Engineering

**Engineering** is one of the four bridge crew roles available to players. It is replaced by Operations in the *The Next Generation DLC*.

The engineer's job is to:

1. Coordinate power flow between systems such as shields, weapons, and engines.

2. Prepare Warp Coils for Warp.

3. Repair damaged systems.

4. OPTIONALLY you can manage Transporters and interrupting systems of hostile ships (Helm and Tactical can also undertake these tasks).

## Standard operating procedures

1. Keep track of targets and distance; there is no scanner display at most engineering stations, so use the viewscreen or external view
2. If all targets are very far away (40km+), you probably want all power to engines
3. There is no point in putting power in shields when they are down or recycling; use the power elsewhere
4. On the Aegis, you will often want to cap engine power at 4000, to keep detectability range to a minimum
5. Mind phaser power, phaser range, and target range; your tactical officer will need phaser power when firing; you'll want shield power when the enemy is turning and about to fire
6. On the Aegis, when overloading power, circuits will overheat and be automatically shut down to cool, reducing the effectiveness of the power overload. This means maximum phaser range will drop, and maximum engine speed will drop. Keep this in mind; if you overload power too soon, especially for extending phaser range, you may not have enough when you need it.
7. Damage to warp engines will reduce the total power available, thus weakening crucial systems (phasers, engines, shields); warp engine repair should generally be a priority
8. When multiple subsystems are significantly damaged, it is usually best practice to repair each subsystem only to the point that all damage penalties are cleared (~80%), and then once there are no damage penalties, going back and repairing each subsystem to 100%; a notable exception is the warp engine, which you may want to keep well above 80% to ensure any further damage does not reduce overall power levels
9. Warp is unavailable when the warp engine is below 40%
10. Announce damage, especially significant damage that may impact system functionality, and announce repair times; keep your crew up to date about ship damage
11. Engine power affects turning speed as well as maximum speed. In close-quarters combat, when the helm is in a hard turn, increasing engine power will speed up the turn, and assist with bringing the enemy within the ship's firing arc (or escaping the enemy's firing arc)

## Power allocations and reroutes

* On all ships, power is divided between three major systems: phasers, engines, and shields
	+ Phaser power increases phaser range (7.5km-20km), and (at least on the Aegis) phaser damage; it does not affect phaser recharge time
	+ Engine power increases engine speed (1,000kph to 5,000kph) and turn rate; a minimum of 3,000 is needed for impulse engines, and 5,000 for warp engines
	+ Shield power multiplies shield strength (1x to 5x); it does not affect shield recharge time
* Each system has five circuits (commonly called "pips"), stacked and powered sequentially (e.g., activating the 4th circuit will also activate the first three)
* The 1st circuit is at the bottom; the 5th at the top
* The 1st circuit on each system cannot be deactivated (except on the TOS ship); all other circuits can be turned on or off
* A maximum of 10 circuits can be on at one time across all systems
* If the warp core is damaged below 80%, the total amount of available circuits will decrease

### Common allocations by situation

#### On the Aegis

* **Cruising undetected**: 5/4/1 (silent standard)
* **Hunting undetected**: 5/4/1+ (silent sniper) increases phaser range to 26km, allowing undetected phasers at 20-26km from enemy and undetected torpedoes at 20-35km
* **Max speed**: 4/5/1+ (max speed offense)
* **General combat**
	+ At 2,000kph (no impulse available, more difficult torpedo dodging): 5/2/5 (combat enhanced)
	+ At 3,000kph (impulse available and easier torpedo dodging): 5/3/4 (combat fast offense) or, for more defense, 4/3/5 (combat fast defense)
* **Combat merger (nose-to-nose)**
	+ With no incoming fire: 5/4/1+ (silent sniper) for maximum phasers
	+ With incoming fire: 5/2/5 (combat enhanced) or, for more defense, 4/1/5+ (fortress), or, for more offense, 5/1/4+ (stationary gun); be ready to move shields to engine power after the merger so helm can turn faster
* **Combat pursuit (nose-to-tail)**
	+ Over 4,000kph: 4/5/1+ (max speed offense) for maximum speed
	+ Under 4,000kph: 5/4/1+ (silent sniper) for maximum phasers
* **Combat escape**: 1/5/4+ (max speed defense) for maximum engines with shields

#### On the TOS/TNG ships

* **Max speed**: 4/5/1 (warp offense)
* **General combat**: 5/1/4 (combat offense)
* **Combat merger (nose-to-nose)**
	+ With no incoming fire: 5/4/1 for maximum phasers
	+ With incoming fire: 5/1/4 (combat offense) or, for more defense, 4/1/5 (combat defense)
* **Combat pursuit (nose-to-tail)**
	+ Over 4,000kph: 4/5/1 (warp offense) for maximum speed
	+ Under 4,000kph: 5/4/1 for maximum phasers
* **Combat escape**: 1/5/4 (warp defense) for maximum engines with shields
* The TOS ship allows 0 pips to be allocated to a system, making allocations such as 5/0/5 possible

### Standard allocations (no reroutes)

* Standard allocations are shown for the Aegis, but the same allocations can be used on the TNG and TOS ships (TOS ship has an extra power circuit to allocate)
* References to detection range apply only to the Aegis

#### 5/4/1 (silent standard)

* **Output:**
	+ Phasers: 20.0km
	+ Engines: 4,000kph
	+ Shields: 1.0x
* **Notes:**
	+ 5/4/1 is a common configuration when the Aegis is running "silent," with no shields, at 4,000kph or less
	+ Unused power is allocated to phasers, allowing tactical 20km range for sweeping mines and other dangerous objects
	+ With torpedoes off, detection range is only 10km, and enemies can still be engaged undetected with phasers between 10-20km
	+ 5/4/1 is also useful in combat when shields are down and recycling
	+ No reroutes, no systems overload, power allocations remain stable

#### 4/5/1 (warp offense)

* **Output:**
	+ Phasers: 17.5km
	+ Engines: 5,000kph
	+ Shields: 1.0x
* **Notes:**
	+ 4/5/1 is a common configuration when the Aegis needs to warp and is not using shields
	+ While phasers cannot be used undetected, 17.5km phaser range gives tactical sufficient range for sweeping mines and other dangerous objects
	+ Note that if helm increases speed to 5,000kph, detection range will increase from 10km to 20km
	+ No reroutes, no systems overload, power allocations remain stable

#### 1/5/4 (warp defense)

* **Output:**
	+ Phasers: 7.5km
	+ Engines: 5,000kph
	+ Shields: 4.0x
* **Notes:**
	+ 1/5/4 is a common configuration when the Aegis needs to warp and is using shields and not using phasers
	+ Phasers cannot be used to effectively sweep mines and other dangerous objects, as any detonations within 7.5km will damage the Aegis
	+ Note that if helm increases speed to 5,000kph, detection range will increase from 10km to 20km
	+ No reroutes, no systems overload, power allocations remain stable

#### 5/1/4 (combat offense)

* **Output:**
	+ Phasers: 20.0km
	+ Engines: 1,000kph
	+ Shields: 4.0x
* **Notes:**
	+ 5/1/4 is a common configuration when the Aegis is in combat
	+ Phasers have full power (without reroutes), and all remaining power is put into shields
	+ Speed and turn rate will be slow; dodging torpedoes with only 1 pip in engines will be difficult if not impossible
	+ For torpedo dodging, use 2 engine circuits (5/2/3 or 4/2/4)
	+ For better torpedo dodging and impulse escape, use 3 engine circuits (4/3/3 or 3/3/4)
	+ No reroutes, no systems overload, power allocations remain stable
	+ This allocation is inferior to the 5/2/5 (combat enhanced) reroute pattern below

#### 4/1/5 (combat defense)

* **Output:**
	+ Phasers: 17.5km
	+ Engines: 1,000kph
	+ Shields: 5.0x
* **Notes:**
	+ 4/1/5 is the mirror of 5/1/4
	+ Shields have full power (without reroutes), and all remaining power is put into phasers
	+ Speed and turn rate will be slow; dodging torpedoes with only 1 pip in engines will be difficult if not impossible
	+ For torpedo dodging, use 2 engine circuits (4/2/4 or 3/2/5)
	+ For better torpedo dodging and impulse escape, use 3 engine circuits (4/3/3 or 3/3/4)
	+ No reroutes, no systems overload, power allocations remain stable
	+ This allocation is inferior to the 5/2/5 (combat enhanced) reroute pattern below

### Overloaded reroutes (Aegis)

* On the Aegis, in addition to allocating power between phasers, engines, and shields, the engineering console can also reroute power between these three systems
* Each system circuit ("pip") has two slots for power nodes (commonly called "dots"); by default, one slot is used and one is empty; phaser nodes are blue, engine nodes are red, and shield nodes are green
* Each system can hold up to ten power nodes (5 circuits x 2 per circuit); there are 15 power nodes total (3 systems x 5 per system)
* Power nodes can be rerouted to other systems on the same level; adjacent power nodes can also be cross-routed
* System circuits will begin to overload when there are six or more power nodes in the system, regardless of their distribution; circuit overload is indicated by a yellow or red bar next to the circuit
* The ship computer will automatically reduce power to an overloaded circuit to prevent damage; thus, the "boost" caused by overloading a system is temporary; once the overloaded circuit cools, power (and the "boost") is restored

#### 5/4/1+ (silent sniper)

* **Output:**
	+ Phasers: 26.0km
	+ Engines: 4,000kph
	+ Shields: 0.7x
* **Reroutes:**
	+ "Everything rerouted to the left"
	+ All shields rerouted to engines
	+ All engines rerouted to phasers
* **Notes:**
	+ 5/4/1+ is 5/4/1 with all power rerouted to phasers, boosting phaser range to 26km
	+ Shield power (unused with shields down) is rerouted to engines to maintain 4,000kph max speed
	+ Torpedoes can be activated, increasing detection range to 20km; enemies can be engaged undetected with torpedoes between 20-35km and with phasers between 20-26km
	+ 5/4/1+ is also useful in combat when shields are down and recycling
	+ The phaser system will eventually overload, reducing the phaser range boost

#### 4/5/1+ (max speed offense)

* **Output:**
	+ Phasers: 19.5km
	+ Engines: 7,500kph
	+ Shields: 0.7x
* **Reroutes:**
	+ 1st level engines rerouted to phasers to boost them to 19.5km
	+ 5th level phasers rerouted back to engines to prevent phasers from overloading
	+ 1st-4th level shields rerouted to engines to boost engines to 7,500kph
* **Notes:**
	+ 4/5/1+ is 4/5/1 with shield power rerouted to engines, boosting max speed to 7,500kph, at the cost of reducing shield strength from 1.0 to 0.7
	+ One node is rerouted from engines to phasers to boost phasers to 19.5km, at the cost of reducing max speed from 7,600kph to 7,500kph; that node can be moved back to engines if true max speed of 7,600kph is desired
	+ Travelling at 5,000kph or above will increase detection range by 10km, so at max speed, enemies can only be engaged undetected with torpedoes between 30-35km
	+ While phasers cannot be used undetected, 19.5km phaser range gives tactical sufficient range for sweeping mines and other dangerous objects
	+ Note that if helm increases speed to 4,000kph, detection range will increase from 10km to 20km
	+ The engines will eventually overload, reducing the max speed boost; phasers are balanced and will not overload

#### 1/5/4+ (max speed defense)

* **Output:**
	+ Phasers: 5.5km
	+ Engines: 7,500kph
	+ Shields: 5.0x
* **Reroutes:**
	+ 1st level engines rerouted to shields to boost them to 5.0
	+ 5th level shields rerouted back to engines to prevent shields from overloading
	+ 1st-4th level phasers rerouted to engines to boost engines to 7,500kph
* **Notes:**
	+ 1/5/4+ is 1/5/4 with phaser power rerouted to engines, boosting max speed to 7,500kph, at the cost of reducing phaser range from 7.5km to 5.5km
	+ One node is rerouted from engines to shields to boost shields to 5.0x, at the cost of reducing max speed from 7,600kph to 7,500kph; that node can be moved back to engines if true max speed of 7,600kph is desired
	+ Travelling at 5,000kph or above will increase detection range by 10km, so at max speed, enemies can only be engaged undetected with torpedoes between 30-35km
	+ Phasers cannot be used to effectively sweep mines and other dangerous objects, as any detonations within 5.5km will damage the Aegis
	+ Note that if helm increases speed to 4,000kph, detection range will increase from 10km to 20km
	+ The engines will eventually overload, reducing the max speed boost; shields are balanced and will not overload

#### 5/1/4+ (stationary gun)

* **Output:**
	+ Phasers: 26.0km
	+ Engines: 500kph
	+ Shields: 4.0x
* **Reroutes:** All engines rerouted to phasrs
* **Notes:**
	+ 5/1/4+ reroutes engine power to phasers to maximize phasers at 26.0km at the cost of speed
	+ This configuration is common when the Aegis needs to be a stationary gun: standing still and issuing as much damage as possible (e.g. a slow-moving enemy with weapons disrupted)
	+ The phasers will eventually overload, reducing the phaser boost

#### 4/1/5+ (fortress)

* **Output:**
	+ Phasers: 17.5km
	+ Engines: 500kph
	+ Shields: 7.5x
* **Reroutes:** All engines rerouted to shields
* **Notes:**
	+ 4/1/5+ reroutes engine power to shields to maximize shield strength at 7.5x at the cost of speed
	+ This configuration is common when the Aegis needs to be a fortress: standing still and absorbing an assault (e.g., when fighting a Borg cube)
	+ The shields will eventually overload, reducing the shield boost

### Stable reroutes (no overload)

* On the Aegis, power systems will not overload if they have 5 or fewer power nodes (regardless of how many circuits are activated)
* Power can be distributed more efficiently by rerouting power nodes from unused circuits (at the top) to used circuits (at the bottom), resulting in a net boost to overall power of up to +2 -- that is, power effects that add up to 12 (like 5/2/5) instead of 10 (like 5/1/4)
* By balancing power to ensure each system holds 5 power nodes, system overheating can be avoided, resulting in stable boosts that do not drop
* Additional reroutes can provide further boosts as needed (at the cost of system overheating)

#### 5/2/5 (combat enhanced)

* **Output:**
	+ Phasers: 20.0km
	+ Engines: 2,000kph
	+ Shields: 5.0x
* **Reroutes:**
	+ 1st level shields are rerouted to engines to boost engine power from 1,000kph to 2,000kph
	+ 2nd level is a "swing route": not rerouted initially, but can be rerouted to boost phasers or shields as needed (causing overloads) without reducing engine power
	+ 3rd and 4th level engines are rerouted to shields to boost shield strength to 5x
	+ 5th level shields (unused) are rerouted back to engines to prevent shields from overloading
* **Notes:**
	+ "5/2/5" gives the effect of a 5/2/5 allocation, but it is actually 5/1/4 with reroutes to boost engines and shields
	+ Torpedo dodging will be difficult with 2,000 in engines
	+ The reroutes are stable and will not overload; power levels will not drop
	+ Additional reroutes can be made to phasers or shields, if needed, to boost them (at the cost of system overloads), to create configuration such as 5+/1/4 (phasers overloaded beyond 20km) and 5/1/4+ (shields overloaded beyond 5x)

#### 5/3/4 (combat fast offense)

* **Output:**
	+ Phasers: 20.0km
	+ Engines: 3,000kph
	+ Shields: 4.2x
* **Reroutes:**
	+ 1st and 2nd level phasers are rerouted to engines to boost engine power from 1,000kph to 3,000kph (after engine reroutes below)
	+ 2nd and 3rd level engines are rerouted to shields to boost shields to 4.2x
	+ 4th and 5th level engines are rerouted to phasers (to bring phasers to 20km range), and from shields to phasers to prevent shield overloading
* **Notes:**
	+ "5/3/4" gives the effect of a 5/3/4 allocation, but it is actually 5/2/3 with reroutes to boost engines and shields
	+ Torpedo dodging will be easier with 3,000 in engines, at the cost of slightly less shield power (as compared with 5/2/5 combat enhanced)
	+ Engines at 3,000 also allows for quick impulse escape
	+ The reroutes are stable and will not overload; power levels will not drop
	+ Additional reroutes can be made to phasers or shields, if needed, to boost them (at the cost of system overloads)

#### 4/3/5 (combat fast defense)

* **Output:**
	+ Phasers: 18.6km
	+ Engines: 3,000kph
	+ Shields: 5.0x
* **Reroutes:**
	+ 1st and 2nd level shields are rerouted to engines to boost engine power from 1,000kph to 3,000kph (after engine reroutes below)
	+ 2nd and 3rd level engines are rerouted to phasers to boost phasers to 18.6km
	+ 4th and 5th level engines are rerouted to shields (to bring shields to 5x), and from phasers to engines to prevent phaser overloading
* **Notes:**
	+ "4/3/5" gives the effect of a 4/3/5 allocation, but it is actually 3/2/5 with reroutes to boost engines and phasers
	+ Torpedo dodging will be easier with 3,000 in engines, at the cost of slightly less phaser range and power (as compared with 5/2/5 combat enhanced)
	+ Engines at 3,000 also allows for quick impulse escape
	+ The reroutes are stable and will not overload; power levels will not drop
	+ Additional reroutes can be made to phasers or shields, if needed, to boost them (at the cost of system overloads)

## Guides

* Engineer Mastering Guide @ Steam (Updated 2018)
* Power Allocation & Rerouting Patterns for Aegis Engineering Command Station @ Steam (Updated 2022)