There are a lot of really good guides out there about ship building in STO. None of that is actually in STO, which is another problem entirely, but that’s beside the point. But if you could really boil down the build advice to the barest essentials, for a new player with no resources, what would it be?
For me, energy builds are the easiest to put together.
- Choose an energy type or a weapon type. Example - choose phaser vs. disruptor or beams vs. cannons. One torpedo can be optionally added.
- Tactical consoles - choose the appropriate damage console. Examples are Phaser Relay, Directed Energy Distribution Manifold, or Prefire Chamber. Maximize those in your tactical consoles.
- Engineering consoles - Neutronium Alloy, RCS Accelerator, EPS Flow Regulator. Mix as desired.
- Science consoles - Flow Capacitor, Field Generator, Inertial Dampeners. Mix as desired.
- Tactical skills: At least one copy of Tactical Team, a firing mode (Beams: Fire at Will or Cannon: Scatter Volley) at the highest level possible, an attack pattern (Attack Pattern: Beta is preferred), and possibly a torpedo skill (Torpedo Spread).
- Science skills: Photonic Officer at the highest level possible, one shield heal, one hull heal.
- Engineering skills: Emergency Power to Weapons, one shield heal, one hull heal.
- Set weapon power to max.
To fly for beginners: Cycle the EPtW, Photonic Officer, and the 3-4 tactical skills when they come off cooldown. This will give you an effective build at any level and provide a good foundation for optimization.
Both! But the DECS 3-piece I believe is the absolute best-in-slot for new and under-dressed toons. For the absolutely naked I’d say the level 40 reward ship should be the Vo’Quv (or the level 61 Kar’Fi) with frigate pets. Until there’s some rep and fleet gear available the pets will do far more than energy weapons on an un-traited greenhorn using NPC drops for gear. Kar’Fi with the tilly 3-piece will easily hit average player performance with no traits and white MK XII weapons, no other gear required. I don’t know if the space ghosts get unlocked by the Kar’Fi, but if so we’re talking double average player DPS potential!
I also recommend brand new players splurge for the Gamma starter pack. The dread out of it may not be great, or even good, but for a brand new player it’s a complete game changer. The vanguard winmen, hangar, tankiness, JHV species unlock and down payment on the full pack – it’s quite the value for as little as 10 bucks when stacking sales. Solid foundation for a ‘baby steps’ progression toward a build.