Please block VAs from Sirius Deep Space Encounters

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Exhibit A: Sometimes when you kill an NPC ship you get loot (given your not on a team with the Round Robin loot setting) and EVERYTIME you kill an NPC ship you earn BO skill points and player skill points.

Exhibit B: VAs and RAs seem to enjoy using these Sirius Sector Block DSEs to "test out" new ships.

Exhibit C: New players end up fighting in these same DSEs at the start of the game

Exhibit D: The RA/VAs could get a better test of their ships in the Beta Ursae, Alpha Trianguli, Zeta Andromedae and Gamma Orionis Sector Blocks than in the Sirius Sector Block. I happen to test my VA toon's ships in those sectors (mainly Gamma cos I like blowin' up borg :) )

Exhibit E: (Wow I have a lot of points) I am rollin' numerous Lt. toons at present (and I expect I'm not the only one) and I don't really appreciate VAs swooping in and nicking the loot and XP from a BoP squadron that I'd nearly killed.

I submit to you, Cryptic, that it is NOT fun to take part in a DSE as a low lvl player, start blastin' klinks, and then having a VA swoop in and finish em' off before you even get a single kill. I beseech thee, please either block higher lvls from the Sirius DSEs (and any others that they've already passed, save the Borg) or give them a seperate DSE instance, similar to how the Fleet actions worked before Season 4. Or you can push all DSE participants into a team with automatic lvl scaling up so everyone plays at the same level, you'd also have to set up the DSEs to scale to that level like in the Remastered and Featured Episodes. (To save alot of VA flak the second idea would be the best way short of doing nothing. Shortly followed by my third suggestion.)

Questions and comments welcome, so long as it's constructive. Let's get this thread, and issue (assuming it can ACTUALLY be sorted), addressed by the Devs.

Thank you to SuricataFX for that lvl scaling idea.

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Isn't the loot determined by whoever attacked the enemy first? (don't know; that's why I'm asking)

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How strange. Other people were playing in a MMO.

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Supposedly DSE's are being worked on and redesigned as part of the Borg Invasion events, which I hope is very soon. :(

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I'll be working on those DSE accolades soon. the pain. the horror.

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How strange. Other people were playing in a MMO.

I think you've missed my point. I was saying I don't appreciate players that don't have ANY chance of losing at all (such as VAs) swooping in right in front of me and robbing the rewards. I have no problem with LTs or LTCs using these DSEs cos they at least have a chance of dying, VAs don't.

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To be honest. I always though players in DSE's should of all been made a set level (using Cryptics buddy system) so that all mobs are the same value to all players (regardless of level), that way all players of all levels can play together. MMO's should find ways to integrate all players to work together, not segregate them so they can't.

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A level sync would have been nice, but it would have to be downward. I also question whether or not Cryptic could handle that kind of massive change to the system without too many problems. I might just be easier to create an instance for each tier specifically, as needed.

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Or what if access to the DSE was tied to the ship you were in, kind of like those missions that require you to use a shuttle? If you want in on the tier 2 instance, go back and get your tier 2 ship. Even if you discharged one, they are cheap and easy to get back. It would be easier than a level syncing system too.

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Or what if access to the DSE was tied to the ship you were in, kind of like those missions that require you to use a shuttle? If you want in on the tier 2 instance, go back and get your tier 2 ship. Even if you discharged one, they are cheap and easy to get back. It would be easier than a level syncing system too.

Actually, I think this makes the most sense.

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On the rare occassion that I enter a DSE, I try to move to a part of the "field" where no one else is fighting. Not always possible, though, as:

1) There aren't many "squadrons" lurking about, except where other ships are engaged.

2) Other players start following you to where you're going, even with plenty of squadrons to go around. In my experience, the lower ranked players follow the higher ranked ones just as often as the higher ranks do to the lowers. After all, why not complete your mission as quickly as possible? ;)

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What they need to do is setup the game to spawn different instances according to rank/grade.

If a VA goes into any DSE in the game, then they should be put into an instance with other VAs, if any, and enemies obviously on their level.

If a Lieutenant goes into any DSE, there should only be other Lieutenants in that instance.

That way, you dont end up with DSEs spawning VA level enemies with mostly low level toons in the instance and 1 VA.

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What they need to do is setup the game to spawn different instances according to rank/grade.

If a VA goes into any DSE in the game, then they should be put into an instance with other VAs, if any, and enemies obviously on their level.

If a Lieutenant goes into any DSE, there should only be other Lieutenants in that instance.

That way, you dont end up with DSEs spawning VA level enemies with mostly low level toons in the instance and 1 VA.

umm dude the DSE Revamp is already underway. they plan to release it during Borg Invasion

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I too am guilty of testing ship configs in Regulus and Sirius space. Hadn't really thought about how that would effect new players but now that you mention it I'll take my testing elsewhere.

I think having the DSE zones around ESD limited to LC and below is a great idea. Give the new players an area that is exclusively theirs so they can level and get gear without higher ranks interfering.

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When it comes to VAs in DSEs, you think lower level players would be happy since VA's clear out the DSEs fast and you complete the patrol mission and gain a ton more experience than you would destroying individual ships, which yield 1 skill point per kill. And most of the drops in the DSEs are far inferior to the stuff you can craft at Memory Alpha.

But in retrospect, I wish Cryptic would get rid of the DSE Accolades, since they serve no purpose and it's a very long and boring grind.

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To be honest. I always though players in DSE's should of all been made a set level (using Cryptics buddy system) so that all mobs are the same value to all players (regardless of level), that way all players of all levels can play together. MMO's should find ways to integrate all players to work together, not segregate them so they can't.

Agreed. The engine has the capability; why don't they use it?

Doing this, instead of the annoying level-banding, would also have kept fleet actions from turning into epic ghost towns.

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I too am guilty of testing ship configs in Regulus and Sirius space. Hadn't really thought about how that would effect new players but now that you mention it I'll take my testing elsewhere.


Don't feel too bad. Sometimes I find it great to finish a DSE mission really fast with my lowbies.

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umm dude the DSE Revamp is already underway. they plan to release it during Borg Invasion

umm dude, im aware that there are changes coming, but as far as I know, nothing specific has been released about what those changes are.

The OP is about suggested changes to DSEs. If my suggestion is in line with what is going to be done, thats fine, but comments should be directed to the OP.

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When it comes to VAs in DSEs, you think lower level players would be happy since VA's clear out the DSEs fast and you complete the patrol mission and gain a ton more experience than you would destroying individual ships, which yield 1 skill point per kill. And most of the drops in the DSEs are far inferior to the stuff you can craft at Memory Alpha.

But in retrospect, I wish Cryptic would get rid of the DSE Accolades, since they serve no purpose and it's a very long and boring grind.

I agree that they need to be reworked. I'll be interested to see what they do with it.

I also kind of understand the original point about how this can hurt lower level players. I agree with you that I like having someone come in and clear things out to move it along but it's different for us. You or I, leveling an alt, already have a large amount of resources to help us along. The people who are new need to be able to farm while they level.

I disagree that they should remove the DSE accolades though. The game is content-lite enough without taking away something, as basic as it is, like the DSE accolade hunts.

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When I test ships, I go to Gamme Orionis. I mean c'mon, it's only a 2 minute trip, half if you use slipstream. :)

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I agree that they need to be reworked. I'll be interested to see what they do with it.

I also kind of understand the original point about how this can hurt lower level players. I agree with you that I like having someone come in and clear things out to move it along but it's different for us. You or I, leveling an alt, already have a large amount of resources to help us along. The people who are new need to be able to farm while they level.

I disagree that they should remove the DSE accolades though. The game is content-lite enough without taking away something, as basic as it is, like the DSE accolade hunts.

If they can make DSEs fun with the revamp, then I'm game. But those who done the accolade grinding know that it's funner to beat your head on the Desk than do DSEs. :p

Sirius and Regulus are fun because you go through it quick, but doing those in Cardassian space (Captain level) or running into an empty Gamma Orionis DSE is boring as boring can be.

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When I test ships, I go to Gamme Orionis. I mean c'mon, it's only a 2 minute trip, half if you use slipstream. :)

Even less if you fly ye ole Excelsior. :p

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Again, agreed. However, people who haven't beaten their head against the desk deserve the opportunity to decide whether or not they need the lumps for themselves, lol:D.

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The OP apparently haven't heard of exploration accolades. With his proposal accolade hunters would be locking themselves out of Sirius before being able to finish that accolade. And on a sidenote - does the OP seriously suggest that I as a paying customer can't play the game in whatever sector I wish and which the game doesn't prevent me from entering?

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The OP apparently haven't heard of exploration accolades. With his proposal accolade hunters would be locking themselves out of Sirius before being able to finish that accolade. And on a sidenote - does the OP seriously suggest that I as a paying customer can't play the game in whatever sector I wish and which the game doesn't prevent me from entering?

You, apparently, haven't read the entire post. I also recommended that Cryptic seperate the different ranks into their own instances. Which means that everyon will still be able to use ALL DSEs, they'll just be in instances based on rank. For example: VAs will be placed with other VAs but not LTs through to Captains.

This post has been edited to remove content which violates the Atari Community Rules and Policies (http://forums.startrekonline.com/announcement.php?f=120&a=5) ~WishStone

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You, apparently, haven't read the entire post. I also recommended that Cryptic seperate the different ranks into their own instances. Which means that everyon will still be able to use ALL DSEs, they'll just be in instances based on rank. For example: VAs will be placed with other VAs but not LTs through to Captains.

This post has been edited to remove content which violates the Atari Community Rules and Policies (http://forums.startrekonline.com/announcement.php?f=120&a=5) ~WishStone


In other words, do the same thing that turned Fleet Actions into ghost towns.

What would have been much more constructive then, and now, is force everyone to a certain level in the instance.

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In other words, do the same thing that turned Fleet Actions into ghost towns.

Okay, Fleet Actions are not ghost towns. And that isn't the point of this thread.

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What they need to do is setup the game to spawn different instances according to rank/grade.

If a VA goes into any DSE in the game, then they should be put into an instance with other VAs, if any, and enemies obviously on their level.
Only if they give players in Shuttle automatically an instance one tier lower.

Now that the DSEs are no longer levelling up to the highest players after some time, you can have a lot of fun with Shuttles in DSEs, and you don't have to worry anymore about ruining other people's game, and your "kill-stealing" opportunities are also limited.

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I'll be working on those DSE accolades soon. the pain. the horror.

I've been working at them for 3 months. Sitting around 15 finished on each sector block and 45 or so on Gamma. 5-10 on each of the Cluster Explorations and finished with B'Tran Accolade. I know that's a low nubmer but I don't get as much time as I could before to play.

To the OP, I'm sorry that I am in the DSE killing enemies that you were working at. I personally don't go after things other people are already working on. The only time I interfere is when I see somebody about to die and throw them a heal and leave. I try to go to the other side of the map and take on enemies that are out of sensor range of other players. As for the enemies that spawn near my level, sorry about that too. But I have every right to be there as much as you. If there was a leveling system that keeps everything at 0 to everybody would be fair yes. I hope they implement it. No, I don't do it to lord over lower level players and bad mouth them. I do it so I can get one thing, Accolades. Unless Cryptic is willing to give me all of the DSE Accolades so I don't have to go back there, I will keep going into them. Again sorry that this is interfering with you. I try not to as much as I can, but I'm not stopping.

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Only if they give players in Shuttle automatically an instance one tier lower.

Now that the DSEs are no longer levelling up to the highest players after some time, you can have a lot of fun with Shuttles in DSEs, and you don't have to worry anymore about ruining other people's game, and your "kill-stealing" opportunities are also limited.

Or put small craft in their own instance, so you can dogfight against other small craft and fighters

When I go into lower level instances, I usually go in and destroy everything so that it resets. Then I will just follow around any lower level players and make sure they dont die. I will assist with heals to keep them alive but I wont fire unless they are seriously outmatched or come up against a VA spawn.

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Or put small craft in their own instance, so you can dogfight against other small craft and fighters

Now THAT would be awesome!

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Or put small craft in their own instance, so you can dogfight against other small craft and fighters

Lock S-foils in attack position? When did this start becoming Star Wars online? Small craft in Trek weren't intended to be used in that fashion.

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Well, I dont think the fighters that we have available from the C-store are there for exploration.

Besides, there is nothing wrong with practicing combat maneuvers in a shuttle craft.

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I've been working at them for 3 months. Sitting around 15 finished on each sector block and 45 or so on Gamma. 5-10 on each of the Cluster Explorations and finished with B'Tran Accolade. I know that's a low nubmer but I don't get as much time as I could before to play.

To the OP, I'm sorry that I am in the DSE killing enemies that you were working at. I personally don't go after things other people are already working on. The only time I interfere is when I see somebody about to die and throw them a heal and leave. I try to go to the other side of the map and take on enemies that are out of sensor range of other players. As for the enemies that spawn near my level, sorry about that too. But I have every right to be there as much as you. If there was a leveling system that keeps everything at 0 to everybody would be fair yes. I hope they implement it. No, I don't do it to lord over lower level players and bad mouth them. I do it so I can get one thing, Accolades. Unless Cryptic is willing to give me all of the DSE Accolades so I don't have to go back there, I will keep going into them. Again sorry that this is interfering with you. I try not to as much as I can, but I'm not stopping.

Okay, let me explain this AGAIN. What I am suggesting would be to create separate instances based on rank so the VAs are seperate from the LTs etc. It would by no means cut off the ability for you to get those DSE accolades...clear? Good.

And as for anyone else who is thinking of making me explain this again...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZGBdSQ1xyw

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OP, you do know the accolade system came after most people hit VA correct?

Some VA's still need the DSE accolades. I'm sorry, but I'm against this thread.

Everytime I go into a DSE, I create a group, and give everyone the stuff I loot...what's wrong with that...? :confused:

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That's awesome, actually. It just requires that there be no more than 5 people and they have to be considerate.

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Everyone keeps talking about accolades, yet when I was playing with my VA toon, I never encountered these or received any that I know of.

I not awarded at the end of a mission that said "You Received ## accolades!" like Skill Points and Emblems and that sort of stuff do.

Maybe someone can explain it better, as I have yet to find any information on them.

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Click on the Badge at the bottom left of your mini map. From there, at the top and go three tabs to the right for the one marked "Accolades". It'll tell you all the different conditions you have to meet to earn each one. It's a little thing, but it's something for the RPG completionist.

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Everyone keeps talking about accolades, yet when I was playing with my VA toon, I never encountered these or received any that I know of.

I not awarded at the end of a mission that said "You Received ## accolades!" like Skill Points and Emblems and that sort of stuff do.

Maybe someone can explain it better, as I have yet to find any information on them.

You get accolades for completign a cartain number of 'explore clusters' and 'defend sector' missions (each mission requires you to complete 3 maps). Once you complete the mission 15 times you get an accolade worth, then another at 35 and another at 70. So lets say you want to get all the accolades for the 'Defend Sirius sector block', you'd need to complete it 70 times (meaning you'd need to run it 210 times, 3 times per mission).

You can find out about all the accolades here (http://www.stowiki.org/Accolade)

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Click on the Badge at the bottom left of your mini map. From there, at the top and go three tabs to the right for the one marked "Accolades". It'll tell you all the different conditions you have to meet to earn each one. It's a little thing, but it's something for the RPG completionist.

Thanks I will have to check that out when I get home.

Oh, now I remember. I have seen these. Its the little awards you get for "Taking 20,000 plasma damage" etc.

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You realize that the Sirius sector block is right outside earth, so if someone just wants to see how a new ship looks or handles it's the best place to try it out rather than making the trip all the way to borgville just to try something out.

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OP, you do know the accolade system came after most people hit VA correct?

Some VA's still need the DSE accolades. I'm sorry, but I'm against this thread.

Everytime I go into a DSE, I create a group, and give everyone the stuff I loot...what's wrong with that...? :confused:

Nothing, in fact I respect you for creating teams and handing out your loot, but not everyone's that considerate. If you're against this thread, fine, the point is to a) bring the issue to the Devs' attention. b) to get everyone's opinions about it. Again, I respect what you're saying and I respect you because of what you're sayin', not to mention actually reading the post instead of just reading part of it like some people...

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You realize that the Sirius sector block is right outside earth, so if someone just wants to see how a new ship looks or handles it's the best place to try it out rather than making the trip all the way to borgville just to try something out.


Okay, let me explain this AGAIN. What I am suggesting would be to create separate instances based on rank so the VAs are seperate from the LTs etc. It would by no means cut off the ability for you to get those DSE accolades...clear? Good.

And as for anyone else who is thinking of making me explain this again...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZGBdSQ1xyw

This would also mean you could still use the Sirius DSEs to try out your ship, and you wouldn't PO any LTs in the process.

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I don't test ships in Sirius DSEs and really do not understand those VAs that do, as it really isn't a serious test of your build/loadout. If I am in a low level DSE, then I (and possibly a lot of others) am probably getting my accolade kills. Once I get them, I never touch those DSEs again on that character. As someone else stated, I try to find an empty instance or out of the way area.

It's better than it was before as the enemies no longer level up to VA levels, which made it even tougher for lower levels.

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Considering I'm using the accolades as a reason to still even be playing, you're going to find me in several of them. I don't hog loot or try to kill steal but in fact several lower level players have attempted to do that to me. I generally go find my own groups and kill them not only that, i try to find the lowest level mobs in the place so that the bigger mobs are left to the level appropriate folks. I also help folks when I can. its bad enough my counter is off, and the pre accolade ones i had done aren't counted so I've lost at least 5-7 in each area. While they may lock off the DSE's to level bands, I for one hope they don't.

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i like going in there and blowing stuff up. as for the seperation based on rank. well dont we already have those in the FE's? what a success those have been.

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Okay, let me explain this AGAIN. What I am suggesting would be to create separate instances based on rank so the VAs are seperate from the LTs etc. It would by no means cut off the ability for you to get those DSE accolades...clear? Good.

And as for anyone else who is thinking of making me explain this again...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZGBdSQ1xyw

I do get what your saying, and if it can be put in the game, I'm all for it. But you are coming off as a bit hostile toward everybody who has given you input about what you're saying. And to tell everybody to shut up with a youtube video is wrong. I'm not here to make enemies and hope that we can get along. But please pull back on the hostility and try to understand others view as well. Your opinion isn't the only one in here man, but that doesn't mean it isn't any less valuable. What you're saying is something I would welcome, or for a leveling system that puts all enemy contacts as viewed by all characters as the same level as themselves even if there are LTs and VAs in the same instance. Peace dude.

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I would submit that since the gating of SB24, you're seeing this more often. SB24 used to bE a popular testing ground for new ship builds.

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They added accolades after I reached max level, so deal with it.

You can't finish a accolade in lower DSE without leveling past it.

It really isn't as bad as you make it out to be, and really, are you just that level and hurt by VA's?

It was fine the way it was, this is all some kind of "exclusive feel", that you'd outgrow very quickly. Maybe you had a bad experience once or twice, but the rest of us don't.

Canon never had level blocks...:rolleyes:

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After reaching VA there isn't much left to accomplish except grinding the exploration, sector defense accolades.

So whenever I'm really bored I go and do one or two of these low level DSE.

Testing ships and loadouts as VA in any DSE is pointless. Just use fleet actions for it.

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After reaching VA there isn't much left to accomplish except grinding the exploration, sector defense accolades.

So whenever I'm really bored I go and do one or two of these low level DSE.

Testing ships and loadouts as VA in any DSE is pointless. Just use fleet actions for it.

or helping out people in private matches who needs to test the build.. so i'm the test ship or be the tester lol

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I like them and want more of them while leveling, kill\attack 1 ship and VA guy will do the work for your 0\3 mission, free Xp all the way !

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I go into low level DSEs to complete my accolades. My goal is to complete the mission as fast as possible and to do that I will attack everything I see to get the mission over with. I mostly avoid attacking a mob that is already engaged with a player because I can go off and kill another group at the same time and end the mission even faster. Once the objective is complete I immediately hop around to find another instance that is in progress or just starting (again, to complete the mission as fast as possible)

Level banding would make accomplishing the accolade more difficult because it will reduce the number of instances available to switch to in addition to making it cost more time to complete.

I am not even slightly sorry if this costs someone a little bit of worthless loot in exchange for allowing them to rapidly acquire skill points by completing the mission. There are plenty of areas to farm loot (clusters, foundry grind missions, and fleet actions).

I hope they do not introduce level banding to the DSEs. What they should do is give us a timer telling us how long until the instance resets, show the status of the instance when selecting an instance to switch to, make it reset quicker, and add more enemies to the map.

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I go into low-level DSEs for the hell of it, I admit. But not to grief the low-level players. I just feel like occasionally one-shotting a bunch of mobs, and not having to five-man the Flagships. I generally keep away from the other players, when there is any, at least. Most times, I'll enter and have the whole instance to myself. Combine all this with the fact that on average, you're a lot more likely to get a reward equal to pretty much any loot you could find in a DSE just by completing the given missions, I don't see a real problem. The only time I hated higher level players joining a DSE was back when the enemy ships would adjust to match the highest player level.

Hell, at least in STO you get credit for being in the same instance for DSE mission completions. Ya know what you get if a level-capped player kills all the mobs in an area because they're playing through new content in WoW? You get to wait for the mobs to respawn. And that's if you're lucky enough to be in a non-contested area, with a capped player from your faction, doing just the faction-specific content.

But, whatever. People will always find something to complain about, so who am I to try to stop the way of things?

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I go in because of Boredom if they take that away then I will go inactive again til more content is released. So this thread in my opinion is a fail as he is just raging.

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I have to disagree with the OP,

Whatever level I am (just hit Captain) I love going into encounters with the randomness that it might be you versus every enemy or that there might be other ships with you. I love it that the other ships that enter can be any level and have fun protecting lower levels or watching VAs blowing everything up thinking - wow - can't wait till I have that fire power. I also especially like it when my shields are failing and I'm watching my hull percentage count down when I VA comes from nowhere -transfers shield strength and helps me defeat the flagship I angered. I feel that it feels more like being part of a fleet when there are many different levels and classes in the instance.

I would hate it if I was forced into an instance with only my level of ship there.

Also I'm playing an MMO - I want to work together with other ships - if I'm blasting at a group of enemies - please come and do it with me! Damn the rubbish loot!

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As a VA I would have to agree with this thread. We shouldnt be in the same zones as lower ranked players as we steal their kills

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I wouldn't mind if I couldn't enter a Sirius DSE (to test equipment / builds; achieve accolades) if the Exploration Zones didn't scale. I could do the same things in Delta Volanis, as an example, without stealing any lower level player's thunder. Any chance of having the exploration zones not scale?

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well personaly i go in the lower level one to blow crap up lol, amd if some one is in there andask me to join team i do and i will pass on all the loot cause i figure they need it i dont lol, and this is how most people should do when there in one, to me its just good manners