the borg queens torp spread in hive space elite is much more frequent and equally devastating, if not more so. But even that one is surviveable.

All this needs is a better visualisation, as for now, looking at the enemies buff bar doesn't really cut it for most players.

If there was a warning that torp spread is immenet, and on whom it is targeted the problem would be solved i guess. Most other MMOs or RPGs have those messages on the screen during bossfights.

most elite stfs have become too easy anyway...by further nerfing them you take out even the last bit of challenge.

Critical hits torp spreads can kill even tanky cruisers, it is bad game design. Generating higher sustained damage and lower the one hit kills can't be that difficult to do.

BFI, Aux2SIF3, HE1, RSF, EPtS3, TSS2. Suddenly her torps don't hurt. Unless she does one of her THY3 crits with a photon. Those tend to be very unpleasant.

Consider for a moment the current ratio of Max HP vs Time to Full Heal.

Even on lightly tanked boats that typically is less than a minute and in addition because the majority of heals increase resist they are like a double dip. On a properly tanked boat that is typically less than 30 seconds.

Simply put, and as any PvPer will tell you, you get about 5 seconds to kill a decently built ship in this game. Take longer than that and it becomes nearly pointless to even try.

So no, with current systems/mechanics it is impossible to get killed in PvE by sustained damage output only via burst.

Simple answer: Learn to distribute the hit across multiple shield facings.

Without any shield or hull resist buffs, if you learn to spread the damage across two facings (or even three if you're in a really nimble ship) you can very easily survive the torp spreads. Putting up shield resist boosts (EPtS, TSS, RSF, etc) makes it even easier.

any shield resist + brace for impact will give you a signifiicant change to how much donatra's spread hurts any ship.
its just occasionally donatra gets a power called ''torpedo: TPK spread'' that can and will just kill you and anyone else caught in the firing arc.

Your assumptions are bad, your typical pug group never heals, your premades will heal but are typically self reliant ships because you do have to split up.
When CSE Neg'vars remove a shield facing in one hit, sustained damage like that will kill, player damage won't but that stuff will. This isn't PvP, it uses dev magic mechanics.

Its very possible to make sustained damage kill, but right now its too low in 95% of situation to get close.

the point isn't that skills weren't used the point is that the damage from crit on these borg vessels is way out of hand and have yet to be fixed.

I still get occasionally instakills by invisible salvos when fighting an RA boss or in an STF where I'm at 100% shields and health and then suddenly I'm dead. I've started as an escort to fly REALLY close to the vessels because that seems to be the only way of avoiding those torps entirely (like where someone can reach out from a window and touch the other ships hull close).

It's ridiculous that this has to be done because something is seriously wrong with these torps attacks.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the same goes for the RA in TD when dealing not with the borg but with the Tholians but I haven't collected enough data for that yet.

while 50k damage is enough to melt some ships in one hit, you have to think about how they come up with that damage. Donatra's torpedoes are meant to do that kind of damage, but there are also very easy counters to the torpedo spread (both plasma and photon). On my cruiser, I have successfully tanked 6 barrages in a row using the right skills at the right time.

I'm sure most of us noticed that those torpedoes will follow us to the ends of the galaxy once fired, so if you see a massive barrage following you, evasive maneuvers will only delay the inevitable damage. So if you can't dodge it, tank it.

Here's a list of all the ways you can survive it (most people have mentioned them already, but i'm just listing them for the sake of convenience):

Most Viable Options:
Tactical Team (Distributes your shields towards damage every time you get hit)
Brace for Impact (straight kinetic damage resist. Boffs: chance for shield heals/damage resistance)
Hazard Emitters (Damage resistance/heal/immunity to plasma burns)
Transfer Shield Strength (Overtime shield heal/good shield damage resistance)
Emergency Power to Shields (Shield heal/high shield damage resistance)
Auxiliary to Structural Integrity Field (High Hull heal and hull damage resistance)
Extend Shields (only castable by an ally - massive shield damage resistance and small shield heal)

Semi-viable Options:
Reverse Shield Polarity: Conditional - works if donatra is targeting you, but he'll be negating the torp damage with his cannons
Science/Engineering team: If for some reason you don't have Tact Team up, a well timed ST or ET may save you from certain death.
Photonic Shockwave (Prevention - useful for interrupting donatra's cone of death and de-buffing a torp spread charge)
Polarize Hull: I don't think it'll prevent kinetic damage, but at least it'll save you from some of the cannon damage
Viral Matrix: May or may not shut down donatra's weapons in time, but a useful tool to have regardless
NOTE: DO NOT use VM on donatra if you see the cone of death charging. VM causes it to fire much earlier depending on when it shuts down the weapon susbsystems.

Captain Abilities:
Rotate Shield Frequency (Large shield damage resistance and shield regeneration)
Miracle Worker (Instant massive shield and hull heal)
Engineering Fleet (Damage resistance and Engi training)
Science Fleet (Shield Emitters buff)
Subnucleonic beam (Prevention - use when you see donatra charge up torp spread)

Bonus:
Derp Moves:

Battle Cloak (Loses all shield facings and takes full direct damage from torpedo barrage)
Mask Energy Signature (lose subsystem powers when it's time to tank? lolwut?)

As a final note, I should mention that all ships should have at least some of these boff skills to tank, even if it's only the Ensign/Lieutenant copy. I don't expect a tactical escort for example to carry all these boff skills.

Donatra?.. Two words:

Aceton Beam

Won't do much for the kinetic damage(That's what Brace for Impact is for), but all that green doom headed your way will get cut by 75% at rank 3. The 30 second duration should allow your shields to be able to withstand a beating for a good while at a time.