Captain's Log: Raiding in STO -- A look at the Special Task Forces

Captain's Log, Stardate 64768.1...

Hello, computer (and players)! One of the best parts about playing MMOs is the ability to group up with other real players and conquer certain tasks. Whether they're taking on a pesky boss or battling through a heroic dungeon, endgame players are constantly seeking out challenges to help keep their interest up on their max-level toons. In my opinion, the best part about endgame content is teaming up and raiding. While I have never experienced or played in a 25-man (nor even a 10-man) raid, I am super excited to talk about one of my favorite subjects within the Star Trek Online universe -- the Special Task Forces.

Originally introduced in February of 2010, the STFs have provided a unique challenge to Admiral-level toons looking to do more than patrol and complete dailies. In the endgame sector, Gamma Orionis, Federation and Klingon forces are battling against the Borg and Undine in an attempt to stop their advances into the Alpha and Beta quadrants. While these are only 5-man "radisodes," they are nothing to sneeze at -- you cannot go into one of these without a game plan. Ready to learn about what it takes to save the galaxy?

Ensign, warp 10! Let's show our readers that resistance is not futile...

At this present time, STO offers four different STFs: three Borg-based (Infected, The Cure, and Khitomer Accord) and one Undine-based (Terradome). Before we dig into the meat of things, I wanted to provide some credentials: With all of my toons combined, I have completed Infected 112 times, The Cure 29 times, Khitomer Accord 19 times, and Terradome 7 times. "Why?" you might ask. Well, I really enjoy leading them, being strategic, helping noobs get through them, and attempting to beat my best times. Note: Terradome has been bugged and uncompletable for the last six months or more; fixes for it were finally pushed to the live server as of this morning.

If I am able to complete them so easily, why is there so much rage in Cryptic's STO forums about them? The answer is simple: PUGs. The STFs were not designed to be completed by a random group that lacks proper communication. The puzzles and scenarios in them require strategic thinking and placement by a leader who can adapt to differences in each team. Sure, you can get by with five of one class -- it might just take three hours longer than it is supposed to. In all honesty, and to avoid major frustration and wasted time, I suggest you all join my campaign, SN2P -- "Say No 2 PUGs." If you are not in a fleet or you lack friends who can play with you, I would suggest joining two in-game chat channels that have members in them who would also be willing to help you get through any of them: PriorityOne and Accolades.

To help you prepare to run your next (or first) STF, here are some helpful hints and tips that will come in handy:

Roles

As with most other MMOs, STO has its own version of the holy trinity: Engineers act as your tank, Tacticals as your DPS, and Sciences as your support. As the Engineering captains are setting down turrets, drones and force fields, the Tactical officers will deal the brunt of the damage -- they are innately inclined to more DPS. The Science captain plays a pivotal role, as he is the primary healer and debuffer. In my ("professional") opinion, the best mix for a great STF run would include three Tactical captains, one Engineer, and one Science officer. You can get away with one less Tactical and one more of either of the other two classes, but expect a longer run time.

Space combat

For the most part, outside of the "puzzles" and strategic scenarios, space combat in the STFs is straightforward. To be the best teammate you can be, ensure that your ship is equipped with the appropriate weapons, shields and deflector dish for your level. You will also want to make sure all of the items are at least of uncommon (green) rarity. In some of the STFs, especially Khitomer Accord, a weak ship setup will undoubtedly cause your team to fail, since you must be specced and geared out well in order to progress through some of the timed objectives.

Ground weapons

The right mix of weapons is also very important to an STF run. In STO, there are two types of weapons: expose and exploit. Expose weapons have a chance to put an enemy in a state that allows him to be exploited. Exploit weapons will provide higher DPS to an enemy who is exposed, along with a chance to vaporize him. There are also melee weapons, which are useful in some of the STF scenarios and have a chance to expose and exploit. From experience, I'd say that Tactical captains should be running two exploit weapons, the Engineer should carry one exploit and one expose, and the Science captain should use two exposes.

Kits

Kits are the player's opportunity to affect and determine the role his captain plays on the ground. While each role has its own specific kit, there are a few that I suggest. Tacticals are at their best (for the most part) when using the Squad Leader kit for the STFs; Squad Leader allows for an AoE heal and damage reduction when characters are grouped close together, which is often. Engineers shouldn't leave space dock without their Bunker Fabrication kit. This kit contains the coveted force field dome that creates a barrier that does not allow enemies to get within a certain range of you but still allows you to fire at them. If playing the role of a Science captain, you will most likely be called on to be the healer -- forget your Medic kit and expect to be kicked from the team (or sent back to pick one up).

Other essentials

Other items that are a must for running an STF include hypos, shield charges, energy cells, and energy dampening armor. Hypos are insta-heal devices that rebuild your HP strength, while shield charges replenish your personal shields. Of these items, do not carry any size smaller than "large," for they will bring you back to 100% of your peak status. Energy cells are also useful for when you don't need to pop a shield charge or hypo; consuming one will give you a 15% DPS increase. Energy dampening armor works best against the Borg as it reduces the amount of energy damage you take. Note: Use the "C" keybind as often as possible to crouch, as this mode also gives you a decent increase to DPS.

Rewards

So now that you know a little bit more about what it takes to complete an STF, is it worth it? Yes! Successfully completing each STF will award you five emblems. This currency can be used to purchase endgame gear and obtain select C-Store ships and can be traded for other currencies that max-leveled toons are unable to gain anymore. Aside from the emblems, each of the Borg STFs awards you an exclusive piece of gear for your ship. These items are part of a set that gives you a special power when you've equipped every piece. These items also alter the look of your ship (which can be disabled for those not liking the Borgified look).

Well, Captains, we have come to the end of this week's log entry. As you can tell, I am very passionate about the STFs and love continuously running them over and over -- they never get old for me. I invite you all to tune into my STOlivestream next week as we spend an hour running through the first of the Borg STFs, Infected. If you think you have what it takes and would like to join me for the live run, email me at brandon@massively.com with your credentials -- you must be willing to use Ventrilo and be available at the time discussed in my email back to you. Until then, resist assimilation and give em' hell.

Computer, terminate recording.

Boldly going where no one has gone before, Brandon Felczer transmits Captain's Log through Subspace right to your PADD every Thursday. Join him as he discusses the latest news, gossip, and dev interviews about Star Trek Online. Hailing frequencies are always open to his bridge through brandon@massively.com.