[Dutt]

I'm making a new ship using beam arrays and spire tac consoles, I'm wondering if there's any prevailing wisdom on getting the most dps. DPS isn't really my priority but obviously I want the most I can get. It's a 4/4 layout and I'm mostly going to use R&D standard orange phasers. Thanks!

[Dark]

For beams, generally if you're using Disruptors then you use +Disruptor locators, and if you're not using Disruptors you use +Beam locators so you can field the Terran Task Force Disruptor Beam Array.

If you're using Phasers then you could just go pure Phasers, as the Prolonged Engagement Phaser Beam Array is the second most powerful individual weapon next to the aforementioned TTFDBA. Plus the Trilithim set is Phaser and rather nice.

In any case, +Phaser and +Beams locators at Epic Mk XIV is +39.4% vs +34.5%, so a difference of 4.9% per console. With 5 consoles that's at +24.5% Cat 1 difference. It's an appreciable if not exceedingly significant difference in the final net DPS.

Oh, unless you have some specific advanced build in mind (which you probably don't since you're asking these questions) then you go with locators, never exploiters.

The ideal weapon crafted mods for a Tac captain is [Dam]x3[Pen], and for everyone else it's [CrtD]x3[Pen]. ([Pen] only comes from crafting.) For non-crafted weapons it'd be [Dam]x4 and [CrtD]x4, respectively. Note that if you're crafting or otherwise acquiring crafted weapons, you only really need to care about the presence or absence of [Pen] since the Re-Engineering system allows us to reroll all the other mods, including the Epic mod (with which we want to reroll to [CrtD/Dam]).

Certainly if you're not gunning for DPS they're not a priority, but personally I really started building and testing DPS with incremental upgrades once I ran out of things to do and things to spend resources on.

[Petrarch]

I'll also pitch in the suggestion of getting the Quantum Phase Convertor from the mission Sunrise, it has an inherent damage boost to phasers (26.3% at Mk XV epic if memory serves me right) so it's a cheap and easy way to squeeze a little extra out of your ship. Combine it with the Quantum Phase Torpedo and you can rip through shields like it's going out of fashion.

[Dutt]

I wasn't playing for some time and missed the weekend event. I have the store available but it doesn't look like I can get the prolonged engagement phaser without weekend event vouchers unless they're tradable somehow I don't see, I could add them later I suppose. I have the quantum phase set already and will be using the 2piece.

My next concern is my power levels, most of my characters have always flown sci and I always lean towards heavy flowcaps but I think I'll have less room for that now and want to keep power elevated with a tac captain and a more tac/engineer oriented ship

[Scarlett]

Great suggestions above!

On power levels, I seen this:

Weapons - 100, period. There is a lot talk about why but simply put it's for damage.

After that you could do what you want for the other systems, yet I've also seen high Aux numbers even for builds that use Aux2Batt. The trick there is having a way to get Aux power back fast. Batteries of course, and having high Power Transfer Rate. I recommend a minimum PTR of 300%, yet got for more if you can.

[Dark]

I wasn't playing for some time and missed the weekend event. I have the store available but it doesn't look like I can get the prolonged engagement phaser without weekend event vouchers unless they're tradable somehow I don't see, I could add them later I suppose. I have the quantum phase set already and will be using the 2piece.

Yeah, just ignore upgrading one weapon until a weekend event swings around again. Nice thing about those is that previously available things can still be purchased with the vouchers.

Don't forget the Trilithium set! Haste bonus with an Omni is sweet.

Can't help you with power stuff, most things that come to mind are super expensive traits.