Elite: Game talk

Kasumi Goto
11 Nov 2024, 3:06am
I think that even in the FDL with the self-repair stuff setup it is rare you (should) actually need the extra hull. Maybe in those high gravity madness zones if you are busy not getting massacred and end up a little too close to the surface, but those are rare enough by themselves to not really warrant an exception, whereas having those in the field repair capabilities is useful if you don't want NPCs to snatch a Hydra or what have you kill out from under your nose but you took a few hits (because you overcommitted slightly to knock a heart out or decided to suffer a bit of heat damage to achieve it) and fix stuff up on the fly while remaining within reasonable distance.

... and the missile warnings only trigger when one is first launched at you. If it is still coming and the obnoxious swarms also go kamikaze at the same time... well, you just don't get the warning. This hasn't been an issue for me in practice when the Interceptor missiles are thrown out because I avoid the ones from Medusa and Hydra (by baiting them to be launched outside a range where they could catch me), and so usually the range is sufficient to avoid Thargons as well if those come out at the same time.

If we're on the subject of enraged Interceptor kamikazes, I generally only witness those from the safety of several kilometers away while some NPC gets absolutely nuked. I would say 'poor NPC' but their idiotic flight capabilities and that Frontier has insisted on keeping Thargoid conflicts with crime reporting enabled (instead of disabled by default as with other CZs in the game, the logical thing to do) has just made me get annoyed at them repeatedly. They're not even good at fighting things other than Scouts and as soon as the lightest bit of caustic is on them they will try to get it off and keep heading away in a basically straight line (or nothing sufficient to throw off Thargoid targeting), so their decon limpet gets repeatedly knocked off and they will drag Thargoids off 30+ kilometers from a CZ in this idiotic pattern instead of killing the Glaive/Scouts which gave them the caustic and are now chasing their incompetent rear sides.
Thinder
11 Nov 2024, 5:50am
DiQueueRawnu,
Thinder,

thank you for your views. -

All other combat ships of this class have Class 6 or 7 Power Plants, that's the only way you can fit 4 X MODIFIED GUARDIAN PLASMA CHARGERS, and the only way you can manage both shields and weapons of this class, she is not designed as a combat ship.

The Class 5 POWER PLANT saves weight (10.00 T vs 20.00 T), that's how she get part of her performances but that is it, compromise has to be made somewhere.

On the other hand, and I've been saying this from the start, she might be making a good hull tanking AX ship.

Last edit: 11 Nov 2024, 5:57am
Miseri
11 Nov 2024, 5:51am
Adapt to a shieldless design, trade it in for more armor?
Rawnu
11 Nov 2024, 8:12am
Ok folks, fanta engineering time! I’m simulating various Mandalay builds for AX in the hope to find one, that does not cook you alive. I'm starting with the ”Shardalay“ and her 4m*2s modified Guardian Shard Cannons (6 altogether baby!) and 4 pips to WPN. These are the Power Distributor configurations and their WPN and THM values:

(1) Charge Enhanced Super Conduits: 1.6s until empty distro / 16s to overheat with full distro / 1.6s to overheat with empty bistro
(2) Charge Enhanced Cluster Capacitators: 1.7s / 25s / 1.7s
(3) Weapon Focused Super Conduits: 2.6s / 30s / 1.6s
(4) Weapon Focused Cluster Capacitators: 2.9s / 1.2m / 1.8s
(5) High Charge Capacity Super Conduits: 2.1s / 57.6% / 3.4s
(6) High Charge Capacity Cluster Capacitators: 2.3s / 56,1% / 3.7s

The numbers to watch are ”until empty distro“ and ”overheat with empty distro“. In (1) we have 3.2s to cook us, in (2) 3.4s, in (3) 4.2s, in (4) 4.7s, in (5) 5.5s, and in (6) 6.0s.

Now, we could be a bit more modest and take only 4m ModShards with us, leaving the two small hardpoints for the usual thermal vent beam lasers. By looking at Cluster Capacitors (this mod gives the largest effect), we get

(2) 4.3s
(4) 14.1s (!!!)
(6) 6.7s

Now, this configuration looks very (!) promising.

If we are getting super modest and go with 2m and 2s ModShards, with 2m thermal vent beam lasers, we get

(2) 5.3s
(4) 14.8s
(6) 14.5s (the coldest of these builds by the way)

So that doesn’t improve the whole thing too much.

If we compare the Shardalay, the 4 Medium, and the Super Modest as regards DPS, we get

Shardalay: 278.6
4 Medium: 230.4
Super Modest: 186.5

By looking at these numbers, the 4 Medium gives you by far the best Thermal/DPS combo for AX Combat. If you want to punch Thargoids hard without boiling, this is the build for you!

Disclaimer: I haven’t tested this build in the field yet, so beware. The proof is always in the pudding.

EDIT: with Armor Strength of 4,269 this is also a beast!
Valorian Axten
11 Nov 2024, 8:42am
Atusia Duval
Valorian AxtenI'm just chiming in to brag about my first Traveller rank! I'm en route to Colonia, and halfway there. Without any means of repair I'm going the slow FSD route, 40LY at a time, great surveying opps though!

By the way, is there any actual reliable way to route this far and have carriers in between with repair facilities?


Actually, you should always take an AFMU and repair controller with you on such a long trip.


I picked one up in Colonia after getting there. Pricy, but after heading out and going afk while fuel scooping it came in really handy!

Also glad I got the class 4 ????
Rayman.
11 Nov 2024, 9:11am
RawnuOk folks, fanta engineering time! I’m simulating various Mandalay builds for AX in the hope to find one, that does not cook you alive. I'm starting with the ”Shardalay“ and her 4m*2s modified Guardian Shard Cannons (6 altogether baby!) and 4 pips to WPN. These are the Power Distributor configurations and their WPN and THM values:

(1) Charge Enhanced Super Conduits: 1.6s until empty distro / 16s to overheat with full distro / 1.6s to overheat with empty bistro
(2) Charge Enhanced Cluster Capacitators: 1.7s / 25s / 1.7s
(3) Weapon Focused Super Conduits: 2.6s / 30s / 1.6s
(4) Weapon Focused Cluster Capacitators: 2.9s / 1.2m / 1.8s
(5) High Charge Capacity Super Conduits: 2.1s / 57.6% / 3.4s
(6) High Charge Capacity Cluster Capacitators: 2.3s / 56,1% / 3.7s

The numbers to watch are ”until empty distro“ and ”overheat with empty distro“. In (1) we have 3.2s to cook us, in (2) 3.4s, in (3) 4.2s, in (4) 4.7s, in (5) 5.5s, and in (6) 6.0s.

Now, we could be a bit more modest and take only 4m ModShards with us, leaving the two small hardpoints for the usual thermal vent beam lasers. By looking at Cluster Capacitors (this mod gives the largest effect), we get

(2) 4.3s
(4) 14.1s (!!!)
(6) 6.7s

Now, this configuration looks very (!) promising.

If we are getting super modest and go with 2m and 2s ModShards, with 2m thermal vent beam lasers, we get

(2) 5.3s
(4) 14.8s
(6) 14.5s (the coldest of these builds by the way)

So that doesn’t improve the whole thing too much.

If we compare the Shardalay, the 4 Medium, and the Super Modest as regards DPS, we get

Shardalay: 278.6
4 Medium: 230.4
Super Modest: 186.5

By looking at these numbers, the 4 Medium gives you by far the best Thermal/DPS combo for AX Combat. If you want to punch Thargoids hard without boiling, this is the build for you!

Disclaimer: I haven’t tested this build in the field yet, so beware. The proof is always in the pudding.

EDIT: with Armor Strength of 4,269 this is also a beast!


Someone pin that person. i think i would go for 4 shards if the last titan still alive by the time mandalay becomes free to all.

i bookmarked that post to keep it in future.
AH
11 Nov 2024, 10:19am
Disclaimer: I haven’t tested this build in the field yet, so beware.


Clicking buttons at EDSY until some numbers look awesome is not really "engineering". This is more like "ooo...what is this button do?"

What actually would be cool is a "clean slate" day(s) - all ships, NPC and players, in The Bubble, Colonia etc, are reset to factory settings for a day or two.
What ship would you pick?
Rayman.
11 Nov 2024, 2:13pm
Has anyone tried this modification? Armor piercing caught my attention and I wonder if i should take to my consideration or avoid it all time.

Rawnu
11 Nov 2024, 2:58pm
Rayman.
Someone pin that person. i think i would go for 4 shards if the last titan still alive by the time mandalay becomes free to all.
i bookmarked that post to keep it in future. [img/sites/general/js/sce/emoticons/cool.png[/img]


Cocijo will most likely be down before Christmas but don't worry about Thargoids, the game mechanics were difficult to implement, FDev sure is gonna use them in the future (and maybe Cocijo won't go down but leave the bubble?). Anyway, just wanted to clarify that the Mandalay is far from being perfect as a Titan bomber. You can stick 3 medium enhanced AX missile racks and the Nanite torpedo pylon on it, but that's about it. And be aware the my build is looking into mod shards that cannot be engineered with anti-Guardian zone resistance. So they are useless around Titans. If you want the Mandalay for Titan bombing, you can outfit her like this: https://edsy.org/s/vzoqvMW
Meowers
11 Nov 2024, 3:00pm
...Imagine Cocijo packing its shit and leaving fast, and you have to chase it with SCO and some kind of super-interdictor module.
Rayman.
11 Nov 2024, 3:03pm
Rawnu
Rayman. Someone pin that person. i think i would go for 4 shards if the last titan still alive by the time mandalay becomes free to all. i bookmarked that post to keep it in future. [img/sites/general/js/sce/emoticons/cool.png[/img]



Cocijo will most likely be down before Christmas but don't worry about Thargoids, the game mechanics were difficult to implement, FDev sure is gonna use them in the future (and maybe Cocijo won't go down but leave the bubble?). Anyway, just wanted to clarify that the Mandalay is far from being perfect as a Titan bomber. You can stick 3 medium enhanced AX missile racks and the Nanite torpedo pylon on it, but that's about it. And be aware the my build is looking into mod shards that cannot be engineered with anti-Guardian zone resistance. So they are useless around Titans. If you want the Mandalay for Titan bombing, you can outfit her like this: https://edsy.org/s/vzoqvMW


i have python mk2 doing that job pretty good. This build is made by Cmdr. Mechan, i only just imported it and saved the build
https://edsy.org/s/v14IYHu
Rawnu
11 Nov 2024, 3:33pm
Rayman.
i have python mk2 doing that job pretty good. This build is made by Cmdr. Mechan, i only just imported it and saved the build
https://edsy.org/s/v14IYHu


Noice, I use a PMk2 as well, just without the shards (those on the Mechan build are regular shards, not mod shards. They can be engineered with Anti-Guardian Zone Resistance at Ram Tah's shop). Mine just uses "ordinary" Enhanced AX Missiles: https://edsy.org/s/vEgQRKM

Meowers...Imagine Cocijo packing its shit and leaving fast, and you have to chase it with SCO and some kind of super-interdictor module.


I was actually wondering if something like this would happen. And given how far (FSD) and fast (SCO) the Mandalay can go, it would be the perfect ship for chasing and scouting where the sucker is going. When is Cocijo due? Three, four weeks? We'll see it then!
Kasumi Goto
11 Nov 2024, 3:42pm
I would prefer if Cocijo were to decide to park in one of the core systems somewhere, with a bunch of Thargoids in surrounding space, though I've also heard preferences of T Tauri being targeted mentioned.

... but as I have a vague memory of the eggheads at canon roughly calculating that the highest speed which the Titans achieved in their travel mode being 5,625c, I'm not exactly convinced that any of our ships would have much of a chance of catching one even with SCO. Not to mention... I am not convinced that you would be the one pulling a Titan out of that supercruise travel anyway, considering it is probably at least a thousand times more massive than any of our regular ships. And if interdicting Scouts toss your ship around like a jet cone, well, it's rather doubtful you'd do much more than momentarily inconvenience the Titan, if it even notices your interference at all*.

RawnuI was actually wondering if something like this would happen. And given how far (FSD) and fast (SCO) the Mandalay can go, it would be the perfect ship for chasing and scouting where the sucker is going.

... except you would achieve the same result but better just jumping through hyperspace ahead of its general predicted trajectory, so overcharge necessary. When those Titans were coming, it was not exactly subtle, thanks to the bright green-blue spiral-shaped flares heading through deep space, not to mention the signal which FSS picked up from them.

*Of course, Frontier has a tendency to make a joke of what should be something seriously considered, like not making it almost impossible to get exploded by Thargoids around a Titan unless you deliberately ignore stealth. So what would probably actually happen is the human ship pulls the Titan out of "supercruise" or the Thargoid equivalent thereof and it falls to pieces.
Rawnu
11 Nov 2024, 3:48pm
Oh for sure, I'm not talking about pulling the Titan out of Hyperspace, I was more thinking about deep space reconnaissance, something for which there isn't currently a game loop afaik but the Mandalay would be perfect for it. And funnily there's even a "Quest Pack" as a ship kit on sale right now...
Rayman.
11 Nov 2024, 3:56pm
Rawnu[quote=Rayman.]
i have python mk2 doing that job pretty good. This build is made by Cmdr. Mechan, i only just imported it and saved the build
https://edsy.org/s/v14IYHu


Noice, I use a PMk2 as well, just without the shards (those on the Mechan build are regular shards, not mod shards. They can be engineered with Anti-Guardian Zone Resistance at Ram Tah's shop). Mine just uses "ordinary" Enhanced AX Missiles: https://edsy.org/s/vEgQRKM


u cant apply anti guardian resistance for modified shards and bring to the mealstrom. Modified shards are pre-engineered already. Although why i would risk cooking my ship telling thargoids to shoot me while i core their titan's core?

Full deathwish.

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