Hey everyone!
So I had this idea, not to put points in weapon talents and rely solely on powers for a new ME1 engineer character. Will it be possible to have cooldowns similar to ME2-3 and have your damage output based on them?
The build is this: Calculator link. Recharge is boosted by Decryption and Operative talents.
I will also use two Kinetic Buffers VII (+16% power cooldown each) and Savant X/Nexus X Omni-Tool.
Power damage is boosted by Decryption, Operative skills and Spectre training.
I would drop at least 3 points out of Sabotage to at least get Basic Marksman, because goodness knows trying to get your squadmates to actually kill anything in ME1 can be difficult. Tech damage is kind of pitiful unless you are on a very low difficulty like Casual, so maxing Sabotage is not really all that worth it.
If you plan on getting a Savant X Omni Tool, then you should be able to get Medical Exoskeleton X armor mods which provide better cooldown bonuses than Kinetic Buffer mods (+21% cooldown or something like that?). You can get your cooldowns pretty low, something like 6 - 10 seconds or thereabouts with max cooldowns. I don't know the actual calculations, but they are pretty short by ME1 standards.
So I won't be able to kill targets only via repeated application of Sabotage and Damping (assuming they don't use Immunity)? I play on Insanity.
I will probably take Kaidan and Wrex with me, so the biotics will also come into play.
Great point about Medical Exoskeleton, forgot it boosted cooldowns as well 
I played an engineer with assault rifle bonus power maxed.
You don't need to max out decryption and electronics. It's nice, but those 6 points are better spent elsewhere imo.
Hmm.. turned out I did max out decryption. Btw, only Femshep I've ever done.
How much did you shoot your weapon? I want this build to be greatly reliant on powers and use weapons rarely, only when pressed. You think that's possible?
Each point in Decryption adds more damage to the tech explosions and each point in Electronics gives more shields to Shepard. That's why I have them maxed out.
P.S. How did you get that many points in both Renegade and Paragon?
In ME1 I don't think that's possible. Weapon damage is a large part of the damage you do.
Extra shields aren't necessary imo, high level armors provide you with so much shields and damage reduction already.
And I got that many points because I do almost every mission. Screenshot is from before the council decision, I ended up with a full renegade bar I think. I end up with mostly filled bars all the time 
Screenshot is from well before Ilos, even had to do BDtS still.
Screenshot is from well before Ilos,even before Feros
My Renegade bar never gets that high (it got once on a Renegade character but in that playthrough Paragon stayed low). And I do all the missions, even scanning asteroid belts for collectibles!
My Renegade bar never gets that high (it got once on a Renegade character but in that playthrough Paragon stayed low). And I do all the missions, even scanning asteroid belts for collectibles!
The thing is that there are a lot a 'free' paragon points in the game.
Finishing Noveria quarantine: +24 (irrelevant of saving the Queen or not)
Saving the colonists: +32 (I realize this is optional, you could also get 32 renegade... never done this though)
Killing the Thorian: +8
Doing the Feros colony quests: +32
Aiding Kirrahe: +20
That alone adds up to 116 Paragon points, which is about 1/3 (!!!) of a full paragon par.
Add to that the massive points you get for persuading Anoleis (+24 paragon/+25 renegade) and things like rejecting Helena Blake at first (+8 paragon) but still being able to do the mission and end it renegade, you have lots of 'free space' to pick a renegade option here and there without jeopardizing your Paragon run (if you're on one).
Persuading Saren on the Citadel also adds massive points (+24 paragon/+25 renegade).
It should be obvious from this btw why Intimade yields more renegade points than Charm yields paragon points.
Most of the actual damage you do in ME1 is weapon damage. It doesn't matter what powers since nearly all of them are CC. Granted, Tech powers do a little more direct damage than most biotics, although biotics have a chance to instakill on some maps.
Personally I would not skip weapon talents completely, especially on Insanity. That seems like a sure fire way to make the fights even more tedious than they are to begin with.
Typically I also don't max a talent past the Master unlock. The benefits are marginal.
The talent probably most worth completely skipping on an Engineer is Basic Armor.
The talent you can get away with the least direct investment is Medicine (1pt NS is very good). But you need some First Aid to unlock it.
I also haven't taken Spectre Training past basic Unity in a long time.
Most of the actual damage you do in ME1 is weapon damage. It doesn't matter what powers since nearly all of them are CC. Granted, Tech powers do a little more direct damage than most biotics, although biotics have a chance to instakill on some maps.
Personally I would not skip weapon talents completely, especially on Insanity. That seems like a sure fire way to make the fights even more tedious than they are to begin with.
Typically I also don't max a talent past the Master unlock. The benefits are marginal.
The talent probably most worth completely skipping on an Engineer is Basic Armor.
The talent you can get away with the least direct investment is Medicine (1pt NS is very good). But you need some First Aid to unlock it.
I also haven't taken Spectre Training past basic Unity in a long time.
Is Neural Shock's toxic damage augmented by tech explosion damage bonuses from Operative and Spectre Training?
Is Neural Shock's toxic damage augmented by tech explosion damage bonuses from Operative and Spectre Training?
If you are talking generic tech bonuses, I don't think so. I think the whole First Aid and Medicine talents are their own set.
I think it should gain the bonus from Overload's Damage Taken effect, but I am not sure. I mainly use it to knock down an organic. It works on any level organic with just 1 point.
So, I'm looking at numbers for power damage and see this
Master Overload - 150 damage in 10m radius, 30% vulnerability to damage for 10 seconds
Master Sabotage - 150 damage in 10m radius + 4 DPS for 25 seconds
Master Damping - 100 damage in 10m radius, stun for 3 seconds
Operative last rank - boosts Sabotage radius by 2m, damage by 50, DPS by 1, duration by 5 seconds
Thus: Master Sabotage - 200 damage in 12m radius + 5 DPS for 30 seconds
Spectre Training rank 9 - Increases the damage and duration of all powers by 5%
In the end:
Master Overload - 157.5 damage in 10m radius, 30% vulnerability to damage for 10 seconds
Master Sabotage - 210 damage in 12m radius + 5 DPS for 31.5 seconds
Master Damping - 105 damage in 10m radius, stun for 3 seconds
Using Overload first
Immediate damage:
157.5 + 210*1.3 + 105*1.3 = 567
Damage over time:
6.5 for 31.5 seconds = 204,75
Considering RedCaesar97's numbers about recharge speed I will be able to deal 567 damage every 6-10 seconds and have DPS from Sabotage added to that.
Edit: As a comparison, HMWSR Master Sniper Rifle X deals 336 damage per shot, 756 with Master Assassination.
That seems quite a lot, considering I also have squadmates dealing damage. What do you think?
My question then becomes, how much HP and Shields to targets have on Insanity at level whatever (I am fairly confident they gain HP by level, but I could be wrong). Without that context, it is hard to tell how good those damage numbers are. IIRC damage numbers for all the weapons are listed as DPS, so that might give you some sort of comparison.
Just going by the eye test, Master Sabotage doesn't usually kill targets unless they have fairly low health. Also a confounding factor is the tendency of organics to engage Immunity so that they take hardly any damage without a lot of debuff stacking.
Well, Immunity kinda renders weapons pointless too. They can take shots from Mako with Immunity.
IIRC damage numbers for all the weapons are listed as DPS, so that might give you some sort of comparison.
That's why I picked sniper rifles for comparison, they act similar to powers in terms of doing large amount of damage in one shot/cast.
I certainly remember killing geth troopers with one Sabotage, even on Level 1 it quite damages them.
It will make killing targets somewhat slower but a lot safer, since enemies won't be able to use weapons, tech or biotic attacks and will be stunned.
A question, is Shield Boost a tech power? Enemies tend to cast it right after Overload, bringing their shields back and greatly reducing power damage.
A question, is Shield Boost a tech power? Enemies tend to cast it right after Overload, bringing their shields back and greatly reducing power damage.
Shield Boost is a tech power. You can notice your own shield boost going on cooldown if an enemy dampens you.
Shield Boost is a tech power. You can notice your own shield boost going on cooldown if an enemy dampens you.
Thanks! It means the best strategy will be Overload->Damping->Sabotage.
Hmmm I don't recall Sabotage killing full HP Geth outright, although could just be memory. I might play some more tonight, I am a level 30 something Engineer, and I have Sabotage and Overload maxed to Master. Geth do tend to die faster than organics, so maybe they have less HP, I don't know.
I do think they have less HP. I used Overload->Sabotage that time. Simple Sabotage barely damages their shields but it works much better on health.
Both Operative, Spectre Training and points in Decryption raise the damage of the Sabotage (the last point in Operative is the most noticeable)
Yes I have maxed Operative. I am leveling a bit different this time though and have taken Spectre to the advanaced Unity. I haven't put any points in Basic Armor yet so no shield boost for me. I should probably max Marksman though and increase Damping (just have Basic).
I certainly remember killing geth troopers with one Sabotage, even on Level 1 it quite damages them.
On Insanity? No way.
On Insanity? No way.
I should test it, been a long time since I played ME1
I only played side missions last night. I am up to Level 40 and Master Sabotage doesn't do a whole lot of damage vs organics. Overload of course is good for shield damage and the debuff. So putting them together works well. I might make it to Noveria today if I play.
Also was a little off on my build above, I didn't actually get Advanced Unity, I leveled Spectre up to right below it. Haven't decided to go higher or not. I might though because I haven't decided if I will buy a Spectre AR or not. I did start the game with a Spectre pistol (after exploiting Dr Michel...), but didn't buy any more for the squad or myself. Semi decent ones start dropping around 35 or so (Armax, Rosenkov, Kassa), although the accuracy is still low compared to a Spectre.
I think it is unusual shield boost is a tech power given that every class has access to it. Ah well. I got back to the point in the game where sniper shots are guaranteed kills on my Engineer sadly, I had a section where I would barely survive with my Mantis armor and health and shield upgrades. I managed to double the number of times I have been sniped on this run last night. Part of it was trying a new strategy at the end of Espionage Probe that wasn't working that great.
I only played side missions last night. I am up to Level 40 and Master Sabotage doesn't do a whole lot of damage vs organics. Overload of course is good for shield damage and the debuff. So putting them together works well. I might make it to Noveria today if I play.
Also was a little off on my build above, I didn't actually get Advanced Unity, I leveled Spectre up to right below it. Haven't decided to go higher or not. I might though because I haven't decided if I will buy a Spectre AR or not. I did start the game with a Spectre pistol (after exploiting Dr Michel...), but didn't buy any more for the squad or myself. Semi decent ones start dropping around 35 or so (Armax, Rosenkov, Kassa), although the accuracy is still low compared to a Spectre.
I think it is unusual shield boost is a tech power given that every class has access to it. Ah well. I got back to the point in the game where sniper shots are guaranteed kills on my Engineer sadly, I had a section where I would barely survive with my Mantis armor and health and shield upgrades. I managed to double the number of times I have been sniped on this run last night. Part of it was trying a new strategy at the end of Espionage Probe that wasn't working that great.
I'm going to use Striker pistol - Predator in ME1 (same manufacturer and looks)
Snipers are always a pain in the a**. I prefer to break away from the combat entirely when I see that laser - get behind some cover and wait until they shoot. And yes, that Espionage Probe mission ending is quite hard. One of the toughest CQ fights in the game, along with those mercenary base fights (Helena Blake's missions) and rachni caves with Brooders
I'm going to use Striker pistol - Predator in ME1 (same manufacturer and looks)
Snipers are always a pain in the a**. I prefer to break away from the combat entirely when I see that laser - get behind some cover and wait until they shoot. And yes, that Espionage Probe mission ending is quite hard. One of the toughest CQ fights in the game, along with those mercenary base fights (Helena Blake's missions) and rachni caves with Brooders
It's actually pretty simple if you do it how I normally do it, which is camp on the cliff.
The other thing I have been doing this game is using Ash or Wrex as a decoy. On Asari Diplomacy I did that when I just had Onyx IV. I took out two towers near the side with the down slope, then drove Mako behind the structure, and use my decoy strat. Just hit Immunity and then a move order on Ash and / or Wrex out in the open. Sniper shoots them, does nearly nothing, then I walk out and Marksman them
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