Enemy scaling

[2025 Subaru Crosstrek]

So I decided to join a new player friend on some missions just to have fun and poke around, he was doing the mission first time, I was "replaying it". While we were playing together, we both demolished everything, barely got hurt, so on. Then I got a little worried because we went our own way for a bit, and he suddenly took on the first D'deridex class with NO PROBLEM, while I remember getting killed lots of times by that thing (I feel the need to add that he is still in a new ship, and had no skills set up)

So we did a bit of testing, and these two videos are our results. He is level 16, I am 64 with a Retrofit. Does this seem off to anyone else?

His - https://youtu.be/Wq8XzKkbFKA
Mine - https://youtu.be/wvASy93MTwE

[The Arkady]

Everyone not getting paid to deny the obvious (i.e. everyone not working for Cryptic) has known those are a particularly - perhaps the most - glaring example of how poorly level scaling actually works for years.

[Baroon Valm]

equipment is a nasty issue.. but on lvl 65 when you got proper equipment for the level and all you can eat enemy 50 times faster then you ever could on lower levels.. it's just that on lower levels you got gear that is fairly close to the would be end-game level for that level.

[ImperatorPavel]

Originally posted by The Arkady:

Everyone not getting paid to deny the obvious (i.e. everyone not working for Cryptic) has known those are a particularly - perhaps the most - glaring example of how poorly level scaling actually works for years.

That, and tyrose's friend is using a ship appropriate to his level whereas tyrose is using the freebie T5 C-store defiant, unupgraded, while being level 64.

Not having issues with the d'd is odd, granted, but OP's ship is also not very good for a level 64 character either.

[Fedora01]

Some things of note from your run:
A: don't be afraid to use abilities as soon as they are ready
B: Pressing directions on the arrow keys reinforces the corresponding shield facing, this increases a shield facing's regen at the cost of other shield facings, but the draw is negligible at best.
C: Try swapping out your Fire at Will and Scatter Volley abilities to be duplicates of High Yield and Rapid Fire so you can activate them twice as often. (Alternatively you can Swap out Rapid Fire for Scatter Volley and High Yield for Torpedo: Spread).
D: You don't seem to have all of your possible abilities on your hotbar. Make sure to slot all of them next time your at ESD or something.

And finally, contrary to what ==(eGO)= ImperatorPavel has to say, running a T5 ship at lvl 65 isn't holding you back, it's mostly a matter of gear. My recommendation for getting better gear of the cheap is to start doing Reputation. Find one you like (you seem to be enjoying Plasma) and start working on it in the Rep system. Additionally to help along look through previous missions to seeif any of them have weapons/shields/etc... you might want and re-run them. And finally, don't be afraid to ask for help in General chat, there's usually a person or two willing to help.

[ImperatorPavel]

Originally posted by Fedora01:

And finally, contrary to what ==(eGO)= ImperatorPavel has to say, running a T5 ship at lvl 65 isn't holding you back, it's mostly a matter of gear.

You're not wrong (I fly the t4 walker prototype at level 65 although that's not exactly a useful build). My point was mostly pertaining to hull values - an unupgraded T5 ship versus level 65 enemies is gonna have some survivability issues that the lower-level dude in a lower-level ship will not have due to level scaling.

OP's also using less-than-great gear. My phaser battlecloaking sovvie is still mk xii (beyond ship events I've sorta taken a hiatus in STO) and it takes a while to kill anything level 65.

A majority of OP's problem is yes, equipment, but some of it is that he's flying an unupgraded ship and therefore doesn't have hull. But Baroom pointed that out, so I thought I'd point out a slightly different issue.

Plasma is. New romulus rep (rommie plasma). Not much else for rep plasma if I remember rightly.

[necaradan666]

I disagree that it's a matter of gear, sure what he's running is trash for lvl 64 but he really kicked the cat with his piloting there. A whole bunch of spinning in circles and getting shot while his cannons were pointing the wrong way. Ran straight in there without buffing on the first run, doesn't have any heals, didn't use any of his three attack patterns.

[ImperatorPavel]

Originally posted by necaradan666:

I disagree that it's a matter of gear, sure what he's running is trash for lvl 64 but he really kicked the cat with his piloting there. A whole bunch of spinning in circles and getting shot while his cannons were pointing the wrong way. Ran straight in there without buffing on the first run, doesn't have any heals, didn't use any of his three attack patterns.

Heck, he has the cloaking device on his ship but didn't bother using it. Although I don't think that's particularly possible given the scenario. NPCs could have forced him into battle before cloaking could be done.

[necaradan666]

First thing that should go, a standard cloak that'll be useless in almost every encounter taking up a tac slot. Apart from that get some turrets on the back and go over the boff abilities.

I just happened to have a somewhat comparable toon ready to do this mission, playing advanced difficulty, had no issue cleaning them up with a couple of volleys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExfEnnNclwc

For kicks here's how a mostly finished toon does it :P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MHABBSZEjE

[2025 Subaru Crosstrek]

wow, guess I was wrong about the scaling. Sorry for my complaining guys, and thanks for all the help!

[necaradan666]

I saw the other video on your channel so I recorded a bit of the next mission for you too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEmKzfh8oZk

[2025 Subaru Crosstrek]

ah neat

[Varenvel The Festive Dinosaur]

i would say (unlike what most saying 1-2 things) its matter of everything , game is sightly harder as you play (i say sightly becouse even in bad ship you can clear most normal missions with few exeptions where scaling is really wierd)

bad gear , bad skills(you hardly used them) , bad modules badly fitted ship and many more things i propobly missed

also to that come
-space traits
-ship traits


if you have half decent gear half decent officers with half decent skills and even "worst ship" these missions should not be that hard

when i first played i was sure ill never play dificulty 2 or 3 on max level(as gap is bigger then lower levels)

now? i consider dificulty 2 normal mode as on 1 everything melts before i can even use any skills and dif3 is not big challange but im ususaly doing 2 as its fast but not "cakewalk"

i would advise you buy some space traits and ship traits from exchange too , they can make relaly big diffrances and cheap/worse ones dont cost that much