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Star Trek Online

Legacy of Romulus Dev Blog #9

By PWE_BranFlakes | Fri 19 Apr 2013 01:00:05 PM PDT

Romulan Ship Progression

Star Trek Online STO MMORPG F2P Sc-Fi MMO game Legacy of Romulus

In a previous Dev Blog, we discussed the basics of Romulan ships and listed the free Warbirds that are available at each tier of play. Today’s update includes information on some of the other Romulan ships that will be available at the launch of Legacy of Romulus, as well as a primer to various mechanics of Romulan ships.

Any information in this blog represents the current state of our ships, but they are still in a process of testing and iteration. All ship information contained in this blog is subject to change at any time.

Romulan Cloaking

Star Trek Online STO MMORPG F2P Sc-Fi MMO game Legacy of Romulus

Romulans are well-known as being the masters of cloaking technology. All Romulan Warbirds come equipped with a Romulan Battle Cloaking device, allowing them to enter and exit cloaking even while in combat. (Note that not all small craft come with these; see below.)

Additionally, Romulans come with a Subterfuge racial trait. Subterfuge makes their ships harder to detect while cloaked, increases the damage bonus they receive when exiting cloaking, and provides them with a small passive bonus to Defense, allowing them to avoid enemy attacks more easily.

 

Singularity Warp Cores

Star Trek Online STO MMORPG F2P Sc-Fi MMO game Legacy of Romulus
Singularity Warp Core, Engineering Deck, Romulan Ship Interior

Singularity Warp Cores are equipped on all Romulan ships and provide them with powerful, additional Singularity abilities. As a player unlocks higher tier Romulan vessels, they will gain access to more and more Singularity abilities.

Singularity abilities are fueled by Singularity Power. Warbirds will have a Singularity Power gauge with five levels. Using any Singularity ability consumes all remaining Singularity Power, and the effectiveness of the ability used scales based on the amount of power that was consumed. After a Singularity ability is used, your Singularity Power gauge will go offline for limited time before you can begin to recharge your Singularity Power.

More details on the Singularity mechanic are coming in a full blog, but this should provide you with a basic idea of how some of the consoles and abilities described below will work.

 

Small Craft

Like their Starfleet and Klingon Defense Force counterparts, Romulans employ a number of small craft as support for larger vessels, as well as using them for away missions and short-distance exploration. The following small crafts can be flown at all ranks.

Tiercel Shuttle

Star Trek Online STO MMORPG F2P Sc-Fi MMO game Legacy of Romulus
Concept Art

The Tiercel is a standard-issue Romulan shuttle, comparable to Starfleet's Type-8 shuttlecraft. It comes with a levelless Plasma Torpedo Launcher and a levelless Plasma Beam Array with a 360 degree firing arc. It has no Bridge Officer Stations.

It has a small Singularity Warp Core, but it does not have any special Singularity abilities.

Romulan players can obtain a Tiercel Shuttle free of charge.

Kestrel Runabout

Star Trek Online STO MMORPG F2P Sc-Fi MMO game Legacy of Romulus

The Kestrel Runabout is designed for longer-distance missions with a small crew. It’s quick and mobile, but tougher and more dangerous than the Tiercel. It comes with 1 Ensign Bridge Officer station that can be manned by a Bridge Officer of any profession.

It is equipped with a Romulan Cloaking Device. This Cloaking device cannot be engaged while in combat, and your weapon systems and shields are disabled while it is active.

The Kestrel has a small, highly efficient Singularity Warp Core capable of using the Quantum Absorption power to protect the ship.

Like the Tiercel, the Kestrel comes with a levelless Plasma Torpedo Launcher and a levelless Plasma Beam Array with a 360 degree firing arc.

The Kestrel Runabout will be available for purchase with Dilithium from a ship requisition contact at a shipyard.

Scorpion Fighter

Star Trek Online STO MMORPG F2P Sc-Fi MMO game Legacy of Romulus

Initially used as support craft for the Scimitar, Scorpion Fighters are quick and versatile ships with powerful offensive capabilities for a ship of their size. It comes with 1 Ensign Bridge Officer station that can be manned by a Bridge Officer of any profession.

The Scorpion Fighter is equipped with a Romulan Battle Cloaking Device. This Cloaking device can be used in combat, but your weapon systems and shields are disabled while it is active.

It also has a small, highly efficient Singularity Warp Core capable of using the Singularity Overload ability to fire a devastating barrage of attacks.

The Scorpion Fighter comes with a levelless Plasma Torpedo Launcher and levelless Plasma Dual Cannons.

A Scorpion Fighter will be available for purchase in the C-Store. It’s also available for pre-order in the Legacy Pack.

 

Refit Ships

Refitted versions are available in the C-Store for each of the free ship types. When purchasing a Refit version of a ship, a player unlocks the costume for that ship type, and they can use that costume on the Retrofit version of the ship if they also have obtained that ship.

Here’s some basic info on each Refit:

T’varo Light Warbird
Rank Required: Romulan Lieutenant (Tier 1)

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The T'varo Light Warbird is modeled after Warbirds used in the 22nd Century, but updated to modern standards. Like the T'liss Light Warbird, the T'varo is fast, light, and maneuverable.

It is equipped with a Romulan Battle Cloaking Device. This Cloaking device can be used in combat, but your weapon systems and shields are disabled while it is active.

The T'varo Warbird Refit comes with a universal Singularity Stabilizer console. The Singularity Stabilizer will immediately bring an offline Singularity meter back online. In addition, using it provides a gradual boost to Singularity power over the next several seconds. This console can be used on any Romulan Warbird.

The T’varo Light Warbird will be available for purchase in the C-Store. It’s also available for pre-order in the Legacy Pack.

Dhael Warbird
Rank Required: Romulan Centurion (Tier 2)

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Concept Art

The Dhael Warbird is an upgraded version of the Dhelan Warbird. Like the Dhelan, the Dhael offers high mobility and firepower. In addition, it enjoys a single universal Bridge Officer slot for added versatility.

It is equipped with a Romulan Battle Cloaking Device. This Cloaking device can be used in combat, but your weapon systems and shields are disabled while it is active.

The Dhael comes with a universal Singularity Inverter console. This console allows you to use your ship's Singularity to absorb some of the power of incoming directed energy attacks. While active, this decreases the damage you suffer from directed energy and increases your Singularity power level as you take energy damage. This console can be used on any Romulan Warbird.

The Dhael Warbird will be available for purchase in the C-Store. It’s also available for pre-order in the Legacy Pack.

Valdore Heavy Warbird
Rank Required: Romulan Subcommander (Tier 3)

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The Valdore Heavy Warbird is an upgraded Mogai Heavy Warbird.

It takes its name from the I.R.W. Valdore, the powerful vessel utilized by Commander Donatra in the battle against the Scimitar toward the end of the 24th Century. The Valdore played a key role in the engagement, allowing the Romulan forces and their unlikely allies in the U.S.S. Enterprise to triumph in the battle. Like the Mogai, the Valdore has an average turn rate and impulse speed, but carries heavy firepower and has high hull integrity and shields compared to earlier ship classes.

The Valdore Heavy Warbird is equipped with a Romulan Battle Cloaking Device. This Cloaking device can be used in combat, but your weapon systems and shields are disabled while it is active.

This ship comes with a universal Shield Absorptive Frequency Generator console. This Console modulates the EM frequency of all of your energy weapons, sometimes causing your target's shields to "bleed" back via the beam to your ship. When this effect occurs, the console adds shield energy to your shields equal to the damage you dealt to your target with that blast. This console can be used on any Romulan Warbird.

The Valdore Heavy Warbird will be available for purchase in the C-Store. It’s also available for pre-order in the Legacy Pack.

D’ridthau Warbird Battle Cruiser
Rank Required: Romulan Commander (Tier 4)

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The D'ridthau Warbird Battle Cruiser is an upgraded D'deridex Battle Cruiser. The D'ridthau class of ships is named after the I.R.W. D'ridthau, the Romulan flagship during the Battle of Cardassia.

It was the foundation of the Romulan Star Empire's forces in the 24th century. Drastically heavier than the earlier T'liss and Dhelan models, the D'deridex was significantly more resilient and carried firepower comparable to a Federation Galaxy-class ship.

The D'ridthau Warbird Battle Cruiser is equipped with a Romulan Battle Cloaking Device. This Cloaking device can be used in combat, but your weapon systems and shields are disabled while it is active.

This ship comes equipped with a universal Molecular Phase Inverter console. The Molecular Phase Inverter can be activated to shift your ship out of phase for a limited time, drastically increasing its Defense and Damage Resistance and allowing it to pass through other ships. In addition, the ship's turn rate and speed is increased during while this console is active. The ship's Cloaking Device can still be utilized while the Molecular Phase Inverter is active. This console can be used on any Romulan Warbird.

The D’ridthau Warbird Battle Cruser will be available for purchase in the C-Store. It’s also available for pre-order in the Legacy Pack.

 

Retrofit Ships

Retrofit versions of several Warbirds will be in the C-Store at the launch of Legacy of Romulus. Here’s a list of what we plan to have available:

T’varo Light Warbird Retrofit
Rank Required: Subadmiral I (Tier 5)

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The T'varo Light Warbird Retrofit is an upgraded version of the Warbirds used in the 22rd Century. Like the T'liss, the T'varo is fast, light, and maneuverable. .

It is equipped with a Romulan Enhanced Battle Cloaking Device. This allows them to fire projectile weapons and remain cloaked. Directed Energy weapons still cannot be used while cloaked.

The T'varo Light Warbird Retrofit comes with a universal Plasma Destabilizer console. This console allows you to launch a massive slow moving Destabilized Plasma Torpedo. This torpedo can be targeted and attacked, but it is much more resilient than a standard High Yield torpedo. Note that this is a console, not a weapon. This console can only be equipped on the T'varo Light Warbird Retrofit, as well as its the Fleet version (see below) .

Unlike most Retrofit ships, this ship is available at the rank of Subadmiral I.

The T’varo Light Warbird Retrofit will be available for purchase in the C-Store. It’s also available for pre-order in the Legacy Pack.

Dhelan Warbird Retrofit
Rank Required: Subadmiral I (Tier 5)

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The Dhelan Warbird Retrofit is an upgraded version of the Dhelan Warbird.

It is equipped with a Romulan Battle Cloaking Device. This Cloaking device can be used in combat, but your weapon systems and shields are disabled while it is active.

The Dhelan Warbird Retrofit comes with a universal Sabotage Probe console. This allows you to launch a Sabotage Probe at your current target which penetrates their shields and latches onto their outer hull. While attached, it immediately begins siphoning off Weapon Subsystem Power until it eventually takes the enemy's weapons offline, while simultaneously interfering with EPS Transfer circuits. Energy siphoned in this manner is converted into Electrical Discharges which will periodically damage nearby allies of the sabotaged target. At any time while the Probe is attached, the owner of the Probe may choose to activate its self-destruct sequence, causing Kinetic damage to the sabotaged target and any foes within a 1.0km radius. A hostile Sabotage Probe can also be removed from your hull using Engineering Team, but doing so will also cause the Self-Destruct sequence to activate. This console can only be equipped on the Dhelan Warbird Retrofit, as well as its the Fleet version (see below).

Unlike most Retrofit ships, this ship is available at the rank of Subadmiral I.

The Dhelan Warbird Retrofit will be available for purchase in the C-Store. It’s also available for pre-order in the Legacy Pack.

Mogai Heavy Warbird Retrofit
Rank Required: Vice Admiral (Tier 5)

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The Mogai Heavy Warbird Retrofit is an upgraded Mogai Heavy Warbird.

It is equipped with a Romulan Battle Cloaking Device. This Cloaking device can be used in combat, but your weapon systems and shields are disabled while it is active.

The Mogai Heavy Warbird retrofit comes with a universal Ionized Particle Beam console. This Console empowers all of your energy weapons with a negative Ion charge which can linger on your target, exposing them to a powerful Ionized Particle Stream generated by your ship's particle generators.

Activating this console will generate a massive positive Ion charge from your own ship's main deflector dish, causing a lash of Ionized particles to strike out at your target. If your target has been exposed by a negative Ion charge from your ship or an ally with the same console, this attack will be much more effective and will also disable the engines of all ships in a line between you and your target. This console can only be equipped on the Mogai Heavy Warbird Retrofit, as well as its the Fleet version (see below).

The Mogai Heavy Warbird Retrofit will be available for purchase in the C-Store. It’s also available for pre-order in the Legacy Pack.

D’deridex Warbird Battle Cruiser Retrofit
Rank Required: Vice Admiral (Tier 5)

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The D'deridex Warbird Battle Cruiser Retrofit is an upgraded D'deridex Battle Cruiser.

It is equipped with a Romulan Battle Cloaking Device. This Cloaking device can be used in combat, but your weapon systems and shields are disabled while it is active.

The D'deridex Warbird Battle Cruiser Retrofit comes with a universal Projected Singularity console. This Console allows you to channel your Singularity Core into a mobile rip in the space-time continuum. This singularity rupture will travel approximately 8km in front of your ship, dragging nearby foes along in its wake, before imploding. This console can only be equipped on the D'deridex Warbird Battle Cruiser Retrofit, as well as its the Fleet version (see below).

When this implosion occurs, any nearby enemy targets will suffer significant damage.

The D’deridex Warbird Battle Cruiser Retrofit will be available for purchase in the C-Store. It’s also available for pre-order in the Legacy Pack.

 

Console Set Bonuses

Players who use the consoles from both the Refit and Retrofit versions of the ship – for example, the Valdore’s Shield Absorptive Frequency Generator and the Mogai Retrofit’s Ionized Particle Beam – will benefit from a set bonus for having both consoles equipped. Pick up a Legacy Pack for a great deal that packages the Refits and Retrofits together. 

 

Fleet Ships

Romulan Captains with a sufficiently leveled Starbase can gain access to Fleet Retrofit versions of each Warbird type. These ships have increased Hull and Shield Health, as well as an extra Console slot, but do not come with the Consoles that come with the Retrofit versions of the ships. Fleet versions of every Warbird type will be available at the launch of Legacy of Romulus. The tier for unlocking these ships can be found in the ship progression chart below. Also, if you own the Retrofit version of a ship, you'll get a Fleet Ship Module discount when buying the Fleet version, similar to existing ships.

 

Allied Ships (Updated!)

When a Romulan Captain chooses to ally with the Federation or the Klingon Defense Force, they gain access to a limited number of their ally’s ships. Romulan Captains can obtain Tier 1 through Tier 4 allied ships for Dilithium or in the C-Store, depending on the specific ship. Romulan Captains cannot command, nor purchase/ claim, Tier 5 (Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Brigadier General, or Lieutenant General) ships from the faction that they have allied with.

 

Lock Box and Lobi Store Ships

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Romulan Captains can use any Lock Box or Lobi store ships that can be used by both the Federation and the Klingon Defense Force, such as the Jem’Hadar Dreadnought Carrier and Tholian Orb Weaver, for example. In addition, they can use any Romulan-specific ships that we add to Lock Boxes or the Lobi Store at a later time.

They cannot use Mirror Universe versions of Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Brigadier General, or Lieutenant General tier ships from the faction that they have allied with. Similarly, they cannot use faction-specific Temporal Ships, such as the Mobius; however, they are capable of using their ally’s Temporal Shuttles, however.

Romulan Captains who open a lock box and receive a reward box containing a ship they cannot use will be unable to open the box, but will be able to trade the box or put it on the exchange.

Romulan Captains will be unable to open lock boxes until they have chosen an allied faction.

 

1000-Day Veteran Ship

At launch, Romulans will not have a 1000-day Veteran ship available. We are planning to address this as soon as possible.

 

Ship Progression

The chart below summarizes the ships available at each tier and how they can be obtained.

Star Trek Online STO MMORPG F2P Sc-Fi MMO game Legacy of Romulus

*Fleet Ships are purchased differently from standard C-Store vessels. Fleet Ships cost both Fleet Credits and Fleet Modules to purchase. The number of Fleet Modules required to purchase varies depending on which other ships you already own. Fleet Modules can be purchased in the C-Store. To purchase a Fleet Ship, you must unlock the appropriate level in your Starbase. A full dev blog on Fleet Ships in general can be found here.

**The Ha’apax Advanced Warbird Refit is a version of the Ha’apax that uses Bridge Officer Seating with a Science focus.

As a reminder, all of the information in this blog is subject to change at any time.

More information on upcoming ships, including detailed stats, will be available closer to launch. Keep your eyes on our website for more details. See you in-game!

Andrew "ArchonCryptic" Rowe
Systems Designer
Star Trek Online

 

Legacy of Romulus News Dev Blog Index

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