Should I try out Star Trek Online?

[The Romulan Republic]

As a rule, I go with one forward torpedo launcher and one aft torpedo launcher.

Also, the big Malon ships are quite tough, though I managed to beat them in the end. That Nimbus Pirate Distress Call ability has been so very, very useful.

[Coaan]

It's still there, but as a Veteran/LTS Reward.

I know, but it may as well not be for most of us that are unwilling to purchase a LTS. Like I said, it's one of the major downsides of the free to play change they made.

t's just not a Sovereign without Torpedo Spread 3 + Quantum Torpedoes!

All hail the Regent, the true Soverign class dreadnaught

[FaxModem1]

Any idea when the summer event will start on Risa? Or when they'll announce the stuff for it?

[Lord Revan]

Any idea when the summer event will start on Risa? Or when they'll announce the stuff for it?

some people in my fleet said in June for the event but I'm sure if they were speculating or knew something I didn't.

[Elheru Aran]

I think it's starting shortly, they just now announced it. Something something by June 4th, but there may be stuff going on before then.

[Elheru Aran]

In other news: You can't upgrade for free (ish) without being like... level 10 in R&D or something. I'm at 4, and it takes those long-ass 20-hour projects to level up. *sigh*

[Coaan]

No, that would be level 15 to make superior upgrades for cheapish.

As I laid out on the other page, you will want to do those 20 hour jobs at the end of your playtime and fill your r&d slots with weapon crafting as much as possible. It increases the chances of getting something to sell/use and gets you 50 xp per weapon built.

[Elheru Aran]

Right, but you can *start* upgrading, just not with the superior ones, at 10 IIRC. Unless you buy them or something. I'm not in a rush. Just gonna be glad to get over the Romulan series today.

[Coaan]

You can start upgrading on day zero with no skill in any research school if you have the upgrade kits. You can buy the very basic ones from a vendor in the major home ports, it's just not worth upgrading with anything other than a superior due to the dilithium costs.

I think it's at r&d 5 with a school that you can start making those basic kits?

[Elheru Aran]

You can start upgrading on day zero with no skill in any research school if you have the upgrade kits. You can buy the very basic ones from a vendor in the major home ports, it's just not worth upgrading with anything other than a superior due to the dilithium costs.

Hum, OK. I must be mixing something up, I only scanned the blog that the wiki linked to real quick. But yes.

Any suggestions on a Fleet?

I pulled my Romulan Mystery Delta reward, but it doesn't appear in my inventory, which isn't all that full. Hmmm.

[Lord Revan]

You can start upgrading on day zero with no skill in any research school if you have the upgrade kits. You can buy the very basic ones from a vendor in the major home ports, it's just not worth upgrading with anything other than a superior due to the dilithium costs.

Hum, OK. I must be mixing something up, I only scanned the blog that the wiki linked to real quick. But yes.

Any suggestions on a Fleet?

first of you FED or KDF

I'm in a fleet called Omega Combat Directive or something like that, OCD for short (and Omega Combat Division on KDF side). It's pretty relexed fleet, we do STF runs for max level people and can assist lower levels to do missions if asked.

[Elheru Aran]

Fed. The Romulans really get the short end, don't they?

[The Romulan Republic]

Pity. I like the Romulans.

Also, I've seen some implausible plots, but the Kazon hijacking a Borg Cube is absurd. When did the Kazon become bad ass?

Edit: Anyway, I narrowly lost my first engagement with the Cube, which is now up to full strength, so its a long wait for my pirate distress call ability to recharge before engaging again, because the hell I'm doing it without allies. How dull.

[The Romulan Republic]

Okay, Hugh showing up leader a force of free Borg and the Occampa being spacefaring now is cool.

And I just looted a new Mk XI torpedo launcher. Yes!

Also, I have a very multi-coloued assortment of weapons. When they fire aft, the glow lights up my hull, giving the impression that my ship is firing a rainbow out of its ass.

[Simon_Jester]

Do they all have the same damage type? If not... well, that may be one of the reasons you lost to the Cube.

[The Romulan Republic]

No, they don't all have the same damage type. I'm past the point where I can buy new top-notch weapons at Earth's space dock, so I'm looting whatever I can get my hands on without very much regard for weather it matches.

My current tech. for my Sovereign:

Fore Weapons: Phaser Beam Array Mk XII, Plasma Canon Mk XI, Duel Plasma Beam Bank Mk XI, and Chroniton Torpedo Launcher Mk XI.

Deflector: Graviton Deflector Array Mk XII.

Impulse: Hyper-Impulse Engines Mk XI.

Warp: Field Stabilizing Warp Core Mk XI.

Shields: Shield Array Mk XI.

Aft Weapons: Disruptor Beam Array Mk X, Plasma Torpedo Launcher Mk XI, Disruptor Beam Array Mk XI, and Antiproton Beam Array Mk XI.

Devices: Subspace Field Modulator, Auxiliary Battery (one use), Nimbus Pirate Distress Call (my very favourite- it has saved my ass so many times), and Auxiliary Battery (three uses).

Engineering Consoles: EPS Flow Regulator Mk IX, Neutronium Alloy Mk XI, SIF Generator Mk X, and RCS Accelerator Mk IX.

Science Consoles: Sensor Probes Mk XI and Flow Capacitor Mk XI.

Tactical Consoles: Warhead Yield Chamber Mk X, Directed Energy Distribution Manifold Mk VIII (don't ask me why I'm still using a Mk VIII console), and Warhead Yield Chamber Mk XIII (kind of makes the Mk X one obsolete doesn't it?).

But I did take out that cube in the end. Honestly, while I sometimes take a while to win a fight, I haven't faced anything really hard lately when I'm using my Sovereign. Though the most recent fight with the Kazon took a while due to shear numbers.

[Coaan]

...

My inner gaming nerd just cringed. That isn't just bad, it's hilariously awful.

You know that you can replay missions to get equipment that is a mark lower than you originally got it, right? So if you rerun a mission that originally gave you a mark 12 thing then you will be able to get the same matching thing at mark 11?

There's enough missions across the entire game that you can replay them once or twice and have a full rack of weapon types that match. You'll need to match once/if you decide to start running STFs because they're more performance based than most content.

It's up to you ofcourse, but I'd seriously recommend deciding on a damage type then replaying a couple missions to get all of that type. Same with tac consoles - you probably want to get all your tac slots filled with consoles that directly boost your main weapon type.

It would dramatically improve your fit where the nimbus clicky would no longer need to be your crutch.

[Lord Revan]

there's 2 issues I can see first hand with your build, first off pick a energy type and stick to it (the energy type consoles give you more +dmg per console then the weapon type ones). Second is that you shouldn't mix beams and cannons (only exception I'd say is the Borg Kinectic Cutting Beam and even that's debateble).

people with more experience with min/maxing probably can explain the details

[The Romulan Republic]

...

My inner gaming nerd just cringed. That isn't just bad, it's hilariously awful.

You know that you can replay missions to get equipment that is a mark lower than you originally got it, right? So if you rerun a mission that originally gave you a mark 12 thing then you will be able to get the same matching thing at mark 11?

There's enough missions across the entire game that you can replay them once or twice and have a full rack of weapon types that match. You'll need to match once/if you decide to start running STFs because they're more performance based than most content.

It's up to you ofcourse, but I'd seriously recommend deciding on a damage type then replaying a couple missions to get all of that type. Same with tac consoles - you probably want to get all your tac slots filled with consoles that directly boost your main weapon type.

It would dramatically improve your fit where the nimbus clicky would no longer need to be your crutch.

I know you can replay missions, but it kind of damages any believability in the story for me to play things out of order for an advantage, though I'll probably replay stuff eventually.

That's what it comes down to, I think: I don't care about what's most powerful/winning so much as the story and setting. Its more about role playing in the Star Trek universe for me. Perhaps its my writers' personality.

Good enough to handle the current mission is good enough for me, and I've more or less got that.

That said, I'll certainly consider reasonable suggestions, especially when and if I run into something I can't handle. And since this has become a general purpose Star Trek Online thread, its nice to have all these tips in one place where others can read them.

Edit:

there's 2 issues I can see first hand with your build, first off pick a energy type and stick to it (the energy type consoles give you more +dmg per console then the weapon type ones). Second is that you shouldn't mix beams and cannons (only exception I'd say is the Borg Kinectic Cutting Beam and even that's debateble).

people with more experience with min/maxing probably can explain the details

I would like to move back toward a phaser-based armament for stylistic reasons. Though replacing all my beam weapons with omni-directional turrets holds some appeal.

[Coaan]

I'd start by deciding what kinds of damage type you want to go with. Phaser? Disruptor? Once you know that, you can start planning upgrades and looking for cheap bargains on the exchange

If you are hurting for energy credits, mark 12 whites are always a good option. People will list all kinds of things on there to try and get some credits for them - look around for prices and use that as a metric for deciding on your type.

You can then also look for the appropriate flavour tac consoles for your beams because those are the weapons you'll be hitting with most often, so it makes sense to have consoles that directly boost their damage. Picking your damage type is important though as the best beam damage consoles directly improve your damage type rather than your weapon type.

You don't have to heed this advice if you don't want, but I'd encourage you to look into changing things up as your current ship is going to start struggling at the end of the delta arc.

Either that or find a bunch of people to run around with. In addition to being straight up more fun, it also increases loot drop chance/quality.

[The Romulan Republic]

I think I have a lot of energy credits right now.

As for damage type, like I said, I'd kind of like to go back to a phaser-based armament. It just doesn't feel quite right to be on a Federation ship without those classic orange beams (though there's something visually wonderful about the lethal rainbow when my ship opens fire- my broadside looks like a six gun salute to gay pride).

And I think I'll choose between beams and canons like Lord Revan mentioned. Specifically, I think I'll lose the canons. I prefer the reach of beams (or better still, turrets).

[Lord Revan]

Some of the later Delta Quadrant missions can get really hard with something like your current build, Phaser beams are decent enough and at this point don't have to optimize the modifiers so you might be able to get some mark 11 ones fairly cheap.

Full turret build won't work, even with heavy turrets they just don't do enough DPS. Turrets are generally best used as rear weapons in a cannon build as they count as cannons for most tac skills.

[Coaan]

Turrets are technically cannon based weaponry - I'd go with beams for the sheer amount of flexibility that fire at will has.

With only a lieutenant tactical bridge officer slot on your ship, it'll provide the most bang for your buck. Majority of cannon powers become really useful at lieutenant commander tac and above.

[The Romulan Republic]

Some of the later Delta Quadrant missions can get really hard with something like your current build, Phaser beams are decent enough and at this point don't have to optimize the modifiers so you might be able to get some mark 11 ones fairly cheap.

Full turret build won't work, even with heavy turrets they just don't do enough DPS. Turrets are generally best used as rear weapons in a cannon build as they count as cannons for most tac skills.

Perhaps I'll aim for six phaser beam arrays and two quantum or photon torpedo launchers, then. Classic Federation design.

Regarding energy credits, I currently have 235,654. I'm surprised that I have that many, but then again, I suppose I haven't been using them much lately. I've been relying on plunder rather than purchasing to upgrade my ship and I haven't used them on transwarp much recently.

I'd also like to enquire about weapons for my little Runabout. I'm not going to list everything it has on board, but its weapons are a Plasma Torpedo Launcher Mk IX and a Tetryon Turret Mk X.

Edit: Coaan, you are mistaken. I have two Tactical Bridge Officers, both Commanders. I don't think I can promote them any higher, though.

[Lord Revan]

Turrets are technically cannon based weaponry - I'd go with beams for the sheer amount of flexibility that fire at will has.

there also the point that turrets don't really hit hard enought to be viable as main weapons and the Sovvie doesn't have the turn rate to really use cannons effectivly.