Elite: Game talk

Halil Alper
22 Jun 2024, 8:50am
Sakashiro
Halil AlperI actually don't know anything about how to make a good combat PvE build. I have a clipper. What are general modules and engineering/blueprints should I go for running from CZ to CZ fighting dangerous pilots?


Best to post your current Clipper build so we can suggest improvements.


Here you go CMDR =)
Episparh
22 Jun 2024, 9:17am
Jaek Aedil
22 Jun 2024, 11:22am
I have been jumping in Threat 7 Alien signals at Asterope looking for Medusas. It is my 10th jump now and only scouts.
So basicaly 30+ min in game doing what I do not want.
It is supposed to be a game not a job

When will FD fix their... game?
Kasumi Goto
22 Jun 2024, 11:54am
Only that it is doing what is advertised. Ish. Threat 7 will either be a spawn of Scouts + a Basilisk or a Medusa, so it is technically working as it is supposed to, you're just getting madly unlucky.

If you are somewhere populated, I remember there being a trick to it - if the NHSS is associated to a human faction, it is not going to spawn any Scouts, and thus is much more likely to contain an Interceptor. I remember it being like that, anyway. Memory might not be fully accurate, though (and the use of said information in my circles was very different to looking for a target to shoot, but it can work to that end as well).

... I would suggest just looking for the Thargoids in AXCZs of a system around one of the Titans in the Bubble, but RNG just as well is going to sometimes throw one or two Medusas or a combination of Basilisks, Cyclops and a Medusa, or only Cyclops, at you, for the duration of a single low intensity zone, so that's not exactly a "fix" either.
Sakashiro
22 Jun 2024, 1:35pm
Halil Alper
Sakashiro
Halil AlperI actually don't know anything about how to make a good combat PvE build. I have a clipper. What are general modules and engineering/blueprints should I go for running from CZ to CZ fighting dangerous pilots?



Best to post your current Clipper build so we can suggest improvements.



Here you go CMDR =)

What Epi said. Also, you'll want to engineer a few modules. Your current boost speed is 416 m/s. Class 6A thrusters with Dirty Tuning and Drag Drives will increase that to 610 m/s. A class 6A power distributor with Charge Enhanced and Super Conduits will increase your weapons/engines/systems recharge rates from 4.3/2.7/2.7 MJ/s to 7.8/4.8/4.8 MJ/s. You'll be able to boost more frequently, fire your weapons for longer, and your bi-weave shields will regenerate faster (depending on where you put your pips of course).

Speaking of shields, your current raw shield strength is 292 MJ. Even my Adder has more than that.

Shields can be optimized in multiple ways, depending on your preferred playstyle, your weapon setup and the types of weapons you're most likely to encounter. You can maximize raw shield strength or resistances to specific weapon types. Because shield regeneration time depends only on raw shield strength, resistance builds bounce back faster between engagements and can be regenerated mid-combat via shield cells. But it's important to understand that every outfitting/engineering choice is a tradeoff between these metrics. For example, increasing thermal resistance decreases kinetic resistance. Putting more pips to SYS will increase all resistances and shorten shield regeneration time but decrease the agility of your ship and/or the damage output of your weapons, especially lasers with high distributor drain. So it's hard to give specific recommendations here. There's no one-size-fits-all.

The Clipper isn't a typical hull tank, so I would set it up in a way that its shields never drop. One way to do that is by adding a 7A prismatic shield generator, four 0A shield boosters, and a number of Guardian shield reinforcements. Here's an example that will give you about 3.5K MJ effective shield strength against thermal weapons even at zero pips to SYS. Four pips will increase this to 8.7K MJ. On a fast ship this is more than enough to escape from difficult situations before the shields drop and your hull gets exposed. You can increase thermal resistance further by making the shield generator thermal resistant and changing the two shield boosters from thermal resistant to resistance augmented, but then you'll be more vulnerable to weapons such as plasma accelerators that inflict absolute damage and bypass any resistances. So again, it's all about finding the right balance here.
Halil Alper
22 Jun 2024, 1:59pm
@Episparh Thanks. those left from my pirate hunting days, those sneaky guys just kept running of again and again. I didn't know how to target their frame shift drive subsystem though

@Sakashiro Exactly what I've been searching for, thank you so much telling those in detail with numbers. I have a much stronger picture in my head now.
Just a question, people w/ other builds say that Clipper shields are very bad, that's why I just kept these weak and reinforced hulls instead. Also it fitted better since my engineering is just not great and can't use a lot of power for... almost anything. Is this logical or should one increase shield as far as engineered power plants allow them to?
For the sake of PvE combat of course. I totally understand that every purpose have a different build.
Sakashiro
22 Jun 2024, 2:41pm
It's true that the same shield generator installed in different ship types will yield different stats, so the choice of ship matters. But shields are just one part of the picture. Hardpoints, distributor size and agility matter too. The Clipper apparently isn't most players' first choice for a combat ship, which is why most PvP-oriented players fly FdLs, Mambas, Kraits, Corvettes, and recently also the Python Mk II. I rarely see Clippers in ShinDez.
U-303
22 Jun 2024, 6:26pm
Good morning ; I have the ELITE Dangerous Odyssey do I need anything else to be able to buy a Python Mk II?
Meowers
22 Jun 2024, 6:35pm
You need either a heckload of Arx (bought using real money since in-game ways of accumulating it are too slow) or to wait for a few months until it becomes available for credits.
Episparh
22 Jun 2024, 6:58pm
Halil Alper@Episparh Thanks. those left from my pirate hunting days, those sneaky guys just kept running of again and again. I didn't know how to target their frame shift drive subsystem though


So let me explain you PvE mechanics then and why wake scanner and interdictors do not matter in that context.

1. When mission targets are low on hull they try to escape. Once they do that they are automatically restored to full hull, shield and module strength AKA once they leave your instance they respawn.
Additional note: If you hunt random NPC in RES or any other instance you can treat them as gone for good if they leave the instance. Hence, wake scanner is a waste unless you want to collect wake scan data.

2. When you have a mission target you are assigned also a mission instance visible as mission signal in DSS scanner view ( you need to find it , it is around signal sources and always marked in orange - if no mods applied to hud). Your target is always in that instance, even it it flee out you simply need to go back to supercruise and drop back in the instance the target will respawn. More over, mission targets are also sometimes available in supercruise and they will effectively try to interdict you. In addition if you do not have patience to wait them do so just drop from supper cruise and wait few seconds - the target will drop on you.


Note: The interdictor is not completely useless though, you can still try to try to interdict mission NPC which is trying to interdict you but it is waste of time IMO compared to the mechanics I have explained above. You can also use the interdictor to randomly pull down a WANTED random NPC for collecting its bounty but this is highly ineffective compared to RES bounty hunting. The interdictor is used mainly in PvP, in PvE its main use in in pirate builds where you pull down trader NPCs, disable their drives and then steal their cargo with hatch breakers and collector.

A note on sub targeting modules:
Targeting FSD can disable it or cause malfunction, hence delaying jump.
Targeting engines can also interrupt jumping out of the system and if disabled the target ship will drift without ability to fly or jump out.
Targeting power plant can cause detonation once its integrity drops to 0, thus making a target go boom even before its hull is 0.

In conclusion: When you drop your target's shield always target FSD or engines first to prevent escape. Once one of those reaches zero switch to power plant, with little help from Randomius you will kill it faster.

Lastly a few words for the Clipper:
She is odd ship. Probably the fastest Medium/Large ship. Her rivals are only Mamba and Orca. It lacks fire power and hardpoints convergence. Her optional internals are ... well don't let me even start it. It looks to me as she was designed as fast trader/courier.

As Sakashiro mentioned, the Clipper have very low shield potential. But then I have a different opinion than hers as she is quite used to play chicken nowadays

Instead of building a shield tank from low shield potential ship you better build a hybrid tank. A hull tank with faster regain shield. So IMO, you have properly used a bi-weave as it have faster regenerate and build times. However, it will drop and you need modules reinforcements and hull to ensure you will be alive when it comes back.
As for the weapons I will just say use what ever gimbled variants you wish as I do not know what level of engineering you have unlocked. My preferences are with gimbled frags and MCs but this is only after 100% engineering mod access.

P.S. If you want some ideas, I have two Clippers in my fleet:
Illustrious is build as multipurpose ship which can do PvE , missions and even some trading in Open in hot systems.
Magnificent was build initially as Orthrus hunter when that variant was introduced but then I have used it also as AX-MC platform and Maelstrom explorer.

Last edit: 22 Jun 2024, 9:42pm
Episparh
22 Jun 2024, 7:01pm
Sakashiro
22 Jun 2024, 7:55pm
EpisparhBut then I have a different opinion then hers as she is quite used to play chicken nowadays

I'm retired.

But my PvE Mamba did make it into the top 10% bracket in some bounty hunting CG back in the day. Without requiring any hull repairs.
Halil Alper
22 Jun 2024, 8:36pm
Thanks a lot @Episparh and @Sakashiro, you are really great, made me love the community too

I'll follow these instructions while building my ship. It will take a long time since I have close to no engineering and no guardian stuff, so plenty of time to create the build as it fits best

o7 CMDRs
U-303
22 Jun 2024, 9:40pm
MeowersYou need either a heckload of Arx (bought using real money since in-game ways of accumulating it are too slow) or to wait for a few months until it becomes available for credits.


ok thank you very much ^^
ClawsOfTiamat
22 Jun 2024, 11:22pm
Halil AlperDammit, I have to go lego off then

I actually don't know anything about how to make a good combat PvE build. I have a clipper. What are general modules and engineering/blueprints should I go for running from CZ to CZ fighting dangerous pilots?



The Clipper makes a great HGE farmer. It handles the new SCO drive very smoothly. Never used mine in combat, but there are some combat builds for it. I use a Krait2 for combat, but have two Clippers because I like the way they handle, especially in SC.

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