[X3TC] Finished Operation: Final Fury

[rwhiteruff]

Yeah another braggart thread. Not that great an accomplishment compared to what ya'll do, but I'm happy to have done it!

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This is my Boreas-led task-group attacking the Kha'ak hiveworld. It took FOREVER to get to the stations, as they put me 500 km out from them and the Boreas is slow as heck, even using turbo-booster.

The group consisted of Space Monster (Boreas M2), Kitsune (Shrike M7), and Star Fury (Panther M7). The Star Fury had a wing of only six Argon Novas with a supplementary compliment of four M4s armed with mass drivers. They were chewed up pretty early, but the Panther's FAAs and PALCs came in handy throughout the mission.

When I first jumped in there was a Kha'ak M1 nearby, pasted quickly by my Boreas with a few charged full-bore PPC blasts aided by the Kitsune and Star Fury. A Kha'ak M2 lurking nearby got the same treatment. It was during these engagements that most of the fighter wing was decimated.

The rest of the journey was teeth-grindingly boring, as I slow-boated over to the Kha'ak stations, being periodically attacked by scouts and fighters. I didn't even reach the first station and guardian set before the OFF npc task force led by a Tiger and Shrike combo had annihilated it on its own.

The other two stations were mine, however. The Space Monster's small supply of 20 mosquito missiles was used up far before I got to them, so I had to manually take out most of the Guardian missiles with PPC+GC fire as I closed in on them, which was surprisingly easy.

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And this is the Griffon M7 drone frigate I got as a reward. I have a Hyperion Vanguard and a Shrike so I doubt I'll turn this thing into a player ship. I'm not sure how to outfit it or what to do with it, though. It looks like it wants to be a heavily shielded M6 mini-carrier, but I'm not sure if that evaluation is correct, or what it even means. I named it Erratic Behavior.

[webba84]

Congrats! I'm currently working through this mission for the first time. Looks like a pretty hard fight at the end, I might have to revise my plan of completing the plot using only Corvettes and Bombers

[Masochisto]

Congrats rwhiteruff!

I haven't even started OFF in my current game, I've just been draggin my feet on all the plots tbh.

What commands did you give the fighters? defend, to attack enemies, attack target of? or attack fighters?

[rwhiteruff]

Congrats rwhiteruff!

I haven't even started OFF in my current game, I've just been draggin my feet on all the plots tbh.

What commands did you give the fighters? defend, to attack enemies, attack target of? or attack fighters?

I didn't actually order the fighters to do anything. I ordered Star Fury to "defend me" as I was in the Space Monster, and it seemed to launch fighters on its own.

[Masochisto]

That has been my reluctance with deploying wings of fighters. You wouldn't want to send them against anything with good flak or aoe weapons. "Defend" and "Protect" commands are not selective in this regard. Attack Fighters will have them venturing off.. It seems like you'd have to swap commands on them quite a bit to keep them from getting themselves killed.

It is a moot point however when it is Fighters vs Kyons.

[rwhiteruff]

Congrats! I'm currently working through this mission for the first time. Looks like a pretty hard fight at the end, I might have to revise my plan of completing the plot using only Corvettes and Bombers

There's a point in the line where they throw a M1/M2 pair at you, regardless of rank. It may be doable with bombers and sufficient fighter cover, though.

That has been my reluctance with deploying wings of fighters. You wouldn't want to send them against anything with good flak or aoe weapons. "Defend" and "Protect" commands are not selective in this regard. Attack Fighters will have them venturing off.. It seems like you'd have to swap commands on them quite a bit to keep them from getting themselves killed.

It is a moot point however when it is Fighters vs Kyons.

Yes, kyons are murderous.

Honestly though, they're fighters. I don't field them unless I expect to lose them all. The AI is too braindead behind the wheel of anything smaller than an M6 to be trusted.

[TTD]

I can't remember what my flagship was at the time.
However I took loads of MK2 fighter drones and a few torpedoes .Might have taken some laser towers too.

You might find an early comment of mine ,if you dig deep enough.All will be revealed.
But I only did it the once , a couple of years ago.
Had to wait for the Griffon,as it was not a reward back then.

[SIMON POPPLEWELL]

Nice one rwhiteruff, but you could have probably done it in just the Boreas. My first time with OFF was in a Cobra, but I ran out of missiles. So then I had to call in my Deimos to finish the job. But now I just use an M2 for that last mission. Anyways have fun with your shiny new Griffon.

[rwhiteruff]

Nice one rwhiteruff, but you could have probably done it in just the Boreas. My first time with OFF was in a Cobra, but I ran out of missiles. So then I had to call in my Deimos to finish the job. But now I just use an M2 for that last mission. Anyways have fun with your shiny new Griffon.

I might've been able to do it in the Boreas alone, but I loaded the Boreas as a completely anti-capital ship. Every single turret is set to destroy caps, as I figured I could rely on the Panther for anti-fighter cover.

That... mostly worked out. Except when the Panther decided that it was possible to shoot THROUGH the Boreas with PALCs to get at kha'ak M5s...

[Morai]

I am envious! I have been building my empire before I start the serious plots (Goner/HQ/OFF/Aldrin) but seeing this makes me want to try.

I wonder if my Pirate m2 supported by m7's and m6's will have trouble with this?

Thanks for the narration, it is fun to read.

[rwhiteruff]

I am envious! I have been building my empire before I start the serious plots (Goner/HQ/OFF/Aldrin) but seeing this makes me want to try.

I wonder if my Pirate m2 supported by m7's and m6's will have trouble with this?

Thanks for the narration, it is fun to read.

No problem!

As far as trying it goes, my fight rank went from 10-20 during the plot, and here's my experience with it (as my fleet comp seems very similar to yours):

Early assignments were m5/m4 heavy, with a few quirks. The very first mission gave me a few headaches until I learned how to deal with a Q and a few corvettes with fighters.

These early parts were done fairly easily in a Hyperion Vanguard, so I'd assume a similar M6 "+" such as the vidar or an M3 in skilled hands could also handle them handily. Less overpowered M6s might need better skills than mine or a better complement. Or just missiles, since I didn't make use of them much at all for this part (aside from mosquito defense).

At a certain point you start getting missions where you have to destroy entire kha'ak fleets, defend bases in hostile sectors, or destroy a kha'ak base. At that point, I found that having an M8 or two full of tomahawks and an M7 with anti-fighter weaponry was sufficient here (the panther got a lot of exercise and made practically every foray into Kha'ak held space a complete breeze.).

At the very end you get a double-whammy of missions where you face off against M2+M1 pairs in quick succession. At that point it helps to have an M2, fully loaded M1, and/or M7 complementary forces. M8s can't defend themselves well against fighter cover in these missions, so I found them more unreliable than they were during the destroy-station mission (where npcs run better interference for you). A well-rounded M2, rather than the full anti-capship loadout I used would probably be able to solo these missions. Either that or an M1 with judicious use of lots and lots of well-equipped fighters.

[Nanook]

Good job!

I just this morning finished OFF for the third time. This time I used just my Cerberus outfitted to massacre fighters. Like you, I had a Destroyer and Carrier there to greet me, but I just turbo-boosted out of the area and left them way behind. A few Corvette's were just slightly faster than me, so they took a brace of hornet missiles each, and that was that. My Cerberus didn't even break a sweat taking out the fighter spawns along the way.

When the Guardians came within range, a combination of hornets, firestorms and hammerhead torpedoes took most of them out, and I finished them off with my front guns, 4xCIG's and 4xIPG's. Then the two stations, and the CONGRATULATIONS! screen and it was all over. Kind of anticlimactic compared to the last time I did it with a Brigantine, Akuma and a Galleon full of fighters. A lot cheaper, too.

[5150]

Is the location of the weapons crate (for the PALC's) randomly placed, is it within the default sector zoom and is a weapns crate guaranteed to appear (just the content being random)?

I only ask as I've reloaded twice now an, having done a circuit of the sector, have yet to find a crate containing any guns either time!

I've found 3 unknown objects clustered together but I just bounce off them (plenty of cargo space) if I try to pick them up

[TTD]

only did it the once.
Not sure why you bounce off them ,unless the ware size of your cargo bay is too low.

ie you can't pick up M size cargo in an S rated cargo bay.

[RicoOcho]

Outstanding sir....sucks it put you 500km away from the stations lol
Mine was led By an 1-2 Osakas backed up by a boreas, 2x titans, 1x ray, 1x oddie and 2x pythons (this was a year ago or so so the numbers maybe off)\and me in a Vidar...most fun watching the M2s rip everything apart

[SIMON POPPLEWELL]

I might've been able to do it in the Boreas alone, but I loaded the Boreas as a completely anti-capital ship. Every single turret is set to destroy caps, as I figured I could rely on the Panther for anti-fighter cover.

That's why it pays to always fit FAAs to your top and bottom turrets on your M2/M1s.

[rwhiteruff]

That's why it pays to always fit FAAs to your top and bottom turrets on your M2/M1s.

A lesson well-learned, my friend I assure you. FAA is superb at anti-fighter defense, even with only a couple.

@Nanook: Thanks! I really need to use missiles, to be honest. I just haven't gotten around to expanding my complex from hornets, flails, and hammerheads.

Someone advised me to add fabs for Typhoons, Hurricanes, and Firestorms.

[5150]

only did it the once.
Not sure why you bounce off them ,unless the ware size of your cargo bay is too low.

ie you can't pick up M size cargo in an S rated cargo bay.

Well I'm in a Cerberus (M7). I've read though that they appear on the local map called HEPT (or whatever) so I was working on the premise that the unknown items weren't what I was looking for?

[rwhiteruff]

only did it the once.
Not sure why you bounce off them ,unless the ware size of your cargo bay is too low.

ie you can't pick up M size cargo in an S rated cargo bay.

Well I'm in a Cerberus (M7). I've read though that they appear on the local map called HEPT (or whatever) so I was working on the premise that the unknown items weren't what I was looking for?

Okay about the PALCs:

From what I recall, the containers are in the second "scout xenon sector xxx" mission. The first mission has a chance at I think some PRGs, so not that important.

The containers are within triplex range of the jump-in point.

There's always some other stuff around them, and they're right near the black box flight recorder that you need to recover for the mission.

PALCs are a random chance; sometimes you just get e-cells and stuff. Save BEFORE you dock at the military base to get the mission if you want to ensure you get the PALCs.

Also they're frigate/destroyer-class weapons and therefore fairly large. *checks his panther* They're L-sized freight and each one takes up 32 volume. So make sure you have room.

[TTD]

They're L-sized freight and each one takes up 32 volume. So make sure you have room.

Hmm...that's what I thought,but was not sure.