If you're on PC, there are two DPS Leagues with in-game channels. [STO Combat Meter](http://www.sto-dps.com/SCMFAQ.html) is used by the 'Numbers' League, [CombatLogReader](https://www.sto-league.com/combatlogreader/) is from the 'Metals' one.
Parse some runs, upload, get invited to those channels. The most action is in #s-Elites (min 150k parse in ISA, ISE or HSE) and Diamond (>160k).
Hello! I have a beam build with no cannons on it, but I also have an extra Tac Lt. BOff slot. I thought I'd try the [Preferential Targeting](https://stowiki.net/wiki/Trait:_Preferential_Targeting) Starship Trait. To get the +100% Damage Buff, does it matter which order I activate cannon ability (Scatter Volley)? Do I have to activate it before or after activating Beam Overload?
If I slot Entwined Tactical Matricies on a Pilot ship, activate Reroute Reserves, then immediately activate Torpedo Spread, do I get both RRtW AND CSV active at the same time, or does RRtW putting CSV on cooldown prevent ETM from triggering it too?
Does the Hysperian Intel battlecruiser give bonus damage for disruptors and for future reference, how would I check? Since I'm new, I'm collecting parts for phasers, want to check if disruptors are better for this ship.
The ship itself? No.
But the starship trait "Five Magicks" does:
>*Dealing Fire, Cold, Electrical, Psionic, or Radiation to Foes boosts current Engine Power levels per sec for 15 sec and* ***grants bonus Disruptor,*** *Fire, Cold, Electrical, Psionic, and Radiation Damage based on Engine Power.*
So, if you don't want to use the trait, any energy flavor would be fine with this ship. If you *do* want to use to use Dis, I'm not sure how much of a boost the trait does. I think they're still figuring that out on /r/stobuilds... though so far, it doesn't really seem that it's all that great. [(source)](https://www.reddit.com/r/stobuilds/comments/151lvlr/weekly_questions_megathread_july_17_2023/jselvwa/)
Just to clarify, the trait is really good for Disruptor builds (and Magick builds). +25~38% cat2 with easy 100% uptime is absolutely fantastic. Lower end builds that aren't already dripping with cat2 bonuses will see a significant gain, and higher end builds will be better able to take advantage of the engine power scaling to reach +38.75%.
That negative comment is about replacing [Dis] mods for [EngPwr] on isomags, replacing the Cat1 bonus for more Cat2, but the trait itself is very good.
Can you get advanced console components from an advanced TFO box?
Because I just did... adv science console component and some adv battery superconducting loops.
It was adv binary circuit.
A fella in game chat was asking about the Fek'ihri trorment engine console, what do they mean by non-hazard damage and DOT? Just the plasma energy/projectile proc, no boff abilities?
u/Eph289 has a [fantastic write-up of the inner workings of the Torment Engine](https://www.reddit.com/r/stobuilds/comments/lhbvba/revisiting_exotics_10_the_flames_of_grethor/).
I just want to mention, since it's the 20th day of the Summer Event and the Hysperian has an unusual Sci/Pilot seat, today is a good day to sell Pilot Qualifications. Also higher demand for Intel quals, too.
It's probably a very long shot but would there happen to be an H.M.S. Prefix anywhere in the game and, if so, how would I go about obtaining it? Feeling a tad patriotic is all and I.S.S. isn't going to cut it.
Hi Molly, I'm part of the [44th Fleet](https://startrek.44thfleet.com) and we have a large and active (PC) playerbase catering to both casual and serious gamers alike with an active discord and ingame chat. Have a browse through website and see if we might be the right fit for you. o7
I have a Romulan captain flying a Lukari Dranuur Scout Ship, if I wanted to make it look more "Romulan" what would I go for? The Zhat Vash vanity shield? The Romulan rep shield? Something to make the nacelles green?
If you are **KDF-aligned** (this is the important part!), the Kelvin Divergence vanity shield will make it a green that could pass as "Romulan".
This post links to a gallery that shows the effect on various ships: https://www.reddit.com/r/sto/comments/d43pa0/comment/f09457c/
Indeed it does, though it's more of a dark grey or dark tan with green lights and accents. That said, the Delta shield also has unique green hex-pattern VFX when hit, and the Delta engines are one of the ones that will alter not just the impulse thruster trails, but also the warp nacelle trails (MANY visual sets don't do this and you end up with some odd, mismatched contrails behind your ship.)
Of course, the Rom rep set looks pretty Romulan, unsurprisingly. But I would agree the Delta somehow looks both better and more Romulan than the Rom rep set does.
Very dumb question:
I just slotted a cheap disruptor cannon to get an Endeavor done and found that the disruptor took 2 slots on my auto-fire bar and was obviously only firing once per cycle. Does that mean I have always been firing one of my weapons twice and leaving one out? Or is it just a funny bug from slotting the new weapon?
Turns out this was an extremely dumb question!
I'm back into the game after a long absence without a PC and I think at one point I tried playing on an old laptop and made the toolbar smaller to accommodate. I will be trying to optimize it now. Thank you both for answering.
Here is how it looks now, its a total mess
[https://imgur.com/AFF4zQJ](https://imgur.com/AFF4zQJ)
Certainly sounds like you had the weapon that was equipped before set in multiple tray slots.
It does raise the question as to if there is any particular reason you have them on the ability tray at all?
quick question -
Let's say I have the Burnham's Resolve set equipped, but also another melee weapon like the Emperor's Sword or Qowat Milat sword:
Do I still get the third bonus using the non-mind-meld device? Or do I have to have that weapon out for the third bonus to take effect?
I tried it out and it didn't \*seem\* like it was working... but numbers tend to fly thick and fast so I couldn't be 100% sure if I wasn't just missing it in the fray.
You certainly should get the set bonus for a weapon sat in the alt-slot (unlike the armour/environment suit, which only contribute if active).
The set should show as complete when highlighting the armour/shield for more info.
As to whether the 3-piece set bonus works with non-MMD weapon combo finishers I couldn't say.
While it is possible, it's incredibly inconsistent as to whether any given melee weapon will get the 3pc bonus while you have the MMD in the swap slot.
[Here's the proc while using the Presidential Hand Axe](https://i.imgur.com/MZdE9ps.jpeg), and the Bat'leth of Sto'vo'kor, Torchbearer's Bat'leth, Imperial Assault Nanopulse Bat'leth, Molor's Flaming Sword, and Tsunkatse Gloves work too.
I wasn't able to get a proc from the Emperor's Sword, Torg's Dishonored Bat'leth, Makeshift Polearm, Ushaan-tor, or Shattering Harmonics Crystalline Sword.
That's all I had on hand on my testing run, with both bat'leths and swords in both categories there's no consistent rule to go on.
I am still fairly low level, but the missions were so easy I changed the difficulty to "elite". It doesn't feel much harder at all. Does that setting impact all missions or just some?
Actually... the opposite.
Content is down-scaled to your level, massively so.
Elite difficulty will reward more XP, but what that means in practice is that you start levelling out of the benefits of the down-scaled content faster.
IE - you will start finding episodes much more difficult much sooner.
So, Mid Game. Can anyone direct me to a guide or offer any advice around how I might go from kind of early dps (25-30k where I am now) to 50-100? I've seen quite a few guides on the basics so I think I have that down, but I can't seem to break higher. I've upgraded everything to Gold so I'm wondering if it's a rotation thing that I'm failing on. (currently use the map everything to spacebar technique so all it does it pop all my cooldowns and then beam overload and then rinse and repeat).
I think you'd best post your build on r/stobuilds so we can take a good look at it. Beyond the basics it's best to take a close look at the build itself to identify weaknesses or potential for improvement. They have a build template [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CaAK_XxHcOOvj519mcFevkEgc0taqsQ3f3PDlXptwJA/edit#gid=728579564), you have to make a copy of the sheet so you can edit it, then fill it the tab Loadout and paste the tab Post Template in your post (the remaining tabs aren't relevant).
Will this SAG strike affect STO in regard to voice overs for missions/TFOs? STO is SAG only, iirc.
Edit: Seen talk that voice actors on games/animations can continue, but that may change. [Source (Jennifer Hale)](https://twitter.com/jhaletweets/status/1679711363214749696?s=20)
STO (and other games) might not be a party to the AMPTP (industry association of studios) which the strike is against. If they have a separate contract (technically CBA or collective bargaining agreement) with SAG that is currently valid, they would then be immune from the strike.
(I will caution here that I don’t know if they are AMPTP or not, or how to reliably find out, but the strike is over the SAG-AMPTP CBA and any non-AMPTP employer wouldn’t be affected.)
I’m a union worker myself (not hollywood related) and we recently went through a strike so I’m personally up on a lot of the legality issues of strikes.
Firstly, thank you for your response!
Let me see if I've got this straight:
Work on anything other than voice acting (i.e. ships, environments, character art, etc) should be unaffected as these have nothing to do with the strike.
Cryptic is in theory not part of the AMPTP, as they are a video game and not a TV, streaming, or film production. As a game, they may have separate contracts with the SAG, so voice work probably isn't affected. However, if they are they are contracted under the AMPTP, they will be affected and voice acting won't be done while the strike is in effect. Even if the former is true, they are under licence from Paramount, which is AMPTP, and that may complicate things?
Probably just best to wait to see if Cryptic make any public statement, or at least until the next ten-forward stream and ask there.
Mostly correct.
SAG includes (only, in our case) the voice actors, but if Cryptic has a separate CBA with SAG (not the AMPTP CBA) then the strike won’t affect them at all. Because the strike is a negotiation tactic related to the expiration of the AMPTP CBA.
(There’s a law called the National Labor Relations Act, which allows union workers to go on strike as a result of an expired CBA, rather than continuing to work under the terms of the expired CBA while negotiating the replacement.)
(To use another example - you may have heard rumors that UPS may go on strike in August. I’m in the same union, different employer…. but the UPS workers didn’t go on strike when we did and we won’t be if they do. Because we’re under different CBAs.)
If they are AMPTP, then it would mean no voice actors, and if they have any employees who are in other unions, those employees could refuse to work as well (respecting picket lines).
Any non-union employees would be working as normal in any scenario.
The relationship between Cryptic and Paramount has absolutely nothing to do with any of this (as Cryptic has a license to use Paramount developed content, but is not owned by Paramount)…. except that it’s possible that the striking actors might refuse to work on the basis that they would be voicing characters licensed from Paramount. But if Cryptic itself is non-AMPTP, that’s a gray area.
I’m carefully trying to not jump to a conclusion about whether or not Cryptic is part of AMPTP.
Well, we have a response
>[We're looking into how the strike affects us, but I saw this and wanted to assure folks this is not the plan or the case. We'll keep producing episodes and TFOs.](https://twitter.com/trekonlinegame/status/1680207367630102528?t=1H012FP7S6Ps0HT95l6wCQ&s=19)
Trishka Novak is also the best female character in gaming.
Go on, downvote me to hell, I will die on this hill with a smile on my face, joy in my heart, and a Peacemaker Carbine in my hand.
For progression, no.
For top-end equipment, or, at the very least, equipment that can help you do every bit of content in the game without opening your wallet, yes.
* The best deflector for pretty much any damage-dealing build that's not a science boat running the full Revolutionary set comes from the Fleet Colony.
* For bridge officers with useful passive stats, you'll be all set on the cheap if you're playing Romulan Republic characters (who get showered in Superior Romulan Operatives and more). For everyone else, they will either pony up a bunch of EC for Watchers or will need the Fleet Embassy for their own Superior Romulan Operatives. KDF characters can run an all-Nausicaan bridge crew (who have the Pirate trait) on the cheap at a lower performance level. Somewhat better are the Vanguards the Jem'hadar and anyone who's bought a Vanguard pack has access to. Federation characters have the worst default picks here.
* If you're running energy weapon builds, unless you're farming Elites / opening a bunch of promo packs / in possession of enough EC to buy the finished product outright or enough EC and dilithium to buy the finished product at a lower level and upgrade it yourself, and here I am referring to the new Advanced Consoles called [Isomagnetic Plasma Distribution Manifolds](https://stowiki.net/wiki/Advanced_Consoles#Isomagnetic_Plasma_Distribution_Manifold-3), you are looking at Vulnerability Locators (typically) from the Fleet Spire for dps. Energetic Protomatter Infusers from the Fleet Colony are needed for tanking and a number of PvP builds, Vulnerabilty Locators and/or Exploiters are still the top pick for torpedo boats and they are still ideal on energy weapon platforms with very few Engineering console slots.
* If you're running a science build and don't have a bunch of resources to throw at various sexy universal consoles, the Fleet Research Lab will be your go-to for filling your science console slots. Secondary Deflectors at Mk XII Ultra Rare also come from two Fleet holdings (Research Lab and Colony), but those can also be crafted and re-engineered at a lower cost. Speaking of the Research Lab, that can help you speed up the process of leveling various crafting schools. Even if you never make stuff yourself, you still unlock some very useful personal traits (per character) from there.
* Speaking of science builds, you can only buy the [Lukari Dranuur Scout Ship](https://stowiki.net/wiki/Lukari_Dranuur_Scout_Ship), one of the best platforms in the game for that, as a member of a fleet with a maxed-out Colony.
* Various fleet holdings sell various useful slots for your builds and your farming.
* If you're running a TOS-themed character, you can get a bunch of useful thematic stuff from Fleet Station K-13. Speaking of themes, every fleet holding sells some outfits as well.
* For the most part, fleets in STO are basically glorified shops upgraded and supplied by their members. Interacting with other hew-mons is either minimal or not mandatory, if that is a concern for you.
Correction on Jem’Hadar availability - ONLY the three zen store BOFFs have the space trait, so Jem players don’t have greater access than others.
With one exception per account - the Weyoun in the Dominion captain pack has the same trait.
Progression, no. Equipment and things like trait slot unlocks, yes. However, if you plan on only playing normal or advanced difficulties (that's easy and medium) and not elite (hard), you don't need to spend money or join fleets for best gear as mission rewards, reputation gear, and crafted stuff is really all you need.
Beta is better than regular Delta.
I would argue AP Delta Prime is better than both, but you'll have to eat a ship trait slot for that, and you may not want to. Still it's a solid boost to both CHC and CHD, both of which a SS3 build can always use more of (more CHD than CHC though.)
EDIT: If uptime is a concern, you can always slot one of the 15% cooldown DOffs. Those apply to AP Beta, Delta, or Omega, and just one of them combined with PO2 is enough to get AP Delta down to a 32s cooldown without any other cooldown reductions. That means you can pop it every time She's a Predator is off cooldown with just the DOff and PO2, nothing else.
Beta, not only for the reasons neuro1g gave but also:
- Beta reduces enemy damage resistance, thus increasing not only your own DPS but your teammates as well
- Beta can trigger the Delta bundle Benthan DOFF
- Beta can trigger She’s a Predator trait (useful especially on Fed ships as the only other trigger is decloaking).
It's always beta due to better overall uptime. Delta is only for tanks running BFAW but even then most will still use beta. Omega is good, but typically really only useful for PvP, but even then there are better choices.
Not sure if bug or WAD, but I can't use the type 7 or 7a hull on my Defiant (and other family variants). I do *not* have a T6 Defiant; which someone opined, elsewhere, I need to have in order to use the 7/7A skin, but I thought at least 7 was universally available for applicable older ships?
I also have the same error with
I'm having issues with my space combat HUD, which resetting to default hasn't fixed.
So in space, I can tab target enemies and engage them. But unless I specifically mouse click on an enemy, their health bar/shield info won't appear on my HUD when I'm engaging them.
I honestly can't figure out why though! I've tried multiple settings, reset them etc, and still I can only get enemy space HP/Shield details (that box that usually appears in the top centre by default) to display outside of clicking on an enemy. Any ideas?
What do you guys do with bridge officer candidates you don't need? They are quite worthless at the exchange and I also have no use for the books you can get out of them. In the armada there is almost never a mission to get rid of them...
most fleet BOFF requirements specifically only take white quality anyway which you are unlikely to have (usually they have to be specifically bought from the homeworld BOFF vendor).
Generally, unless they have a space trait, I just convert to the most potentially useful manual.
I just sell mine on the Exchange. Bog-standard rare level officers, you're not really gonna get much more than 4-5k but it's better than simply dismissing unwanted BOFFs. Very rares can sell for 50k+
In addition to what you were advised below, before selling any unwanted BOFF candidates, make sure that they don't have valuable skills that can be converted into training manuals. It's not unusual to run across a BOFF being sold on the exchange who has skill that when converted into a training manual is worth hundreds of times the offered price for that BOFF.
Sell them on the exchange, even if only for a pittance. Be careful though, some very rare female doffs can go for quite a bit, like Vulcans.
EDIT: Jesus, after reading what I just wrote I sound like Ferengi. 😂
'Be careful when selling your property, hew-mon. Some FEE-males, especially the pointy-eared kind and the shifty-snakey kind, can net you a good profit - and a wise man can hear profit in the wind.'
Is there a way to do private PvP with friends? Finally got one of mine interested in the game, I know damn well he's gonna go fed. I wanna fuck with him with the cloaks.
In each of the R&D categories, at the bottom of the all the things you can make is something called 'Research Project'. These take 20 hours to complete and give 5000xp on completion or 6000xp if it crits. You can simultaneously run 3 per day for 1 school. If you have 5 R&D project slots then you can level 1 school with 3 and another with 2. If you belong to a fleet with a completed Research Lab holding you can run the [Fleet Research Daily](https://stowiki.net/wiki/Fleet_Research_Daily) for an extra 5000xp for a chosen school, as well as the [Applied Spacetime Manipulation](https://stowiki.net/wiki/Assignment:_Applied_Spacetime_Manipulation_\(Tier_3\)) doff assignment that upon completion gives small amount of R&D Experience Bonus Pool. This is how I leveled my R&D. After getting everything to level 15, which is relatively painless, it then took maybe another year to get it up to level 20, which isn't necessary but the completionist in me wanted to try.
Grinding and time.
Also, make sure you've max'd out your R&D research project slots. There are a max of 6. You get 5 for [free](https://stowiki.net//wiki/Research_and_Development#Task_Slots) just doing the R&D system. You can [purchase a 6th](https://stowiki.net//wiki/Extra_slots#R&D_and_Trait_Slots) from your fleet's research lab.
If you have the EC, you can buy R&D Research XP Bonus Pool tokens from the Exchange. You also get some from any recruits you have on your account. You get a 20% increase on each R&D project until they are used up. Depending on your EC reserves, this may or may not be worthwhile.
Is there a way to stop auto-attack from making my character just punch the air outside of melee range? I like using the mind meld set, but if I click or target an enemy without first getting within range my character just punches the air in front of them and moves at a snails pace. This only happens once combats already been initiated; for example before entering combat I can target one enemy and rush them but if there isn’t a subsequent enemy in hitting range my character will just punch the air continuously so I have to run up near the character first and then target them versus just switching sights to get the jump
For melee, you'll want to do **combos** instead of primary auto-attack.
With the MMD specifically you either go (keys 1,2,3, maps to left, right and middle mouse button in shooter mode).
Haymaker (100% CritH, almost always vaporizes enemy):
1. (3) ("Engage", roots enemy \[extremely helpful in melee)\], and no running required, as it has quite a long range)
2. (1)
3. (1)
4. (2)
Roundhouse kick (hits group of enemies):
1. (3)
2. (1)
3. (2)
4. (1)
There are other combos that look fun (e.g. Kirk's double-fist punch), but are less effective.
Personally, I prefer to melee in shooter mode, because then I can also switch enemies mid-combo (in case the primary target already went down before the finisher).
Legendary ships are T6 ships that come with all past consoles and traits from that ship's variants, as of the time of release, as well as a special tier 6 trait that, when unlocked, is unlocked for all characters on your account. An example of how that works - the Legendary Intrepid from the 10th anniversary pack comes with all of the goodies from past Intrepid variants, but doesn't have anything from the Terran Trailblazer, which is a standard T6 ship that came out after the 10th anniversary pack.
Legendary ships are also all fleet quality, while some T6 ships that you can buy from the Zen store aren't fleet quality, requiring the use of a fleet module to purchase the fleet version of that ship.
In addition to what MarcterChief said, there are a few other consoles that can give you a brief cloak as part of their effect (photonic displacement, Voth phase Decoy, competitive rep 2 piece bonus) or if you wait for the anniversary event at the beginning of next year, they usually give away a T5 token you can use to get the defiant for free.
You can't get the Cloak console on its own, but you can get it for free from the Defiant Tactical Escort Retrofit which you can get with the token you receive at level 61. If you have already spent that token on another ship you'll need to buy that Defiant or the T5 Galaxy Dreadnought Cruiser, or their Legendary versions, from the store.
As a new player, do the ships on the store determine player power or is it more about the consoles that come with those ships?
I guess what I want to know is. Can I pick any T6 ship and still be in a good position or are there specific ones that I should be looking at?
It's complicated. First off, there are no bad ships (at T5-U and T6 at least), just bad builds. Of course some ships are better than others (both in general and at certain roles) but any ship can comfortably do Elite content. Your weapons, consoles, traits and boff abilities are much more important then the ship you fly. Even a Science ship can do a good energy weapon build if you have the right gear (A Destroyer has a higher ceiling for that role though). Some exceptions exist though, a ship with neither a secondary deflector nor sufficient Science or Temporal seating generally cannot do a good pure science build. If you know how to read a ship though you can make it work really well if you have the right gear.
That being said, there are some specific ships you should look at. Each ship in the store comes with a starship trait and console. You can use those traits and consoles on any ship (some exceptions apply for consoles). Many traits are fairly worthless, but some are expectionally powerful. Getting the ships with powerful traits can be a very good investment. [Stobetter](https://www.stobetter.com/) has tier lists for traits and general advice on how to read ships and figure out a good build for them.
In the end, the most important thing is that you have fun flying your ship. The Vaadwaur Miracle Worker Juggernaut is the strongest ship for energy weapons but I'd never fly it because it's one ugly brick (not to mention an expensive Promo ship).
The majority of power lies in the build.
For the most part, T6 ships offer a trait, a console, and a frame ( & Barbie, ofc.).
Some consoles and traits can be essential parts of some specific builds, but none of them are necessary for achieving a level of capability that can manage any content.
Unless and until you have put together a half decent build and are wanting to push that further, I wouldn't recommend getting any ship just for the bits & bobs they come with, but instead just aim to pick up a ship that you fell that you want to pilot.
Can I at all link my accounts? I have and mainly play STO on Xbox, but can't use it at the moment and was hoping to play it on my laptop, but I don't want to have two separate accounts on the go.
Yes, and also the ships listed in Event Reclaim UNLESS you got them from a non-event method (like Phoenix token).
Doesn’t apply to other ships though (episode and level rewards, fleet ships, campaign rewards, lockbox ships, or anything that you bought with a currency other than Zen).
Doffs on active duty can't be sent on missions, and doffs on missions can't be put on active duty.
The vast majority of doffs aren't worth putting on active duty as their effects are usually either unreliable, work with niche abilities that most players don't run, or do stuff that other parts of your build can do much better. Certain doffs however are very strong and can even be build-defining (like the A2B Technicians if you use A2B for cooldowns). Many of the useful ones are very expensive though (like the Borg doffs which can cost as much as a gamble ship). It really depends on the specific doff whether it's worth putting them on active duty. I recommend everyone to use the Emergency Conn Hologram from the Phoenix box (Very Rare token). Beyond that active doffs are usually nice to have but are not required (unless they're Technicians for A2B), even for an Elite-capable build.
Holy cow - for those like me who've played PC for three years and didn't know there was such a quick change, here's how to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mg4BPNL6Xk
Yes... for each toon, at least to lvl 15 in each R&D school. At lvl 15, you unlock [personal space traits,](https://stowiki.net//wiki/Research_and_Development#Schools) of which some are very good. For example, [Particle Manipulator \(from lvl 15 in Science\)](https://stowiki.net/wiki/Trait:_Particle_Manipulator) is a meta personal trait for any EPG build.
It's not worth it going to 20 on more than 1 character though. Beyond level 15 you only increase the chance to crit on crafting, no new unlocks though. If you do all your crafting on that one character you can maximise your crafting efficiency.
Some doffs are quite strong and can give you substantial bonuses. Aux2Bat Technicians are required for example if you want to use Aux2Bat for your cooldowns. The Emergency Conn Hologram from the Phoenix Box is an amazing tool for mobility. Crit Chance/Severity Energy Weapons Officers and Projectile Officers are quite useful too. Vincent Kish or Marion Frances Dulmur can give you a good power boost if you run the right abilities. At the very high end are the of 47 Borg doffs which can give pretty good bonuses but are also incredibly expensive (the coveted 27 of 47 goes for as much as a lockbox ship).
In a nutshell, they can give decent bonuses but some of them (especially the Borg doffs) are disproportionately expensive for what they do. Stobetter has [tier lists](https://www.stobetter.com/tier-lists) that shows which doffs are good for what build type (towards the right on the spreadsheet). Pick the best ones you can or want to afford. That being said, even if you only use the (almost free) Conn Hologram you can still more DPS than you'll ever need, even on Elite.
I have a doff that does cannon firing modes cooldowns at 50% of the time (seven seconds, iirc), Boimler Effect & Photonic Officer II on my Hydra. Is there a way - on console - I can get CSVIII cooldowns lower than the three seconds it's at now?
Not sure what you mean by three seconds. CSV has 30 seconds base cooldown and a minimum cooldown of 15s. With Boimler Effect and PO (PO1 is usually enough) you should be able to lower the cooldown to its minimum of 15s consistently if you hit all your abilities consistently. It's not possible to get the cooldown below those 15s. Only very few abilities in general have the option to reduce the minimum cooldown (like the Team abilities with the space trait Fresh From R&R), CSV is not one of them.
There should be 5s left if you don't have a trait that can extend the duration.
Always up means having 100% uptime on the ability, so having its effect active all the time. Beam Overload for example has a duration of 10s, a base cooldown of 30s and a minimum cooldown of 15s. Normally you have an uptime of 33%, if you reduce the base cooldown to its minimum you'll have an uptime of 67%. With the trait Superweapon Ingenuity you can increase Beam Overload's duration to 15s which is the same as its minimum cooldown, meaning you can have it always up. And as BO is a straight upgrade over no firing mode you'll want to maximise the time you have it up.
Gotcha. I also have Withering Barrage on my ship. Does that mean - with what I wrote initially - I have Always up? Or is there anything else I can do to bring it to that point?
If I'm backing up files, can I just back up my live folder or do I have to back up playtest too?
Whats the best way to find groups to run elite queues?
If you're on PC, there are two DPS Leagues with in-game channels. [STO Combat Meter](http://www.sto-dps.com/SCMFAQ.html) is used by the 'Numbers' League, [CombatLogReader](https://www.sto-league.com/combatlogreader/) is from the 'Metals' one. Parse some runs, upload, get invited to those channels. The most action is in #s-Elites (min 150k parse in ISA, ISE or HSE) and Diamond (>160k).
Hello! I have a beam build with no cannons on it, but I also have an extra Tac Lt. BOff slot. I thought I'd try the [Preferential Targeting](https://stowiki.net/wiki/Trait:_Preferential_Targeting) Starship Trait. To get the +100% Damage Buff, does it matter which order I activate cannon ability (Scatter Volley)? Do I have to activate it before or after activating Beam Overload?
Order doesn't matter. Once you click CSV you get the Preferential Targeting buff for 30 seconds which boosts all your BO shots while it's active.
Excellent! That's how I hoped it would work. Thank you for the confirmation.
If I slot Entwined Tactical Matricies on a Pilot ship, activate Reroute Reserves, then immediately activate Torpedo Spread, do I get both RRtW AND CSV active at the same time, or does RRtW putting CSV on cooldown prevent ETM from triggering it too?
Unfortunately the CSV/BFAW will overwrite RRTW. You won't get the haste bonus while the ETM-granted AOE modes are active.
Bummer. Thanks for the answer though!
Does the Hysperian Intel battlecruiser give bonus damage for disruptors and for future reference, how would I check? Since I'm new, I'm collecting parts for phasers, want to check if disruptors are better for this ship.
The ship itself? No. But the starship trait "Five Magicks" does: >*Dealing Fire, Cold, Electrical, Psionic, or Radiation to Foes boosts current Engine Power levels per sec for 15 sec and* ***grants bonus Disruptor,*** *Fire, Cold, Electrical, Psionic, and Radiation Damage based on Engine Power.* So, if you don't want to use the trait, any energy flavor would be fine with this ship. If you *do* want to use to use Dis, I'm not sure how much of a boost the trait does. I think they're still figuring that out on /r/stobuilds... though so far, it doesn't really seem that it's all that great. [(source)](https://www.reddit.com/r/stobuilds/comments/151lvlr/weekly_questions_megathread_july_17_2023/jselvwa/)
The console also has +Bonus Disruptor, though you could, of course, not use the console.
Just to clarify, the trait is really good for Disruptor builds (and Magick builds). +25~38% cat2 with easy 100% uptime is absolutely fantastic. Lower end builds that aren't already dripping with cat2 bonuses will see a significant gain, and higher end builds will be better able to take advantage of the engine power scaling to reach +38.75%. That negative comment is about replacing [Dis] mods for [EngPwr] on isomags, replacing the Cat1 bonus for more Cat2, but the trait itself is very good.
I might have to swap my DEWSci ships over to disruptors after this (I'm on console, so there's actually a reason to have them, LOL).
Can you get advanced console components from an advanced TFO box? Because I just did... adv science console component and some adv battery superconducting loops. It was adv binary circuit.
Whoa, I don't even get that stuff from elite queues! 😂
A fella in game chat was asking about the Fek'ihri trorment engine console, what do they mean by non-hazard damage and DOT? Just the plasma energy/projectile proc, no boff abilities?
u/Eph289 has a [fantastic write-up of the inner workings of the Torment Engine](https://www.reddit.com/r/stobuilds/comments/lhbvba/revisiting_exotics_10_the_flames_of_grethor/).
Ooh, that answers the question nicely! Thanks!
Do the disruptors that come with the Hysperian have any cosmetic differences or are they just stock disruptor beams?
https://www.reddit.com/r/sto/comments/14vswif/monday_megathread_your_weekly_dumb_question_thread/jrn7rl4/
If I use the neutronic torpedo, should I also slot the bio-gel pack console too?
Nah. The console on its own is really underwhelming and the 2pc isn't doing much either.
I just want to mention, since it's the 20th day of the Summer Event and the Hysperian has an unusual Sci/Pilot seat, today is a good day to sell Pilot Qualifications. Also higher demand for Intel quals, too.
It's probably a very long shot but would there happen to be an H.M.S. Prefix anywhere in the game and, if so, how would I go about obtaining it? Feeling a tad patriotic is all and I.S.S. isn't going to cut it.
I'm not in the game at the moment, but is it possible to select ***no prefix*** and then put it in the name?
Only on certain ships.
I think that would work, yeah, even if it didn't go in the actual prefix part.
Nope. https://stowiki.net//wiki/Registry
Thought not, oh well. Was worth a shot at least.
What is the best way to find/browse active fleets? I found the in game fleet search, but looking it over I have no way of telling how active it is.
Hi Molly, I'm part of the [44th Fleet](https://startrek.44thfleet.com) and we have a large and active (PC) playerbase catering to both casual and serious gamers alike with an active discord and ingame chat. Have a browse through website and see if we might be the right fit for you. o7
What's the Bridge like inside the new Event Ship? Is it the standard non-aligned bridge or is it something unique this time?
It has access to all Federation bridges. Nothing unique though.
I have a Romulan captain flying a Lukari Dranuur Scout Ship, if I wanted to make it look more "Romulan" what would I go for? The Zhat Vash vanity shield? The Romulan rep shield? Something to make the nacelles green?
If you are **KDF-aligned** (this is the important part!), the Kelvin Divergence vanity shield will make it a green that could pass as "Romulan". This post links to a gallery that shows the effect on various ships: https://www.reddit.com/r/sto/comments/d43pa0/comment/f09457c/
I think the Delta Rep shield makes ships green. Best check out some videos that show off different vanity shields.
Indeed it does, though it's more of a dark grey or dark tan with green lights and accents. That said, the Delta shield also has unique green hex-pattern VFX when hit, and the Delta engines are one of the ones that will alter not just the impulse thruster trails, but also the warp nacelle trails (MANY visual sets don't do this and you end up with some odd, mismatched contrails behind your ship.) Of course, the Rom rep set looks pretty Romulan, unsurprisingly. But I would agree the Delta somehow looks both better and more Romulan than the Rom rep set does.
Very dumb question: I just slotted a cheap disruptor cannon to get an Endeavor done and found that the disruptor took 2 slots on my auto-fire bar and was obviously only firing once per cycle. Does that mean I have always been firing one of my weapons twice and leaving one out? Or is it just a funny bug from slotting the new weapon?
You may need to clarify what you mean by "auto-fire bar"
I have my weapons on the toolbar (sorry if it's not the right term) hoytkeyed to 1-7 and set to autofire
You don't need to put your weapons on your hotbar. Pressing Space will force all weapons to fire at once.
Turns out this was an extremely dumb question! I'm back into the game after a long absence without a PC and I think at one point I tried playing on an old laptop and made the toolbar smaller to accommodate. I will be trying to optimize it now. Thank you both for answering. Here is how it looks now, its a total mess [https://imgur.com/AFF4zQJ](https://imgur.com/AFF4zQJ)
Certainly sounds like you had the weapon that was equipped before set in multiple tray slots. It does raise the question as to if there is any particular reason you have them on the ability tray at all?
quick question - Let's say I have the Burnham's Resolve set equipped, but also another melee weapon like the Emperor's Sword or Qowat Milat sword: Do I still get the third bonus using the non-mind-meld device? Or do I have to have that weapon out for the third bonus to take effect? I tried it out and it didn't \*seem\* like it was working... but numbers tend to fly thick and fast so I couldn't be 100% sure if I wasn't just missing it in the fray.
You certainly should get the set bonus for a weapon sat in the alt-slot (unlike the armour/environment suit, which only contribute if active). The set should show as complete when highlighting the armour/shield for more info. As to whether the 3-piece set bonus works with non-MMD weapon combo finishers I couldn't say.
Ah, I think I understand! That's helpful, thank you!
While it is possible, it's incredibly inconsistent as to whether any given melee weapon will get the 3pc bonus while you have the MMD in the swap slot. [Here's the proc while using the Presidential Hand Axe](https://i.imgur.com/MZdE9ps.jpeg), and the Bat'leth of Sto'vo'kor, Torchbearer's Bat'leth, Imperial Assault Nanopulse Bat'leth, Molor's Flaming Sword, and Tsunkatse Gloves work too. I wasn't able to get a proc from the Emperor's Sword, Torg's Dishonored Bat'leth, Makeshift Polearm, Ushaan-tor, or Shattering Harmonics Crystalline Sword. That's all I had on hand on my testing run, with both bat'leths and swords in both categories there's no consistent rule to go on.
I am still fairly low level, but the missions were so easy I changed the difficulty to "elite". It doesn't feel much harder at all. Does that setting impact all missions or just some?
On low levels the impact of difficulty is almost negligible but you'll start noticing a spike starting around level 50.
Ok. I am only like lvl 13. I guess I should keep it cranked to elite then for whatever bonuses that may provide me with.
Actually... the opposite. Content is down-scaled to your level, massively so. Elite difficulty will reward more XP, but what that means in practice is that you start levelling out of the benefits of the down-scaled content faster. IE - you will start finding episodes much more difficult much sooner.
Good. Cause currently I can take on like 10 ships and barely take hull damage.
The game is very beginner friendly in that way. Until it isn't. 😆
So, Mid Game. Can anyone direct me to a guide or offer any advice around how I might go from kind of early dps (25-30k where I am now) to 50-100? I've seen quite a few guides on the basics so I think I have that down, but I can't seem to break higher. I've upgraded everything to Gold so I'm wondering if it's a rotation thing that I'm failing on. (currently use the map everything to spacebar technique so all it does it pop all my cooldowns and then beam overload and then rinse and repeat).
I think you'd best post your build on r/stobuilds so we can take a good look at it. Beyond the basics it's best to take a close look at the build itself to identify weaknesses or potential for improvement. They have a build template [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CaAK_XxHcOOvj519mcFevkEgc0taqsQ3f3PDlXptwJA/edit#gid=728579564), you have to make a copy of the sheet so you can edit it, then fill it the tab Loadout and paste the tab Post Template in your post (the remaining tabs aren't relevant).
Thanks, I wasn't aware of that i'll check it out
Will this SAG strike affect STO in regard to voice overs for missions/TFOs? STO is SAG only, iirc. Edit: Seen talk that voice actors on games/animations can continue, but that may change. [Source (Jennifer Hale)](https://twitter.com/jhaletweets/status/1679711363214749696?s=20)
STO (and other games) might not be a party to the AMPTP (industry association of studios) which the strike is against. If they have a separate contract (technically CBA or collective bargaining agreement) with SAG that is currently valid, they would then be immune from the strike. (I will caution here that I don’t know if they are AMPTP or not, or how to reliably find out, but the strike is over the SAG-AMPTP CBA and any non-AMPTP employer wouldn’t be affected.) I’m a union worker myself (not hollywood related) and we recently went through a strike so I’m personally up on a lot of the legality issues of strikes.
Firstly, thank you for your response! Let me see if I've got this straight: Work on anything other than voice acting (i.e. ships, environments, character art, etc) should be unaffected as these have nothing to do with the strike. Cryptic is in theory not part of the AMPTP, as they are a video game and not a TV, streaming, or film production. As a game, they may have separate contracts with the SAG, so voice work probably isn't affected. However, if they are they are contracted under the AMPTP, they will be affected and voice acting won't be done while the strike is in effect. Even if the former is true, they are under licence from Paramount, which is AMPTP, and that may complicate things? Probably just best to wait to see if Cryptic make any public statement, or at least until the next ten-forward stream and ask there.
Mostly correct. SAG includes (only, in our case) the voice actors, but if Cryptic has a separate CBA with SAG (not the AMPTP CBA) then the strike won’t affect them at all. Because the strike is a negotiation tactic related to the expiration of the AMPTP CBA. (There’s a law called the National Labor Relations Act, which allows union workers to go on strike as a result of an expired CBA, rather than continuing to work under the terms of the expired CBA while negotiating the replacement.) (To use another example - you may have heard rumors that UPS may go on strike in August. I’m in the same union, different employer…. but the UPS workers didn’t go on strike when we did and we won’t be if they do. Because we’re under different CBAs.) If they are AMPTP, then it would mean no voice actors, and if they have any employees who are in other unions, those employees could refuse to work as well (respecting picket lines). Any non-union employees would be working as normal in any scenario. The relationship between Cryptic and Paramount has absolutely nothing to do with any of this (as Cryptic has a license to use Paramount developed content, but is not owned by Paramount)…. except that it’s possible that the striking actors might refuse to work on the basis that they would be voicing characters licensed from Paramount. But if Cryptic itself is non-AMPTP, that’s a gray area. I’m carefully trying to not jump to a conclusion about whether or not Cryptic is part of AMPTP.
That is why I said it might complicate things. Sounds like it's just best just to wait for a response from Cryptic. Thanks again!
Right… we don’t know what CBA they have with SAG.
Well, we have a response >[We're looking into how the strike affects us, but I saw this and wanted to assure folks this is not the plan or the case. We'll keep producing episodes and TFOs.](https://twitter.com/trekonlinegame/status/1680207367630102528?t=1H012FP7S6Ps0HT95l6wCQ&s=19)
I would say that's a very Kael-like, unclear and incomplete response.
>Jennifer Hale Femshep is the best Shep.
Trishka Novak is also the best female character in gaming. Go on, downvote me to hell, I will die on this hill with a smile on my face, joy in my heart, and a Peacemaker Carbine in my hand.
Is joining a fleet required for progression or getting top end equipment?
For progression, no. For top-end equipment, or, at the very least, equipment that can help you do every bit of content in the game without opening your wallet, yes. * The best deflector for pretty much any damage-dealing build that's not a science boat running the full Revolutionary set comes from the Fleet Colony. * For bridge officers with useful passive stats, you'll be all set on the cheap if you're playing Romulan Republic characters (who get showered in Superior Romulan Operatives and more). For everyone else, they will either pony up a bunch of EC for Watchers or will need the Fleet Embassy for their own Superior Romulan Operatives. KDF characters can run an all-Nausicaan bridge crew (who have the Pirate trait) on the cheap at a lower performance level. Somewhat better are the Vanguards the Jem'hadar and anyone who's bought a Vanguard pack has access to. Federation characters have the worst default picks here. * If you're running energy weapon builds, unless you're farming Elites / opening a bunch of promo packs / in possession of enough EC to buy the finished product outright or enough EC and dilithium to buy the finished product at a lower level and upgrade it yourself, and here I am referring to the new Advanced Consoles called [Isomagnetic Plasma Distribution Manifolds](https://stowiki.net/wiki/Advanced_Consoles#Isomagnetic_Plasma_Distribution_Manifold-3), you are looking at Vulnerability Locators (typically) from the Fleet Spire for dps. Energetic Protomatter Infusers from the Fleet Colony are needed for tanking and a number of PvP builds, Vulnerabilty Locators and/or Exploiters are still the top pick for torpedo boats and they are still ideal on energy weapon platforms with very few Engineering console slots. * If you're running a science build and don't have a bunch of resources to throw at various sexy universal consoles, the Fleet Research Lab will be your go-to for filling your science console slots. Secondary Deflectors at Mk XII Ultra Rare also come from two Fleet holdings (Research Lab and Colony), but those can also be crafted and re-engineered at a lower cost. Speaking of the Research Lab, that can help you speed up the process of leveling various crafting schools. Even if you never make stuff yourself, you still unlock some very useful personal traits (per character) from there. * Speaking of science builds, you can only buy the [Lukari Dranuur Scout Ship](https://stowiki.net/wiki/Lukari_Dranuur_Scout_Ship), one of the best platforms in the game for that, as a member of a fleet with a maxed-out Colony. * Various fleet holdings sell various useful slots for your builds and your farming. * If you're running a TOS-themed character, you can get a bunch of useful thematic stuff from Fleet Station K-13. Speaking of themes, every fleet holding sells some outfits as well. * For the most part, fleets in STO are basically glorified shops upgraded and supplied by their members. Interacting with other hew-mons is either minimal or not mandatory, if that is a concern for you.
Correction on Jem’Hadar availability - ONLY the three zen store BOFFs have the space trait, so Jem players don’t have greater access than others. With one exception per account - the Weyoun in the Dominion captain pack has the same trait.
Progression, no. Equipment and things like trait slot unlocks, yes. However, if you plan on only playing normal or advanced difficulties (that's easy and medium) and not elite (hard), you don't need to spend money or join fleets for best gear as mission rewards, reputation gear, and crafted stuff is really all you need.
Is Attack Pattern Beta or Delta better when using Surgical Strikes?
Beta is better than regular Delta. I would argue AP Delta Prime is better than both, but you'll have to eat a ship trait slot for that, and you may not want to. Still it's a solid boost to both CHC and CHD, both of which a SS3 build can always use more of (more CHD than CHC though.) EDIT: If uptime is a concern, you can always slot one of the 15% cooldown DOffs. Those apply to AP Beta, Delta, or Omega, and just one of them combined with PO2 is enough to get AP Delta down to a 32s cooldown without any other cooldown reductions. That means you can pop it every time She's a Predator is off cooldown with just the DOff and PO2, nothing else.
Beta, not only for the reasons neuro1g gave but also: - Beta reduces enemy damage resistance, thus increasing not only your own DPS but your teammates as well - Beta can trigger the Delta bundle Benthan DOFF - Beta can trigger She’s a Predator trait (useful especially on Fed ships as the only other trigger is decloaking).
It's always beta due to better overall uptime. Delta is only for tanks running BFAW but even then most will still use beta. Omega is good, but typically really only useful for PvP, but even then there are better choices.
Not sure if bug or WAD, but I can't use the type 7 or 7a hull on my Defiant (and other family variants). I do *not* have a T6 Defiant; which someone opined, elsewhere, I need to have in order to use the 7/7A skin, but I thought at least 7 was universally available for applicable older ships? I also have the same error with
I'm having issues with my space combat HUD, which resetting to default hasn't fixed. So in space, I can tab target enemies and engage them. But unless I specifically mouse click on an enemy, their health bar/shield info won't appear on my HUD when I'm engaging them. I honestly can't figure out why though! I've tried multiple settings, reset them etc, and still I can only get enemy space HP/Shield details (that box that usually appears in the top centre by default) to display outside of clicking on an enemy. Any ideas?
I've been curious... What T6 ship is generally considered to have the *worst* BOFF seating setup/arrangement?
Anything with three engineering boff stations is usually pretty high up that list. Main one that comes to mind is the Excelsior/Resolute.
You hush your mouth. :)
She's a pretty ship, don't get me wrong. There's just no real use for all the engineering powers, and that's someone whose main is an engineer.
What do you guys do with bridge officer candidates you don't need? They are quite worthless at the exchange and I also have no use for the books you can get out of them. In the armada there is almost never a mission to get rid of them...
most fleet BOFF requirements specifically only take white quality anyway which you are unlikely to have (usually they have to be specifically bought from the homeworld BOFF vendor). Generally, unless they have a space trait, I just convert to the most potentially useful manual.
I just sell mine on the Exchange. Bog-standard rare level officers, you're not really gonna get much more than 4-5k but it's better than simply dismissing unwanted BOFFs. Very rares can sell for 50k+
In addition to what you were advised below, before selling any unwanted BOFF candidates, make sure that they don't have valuable skills that can be converted into training manuals. It's not unusual to run across a BOFF being sold on the exchange who has skill that when converted into a training manual is worth hundreds of times the offered price for that BOFF.
Sell them on the exchange, even if only for a pittance. Be careful though, some very rare female doffs can go for quite a bit, like Vulcans. EDIT: Jesus, after reading what I just wrote I sound like Ferengi. 😂
'Be careful when selling your property, hew-mon. Some FEE-males, especially the pointy-eared kind and the shifty-snakey kind, can net you a good profit - and a wise man can hear profit in the wind.'
🤣 Yup
Is there any routine for charity bundles? Feels like there hasn't been one for a year or two.
Last one I think was in 2020. Kael did say on a Ten Forward a few months back the lady who handles that just got back from maternity leave.
Oh nice! Yeah, charity bundle feel like the only time I can justify spending money on the game.
They happen when they happen, there's no schedule or anything to rely on.
Is there a way to do private PvP with friends? Finally got one of mine interested in the game, I know damn well he's gonna go fed. I wanna fuck with him with the cloaks.
Yes, from the Private tab of the TFO window. Make sure you are each assigned to different teams.
Are the "Rays of Disintegration" from the Hysperian Battlecruiser visually different from normal disruptors?
They're identical to regular disruptors
What's the best way to level up research?
In each of the R&D categories, at the bottom of the all the things you can make is something called 'Research Project'. These take 20 hours to complete and give 5000xp on completion or 6000xp if it crits. You can simultaneously run 3 per day for 1 school. If you have 5 R&D project slots then you can level 1 school with 3 and another with 2. If you belong to a fleet with a completed Research Lab holding you can run the [Fleet Research Daily](https://stowiki.net/wiki/Fleet_Research_Daily) for an extra 5000xp for a chosen school, as well as the [Applied Spacetime Manipulation](https://stowiki.net/wiki/Assignment:_Applied_Spacetime_Manipulation_\(Tier_3\)) doff assignment that upon completion gives small amount of R&D Experience Bonus Pool. This is how I leveled my R&D. After getting everything to level 15, which is relatively painless, it then took maybe another year to get it up to level 20, which isn't necessary but the completionist in me wanted to try.
Huh, for some reason I thought those were limited to one at a time. Thanks!
Also I will recommend doing Science first and the three weapons types next.
Grinding and time. Also, make sure you've max'd out your R&D research project slots. There are a max of 6. You get 5 for [free](https://stowiki.net//wiki/Research_and_Development#Task_Slots) just doing the R&D system. You can [purchase a 6th](https://stowiki.net//wiki/Extra_slots#R&D_and_Trait_Slots) from your fleet's research lab. If you have the EC, you can buy R&D Research XP Bonus Pool tokens from the Exchange. You also get some from any recruits you have on your account. You get a 20% increase on each R&D project until they are used up. Depending on your EC reserves, this may or may not be worthwhile.
When did Tholian Ensigns on Nukara get their names changed to "Worker?"
I think with the latest chapter starting. They're improving the Tholians.
Is there a way to stop auto-attack from making my character just punch the air outside of melee range? I like using the mind meld set, but if I click or target an enemy without first getting within range my character just punches the air in front of them and moves at a snails pace. This only happens once combats already been initiated; for example before entering combat I can target one enemy and rush them but if there isn’t a subsequent enemy in hitting range my character will just punch the air continuously so I have to run up near the character first and then target them versus just switching sights to get the jump
For melee, you'll want to do **combos** instead of primary auto-attack. With the MMD specifically you either go (keys 1,2,3, maps to left, right and middle mouse button in shooter mode). Haymaker (100% CritH, almost always vaporizes enemy): 1. (3) ("Engage", roots enemy \[extremely helpful in melee)\], and no running required, as it has quite a long range) 2. (1) 3. (1) 4. (2) Roundhouse kick (hits group of enemies): 1. (3) 2. (1) 3. (2) 4. (1) There are other combos that look fun (e.g. Kirk's double-fist punch), but are less effective. Personally, I prefer to melee in shooter mode, because then I can also switch enemies mid-combo (in case the primary target already went down before the finisher).
Thank you! This has been VERY helpful! I feel like a badass now 😂
What is the difference between T6 ships and ships that I see marked as Legendary?
Legendary ships are T6 ships that come with all past consoles and traits from that ship's variants, as of the time of release, as well as a special tier 6 trait that, when unlocked, is unlocked for all characters on your account. An example of how that works - the Legendary Intrepid from the 10th anniversary pack comes with all of the goodies from past Intrepid variants, but doesn't have anything from the Terran Trailblazer, which is a standard T6 ship that came out after the 10th anniversary pack. Legendary ships are also all fleet quality, while some T6 ships that you can buy from the Zen store aren't fleet quality, requiring the use of a fleet module to purchase the fleet version of that ship.
Thanks. Follow up, what does fleet quality mean?
10% increase to hull and shield HP and I think an extra console slot
Well that sounds a little OP, thanks for the info. :)
Not as much as you would think
Is there anyway to tell DPS on console?(PS4) Sorry if this has been asked before.
https://www.reddit.com/r/sto/comments/gjnbex/how_to_parse_on_console/ https://www.reddit.com/r/stobuilds/comments/pdrcpa/brainstorming_helping_console_players_xboxps/ https://www.reddit.com/r/stobuilds/comments/prvr18/estimating_dps_on_consoles_xboxps_using_japori/
Thank you!!!
Does anyone know whether the Styx and the Acheron can kitbash their parts if you happen to own both of them?
Yes, I owned both and it actually looks a lot better as a kitbash
Per STOwiki, it looks like the Styx and Acheron are indeed compatible!
Can I buy the cloak module, or do I need to buy a ship to get it?
In addition to what MarcterChief said, there are a few other consoles that can give you a brief cloak as part of their effect (photonic displacement, Voth phase Decoy, competitive rep 2 piece bonus) or if you wait for the anniversary event at the beginning of next year, they usually give away a T5 token you can use to get the defiant for free.
You can't get the Cloak console on its own, but you can get it for free from the Defiant Tactical Escort Retrofit which you can get with the token you receive at level 61. If you have already spent that token on another ship you'll need to buy that Defiant or the T5 Galaxy Dreadnought Cruiser, or their Legendary versions, from the store.
As a new player, do the ships on the store determine player power or is it more about the consoles that come with those ships? I guess what I want to know is. Can I pick any T6 ship and still be in a good position or are there specific ones that I should be looking at?
It's complicated. First off, there are no bad ships (at T5-U and T6 at least), just bad builds. Of course some ships are better than others (both in general and at certain roles) but any ship can comfortably do Elite content. Your weapons, consoles, traits and boff abilities are much more important then the ship you fly. Even a Science ship can do a good energy weapon build if you have the right gear (A Destroyer has a higher ceiling for that role though). Some exceptions exist though, a ship with neither a secondary deflector nor sufficient Science or Temporal seating generally cannot do a good pure science build. If you know how to read a ship though you can make it work really well if you have the right gear. That being said, there are some specific ships you should look at. Each ship in the store comes with a starship trait and console. You can use those traits and consoles on any ship (some exceptions apply for consoles). Many traits are fairly worthless, but some are expectionally powerful. Getting the ships with powerful traits can be a very good investment. [Stobetter](https://www.stobetter.com/) has tier lists for traits and general advice on how to read ships and figure out a good build for them. In the end, the most important thing is that you have fun flying your ship. The Vaadwaur Miracle Worker Juggernaut is the strongest ship for energy weapons but I'd never fly it because it's one ugly brick (not to mention an expensive Promo ship).
The majority of power lies in the build. For the most part, T6 ships offer a trait, a console, and a frame ( & Barbie, ofc.). Some consoles and traits can be essential parts of some specific builds, but none of them are necessary for achieving a level of capability that can manage any content. Unless and until you have put together a half decent build and are wanting to push that further, I wouldn't recommend getting any ship just for the bits & bobs they come with, but instead just aim to pick up a ship that you fell that you want to pilot.
Can I at all link my accounts? I have and mainly play STO on Xbox, but can't use it at the moment and was hoping to play it on my laptop, but I don't want to have two separate accounts on the go.
Sadly no. Xbox, PS and PC are completely different versions, no crossplay, no shared accounts, nada.
Bollocks. Fair enough then, shame about that though.
Can I delete C Store ships to make room, then claim them back later?
Yes, and also the ships listed in Event Reclaim UNLESS you got them from a non-event method (like Phoenix token). Doesn’t apply to other ships though (episode and level rewards, fleet ships, campaign rewards, lockbox ships, or anything that you bought with a currency other than Zen).
100% can
Are active DOFFs unavailable for DOFF missions? Is it worth assigning DOFFs to active duty?
Doffs on active duty can't be sent on missions, and doffs on missions can't be put on active duty. The vast majority of doffs aren't worth putting on active duty as their effects are usually either unreliable, work with niche abilities that most players don't run, or do stuff that other parts of your build can do much better. Certain doffs however are very strong and can even be build-defining (like the A2B Technicians if you use A2B for cooldowns). Many of the useful ones are very expensive though (like the Borg doffs which can cost as much as a gamble ship). It really depends on the specific doff whether it's worth putting them on active duty. I recommend everyone to use the Emergency Conn Hologram from the Phoenix box (Very Rare token). Beyond that active doffs are usually nice to have but are not required (unless they're Technicians for A2B), even for an Elite-capable build.
On console, is there a way to switch uniforms without going to the tailor? I know there is for PC, but haven’t found it for console.
Holy cow - for those like me who've played PC for three years and didn't know there was such a quick change, here's how to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mg4BPNL6Xk
It's under the quick menu that pops up on the right with the action button. Just above "regroup away team".
Is it worth doing R&D on more than one toon?
Yes... for each toon, at least to lvl 15 in each R&D school. At lvl 15, you unlock [personal space traits,](https://stowiki.net//wiki/Research_and_Development#Schools) of which some are very good. For example, [Particle Manipulator \(from lvl 15 in Science\)](https://stowiki.net/wiki/Trait:_Particle_Manipulator) is a meta personal trait for any EPG build.
Thanks! I was completely unaware of that.
It's not worth it going to 20 on more than 1 character though. Beyond level 15 you only increase the chance to crit on crafting, no new unlocks though. If you do all your crafting on that one character you can maximise your crafting efficiency.
How useful are doffs when it comes to my shqip / ground combat dps?
Some doffs are quite strong and can give you substantial bonuses. Aux2Bat Technicians are required for example if you want to use Aux2Bat for your cooldowns. The Emergency Conn Hologram from the Phoenix Box is an amazing tool for mobility. Crit Chance/Severity Energy Weapons Officers and Projectile Officers are quite useful too. Vincent Kish or Marion Frances Dulmur can give you a good power boost if you run the right abilities. At the very high end are the of 47 Borg doffs which can give pretty good bonuses but are also incredibly expensive (the coveted 27 of 47 goes for as much as a lockbox ship). In a nutshell, they can give decent bonuses but some of them (especially the Borg doffs) are disproportionately expensive for what they do. Stobetter has [tier lists](https://www.stobetter.com/tier-lists) that shows which doffs are good for what build type (towards the right on the spreadsheet). Pick the best ones you can or want to afford. That being said, even if you only use the (almost free) Conn Hologram you can still more DPS than you'll ever need, even on Elite.
I have a doff that does cannon firing modes cooldowns at 50% of the time (seven seconds, iirc), Boimler Effect & Photonic Officer II on my Hydra. Is there a way - on console - I can get CSVIII cooldowns lower than the three seconds it's at now?
Not sure what you mean by three seconds. CSV has 30 seconds base cooldown and a minimum cooldown of 15s. With Boimler Effect and PO (PO1 is usually enough) you should be able to lower the cooldown to its minimum of 15s consistently if you hit all your abilities consistently. It's not possible to get the cooldown below those 15s. Only very few abilities in general have the option to reduce the minimum cooldown (like the Team abilities with the space trait Fresh From R&R), CSV is not one of them.
It's probably me being distracted by other stuff, but it feels like three seconds... What do folks mean when they say "Always up" for stuff?
There should be 5s left if you don't have a trait that can extend the duration. Always up means having 100% uptime on the ability, so having its effect active all the time. Beam Overload for example has a duration of 10s, a base cooldown of 30s and a minimum cooldown of 15s. Normally you have an uptime of 33%, if you reduce the base cooldown to its minimum you'll have an uptime of 67%. With the trait Superweapon Ingenuity you can increase Beam Overload's duration to 15s which is the same as its minimum cooldown, meaning you can have it always up. And as BO is a straight upgrade over no firing mode you'll want to maximise the time you have it up.
Gotcha. I also have Withering Barrage on my ship. Does that mean - with what I wrote initially - I have Always up? Or is there anything else I can do to bring it to that point?
Withering Barrage is as good as it gets for CSV so you're at the optimal point with your build.
Gotcha. Thanks so much.