Star Trek Online....

Ships, ships, ships.

Last week I took to my mains ship roster with a eye to improve what I needed and clear what I didn't. Improving on Bridge officers, ship gear, abilities and attributes. Through the course of a few days I went through each ship in turn. Improved and upgrading each as I went with some being stripped and dry docked or discharged. I'm no min/maxer but the proof was in the Advanced TFO pudding. If it was better in action then I'd stuck with it in the roster and compare how each went.

My blogging intention was to show lots of screenshots and video footage detailing each ship and my decisions for change, pro or con. However all that was thrown out the window by the Nvidia capture software recording my secondary screen rather than the primary and so no game footage for me to review, post or screen cap. Sucks. Disappointment was lack of motivation to continue. To redo things would be a pain. Yet in retrospect I can cut the chaff from the wheat, do an overview and be more precise still give detail without the need to with some waffle(who'd a thunk it!). I am after all a casual player. So here it is.

However in order to do this post I've hit another snag. I'm away from home this week working off my laptop. A good gaming laptop even after more than a few years but one that's showing it's age. With luck that will be forgiven by the fact that it's STO I'll be taking screenshots of....

In using the DPS charts to track damage/abilities I've come to two conclusions that I can make with certainty. That relying on DPS numbers is unreliable(even in the most controlled circumstances there's to much that can't be controlled. Unlike WoW, STO doesn't have target dummies that you can test a rotation on. So the DPS numbers helped only to gouge a ship in a group. So if a ship came middle of the 5 players in a TFO I was happy that it was 'viable'. The other conclusion is that the auto levelling of players to TFO's(if they are a lower level) is a skew on statistics that can't give accuracy, like for like in real player DPS numbers. At least not in a TFO 'in the wild'. I do think the bottom of the barrel DPS players are those that run TFO's but are 'boosted' in level by the game. Then again maybe not.

Going on gut and seeing numbers proc in space was a better way of 'telling' if a ship/fit/abilities were 'good'. Subjectively good for my character. Seeing my Xbox character for this (at least to me) proves my gut instinct. After all these ships are for my specific character(main for this post) with his specific abilities/unlocks/trait selections etc... 

I may not have learned much since the last time I went though a reassessment of my mains ships but I have learned some things. It's was worth the effort.

Bottom to top here's the list of ships.

Two disruptor based builds are joint bottom place. Both T5 purchasable from the exchange. Both are hanging onto that spot by their fingernails. Both have been the recipients of swapping their better level gear to other ships higher up the food chain.

Bottom of the bottom two, the T5-U Hirogen Hunter Heavy Escort. Mainly because it's slower and has slightly less DPS. 

Elachi dual beam disruptors up front, with Two space sets, the Omega force space set and the House Martok space set. A mish mash of free and upgraded items. For testing everything was mark XV. Image here is from after it gifted gear to better ships, lower than mark XV shows what went what went after testing. The tactical consoles were damage specific but no suitable replacement was in inventory so it was a case of make do. It was bottom of the list, close to being dry-docked so its no wonder really(this time).

The Other ship, a T5-U Tholian Meshweaver Escort is as fast as it is fun. Small, speedy and ultra maneuverable. It is a blast to fly. the type of ship that makes you giggle. Pretty much the same layout/fit of the previous T5-U Hirogen but with Withering disruptors instead. The new Event reward Space set is here along with the Martok space set. Again for testing everything was mark XV but with the exception of the 'Heirloom' 4 piece space set that is automatically mark XIV. Image here is from after it gifted gear to better ships after it's testing.

Both ships are serviceable, both do the job and both have their moments but there are better ships to have.

Next....

Next on the list is the T6 Alliance Battlecruiser. The exact opposite from the previous 2 in terms of speed and maneuverability. It's greater DPS saved it.

This Frankenstein's monster was all about (Radiant)Antiproton damage and it mainly still is but after some changes I added in the Prolonged Engagement set. The new Event reward Space set makes another appearance. Again for testing everything was mark XV and again the exception of the 'Heirloom' 4 piece. 

Image here is very much from after it (was gutted) gifted gear to better ships after testing. Not much to say other than it beat the previous ships on dealing damage, slow in space but with a punch. Not much of a punch but a punch all the same. The only other Antiproton ship I have is a cannon build so if nothing else it's a (mainly) antiproton beam build that will do endeavor objectives. In fact the more I think about it the more I want to use the cannon build over it.

Next....

Next was a ship that got Dry-Docked. Perhaps the ship with the most expensive fit I've ever tried but at least it's fit got moved to the last ship in this list which is my Pilot Risian Corvette. A better fit for a better ship. I'd messaged the youtuber on twitter for any pointers on what I'd done wrong/misjudged or didn't understand etc; But despite an initially favorable response I'd not heard anything since. Pity but time waits for no-one, one way or the other. 

Next up is the Shran, Pilot, Light Escort. 

I 'feel' I've got better cannon builds. For me I'm finding I can't properly use such a fast cannon build that needs specific facing arcs of fire. Not something I could be proficient at with this ship(or at least it felt that way). To me this ship is to much hard work. I initially liked it's charge in reverse boost and hammer dps on all in front of it..... But yea, to much like hard work.

It's build and use are not how I do cannon builds, I realize that now. Worth a try and worth getting through a charity event but not a ship for me in practice(for now).

Next....

This ships fate still hangs in the balance, the Elachi Qulash Frigate.

I really need to look into these Cannon builds more before making things 'final'.

Hmmmmmm cannons, it and the Shran are 'provisional' placements.

Next....

The T6 Temporal Raider. A ship that ticked all the boxes in what I should like in a ship but in practice didn't live up to the expectations. Other ships, event rewards always outdid it's performance in my view. The more time has passed the stronger that view. Still it's like a combination of all the previous ships(I've kept), fast, maneuverable and with punch. A plan 'ol disruptor beam build with the new reward space set as well as the Martok space set. 

Next....

If the ships before it were versions of Frankensteins monster, this fit really is an abomination a mish-mash of a fit. The T6 Fek'Ihri S'Torr Warship is an interesting ship built to pull enemies in front of it, blast'em with cannon fire and then run them over and damage them with it's flaming exhaust.

While I don't really use it as intended, it's fast, maneuverable and cool to see in combat. 

2 Dual and a dual heavy Radiant Antiproton cannons up front with 4 turrets in the back. For me it's an easier ship to aim cannons with which is why it made the list over the Shran. 

Next....

The Cardassian Intel Flight Deck Carrier, one of the better (for me) carrier ships I have. Not that I fully respect it with a fit but what I have works. Some ship fits are victims of circumstance. I think this is true for all my ships, this one especially. One fit built on the fit that came before. I like this ship, fast for it's size, packs a punch and covers all the bases that work for me. A definite step up in abilities than the ships that came before in the viability list. 

It was with this ship that I first used the Console - Universal - Graviton Displacer outside of the Shran escort that that console comes on. A lot of ships have a lot to thank the Shran for; Even if I don't use the ship itself(much). The Graviton displacer is a gravity ball on a selfie stick in front of your ship. Which is great to mop up enemies. However it was the addition of using the Hyper-focused Trinary Array that made it 'a fun thing' for me to use. Mop up a bunch of ships and then use the 3 beam aoe to maximum effect(in my view). Fun.

Something that now also works with the addition of the new space set and its Mycelium Emitter ability. A step up from a duo to a trio combination. Interesting(not the best Gif created but enough to get the idea). Fun factor alone keeps this as is.

Next....

As big a jump in DPs and survival. The Ferengi D'Kora Marauder. A T5-U that may as well be a T6 ship(imho). So many slots it covers a lot of ground. 

A Jack of all trades that delivers. Another ship I love. Packs a bigger punch with survivability. The only space set I have on it is the new reward Space set; With other parts that fit the bill for survival and DPS. Another ship fit that's developed over time. 

The Marauder Battle Mode is one I appreciate and the swarm Missiles add to the fun. great ship to fly even if it's slower then most it makes up for it with damage.

Next....

A(The?) T6 Battlecruiser. The ugly duckling of my Federation ships. Not one I was drawn to, until I tried it out. Not as big a step up in DPS/survivability than the last ship but still enough of an improvement(as it is) all round to warrant it next in the list.

Phaser based with two torpedoes that I'm still not sure about running. Fit with the Sol defence space set, Discovery Lorca's space set and the Prolonged Engagement space set (with console).

Slower than the last ship but doesn't feel like it due to a better broadsiding arc's of fire. Handy for Torpedoes.

Next (3)....

The next three are on par with each other, fast, effective and powerful. Love'em all. Great ships. My mainstay lineup, all event reward ships as well. In order Tetryon, Plasma and Phaser based and all upgraded to T-X.

Next....

Last but not least the recipient of the Risian luxury cruisers fit went to the Pilot Corvette which does give higher dps and maneuverability. Still a toss up on mood for flying any of my top 4. Fun is fun.

Further culling and changes needed for sure and a look further into cannons but for now that'll do.