The existing Pilot Secondary Specialization has been very well-received since the launch of Delta Rising. Its focus on allowing players to push the upper limits of their starships’ maneuverability, and the addition of fun and exciting abilities like “Rock and Roll,” have increased the enjoyment of piloting even the least-nimble cruiser through the stars.

And so, it is a great pleasure to announce that with the launch of Season 10, the Pilot Specialization will be expanded into a Primary Specialization.

Changing How Specializations Are Defined

When the Captain Specialization System first rolled out, we clearly defined the difference between a Primary and Secondary Specialization. We envisioned the Secondary Specialization filling an ancillary role that would never be the central focus of how you play your Captain. They were also each focused on a single region of gameplay - Ground or Space.

But that design philosophy will be changing with the expansion of Pilot into a Primary Specialization.

First, the expansion of Pilot into a Primary Specialization illustrates that a Primary Specialization need not cater to both Space and Ground regions simultaneously. Pilot abilities, even after gaining Tier 3 and Tier 4 in the Specialization, will still only come into play while in Space. Future Primary Specializations may likewise be built around reinforcing only a single region of gameplay, or both, as is appropriate for whatever Specialization we introduce.

Additionally, we will from now on be allowing any Primary Specialization to be slotted as a Secondary, for the purposes of choosing which abilities are active. This includes the existing Intelligence Officer and Command Officer Specializations. When a Primary Specialization is slotted as Secondary, you will gain the full benefits of any abilities you have purchased from Tier 1 and Tier 2.

Existing Features of the Pilot Specialization

Players will probably be relieved to hear that nothing they have already earned within the Pilot Specialization will be undergoing radical changes. All abilities purchased within this Specialization will remain purchased when the Specialization is expanded, and none of the existing abilities will be changing position or function in any significant manner.

Although some will be improved!

Since there will be 15 additional abilities to purchase within the Pilot Specialization, the existing Scaling Passive can be enhanced even further than its current maximum benefit. There will also be an improved version of the Starship Trait “Pedal to the Metal” made available for Captains that purchase all 30 abilities in the newly-expanded Specialization.

New Features of the Pilot Specialization

Here is a sampling of some of the new Abilities you can earn by advancing into Tier 3 and Tier 4 of the Pilot Primary Specialization.

 

Turn the Other Cheek
Taking damage on any Shield Facing applies +5%-20% Shield Hardness to opposite facing.

 

 

Thick of It
Having “Turn the Other Cheek” active on all four facings simultaneously grants you 2sec of Damage Immunity. (Max once per 30sec)

 

 

Danger Zone
For each Foe within 2km, gain a 2% Damage Bonus. Stacks up to 10 times.

 

 

Wing Man
“Danger Zone” now also counts Friends within 2km.

 

 

Scratch the Paint
You are immune to the damage caused by a Warp Core Breach (max once per 60sec)

 

 

Bob and Weave
Each time you are missed, gain 1x stack of “Bob and Weave.” Stacks up to 10 times.
Each stack increases Critical Severity by 5%. All stacks are removed on a successful Critical Hit.

 

 

Shield Scraping
Passive PBAoE Shield Drain, 1km Radius. Instantly drain a moderate amount of Shields from any target you ‘scrape’ against, and leave behind a Shield Hardness Debuff. Both the amount of Drain and the severity of the Debuff are higher based on your Throttle % at the time of impact.

 

Additional abilities can be unlocked, as well as additional ranks of some of the above.

Bridge Officer Specialization

As with other existing Primary Specializations, spending at least 10 points in the Pilot Captain Specialization will unlock the option of creating Specialization Qualification items that can be used to add the Pilot Specialization to any Bridge Officer in the game.

Details on the new Pilot Bridge Officer Specialization, including the full range of their new Bridge Officer Abilities, will be included in a future Dev Blog.

** All of the above details, especially those listed for Abilities, are subject to change prior to launch.

Jeremy “BorticusCryptic” Randall
Systems Designer
Star Trek Online

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