Star Trek Online: The Continuing Languish Mission

[DontSayBanana]

I am maybe re-thinking an engineer. Tanking in the game (judging from reading guides) seems kind of boring.

It is; the best mileage I've gotten so far is running escorts with an engineer.  Pure science captains seem to have some die hard fans, too, though.

[crazy canuck]

You guys might even get me back into this.  After I level my Priest that is.

[Barrister]

You guys might even get me back into this.  After I level my Priest that is.

Well, I'm having fun with it.  It is a change of pace from WoW.  Some nice fixes have been made to the game since launch, though it hasn't been fundamentally re-written or anything.

[Barrister]

Season 4 hits tonight:

Release notes:

Features
Ground Combat Update
Shooter Mode
There is now an alternate firing mode called "shooter mode". Shooter mode is very responsive, and allows for quicker acquisition of targets via the targeting reticule. Use L-Mouse and R-Mouse to fire your primary and secondary attack on your weapon. Middle mouse will activate your melee attack. You can, however, still use the keyboard keys - 1, 2, and 3 - if you prefer. Notice you can fire your weapon without a target while in shooter mode, and players can now miss targets.
There are new shooter mode specific keybind options in the options menu
Swap to shooter mode
Use the B key to Swap between Shooter and RPG mode. If you open a menu (like your skill page) while in shooter mode, you will temporarily drop back to RPG mode, so you can maintain control over your character and interact with the window.
Players can auto-attack their primary fire in shooter mode by holding down the left mouse button in a default button layout.
Classic controls are unaffected
It was important to us to maintain the classic RPG control scheme in STO. You can continue to play with the original control, use the new Shooter controls, or switch back and forth on-the-fly at any time.
New Options
To help preserve the classic controls, there is now a new set of shooter mode controls and keybinds in the options menu, so you can manage both independently.
All values have been updated
Although the classic control mechanics are preserved in STO, the ground game has been completely rebalanced. All values including HP, damage, and most ground Kit and Captain Abilities have been modified and updated.
Tooltips
You can see a lot of the above reflected in the new tooltips. There is a lot more info in the new tooltips, and you will now be able to better see how your skills affect all your ground abilities.
Pacing
Once of the most significant changes is in the pacing of ground combat. Overall, it is significantly more visceral. Response times and activate times are much quicker and gratifying. Recharge times on the secondary fire for most weapons have been greatly reduced. The overall pacing has greatly improved. We wanted the player to feel powerful, so low ranking critters can be taken out much more quickly. However, commanders have gotten more deadly and will take thought to overcome.
Difficulty Slider Updates
Switching to Advanced or Elite difficulty will give critters a little more HP, but not much. However, they will deal more damage, and some will even gain new abilities. As always, playing at a higher difficulty setting will earn you better rewards.
Advanced and Elite modes have been tuned.
Ensigns now have shields on both advanced and elite modes.
Ensigns now have bonus HP on elite mode.
Cover
STO has a simple cover mechanic. Crouching behind a tall object can break line of site from your foe.
Power Offset Mode
Since you no longer have a free mouse to access other Kits and captain abilities, you can either switch to RPG mode to utilize your powers, or you can use one of the two new power offset mode functionality.
If you set your power tray to card 3, you will then see a brick of power slots that forms three lines. You can place powers on the top and middle line, as usual, but now you can easily access them in shooter mode with your mouse keys. When you press R or T a yellow rectangle will surround three powers. Those powers are now selected. Those selected powers will now active the next time you use your mouse clicks or the 1,2,3 keys the selected powers will be used instead of your weapon. After using any of the powers in the selection box once, the yellow rectangle will go back to your weapons, indicating those are now the selected attacks.
This mode is the default power offset mode.
Pressing R will move this rectangular bar up (when it hits the top it will cycle to the bottom again)
Pressing T will move this rectangular bar right (when it it's the right it will cycle to the left again)
If you set your powers UI to card 3, you will then see a brick of power slots that form three lines. You can place powers on the top and middle line, as usual, but now you can easily access them in shooter mode with your mouse keys. By pressing R all of the powers on line 2 will be placed on your first line, so instead of pressing "Ctrl+1" to use a power you can simply click your 1 key or your L Mouse button. This makes all of your powers more accessible while in shooter mode. Note: your powers tray doesn't NEED to be set to 3 for this to work, it was simply easier to explain it that way
This mode is an alternate option.
Kit and Captain Abilities
As mentioned before, most have been overhauled to work better with the new mechanics. In RPG mode, like always, all abilities require a target. However in Shooter mode, it works differently. If ability can target self or friend, you won't need a target. For instance, if you target an ally with a heal, you will heal that target. If you have no friendly target, you will heal yourself. Kit or Captain Abilities that harm or debuff a single foe still requires a target, even in shooter mode. This is to prevent misfires of abilities that have large cooldowns. However, Kit and Captain abilities that are AoE do not require a target to activate in shooter mode. If you have no target, the ability will activate at max range. So, for instance, you can place a Dampening field at a point on the ground in shooter mode.
Grenades
In shooter mode, grenades no longer require a target to activate. They can even be thrown over walls. Damage has been increased.
All weapons updated
You will now see a significant difference between each weapon's damage and effective range.
Pistols have the highest DPS but the shortest range.
Rifles hit harder per shot but have a lower dps due to recharge times. They are mid to long range.
Assaults do more mid to short range burst damage.
Weapon melee
Melee can be activated with the middle mouse button or the 3 key. It is now a combo. The rifle combo is the most advanced, while the Assault combo is more limited. Rifle Combos will change attacks automatically. The first always tries to push the target back, but if the target has grown resistant to knock backs, the combo will automatically change to expose attacks. Once the target is exposed, the combo will again change to Exploit attacks.
New Weapons
Assault Rapid sweep - Is now a Full Auto Rifle, and now uses Soldier skill instead of Special Forces. It's much faster and responsive, and its secondary attack can be swept across targets.
Pulsewave rifle and Assault Arcwave - Both of these weapons are now the Pulsewave. We combined the secondary attacks of both weapons into one. The Pulsewave is now effectively an energy shotgun. Its fast and powerful, and both attacks do more damage the closer you are to the target.
Assault Multi-Beam - This weapon was given the most significant upgrade. It is now a minigun! Both attacks have a spool-up time, but are very high in damage. Its secondary attack fires an extremely long burst that can be swept across multiple targets.
Power Changes
Engineering :
All fabrication abilities now have appropriate replicator fx based on whether you are Federation or Klingon.
Equipment Diagnostics - basically the same. Still cures Mechanical Debuffs, but now also gives a shield and damage resistance buff.
Combat Supply - Now creates a clickable crate that you can go to and retrieve temporary hypos, shield charges and power cell devices.
Medical Generator - the generator now simply has a healing/Damage Resistance aura around it. It no longer heals/buffs one target at a time.
Turret Fabrication - now summons a phaser turret for Federation and a Disruptor turret for Klingons. Each version of Turret Fabrication (I, II and III) comes with an increasingly better weapon.
Seeker Drone - No longer requires a target to summon. Drone acts more like Security Escort and will follow you and attack any nearby foes. Now summons a phaser Drone for Federation and a Disruptor Drone for Klingons. Each version of Seeker Drone (I, II and III) comes with an increasingly better weapon.
Support Drone - Now summons a phaser Drone for Federation and a Disruptor Drone for Klingons. Its weapons are minimal (one beam - no longer has wide beam), but it comes with Engineering buffs - Equipment Diagnostics, Quick Fix, and Shield Recharge (based on its Version - I, II, or III). Will stay by its assigned target. Support Drone will follow and assist you and only attack foes that attack you. If you select an ally (Away Team member, another fabricated device like a turret or another drone, or any other ally), the support drone will assist that target.
Transphasic Bomb is now functioning as it was meant to.
Orbital Strike - Fixed and awesome. Also, the Klingon version is a Disruptor.
Tactical :
Focus Fire - is now Battle Strategies. This ability was changed because it was mostly redundant with Fire on My Mark. Now, Battle Strategies first applies a short duration buff that removes tactical debuffs and any enemy that attacks the target will have a chance of betting Exposed. Can be used on yourself or an ally.
Leg Sweep - Is now Sweeping Strikes. It's now a heavy melee combo or cone attacks (hits more than one target) Has no recharge time.
Motion Accelerator - Is about the same, but will be a PBAoE buff that adds resistance to Holds, Stuns, Roots and slows.
Suppressing Fire - Is about the same, but will be a PBAoE buff that grants you and your ally's weapons the ability to slow their targets with a chance to root.
Lunge - is now a Kirk Drop Kick. This is just an animation change, but pure awesome!
Target Optics - simplified so it no longer needs a foe target to activate. If there are any enemy targets in front of you, they may be exposed when you activate Target Optics.
Recharge time for rally cry has been reduced from 3 minutes to 2 minutes.
Tuned/simplified Plasma grenade.
Science :
Hypospray Dylovene - basically the same. Still cures Toxic, but now also gives a Physical damage buff and a Max HP buff.
Nanoprobe Infestation - fixed and greatly simplified. Simply infects the target with a damage resistance debuff that can infect nearby targets.
Thermal Vents - Now Exothermic Induction Field. Same basic powers (just a name and art change so you are not summoning volcanoes inside starships).
Gravitic Field - Now Gravimetric Shift Electro. Same basic powers (just a name and art change so you are not summoning volcanoes inside starships).
Geophysics - (This refers to the Sklii/Stat not a kit ability) Note the stat is now called Physics. It's the same stat and it modified the same powers. Just a name change to better reflect the name changes to Thermal Vents and Gravitc Field.
Simplified and tuned Hyperonic radiation.
Simplified and tuned Sonic Pulse.
Power Updates
There has been a general reduction in health and shield strength as part of our Ground Combat 2.0 Upgrade.
Tooltips have become more informative and descriptive across all powers and weapons.
Weapons Malfunction will now also debuff the targets weapon damage.
Fixed Breen CRM 200 secondary fire so it now properly freezes enemies.
The recharge time adjusts over rank for Mine Barrier, Cover Shield, Anesthizine Gas, and Dampening Field.
Engineering turret fabrication now summons a different type of turret based on Rank of the kit power. Klingons now summon disruptor turrets.
Reduced chance for Procs for all ground weapons to compensate for new pace of ground combat.
The cast-time for powers have generally been decreased.
Scientific Aptitude now protects you from roots.
The "Hold" display name has been changed to "Stun".
Reduced the duration ground stuns and holds.
Stuns can now be interrupted by attacking.
Vascular Regenerator will now properly extinguish a plasma fire DoT on you or your allies.
Fire Extinguisher and Breen CRM 2000 will now extinguish plasma fires from plasma grenades.
Fixed Icon for Bite trait and Feline Instinct trait (they were reversed).
Fixed dampening field to work with shooter mode.
Fixed CRM 200 cone firing off if you spam the primary power.
Tuned/simplified Pistol Stun and ground weapon stun enhancement.
Fixed Dampening field so it can be cast anywhere in shooter mode.
Fixed Dampening field debuff icon.
Added new lasers to sniper Rifles.
Fixed seeker and support drone death power so they don't linger around with bad effects.
Players can no longer roll while using powers.
Altered Combat Supply to drop a crate with items for allied players, rather than granting powers directly.
Various Weapon Changes (replacements, etc).
New Qo'noS (First City)
The Qo'noS map has been completely overhauled, it is now called "First City".
Klingon players that logged out in Old Qo'noS should spawn appropriately in new Qo'noS.
There are now tour missions throughout the First City to help players get acquainted with their new surroundings.

And there's more that wouldn't fit in one post.

http://www.startrekonline.com/node/2512

[DontSayBanana]

They finally un-zerged the Borg? "Stun" appears more than just as the alt-fire name for the crappy standard-issue phaser?  Arc-trajectory grenades?

Mixed feelings on the pacing changes, though- a couple of the ground mobs were already too fast for players' own good (forget which; Widrab comes to mind, though). 

[Barrister]

Well finally got a bit of a chance to finally play STO again.  I like the much faster combat.  Quite a bit.

Not as sure about suddenly turning ground combat into a FPS-type mode - might take some getting used to.

[chipwich]

Got this for free from the Alienware promo, hope to see you ingame. I've heard it's gotten better in the past year.

[Barrister]

Got this for free from the Alienware promo, hope to see you ingame. I've heard it's gotten better in the past year.

What's your account name Chip?

[chipwich]

Ketermuls. It's still one big server right?

[Barrister]

Ketermuls. It's still one big server right?

Yup.  I'll add you to my friends list.

I haven't played the last couple weeks, but that's as good a reason as any to hop on tonight.

[chipwich]

I'm glad you're sticking to your guns, I was all sad when I knew you had bought a lifetime and all the reviewers said the game sucked.

[Barrister]

I'm glad you're sticking to your guns, I was all sad when I knew you had bought a lifetime and all the reviewers said the game sucked.

Well the nice thing about the lifetime is you don't have to worry about getting your "moneys worth" every month.  I can, and have, put the game aside for several months before only to come back.

[Syt]

I just played a foundry mission, To Helna and Back. Not great, but an hour's worth of mission; I'd give it 3.75 stars out of 5 - well crafted but not overly original. It allowed me to sample the new ground combat, though - MASSIVE improvement. Fights are now finished MUCH faster instead of moving at a glacial pace of chipping away fractions of hitpoints. Actually feels like action now.

[Barrister]

I just played a foundry mission, To Helna and Back. Not great, but an hour's worth of mission; I'd give it 3.75 stars out of 5 - well crafted but not overly original. It allowed me to sample the new ground combat, though - MASSIVE improvement. Fights are now finished MUCH faster instead of moving at a glacial pace of chipping away fractions of hitpoints. Actually feels like action now.

Not sure I like the FPS mode, but in any event you can keep the traditional MMO mode as well.

Yes - great improvement.

The revamp to the Borg is a bit confusing though, as it isn't explained in-game AT ALL.

[chipwich]

What is the benefit of doing things at higher difficulty?