Do Phaser Relays stack x4? or is it diminishing returns. I'm currently working on a Vesta Science ship idea, and this will dictate my slot load out.

They stack, without diminishing returns (or negligible diminishing returns up to the 4th console, I believe). Burn them all!

well there is supposed to be diminishing returns but I know a lot of people that stack as many as they can on their escorts

NOW my question is will the 4 phaser relays Boost the Phaser Lance thing that the Vesta will get.

yes it will boost the Quantum Focused Phaser shot

Any projected damage?

I don't know the exact numbers, but quite a lot IF you also have a decent number of points specced into Particle Generators (though I believe the patch may have changed or nerfed this slightly).

That said, I find the healing console more useful if you're only going to pick one.

I'm going to get all 3, though I'm interested in the aux cannons, does it scale off Aux only? or Weapon and Aux?

and with a 12degree turn rate, is it worth it for using them only plus a proton? or just 3 slots of the damn things?

and are these Aux cannons going to be standard items now? ((Well a tag, or something))

What about cannons that scale off engine ALA NCC-1701-A from the STAR TREK The motion picture movie?

Aux Cannons are Vesta-only. They are special weapons, like the Quad Cannons (though unlike the Quad Cannons they are Mk XII only since the Vesta's a top-tier ship anyway).

So far the chances of them becoming a standard or universal drop are low. They're meant to be unique item for the Vesta, so making them regularized would dilute the Vesta's value proposition in the C-store.

They do not draw weapons power at all, meaning they stay up if your Weapons system gets disabled. Nice touch when fighting bastard Tholians.

I believe the Quad Cannons scale off both weapons and engines, but those are the only other ship weapons I know that draw off something other than weapons power.

The Aux cannons are OK, but they're not necessarily BETTER, just different. Since they draw off Aux you can keep your Aux high and redistribute more power to shields/engines while boosting most of your Sci powers. The turnrate is high enough that you'll do just fine. The Tac vesta can push damage numbers close to high-end Escort level with the right settings and gear, and I think the Quantum Phaser also gets an Aux power boost (not sure).

BUT, since the Aux cannons are the ONLY Aux weapons so far, you still need SOME power to weapons to run your rear weapons, like turrets or rear arrays. Unless you stuff your butt with mines and torps, but frankly that's not a completely ideal situation either.

ALSO, since they are cannons, you'll really only benefit if you go almost whole-hog with them. SVs only get 3 fore weapons so they have less flexibility when mixing weapon types. No use just using 1 cannon + 1 torp + 1 DBB (unless you choose to give up subsystem targeting). And since the Aux Cannons are Dual, they have a small arc and aren't as compatible with rear arrays or other broadside shenanigans. A turret + Cannon Vesta will probably behave a lot like an escort (i.e. sit still and face forward).

Personally I ignored them and went with my old Recon SV setup (Array/DBB/Torp fore, Array/mines Aft) and had fun fun fun, but the cannons were entertaining enough in testing.

Thats good, and doing a little research ((IE i read the posts about the ship)) apprently this thing can out agro most escorts due to massive damage spike, which is good since my current Boff Slots are set up in such a way, I never lose any shields or hull ((Well for very long))

But now my main concern is how the hell am I gonna line up that ****ing giant death laser time and time again, Its clear that if I was suicidal I would try to match an escorts turn rate, ((No small task)) but this ship smells so much of Capital ship destroyer.

Actually that makes sense

Cruisers are the big impressive ships, like carriers are for our navy, decent but very slow, Escorts are like the smaller boats and airplanes around it, and then you get the destroyer. THIS thing, which has bigger cannons, and much more pow factor.

Seriously looking at that laser it looks like it would punch a hole through any klink ship with mimmum effort.