Advanced Comm Arrays

The conflict between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire has yielded some fantastically advanced technology. Most of these advances have been in the development of new weapons and starships. However, Starfleet Engineering Corps has recently developed a new technology aimed at allowing Cruiser class ships to more easily provide support to their fleets with highly advanced Communication Arrays.

These Advanced Comm Arrays allow a Cruiser class ship to quickly provide tactical data to nearby allied starships, granting the cruiser and their allies an extra bit of versatility. The initial prototype of this new technology will first be introduced on Starfleet’s Avenger Class Battle Cruiser, and soon after will be retrofitted onto all Starfleet Cruiser, Battle Cruiser and Flight Deck Cruiser starships.

Starfleet captains aren’t the only ones benefitting from this new technology, though. Klingon Intelligence agents have been following the developments within Starfleet’s Engineering Corps closely, and prototypes of these arrays are already being tested at Empire shipyards. KDF Battle Cruisers and Flight Deck Cruisers will soon retrofitted with this new technology as well.

Advanced Comm Array Overview

This new feature grants a number of new “Cruiser Command” abilities (between 2 and 4) to Cruiser, Battle Cruiser and Flight Deck Cruiser class starships. While one of these toggle abilities are active, the cruiser captain and their nearby allies will receive a useful benefit. These abilities are mutually exclusive, so only one of them can be active at any given time. It’s important to note that the effects of these Cruiser Commands do not stack with one another. Meaning, if two or more cruiser captains have the same active Cruiser Command, the effects will not be applied multiple times.

These powers are being added to Cruisers to allow them to better fill a defensive support role. Below is an outline of each of the Cruiser Command powers:

Cruiser Commands

Command – Strategic Maneuvering:

• While this Command is active, the cruiser and nearby allies have their flight speed and turn rate increased. This Command is intended to give slower starships such as carriers, dreadnaughts and cruisers a needed boost to their turn rate and flight speed as long as they stay near the cruiser with this Command active.

Command – Shield Frequency Modulation:

• This Command boosts the shield regeneration rate and shield hardness of the cruiser and nearby allies. Shield Frequency Modulation is a defensive Command intended to increase the survivability of allied ships.

Command – Weapon System Efficiency:

• The Weapon System Efficiency Command reduces power drain from weapons by 25% for the cruiser and nearby allies. This Command will reduce the significant drain from directed energy weapon fire. Ultimately, this will lead to higher sustained damage and quicker recovery from firing energy draining powers like Beam: Overload.

Command – Attract Fire:

• This Command will increase the cruiser’s threat generation and decrease the threat generation of the cruiser captain’s nearby allies. Additionally, the cruiser gains a moderate damage resistance rating boost plus an additional amount of damage resistance rating for each nearby ally (up to 5 allies). This Command’s threat reduction will not be applied to other cruisers with Command – Attract Fire active.

FAQ

[Q] When will Cruiser Commands be available?

[A] Initially, Cruiser Commands will be available on the Avenger Class Battle Cruiser. Shortly after its release these powers will be made available to all qualifying starships.

[Q] What do I have to do to access these powers?

[A] These Commands can be found at the bottom of your weapons UI bar. Alternatively, you can drag them from your powers list to your Skill Bars. No need to equip any items as Cruiser Commands are inherent powers built into Cruiser class starships!

[Q] Will Klingons and Romulan ships also get Cruiser Commands?

[A] All Klingon Battle Cruisers and Flight-Deck Cruisers will gain access to these Commands. However, Romulan Republic Warbirds will not obtain these powers.

[Q] Which ship classes get which powers?

[A] Below is a table outlining which ships get which powers:

In short, full Cruisers get access to all Cruiser Commands. Battle Cruisers get all Commands except Attract Fire and Flight Deck Cruiser gain access to Shield Frequency Modulation and Attract Fire. Dreadnought Cruisers gain access to Attract Fire and Weapon System Efficiency while Warbird Battle Cruisers do not gain access to these powers.

[Q] What Commands do the other Dreadnoughts receive?

[A] The Jem’Hadar Dreadnought Carrier and the Scimitar Dreadnought Warbirds do not receive Cruiser Commands. Only Dreadnought Cruisers (e.g. Galaxy-X) receive Cruiser Commands.

We hope you enjoy this addition to Cruiser class ships, and we look forward to you checking it out when they go live on our test server, and then Holodeck, in the near future. We’ll see you in-game!

Phil "Gorngonzolla" Zeleski
Systems Designer
Star Trek Online

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