Your favorite/ least favorite fighters?
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Your favorite/ least favorite fighters?
Lets ignore the fact that fighters can't dock anywhere in this game, are useless in OOS and nightmare to assign to squads in greater numbers.
However if we ignore these, what would be your favorite and least favorite fighters?
You can choose any type of criteria you want - stats, look, cost, anything.
For me my 3 most favorite are:
1) Eterscel Sentinel / Hesus - looks good, good stats and I love to watch their engine animation when they do turns in combat.
2) Foltor family - best raw firepower and distinct solid design.
3) Hayabusa - cheap, resonably powerful, interesting low-tech design.
Least favorite:
1) Teladi fighters - absolutely apex of ugliness and weak/overpriced
2) PMC fighters - looks like tetris nightmare, also you hate them because you can't travel a single zone in Albion without being fire upon by these.
3) Other corporate fighters - butt ugly and weak/overpriced
Exception - Nechtan - nice look, but still weak/overpriced
However if we ignore these, what would be your favorite and least favorite fighters?
You can choose any type of criteria you want - stats, look, cost, anything.
For me my 3 most favorite are:
1) Eterscel Sentinel / Hesus - looks good, good stats and I love to watch their engine animation when they do turns in combat.
2) Foltor family - best raw firepower and distinct solid design.
3) Hayabusa - cheap, resonably powerful, interesting low-tech design.
Least favorite:
1) Teladi fighters - absolutely apex of ugliness and weak/overpriced
2) PMC fighters - looks like tetris nightmare, also you hate them because you can't travel a single zone in Albion without being fire upon by these.
3) Other corporate fighters - butt ugly and weak/overpriced
Exception - Nechtan - nice look, but still weak/overpriced
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In that case I pick second-hand resale value.mr.WHO wrote:You can choose any type of criteria you want
Love the new comm options for shipyards, particularly for remote sale of captured fighters.
These days always travel with at least 1 pilot on board. Never used to bother claiming bailed fighters in the past, now it's a good source of income.
My favourite fighters?
The ones which sell for the most after the pilot bails.
Drostan springs to mind, normally worth a fair bit & not as flimsy as many of the rest so easier to get with a good hull.
My least favourite fighters?
The ones where I'm a bit too heavy on the trigger & barely make enough back to cover the cost of the pilot.
Dolmech is a good example, paper thin hull, always tend to overcook them.
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Etescels are deadly. A bunch of those devastates everything except largest capships and stations.
Folthors pack quite a nice punch. But they truly define the word "uglyness".
I also like the split scorpions. Managed to cap a few, they're powerful but hard to get.
Hayabusas are stylish. Quite powerful - but not too durable. I love the frontal reflector.
Maelchons, Dolmechs and Ceneleaths (or whatever you spell that) are epic. Pirates have the best fighters, hands down. Unfortunately, they can't be bought.
On the other side, Iam very disappointed by Katanas and Daitos.
They are beautiful, but extremly weak, lack durability and shielding, and are too bulky to stand a chance against nimble ships like Dolmechs or the teladi fighters.
Folthors pack quite a nice punch. But they truly define the word "uglyness".
I also like the split scorpions. Managed to cap a few, they're powerful but hard to get.
Hayabusas are stylish. Quite powerful - but not too durable. I love the frontal reflector.
Maelchons, Dolmechs and Ceneleaths (or whatever you spell that) are epic. Pirates have the best fighters, hands down. Unfortunately, they can't be bought.
On the other side, Iam very disappointed by Katanas and Daitos.
They are beautiful, but extremly weak, lack durability and shielding, and are too bulky to stand a chance against nimble ships like Dolmechs or the teladi fighters.
I indeed have a hard time figuring out which fighters would most help me and in what situation. I generally rely on Hesus or other ones with good speed, at least they must be able to fire missiles, a MK2 gun alone will not make the cut against a horde of enemies.
A good number of wingmen 4 to 8 (more of them, as said, are hard to manage) are only useful IMO against other group of fighters. I lose them very quickly agasint escorts of CAP ships because they will die like flies against any turrets which would quickly make it very expensive for you getting replacements.
So their usage is rather limited, unless I miss some gameplay features. Also URV drones of your Skunk do the same job but much better - and cheaper and are also easier to command. Same goes with drones on CAP ships with a good Defense Officer: You have trouble with a horde of Xenon? Bring in a Titurel with a lot of combat drones and you can watch the fly-swatting show This is IMO the best weapon setup to go through the Devries system.
What I really miss with all fighters is to make them disengage fast during combat, you can do it but it takes long going through the menu...and in that time you'll lose them.
What's also cumbersome is that you can command them (and CAPs) to fight or patrol against 'Enemies'. But enemies are not all the same...There are pirates and then there are factions you dont' want to decrease your rep further, so these 'generic' commands are worthless in many cases.
Any cheap and 'frigid' fighters with mk1, mk2 weapons only, or non-fighter small ships are only good for selling if you happen to find them IMO.
XenonS
A good number of wingmen 4 to 8 (more of them, as said, are hard to manage) are only useful IMO against other group of fighters. I lose them very quickly agasint escorts of CAP ships because they will die like flies against any turrets which would quickly make it very expensive for you getting replacements.
So their usage is rather limited, unless I miss some gameplay features. Also URV drones of your Skunk do the same job but much better - and cheaper and are also easier to command. Same goes with drones on CAP ships with a good Defense Officer: You have trouble with a horde of Xenon? Bring in a Titurel with a lot of combat drones and you can watch the fly-swatting show This is IMO the best weapon setup to go through the Devries system.
What I really miss with all fighters is to make them disengage fast during combat, you can do it but it takes long going through the menu...and in that time you'll lose them.
What's also cumbersome is that you can command them (and CAPs) to fight or patrol against 'Enemies'. But enemies are not all the same...There are pirates and then there are factions you dont' want to decrease your rep further, so these 'generic' commands are worthless in many cases.
Any cheap and 'frigid' fighters with mk1, mk2 weapons only, or non-fighter small ships are only good for selling if you happen to find them IMO.
XenonS
Humm...My opinions about fighters are going to change. Yesterday I went in a zone north of Lookout Alpha which was infested with SS fighters. First 2 groups of 10 or more, so I had to boost away and call reinforcement with 1 Titurel and 1 Taranis. I docked in the Taranis and ordered to attack all enemies, but then a SS group (or Xenon?) of about 30 or more fighters were heading towards me. Taranis managed to kill some, but the ship's shields were going down fast, then the Hull started to decrease... I had to jump out before beeing destroyed
I think when you decide to have fighters, then a big number of them should make a great difference.
XenonS
I think when you decide to have fighters, then a big number of them should make a great difference.
XenonS
XR's fighters would be considerably more useful and enjoyable to use if organizing and coordinating large groups of them weren't such a pain.
I've had success using groups of fighters organized into squads of of 3-5 ships each: one leader that I issue commands to, the other 2-4 under the leader's management. The leaders' "management" amounts to little more than maintaining a "protect me/attack my target" command on its followers, but it's better than nothing.
Anyways, that allows me to add/remove batches of fighters from my squad more quickly, issue orders more efficiently. Establishing that basic chain of command also makes them much more effective and increases their individual survival rates. It's much, much easier to issue four specific attack commands to 4 groups of 5 fighters each compared to issue 20 orders to each fighter at a time. It's also more effective than grouping the fighters into one large group and giving a blanket "Attack all" command; that just makes me feel like a beleaguered American football coach calling for a Hail Mary.
As for which fighters to use, I prefer Foltors: Sentinels as interceptors and Vanguards as capital strike craft. Foltors are very high-performance fighters, their only drawback being relatively high price tags. I'm sure some other fighter model(s) would be more cost-effective, but that would also mean having more fighters to manage. XR's interface isn't very conducive to managing large groups of ships, so I feel it's worth the extra cash to keep ship counts as trim and ergonomic as possible.
I've had success using groups of fighters organized into squads of of 3-5 ships each: one leader that I issue commands to, the other 2-4 under the leader's management. The leaders' "management" amounts to little more than maintaining a "protect me/attack my target" command on its followers, but it's better than nothing.
Anyways, that allows me to add/remove batches of fighters from my squad more quickly, issue orders more efficiently. Establishing that basic chain of command also makes them much more effective and increases their individual survival rates. It's much, much easier to issue four specific attack commands to 4 groups of 5 fighters each compared to issue 20 orders to each fighter at a time. It's also more effective than grouping the fighters into one large group and giving a blanket "Attack all" command; that just makes me feel like a beleaguered American football coach calling for a Hail Mary.
As for which fighters to use, I prefer Foltors: Sentinels as interceptors and Vanguards as capital strike craft. Foltors are very high-performance fighters, their only drawback being relatively high price tags. I'm sure some other fighter model(s) would be more cost-effective, but that would also mean having more fighters to manage. XR's interface isn't very conducive to managing large groups of ships, so I feel it's worth the extra cash to keep ship counts as trim and ergonomic as possible.
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I have the same problem, after having played the game more or less from release I'd got into the habit of ignoring a target turning blue & would generally just keep shooting until it explodes & drops loot. Well worth making the effort to break that habit though - captured fighter in reasonable condition can be worth several 100k, usually costs less than 20k to hire a pilot (if you go for the cheapest) & they're so much easier to sell now you can just phone the shipyard & talk to a dealer.XenonSurf wrote:A curiosity: in these 5 monthes of playing, I managed only to claim 7 fighters
I must be too trigger-happy...
XenonS
Are you sure you're not confusing 'fast' with 'maneuverable' IG?.. I've had this mental blockage too..
Wiki X:R 1st Tit capping
Wiki X3:TC vanilla: Guide to generic missions, Guide to finding & capping Aran
Never played AP; all X3 advice is based on vanilla+bonus pack TC or before: AP has not changed much WRT general advice.
I know how to spell teladiuminumiumium, I just don't know when to stop!
Dom (Wiki Moderator) DxDiag
Wiki X3:TC vanilla: Guide to generic missions, Guide to finding & capping Aran
Never played AP; all X3 advice is based on vanilla+bonus pack TC or before: AP has not changed much WRT general advice.
I know how to spell teladiuminumiumium, I just don't know when to stop!
Dom (Wiki Moderator) DxDiag
Dunno. I thought it was the speed number in the encyclopedia, but maybe it was just the description and how the ship looks. Heh, looks fast. Don't think it's particularly maneouverable either. More like a VW than a fast courier. Good in large numbers, but really, anything with a gun is good in numbers.
To answer the OP, Maelchons are great IZ, and Cennelaths are great OOZ. Eterscels and Hesus are good too. Haven't been to Omicron Lyrae yet, so don't know about the Foltors.
To answer the OP, Maelchons are great IZ, and Cennelaths are great OOZ. Eterscels and Hesus are good too. Haven't been to Omicron Lyrae yet, so don't know about the Foltors.
I know about the reason for my low-numbr claimings now: I always use the Pulse laser MK2 which is quite strong against fighters. If I switch to the 'Particle' gun it will lower the fighter's hull at a slower pace giving the pilot the chance to bail out and leaving the fighter as a blue icon which can be claimed.
I usually haven't lost my time doing this, but by destroying the fighter you give away 500k or even 1M credits
XenonS
I usually haven't lost my time doing this, but by destroying the fighter you give away 500k or even 1M credits
XenonS
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I like the way Fighters fight and their simple means of construction. Those at the top end of the cost scale feel a bit pricey relative to bigger alternatives like the Balor or even the Teladi Vultures, which have many HIT/MAs.
I'm less keen on their balance vs. stations bristling with guns, although that is perhaps more of a general view rather than a fighter-specific view. I think my preference would be capital shield generators on each station module and less guns, but that is off-topic, sorry.
I'm less keen on their balance vs. stations bristling with guns, although that is perhaps more of a general view rather than a fighter-specific view. I think my preference would be capital shield generators on each station module and less guns, but that is off-topic, sorry.
Pulse Mk2 has a high RoF/low dmg ratio, but it still has the dmg 'persist' (as do all of the series) that's most noticeable with the Mk3 version, AIUI. This may result in your bailed ships exploding if at low hull. PM Mk3 has the best range & highest RoF but its dmg persist is not good for bailsXenonSurf wrote: reason for my low-numbr claimings now: I always use the Pulse laser MK2 which is quite strong against fighters. If I switch to the 'Particle' gun it will lower the fighter's hull at a slower pace
Particle Repeater Mk3 has reasonable range & almost as high a RoF, but its heat buildup is PDQ & dmg is pretty high too. Good for getting through fighter's shields
The shotgun (IH) does good dmg, with a chance of spreading to other grouped fighters, but it's range isn't as good as the above 2
Has anyone explored the bailing mechanics yet? In X2 thru X3 series the chance to bail started at no shields + 84% (83.83% IIRC) hull (+ pilot's morale, hidden in a non-modded game).. is X:R completely random or is there something there to investigate?
Wiki X:R 1st Tit capping
Wiki X3:TC vanilla: Guide to generic missions, Guide to finding & capping Aran
Never played AP; all X3 advice is based on vanilla+bonus pack TC or before: AP has not changed much WRT general advice.
I know how to spell teladiuminumiumium, I just don't know when to stop!
Dom (Wiki Moderator) DxDiag
Wiki X3:TC vanilla: Guide to generic missions, Guide to finding & capping Aran
Never played AP; all X3 advice is based on vanilla+bonus pack TC or before: AP has not changed much WRT general advice.
I know how to spell teladiuminumiumium, I just don't know when to stop!
Dom (Wiki Moderator) DxDiag
Hi Snafu_X3,
there is a post, maybe even one started by me where a veteran player expanded on your question, I will try to link it here. IIRC, every time you fire a single shot there is a low probability that the pilot will bail out. So the tactic is: get the hull down to approx. 5% or lower and then use the Mining Laser (!) to make a lot of hits. This is IMO the best chance that the pilot will bail out, but you have to show patience obviously
More realistically and if the combat allows it, just switch to a non-deadly firing weapon and always watch for the red icon turning blue. Also after a battle involving a lot of pirate fighters, I always fire up the zone map and l'm looking for ships that DON'T start with their faction name...These are un-manned and can be claimed.
I will try to find the post I mentioned,
XenonS
there is a post, maybe even one started by me where a veteran player expanded on your question, I will try to link it here. IIRC, every time you fire a single shot there is a low probability that the pilot will bail out. So the tactic is: get the hull down to approx. 5% or lower and then use the Mining Laser (!) to make a lot of hits. This is IMO the best chance that the pilot will bail out, but you have to show patience obviously
More realistically and if the combat allows it, just switch to a non-deadly firing weapon and always watch for the red icon turning blue. Also after a battle involving a lot of pirate fighters, I always fire up the zone map and l'm looking for ships that DON'T start with their faction name...These are un-manned and can be claimed.
I will try to find the post I mentioned,
XenonS
That's fine, but the Hvy mining laser replaces the Mk1/2 version & doesn't use auto-aim The hvy version chews thru capship shield gens (& hulls) just fine; however the lower-dmg version is preferable for use against lockboxes etc..XenonSurf wrote: So the tactic is: get the hull down to approx. 5% or lower and then use the Mining Laser (!) to make a lot of hits.
Hvy laser is only available thru Teladi DLC AFAICR, so swapping weapons isn't an immediate fix (& can be expensive!)
For the rest of your post you seem to be working with the (bail) stats I stated above.. unfortunately I'm pretty sure they've changed in X:R In X3 however they'd be fine tactics (other than getting the enemy hull down so low..)) [/quote]
Wiki X:R 1st Tit capping
Wiki X3:TC vanilla: Guide to generic missions, Guide to finding & capping Aran
Never played AP; all X3 advice is based on vanilla+bonus pack TC or before: AP has not changed much WRT general advice.
I know how to spell teladiuminumiumium, I just don't know when to stop!
Dom (Wiki Moderator) DxDiag
Wiki X3:TC vanilla: Guide to generic missions, Guide to finding & capping Aran
Never played AP; all X3 advice is based on vanilla+bonus pack TC or before: AP has not changed much WRT general advice.
I know how to spell teladiuminumiumium, I just don't know when to stop!
Dom (Wiki Moderator) DxDiag
Well, attacking ships with a mining laser is kinda ridiculous ofc. I did it once to see if it works, and it does, but...it's annoying. Instead: I wish this 'Surrender' command would work if - let's say the ship's hull is getting to 2% with no shields, maybe with a prob of 30% or so... I think this radio call is simply broken or uncomplete yet.
Humm...A good idea for a suggestion post in the beta, I think I post it.
XenonS
Humm...A good idea for a suggestion post in the beta, I think I post it.
XenonS
I don't even see point using those fighters on first place....
1) They can't be used as for capital ships becuse they don't have jump drive.
2) Using them for small ships escort is just not profitable and pointles (you can buy cap ship for that money ).
3) Escorting Skunk i don't see much point becuse it have horrible AI and having problems using highways when following. Also it cant keep up with boosting and fixing them all the time is just pain in the neck;)
4) I don't even capture them because you always need to fix them and micromanage them.
They would be more useful if they can fix them self or if they can use jump drive. Or at least dock to cap ships for jumping and repairs. Another thing would be useful UI where we can select 20 of them at once and assign them to ship or station......
Anyway my favorite is Katana becuse it brings memories of X3TC and AP
1) They can't be used as for capital ships becuse they don't have jump drive.
2) Using them for small ships escort is just not profitable and pointles (you can buy cap ship for that money ).
3) Escorting Skunk i don't see much point becuse it have horrible AI and having problems using highways when following. Also it cant keep up with boosting and fixing them all the time is just pain in the neck;)
4) I don't even capture them because you always need to fix them and micromanage them.
They would be more useful if they can fix them self or if they can use jump drive. Or at least dock to cap ships for jumping and repairs. Another thing would be useful UI where we can select 20 of them at once and assign them to ship or station......
Anyway my favorite is Katana becuse it brings memories of X3TC and AP
It's not world hunger because we can't feed poor,it's because there will never be enough to feed the rich .....
Your point 3 is IMO the biggest flaw in gameplay: If at least fighters would keep up with the Skunk's boosting and use highways as fast it would be really interesting using them.Nikola515 wrote:I don't even see point using those fighters on first place....
1) They can't be used as for capital ships becuse they don't have jump drive.
2) Using them for small ships escort is just not profitable and pointles (you can buy cap ship for that money ).
3) Escorting Skunk i don't see much point becuse it have horrible AI and having problems using highways when following. Also it cant keep up with boosting and fixing them all the time is just pain in the neck;)
4) I don't even capture them because you always need to fix them and micromanage them.
They would be more useful if they can fix them self or if they can use jump drive. Or at least dock to cap ships for jumping and repairs. Another thing would be useful UI where we can select 20 of them at once and assign them to ship or station......
Anyway my favorite is Katana becuse it brings memories of X3TC and AP
If I know that a lot of pirates will be in a zone (during a mission), then I send them in beforehand, but this also can cause havoc to them because I cannot always join them in synchronity to give them orders fast enough to be effective...bad, I agree.
XenonS