Star Trek Online Discussion Thread (now free to play!)

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Ok, first thing you should do is change the power preset.
By your discription you have the starter balanced power setting which is crap without spending a lot if skill points inter power output.
Put weapons power to max.
There is a manual way to set it but for starters use the attack preset.
That alone should make your weapons worthwhile for now.

The you most likely have two beam arrays and a torpedo in front.
What you need to do is broadside the target. Beam arrays have overlaying firing arcs, so you can double your energy damage.
Use torpedos mainly to shoot the target when it's shield facing is gone.
Against s bare hull the torpedos do a lot more damage than beams while being near useless against shields.
That's the reason you shouldn't run pure torpedo boats because you can't get the shields down with them.

Get back to us when you need more advice.

Abd make sure to let us now your name@handle to invite you to the fleet.

 

[intrinsical]

Also team heals are Sci team, clears debuffs and restores some shields.

I don't know, science team has a 2 minute cooldown which makes it nearly useless for healing given that the borg can deal the same amount of damage in just 2-3 seconds.

 

[SPEKTRE76]

Ok, first thing you should do is change the power preset.
By your discription you have the starter balanced power setting which is crap without spending a lot if skill points inter power output.
Put weapons power to max.
There is a manual way to set it but for starters use the attack preset.
That alone should make your weapons worthwhile for now.

The you most likely have two beam arrays and a torpedo in front.
What you need to do is broadside the target. Beam arrays have overlaying firing arcs, so you can double your energy damage.
Use torpedos mainly to shoot the target when it's shield facing is gone.
Against s bare hull the torpedos do a lot more damage than beams while being near useless against shields.
That's the reason you shouldn't run pure torpedo boats because you can't get the shields down with them.

Get back to us when you need more advice.

Abd make sure to let us now your name@handle to invite you to the fleet.

My STO name is spektre76. Yeah I figured out the weapons power thing today and thanks to your advice about facing the target where my weapon banks are helped me complete my mission. I've been swatting Birds of Prey out of space all day long, LOL.


OH TO THOSE WHO BOUGHT STARSHIPS AT THE C-STORE.

• You DO NOT NEED to buy two ship slots. Just press 'U' on your keyboard.

• Then look for a Star Fleet Communicator style logo.

• Double click and click 'Commission'.

• The just name her and give her an NCC # that starts with '9'.

• Then warp to the Sol System and dock with Earth Space Dock

• Go to the Ship Yard Requistions and you'll see your new ship.

• Select her and enjoy!

I've been enjoying my NX-01 for six hours now! I can't wait to hit LCDR-01 so I can get a Starship token and get my 'Akira' class ship.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Ok, first thing you should do is change the power preset.
By your discription you have the starter balanced power setting which is crap without spending a lot if skill points inter power output.
Put weapons power to max.
There is a manual way to set it but for starters use the attack preset.
That alone should make your weapons worthwhile for now.

The you most likely have two beam arrays and a torpedo in front.
What you need to do is broadside the target. Beam arrays have overlaying firing arcs, so you can double your energy damage.
Use torpedos mainly to shoot the target when it's shield facing is gone.
Against s bare hull the torpedos do a lot more damage than beams while being near useless against shields.
That's the reason you shouldn't run pure torpedo boats because you can't get the shields down with them.

Get back to us when you need more advice.

Abd make sure to let us now your name@handle to invite you to the fleet.

My STO name is spektre76. Yeah I figured out the weapons power thing today and thanks to your advice about facing the target where my weapon banks are helped me complete my mission. I've been swatting Birds of Prey out of space all day long, LOL.


OH TO THOSE WHO BOUGHT STARSHIPS AT THE C-STORE.

• You DO NOT NEED to buy two ship slots. Just press 'U' on your keyboard.

• Then look for a Star Fleet Communicator style logo.

• Double click and click 'Commission'.

• The just name her and give her an NCC # that starts with '9'.

• Then warp to the Sol System and dock with Earth Space Dock

• Go to the Ship Yard Requistions and you'll see your new ship.

• Select her and enjoy!

I've been enjoying my NX-01 for six hours now! I can't wait to hit LCDR-01 so I can get a Starship token and get my 'Akira' class ship.

Actually the Akira is Commander. The Sabre is Lt.Commander.

 

[SilentP]

GRRRRR!!!!! Grinded silly amount of Elite space STFs for EDCs to get my last Rare Tech requisition to complete my MACO Mk XI set. What drop do I get in my first Normal playthrough after spending 40 EDC? The exact Tech Salvage I needed for those Engines.

Again, FUUUU.............!

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

GRRRRR!!!!! Grinded silly amount of Elite space STFs for EDCs to get my last Rare Tech requisition to complete my MACO Mk XI set. What drop do I get in my first Normal playthrough after spending 40 EDC? The exact Tech Salvage I needed for those Engines.

Again, FUUUU.............!

Yes, the secret requirement for a tech drop, owning the piece already. Same thong happened to me twice. The good thing, now you can use it to get the other piece, too.

 

[Hitman]

The new STF timer is the Kahless' bollocks! It brings nothing to the game other then more frustration.

PUGss are rendered useless, and then there are the many bugs that still plague the game, like the invisible torps, and shots that deal 300K damage.

In my Klingon toon, I run with a all tactical crew that flies only BoPs, as it is our favorite ship in the game. We do speed runs on elite, and never take more then 8 minutes to complete any of the space STFs, with optionals. The consequence of that is we die, a lot, four, five times per match.

With the new rules, now we must look for other ships, as we can't tank in a BoP, and not loose DPS in return, which would make our runs longer - and less fun for us.

People like me and my crew will now have to change ships, to ones we don't like to play with, just because of a change that no one asked for - and that was made because Cryptic spends their time doing lock-box events and not new STF missions.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Yeah, but seriously, can it be intended that a mission is won by deliberately dying repeatedly?
I don't think so.
Of course that is not your fault, but a flaw in game design.

Although I would prefer taking 3 minutes longer than staring at a respawn timer, even if it takes only 15 seconds.

 

[Scout101]

Of course, the only way to get the optional on half of them is to max out DPS, usually at the expense of survivability. Now they wanna punish you for making that choice?

Eventually they'll all end up like Infected Ground Elite, where there's no sense even bothering on the optional unless you've got a squad special-built and practiced at just running that. Technically not impossible, but I've never even seen it CLOSE to being done.

Would much rather they work on making a NEW set of STFs than just tweaking these to death. NO SHIT people have found all the ways to exploit these; they haven't had much else to do, and because of the insulting drop rate for tech, most people have run these missions hundreds of times. If you don't have it mastered by now, you're hopeless! The answer shouldn't be to reduce the timer, force more objectives, and strengthen the enemies again, though. Make new STFs!

Pretty much all I do is cycle the DOFF missions and run a few STFs when I log in. The distant hope of completing a MK XII set keeps me poking at it, but beyond bored at the repetitiveness of these missions. ISE is the only one I've got a Mk XII tech on, and I have both. Thankfully, don't have to play that one again. The rest, though, I just mindlessly grind.

Not sure why it's even worth bitching about the optionals, though. The drop is usually insulting at best, and even the Rare Salvage is essentially worthless once you're played enough STFs and have a stockpile of Prototype Salvages. Those were useful until you finished spec'ing out a ship in all Mk XII DHCs and Quantums, but once you've filled your Escort with them, and made a beam boat that you'll never fly anyway, what's left? I've got like an extra 20 of them sitting in the bank. The RBS I've probably got 40 or so, and can't even think of anything worth doing with them. Turn in for Dilithium, I guess...

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Turning them in for dilithium is pretty lucrative. It's probably one of the easiest way to earn dilithium.
The mission reward plus the turned in salvage will let you easily get to the daily limit in a little over an hour.
Do the other dailys and doff stuff and you are set for the rest of the week. Frees you up for mission replays, foundry, dabo, Fleetactions, just hanging around somewhere with friends. Enjoyed that all week.

I've been running my 150th STF and by now I know the tactics inside and out. Nothing there is impossible, from Cure Space to beating Armek (can be incredibly easy btw) to beating the optional on Infected Ground.
The last one is not easy. It requires a smooth running team and not a single mistake.
You must balance it perfectly between pressing forward relentlessly without starting to panic because time is running short.
Knowing the lines you can not cross because it would trigger the next assimilation is essential.
Tacs and Engineers have the best DPS, Scis can heal what damage the rest of the team receives.
Now you don't need MACO gear to succeed.
Just get plasma resistant armor and shields, grab an Antiproton Sniper and Pulsewave Rifle and switch them depending on situation.
Snipe ALL the mobs from before the trigger lines. You don't have to know exactly where they are. Rule of thumb, when you have a sniper lock you are far enough, don't worry, the Borg will come you.
Tacs, use all the buffs you have, engineers, spam turrets and drone, even scis can help with debuffing, stripping shields and dumping a firebarrier on top of them.
Most runs you make sure there is no more resistance before you charge in to rescue the crewmen, but that usually leads to missing the deadline by at least 2-3 minutes.
Go in and split up
Make sure everyone knows his role.
2 people kill the assimilation workers, the rest distracts any drones left. This will be be fought point blank range, use the pulsewave shotguns for maximum damage.
If you put constant pressure on the Borg and have killed Captain Ogden by the 10 minute mark you can make it.
But don't lose your head here. From the room before Ogden on you have to save 2 crewmen at the same time. Make again sure everyone knows what his job is.
It may take a few tries to get it right, but eventually you will.

As for beating Armek... Until that one gets changed again the shotgun method is a surefire way to beat him.
Before Armek gets active everyone get his shotgun ready, hug him from behind and as soon as he becomes targetable basically blow his assimilated head of. He might get a shot off or two, but if you time it right he won't live for 5 seconds taking that kind of damage.
Pop a hypo in the brief period when is unvulnerable but doesn't fire, or if you didn't take damage before, use a powercell for more dps.

 

[intrinsical]

Of course, the only way to get the optional on half of them is to max out DPS, usually at the expense of survivability. Now they wanna punish you for making that choice?

I find that the underlying reason for the current situation in STFs really due to a lot of players not taking advantage of their class strengths. This is especially true for Engineers who can't or won't tank. All Cruisers and some Science Vessels are designed to take the brunt of the attacks in STFs, acting as a screen so that escort ships can get close and destroy targets. And without a tank absorbing all the incoming damage, tactical officers in escorts are forced to hover far away at 9+ km range lobbing pot shots instead of going to their optimal firing range of <5 km for maximum dps.

With a decent tank in the group grabbing the Borg's attention and absorbing all the incoming damage, all other ships can get up close to their targets and really pummel on the Borg ships without worry. In fact, I have been in groups consisting of a decent tanking cruiser and 2 (low dps) science vessels and 2 (high dps) escort. We can complete the CSE optional with 5 minutes to spare. Proof that you don't need extreme dps to complete the optional.

Being able to run an STF with 5 escorts that can succeed even though they keep dying is an aberration and that is what Cryptic is trying to stop with the new cumulative respawn timer mechanic. It is a good move on their part. It promotes better teamwork. It promotes the use of cruisers and science vessels. I think its a brilliant move that kills two birds with one stone.

 

[Scout101]

That WOULD lead to optimal team builds, if any of the game mechanics had you able to set that up. You either PUG and it's completely out of your control, or grab a group from the Fleet (can control that) or from the EliteSTF chat. That one gets you people that know what they are doing, but doesn't do much to make sure you have a couple TAC, couple ENG, etc.

Again, not a shock that people have figured out every exploit in these things; they made us run them hundreds of times. Make new ones instead of just repeatedly making these harder...

 

[Rocketeer]

I agree that having STF missions that can be solved just using high DPS need to be retooled to require a mix of ships and abilities.

.

 

[Scout101]

It needs to allow an easier way to queue up like that, then. Right now, it's pot luck

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Maybe they could change the UI so you can flag yourself as DPS, TANK, HEALER/CONTROLLER and let the queue show how many of each class are in it...

Give it a 10 piece color bar that shows 6 red, 2 gold and 2 blue for 3 DPS, 1 Tank and one spellcaster forexample...

Would allow people to see and join where they are needed or helpful.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Sovereign +1 is confirmed as coming (without ETA, but sounds pretty definitive and not far off).
Also: http://forums.startrekonline.com/showpost.php?p=4166366&postcount=12

 

[Scout101]

Agree that a change to how you queue up would be beneficial, but still think this is all avoiding the real problem.

The problem ISN'T that these things are too easy. Anyone without enough experience still gets slaughtered and frustrated. Problem is that thousands of people have played these missions hundreds of times each. We've mastered them, for the most part. It's not a problem of Pure DPS being the exploit, it's that people have run these so many times (and because of drop rate, have to KEEP grinding them), so they've figured out the easiest way to get through one as fast as possible.

the game didn't get easier, it's just it's mostly populated with experts. They used to be hard, but after you've run KASE 100 times, is there really anything left to challenge you? CSE and CGE were almost impossible for most people when they kicked the new STFs off. think back now, when was the last time you even FAILED one of those (excepting when you decided to go with a PUG team, or just got a 'tard in your group that wouldn't listen. Or a AFKer, I guess)? I stopped doing the Cure missions for a while because they were too hard, but between weapon loadout and having the strategy perfected, can't even remember the last time I failed it, now.

Tweaking the rules isn't going to change much. it'll be hard for a little while, but because we have to grind these out, someone will figure out the new optimal setup, or the exploit that was missed, and they'll be in the same boat.

It's time to admit that these have been completely used up, accept them for what they are, and make a NEW set to work on. Otherwise, this'll just eventually snowball to the point where it's all 1-shot enemies and you have 45 seconds to finish the mission before failure just so people can't beat it "easily" anymore.

they've already been cut down from "fun" to "grind", don't make them suck to the point where people just quit. I'm already close on one character. I've got the Borg Deflector/Engine and the MACO XII shield, so that's the optimum at the moment, no reason to keep trying to grind XII other than to complete the set. Which I keep trying for, but even when I get the other pieces, not sure that I'm gonna use them. Until after they tweak the set bonuses for the 10th time and make them more useful again...

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

I am trying to complete the ground sets for the costume options mostly.

And the accolades..
Its just the grind the missions x number of times accolade and the drop accolades which are left. All the skill accolades i got..

 

[intrinsical]

In defense of Cryptic, I'ld say that players often misjudge the amount of work required to bring a mission to the live servers. Something like the Friday the 13th "Hearts and Minds" episode probably took at least a man-month's work. Adding a new STF is going to take at least half a man-year's worth of work.

I know so because I have tried to create my own web-based space game in the past. Its no longer being developed, but you can still login to the test game via a google account at http://extrasolar-dev.appspot.com/ . As a reference, it took me 3 years to get the game to the stage it was when I abandoned it. The time is inclusive of writing the game design docs, creation of art assets, programming, developing processes and a whole lot more. For instance, it took me over half a year to develop a process to create planets that looks satisfactory. It took another 3 months to churn out a set of 30 planets, consisting of each image in various sizes (to simulate distance) and at various rotation angles.

These things takes time, as dstahl have eluded in a recent post:

In defense of the kind soul who spent their own personal time making this mission quite some time ago but was asked if they would hold of publishing it so we use it for a fun little Friday the 13th event - that person doesn't deserve the crap laid on them by this thread.

Since F2P launched we have seen one of the most intense 5 week Feature Episode series, a new fully produced KDF episode, a remade KDF Fleet Action, an updated FED/KDF Fleet Action, a Star Trek themed Holiday accompanied by a sale, entirely new worldwide missions on Defera, a fun little friday the 13th episode, and next week you are getting a level 51 shuttle 5 man mission.

On top of that Season 6 is under heavy development which will bring a new Defera like ground invasion, several new 5 man events, new 20 man Fleet events that take place at your starbase, along with starbase construction missions, the start of the PVP overhaul, new Foundry content and anything else like tonight's episode that someone on the team wants to spend their own after hours time making.

So while I can understand the frustration of the last year, since we launched F2P, it has been a lot more content and a lot more on the way.

I can appreciate skepticism, but the hate dumped on an employee who made something fun for everyone to do on Friday the 13th is a bit much.

p.s. lock boxes and rewards in them don't take "mission" resources - they take systems and costume resources (some of which can even be outsourced). Software and Content teams are doing nothing but making new game features and mission content every day = i.e. Season 6

They just released F2P three months ago and changed executive producers. I'm sure they are very aware that long time subscribers are sick of the current set of STFs and new f2p players are starting to be too familiar with STFs. Cryptic want to release new STFs too and I remember reading someone in Cryptic saying that they're trying to push out "Into The Hive" STF as soon as they can.

Give them time.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Problem is, they underestimate the work that needs to be done, as well. They announced Into the Hive (and Children of Khan for that matter) way back when the other 4 STFs were released originally.
At that point they have set up certain expectations and couldn't or wouldn't deliver.
The reason is clear, a whole lot of other stuff has come up and is keeping doing so.
They really should learn not to announce things until they are done.
They did the same thing with the last FE. Stahl himself was boasting episode one is nearly finished and that he test played it almost a year ago. Next thing we know DeAngelo doesn't know anything about that and work in it had only just begun (end of last year) to the point where they barely were able to release it on the target date in a very buggy state.

So I bet not a singly line of code has been written yet for Into the Hive, but screw that it is still just around the corner ever since Season 3.
Season 6 is upon us, targeted for June, with supposedly a ton of new content.
I am willing to bet they won't make it in June and they won't put half the content into it's release... The 2800 was supposed to cone out with season 4...

I love the game, but please Cryptic, don't keep making promises you can't keep...