Is the chimera worth $200? Certainly not. Is it an escort? No it isn't. It isn't a science ship and it isn't a cruiser either.

The chimera is a good ship. Worth more then an Oddy in my opinion so I would price it at $30 I think.

So if it is a good ship why are you hearing negative things? Lots of reasons.

1) Many people in STO don't know what the majority of their captain, equipment and ship statistics actually do. Give them a new ship that looks sort of like an escort and rather then consider the new opportunities it offers, they will just transfer their boffs and equipment over too it from which ever escort they currently fly and complain that it doesn't work as well.

2)Many people in STO who do know what the majority of their captain, equipment and ships statistics actually do focus exclusively upon how much damage or how much tank they can squeeze out of a ship. The Chimera is master of neither.

3)Many people are looking for reasons not to like the Chimera. Some resent the ship for being available to people who aren't relay vets. Some simply don't like the way it looks. Some see it as competition for their own favourite ship, and some are jealous.

For me the Chimera does something I covert. It gives me a commander level tactical ability slot without burdening me with three ensign tactical ability slots. Why don't I want these? They force me to waist an ability slot or diversify my weapon types.

Ensign tactile slots on a ship that can fit heavy cannons and turn well are a pain in the ass. The only ensign tactical ability that benefits them is tactical team. Heavy cannons front and turrets aft are all I need but because all my escorts have three ensign level ability slots to fill I end up slotting in a dual beam bank or a torpedo tube as well.

With the Chimera I don't need to do that. From one Commander tactical officer I can stack tactical teams levels one and two, and either two levels of cannon scatter volley or two levels of cannon rapid fire. Now I have all the rest of my officer slots free for science and engineering abilities. After the mandatory Hazard emitters, transfer shield strength, polarize hull and emergency power to shields skills I can actually slot some fun stuff.

Like emergency power to engines. How often does this actually get used in other ship builds? Not often, but now that I'm not sacrificing stuff I need for it I am finding that its a little bit fantastic. Combine this with evasive manoeuvres and you can exceed people at full impulse without any power drop and without the need to leave combat for half a minute to activate.

I am not going to tell you what to use all your ability slots on though. It isnt hard to put a ship together that works, and I am sure any one taking the time to read this already knows what abilities they need. There are certainly some ability set-ups you should avoid. There are also a lot that would be fun. And some that are genuinely fantastic.

Just stop treating it like an escort. Its not an escort. Its a well rounded ship. If you can't tank better in it then you can in your regular escort your a bad player and your doing it wrong. If you can't do more damage in it then you can in your cruiser the same goes. And yes I am an ass for saying that about you... sorry.