You'd think it would be obvious to use phasers on the Dread, but so many people dont.

And at what point did I say "Use this setup in PVP!!!!!!" It'll never work in PVP, so i said its my PVE setup.

Its people like you who are a problem in this community. You have obviously misread or misinterpreted parts of my post; yet you are too ready to criticize without first looking into the fundamentals or even trying it yourself. You are not in possession of the facts, but still feel its your responsibility, to have the sheer arrogance, to post like that.

You seem to be in a foul mood. Did you just blow 4k Zen on an Ody pack?

It's meh.

I bought it to try out something new after I've got bored with basically every other fed cruiser in the game, including the Odysseys, Regent and the Excelsior.

Boff layout is poor, focused more on engineering than tactical. The spinal lance is useless even with three phaser relays and rarely delivers more damaga than an average beam overload. Chimera's or Vesta's special abilities are way more powerful than that.

The ship is basically your average tanky cruiser. I tried equipping cannons, but without saucer separation, poor turn rate and even with the use of Subspace Jump console I found it to be more annoying than useful. And the DPS wasn't really that substantial. I can deliver way more of a punch with my Engi flying the Vesta using only CSV1, TT1 and EPTW1.

I assume it's a decent average cruiser, with a few useless gimmicks added. You'd be better off getting any of the Fleet cruisers. Heck, even the Regent or the Excelsior. Personally I switched to Vesta and am waiting for a proper federation battlecruiser (something like D'Kora or KDF's Fleet Vor'Cha).

The only positive thing I can say about the Dreadnought is that it looks EPIC with the Venture skin. But that's about it.

i got a character set aside in STO that focuses specifically on the dread. she is powerful yes and slow best used as a artiliary/support ship that can defend itself when need be. also a lot of people have skimmed over it being only one of 2 fed ships that can cloak. not as useful on the dread as it is on the Defiant R but it does give a nie little buff coming out of cloak if you hit the lance.

yes well, i can make a qualified statement about using 4 DHC at 10 km range while using 4 RCS consoles...it is suboptimal to say the least.
basically you made it a slow moving escort with 3 tac boff powers, only 3 tac consoles, and no resi consoles whatsoever. Of course you can't be able to go any closer than 10km, because then you would be shredded to pieces.
and it is people like you who then come to the forums complaining about difficulty and unbalanced ship classes...with a setup like that...no wonder.

you fixate on PVP, while the major part of my statement was specifically directed on the PVE part.
your stetement that you use 4 DHC at a range of 10km, just underlines that obviously you do not understand basic game mechanics. what really surprices is, that you actually know about the inferiority of cannons over large distances, yet you write "they may be better"...let me tell you that beams are far superior over long distances.
which brings me to the next synergy free setup of yours: 4 Dueal beam banks front and 4 beam arrays rear? how do you fly this ship to bring more than 4 weapons on target? well you can't...thats why it is a targ turd setup.

i'm not in a foul mood, but when i see BS i tend to point it out! and what i read in your post was the pinacle of BS mountain. Your build, even if only PVE must be one of the most ridiculous builds ever concived for that ship.
i mean 4 RCS...actually impressive of you to admit to this on the forums.

This question invariably crops up once every month and it attracts all comers to the same argument.

In summary:
The Gal X is a very specialized ship to fly, very much unlike an escort or even a regular assault cruiser. If you don't agree with that, you will be exposed quickly in PvP and taken down... adding to the reputation (which is undersesrved)
It can tank well.
It is best capable for high-burst, not necessarily sustained DPS (single cannons up front x 4 with 4 turrets in the rear), as it does not function as an escort. NOTICE the term, "high burst" damage. That is really different from sustained DPS. High burst is essentially being able ot penetrate the uber-shield combinations that exist to inflect damage that can't be readily healed. In PvP matches versus competent players, escorts with output steady good DPS, but its simply at game of math as to whether you can outshiedl or outheal the damage you are taking. Burst damage from a lance is special, and a difference maker in PvP if you are coordinated wiht your team.
The ship functions for burst damage first, then combat support for your team while you wait on CD. You should be able to tank and absorb ridiculous fire from escorts. After they realize you aren't one of their "99%" (is that like one of the 47% Mitt Romney referred to?), you will be able to cripple kill the second ship in their 5 ship team and well on your way to bragging rights for the evening.
You simply have to accept that the Gal X can't do much else after firing its lance aside from supporting your team with heals and decent DPS output. If you go beam arrays, get FAW and APB to apply the APB bonus for your team's attacks.

This is not really a summary.

Trying to be succinct (again):
1- Fly the Gal X if you are up to the challenge of flying something very different. Most PvPers will scorn you, until you prove yourself capable of withstanding their alpha strikes. Then again, who cares? IF you enjoy the role of the Gal-X, its a blast. IN STFs, you are welcomes sight (share your heals).
2- If you aren't willing to put in the time, be disciplined about EPtS and EPtW cycling... don't do it, lining up your buffs/debuffs, etc before a lance strike (and being a TAC officer for that matter... a Sci or Eng is not going to get DPS out of this thiing)... don't do it.

IMHO the gal-x is the second worst cruiser in the game. only the t4 galaxy is worse.

The Galaxy-X is a selfish ship. You have to build the entire thing around using the lance which means dedicating all your consoles to turning, jumping and cloaking. Then dedicating Boff powers to doing as much damage as possible. Its so much fun

Heres a match I was in earlier. [Prime]
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...4-21-37-32.jpg

Clearly we lost, but looking at the numbers. I got 3x the damage as anyone else on the team and second highest healing. (Im a sci, so no APA).

Max weapons (plus this was aux to bat) means low healing and survivability.

I wouldnt bring this to team, in PvP or high end PvE. You can certainly build it like any other heal cruiser...but you are getting a suboptimal lance which is kinda the purpose for this three nacelled monstrosity.

My fleet calls it a doughnut because its big and round. I call it a doughnut because it should be used in moderation.

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For starters are you a engineer ?
If you Areca engineer and want high Dps you have
To fly a escort , your engineering defenses will
Make you much more survivalible with hi Dps

If you want the best Dps cruiser it's the regent
I own every cruiser I've found it to be the best
Assault cruiser. The galaxy X is a very classy ship
That cryptic hates more than the Galaxy class cruiser
Itself, that's the only way to explain one of the worst
Ship builds I'n the game

Cryptic/STO is very Anti Canon Cruiser everything regulating
These fine canon ships into shameful disrespectful role contrary
To how they were portrayed I'n movies and the Tv series to make
A fast buck to the xwing and tie fighter pilots that wander from
Mmo to mmo for pvp.

Rant over. I feel better

As far as a gal X build make it into a tank and healer
That will surprise most go with 8 beam arrays possibly a mine rack
To add some obsticals for the enemy escorts
I like 6 plasma beam arrays 30% Acc 2 transphasic torps fore
And aft use transphasic weapon consoles and HY3 much better hull
Damage than the lance 3 purple torpedo doffs
Beam faw2 and tt1 at least you may want to run two copy's of tt

Plasma weapons would be best because you won't be doing
A lot of damage anyway so the plasma fires may become very
Useful especially against noob escort pilots and there cheep

The phaser lance is a gimmic on a long cooldown and I'n my opinion
Just a free shot if it lines up I wouldn't center my build around it
It's better to tank because the noob escorts will always target you
First so tanking that is your priority so your team can make them butt
Hurt while they waste there time trying to hurt you

Also respec with full points I'n threat generation you get about 10
Resistance to all damage from that which is critical for a tank

Good luck

In comparison to the newer ships, not really.

It has a T5 shield mod, a slow turnrate and the now lackluster assault cruiser bofff setup

Despite it having the ability to equip dual heavy cannons, due to it only being able to take one cannon rapid fire, the excelsior and regent will out damage it with single cannons and 2xCRF.

Now if they were to release a fleet Galaxy-X with Regent boff stations, then I would say that'd probably be the best DPS Fed cruiser for PvE.