's no way out...
    Of course, they do this JUST AFTER you have used the avoidance skill!!!
    Clever ba...ds they are. lol
    Klingons don't get drunk.
    They just get less sober.
  • szerontzurszerontzur Member Posts: 2,723 Arc User
    As mentioned, FDC is Flight Deck Cruiser. They are typically science-heavy crusiers with a single hanger bay. Most people dismiss them because they usually don't have a lot of tactical consoles/bridge seating. As someone who has two of them with very different builds, I can say from experience that people grossly underestimate their potential. With that said, traditional attack ships seem more your style. Therefor, I digress.


    To touch on Specializations:
    Honestly, Pilot Spec is a great starting point for most captains - pour your points into it and max it out. It will improve your defense(stat), attack patterns(damage), and give you several opportunities of complete damage immunity(both triggered and activated). Just be warned that your ship will likely become more responsive than you're used to when various procs trigger.

    Beyond that, your second spec will largely depend on what you want to do. Intel or Strategist are the usual gotos for most people. The former effectively gives all ships raider flanking(+damage from behind) along with a lot of shield/armor penetration, cooldown reductions, and even some automatic emergency shield healing. Strategist is more of a.. "The bigger the fight, the more dangerous I become!" kind of spec; it also comes with torpedo immunity every 30 seconds.. which can be nice against some of the increasingly common insta-death torp salvos in the game.

    Temporal is primarily a science/space magic themed spec. Command is more of a force multiplier/team synergist. Miracle Worker is more of an endurance/extended engagement spec. Constable is.. kind of like an Assassination spec. Commando is not applicable to space combat(quite fun on the ground though).
  • kikskenkiksken Member Posts: 664 Arc User
    edited November 2018
    szerontzur wrote: »
    As mentioned, FDC is Flight Deck Cruiser. ...
    Well, that is a misunderstanding, Sir.
    Sure, in this particula case I am very offensive in style, but I have 14 characters, one with a Bortesqu, for intance, another with a carrier.
    I just did not get the abbreviation at the moment.
    But I have quite a heap of different builds.
    I DO need to say, perhaps 10 of them are Tacs, and the Engis and Sci's are a bit neglected... :(
    That is me again being straightforward, I do not like to click 20 buttons in a row to get something done...
    One of my Engi's even has a Tac build, I swapped that out because of this... YES, stupid, I am fully aware, but hey, I got like 18 resets still, so... XD

    Specs: So, from what I see here (based on my particular character/playstyle), Strategist seems a wee nutty, because the fact I run a glass cannon.
    I focussed this one on damage, the idea being: the faster THEY die, the less damage I get.
    2 years ago, this worked quite nice.
    So, thinking down that line, and please correct me if I am wrong, I would go (based on my taste) primary Intel, secondary Pilot?
    Your thoughts?
    Or would you say, well, son, you dying so often, lets get your toughness up first before boosting damage even further?

    And thank you very much for the info, Sir!
    Most appreciated.
    Klingons don't get drunk.
    They just get less sober.
  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Member Posts: 35,231 Arc User
    Can you use Aux2SIF? When I need to add more hull tanking to a build that does wonders. Also it's CD is so short you can basically keep it running constantly even with only one of it.

    Part of the problem here is an environmental hazard that will kill you even if there are no enemies attacking you. So you need to keep healing to offset that.

    Also Command spec gives you an HP buff just for having it active. The scale of the buff is dependent on how many points you have in it, so it needs to be maxed to give a substantial buff.
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    My character Tsin'xing
    Costume_marhawkman_Tsin%27xing_CC_Comic_Page_Blue_488916968.jpg
  • szerontzurszerontzur Member Posts: 2,723 Arc User
    kiksken wrote: »
    So, thinking down that line, and please correct me if I am wrong, I would go (based on my taste) primary Intel, secondary Pilot?
    Your thoughts?
    Or would you say, well, son, you dying so often, lets get your toughness up first before boosting damage even further?
    Intel/Pilot is solid. Between the two, you'll get a lot of survival procs(+defense, +shield hardness when hit, facing replenishment on depletion, immunity when hit on all facings in a short time). Both of them together will make your disruptors pretty happy as well.

    If you're still uncomfortably squishy after gearing and specs.. tweaking your captain/reputation traits may help you squeeze out that last little bit of survivability you're craving. That said, I can't stress enough how awesome APC-Offense(Auxiliary Power Configuration; Nukara Rep trait) is on a Mat'ha with OSS(Override Subsystem Safeties). The alpha strike potential makes my bridge crew complain about their pants becoming uncomfortably tight every time.
  • where2r1where2r1 Member Posts: 6,054 Arc User
    edited November 2018
    kiksken wrote: »
    True... but too much enemy or Blue Balls of Death... well...
    If six ships for instance spam these, there's no way out...
    Of course, they do this JUST AFTER you have used the avoidance skill!!!
    Clever ba...ds they are. lol

    OK.... you have a problem I had at one time. I would aggro everything on the screen. More than I could deal with.

    Take a look at how you are playing...while in a raptor:
    Why are you aggroing 6 ships at one time?
    How are you using your "avoidance skills" and STILL BE IN THE WAY OF 6 ships?
    This. Should. Not. Be. Happening.

    Hit...get the hell out of dodge...heal...go back in.
    If you have it: leave something behind to hit while you are off healing.

    Do not die and respawn. Your enemies heal while you are waiting for that respawn counter.
    You will constantly have to start over from 100% on them. Every. Time. You. Respawn.
    That is the most frustrating thing ever when dealing with NPCs like these.
    It makes you feel like TRIBBLE. It makes it seem as if you can't play this game.
    Stop it.

    One more time, read my words:
    where2r1 wrote: »
    You can, also, adjust for "tankiness" by checking the Personal Space Traits and Reputation Space Traits, and looking for Hull stuffs, Heal stuffs...instead of weapons stuffs.

    But still...hit and run, go and heal, then come back...is much better than : die. Reason: the dang NPC will heal on you back to 100% during the time you are waiting for respawn.

    "Spend your life doing strange things with weird people." -- UNK

    “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin
  • kikskenkiksken Member Posts: 664 Arc User
    Can you use Aux2SIF? ...
    I would gladly answer this... if I knew what that is...
    Would you be so kind to elaborate, Sir?
    coldnapalm wrote: »
    While temporal spec is mostly for science fun...the capstone is one hell of a tank ability.

    I tend to make sci/tac or tac/sci hybrids so it really works well for me...but without doing that, probably not worth it for just the capstone.
    That is actually VERY useful information, as i do have a Sci or two...
    Thank you, Sir.
    szerontzur wrote: »
    kiksken wrote: »
    So, thinking down that line, and please correct me if I am wrong, I would go (based on my taste) primary Intel, secondary Pilot?
    Your thoughts?
    Or would you say, well, son, you dying so often, lets get your toughness up first before boosting damage even further?
    Intel/Pilot is solid. Between the two, ...
    Thank you.
    Taking up on your advice got me this:
    15 points to be used
    14 into Intel
    1 into Pilot (to activate it as second)
    Now I do have a wee question there, can I fill out both completely over time, or...?
    Just a tiny part?
    IF just a tiny part, a suggestion on what to get?

    Thank you, Sir.
    where2r1 wrote: »
    kiksken wrote: »
    True... but too much enemy or Blue Balls of Death... well...
    If six ships for instance spam these, there's no way out...
    Of course, they do this JUST AFTER you have used the avoidance skill!!!
    Clever ba...ds they are. lol

    OK.... you have a problem I had at one time.
    Very good question, and I only had this noticable with the fast ships that hop allover the screen.
    For some weird reason, when I use Evasive, the NPC ships tend to go where I was heading to.
    8 seconds should give leeway to take a new path, but that results in others following me at high speed.

    !!!!! NOTE !!!!!
    OF COURSE they do not actually follow me, or anticipate my movements!
    It sounded quite paranoid, but i am darned well aware it is just frikken coincidence (or is it? :P ).
    But they give that appearance, that feeling, sometimes one just begins to think, "Dayum, this kannea be coincidence, ken it? SCOTTY, All power tea tham enginges lad!!!"
    On which he responds: "Cap't'n, if a give her any mair she blows..."
    (Yeah, i like that Scots accent.)

    To the point, I just do not get lucky in games.
    That's OK, we all have our thing, but I do get that some bad luck can be lessened...
    And thus this post. :)

    Now, I try to avoid death, I really do.
    But the game has this tendency, this... drive... to kill me...
    Man, I sometimes get the feeling it is made by a socio/psychopath...
    Always breathin' down me neck... tsssk... heheheheh
    Klingons don't get drunk.
    They just get less sober.
  • where2r1where2r1 Member Posts: 6,054 Arc User
    edited November 2018
    Here, I forgot about this video until I was looking at my e-mail this morning. Maybe this may help with your ship build :
    https://youtu.be/odTuwKeYSHg

    And the reason I put this up here is because it is a Mat'ha build and new this year. More up to date than stuff from 2015 (???) or so when the ship came out...which is when most people would have posted stuff for this ship.
    "Spend your life doing strange things with weird people." -- UNK

    “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin
This discussion has been closed.