Starfleet Academy
General Tactics
1. (System Targeting)
Here is my basic strategy for fighting all vessels (and it WORKS).
First, acquire the target. Scroll through the targets until you find
which one you want to pummel first. Tactically, the consensus is to
eliminate smaller ships first. However, I prefer to go for the big
boys and get them out of the way quickly. Your choice. My way is harder
and riskier, but risk is our business, right? After aquiring the target,
determine whether it is capable of cloaking. If the vessel is equipped
with a cloaking device, lock your phasers onto the cloaking device
immediately (hot key sequence: V and then 8). Keep in mind that the ship
will probably cloak and decloak several times, so memorize this key
sequence, because you will have to re-lock each time it decloaks. If the
ship is not equipped with a cloak (or you have already destroyed the
cloaking device), lock phasers onto the ship's impulse drive (hot key
sequence: V and then 3). Pummel the impulse drive until the ship is
immobilized (this is best accomplished by following directly behind the
enemy - this approach also allows the enemy to bring the FEWEST weapons
to bear on you). You can now either attack any other hostile ships or
finish off the ship you are attacking. Remember, the disabled vessel
can still rotate, so stay out of its firing arcs. This is my tried-and
true tactic. Make sure you keep a close eye on the enemy if you are
chasing him. If you blow out his impulse drive, he will stop dead in
his tracks, and you run the risk of colliding with him because your Starship
cannot stop on a dime. So turn out of the way if you're about to crash.
One more thing: Don't lock your phasers on an enemy's disruptors or photons.
All ships have more than one phaser/disruptor, and many have multiple
photon launchers. You'll spend a lot more time blowing up weaponry than
you will knocking out an impulse drive or cloak (plus, weapons are usually
so small that only half your shots will actually hit it, depending on your
approach angle).
2. (Use the damn hot-keys!)
The hot keys are essential for non-combat systems. If you want to
adjust your damage control in mid-battle by using your mouse to scroll
screens, you will die often. Bridge stations should be accessed using the
B key. When you press B, your sensor display will give you a menu of all of
your bridge stations. If you want to target a specific enemy ship component,
press the V key. A similar menu will appear. You can allocate energy or
damage control to your systems by hitting the E key, choosing a system,
and pressing the + or - keys (I find this takes too long. Just use the
Engineering Station (V2).) The Engineering Station's Graphical interface is
much more efficient and quick to use.
3. (Damage Control)
Don't ignore your crew, but don't pay TOO much attention to them. Robin
will report every time a shield or system is damaged. You don't need to
worry when shields are hit. Worry about damage control AFTER you are
out of harm's way. If you are under a fierce barrage, get your engines
on-line and try to get far away. If you have a single attacker, try to
finish him off (if you have a good chance), and then lick your wounds.
Mid-combat damage control can be very fatal (unless you're allocating to
life support, warp drive, or impulse). If you're in the middle of a fight,
and all of a sudden you can't fire any weapons, this is a tell-tale sign
that you need to tear-ass out of there and repair. Use your judgement.
4. (The Tractor-and-Plow Maneuver)
Cloaked ships getting you down? Well, if you don't want to take the
time to destroy a ship's cloaking device, you can try this little gem.
Approach a cloaking-capable ship straight-on, firing as usual. If he
tries to cloak, lock a tractor beam on him (this works best with a Klingon
B'Rel Class Bird of Prey). Sometimes the target will be moving too fast for
a tractor lock, so it may help to damage his impulse drive ahead of time.
If you try this enough, you may eventually lock onto him. Once that is done,
you can fire upon him mercilessly whether he is cloaked or not. There are
two things to consider here. First, if he IS cloaked, you will do a
significant amount of damage, as his shields are not raised while cloaked.
Second, and most important, if you try this maneuver against a larger ship
(Garuda or D-7A), you can expect a LOT of resistance. The first thing he
will do is rotate toward you and lock every weapon he has onto your tractor
beam. And if you're fighting a Garuda (or even a Romulan Warbird), you will
be in perfect range for a Plasma Torpedo attack, which can prove quite deadly.
Use your judgement. This tactic is perfect for multiple Birds-of-Prey, but
not reliable against larger ships.
Other Tactics
Klingon D-7's and Super Cruisers
The sensors on D-7's and Super Cruisers are extended from the main part
of the ship much like the warp nacelles of a Constitution or Excelsior.
Much like a Constitution or Excelsior you can blow the sensors off of a
D-7 making it almost as crippled as it is without impulse. Plus it just
looks cool to see a D-7 without any sensors.
Damage Control
Reassign your damage control values to 100% for Warp and Shields, drop
Tractor Beam Repair to 0%, lock them at those positions, this will raise
all other repair levels to 75% and allow your engineer to modify them as
needed. If the Tractor Beam is damaged and then needed later it can
usualy be repaired far more quickly than any other system on the ship.
Your Warp drives are your life. Never allow them, through neglect, to be
destroyed. If you can't get home you fail the mission, and your crew.
Simple as that. I have never had a Tractor Beam blown off my hull mount,
I've lost my nacelles once, and believe me, I'd have traded my tractor
for them in a heartbeat!
