U.S.S. Viviane

Verne Temporal Science Vessel


Released: 2024 - 04

Build Overview and Focus

Long heralded as the best exotic platform available, this ship lives up to its reputation. I finally caved and used my Campaign three event box on this ship (the first one...yes it took me 3 years to decide). This ship is very easy to fly, which might be a reason why it's gotten the reputation, but the other would be the only Tier six starship with a commander science temporal seat and the option to slot 3 lieutenant commander science or temporal powers, and has no forced tactical seating.

This set of characteristics puts it as one of the most versatile science ships to use for any series of exotic build you might want to make. The Lt./Lt.C universal seats means that if you wanted to go heavy into tactical powers and do a DEWSci setup you can, or go heavier on engineering powers for durability.

One of the most commonly recognized builds for this ship, since it was altered to have a commander primary specialization, has been the DPS-Leagues "Science Ships in the Current Century" guide. My build here varies from that in both time and usage as many items have seen addition to the sandbox.

Build Purpose and Scope

As with most meta-defined science ships, this one is entirely about exotic damage. No fluff, nothing special, no tricks, just exotic damage. In review, this ended up being a near carbon copy of EPHs on Dranuur, and while he has a much longer stick time on that platform, I was able to reach the same performance metrics without nearly as much. In time should I continue to fly this ship in this configuration (which I likely will), I expect it to perform better than I've been able to do here as I adjust to the correct ability timing and 'floatyness' of the ship; compared to my standard fair of science ship this is way more agile.

Advanced Science Console - Exotic Particle Amplifier 

EPH has a very nice analysis of exotic console breakdowns, given this is what I would call his area-of-expertise in ship building (and helping derive the thing in the first place), I think of no one else who would be better suited to answer the question, and yes these are valuable, impactful, and important consoles. My builds use them often where I can, usually as a stat stick but nearly always as the EPG type.

The TL;DR of it is that because they scale everything up based on the EPG, you need a large amount to make them scale well. At a resting 407 EPG this build more than falls into the category and even work out better than the Exotic Particle Field Exciter with EPG.

Enforced Timeline Primacy

From the recently released Augur Temporal Science Vessel, the Enforced Timeline Primacy console has a few notable interest, most particularly is the passive which beyond the +20.1 EPG and +5.3 Aux power, also adds a unique option to hold the game to the laws of physics, giving Entropy the ability to jump to other targets on death. This is a huge QOL improvement to using temporal powers and actually means that you can reliably use builders / consumers.

The active on this console is also notable. This essentially grants you a temporary Inhibiting Secondary Deflector for 30s. The trick is to use the console before you use any powers, otherwise it won't apply the radiation damage.

Namesake

Lady of the Lake, of the many names she is known by, Viviane is of particular is french origin in the story.

Meta Analysis

Budget Analysis

Change History

Build Breakdown

Full on exotic build here, full points in exotics with the rest in projectile, hangers, survivability and agility as needed.

Skills

Skill Unlocks

Notes

Jayiie's Skill tree has been optimized to be used on as many build types as possible. As such there are some questions that naturally arise when talking about it. I will try to capture these discussions as succinctly as possible here.

Tactical ultimate and Exotic Builds

The tactical ultimate does basically nothing for the majority of the damage on this build. However this is a skill tree that is still designed to run things like the Inquiry and Verity, so I do still have this. A more optimized tree would look something like EPHs tree he uses on exotics. The core skill selections are still there.

Hull Restoration vs Hull Capacity

This is very simple, while also not. Given the choice between a Improved Hull Capacity (+25.5%) and Hull restoration (+25%) against Advanced Hull capacity (+30%), I personally prefer to take the former, splitting the point difference. Since my character is an engineer, this 25% Hull restoration actually has some very useful applications through Miraculous repairs.

As well by taking some extra points into engineering, this has allowed me to take the 10th Engineering Unlock skill which adds +10 Hull Capacity, which is comparable to the +15 taken from the last point of Hull restoration. Due to how the skill works this is a +3.3% Max Hull vs 4.95% Max Hull buff respectively.

EPG vs Control Amplification, DrainX and CtrlX

This time around I've opted to put more points into CtrlX and EPG while taking Control Amplification, and instead dropping points from DrainX. If this wasn't on an engineering captain I wouldn't consider this a loss. However both Nadion Inversion and Intrusive Energy Redirection both scale with DrainX and are innate captain abilities, thus wanting for the skill.

Aux Power

Optimizing to hit 130 Aux power has been challenging. To do this I required Defensive Subsystem turning for the +4.8 Power to Aux. Combining this with the passive on most science ships as well as the Neutronic Eddies has allowed 130 to be hit passively. This has then allowed me to drop EPS Manifold Efficiency freeing up a 10th starship trait. On other builds this has the effect of allowing more aux power for more damage / better scaling on various powers.

Shield Regeneration

This is still a tank first skill tree. Shield regeneration is statically anomaly and adds a huge amount to shield regen in just the first point (more Information on shields can be found here). As such, I have taken the single point. with the most recent tree revision I've opted to spec out of DrainX and Drain Infection for that last point in EPG. Should you want to not take shield regeneration I would suggest the next DrainX point.

Build

Starship Weapons

Notes

As of right now I'm not amazing at getting much out of the mines on this ship. I mostly just let them go and do their thing, relocating them to big targets to build up stacks of Resonating Payload Modification. It is worth mentioning these are currently broken as Resonating can break the 5 max stack limit with mines. This has been the case for years (basically since the traits were released). I don't enjoy taking advantage of these but considering they've been in the game for several years now I think its fair game to use them here.

An interesting thing that could also be considered is the lobi pairing to the Delphic torp, the Dual Overcharged Delphic Antiproton Beam Bank. This would fill the set bonus on the delphic torp for the 2pc which grants +1.25% CrtH and +12.5% CrtD. Is this worth it compared to the 25% CrtD from the Lorca 2pc....I'm not sure. However it would also get around the issue where the Wide Angle Dual Beam bank is currently incorrectly applying a +20% bonus all damage (from the ramping proc; its listed as only granting to the beam but is in fact applying to everything).

Starship Equipment

Starship Consoles

For those without the Hysperian or Terran Sommerville, look to here for some alternatives and rankings.

Set Bonuses

Meta-Focused Tweaks:

With some of my saved (read hoarded) stuff finally selling last year I saw a plethora of extra EC I could throw at some wishlist items. Namely for this build the Maquis Raider for the Plasma storm module. I have avoided thinking about this in the past due to the visual of the console however with the introduction of VERTIGO that particular downside has faded and finally made me pull the trigger on picking this up. This only leaves the potential of the last bit in the Interphase Quantum Distributor, however at this time I think this would be more of a slide grade than a necessary pickup (and I don't want to open boxes for EC just for that).

Budget Tweaks:

This ship is incredibly expensive. As such there is a multitude of budget oriented options to take.

Bridge Officers

Meta-Focused Tweaks:

I did pick up a Delayed Overload Cascade 3, I must say I was unimpressed. Either the power triggered later than I wanted it too and did nothing, or it flung stuff into the aether and ruined runs. I have been tempted to use it on this build since it has a lower control rating than the Annorax but my experience there taught me that something more consistent would be better than something more spiky for day to day use. This is a meta pick and would probably give more damage however my personal performance improved when not using it so...take that as you will.

Traits

Personal Traits

Meta-Focused Tweaks:

Obviously building on an engineer was "my first mistake"...I just like the engineering playstyle (also EPS power transfer is really good). I have thought about using Intelligence Agent Attaché on this to get that power back faster, but it would have to displace something here. In the future if I solve the Aux power problem I mentioned in my skill tree I might be able to remove EPS Manifold Efficiency. Tactical Captains as always get A good day to die with science captains having Conservation of Energy. Additionally, since this is an engineer it might be interesting to use EPS Overload as the primary subsystem is aux power so this would also grant +20% CrtD.

Budget Tweaks:

Despite being one of the first people to tackle exotic math way back when the S12 and S13 changes, I am a rather dunce when it comes to the total build space. Exotics Basics might be the best place to start.

Bug notes:

As it stands, Feel the Weight of Our Presence and Resonating Payload Modification both have broken interactions with mines. For the sake of transparency I will explain on them here.

FEEL THE WEIGHT OF OUR PRESENCE: Despite explicitly listing mines as not counting for the stacking -0.5, they do. This means that I can routinely apply anywhere from -20 to -25 to targets by myself in any engagement

RESONATING PAYLOAD MODIFICATION: I suspect largely due to how mines work that these are counting as seperate entities to the player (also would explain FTWOOP) and therefore are applying stacks to targets independent of the stack counter of the player. This can cause it to exceed the 5 max stack per person limit very easy.

Feel the weight is better left to running on a support, but it can be run on the primary DPS captain.

Starship Traits

Meta-Focused Tweaks:

Of the ones not listed, Kick them When Their Down is probably the best one to put in here, displacing...something, maybe Exotic Modulation. This grants up to 25% CrtH vs Exotic Modulations +20% Cat2. However with Universal Designs I'm not overly capped on CrtH...I also don't have the trait to slot there instead. By the Book makes its debut appearance on my builds, it's an interesting (not bad or good, just interesting) change to playing compared to energy builds where you use abilities as soon as off cooldown. Definitely something to learn how to do better.

Budget Tweaks:

Again, a bit of a dunce on this knowledge base. Some that I know off hand:

If you have the Augur, you can sub in Temporal Investigator as needed. It's not a good enough trait to subvert the meta but it's interesting enough on this build to warrent consideration in the budget space.

Reputation Traits

Active Reputation

Duty Officers

Meta-Focused Tweaks:

In an ideal world I would shell out and get myself a 32 of 47 Liberated Borg Duty officer for Exotic Damage increase and 20% CrtD, but its again hardly needed. I have been using the 31 of 47 here with good enough results

Budget Tweaks:

Most of these are really easy to get. Sub in Projectile weapon officer for cooldowns or whatever suits your fancy if you don't want the +CrtD/CrtH ones.

Miscellaneous

Ship Stats

Keybinds 

This method has been inherited from the Annorax, so fundamentally stems from my learning experience there.

Top Row - These are my BOff ability's anomalies, shorter cooldown and tend to be more used. Again I click my powers rather than spam them. For my current rotation for maximum spike damage,  I use them in order from left to right:

Middle Row - These are my consoles, longer cooldowns and tend to be less frequent and need better timing. I've put these on shift+num up to 5 so I can used them easier with WASD.

Bottom Row - these are fast rotations. Best used to get triggers when needed.

Parse Breakdown

ISE Record Damage Breakdown

Portability

 The most direct build this can port too is the Dranuur Science Vessel, which can be seen here as EPHs build.

Other ships worth mentioning: