Star Trek Online....

Since last time I posted; this last week or so has seen patches and patches to fix problems coming from the patches. It's all good in the end. Events have ended on Xbox(Iuppiter Iratus) and started on PC(Red Alerts and Phoenix Prize packs); All the while the summer event is ongoing on both. 

I've cut back my daily activities on Risa for the event, not all but a good few and still doing the daily for the Dil reward. With the event store and the Phoenix event available I've taken all my characters to both stores to make sure they 'have all they need'... Work for idle hands an all. Which has gotten out of control to the point of getting pets(mainly Caracals) the match the alt....

Which also means I've done enough to claim the summer events reward ship. A ship in practice that's more divisive than I thought it would be. Still not as many players in space in the ship on claim day...

Not from what I've seen; Nor many of them about in general. However seeing it in action I'm more conflicted about the ship than I thought I would be. 

When viewed from a distance the new ship model seems to appear as a frame rather than a full ship... I'm sure that'll get patched.

The Cnidarian Defender; In non jelly fish mode it's not as bad as I thought, as it still has some maneuverability(more than I thought it would have). I'm conflicted because I want to say that any other ship would be better than it for any kind of general/casual player over it; But as niche as it is ... It's still 'decent'. Saying not to choose it is unfair. But I'm still left wondering why fly it over any other with the same number of console slots..... Obvious answer is it's specific console mode.

In jellyfish mode(Cnidarian Defense) it is as niche as I thought it would be; Which in practice means you need to know when to activate it. In that mode it does do massive damage. So much so I've named my(PC) mains version of the ship AFK.DND. Seeing it in action it boggles my mind on how such a ship has actually gotten into the game. A ship with a mode that doesn't need a player to do anything.... 

Free may be free but again, any cheap ship(like really cheap) off the exchange should be a better ship to fly in general for the majority of players. Niche is niche. You can still fly the ship with effective use in 'normal mode' but I think a player would get more(speed, utility, effectiveness, less time wasted) from any other ship.

Time will tell how this ship fairs with longterm useage.... I think it will peter out leaving only a handful of top end min/max players using it.

Counterpoint was a very interesting TFO to play with another player in group who was also in the new ship; We both took jelly form on the opposing stations(then both in jelly mode for the end fight). Timings worked well and it was a quick TFO. One TFO run to rule them all.... 

Other TFO's proved that players were just popping jelly mode whenever just because(then be on cooldown for the 'boss' fights or other opportunities where it would have been of better use). 

It's a fun ship in situations but unless you use it well and don't waste the jelly mode on small out of the way trash it does makes TFO's quicker.... It's just niche.

That said there are some great TFOs and patrols where you can sit in one spot, activate the jelly mode and just let the auto DPS do it's work.....  Great for certain endeavours etc.

A Casual Carebear Gamer

Even with a shít fit from the bottom of the inventory and in non jelly mode it's not that bad. 

I've tried to test it as much as I can and it's proved adequate when I've been optimal with it. It's OP in jelly mode and fun; Again when it's in the right situation.... Yet it's so so hard as a player(maybe its just me) to do nothing while in jelly mode...... The rotation muscle memory is strong and I kept clicking on buttons/abilities to make myself 'feel' useful even if the abilities do noting to help. I'm sure there are many players who have worked out what does and does not help and have optimized that angle of game-play.

Maybe there's a fit and optimization that allows the Jelly more to be activated sooner form the default cooldown(that would be interesting).

In a patrol, with my sheeeet fit from the bottom of my inventory in an optimal jelly mode position it hit up to over 150k DPS. That as a casual player is great.... It's OP for what it is and what it does.  For players in general... In certain situations.....

Like I said the ship is divisive. Love or loath it, for yourself or how groups see it; It'll be welcomed by groups or shunned....

If I'm constantly bemoaning the casual PUG's that can't DPS marked targets or understand basic TFO's, never mind the tactics(even when the NPC's keep repeating themselves).... Best of luck if they want to fly and try it as their day in day ship; But they would be better off (as would the players they are with, know them or not) if they were in any other ship.... Catch 22 when a player wants to get used to it in action, making the mistakes of the learning process.....

But for me for now I'll keep the ship with the fit it has and wheel it out every now and again just for fun.....

I've not played with the ship on any character on Xbox; I likely never will.

On a completely different note... I've seen some cool fun characters in game, Kudos to them all: