In STO there are several ranks:

• Ensign (only during the tutorial)
• Lieutenant
• Lieutenant Commander
• Commander
• Captain
• Admiral

Each of these ranks also has ten so-called sub-ranks. You must attain all these sub-ranks to achieve the main ranks, which roughly means there are 50 levels in STO.

By doing missions (and some other ways like PvP) you gain skill points and based on how many you have you gain levels/ranks, so there’s no experience points either. Skill points can also be gained by doing Genesis missions (random exploration mission) as well as a number of PvE diplomacy missions.

You should use skill points for new skills and skill ranks as soon as you get them, as they improve your ground and space combat performance greatly for both you and your bridge officers.

There’s a lot of different questions and confusion lately about how leveling works in Star Trek Online so hopefully this post will clarify a few things for you. If you’re looking for a leveling guide, click here.

Ranks will be gained by completing missions and and finishing episodes which in turn provide you with skill points. Here’s a list of ranks:

• Ensign (this is the rank you play in the Tutorial – you are rapidly promoted within the first couple hours of gameplay)
• Lieutenant
• Lieutenant Commander
• Commander
• Captain
• Admiral

The skills available early in the game provide blanket bonuses to items and abilities you use, while more refined skills will provide more specific bonuses to items and abilities. If you want to advance a rank, you will have to spend a certain number of skills for the promotion. There’s also several other ways to further customize your character such as Kits, Bridge officers, space skills etc. You can find out a bit more about player progression here.

Overall, in Star Trek Online there’s plenty of ways to advance your character and it’s crucial to plan your progression as soon as you start the game. That’s why guides are an important and often much-needed asset to every player and I recommend buying one. You will learn about the game more than you think and it will help you progress through the ranks a lot faster.