Crippling Self Doubt

Decisions

I’ve got a confession to make: I have sabotaged my own character progression in STO.

It’s true. One of the main reasons I have two characters stuck at Lt. Commander 6 (level 16!) is because right after I hit that level, I’m overcome with a wave of self-doubt. Have I chosen the right class? The right race? Maybe I want to play a different type of character?

There are four axes my decisions are torn between:

• Gender: male or female? The vast majority of my characters are female, and sometimes I find that peculiar. I think about starting a male alter-ego, but then I remember they’re all ugly – that dumb five o’clock shadow all the males of STO seem to possess doesn’t help matters. Not the biggest kernel of doubt, but it’s there.
• Class: Engineer or Tactical? I love dealing massive damage, but Engineers are wicked survivable and fun. BUT I love my Science bridge officer powers most of all – should I make a Science officer, to benefit from the skill points I’m already investing in that area? And heals are nice!
• Speccing & Ship: Even if I decide on my class, do I want to invest in the Astrophysicist trait? Do I want to fly a Science vessel with beams, or an Escort with cannons?
• Alien vs. Waiting: I want a Cardassian. I’ve wanted one since the game launched. I know they’re coming. They’ve got to, eventually. Why they haven’t come out yet is beyond me. Do I go ahead and make an Cardassian-looking Alien, or do I wait patiently? (Yes, having ‘Cardassian’ as my creature type, rather than ‘Alien’, really does matter to me.)

I think it all comes down to the fact that I’m probably, well-and-truly, a min-maxer. It’s not that I inherently want to be a min-maxer – if anything, I’m drawn toward strange-but-fun character builds (blaster-wielding Jedi in KOTORII, go!) – but what I really want is my character to be efficient, to get the most bang for their buck. Plan on making a Science-oriented character? Well, clearly, I should scrap my other characters and start over with a Joined Trill.

I want everything – I want to deal high damage but be survivable, I want to be able to solo yet be a ‘credit to team.’ And the best way to do that all, I think, is be a well-rounded Engineer.

But I don’t know. Cause being well-rounded means you suck at everything.

What I really want is a Cardassian.