STO Wowhead?

[Lasershadow]

Is there a site somewhere similar to wowhead where you can pursue through and find optimal builds and setups for new captains like myself?
Mostly ATM I am not sure what class I should choose. I played the Hunter class and Druid quite abit in WoW. Played Bounty Hunter and Imp Operative in SWTOR. Here even with just 3 choices I am confused. I hope someone can help me point me to where I can start playing for fun and soloing a while til I feel comfortable enough to join group runs.

[NavFamG]

The different 'classes' in STO are nothing like what you're used to.

Each of the different one's; Tactical, Engineer and Science play pretty much the same and the only differences are in some of the ground missions (science guy might have to heal injured people, engineer fix the shields and tactical get the defense screen up), also they have different hotbar skills (Engineer drop a mine field or build a laser turrent, tactical can throw grenades and science has some buff / debuff) (those are very simple examples) and then up in space they all play the same and can fly the same types of ships.

Most of the stuff they all do is the same and those choices just add some flavor to the game. I've got 1 of each (which might be good for you too so you can see the differences) and haven't really found a lot of difference.

Some thing else to push for trying 1 of each is all the races have their own unique 'intro' story line prior to meeting up with the main Federation quest line. So if nothing else playing each race so you can see different content is good and by the time they link into the main quest line you should know which you want to keep going with.

[Maj_Cyric]

Closest thing is gonna be something like https://www.sto-league.com/ship-builds/

Your character skill point tree build isn't like other MMO's.. That is because it's the gear you are using is what mostly defines your "build".. As does the ship you are driving and the seating it has which dictates what boff skills(abilities) you can and can't use while in space combat...

[Szeron]

There isn't really a centralized location for everything.
You can find the wiki here:
https://sto.gamepedia.com/Main_Page
It's a nice resource for looking up the stats for ships/consoles/abilities/etc.

You can find ship/character builds and guides here(think of it like Icy Veins for WoW):
https://www.sto-league.com/

You can also ask questions on the official forums and the reddit:
https://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/startrekonline/
https://www.reddit.com/r/sto/
People are generally eager to help at both places. The steam forums tend to see much less traffic.


If I may be candid though, STO is very forgiving. Unless you're trying to push yourself to the absolute maximum(of which, the only reward is bragging rights), you can adapt whichever character to just about any playstyle. The bigger question is: What kind of character (fantasy) do you want to make/play?

-=SPACE=-
Tactical - Their unique abilities are fairly one-dimensional. They do damage, a lot of damage; everything they get is related to stacking damage multipliers as high as possible.

Engineer - Their unique abilities are very selfish. They enhance their power management and have tools to keep themselves alive.

Science - Their unique stuff is generally related to force multipling. They get tools to protect and boost everyone, while also debuffing enemies.

-=GROUND=-
Tactical - A mix of group buffs, CC, and unique access to specialized melee attacks. They also tend to be fragile with limited healing options.

Engineer - Area Control specialist with excellent group healing. Whether it's throwing out mines and mortar turrets everywhere or restoring both shields and health, they're great for keeping and controlling areas of the map.

Science - Great CC options along with big nukes and good recovery options. Whether it's a "root and nuke' approach or a 'mobile pocket healer', Science Captains/Officers are very flexible and self-sufficient.

2 Big Caveats:
1.) Your ship and bridge officers are what determine what your ship can do more than your captain's career. (You can fly an Escort as an Engineer or a Science Vessel as a Tactical, no problem.)
2.) Universal Kit Modules are quite prolific at this point, so the lines between different captain careers on the ground can become extremely blurred.

[Kazuma]

the game isnt complicated enough to need a dedicated website

[SeaDog]

Do a search on youtube for "STO Budget Builds". Those videos will get you started without spending any IRL money. A budget build will easily do advanced content and will get your feet wet.