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Is Tactics Career Path Really Worth It?
banegrivm
Member Posts: 46 Arc User
in The Academy
Trying to figure this out. I really wanted to like Tactics but I feel like it's missing something and I wonder if it's just something I am missing. Is it worth taking over engineering or science really? If so why? I seem to have had my best luck on an engy but I'd really like to like the tactical path.
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So I guess it's personal preference.
Tac is too much trying to deal more damage as if they don't ever have enough, along with some debuffs, and higher defenses/turn rates and some survivability.
Sci can boost damage, AoE debuff, AoE boost shields and dmg res, strip buffs, negate damage, and summon fleets to help you damage the stuff you prepared for them and your team. I really enjoy the strategic nature that offers a bit of everything both for yourself and for everyone around you.
Engi can somewhat boost shields (I believe the space ability is still broken/doing nothing), massively heal self, team heal hulls, and boost subsystem energy & EPS & overcaps. To me it feels lacking, though I don't really regret making a Reman-KDF engi just to be different from my usual Sci & Tacs, and at least has more variety than Tacs.
You mentioned Tac survivability, are you talking ground? I absolutely love my Engi. He does a ridiculous amount of damage on ground and space and he's got a ton of defenses. I never have a problem in space on that character and I never kick the bucket. The defenses on the engi are just too good.
Section 31
Global Handle: @Marshal_Valor
Play whatever is most interesting to you.. you don't have to worry about making the 'wrong' decision.. they're all good.
Explain to me how Tactics is good, because clearly I am doing something wrong. That wasn't me being smart mouthed, that was a genuine request for help. Just wanted to be clear because I know how text without a voice to go with it can be misinterpreted.
Section 31
Global Handle: @Marshal_Valor
Tactical profession has the highest damage potential of the 3 professions outside of a few really high end Science Builds.
The most 'efficient' route, is a Tactical Captain with consoles and traits that make up for any lack of survivability. Tactical is the most popular class but the others are good too.
I have no idea why you think Tactical isn't good, but many consider it to be the 'best' of the 3 professions. It's my personal favorite just because they can deal so much damage. Attack Pattern Alpha, Fire On My Mark, and Tactical Initiative are all useful powers.
Section 31
Global Handle: @Marshal_Valor
There are a few things, yes. Tactical Initiative lowers the recharge time, so do traits like Coordinated Targeting Solution, or a console like the Timeline Stabilizer.
Overall though, they have a longer recharge time then bridge officer powers for balance sake. These abilities are powerful and having them on a global would be servery over powered.
an epg build is better on a tac cpt, because you get all damage buffs. there is nothing on the sci cpt to compete with that. so everything related to "do damage", tac > eng/sci.
that does not mean that eng/sci arent good enough to beat the game, its just that tac is slightly better (as long as you're using your abilities correctly, otherwise it doesnt matter any way)
ingame: @Felisean
Right.. thanks for clearing that up!
I always see 'Science Builds' pushing high DPS, but you're right.. they're usually Tacticals in EPG builds.
Something like the Engineering's Miracle Worker healing ability might seem like nice emergency buttons, but you can actually get universal consoles that can accomplish the same, if not more.
Hence, I'd say the hierarchy is Tactical > Science > Engineering. Science abilities also has some damage buffs, but not as good as Tactical ones, though in exchange they also offer some survivability, possibly for the entire team, and they have a decent "anti-boss" ability (which isn't unfortunately required that often, but it is very influential in PvP).
On ground, however, I find Tacticals very boring. Science with its exothermic field fireballs or Engineering with its drones and turrets are more interesting. But your mileage may wary - they have access to damage-buffing or dealing abilities there, too, you're just more focused on getting the most out of your weapons.
You forgot the ship traits that lower captain CD. All hands on deck is fantastic, especially for someone doing tac captain/science ship builds, but it is nice for any captain if you want to use their captain and sci powers more often. There is also 1.21 Terrawatts, but I can't fathom how that one is ever actually useful to slot.
As for tac captains themselves, they can put out a lot of damage, but are fairly boring otherwise, in my opinion. They are a one trick pony and I find myself not bothering with most vanilla tac captain ground abilities at all when building a tac captain. They will probably use nothing but universal kit powers in the end, maybe a couple reputation ones. In space they are unquestionably powerful but still boring in that they are all damage all the time.
So much of a build as you progress in the game becomes about things other than captain powers that the difference narrows a lot at the high end. I main an engineer, and my next most developed character is another engineer, followed by a scientist, but that's mostly due to preference.
On the really end game, the sci gets an edge in avoiding their shields and controlling them, so its far more damage friendly and less scaling on the gear, at least on the ground.
On the really end game, the engi can be pretty much anything, but average, being really skill dependant. Like a generalist with great survivability built in.
- I prefer tac for space fights -> damage
- I prefer sci and eng for ground -> nothing is comparable with the fun that i can have on ground with this 2 careers: you can burn, freeze foes; you can make them ridiculous when they can't use their weapons, you can harass them with drones, turrets, you can imagine traps: mines + paradox bomb
If a skill like weapon malfunction/forgotten of the other skill which do the same thing were available for engineer in space, it would be awesome. not a 2.5% chance of something, but a clickable skill.
BUT, all the careers should be more differentiated; some skills should be only useable by each career, and not be universal.