"And nerfing APA, locking out Go Down Fighting during Invincible/Continuity, and putting a minimum cooldown on captain powers is a disproportionate nerf to Tactical captains. Not that they didn't need it, but still, at the high end, those are significant."

This is not the same thing. There were combinations of skills that were borderline game breaking. There were builds that were nearly 100% invincible.

With science your talking about changes to the fundamental tools. The tactical changes do not nearly as largely effect the viability of the class especially given that they started off from a better position going into this.

And it's science captains that are using the high tier science skills to achieve their potential not tactical. Science captains looking to maximize are flying science ships with 5 sci 4 tac. Where as tactical captains are looking for 5 tac 4 sci. And boff seating is equally skewed.

You can't tell me that the changes to science skills will be effecting anyone more than science captains.

"You're falling into the all-too-common fallacy that for a Science captain to be good or effective, the Science captain needs to be best at delivering exotic damage."

Science has two builds exotic and drain. Only one is particularly viable at high end game. That's exotic because it's actually contributes to ending combat quickly though damage as well as control. Drain is niche and it it has major drawbacks. It's limited in targets it can effect to one, unless it's combined with Gravity Well which due to lockout doesn't play well with Tykens Rift. And the second major factor is that at advanced and especially elite tier enemies just resist drains.

So what is it you suggest science do? Are you saying they should just build tactical beam boats? Because if that's the case why even roll science?