Few questions that guides didn't answer

[They Live]

Hi there, i play soldak games since din's curse but never registered to the forum.
Recently i bought (for the second time cause i lost the activation code of my older copy) drox operative - AND zombasite but let's go back to the topic - but i can't remember some mechanics, stats distribution expecially. It's been some years ago after all...

To make it short, like often if not always happen with soldak titles, classes grant passive bonus linked to stats and drox isn't an exception, utopian ships boosts your computers stat attack rate , cortex eingeneering and computers etc..
Due the huge variety of components i find myself spending points outside my "spec", because i need some helm for that cool new engine, or tactics for fusion beam or whatever : Should i just try to spend points focusing on my mayn stat and just rely on gear and crew stats boosters (late game wise)? Or spreading stats a little bit is alright?

Teach me how to use the force.

Cheers everybody and soldak for delivering such fun games.

[Razuli]

You'll certainly want to do both. Early on you'll need a little bit of everything so you can equip everything you need. Keep every crew member and crew components (the medium slot stat boosters) you find. When I play I reserve the first 4 slots of my main cargo bay for consumables and fill out the rest of the main cargo bay with crew, while I keep crew components in my ship stash.
You only need to equip them in 3 circumstances:
1.When you need to equip an item you do not have the base stats for. Most items will still function even if you lose the required stats after it is equipped.
2. You'll need to level up your crew to keep them relevant. You level them by killing enemies while they are equipped (they do not get experience from completing quests).
3.When you don't have the base stats to use an item that has to be activated (things like weapons, computer active boosts, etc.). Any item that requires you to press a button to use it requires you have the minimum stat to use it.You typically won't be doing this until late game when you can afford to start dumping all of your stats into command.

Other advice I can give is do not worry about always equipping the best weapons. It's often better to not continuously upgrade because the energy usage of new weapons quickly outstrips your ability to restore/maintain your energy pool. That said do not let it fall behind or you won't kill anything either.

Hope this helps.

[Cyberneticist]

Are there any guides that go into more details? I usually seem to hit a dead end early (~lv 25), probably because I'm distributing my stat points wrong (mostly into upgrading the ship type).

[Razuli]

It's difficult to say specifically how you'd need to spread your stats out as it varies heavily with what your ship's build and race is. I have some general tips though.
1.)Anytime you level up in a sector that has the same race as your ship, you will get a crew member instead of a random item. Crew members typically have strong stat boosts in areas their race ships are strong in (Utopians and Computers, Drakk and Helm etc.). You don't necessarily need to put as many points into your ship's primary stat as you get a little every time you upgrade via command and your crew you obtain from leveling will have a lot of it as well.
2.)Drakk's service (found when buying/selling things with drakk) gives you a quest to go kill a boss and always rewards with a drakk crew member. This means unless you are making a stealth ship you shouldn't need to put too many points into helm.
3.)As I said above you do not necessarily need to always use the best stuff you find right away. Often times you find items that are only marginally better but would require you to put 4-5 points in a stat (so a whole level of stats to use) to equip.
4.)Use the race services. If you don't like your build, Cortex can return any spent stat points except those spent in command. Lithsoid increase the durability of items, which is especially important on armor as you can increase a single piece of armors effectiveness by around 200% using this service. Scavenger can help you get better components but can also help you find chips easier to up grade items which combos well with Utopians who can give you additional chip slots. Another important one is fringe which reduces the power requirement of specific stuff in your ship so you don't need as many reactors.
5.)Use resistance items, they are great. The two most important resistances are Thermal and Explosive, as these are the most common sources of damage. Typically an up to date resistance item should give your 50% dmg resistance to it's type, or if you find the general one that gives a little of all resistances, roughly 15% of each. I often go with 2 general resistances to give a little bit of everything, but really thermal and explosive are the most important.
6.)Learn to Juke attacks. A lot of AI attacks shoot where you are heading at the time the shot is firing. If you fly erratically ships with ballistic weapons and bombs will have a hard time hitting you. This is especially important with neamtos (who will murder you even with 50%kinetic resistance if they hit you with all three attacks, wreckers so the mines fly really far away from you, and quake so their radiation bomb doesn't kill you. The fact that these attacks are easy to juke makes them less important to build resistances against them.

That's just some general stuff for now, I can go into more detail later when I have more time.

[They Live]

Originally Posted by Razuli

It's difficult to say specifically how you'd need to spread your stats out as it varies heavily with what your ship's build and race is. I have some general tips though.
1.)Anytime you level up in a sector that has the same race as your ship, you will get a crew member instead of a random item. Crew members typically have strong stat boosts in areas their race ships are strong in (Utopians and Computers, Drakk and Helm etc.). You don't necessarily need to put as many points into your ship's primary stat as you get a little every time you upgrade via command and your crew you obtain from leveling will have a lot of it as well.
2.)Drakk's service (found when buying/selling things with drakk) gives you a quest to go kill a boss and always rewards with a drakk crew member. This means unless you are making a stealth ship you shouldn't need to put too many points into helm.
3.)As I said above you do not necessarily need to always use the best stuff you find right away. Often times you find items that are only marginally better but would require you to put 4-5 points in a stat (so a whole level of stats to use) to equip.
4.)Use the race services. If you don't like your build, Cortex can return any spent stat points except those spent in command. Lithsoid increase the durability of items, which is especially important on armor as you can increase a single piece of armors effectiveness by around 200% using this service. Scavenger can help you get better components but can also help you find chips easier to up grade items which combos well with Utopians who can give you additional chip slots. Another important one is fringe which reduces the power requirement of specific stuff in your ship so you don't need as many reactors.
5.)Use resistance items, they are great. The two most important resistances are Thermal and Explosive, as these are the most common sources of damage. Typically an up to date resistance item should give your 50% dmg resistance to it's type, or if you find the general one that gives a little of all resistances, roughly 15% of each. I often go with 2 general resistances to give a little bit of everything, but really thermal and explosive are the most important.
6.)Learn to Juke attacks. A lot of AI attacks shoot where you are heading at the time the shot is firing. If you fly erratically ships with ballistic weapons and bombs will have a hard time hitting you. This is especially important with neamtos (who will murder you even with 50%kinetic resistance if they hit you with all three attacks, wreckers so the mines fly really far away from you, and quake so their radiation bomb doesn't kill you. The fact that these attacks are easy to juke makes them less important to build resistances against them.

That's just some general stuff for now, I can go into more detail later when I have more time.

That is a very detailed and useful reply