Continue use of tab key to select other targets as needed and quickly close with them using auto-lunge as well. If the target decides to move out of range use R for auto-move-forward or select ambush then lunge. Target is now likely dead. If not, continue use of Bat'leth until desired result is achieved.
How does this work with shooter controls? I've never done ground combat in this game (since 2012) with RPG controls.
(didn't even know there was an "auto move forward" key until this thread.)
...not sure I've ever equipped any of the "melee" kit modules, either. But I definitely don't have any on my lv12 recruit. I'll have to check vendors & my R&D character to see if I can find/make low-level ones.
Just a couple of levels ago I switched from using that new "clunky" recruit bat'leth to those Dual Nanopulse Mek'leths & holy smokes the difference is like night & day. I'm now churning through enemies like butter. I might go back to that recruit bat'leth when I get it optimized but dang this is so much smoother & better gameplay.
Just a couple of levels ago I switched from using that new "clunky" recruit bat'leth to those Dual Nanopulse Mek'leths & holy smokes the difference is like night & day. I'm now churning through enemies like butter. I might go back to that recruit bat'leth when I get it optimized but dang this is so much smoother & better gameplay.
It could have tons of perks on it and I still wouldn't go back to it for the simple fact that the amount of downtime the Bat'leth has is insane since your always stuck in place with every single attack and it swings so slow compared to those Mak'leths.
Bat'leth needs a fundamental change in how it operates
Just a couple of levels ago I switched from using that new "clunky" recruit bat'leth to those Dual Nanopulse Mek'leths & holy smokes the difference is like night & day. I'm now churning through enemies like butter. I might go back to that recruit bat'leth when I get it optimized but dang this is so much smoother & better gameplay.
these are good. but i need to revisit them again on my other toon. guess ill weather the mish on my new kdf to get them for her. do these level with the toon? i cant recall.
I don't believe they do sadly you have to choose to upgrade them yourself & they begin at Rare quality. Not 100% sure though since not currently in-game. Just confirmed it, bummer, but one needs to upgrade those Mek'leths using tokens, no free upgrading. I had to log back in to verify or it was going to bug me lol.
Continue use of tab key to select other targets as needed and quickly close with them using auto-lunge as well. If the target decides to move out of range use R for auto-move-forward or select ambush then lunge. Target is now likely dead. If not, continue use of Bat'leth until desired result is achieved.
How does this work with shooter controls? I've never done ground combat in this game (since 2012) with RPG controls.
(didn't even know there was an "auto move forward" key until this thread.)
...not sure I've ever equipped any of the "melee" kit modules, either. But I definitely don't have any on my lv12 recruit. I'll have to check vendors & my R&D character to see if I can find/make low-level ones.
I'm not entirely sure to be honest as I've never done much ground combat in Shooter mode until the past few of days when I started my new 2255 KDF recruit. I'm learning as well.
It seems now is the time to explore things again just like we used to so I've been switching back and forth between the two modes using the B key while playing missions.
We've been challenged to play in a very original and traditional way and get rewarded for it so figure it's time to act like a recruit.
Take note of what does what in a variety of areas including key functions under esc > options > keybinds and maybe have another look at the settings under options > controls while trying both ground modes to check for any advantages they may give.
There are a couple factory settings I change under 'controls' when playing RPG mode ground to tailor ground gameplay to best suit my style so Shooter mode may hold some similar surprises.
I've found that smooth melee weapon combat with a blade is completely possible and when it comes together it can be amazingly powerful with higher level enemies ending up like pieces of paper.
There's always going to something that doesn't work quite as expected when trying something new but the list continues to get smaller with practice and trying different things.
For kit modules on a new recruit there are a vast number you can craft and leave at Mk II very rare until well into end-game or just use common and resell to another if not needed as common doesn't bind.
I wouldn't be too quick to discount a variety of the kit modules for each profession especially some of the more traditional ones.
There's also the question of what powers to put on your away team that can help buff you and hold, stun, or slow the enemy.
Some words of encouragement to those who may think that melee might be too much effort for too little reward:
- one of the single most powerful end-game builds I've ever seen on a challenging advanced ground map recently is melee based.
- the most reliable advanced / elite ground player in our fleet is a science character who often uses a sword. She has resuscitating me many times.
Just a couple of levels ago I switched from using that new "clunky" recruit bat'leth to those Dual Nanopulse Mek'leths & holy smokes the difference is like night & day. I'm now churning through enemies like butter. I might go back to that recruit bat'leth when I get it optimized but dang this is so much smoother & better gameplay.
these are good. but i need to revisit them again on my other toon. guess ill weather the mish on my new kdf to get them for her. do these level with the toon? i cant recall.
I don't believe they do sadly you have to choose to upgrade them yourself & they begin at Rare quality. Not 100% sure though since not currently in-game. Just confirmed it, bummer, but one needs to upgrade those Mek'leths using tokens, no free upgrading. I had to log back in to verify or it was going to bug me lol.
Despite the loading tip about items below MKXII being freely upgradeable, most aren't. Most quest rewards aren't. Many quest set items aren't. It might have been an idea they explored at one point, but they've long since abandoned it. Also, it's not really 'free' since you incur a negative tech score from upgrading items that way.
I thought this "negative tech score" you mentioned or something similar was recently stated in some patch notes to had been corrected/negated?
I know some, not all, newer mission rewards one can freely upgrade till like Mk XII & I do wish Cryptic would implement that to all Rare quality rewards & higher. Maybe Very Rare quality rewards for practical continuity purposes.
As it is I'm still so much more enjoying these Mek'leths compared to that "clunky" new bat'leth I had been using. lol
> @foppotee#4552 said: > I thought this "negative tech score" you mentioned or something similar was recently stated in some patch notes to had been corrected/negated? > > I know some, not all, newer mission rewards one can freely upgrade till like Mk XII & I do wish Cryptic would implement that to all Rare quality rewards & higher. Maybe Very Rare quality rewards for practical continuity purposes. > > As it is I'm still so much more enjoying these Mek'leths compared to that "clunky" new bat'leth I had been using. lol
Try using the nanopulse rod (the one with the nanopulse targ) from one of the newer eps - in one weapon it combines a bolt sniper and a melee weapon with a 360 degree attack thats like a universal sweeping strikes
> @foppotee#4552 said:
> I thought this "negative tech score" you mentioned or something similar was recently stated in some patch notes to had been corrected/negated?
>
> I know some, not all, newer mission rewards one can freely upgrade till like Mk XII & I do wish Cryptic would implement that to all Rare quality rewards & higher. Maybe Very Rare quality rewards for practical continuity purposes.
>
> As it is I'm still so much more enjoying these Mek'leths compared to that "clunky" new bat'leth I had been using. lol
Try using the nanopulse rod (the one with the nanopulse targ) from one of the newer eps - in one weapon it combines a bolt sniper and a melee weapon with a 360 degree attack thats like a universal sweeping strikes
Might be a nice secondary to the mek'leths
I think I have that in my inventory just haven't been upgrading it yet till I get this toon more established & there's an upgrade weekend, but thanks for the suggestion. Sweeping Strikes is a nice skill to have.
As it is I'm still so much more enjoying these Mek'leths compared to that "clunky" new bat'leth I had been using.
That Mek'leth from The Khitomer Discord sure is fast. Just got it tonight while doing some missions. It's a pleasure to use and just mows enemies down. The mission itself was challenging to play on advanced with the recruit Bat'leth but for the most part smooth melee play is getting easier at this point. You sure get a lot of practice in that mission lol.
The combat log shows plasma damage though while the attack descriptions on the weapon describe a physical attack. I wonder if it will count on the 2255 kdf recruit melee-O-meter? The recruit Bat'leth does physical damage. Both are melee.
Try using the nanopulse rod (the one with the nanopulse targ) from one of the newer eps - in one weapon it combines a bolt sniper and a melee weapon with a 360 degree attack thats like a universal sweeping strikes
Might be a nice secondary to the mek'leths
The new mission Knowledge is Power sure demonstrates how handy is it to have a combined weapon. The way they had things set up playing as Jula was perfect (and the mission was epic) with the small handful of controls available representing everything needed to expose, exploit, and quickly acquire targets by ranged weapon or melee. It really was a lot of fun and I thought the ground mechanics were excellent. Will be giving your recommendation a try.
If this is the future of melee gameplay in STO the recruit trait account unlock is really going to be worth it.
As it is I'm still so much more enjoying these Mek'leths compared to that "clunky" new bat'leth I had been using.
That Mek'leth from The Khitomer Discord sure is fast. Just got it tonight while doing some missions. It's a pleasure to use and just mows enemies down. The mission itself was challenging to play on advanced with the recruit Bat'leth but for the most part smooth melee play is getting easier at this point. You sure get a lot of practice in that mission lol.
The combat log shows plasma damage though while the attack descriptions on the weapon describe a physical attack. I wonder if it will count on the 2255 kdf recruit melee-O-meter? The recruit Bat'leth does physical damage. Both are melee.
Try using the nanopulse rod (the one with the nanopulse targ) from one of the newer eps - in one weapon it combines a bolt sniper and a melee weapon with a 360 degree attack thats like a universal sweeping strikes
Might be a nice secondary to the mek'leths
The new mission Knowledge is Power sure demonstrates how handy is it to have a combined weapon. The way they had things set up playing as Jula was perfect (and the mission was epic) with the small handful of controls available representing everything needed to expose, exploit, and quickly acquire targets by ranged weapon or melee. It really was a lot of fun and I thought the ground mechanics were excellent. Will be giving your recommendation a try.
If this is the future of melee gameplay in STO the recruit trait account unlock is really going to be worth it.
Ehm, it wasn't really that impressive.
There are many weapons with which you could reach the same effect. Expose and exploit weapons for example could always easily be combined with full auto and split beam rifles. And before it was changed, a single captain ability (target optics and tricorder scan) could also serve as a simple expose.
And one of the reasons why playing as J'ula was so simple, is because you don't have access to a lot of stuff that you normally have. I actually disliked it. It's easy playing indeed, but it was less interesting than having a normal ground build with more different abilities.
As it is I'm still so much more enjoying these Mek'leths compared to that "clunky" new bat'leth I had been using.
That Mek'leth from The Khitomer Discord sure is fast. Just got it tonight while doing some missions. It's a pleasure to use and just mows enemies down. The mission itself was challenging to play on advanced with the recruit Bat'leth but for the most part smooth melee play is getting easier at this point. You sure get a lot of practice in that mission lol.
The combat log shows plasma damage though while the attack descriptions on the weapon describe a physical attack. I wonder if it will count on the 2255 kdf recruit melee-O-meter? The recruit Bat'leth does physical damage. Both are melee.
Try using the nanopulse rod (the one with the nanopulse targ) from one of the newer eps - in one weapon it combines a bolt sniper and a melee weapon with a 360 degree attack thats like a universal sweeping strikes
Might be a nice secondary to the mek'leths
The new mission Knowledge is Power sure demonstrates how handy is it to have a combined weapon. The way they had things set up playing as Jula was perfect (and the mission was epic) with the small handful of controls available representing everything needed to expose, exploit, and quickly acquire targets by ranged weapon or melee. It really was a lot of fun and I thought the ground mechanics were excellent. Will be giving your recommendation a try.
If this is the future of melee gameplay in STO the recruit trait account unlock is really going to be worth it.
It counts, for this particular recruitment goal it's seeking "melee" damage not specifically plasma, physical, kinetic, etcetera.
I'm above 500 kill-count somewhere currently & probably won't switch off of these Mek'leths till I achieve the top goal, which will be awhile, but then eventually I want to test the other melee weapons I have. I don't have any but I think there's a couple of melee weapons in the Lobi Store too.
Just a couple of levels ago I switched from using that new "clunky" recruit bat'leth to those Dual Nanopulse Mek'leths & holy smokes the difference is like night & day.
Ok, yeah. That is much better. Thank you!
(plus, the mission you get them from is one of the ones for event progress. Bonus!)
As it is I'm still so much more enjoying these Mek'leths compared to that "clunky" new bat'leth I had been using.
That Mek'leth from The Khitomer Discord sure is fast. Just got it tonight while doing some missions. It's a pleasure to use and just mows enemies down. The mission itself was challenging to play on advanced with the recruit Bat'leth but for the most part smooth melee play is getting easier at this point. You sure get a lot of practice in that mission lol.
The combat log shows plasma damage though while the attack descriptions on the weapon describe a physical attack. I wonder if it will count on the 2255 kdf recruit melee-O-meter? The recruit Bat'leth does physical damage. Both are melee.
Try using the nanopulse rod (the one with the nanopulse targ) from one of the newer eps - in one weapon it combines a bolt sniper and a melee weapon with a 360 degree attack thats like a universal sweeping strikes
Might be a nice secondary to the mek'leths
The new mission Knowledge is Power sure demonstrates how handy is it to have a combined weapon. The way they had things set up playing as Jula was perfect (and the mission was epic) with the small handful of controls available representing everything needed to expose, exploit, and quickly acquire targets by ranged weapon or melee. It really was a lot of fun and I thought the ground mechanics were excellent. Will be giving your recommendation a try.
If this is the future of melee gameplay in STO the recruit trait account unlock is really going to be worth it.
It counts, for this particular recruitment goal it's seeking "melee" damage not specifically plasma, physical, kinetic, etcetera.
I'm above 500 kill-count somewhere currently & probably won't switch off of these Mek'leths till I achieve the top goal, which will be awhile, but then eventually I want to test the other melee weapons I have. I don't have any but I think there's a couple of melee weapons in the Lobi Store too.
Don't think I'll be switching out the Dual Nanopulse Mek'leths quite yet either, they are really fast and do a lot of damage. The recommendation is really appreciated.
I just played the epidsode Partisans with it and the rest of the mission pieces from the ground build posted on page 2 of the thread and am amazed that even without any reputation gear it's possible to quickly and efficiently clear entire rooms (boss fights included) with nothing more than a blade.
The respawning enemy's in the earlier part of the episode fighting in the bar with my away team switched to passive provided so many hits on the melee-O-meter that it went right past 500 and hit 1000. So the Bat'leth of Sto'Vo'Kor has had it's final improvement, is unlocked for other characters on account, and now have the melee trait that makes melee even better.
I'd feel comfortable taking this into an advanced ground TFO at this point. Even if I decide to go meta for certain maps, all that's required is to switch out 1 primary weapon, 2 kit modules, and my armor. It takes about 10 seconds.
It's great when just playing missions provides not only the lab required to explore new things but also some of the tools, as well as a place to easily complete various endeavors.
Mehh, I refuse to use any of the glowing weapons TRIBBLE. This is STAR TREK, not Star Wars.
It's a tedious 2500-kill grind, after which I'll be free to use guns again. I'll take any advantage I can get.
(as an aside - is it just me, or does this set of recruit tasks feel more 'grindy' than previous ones? 2500 melee kills, 2500 ambush kills, 150? Random queues, 50 Endeavor levels earned with just the recruit character, etc. I don't think I've gotten those totals across all my characters combined since 2012. In previous recruit events, the only thing I tended not to complete was the 'replay all the story arcs' parts. In this one, that seems like one of the easier to finish.)
Mehh, I refuse to use any of the glowing weapons TRIBBLE. This is STAR TREK, not Star Wars.
It's a tedious 2500-kill grind, after which I'll be free to use guns again. I'll take any advantage I can get.
(as an aside - is it just me, or does this set of recruit tasks feel more 'grindy' than previous ones? 2500 melee kills, 2500 ambush kills, 150? Random queues, 50 Endeavor levels earned with just the recruit character, etc. I don't think I've gotten those totals across all my characters combined since 2012. In previous recruit events, the only thing I tended not to complete was the 'replay all the story arcs' parts. In this one, that seems like one of the easier to finish.)
I think Cryptic made this recruitment event more grindy & offering lesser rewards compared to other recruitment events which is disappointing but I'm not surprised since there's a few at Cryptic with an aversion towards Klingon it seems & the Feds are the favored children.
Hello fellow warriors. Here's another update from 'The Last One' as the rank of Dahar Master has now been achieved and am steadily working towards the goals my creators have set for me.
Some of these goals may seem hard to reach but with practice and in looking back over the past 5 days of training it's possible to achieve >100 space ambush kills and > 200 melee kills per day.
One key to success with melee combat is to get the targeting system to work for you. As an RPG mode warrior the tab key is all that's really needed. It's similar to tab targeting in space and is a very convenient key being so close to the number keys.
There's over two dozen different blades to choose from. Choose the one best suited to your playstyle. They're all unique with some allowing much faster strikes while others may heal you, stun or root your opponent, or have varying distances in which to engage enemies of the Empire.
Don't be a stubborn warrior but free your mind to try different things. With a little experimentation and practice you may find that melee combat on a lot of advanced level maps can provide the most lethal and fast moving combat you've ever experienced. Show your allies that their shiny guns and expensive clicky consoles with fancy animations they get from gambling aren't necessarily the only options.
The creators have provided all the tools, let's have another look at them from the perspective of a newer Dahar Master who's relying upon those tools (and lessons learned) provided mainly from missions with a little crafting thrown in as progress in the various reputations is yet to come. All items are level appropriate for a Dahar Master who wants to excel in advanced queues.
The kit frame is crafted with kit performance times two and one of whatever you like. It seems to work well with a ground skill tree of 5 points upper left (weapons) and 5 points lower right (kit performance & efficiency). This particular combination works well for engineering and science warriors also, even while ranking up.
A Dahar Master tries to to keep their health up for peak performance so it's time to grab 100 large hypos as well as 100 minor ground heals and a couple dozen major heals to allow for healing of any battlefield injuries as they occur. Keep these with you so you always know when to refresh your supply.
Young warriors with multiple injuries soon find out that they quickly become ineffective on the battlefield with no doctor available. There is no honor in this.
Kit modules that seem to be working well from left to right: Photon grenade, Motion Accelerator, Lunge, Battle Strategies, Ambush. Use them frequently and as soon as you're able to craft Large Kit Overboosters and use them as often as you can.
A lot of standard mice have at least two extra buttons. Press ESC > Options > Keybinds and map the extra buttons in ways that make you a more efficient warrior. There's a drop down available in keybinds that mentions all your favorite mouse buttons.
Here's a list of ground traits that also seem to be working well: Aggressive, Field Technician (or Creative), Lucky, Physical Strength, Situational Awareness, Strike Team Specialist, Warrior's Blood (recruitment trait). Stubborn and Sure Footed are a good pair to help keep a warrior's feet planted firmly on the ground.
This young Dahar Master has only just begun gaining reputation but even at the earlier levels things that stack more CrtD, CrtH, melee damage, and bonus damage all seem to be good choices. One can only imagine the options that are possible in the future with some pieces of reputation gear.
Hello fellow warriors. Here's another update from 'The Last One' as the rank of Dahar Master has now been achieved and am steadily working towards the goals my creators have set for me.
Some of these goals may seem hard to reach but with practice and in looking back over the past 5 days of training it's possible to achieve >100 space ambush kills and > 200 melee kills per day.
One key to success with melee combat is to get the targeting system to work for you. As an RPG mode warrior the tab key is all that's really needed. It's similar to tab targeting in space and is a very convenient key being so close to the number keys.
There's over two dozen different blades to choose from. Choose the one best suited to your playstyle. They're all unique with some allowing much faster strikes while others may heal you, stun or root your opponent, or have varying distances in which to engage enemies of the Empire.
Don't be a stubborn warrior but free your mind to try different things. With a little experimentation and practice you may find that melee combat on a lot of advanced level maps can provide the most lethal and fast moving combat you've ever experienced. Show your allies that their shiny guns and expensive clicky consoles with fancy animations they get from gambling aren't necessarily the only options.
The creators have provided all the tools, let's have another look at them from the perspective of a newer Dahar Master who's relying upon those tools (and lessons learned) provided mainly from missions with a little crafting thrown in as progress in the various reputations is yet to come. All items are level appropriate for a Dahar Master who wants to excel in advanced queues.
The kit frame is crafted with kit performance times two and one of whatever you like. It seems to work well with a ground skill tree of 5 points upper left (weapons) and 5 points lower right (kit performance & efficiency). This particular combination works well for engineering and science warriors also, even while ranking up.
A Dahar Master tries to to keep their health up for peak performance so it's time to grab 100 large hypos as well as 100 minor ground heals and a couple dozen major heals to allow for healing of any battlefield injuries as they occur. Keep these with you so you always know when to refresh your supply.
Young warriors with multiple injuries soon find out that they quickly become ineffective on the battlefield with no doctor available. There is no honor in this.
Kit modules that seem to be working well from left to right: Photon grenade, Motion Accelerator, Lunge, Battle Strategies, Ambush. Use them frequently and as soon as you're able to craft Large Kit Overboosters and use them as often as you can.
A lot of standard mice have at least two extra buttons. Press ESC > Options > Keybinds and map the extra buttons in ways that make you a more efficient warrior. There's a drop down available in keybinds that mentions all your favorite mouse buttons.
Here's a list of ground traits that also seem to be working well: Aggressive, Field Technician (or Creative), Lucky, Physical Strength, Situational Awareness, Strike Team Specialist, Warrior's Blood (recruitment trait). Stubborn and Sure Footed are a good pair to help keep a warrior's feet planted firmly on the ground.
This young Dahar Master has only just begun gaining reputation but even at the earlier levels things that stack more CrtD, CrtH, melee damage, and bonus damage all seem to be good choices. One can only imagine the options that are possible in the future with some pieces of reputation gear.
Glory to the Empire and their allies!
Qapla' well done, I was wanting to use that Lunge module myself then realized in my level-30s I had made an Engineer lol
I have done a great deal of melee combat from the launch of the game. To focus on what is now ill tell you what I do, this is not stat, ability, or kit performance post. This is a how I move and why. Auto movement may seem like a good idea to some, but to me it would spoil melee combat and could get you into hot water. Some npcs have a very heavy damage aoe, where they are standing. The way I fight is I will lunge at target left attack right attack left attack and activate the combo, then double tap forward to roll behind my target and begin again. I also have weapon switch hot keyed to g, so it is easy to reach. I suggest you find somewhere, where there is no enemies. There practice your melee combos, then practice them at the end of a roll. Expand to practice it by rolling forward, backward, right, and left. Continue until it becomes very familiar. If you do this you will soon find a style that best suits you, and will become good at killing with a melee weapon. One more thing there is times were a npc will run to the opposite of the map, just to avoid melee combat with you, when this happens switch to ranged and kill it.
The Dual Nanopulse Mek'leths are, by far, the 'dumbest' melee weapon in the game. If you go into shooter mode and hold down mouse1, you can potentially hit things around 10 times per second.
I'm pretty sure it's not intended, but it is dumb fun watching your captain charge in and then 'latch on' to an enemy while rapidly draining their life like you're OG Doomguy with a chainsaw. I don't even want to think about what chaos is possible with a crit-setup and some crit-proc traits..
As a side note, I've personally found that the Phasic Shroud Universal Kit Module is a great survival tool for melee if you've got something like Motion Accelerator to offset the speed penalty. Gives you a bunch of temp health and lets you straight-up dodge most attacks; the short cooldown lets you have near perma-uptime with some kit readiness investment as well.
Since the Tac route seemed obvious I decided to go with Sci for my new Klingon. So she uses Hypospray:Dylovene for damage boosting and Electro-Gravitic Field to root enemies. It works all right.
I have noticed that sometimes my character lunges forward a bit with an attack, but generally it is only the first one of a combo so if the enemy moves back after my first hit I am swinging at air. I am also not sure what I am doing to set up the lunge because sometimes it activates and sometimes it doesn't. I can't seem to count on it working.
The juggernaut system from the Commando specialty is nice for preventing the NPC from backing away before your first swing goes off. But they generally are standing by the second swing so you have to give chase.
One thing that bugs me is that against most enemies if you are running forward you can literally run right through your enemy. I understand the code is written this way so your away team don't stupidly block you from moving but it means that for melee you have to be pretty quick to know when to stop before you put yourself behind your enemy with your back to him. If you run up to an enemy you should stop when you get to him rather than simply passing through him. If you could pass through friends but not enemies maybe that would be the solution.
Also one of the key features of ranged combat is aiming which adds an extra 1/3rd to your damage. That's a big deal and a key feature of ranged combat but aiming is usually a bad idea when you have a melee weapon in hand because it slows you down and everyone will get away. It seems like the X key ought to do something else for a melee weapon, like staying with your target while attacking or something.
I will have to try the mekleths and see the difference. What about the nanopulse pistols of J'Ula's? They have plasma blades that are very effective too.
Comments
How does this work with shooter controls? I've never done ground combat in this game (since 2012) with RPG controls.
(didn't even know there was an "auto move forward" key until this thread.)
...not sure I've ever equipped any of the "melee" kit modules, either. But I definitely don't have any on my lv12 recruit. I'll have to check vendors & my R&D character to see if I can find/make low-level ones.
It could have tons of perks on it and I still wouldn't go back to it for the simple fact that the amount of downtime the Bat'leth has is insane since your always stuck in place with every single attack and it swings so slow compared to those Mak'leths.
Bat'leth needs a fundamental change in how it operates
I don't believe they do sadly you have to choose to upgrade them yourself & they begin at Rare quality. Not 100% sure though since not currently in-game. Just confirmed it, bummer, but one needs to upgrade those Mek'leths using tokens, no free upgrading. I had to log back in to verify or it was going to bug me lol.
I'm not entirely sure to be honest as I've never done much ground combat in Shooter mode until the past few of days when I started my new 2255 KDF recruit. I'm learning as well.
It seems now is the time to explore things again just like we used to so I've been switching back and forth between the two modes using the B key while playing missions.
We've been challenged to play in a very original and traditional way and get rewarded for it so figure it's time to act like a recruit.
Take note of what does what in a variety of areas including key functions under esc > options > keybinds and maybe have another look at the settings under options > controls while trying both ground modes to check for any advantages they may give.
There are a couple factory settings I change under 'controls' when playing RPG mode ground to tailor ground gameplay to best suit my style so Shooter mode may hold some similar surprises.
I've found that smooth melee weapon combat with a blade is completely possible and when it comes together it can be amazingly powerful with higher level enemies ending up like pieces of paper.
There's always going to something that doesn't work quite as expected when trying something new but the list continues to get smaller with practice and trying different things.
For kit modules on a new recruit there are a vast number you can craft and leave at Mk II very rare until well into end-game or just use common and resell to another if not needed as common doesn't bind.
I wouldn't be too quick to discount a variety of the kit modules for each profession especially some of the more traditional ones.
There's also the question of what powers to put on your away team that can help buff you and hold, stun, or slow the enemy.
Some words of encouragement to those who may think that melee might be too much effort for too little reward:
- one of the single most powerful end-game builds I've ever seen on a challenging advanced ground map recently is melee based.
- the most reliable advanced / elite ground player in our fleet is a science character who often uses a sword. She has resuscitating me many times.
I thought this "negative tech score" you mentioned or something similar was recently stated in some patch notes to had been corrected/negated?
I know some, not all, newer mission rewards one can freely upgrade till like Mk XII & I do wish Cryptic would implement that to all Rare quality rewards & higher. Maybe Very Rare quality rewards for practical continuity purposes.
As it is I'm still so much more enjoying these Mek'leths compared to that "clunky" new bat'leth I had been using. lol
> I thought this "negative tech score" you mentioned or something similar was recently stated in some patch notes to had been corrected/negated?
>
> I know some, not all, newer mission rewards one can freely upgrade till like Mk XII & I do wish Cryptic would implement that to all Rare quality rewards & higher. Maybe Very Rare quality rewards for practical continuity purposes.
>
> As it is I'm still so much more enjoying these Mek'leths compared to that "clunky" new bat'leth I had been using. lol
Try using the nanopulse rod (the one with the nanopulse targ) from one of the newer eps - in one weapon it combines a bolt sniper and a melee weapon with a 360 degree attack thats like a universal sweeping strikes
Might be a nice secondary to the mek'leths
Get the Forums Enhancement Extension!
I think I have that in my inventory just haven't been upgrading it yet till I get this toon more established & there's an upgrade weekend, but thanks for the suggestion. Sweeping Strikes is a nice skill to have.
The combat log shows plasma damage though while the attack descriptions on the weapon describe a physical attack. I wonder if it will count on the 2255 kdf recruit melee-O-meter? The recruit Bat'leth does physical damage. Both are melee. The new mission Knowledge is Power sure demonstrates how handy is it to have a combined weapon. The way they had things set up playing as Jula was perfect (and the mission was epic) with the small handful of controls available representing everything needed to expose, exploit, and quickly acquire targets by ranged weapon or melee. It really was a lot of fun and I thought the ground mechanics were excellent. Will be giving your recommendation a try.
If this is the future of melee gameplay in STO the recruit trait account unlock is really going to be worth it.
Ehm, it wasn't really that impressive.
There are many weapons with which you could reach the same effect. Expose and exploit weapons for example could always easily be combined with full auto and split beam rifles. And before it was changed, a single captain ability (target optics and tricorder scan) could also serve as a simple expose.
And one of the reasons why playing as J'ula was so simple, is because you don't have access to a lot of stuff that you normally have. I actually disliked it. It's easy playing indeed, but it was less interesting than having a normal ground build with more different abilities.
It counts, for this particular recruitment goal it's seeking "melee" damage not specifically plasma, physical, kinetic, etcetera.
I'm above 500 kill-count somewhere currently & probably won't switch off of these Mek'leths till I achieve the top goal, which will be awhile, but then eventually I want to test the other melee weapons I have. I don't have any but I think there's a couple of melee weapons in the Lobi Store too.
Ok, yeah. That is much better. Thank you!
(plus, the mission you get them from is one of the ones for event progress. Bonus!)
Don't think I'll be switching out the Dual Nanopulse Mek'leths quite yet either, they are really fast and do a lot of damage. The recommendation is really appreciated.
I just played the epidsode Partisans with it and the rest of the mission pieces from the ground build posted on page 2 of the thread and am amazed that even without any reputation gear it's possible to quickly and efficiently clear entire rooms (boss fights included) with nothing more than a blade.
The respawning enemy's in the earlier part of the episode fighting in the bar with my away team switched to passive provided so many hits on the melee-O-meter that it went right past 500 and hit 1000. So the Bat'leth of Sto'Vo'Kor has had it's final improvement, is unlocked for other characters on account, and now have the melee trait that makes melee even better.
I'd feel comfortable taking this into an advanced ground TFO at this point. Even if I decide to go meta for certain maps, all that's required is to switch out 1 primary weapon, 2 kit modules, and my armor. It takes about 10 seconds.
It's great when just playing missions provides not only the lab required to explore new things but also some of the tools, as well as a place to easily complete various endeavors.
The community helped with the rest ^^
It's a tedious 2500-kill grind, after which I'll be free to use guns again. I'll take any advantage I can get.
(as an aside - is it just me, or does this set of recruit tasks feel more 'grindy' than previous ones? 2500 melee kills, 2500 ambush kills, 150? Random queues, 50 Endeavor levels earned with just the recruit character, etc. I don't think I've gotten those totals across all my characters combined since 2012. In previous recruit events, the only thing I tended not to complete was the 'replay all the story arcs' parts. In this one, that seems like one of the easier to finish.)
I think Cryptic made this recruitment event more grindy & offering lesser rewards compared to other recruitment events which is disappointing but I'm not surprised since there's a few at Cryptic with an aversion towards Klingon it seems & the Feds are the favored children.
Some of these goals may seem hard to reach but with practice and in looking back over the past 5 days of training it's possible to achieve >100 space ambush kills and > 200 melee kills per day.
One key to success with melee combat is to get the targeting system to work for you. As an RPG mode warrior the tab key is all that's really needed. It's similar to tab targeting in space and is a very convenient key being so close to the number keys.
There's over two dozen different blades to choose from. Choose the one best suited to your playstyle. They're all unique with some allowing much faster strikes while others may heal you, stun or root your opponent, or have varying distances in which to engage enemies of the Empire.
Don't be a stubborn warrior but free your mind to try different things. With a little experimentation and practice you may find that melee combat on a lot of advanced level maps can provide the most lethal and fast moving combat you've ever experienced. Show your allies that their shiny guns and expensive clicky consoles with fancy animations they get from gambling aren't necessarily the only options.
The creators have provided all the tools, let's have another look at them from the perspective of a newer Dahar Master who's relying upon those tools (and lessons learned) provided mainly from missions with a little crafting thrown in as progress in the various reputations is yet to come. All items are level appropriate for a Dahar Master who wants to excel in advanced queues.
Nak'kuhl Temporal Operative shield and gun for extra CrtH and CrtD combined with Physical Augmentation Utility Armor for even more CrtD and physical damage. One blade of choice for very fast and powerful attacks is the Dual Nanopulse Mek'leths but use what you like best.
The kit frame is crafted with kit performance times two and one of whatever you like. It seems to work well with a ground skill tree of 5 points upper left (weapons) and 5 points lower right (kit performance & efficiency). This particular combination works well for engineering and science warriors also, even while ranking up.
A Dahar Master tries to to keep their health up for peak performance so it's time to grab 100 large hypos as well as 100 minor ground heals and a couple dozen major heals to allow for healing of any battlefield injuries as they occur. Keep these with you so you always know when to refresh your supply.
Young warriors with multiple injuries soon find out that they quickly become ineffective on the battlefield with no doctor available. There is no honor in this.
Kit modules that seem to be working well from left to right: Photon grenade, Motion Accelerator, Lunge, Battle Strategies, Ambush. Use them frequently and as soon as you're able to craft Large Kit Overboosters and use them as often as you can.
A lot of standard mice have at least two extra buttons. Press ESC > Options > Keybinds and map the extra buttons in ways that make you a more efficient warrior. There's a drop down available in keybinds that mentions all your favorite mouse buttons.
Here's a list of ground traits that also seem to be working well: Aggressive, Field Technician (or Creative), Lucky, Physical Strength, Situational Awareness, Strike Team Specialist, Warrior's Blood (recruitment trait). Stubborn and Sure Footed are a good pair to help keep a warrior's feet planted firmly on the ground.
This young Dahar Master has only just begun gaining reputation but even at the earlier levels things that stack more CrtD, CrtH, melee damage, and bonus damage all seem to be good choices. One can only imagine the options that are possible in the future with some pieces of reputation gear.
Glory to the Empire and their allies!
Qapla' well done, I was wanting to use that Lunge module myself then realized in my level-30s I had made an Engineer lol
Oh and I always use shooter mode.
I'm pretty sure it's not intended, but it is dumb fun watching your captain charge in and then 'latch on' to an enemy while rapidly draining their life like you're OG Doomguy with a chainsaw. I don't even want to think about what chaos is possible with a crit-setup and some crit-proc traits..
As a side note, I've personally found that the Phasic Shroud Universal Kit Module is a great survival tool for melee if you've got something like Motion Accelerator to offset the speed penalty. Gives you a bunch of temp health and lets you straight-up dodge most attacks; the short cooldown lets you have near perma-uptime with some kit readiness investment as well.
I have noticed that sometimes my character lunges forward a bit with an attack, but generally it is only the first one of a combo so if the enemy moves back after my first hit I am swinging at air. I am also not sure what I am doing to set up the lunge because sometimes it activates and sometimes it doesn't. I can't seem to count on it working.
The juggernaut system from the Commando specialty is nice for preventing the NPC from backing away before your first swing goes off. But they generally are standing by the second swing so you have to give chase.
One thing that bugs me is that against most enemies if you are running forward you can literally run right through your enemy. I understand the code is written this way so your away team don't stupidly block you from moving but it means that for melee you have to be pretty quick to know when to stop before you put yourself behind your enemy with your back to him. If you run up to an enemy you should stop when you get to him rather than simply passing through him. If you could pass through friends but not enemies maybe that would be the solution.
Also one of the key features of ranged combat is aiming which adds an extra 1/3rd to your damage. That's a big deal and a key feature of ranged combat but aiming is usually a bad idea when you have a melee weapon in hand because it slows you down and everyone will get away. It seems like the X key ought to do something else for a melee weapon, like staying with your target while attacking or something.
I will have to try the mekleths and see the difference. What about the nanopulse pistols of J'Ula's? They have plasma blades that are very effective too.
That's a positive change.
I just did a quick test on Defera. The difference is noticable.
Good to hear/read. I haven't tested the new change yet.