I just got my hands on the Phaser Turret Tac Console that came as a pre-order bonus item, and WOW does that need to get fixed. As it exists currently it's a completely useless item.

The turret itself is nice, but it lasts 3 minutes and is completely immobile. In a big fleet action or something this could be of some use but on a normal mission where you're taking out 5 patrols scattered around the map this is of absolutely no use.

If it was on a three minute, even a five minute cooldown I could see it. But a TEN minute cooldown just ensures that you're going to get 30 seconds of use out of the thing and then leave it sitting where you left it, doing nothing, while you go off on the rest of the mission. If it followed you around, *that* would be useful and maybe worth the cooldown, but it just sits stationary.

If it was even a device it might be worth having, since it wouldn't be taking up a precious tac console slot, but as a console that drops an immobile turret on an insane ten minute cooldown, which means it can only be used once every 13 minutes, there's almost never a time it's actually worth equipping the thing.

Is it a ground ability or a ship console?

That deploys something? I thought it was just an auto turret that shot down incoming targetable warheads.

You're thinking of the "automated defense turret" console that came with the Deluxe edition. He's referring to the Steam exclusive "Deploy Phaser Turret" console.

The ADT is automated, and does plasma damage. The DPT is activated, but the turret itself is automated and fires a single (weak) phaser beam.

My mistake.

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Where did that come from? Meaning when did you buy your copy and where? Sounds worthless but interesting to look at the info about it.

A few weeks back Steam had the Digital Deluxe pack for sale for $4. I am sure he picked it up there.

It comes with both (and some cryptic points).

Both of these items however are just bonus items and it is not really a priority to make them compelling end game choices. Most retailer bonus items aren't actually useful for end game. The fancy ground armor is neat for offense, but you would give up tremendous amount of defense to use it. Constitution is purely for leveling. About the only end game item you get from retailers is the Borg BO because of Efficient trait, which is now available in C-store.

But if there was other methods of getting the items, I could see the case for making them more powerful. (I actually already have them because I bought the items when it was on steam sale also, so this might give me a reason to pull them out of the bank)

I got it from Steam off the sale, correct.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it should be the freaking Death Star or anything. I don't even care that it's not terribly powerful. I just thought it was interesting that - as a contrast - the automated defense turret is extremely useful and to my mind justifies taking up a Tactical console slot if you have one available.

I like the idea of the phaser 'satellite' quite a bit but I just felt like the execution of it left something to be desired. I'm not saying it should be any more *powerful* so much as more *useful*. I think just making it a device or shortening the cooldown time by half or more would have made it a lot less useless.

Or conversely just making it tag along behind you like a pet, so you can at least USE it for the entire 3 minutes it's active - that alone would have made it worthwhile.

I just thought it was too bad that it's totally stationary and has a ten minute long cooldown, making it useful in only a handful of missions where there's going to be a prolonged battle in a fairly small area of space.

The item is only particularly handy when used with a shuttle. like the Vault or in Shuttle only PvP. Outside of that its useless. It's got a 10 minute cooldown, does craptastic damage against anything bigger than a fighter. If it was mobile, offered more damage, or had a drasticly reduced cooldown (3-4 minutes so you could only produce one at a time) it'd be useful. Currently the production of one phaser turret every ten minutes is about as useful as a combat horta, which is to say, not very. It looks cool, but amounts to little.