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Choosing your Ship Weapons

Author: Lt. Cmdr. Vito |

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(2 votes, average 3.50 out of 5)

When playing Star Trek Online, it is important to use weapons that cater to your class of ship. There are many things to take into account. Some weapons can only be used by a certain type of ship. Frequently items such as high damage cannons can only be used by Escort Class ships or the Klingon equivalent. One thing to keep in mind though, is just because you can use a weapon doesn't always mean you should.
For example, if you're commanding a Cruiser, your turn rating is going to be lower than a Science or Escort Class ship. This means that you'll want to equip your ship with weapons that have a wider firing arc. So while that dual beam bank weapon might have a higher DPS (damage per second) than your current beam array, you might have a harder time getting them into the bank's narrow 90 degree firing arc. Many players agree that it's worth sacrificing the damage in order to have the wide 250 degree firing arc of an array weapon. This is especially true when you equip array weapons in the front and back of the ship, creating an overlap of weapons fire that makes the side of your ship as dangerous as the front.
This isn't to say that a narrow firing arc weapon doesn't have it's place on a cruiser, but you do need to always keep your turning rate in mind. When choosing a torpedo system, DPS isn't everything. Items such as Quantum Torpedoes sometimes have a lower DPS than a normal Photon, but they also have a slower firing rate. This means it fires less frequently, but when it does fire, it does greater amounts of damage. This is perfect for slow moving ships since you're not as likely to keep your enemy in your firing arc long enough to take multiple shots. Simply do as much damage as possible, as quickly as possible.
Also, keep in mind the different effects weapons might have on top of their normal damage. Plasma weapons may sometimes seem weaker when comparing DPS, but their ability to sometimes cause a damage over time plasma fire is a great way to do extra damage while reducing the chance of catching the enemy's attention in player vs. environment play.
So be sure to take all the factors into account. It's not always about doing the most damage, but picking weapons that supplement your ship and playing style.

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Troublesome Tribbles.. . Or, Are they?

Author: Lt. Cmdr. Vito |

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(1 vote, average 5.00 out of 5)

Fans of Star Trek will be familiar with Tribbles. Even if you're not a fan of the original series, chances are that you will know these little fuzz balls are cute, they can be nothing but trouble. In the show, the Tribble is actually born pregnant and if left unchecked with a food source it will reproduce at an alarming rate.

In the world of Star Trek Online, not much is different. To those that hang around Starbase 01, you know it's common place for someone to return from a mission to find their bank completely filled with Tribbles and any trace of food gone. If these creatures are put into a device slot, they can actually be used to create positive benefits. While most Tribbles actually help you heal more quickly if petted outside of combat, most people find these creatures to be nothing more than pests.

What many people don't know, is that in game Tribble breeding is actually a past time for many players. A few brave or lucky souls have noticed that not every Tribble is alike. Beyond slight color variations, it has been noted that each Tribble is part of a distinct breed. Typically the most common breeds do nothing more than heal outside of combat, but there have been reports that some of the rarer breeds actually grant some amazing abilities. These rare breeds can actually provide buffs that increase your damage or health regeneration for up to an hour.

After much trial and error, it is believed that the type of food used by the Tribble to reproduce is directly related to the breed of the new Tribble. Less common food items seem to have a higher chance of producing these rare Tribbles. Food items such as Ratamba Stew, Slug-o-cola and Klingon Gagh have a chance to create Tribbles that have a 60 minute health regeneration buff. Where as items like Chateau Picard, Bolian Shouffle and Klingon Rogek Blood Pie have been linked to a 60 minute damage buff.

So now, instead of just throwing away food you find or leaving Tribbles where they lie, get breeding! You never know what you're going to get and who knows what's left to be found. Have fun experimenting and good luck!

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Contributors/Writers welcome

Author: Lt. Cmdr. Vito |

If you would like to contribute articles and content to the site to help fellow players get ahead in the game , You are more than welcome to sign up and submit articles. Suggestions for features or other ideas are also quite welcome. We'd like to build up an extensive database or items and inventory, and plans in the works to write a detailed levelling guide for the game.

If you'd like to contribute in any way and see your name among the honored members of the site (and of course, add your favorite links if you wish), do feel free to sign up and submit articles. Most any decently written article will be gladly accepted.

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Last Updated ( Friday, 05 February 2010 22:31 )

Tactical Officer - Skills and advantages

Author: Lt. Cmdr. Vito |

Space, the final frontier.
In Star Trek Online, there are a great variety of choices that a player can make to personalize the game to suit his or her play style. Several “classes” (I use the term class loosely) exist in the game. While these classes all have different abilities that help supplement universal skills, they all have the ability to utilize any weapon, which is unlike the typical situation in most other MMORPGs. While all classes can use all weapons, no one is as proficient or deadly in their use than the tactical officer.
Players who have been comfortable with straight-up damage dealing in past MMOs will find the tactical officer a welcoming class and welcome addition to the ship’s crew. The tactical officer specializes in the efficient use of deadly assault weapons, and has a wide range of vaporizing and bone-shattering abilities that will send your enemies running.
The tactical officer, on the bridge, can make deadly use of the ship’s weapon systems. Even the most mundane of weapon systems in the hands of a tactical officer can become powerful batteries that rip mile-wide holes in the sides of capital ships.
The tactical officer can learn to magnify his damage with a wise application of skill points, and of course, the right weapon. Assault training will improve the damage output exponentially, and, let’s just face it: a phaser sniper rifle in the hands of a well-trained tactical officer is a force to truly be reckoned with.
The tactical officer perhaps serves best on the ground. They can tear through enemy forces with ease, and can lay down suppressive fire to demolish an enemy assault.
The player needs quick wits and an equally tactical mind, to unlock the true power of the class. You’ll encounter critical situations which require quick decision-making in order to come out of the fight alive.
All-in-all, the tactical officer is an action-packed class that is friendly to both new MMOers and veterans of damage-based classes. An essential member of any crew, the tactical officer navigates deep space with his companions, and brings out the big guns when diplomatic solutions just won’t work.

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Where is Memory Alpha?

Author: Lt. Cmdr. Vito |

Another common question the simple answer is - look at your map (hit the M kep, look at Galaxy Map)

Memory Alpha is located in Alpha Centauri To get there from Sol (Earth Spacedock) after you undock from spacedock, warp out, you'll be in the Vulcan Sector Block - get your ship pointed north. Or, go to galaxy map, zoom out as far as you can , click and drag the map so you can see the top edge and you should see a white triangle shape at the edge of the map pointing to Aplha Centauri - You can click on that and plot a course to that location, warp in to Alpha Centauri , open your map again and go to the Area Map . Now you can locate Memory Alpha and click on the white location button to plot a course for Memory Alpha - Nice and easy, eh? :)

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