Incline Official codex Star Trek Online topic :salute:

[Norfleet]

Yeah, no. Not touching that evil spyware. At this point, I'm just going to file this under "games that are horribly written", considering they can't even get an extremely basic non-interactive wget functionality done without breaking it. That really doesn't encourage me as to how shittily written the rest of the game must be. When they can't even get a completely non-interactive component to work, it tells me that they've put absolutely zero testing into it and the entire game is a bug-infested shithole the likes of which I've probably never seen.

 

[Jarpie]

You can download the whole installer by torrent, from here: http://sto.perfectworld.com/download

 

[Hoaxmetal]

Norfleet has reached critical levels of butthurt.

 

[Norfleet]

You can download the whole installer by torrent, from here: http://sto.perfectworld.com/download

Wouldn't that just download the same thing, which would then proceed to not work?

Norfleet has reached critical levels of butthurt.

Hardly, although I can't say I'm impressed by their ability to break a totally non-interactive invariant process that SHOULD simply be replicating wget.

 

[Jarpie]

You can download the whole installer by torrent, from here: http://sto.perfectworld.com/download

Wouldn't that just download the same thing, which would then proceed to not work?

Norfleet has reached critical levels of butthurt.

Hardly, although I can't say I'm impressed by their ability to break a totally non-interactive invariant process that SHOULD simply be replicating wget.

No, the torrent download is the full installer which takes 4,5 gigs so you wouldn't have to use the small exe installer/dowloader from the direct download link.

 

[Norfleet]

This installer better SAY something when it crashes in flames.

 

[Norfleet]

So somehow, I'm not surprised that the pirated version works better than the official download. Seems like that's always true these days.

Anyway, so I got it installed. I poked around, was confronted with a litany of decisions which appear to have actual consequences (class, race, etc), that I'm not actually qualified to make. Then the wife decided this looked shiny and took the computer, so now I have to reinstall it again on another one. While I'm waiting for THAT to finish, someone advise me on what to do.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Basically, your gameplay is decided first and foremost by two factors:

Your class, and your ship type. On Ground, everything is about your class, as it decides your Kit, and through that your entire playstyle. In Space, your class is additional abilities to what you get with your ship type. Like most MMOs, STO uses a strong Holy Trinity style approach: Tank - DPS - Healer. Or in this game, Tank - DPS - Wizard. On Ground, the division goes like this:

Tank: Science with Medic kit. Nothing else can survive the kind of damage the Science captain is expected to take.

DPS (Rogue): Tactical. Tacs excel in massive damage spikes and Expose/Exploit gameplay. They're glass cannons, lacking almost all forms of defenses.

Wizard: Engineer. Engineer is not actually a Tank at all despite what the introduction text explains, Engineers are actually closest to a Wizard class in the game, as they have primarily two kits that people use: Enemy Neutralization (Space Jihadist, basically laying mines and bombs all over the place in an aggressive manner) and Bunker Fabrication (support healer that provides modest healing position for the whole team).


In Space, the roles differ a little, as Classes are only a fraction of the abilities you use there. Engineer has additional tanking abilities in the form of self-heals, Tactical is unchanged, and Science has mostly just meh abilities to add to his normal ship mix (the good ones are a damage resistance debuff and a ability cooldown debuff). However, these are just enhancements to what you have underneath, this being your ship. These are arrayed in the same manner.

Cruiser: Tank. Slow and ponderous, low DPS.

Escort: DPS. And reaaaally DPS. We're talking four times higher DPS than the best other ships can muster even before Bridge Officer abilities are factored in. Also the fastest ships.

Science Vessel: Space Wizard. Focus is on control abilities that improve the tactical position of the team. Weakest DPS, tankier than Escorts.

Additionally, there are special ship types, these being Carriers (slowest ships in the game, essentially tankier Science Vessels with pets, KDF has the only Free carrier), Carrier-Hybrids (Cruisers or Escorts with pets) and Birds-of-Prey (even faster than Escorts, most flexible and frail ships in the game, KDF only).

You don't pick your ship at the start, and you can change it to whatever ship you possess whenever you wish at a Dock. You gain a new free ship each Tier up to the first half of the endgame tier, Rear Admiral (note: Vice Admiral ships are the same as Rear Admiral ships in terms of performance, premium ships have at best marginal advantage). This means you can try out all three ships with your starting Fed character and pick the one you like the best as your endgame ship.


One element besides your class you pick and (at least for now) cannot change later is your race and Traits. Race selection is largely for flavour if you don't feel like min-maxing (very few races have special class affinities, ie Bajorans are best Science tanks if you get really anal-retentive about it), generally you're picking what you like best. As for Traits, generally your race gives you two preset ones (common one is unique to that race, ie Vulcans have Logical) and defines your optional trait selection. There's a few things to know about these:

1) Skill bonus traits are largely crap, only worth it for the most obsessed min-maxers.
2) Ground traits and %-based have much more significant effect.
3) All characters take the Accurate trait. It makes your hit ratio noticiably better.

Generally, there's a selection of universally desirable traits to pick from to support your character in whatever he is doing. A good example is non-Science characters taking Peak Health, which can buy them enough time to survive in tough spots. Other good examples are Soldier and Acute Senses.

 

[Norfleet]

One element besides your class you pick and (at least for now) cannot change later is your race and Traits. Race selection is largely for flavour if you don't feel like min-maxing (very few races have special class affinities, ie Bajorans are best Science tanks if you get really anal-retentive about it), generally you're picking what you like best.

Ahaha. Yeah. Don't feel like min-maxing. That's a good one. I was pretty sure it was a given that you pick "Custom". What I like best is "Blasting my enemies, seeing them explode before me, and hearing their lamentations over the intercom". Whether that means I, personally, do the blasting, or whether I command the blasting from the sidelines, these things are unimportant: Whatever gives us the most crushing of enemies. I have crushed enemies in games that I was not even an actual player in.

I am of the belief that being unkillable is the first and foremost key to success. Whether this is because you can kill your enemies instantly from afar, before they can even threaten you; because you can outrange and outrun anything; because an anal-retentive attention to detail combined with a certain ability or item can render you unhittable; or because you are impervious to all harm; these finer points are less important. Note that this isn't quite the same as being a "tank". Tanks die. It's just a long, drawn-out affair that they aren't really empowered to actually avoid.

What do I like best in this game?

1) Skill bonus traits are largely crap, only worth it for the most obsessed min-maxers.

These two statements don't go together. Something cannot be both "crap" and "worth it" for the people most fixated on bonii. Please elaborate.

2) Ground traits and %-based have much more significant effect.

Noted. We're all Space Marines now? We don't send redshirt crewmen to do our bidding on planets anymore? That seems very Captain Kirk. Do I need to invest in a tear-away shirt? I mean, which is the meat of this game, here? The pew-pew in space, or the Space Marine Action?

3) All characters take the Accurate trait. It makes your hit ratio noticiably better.

Noted. Will heckle the wife if she didn't do this.

Generally, there's a selection of universally desirable traits to pick from to support your character in whatever he is doing. A good example is non-Science characters taking Peak Health, which can buy them enough time to survive in tough spots. Other good examples are Soldier and Acute Senses.

And this selection is?

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Fairly evenly distributed, and when you play solo you generally take four crewmembers with you, who are either Bridge Officers you personally design, or generic redshirts with crap weapons and no abilities.

These are the good traits: Lucky (this one is really popular), Soldier, Acute Senses, Peak Health (only second to Lucky in my book), Creative, Covert, Telepathy and Limited Telepathy.

You can check stuff on Traits and just about everything else here: http://www.stowiki.org/Trait

Some optional Race traits, like Pounce and Rapture, are also good. Mind Meld is a shit trait though, be warned. It's good to check the effect and cooldown at the Wiki to be sure.


If you like blasting, you have the choice between Engineer and Tactical. Engineer has bombs and an Orbital Strike, but a Tactical can buff the hell out of his weapons and dropkick with the force of a thousand exploding suns. In space, the choice will really be between a Cruiser and Escort then. A Cruiser has considerably lower firepower (but I recommend flying one Tier 1, a Science Vessel Tier 2 and then switching to Escort) than an Escort. Escorts are the ones that make Space light up with 'splosions everywhere they go.


PS: The thing with Min-Maxers is that they will look to the most minor space-boost possible (PvP is really space-oriented here, but suffers a bit in terms of balance due to Cruisers and Science Vessels due lacking in firepower needed against player ships), which can be something as silly as a single point of power. Generally it's better to take the more beneficial Ground traits, since Ground combat is a lot of fun and Traits matter more in it.

 

[Norfleet]

These are the good traits: Lucky (this one is really popular), Soldier, Acute Senses, Peak Health (only second to Lucky in my book), Creative, Covert, Telepathy and Limited Telepathy.

You can check stuff on Traits and just about everything else here: http://www.stowiki.org/Trait

I can't help but notice that few, if any, of these traits, pertain to actually crushing your enemies. You seem to be a big fan of the ground combat. Something which you also seem to admit lacks any actual relevance to the endgame.

Some optional Race traits, like Pounce and Rapture, are also good. Mind Meld is a shit trait though, be warned. It's good to check the effect and cooldown at the Wiki to be sure.

This completely does not surprise me.

If you like blasting, you have the choice between Engineer and Tactical. Engineer has bombs and an Orbital Strike, but a Tactical can buff the hell out of his weapons and dropkick with the force of a thousand exploding suns.

Specifically, I like blasting enemies. Mobs, meh. Mobs don't have lamentations, and cannot be driven before you. You can only crush them, and that's...like, only half of what is best in life. Seeing them driven before you and hearing the lamentations of their women, while of lesser emphasis, is also important.

In space, the choice will really be between a Cruiser and Escort then. A Cruiser has considerably lower firepower (but I recommend flying one Tier 1, a Science Vessel Tier 2 and then switching to Escort) than an Escort. Escorts are the ones that make Space light up with 'splosions everywhere they go.

How good are they at not exploding? They have high damage, but is their mobility sufficient to compensate for their lack of defense? Not exploding is also very important. Otherwise you're just a kamikaze pilot, and that...probably doesn't achieve any useful long-term goal, unless you can really annoy the shit out of people with it.

Basically, what setup has the fewest weaknesses that I cannot cover through personal skill?

PS: The thing with Min-Maxers is that they will look to the most minor space-boost possible (PvP is really space-oriented here, but suffers a bit in terms of balance due to Cruisers and Science Vessels due lacking in firepower needed against player ships), which can be something as silly as a single point of power.

Aha. See, this is important! Power is a thing, then? Talk to me about this. This interests me. While it may be true that ground bonii have greater effect, it is also the case that PvE is a thing that is meant to be beaten. Defeating a thing that is meant to be beaten is a meaningless achievement. Crushing enemies, this is what matters. This is what is best in life.

Generally it's better to take the more beneficial Ground traits, since Ground combat is a lot of fun and Traits matter more in it.

Fun. Pssh. You kids and your "fun". Talk to me about crushing enemies. I want to hear more about that. You mentioned that PvP is really space-oriented, then you immediately suggest something that has absolutely nothing to do with this. Yeah, let's hear about crushing our enemies, seeing them driven before us, and hearing the lamentations of their women.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Actually Ground combat is equally, or actually better, presented at the endgame than Space Combat. Ground STFs and Fleet events are generally more lucrative and often just more tactical.

Like I said, Traits are generally directed to provide a small boost, your skill points and kits are far more important. But if you want to crush your enemies, take Lucky.

And if you want to blast with a more personal feel, take a Tactical. On Ground you'll still be a glass cannon, so keep that in mind.

Escorts are generally regarded as hands-down the best ships because outside of Elite PvE they don't have that much of a worry about exploding due to how low the firepower on ships besides other Escorts and Birds-of-Prey is, and at Elite PvE they'll have a team that should have Cruisers to draw aggro away from them. And really, personal skill is very involved in this, Escorts are the most liked because they require the least skill to master to a degree where only a significantly better player in a Cruiser or Science Vessel can beat you (this does lead to most Escort captains being useless tards though who utterly fail to use their ship right). In PvP, Escorts and BoPs are the ones doing the bulk of the fighting unless the team is highly coordinated, with Cruisers and Science Vessels being purely there to heal and support the Escorts, at best a Cruiser can contest a victory point.

Power in this game is an important strategic aspect, as you allocate power between four subsystems of you ship: Weapons, Shields, Engines and Auxiliary. You have 200 points of power by default, and the values (between 25 and 100 base) are then further modified by skills, abilities and items. 50 is the default value, and higher and lower then modify the abilities and equipment affected by the subsystem accordingly. At 100 power, your effective DPS for example is tripled (most ships will run 100 Weapons power). However, the minor boost your Traits can get to it is something only an anal-retentive min-maxer who focuses only on space combat finds worthwhile, as it's at best barely minimal effect.

 

[Jarpie]

The installer you downloaded by torrent isn't pirate, it's from the official site.

 

[Norfleet]

And if you want to blast with a more personal feel, take a Tactical. On Ground you'll still be a glass cannon, so keep that in mind.

Feel isn't important. Results are what matters. What gives me results?

And really, personal skill is very involved in this, Escorts are the most liked because they require the least skill to master to a degree where only a significantly better player in a Cruiser or Science Vessel can beat you (this does lead to most Escort captains being useless tards though who utterly fail to use their ship right).

Worth noting. And, as you mentioned, ships aren't a permanent decision that is set in stone.

Power in this game is an important strategic aspect, as you allocate power between four subsystems of you ship: Weapons, Shields, Engines and Auxiliary. You have 200 points of power by default, and the values (between 25 and 100 base) are then further modified by skills, abilities and items. 50 is the default value, and higher and lower then modify the abilities and equipment affected by the subsystem accordingly. At 100 power, your effective DPS for example is tripled (most ships will run 100 Weapons power).

Now, this power allocation dealy...this is something that is set in stone? One cannot simply redirect power to whatever is needed? For instance, weapons are of no use when you are not in firing range, so they don't need any power if you are not firing on anything, while shields would be unimportant if you are not being fired at, and engines are unimportant if you cannot outrun your opponent anyway. Elaborate more on this?

However, the minor boost your Traits can get to it is something only an anal-retentive min-maxer who focuses only on space combat finds worthwhile, as it's at best barely minimal effect.

Right. Did I not mention that this category specifically includes me? Talk to be more about this.

The installer you downloaded by torrent isn't pirate, it's from the official site.

Pirate Bay is the official site now? The one on the official site, like everything else on the official site, did not work. But since you said torrent, I checked the usual sources, and THAT one worked.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

You have four preset power allocations that you can modify and save those modifications. You can theoretically adjust the sliders like this in combat too, but it's simply not something you'd want to do because it's akin to getting caught with your pants down. Hence why you have the saved presets that you can change if necessary with a click.

And if you are an anal retentive min-maxer, it means you're getting Efficient Captain and an entire crew of Efficient bridge officers (Saurians).

 

[Norfleet]

You have four preset power allocations that you can modify and save those modifications. You can theoretically adjust the sliders like this in combat too, but it's simply not something you'd want to do because it's akin to getting caught with your pants down.

Sounds like a fine argument for a loincloth.

And if you are an anal retentive min-maxer, it means you're getting Efficient Captain and an entire crew of Efficient bridge officers (Saurians).

Okey doke. That's what I wanted to know about. So apparently, I need Efficient, Elusive, Accurate, and...

Goddammit. I haven't even MADE A CHARACTER yet and someone has already hacked my account?

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

It's the Account Guard feature, they added it a few months back to protect against potential hackers.

 

[Hoaxmetal]

More butthurt incoming

 

[fizzelopeguss]

lol

 

[Norfleet]

Nah, it's okay. I'm good now. Just working through the controls to get the clunky camera where it doesn't make me ill.

 

[Norfleet]

'k, so I'm starting to get the hang of this. What should I be doing/focusing on/etc? More importantly, what should I absolutely NOT do?

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Well, first you should post your charname@handle (use exact letters), and we'll hook you up with the Fleet and chat channel. You can get help there whenever people are online.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

EXTRA! EXTRA! USELESS DOFF-GRUBBING ALTS SAVE KDF FLEET!

Basically, we just discovered that Investigate Daily Officer Reports gives 50 Fleet Marks along with the 1.2 dil... Which means we will begin investing into the KDF fleet again.

 

[Norfleet]

Norfleet@jkname

EXTRA! EXTRA! USELESS DOFF-GRUBBING ALTS SAVE KDF FLEET!

Basically, we just discovered that Investigate Daily Officer Reports gives 50 Fleet Marks along with the 1.2 dil... Which means we will begin investing into the KDF fleet again.

I have not ever been offered the option to create any other alts, period. How many slots do you get? Just the one? Do more appear later or something?

Also, those "Tholian Lockboxen". Valuable to someone else in any way, or worthless trash clogging inventory space?

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Free players get one character slot for each faction. The KDF slot unlocks at level 25. Otherwise you have to buy more universal slots from the cash-shop, or sub.

However, seems the dance of profit was premature, since the Fleet Marks will only be there for this week's Fleet Mark bonus event

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Federation Starbase is now at Tier 2, work has commenced on Communications Array 2. After that we will focus on getting ourselves some military ranks and lots and lots of Romulan Ale and Dosi Rotgut for our bartender.