Introduction
Ding! You're level 50! Now, what are you gonna do in game?
If you're like many Fleeties, you may want to participate in space PVE runs like Azure Nebula or Fleet Alert or Elite space STFs. Perhaps you want to go head to head with your fleetmates in PVP. Whether you first hit 50 a while back or just a few minutes ago, you may be apprehensive about joining one of these events if you feel your shipbuild isn't up to par. Don't worry! Many seasoned players have shared your concerns at one point.
Before we begin working on our first build together, though, let's consider the five stages a STO player can go through in regards to their ship build. Keep in mind that not all players need to progress through all the stages!
The Five Stages of Builds
Stage One: The First Build
“If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything, it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few”
― Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
STO tells you precious little about constructing an effective build. Unless you've researched builds extensively or asked a Fleetie for advice, you're likely to be flying a Stage One build at level 50.
Stage One builds are created using random drops from the story missions. They do not follow the established guidelines of effective shipbuilding, mostly because the player doesn't know about them yet.
If you intend to play only the story missions/some story-based Foundry content in STO, your Stage One build may meet your needs.
Note: if you are still building ships at Stage One, do NOT spend your EC on ship components! Once you figure out what you want to do with your ship, you can buy all you like. Save your EC until then! Also, do not worry about C-store items as they are purchased with real money. The last thing you want at the beginning is buyer's regret!
Stage Two: The Basic Build
“When something dies is the greatest teaching.”
― Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
When a player begins to learn and implement the basic rules of effective shipbuilding, they graduate to Stage Two. Stage Two players begin to curate their ship's components to increase their build's effectiveness. These builds still tend to use stuff from drops as well as items from the fleet bank, with a few purchased off the exchange.
Stage Two builds are moderately effective in shorter PVE queue events like Starbase Defense, but they may have trouble in Elite Space STFs. Still, the challenge may be what many players need to boost them to Stage Three. If you would rather just play casual space missions, Stage Two may be a good stopping point for you, though you may find yourself slipping into Stage Three before you know it!
Stage Three: The Elite Basic Build
“Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.”
― Shunryu Suzuki, Wherever You Are, Enlightenment Is There
The difference between the Stage Three build and the Stage Two build is one of mindset. Both builds still utilize the same components sourced from drops, the fleet bank, and the exchange. However, a Stage Three player begins to consider their playstyle and desired role in team events. Do you prefer to tank or heal? Do you want to feel the power of pure DPS or run crowd control? A Stage Three player begins to seriously consider their build around these questions.
Once the player begins refining their build around these questions, they may be fully ready to jump into the Elite STF pool. They can also start to spend their hard earned Fleet and Reputation marks on specialized gear to make their build even more effective.
Stage Four: Optimized Builds
“Each of you is perfect the way you are ... and you can use a little improvement.”
― Shunryu Suzuki
When a player reaches Stage Four, they are crafting their build using a very specific role in mind. Here's where things start to get very expensive, my lovelies, because Stage Four builds often use Fleet, Reputation, and C-Store items to increase their effectiveness.
Stage Four builds are some of the heaviest hitters, healers, and crowd controllers in Elite STFs. Many experienced, effective players find most of their enjoyment at builds of this level.
Stage Five: Elite Optimized Builds
“When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.”
― Shunryu Suzuki
Stage Five builds are among the most effective in the game and represent a thorough understanding of game mechanics. Of Stage Five builds, I have identified two subtypes.
The first are Min/Maxed builds. With these, every component has been tweaked and refined to be as effective as possible in either PVE or PVP scenarios.
The second are 'Creative' builds. With these, a player may attempt to 'break' a generally accepted rule and still maintain effectiveness. These are the Picasso paintings of the shipbuilding world, and are only effective when the game mechanics are understood by the player.
To Close
We will be talking about 'rules' when we begin our adventures in shipbuilding next week. However, it's clear that all rules can be (and often are) bent or broken. In the end, we are all playing a game about virtual spaceships together, with the ultimate goal being 'fun.' If what you're doing isn't fun, consider other options.
You don't have to do any of this, either, though you may find that refining your build to accomplish your goals (whether they be enjoying the stories told on the Foundry, running Elite Hive with other suicidal idiots like me, or shooting up your friends in PvP) increases your enjoyment of the game. But if it's not fun anymore? Stop. Take a breath. And figure out how to make it fun again.
“Treat every moment as your last. It is not preparation for something else.”
― Shunryu Suzuki
Coming up!
We'll head out to the shipyards at Qo'noS and meet our test ship, the IKS Garbage Scow. It's a Risian Corvette with a lot of problems. We'll look at the basic rules for an effective build, and move the Garbage Scow from a Level One to a Level Two ship!
