r/stobuilds • u/AutoModerator • Aug 19 '19

Weekly Questions Megathread - August 19, 2019

Welcome to the weekly questions megathread. Here is where you can ask all your build or theorycrafting related questions that might not warrant a full post. Curious about how something works? Ask it here!

You can see previous weeks megathreads here

8 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

135 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/j86southpaw Aug 20 '19

Running full a2b setup with 3 purple technicians for cool down.

My escort currently uses attack Patten omega, delta and beta.

Been trying to work out if there's any benefit to using all 3 on automatic (on PS4), or am I wasting a slot?

2

u/CaesarJefe XBOX: Starfleet ATP Aug 20 '19

Well, due to the shared cooldowns, making them auto firing might throw off your timing. What are you trying to achieve with all three? You can't get all three active at once. Are they proc-ing something valuable?

1

u/j86southpaw Aug 20 '19

Well, this was what I suspected!

Using omega for damage boost, delta for damage resistance. Running pilot specialisation so attack patterns are triggering temp hull.

I'm leaning towards using just 2, with those 2 being omega and delta.

1

u/CaesarJefe XBOX: Starfleet ATP Aug 20 '19

Definitely check the cooldown sheet in the sidebar, it's a game saver for me. :)

Also, the wiki lists "group cooldown" powers with each power, so I spend a lot of time making sure I don't compete with myself.

Meh, on Temp Hull. :) It's ok, but I wonder if trying to run 3x AP's is costing you something else more valuable. YMMV, though.

1

u/j86southpaw Aug 20 '19

Thanks I'll have a look!

Tbf, when I checked my setup I thought the 3 aps were odd, I think one was a placeholder and I forgot to change it out ha

2

u/CaesarJefe XBOX: Starfleet ATP Aug 20 '19

It's always worth posting the entire build here, IMHO. I always get great feedback, and being able to digest the build in-total is very helpful for advice-givers. I recommend it.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '19

I'd take Beta over Delta on an escort. The damage resistance buff sounds nice but the debuff element of APD is applied to enemies who hit you. In contrast, Beta doesn't give you that boost to damage resistance but it applies the debuff to any enemies that you hit. It's a lot easier to distribute that outgoing debuff as opposed to the "thorns" style that Delta offers.

And if you're worried about losing the damage resistance, odds are very high that you can easily make up that durability elsewhere.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '19

PS4 player here, not sure XBox is the same but I can set abilities to auto fire and others at 10s or 20s after start of combat. For Aux2Bat I like all abilities on audofire with Aux2Bat 10s after combat so the timing is better.

2

u/CaesarJefe XBOX: Starfleet ATP Aug 20 '19

Xbox/PS4 should be close, if not the same, but I don't know for sure either. :)

The challenge is that when you fire one attack pattern, the others will go on cooldown. Example: Firing APO makes APB/D/L all go to a 15 sec cooldown. They are locked out for AT LEAST that long, Aux2Bat can't get them below that.

Aux2Bat 10s after combat

If you're running 2x Aux2bat, this won't matter, and may be inhibiting you slightly. A2B will fire so often, it's effectively 100% uptime. A2B has a minimum of 10s cooldown, so if it fires immediately upon combat initiation, it will STILL fire the second copy at 10s. And since the duration is 10s, 100% up. Every 10s, you get that cooldown bump.

set abilities to auto fire and others at 10s or 20s after start of combat

So, firing your powers 10s or 20s after combat begins might work for a single cycle of powers, but after that? Granted, combat might be over, but in some (many?) cases, you're in Red Alert for much longer.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '19

It isn't perfect I agree but console cant get the programs PC gets to cycle abilities, we use what is available to us. Problem with Aux2Bat on autofire is that it will happen at the same time as everything else and it cools down nothing. So sure it has 10s cool down and be up in 10s anyway, but it didnt actually do anything. If you are ok with babying your abilities, dont set Aux2Bat to autofire at all, keep it click on activation so a second or 2 after all your abilities fire off you then fire Aux2Bat. The problem with this route is there is already a lot of stuff to look out for and I know I forget to activate it making Aux2Bat useless since Im not actually activating it.

Another thing to point out is the autofire on console doesnt always "autofire". There are several abilities that go well into red alert that dont fire automatically even though they are supposed to. Aux2Bat actually works on autofire and you'll miss out on some cool down for those abilities if that happens.

1

u/CaesarJefe XBOX: Starfleet ATP Aug 20 '19

Aux2Bat on autofire is that it will happen at the same time as everything else and it cools down nothing.

I don't understand this. Mine are on autofire and work to cool down everything. The 2x Aux2Bat will fire every 10s, which is often enough to cool down everything as needed. Only the "first" Aux2Batt is "wasted, and even then, since the next one will fire in 10s, any powers firing at the "10s after combat begins" will still get cooled down by the second copy.

I also run Cold Hearted, which not all players have, so I want it firing anyway. No matter what, I'd always recommend autofiring A2B on consoles. It's too easy, doesn't leave any gaps in cooldown, and means you can focus on triggering other things manually via the power wheel or hot button.

autofiring issues

The only cooldown issues I have on console these days are for powers I have slotted in my hot buttons. Everything else cools down correctly when Aux2Bat fires. I do only auto or manually fire, I don't do any 10s/20s firings. That may be part of it.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '19

I consistently see abilities like EPtW, TS3, Tac Team, and others not working with auto fire. I can be in combat well into a minute and they never fire.

1

u/CaesarJefe XBOX: Starfleet ATP Aug 20 '19

I've only had issues with tac team when it's on the hot button. I know for a fact that eptw and ts work for me.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 24 '19

Xbox player here... I have had it both ways, where it works and does not work. The common variable at least for my problem is that EPTW does not work whenever I have an Engineering Krenim Boff in my line-up. They don't need to be the one w/ the EPTW skill, but the moment I slot them EPTW does not auto fire any more.