Science Character

[StingerRogue]

How difficult is it to level up a Science Character? I've had some tough encounters with my Lvl 30 Tactical Officer. I can't imagine doing the solo missions with a weaker science ship.

Also, is having a Science Officer in a command position lore friendly? Can you give me some examples?

[Yuzral]

Besides Spock? Picard had a sideline in archaeology (and was science in a scenario where he didn't end up on the command track), Crusher has a command post in 'All Good Things' (ok, medical but they're classed as science in STO) and has the center chair of the D at least once and Ezri Dax goes on to command the Aventine in the novels. Unfortunately Janeway was also science before taking on command posts, which goes to show that an early career as a blueshirt doesn't guarantee a good commander...

As for difficulty...actually it might be slightly easier as sci. We get access to some very powerful abilities, including most of the heals on the ground and Photonic Fleet in space and there's no rule that says you have to use a science ship - I spend most of my time in an Excelsior cruiser. You'll miss AP Alpha and the security escorts but there's nothing to lose by trying it.

[flyingshoebox]

Sci I’ve always found to be between a tac and engi as far as their innate ability are concerned a bit of offence and a bit of defense. Outside of those hand full of ability’s they play like anything else. To level outside of my first toon which was a tac in a science ship back when the game came out. I’ve always leveled in an escort. They just work better at ripping though things with limited skill point’s boff’s and equipment.

Science toons are good at taking groups of ships down rather quickly with sensor scan. A basic alpha while leveling for me in an escort would be torpedo spread scatter volley sensor scan and attack pattern omega once you can get that in. then pew pew till the shields go down and then fire torpedoes. They don’t have the alpha strike of a tac officer but they are still rather good at blowing things up.

On the ground sci can both heal itself or focus on damage I tend to focus on damage a physicist kit once you can get it is rather good at hurting folks. To be honest on the ground out of the box I tend to find sci out damaging my tac officers. I’m guessing it’s the kits I tend to go with fire team on my tacs and physicist on my sci. my tac’s defense buffs tend to keep them around longer though.

[Szeron]

Honestly, Science captains tend to be one of the more flexible classes in the game - they've got great offensive and defense tools. By comparison, Tactical captains have more of a 'do or die' playstyle to them.

As for lore, most of the captains from the series would probably lean more towards a science captain in STO. The exceptions would probably be Kirk who was a bit closer to a Tactical(while a lot of TOS was about exploration, Kirk did run the ship like a military vessel) and Sisko who was probably a bit closer to an Engineer(he was responsible for the Defiant, afterall). Picard, Janeway, and even Archer were more interested in exploration and understanding than fighting or building.

Also, I feel it worth pointing out that captains are not restricted to flying a ship of their class. Science Captains can fly Escorts or Cruisers just fine - and mixing and matching like that usually compliments the weaknesses each ship architype and class has.

[Romlyn]

If you play your cards right you can easely becom captain within a week and it is a very flexible class and with a kit you can gain healing abilites which in most mmo's a great becasue you can heal while soloing and i guess if you want to be helpful you can heal team mates... but helping is dumb.
But engineers get things like health station, sheild gens and turrets.