I have a level 50 Eng/Escort toon that's pretty well geared up running antiproton cannons/turrets. I'm looking for a change of pace, so I started a science officer and I'm sticking with science ships.

I want to make use of the various abilities such as Gravity Wells, tractor beams, tachyon beams, etc. Those skills all seem to rely on Aux having a lot of power. Thus, I'm thinking that I want to keep Aux maxxed out as often as possible so that those skills are most effective.

So how do you max out aux and still do damage with your weapon slots? I'm thinking torps... Either 1 Tricobalt and a pair of Photons, Two Tricobalts and a photon, or 3 quantums or transphasics. I am aware of the cooldown issues involved, but the trade off is using energy weapons at a low power setting, or balancing out my aux, shields, and weapons. I really don't want to make that compromise, I want to specialize in the Science Boff skills.

I'm curious if anyone runs a set up like this, and how effective it is? Would using tricobalts screw up the gravity wells and tractor beams?

Most thoughts are welcome, but if you're going to criticize, please try to be constructive.

I'm doing the opposite. i run 5 beams and a photon launcher still experimenting with the boff assignments, but the Recce handled the fluidic missions like a wet dream. did much better than my eng/escort build in fact

Sure you can, the problem is youll have to give up alot to be able to go into the cc (gravity wells, ect).
Almost all science owers relays on aux power unforently, problem with the torp bomb, is you give up weapon power for almost all toprps (except is target subsystem shiedls), its a slow killer for sure, it can be fun, but its a slow killer none-the-less.

But that is one good thing aobut htis game...play how youll like to.

How I wish sometimes there was an "aux" setting, all we get is Attack - Def - Speed - Balanced. Though I might just try to reconfigure speed for aux...

Problem that I know of is that energy (beam) weapons are the shield killers, torps are hull killers. Also, most sci. powers really become effective once shields are dropped.

What I'm planning now that I just made Capt. is to use balanced/attack to drop shields, then switch to an aux-heavy-light guns setting for the powers to crunch the enemy. Either that or open with a high-aux Viral III then when shields drop hit the gravity well/Tyken's. Might need to try to find shield drain II/III also, on the hope that a high-aux full beam can zero out the shields on even the big ships.

You can use 2*EPtS and 25 shield power setting, asuming EPtS will be up 100% of time, allowing at least 55 shield power.
Considering bonus power from skills and sci ship itself + 1*shield power console i have something like 120/50/40/85 passively. If you want you may reduce weapon power and increase aux. You will still have at least 75 weapon power allowing normal use of energy weapons. Just dont stack too many of them. Personaly i use 2*photon torp + 1* dual beam bank in front and 3*turret in aft.
And in combat power levels look like this...