Ship Capture Guide: X2 Version 2 (Updated for 1.4)

[Al]

The other point i meant to mention is that capping mean cap ships can be good especially for a low power fighter. The down side is that it can destroy your captured ships and also can ram you.

once competent its best to do Xenon transport missions and attacking pirate bases in sectors without cap (or M6) ships as they always want a piece of the action.....




Al

[krapylet]

Would just like to say thanks for an outstanding guide, Al, it really kickstarted my game. My preference is to use IonDs and use an AIRE to give them hull damage, and I've set a GPAC on the rear turret for missile defense (Or was it GIRE?) When I hit a pirate base in my nova, I just take out all the bayamons and mandalays and then focus on the Ori's.

[-River-]

The 87% figure is correct but there might be an underlying assumption.


I was engaging 6 pirate ships, 4 orincos and a few other madeleys/bayomans. Prior to this, I have no problems with capturing but my hull was damaged to abt 72% while trying to pick up bailed pirates(slaves). After this, I weaved in and out for an hour and no other pirates bailed. I then proceeded to dock at the shipyards for repairs and re-engaged the same 10+ ships again. Most now bailed relatively fast.


Is it bad luck on my part or does your own hull has to be > targetted ship (<= 87%) ?

[Al]

makes no difference. I have captured when my hull was below 30%.

Al

[-River-]

Thanks Al for the fast reply.

I must be experiencing a drought then

[Shooby337]

Very helpful guide, filled in the gaps for me, i no longer blow em out of the sky (i mean space). First capture was a pirate ship, then another one (both of which i decided 2 keep and use to sell my energy cells). Then a Ori (which i've kept as my 1st fighter capture and i'm goin use this as my main ship till i get a Nova ) next was a bayamon (which i shall keep for display purposes) then another Ori (this one i sold) haven't bothered with a mandalay, thought they in't worth the hassle as won't raise much cash. Oh yeah and in between all that I hijacked a Mercury in PE just for the heck of it, with this i got 2x25mw shields (which are now happily installed on my 1st Ori).
I'e managed to build a little trading and small fighter force which consists off:-
1xDisco
2xMercury
1xVulture
1xMako
2xPirate Ships
1xOrionco
1xBayamon
This i'm quite proud off, so cheers for the help

[Al]

Thanks Al for the fast reply.

I must be experiencing a drought then

It happens to us all. If you are having stubborn ships try using a low power laser that chips away at the hull as this does bring quicker results most of the time.

Al

[kinein]

alpha ire/beta ire.

The less damage you want to do the weaker the laser. It helps nudge them over the edge after you've been frying for a while sometimes. Sometimes when you go back after nudging them a little they are more inclined ;p

[ians]

Yeah great work Al, the Capturing Guru, if it wasnt for you i wouldnt be able to capture all them ships in the assasination missions and sell them and save up for a Oddy and go to the Khaak sectors and get a good combat rank.

Hail to the Capturing Guru Al :thumb_up:

[redeye]

The Ions seem to destroy weapons and shields gradually as well as engine upgrades. The majority of ships dont seem to want to bail till you wipe out their last shield. Its not much to go on, but scanning a ship you're trying to cap and noticing he is loosing weapons and / or shields can make it a bit less frustrating.

Incorrect. The amount of equipment left in the ship has no relation to whether the pilot will bail or not. The reason most captures have no equipment left is because the equipment disappears AFTER the ship is captured--try hitting I then U when your target starts announcing he's going to surrender and watch all the equipment just vanish!

You spot on with that, it is very frustrating when the pilot bails and scraps a load of his/her equip - like JamieKnowles says in those TARDIS like space suit pockets

What i probably meant to say is that as the IonDs gradually destroy the equipment, the pilot seems to be guaranteed to bail when you wipe the last shield, so if you have got them down to one shield and no weapons then you know you are pretty close.

[pjknibbs]

What i probably meant to say is that as the IonDs gradually destroy the equipment, the pilot seems to be guaranteed to bail when you wipe the last shield, so if you have got them down to one shield and no weapons then you know you are pretty close.

To my knowledge it is not possible in any way, shape or form to ever destroy the last shield on board a ship. (The fact you COULD do this was a complained about feature in X-Tension, because sometimes you'd blow up a ship when it still apparently had loads of shielding left simply because you'd destroyed all its shields).

[-River-]

It happens to us all. If you are having stubborn ships try using a low power laser that chips away at the hull as this does bring quicker results most of the time.

Al

Well, I was already alternating AIRE with IDs (either 1 AIRE/ID or 2 ID) to create minimal hull damage.

[lol]
I have been sending pirate ships to work for my factories.
The pirates must have been quite chaffed after too many captures , so they have become quite stubborn or..... suicidal
[/lol]


Thanks once again for clearing my doubt

[redeye]

What i probably meant to say is that as the IonDs gradually destroy the equipment, the pilot seems to be guaranteed to bail when you wipe the last shield, so if you have got them down to one shield and no weapons then you know you are pretty close.

To my knowledge it is not possible in any way, shape or form to ever destroy the last shield on board a ship. (The fact you COULD do this was a complained about feature in X-Tension, because sometimes you'd blow up a ship when it still apparently had loads of shielding left simply because you'd destroyed all its shields).

Aha. I see coming into the X-Universe at the late stage of X2 is letting me down

I assumed that as the shields were destroyed one by one by the IonDs and because roughly the same average amount of time seemed to pass between 2 / 3 shields to 1 / 2 shields as passed between 1 shield and cap (where most of the time you end up with no shield) that it was, in some cases, the destruction of the last shield that triggered the cap (assuming the pilot didnt bail before that). I stand corrected

[(/\)arped]

Been capping more dolphins (Too many-I need to start reconstrucrting my rating with them. It's Boron special friend 30% ) and found that distance from destination means nothing at all. However, I only capture ships carrying freight 'cos you also get the added bonus of extra cargo to sell. Currently, only one dolphin has been below 50% hull, while the others are all in the 70s to 87%.
Using my technique, I've used Boron Dolhpins to set up an SPP in Great Reef and am about to build one in Paranid Prime. Otherwise, I've just sold them. (Surprisingly, selling Dolphins with 50% hull can get between 100k-200k worth of credits. Check their cargo space! That's why I've only been capping dolphins.)

Note to AI: I know that fighters don't use their Fighter Drones, but I don't often cap them-so forgot to mention...

[El_Duddz]

The ever inquizative El asks:

When you say you are capping Dolphins I assume that they are not Pirates

When you attack a race in their space your rating goes down or is it just attacking a race full stop

Your rating does not go up when you cap a pirate ship so why should it go down when you cap a civilian (as it were) ship

and finally assuming you do loose race ranking what ever you do and where ever, does selling the wares back to the race take the edge off the drop a bit

[Al]

Pirates only fly pirate ships, never converted race ships like in Xtension.

You will always lose rank for attacking a race ship. If its in their race sectors it will suffer more than if you attack it somewhere else. If you kill an ejected race pilot then you will lose rank equivalent to destroying the ship.

You're argument against pirates doens't really work. If you had a rank for pirates then it would probably drop for attacking affiliated ships.

Selling wares to a race will improve your rank with them but probably not by the same amount as you have lost. Never kill a race ship if you are trying to capture it. You can always just leave it almost dead to carry on with its journey, if you run out of patience.

HTH

Al

[pjknibbs]

You're argument against pirates doens't really work. If you had a rank for pirates then it would probably drop for attacking affiliated ships.

You DO have a rank for pirates (you can see it if you enable the script editor), but it starts the game at minus one million or thereabouts, so destroying pirate ships really makes very little difference--they hate you anyway!

[Al]

Ok I stand corrected. You effectively dont have a rank for the pirates......

Al

[Dedodido]

Been capping more dolphins (Too many-I need to start reconstrucrting my rating with them. It's Boron special friend 30% ) and found that distance from destination means nothing at all. However, I only capture ships carrying freight 'cos you also get the added bonus of extra cargo to sell. Currently, only one dolphin has been below 50% hull, while the others are all in the 70s to 87%.
Using my technique, I've used Boron Dolhpins to set up an SPP in Great Reef and am about to build one in Paranid Prime. Otherwise, I've just sold them. (Surprisingly, selling Dolphins with 50% hull can get between 100k-200k worth of credits. Check their cargo space! That's why I've only been capping dolphins.)

Note to AI: I know that fighters don't use their Fighter Drones, but I don't often cap them-so forgot to mention...

a better way of doing it (I do this and it gets me 2mill a pop) is to attack a pirate base while being next to the exit point and instantly destory anything that isn't an M3. they get away from the system as to not get anythying with the Ion Ds accidentally, and then just capp all the orinocos (usually 5-8 of them). with a hull of around 80% and no add ons whatsoever to the ship it still gets you 300k+ per ship, meaning you get 2mill+ a pirate base. remember not to destroy them though so they can re-stock with ships quickly without having to wait for them to re-spawn and you can get real money! I've got 5mill early on in the game in a couple of days using this method and I'mm son to get my nemesis!

[(/\)arped]

But it's must nicer to threaten the Boron.

"Surrender and drop your cargo!"
"Boron not allowed to drop Kingdom freight"

Ten seconds later...

"Arghh! The Boron yield! Take all I have!"
<Evil snigger>