Sci Officer Rebuild

Okay, I've been back a week or two now, and I think it is high time I actually sit down and rebuild/respec my abilities from ship to captain. Why am I telling fleet? Well, I might need some help, in a few areas. I've got an idea of what I'm going for, and have read some interesting guides on the desired setup I am looking for. Right now my DPS is laughable and I survive ship combat on pure luck. This shall change!

Going with increasing my DPS I am going to see about doing fore/aft weapons build of 1xCannon, 1xBeam and 1xTorpedo fore, and 3xTurrent on my butt. That way I have a more continuous less position based DPS for my cute lil ship. I'm piloting a Vesta class Sci vessel, and it should have the slots for this. If there are any other sci captains out there with some input into their ship builds and layouts, would be much appreciated.

The part that is going to absolutely slay me though, is going back through my captain's skills and gearing them properly... I admit to having a bad habit of "This sounds nice" when building out and putting points into skills. So right now I'm not even sure where I stand there. I would check, but I write this from work in a broom closet! Kinda. Again, if any sci captains would like to share their builds and ideas, I would most appreciate that. It's been so long since I've played and so much has changed, it is a little overwhelming. I don't want to get buy on the kindness of the fleet anymore, I want to actually contribute to the battles. I joke about it in chat sometimes with "I'm a science officer! Pew pew pew! -eats some crayons-" but it does get frustrating at times. So that I shall change.

Science Captains can play two major roles: healer and crowd control. First, ask yourself what role you want to take on, both space and ground. My science captain does crowd control with minor healing in space and is a pure healer on the ground.

As for DPS, my space DPS is pathetic! But I get into STFs and run crowd control (e.g., probe guard on Khitomer) and find a very useful role. On the ground, I find tactics far outweigh DPS anyway. I heal my team and help keep everyone moving as a cohesive unit. That will beat out DPS every day and twice on Sunday.

Follow up with how you'd like to play it, and I'll be more than happy to give you more specific advice. *continues eating crayons*

In Space I'm going for Crowd Control, on the Ground Healing. My space problem was tied to the fact my ship parts were just a collection of hosh posh and so I wasn't really good at anything and my damage was pathetic to top it all off.

Looks like we have almost the same goals in mind. I've built Keston to be a ground character primarily and a support ship in space. I've loaded all of Keston's details at STO Academy's Build Planner. This is just my build for what it's worth. As a ground character, I couldn't be happier! He's an excellent healer and I just love playing with him! As a space character, he does crowd control pretty well, but the low DPS of being a science ship does show at times.

Let me know if you want me to comment on anything specific about my spec. I'm more than happy to elaborate on anything.

As a sci captain, I guess I'll put my two cents worth in.

Firstly, I know what you mean (from experience) when you say that you suffer from the "this sounds nice" build; my current build is exactly that because I am too lazy to respec before the free respec that will come with the Romulan expansion.

I agree with Keston (betazoidhalf) when he says that there are two roles you can play as a sci: healer or crowd control. Since you like to crowd control in space and heal on the ground, I will share with you some things that I have found useful. When running in a group (like in an STF), DPS isn't all that important for someone running crowd control. My opinion is to stick to either beams or cannons, not both, with a croniton torpedo on the front. When I run crowd control, I run at a very low weapon power setting anyways, so the phaser beams I have are merely for show. The one thing I will say about skill build is that if you are to run crowd control in space, max out your graviton generator skill and particle generator skill.

When I am running crowd control in space, my best friend are skill combos for added DPS. If I am targeting one ship, I like a gravity well and tractor beam combo: the gravity well does some good DPS if the target is at the event horizon, and the tractor beam does just that. If I am targeting multiple ships, I like to cluster them up with a gravity well and then hit them with some warp plasma, and no matter what I am doing, I always spam my croniton torpedo spread whenever the skill is up. I could go for a while about this, but I won't. I hope this helps a little bit.

Quote by Chaldare

As a sci captain, I guess I'll put my two cents worth in.

Firstly, I know what you mean (from experience) when you say that you suffer from the "this sounds nice" build; my current build is exactly that because I am too lazy to respec before the free respec that will come with the Romulan expansion.

Bit off topic, so I apologize, but you may you want to visit the STO forums--I did a search and don't see anything about a free skill respec coming with the expansion. There's a free "retrait" because the trait system has been completely changed, but it has nothing to do with skills.

Really, Christian? Continuing off topic, do you think I should respec Aztroz and Rennan before or after the Romulan season?

Quote by Zeryon

Quote by Chaldare

As a sci captain, I guess I'll put my two cents worth in.

Firstly, I know what you mean (from experience) when you say that you suffer from the "this sounds nice" build; my current build is exactly that because I am too lazy to respec before the free respec that will come with the Romulan expansion.

Bit off topic, so I apologize, but you may you want to visit the STO forums--I did a search and don't see anything about a free skill respec coming with the expansion. There's a free "retrait" because the trait system has been completely changed, but it has nothing to do with skills.

But if we go from every last major "Season" expansion they have always zero'd out your skills and made you redo them. I assume this is going to happen again and think that is really what Chaldare is speaking to? Just guessing here. and a bit of hoping that will be the case so I don't look like a huge ass for making this comment :)

Well, I could use a lot of help with my science guy!

Quote by Baothezar

You need...


MOAR POWAR!!!!!!!

As a Science guy myself, DPS is kinda annoying on a science ship but once you set out the skills in what abilities you want to do in CC (Crowd Control). But what consoles you choose will help in enhancing out your BOFF's abilities as you go on. But I have been able to make my DPS somewhat reasonable but that's just due to the choice of Elite Warp Core.

But going off topic but its something to keep in mind, having this new season coming out would definite be a big change in stats for the abilities with the changes that are coming in on Tribble and RedShirt. But this is my recommendation, check the tribble forums on STO to see what changes are happening or on Stonewall as I post ASAIPK, (As soon as I possibly know) on what changes are being made, that way you can see if the choice of abilities you are wanting are to your liking before Season 8 has come out.

Other than that CC and Ground Healing are very good choice to go with.

And Bao "More power" is good but clever tactic will always out way excess in power.

I gave a few pointers though to be honest you was well on your way to a solid build i do hope the changes improve your quality of life in game somewhat.

Give this a shot: http://skillplanner.stoacademy.com/?build=matrix_0

Generally most of the gear will apply to most science builds. Mines is a bit more tailored, but for a general overview this will do the trick. It is more crowd control - pvp oriented.

My main Ozzy is a Sci officer on a recluse. I've never seen myself in a role in STFs, well because nobody seems to play as a team on pugs which is what I'm used to. I've built my recluse to be able to withstand some damage so tank if need be, heal a bit if called to and also contribute some dps as well. Skills wise, I definitely did the "ooo that looks interesting I'll have some of that" or "I wander what that does lets increase that".


I can crowd control pretty effectively with gravity wells, repulsors and tractor beam. I'd say that concentrating on these skills is a must for sci. I love it when you get big crowd of ships in gravity well, light 1 or 2 up and then watch the rest blow in a chain. I have no idea what my dps is but I regularly come 2nd or 3rd in CCE and starbase 24. I've also come top or near top on ISE as well a couple of times, so DPS is definitely doable on a sci ship.
My build is also heavily influenced by getting my ass whooped by Rorz in his little definate so many times!