After working on it slowly for a while, I finally did it.

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/7...1050119330.jpg

I hit level 51 on my Tactical Officer without levelling up at all. I did spend a few skill points, but not enough to actually get to Lieutenant, and definitely not enough to get any special abilities, such as Evasive Maneuvers.

It was a lot of diplomatic missions, ground missions, Ker'rat, DSEs, and a few higher level missions when I had a friend to help me with all the space combat.

After about level 30 or so, space combat became extremely difficult if not impossible for me to solo. Even though I was using the Constitution class ship with the blue phasers that level with you, the lack of weapon slots, ensign only BO abilities, and Mark II shields, engines, deflectors, and consoles all made it too difficult.

On the other hand, for ground combat, Mark II personal shields didn't really hurt too much, when I had the ground weapons from the Featured Series that level with you.

So here's my question...has anyone else done this, or am I the first?
(When I started this whole endeavour, level 45 was still the level cap at the time...)

Update: Finally going to level up, as I won't be able to stay an Ensign with the new December patch that brings the first F2P changes over to Holodeck.

Grats, dunno if anyone else did it. I know I wouldn't 8')

Who says you can't use Connies all the way through the game?

On a side note, I realize that although I had a theme for all my ship names for this character (no, it was not Rock-Paper-Scissors), that never really happened since I never got any other ships except for shuttles. Oh well.

This is also my first max level tactical officer - but on the other hand, I still have no clue how to play one since I never got a single tactical abilitiy.

not me, well done, but i kind of feel sorry for your team m8s if you do pvp

The only PVP I did was in Ker'rat, which wasn't really PVP. If any Klingons went after me, I blew up from their initial volley, even if I managed to get my science officer's ensign level Jam Sensors off immediately.

And then I got camped. And if I tried to complain, I got trolled.

However...are there any groups out there willing to let me go with them on an Infected (RA level) run? While I'd be mostly useless in space, I'd be able to contribute on ground...not as much as a ranked up player of course, since I'd be missing abilities, but still not that bad. I know how to run the STFs anyway, having had to coach people through Cure and KA many a time.

i'm not sure that would be possible because to use the Transwarp conduit to borg space you need to be RA. I'm not sure you could even get to the zone for infected without leveling up.

This would be a great way of remaining at Captain... Hmm... It does warrant consideration for my current officer.

I know people have played through the entire game sticking to a T1 ship. I don't know if anyone ever kept at the ensign rank for that entire time.

It's a strange kind of impressive... Afterall, even Harry Kim managed to get promoted eventually. (That is to say, in an alternate timeline. An oversight I'm sure Janeway corrected when she went back to show off her shiny new rankpips to her younger self. In our timeline, poor dumb Harry's probably locked away in a subspace relay in some particularly remote, cold and hostile part of space... still, second place ain't bad. )

gz. I am guessing you will hold this record for a loooooong time.

im trying that also, im now Ensign 16.
so it take while before i get to Ensign 51

but GZ! its slow lvling