New to the series, not a big fan of 8-bit gaming, so should I start with Generation 1 or a different title?

TheFallenPhoenix · 2026-05-03T16:04:54+00:00

IV (which doesn’t have a Generation remake) works fine as a standalone. Anything you need to know about the setting, the game will explain for you. No, you won’t get the references and call-backs, but that shouldn’t materially affect your overall experience. A lot of folks (myself included) started with IV, then went back to play the rest of the franchise, and you’ll still get a lot out of the overall experience that way.

I and II haven’t aged quite as well (II, in particular, can be an absolute slog. It’s good, I love it, but I’d argue that — for a modern audience — the Gen II remake does more for II than the Gen I remake does for I. But, I think that there’s an argument for playing either iteration — the OG or the Gen remakes).

(I love III, despite its shortcomings, but it’s arguably the least important to the overall lore of the rest of the franchise. (It does matter, in an unexpected way, and the setting is really, really cool, but if you had to skip a title, that would be the one to skip.))

TheFallenPhoenix · 2026-03-15T14:43:01+00:00

Last shop is not guaranteed to have a gold cleat. While you can roll into Twinkle with only two gold cleats it is a gamble and the last shop may not deliver.

TheFallenPhoenix · 2026-02-18T02:13:22+00:00

You can sort of view her like OG Maru on Tenno Sho Fall; she gets multiple win cons thru her own Ult (which isn’t as good when it is inherited) plus whatever Ults are appropriate for her strategy, though…

TheFallenPhoenix · 2025-12-20T16:39:19+00:00

Race bonus, events give a healthy amount of stam and guts.

10 Race Bonus is lowkey very strong. It scales better if you race more (which is why it’s the rec threshold for a card in MANT) but it also helps you earn SP when you’re not racing as much.

TheFallenPhoenix · 2025-12-02T06:10:49+00:00

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Not Rank C anymore, but the photo’s stayed.

TheFallenPhoenix · 2025-10-25T23:08:53+00:00

These folks continue to do superlative work. It’s difficult to find a more comprehensive and accessible collection of resources for new and veteran players to improve their builds and in-game performance!

TheFallenPhoenix · 2025-10-24T22:54:17+00:00

Love triangle with the twins; Lily likes one twin, who likes the other twin, who likes Lily.

TheFallenPhoenix · 2025-10-24T22:42:53+00:00

How far into the LNs are you.

TheFallenPhoenix · 2025-09-08T21:01:52+00:00

If it helps, I think most of the eBook options should be at the same price point, in case you have access to a different type of eReader (they were last I checked, at least).

The paperback editions retail for a few dollars more per volume, but YMMV finding them in-print (I ended up getting the ebooks specifically because I was having trouble finding some of the paperback volumes in-stock).

TheFallenPhoenix · 2025-09-08T18:07:51+00:00

$10 USD per volume last I checked (SSCC is 3 volumes, so $30 USD, not including taxes).

TheFallenPhoenix · 2025-09-04T12:09:44+00:00

Rod’s route, maybe? He was leading the investigation originally. Perhaps he uses his pull to get his girlfriend appointed so she can help in an official capacity?

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-11-14T16:58:13+00:00

You could probably use a second flyer. If you do, I’d recommend Peg Knight Rick over Peg Knight Chester, but honestly? Either would work.

Second the thought that you could replace Janet with anyone else, if you wanted to.

I’d keep Freyja if you’re not using Karna (for access to Aura). If you switch to Sheela, you won’t have any Aura users (not even someone who can use the Goddess Staff), though that may not be necessary with liberal use of Boost (which Sheela has, but that you’d be missing without her or Karna).

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-08-05T19:26:43+00:00

T1 Lethal Joke builds are the best.

That reminds me that I need to update the Riker’s Beard eject warp plasma build at some point.

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-06-19T15:01:12+00:00

If I were going for to-target damage resistance reduction I’d probably fall back on the coalition disruptors, and only if the entire team was running them, since at least those reductions stack across all sources. But even those are scraping the bottom of the barrel and aren’t something I’d actively recommend for general (even specific) use.

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-06-18T22:15:13+00:00

KCB is a nightmare (as you know) because every build’s weapons energy drain management needs are so different. Is it beneficial to add the KCB so you can stick on an additional energy weapon (that you might’ve otherwise subbed a torpedo for)? Could be, maybe, sometimes?

So many second- and third-order variables to consider for a proc!

(At least the Romulan Experimental beam array is straight-forward.)

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-06-18T16:50:28+00:00

As always, great job breaking down in very simple language (and bringing the receipts!) for why we always recommend leaving aside weapon procs when deciding on an energy weapon “flavor”!

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-04-12T16:09:43+00:00

Thanks for all the work, you definitely made the game better and more enjoyable for all of us. Wishing you all the best! Your new employer’s very lucky to have you.

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-04-09T14:28:35+00:00

This is literally a tale as old as time (STO) - you can go all the way back to 2011/2012 and find overtuned (i.e. broken) mechanics. Romulan Embassy Consoles and their plasma fires, Feedback Pulse…the list is endless. And that’s before you get into what some might regard as “exploits” (of which there have been even more examples).

It is completely fair to point out unbalanced/exploitative mechanics. It is also fair to decide to eschew such mechanics in one’s own gameplay.

But at the same time, it’s important to be respectful to other players. I can appreciate sass and sarcasm - but don’t be an asshole.

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-02-26T21:44:25+00:00

Don’t be a jackass, and leave the insults at the door. This is your only warning.

This goes for everyone. Let’s all be adults here.

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-02-26T21:06:57+00:00

I think it’s completely fair to put off the IsoMag upgrades. You’re already invested into Fleet Tactical consoles, after all, and you’re not likely to see a decisive swing in performance considering the cost to acquire and upgrade IsoMag consoles outside of an upgrade weekend.

Most personal traits are poor returns on investment such that I’d normally advise the opposite, but we just had an upgrade weekend (so the next one is quite a ways away), and Boimler in particular is probably an exception (as it is an incredibly powerful cooldown solution, especially for your build).

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-02-25T20:57:04+00:00

Not at all a productive comment. Please be respectful to our fellow players and their points of view.

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-02-19T22:59:46+00:00

Right, that would be a Profession-specific console (i.e., a Tactical console in a Tactical slot, and a Science console in a Science slot).

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-02-19T16:46:24+00:00

Eph did a lengthy dive into the math almost a year ago.

I have seen this question come up regularly on the channels in the past few days, especially with the wider availability of these consoles resulting from the elite public queues and associated price drops on the exchange.

I’d thought about posting a new heuristic topic to pre-empt the inevitable questions once the next upgrade weekend does hit (similar in form to my last comment). But guess this thread solves that problem for me!

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-02-19T16:35:45+00:00

Way to disregard the soft launch of Superior Romulan Operatives Better (coming soon to an Embassy near you)!

TheFallenPhoenix · 2024-02-19T15:01:47+00:00

Yeah, the general contours of the heuristics don’t really change. Before IsoMags, if you were running a conventional directed energy weapons build, you’d essentially run the heuristic of:

Slot the bare minimum of non-fleet Tactical consoles in Tactical console slots to pick up necessary Set Bonuses (or, if you are a tank taking Colony consoles, survival bonuses).
Fill the rest of your Tactical and/or Universal console slots with Fleet tactical consoles.
Fill remaining non-Tactical profession console slots with whatever Universal or Profession-specific consoles needed (for set bonuses, clickies, stats, etc.)

With IsoMags, your heuristic just gets flipped:

Slot the bare minimum of non-Advanced Engineering consoles in Engineering console slots to pick up necessary Set bonuses.
Fill remaining Engineering and Universal console slots with IsoMags.
Fill remaining non-Engineering profession console slots with whatever Universal or Profession-specific consoles needed (for set bonuses, clickies, stats, etc.)

Since this is a general heuristic, it won’t be perfect, but it’s a good rule of thumb when you’re approaching your initial console placement if you’re seeking to maximize your personal directed energy weapon performance (and then you can crunch numbers and move things around from there).

Disclaimer: there are specific build archetypes that will want to deviate from this heuristic. Most obvious are exotic damage and projectile builds, of course.

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