Star Trek Online MMORPG - 5th Feb 2010

[Liberator]

Whatever the connection problems were Smilo, they didn't seem to be effecting anyone else today. No idea what it could be for you.

It's the same as BSG when you move between areas for the first time, it has to download that area. The annoying thing is that it calls it "Patching", it's not really, it's downloading content. I suppose they called it patching because it's updating files that you don't have.

Also, have a word with Oldie before deciding to run away, he came in today for the first time and appears impressed and is already lvl 3 after a few hours play.

Get past the introduction mission, set up some basic options and your you keys ,after talking with us, and it's plain sailing.

Don't think that because we've been playing at lvl 50 for a few weeks that there's nothing in it for us to come join a mission with you at lvl 2.

The rewards from a completed mission are specific to your level, although the rewards during the mission are at the level of the commanding character.

So during a mission with me at 50 and you at 2 inviting me to play, I'll get lvl 2 rewards during the fighting/problem solving, but at the end of the mission I'll be given a lvl 50 item. Also, any level specific stuff I pick up, I can email to you in game for your pleasure.

Oh yeah, every game episode you play is repeatable over and over, so when you reach CAP at 50, you can go back and replay the good missions at that level and get a better reward.

The latest "Special Series" which was called "The 2800" has been bolted onto the end of an existing DS9 series to become a normal episode run. Game content it being updated all the time with events and specials.

Although the model has obviously changed to one that supports people buying credits, it's not overly so. I've bought some game credits by earning Dilithium over the weeks and been able to get credits to buy 2 new character slots and a character 'respec' token to rebalance my first character.

It really is what BSG should have been, structure wise. BSG's space combat was a lot nicer, but it lost it's appeal after lvl 25. It was so damn repetitive on the dailies. The dailies are a lot more diverse and fun on STO and, even better, you can share them with friends and play at the same level as them for the same rewards on most missions.

It's still a subscriber game that's had to adapt to a F2P model and it shows, where BSG was all money driven, this seems (for the moment) to still be game first, money incentive later.

By the way, Rizzy knows the technical stuff, I'm just muddling through and gibing structural advice.

Give STO another chance when you have a better connection and someone to walk through it with you. No money required.

[smilodon]

Thanks but I think I'll pass. It really didn't do anything for me at all.

[OldBloke]

...The rewards from a completed mission are specific to your level, although the rewards during the mission are at the level of the commanding character.

So during a mission with me at 50 and you at 2 inviting me to play, I'll get lvl 2 rewards during the fighting/problem solving, but at the end of the mission I'll be given a lvl 50 item. Also, any level specific stuff I pick up, I can email to you in game for your pleasure.

That is worth reading again and what impressed me so much last night. I really enjoy the team stuff and this allows me to jump on and play with friends of differing levels and be appropriately rewarded.

[Gorion]

it has to download that area. The annoying thing is that it calls it "Patching", it's not really, it's downloading content. I suppose they called it patching because it's updating files that you don't have.

To eliminate this, go into the launcher options and disable on demand patching.

Once you click ok, the launcher will download everything at once, with the result being that the "patching" isn't done in game.


If anyone needs help with game mechanics/tricks/builds and whatnot; ask and you will be answered.  Level 50 in ~1.5-3 days is also possible (starting from scratch).


If anyone wants the Khaan emote and uniforms add this key to your account:  JIH MUSHA SOH

[sulky_uk]

check out my new ride

[/IMG]

[smilodon]

Did the one time patch and I think my load screen problems are over. Cheers

[sulky_uk]

how do you get it to dl all the areas

[RizZy]

If you look in the launcher options you'll see disable on demand patching, tick that fella & off you go, but don't try it if you've not got a bit of spare time as it'll dl all the rest of the game - which is like the total universe man - which is pretty big.

[RizZy]

As theres a few of us playing this, I thought I'd post this up -

http://www.stoacademy.com/tools/skillplanner/?build=Verlioness_0

basically a build planner so you can have a mess about without screwing things up ingame &

http://www.stoacademy.com/tools/skillplanner/share.php

is other peoples builds ideas, some of them are crap, but they'll give you an idea of whats what with your builds.

for e.g.

http://www.stoacademy.com/tools/skillplanner/?build=TFE28_0

is the build for my Star Fleet Tac officer.

[Gorion]

Riz, in order to be effective as an escort in STFs (endgame content) you need to change your build quite a bit.

First, you need to switch from beams to dual heavy cannons.  Ex:

Weapons: (As for energy type either disruptors or tetryon, then once you get enough rare borg salvage/encrypted data chips switch to antiproton)
Fore 3x DHCs + Harg'Peng Torp or 4x DHCs
Aft 3x Turrets

Consoles:
Tac: 4x X energy damage(same type)
Engi: 1 of each: Neutronium Alloy, Ablative Hull Armor, Tetraburnium Hull Armor (pref XI rare or XII common, unless you can afford better)
Sci: 1x Console - Universal - Assimilated Module

(from Assimilated episode), 1x[FONT='arial narrow'] [/FONT]

Field Generator

XI (rare ~1mil from AH or craft it) or better
Boff skills:

Tac comm: Tactical team 1, pattern beta, cannon spread, pattern omega 3
Tac lt comm: Tac team 1, pattern beta, cannon spread or fire

Engi lt: emergency power to shield 1, reverse shield polarity 1
Engi es: empts1 ^

Sci lt: Hazard emitters 1 or transfer shield strength1, hazard emitters 2

Your personal skills also need some modifications, i'll see about copying my fleet escort build into that calculator tomorrow.

[RizZy]

I havn't gone anywhere near STF's yet so no need to worry about about it too much for the time being.

I don't see the point in having the same skill multiple times on the BoFFs as you've put there, as they'd share cool down times wouldn't they?

[Sneakytiger]

[video=youtube;FCARADb9asE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCARADb9asE[/video]

for you lib!!!.lol

[Gorion]

I don't see the point in having the same skill multiple times on the BoFFs as you've put there, as they'd share cool down times wouldn't they?

They share the cooldown, however they last x amount of settings, which by the time the benefit wear off the next one will be available to use.

Look at it this way, epts1 have a 45 sec cd, you pop the first one, after 30 seconds you can use the other one, and you keep doing this for the whole duration of the stf - in rotation.  
Tac team will increase weapon damage and auto assign shield power to the side which is being attacked
epts will give you a shield heal on all sides and reduces shield damage by x% for x seconds
hazard em will give you a hull HoT and also remove certain hazards (plasma DoT is one of them - borg use plasma with the odd antiproton shot(usually gateways))
ap beta will debuff the target with less damage resistance = more damage

reverse shield polarity is your oh c**p button, pop it and balance shields (click in middle) and all your shields will regenerate to full (if you are under heavy attack)  it is also the only way to survive "invisible torpedoes"(super beams) which deal around 80k damage < no way of knowing when it will hit, but if you have revpol on and suddenly all your shields spike to full in an instant, you should have been dead.


Do keep in mind that ANY boff skill which has Team in it (tactical, engineering, science) share the same cd. < same thing applies to any emergency power to whatever skills.

P.S, you can start doing normal STF @ lvl 45 - you can do it with whatever gear you have handy; it's easy.
Once you have optimised your build and know what to do, you can move on to elites - uncommon stuff is fine as long as you know exactly what to do.


If you want, I can show you the ropes on my fed main < fleet escort as well.

[TE_owner]

So I just DL the game is it a bit complex at first? I should be on TS 2 morrow to play if you don't mind putting up with a newb

[RizZy]

If you read a little of what your being told to do it's not to hard to pick up TE, there's a few hours worth of getting used to where you are & what your doing which can seem like a bit of a drag, but once your through that your into the game & away.