Elite-like trading - TC (or AP, whatevs)

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JJRSC
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Elite-like trading - TC (or AP, whatevs)

Post by JJRSC » Sun, 5. Feb 17, 20:09

So I'm dabbling a little in a new game where I'm trying to trade like I was playing Elite... with a ship that will work for trading & fighting. Right now I'm playing around with a Falcon Hauler - it's okay hauling cargo and is pretty good in a fight if I have enough missiles; right now am trying to find the right balance between ordnance and cargo.

With ships being really pretty specialized in TC (i.e., either you're in a combat ship for fighting or a TS for trading) there aren't many options like the Cobra in Elite where you can really do a bit of everything and do it well. Even in a Mistral, you need to avoid combat if at all possible (well, I suppose the Mistral could make a decent missile boat if done right.)

There are a couple of exceptions, the Springblossom and the Hyperion are the obvious ones... they can do everything fairly well. Even the Hydra with it's cargo capacity might be good as a combat-capable trader if you have the right balance of missiles and cargo.

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys do when you want to play this style of game? In the past I just set up CLS traders and LTs while I went and did missions. If you want to play a game where you are doing the trading but still want to engage in missions (incl. combat missions.), what do you do?

RAVEN.myst
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Post by RAVEN.myst » Sun, 5. Feb 17, 20:20

A slightly different take on that paradigm might be what I usually do in the early game: I fly a TM. For this specific combat trading scenario you mention, the Zephyrus might be a good choice, though somewhat more combat-oriented than trade (smallest cargo hold in its class) : it's a tough freighter/microcarrier with a modest hold (only about 1000 units - some TMs go up to 1500, with one particular and exceptional one carrying 2500 at the expense of one fighter bay) and the ability to host up to 4 fighters (M5 - M3+) This means that when you get into a fight, you can hop into a fighter you are carrying, order the TM to cover you with the little bit of extra fire it can support you with, and dock afterward. You can also carry, say, a fast M5 for scouting/exploring purposes, and either some capacious fighters for extra cargo space, or perhaps a couple of fighters that you can have as your wingmen. Also, you could in a fight instead choose to remain in your mobile home, and deploy your fighters to engage, while you provide some limited fire support. TMs are also good for hosting some drones, given that the can be made to return to base easily enough via the landing bays.
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Spearthrower
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Re: Elite-like trading - TC (or AP, whatevs)

Post by Spearthrower » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 01:22

JJRSC wrote:Just out of curiosity, what do you guys do when you want to play this style of game? In the past I just set up CLS traders and LTs while I went and did missions. If you want to play a game where you are doing the trading but still want to engage in missions (incl. combat missions.), what do you do?
I think you can do this best with the Springblossom - fast, decent cargo, and punches well above its class. Hyperion seems ok, and TM's as RAVEN said.

I think it was in TC that I had a script that added docking clamps to TL's so I played one game where I flew system to system in an Orca with a selection of choice ships to do each mission type. If you're prepared to modify your game, this might be a way for you to do that.

Alternatively, save millions and buy a Kyoto! ;) Then you can dock a M6, M8, TP, TS and TM and do any mission you encounter.

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Post by delray » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 01:55

1. Guppy M7C carrying Angel TP and a couple fighters. You get a solid FLAK platform to hold onto, it can load a massive pile of lighter missiles and drones, you can do literally every mission in Angel and you can dock your M3 for fighting and M5 for scouting.

2. Ariadne, same as above but with less firepower on the ship, but more docking bays for fighter ships.

3. Kyoto. Same as above but something like a 250 million option (it really isn't that much money at higher trade ranks). Now that's a work of beauty for player ship when you no longer need to run every stupid errand, as you can dock on it a couple M8s full of missiles, you can dock your M6 there, your TS ships for hauling heavy stuff and TP for VIP missions, and a couple fighters and scouts on top of it. Jump around, do ANY mission. Stay safe. Look cool.

4. Aran with a Xenon I on its shoulder. Just kidding. :-D
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RAVEN.myst
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Post by RAVEN.myst » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 02:00

delray wrote: Guppy M7C carrying Angel TP
This is one of my top favourite ship combos in the game, makes me really enjoy it when I play Boron. And it's not just the excellent functionality (Angel counts as luxury passenger transport AND can handle XL cargo), but also aesthetically (Angel looks like a miniature Guppy docked to it) - I only wish the Guppy had a cooler name :D (Yes, I know I can change it, but Betty still says "Gup-pee"...)
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Post by Timsup2nothin » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 02:11

RAVEN.myst wrote:A slightly different take on that paradigm might be what I usually do in the early game: I fly a TM. For this specific combat trading scenario you mention, the Zephyrus might be a good choice, though somewhat more combat-oriented than trade (smallest cargo hold in its class) : it's a tough freighter/microcarrier with a modest hold (only about 1000 units - some TMs go up to 1500, with one particular and exceptional one carrying 2500 at the expense of one fighter bay) and the ability to host up to 4 fighters (M5 - M3+) This means that when you get into a fight, you can hop into a fighter you are carrying, order the TM to cover you with the little bit of extra fire it can support you with, and dock afterward. You can also carry, say, a fast M5 for scouting/exploring purposes, and either some capacious fighters for extra cargo space, or perhaps a couple of fighters that you can have as your wingmen. Also, you could in a fight instead choose to remain in your mobile home, and deploy your fighters to engage, while you provide some limited fire support. TMs are also good for hosting some drones, given that the can be made to return to base easily enough via the landing bays.
Second this. A tradeship with reasonable shielding carrying a variety of mission capable small craft is hard to beat.
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delray
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Post by delray » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 02:25

I'm really inches from installing some mod that makes ships generate jump energy from their laser&shield instead of this whole silliness with having to carry thousands of ecells just to move&boost yourself around. What's the point? It adds nothing to experience, only takes away from it. I'd rather just pay in cash for all my jumps than have to do the stupid refuelling all the time.

That'll open a whole new set of ships for player daily use. Among them most TPs, TMs, M6s which have too small cargo bays and require so much refuelling they aren't even viable... For example: Terran Mani, Acinonyx, Pirate Osprey etc etc.

Like the OP, he wants to have some fun in the game, but he only has 3 ships to pick from for daily use with massive annoyances of refuel.
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Triaxx2
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Post by Triaxx2 » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 03:20

Energy solution: Bonus Pack, CLS can auto-supply you. Painless to setup.

Ship solution: The Hydra is my personal suggestion for a trade/fight ship. It's not hilariously maneuverable, but it doesn't wallow like the Osprey. It's not a fantastic combat ship, but it's got a big cargo bay capable of carrying a lot of missiles, and good shielding. It's also pretty fast, and will out run the Falcon Hauler you're currently flying quite handily.

The other option I absolutely adore, is to go all the way up to a Shrike. Capable of killing capitals, up to and including any M2 you might run across (pending pilot skill of course.). The other side of the equation, is it's also a carrier, so it can have it's own group of defensive fighters, or pickup abandoned ones. Plus you can show up, use it to break up an asteroid, and then mine with it. As Nuklear-Slug said, 4GJ of shields makes for a surprisingly capable miner. Then you can park in an area where the ore or silicon you've just mined is in high-demand and unleash your fleet of Falcon Haulers to sell it for you.
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delray
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Post by delray » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 04:30

Shrike is a little smallish for mobile mining, it's easier if you cover more area with each swing&spin. It's also a little inconvenient for mission-running to have a ship which can't dock anywhere.

Valid player ships in the game, for me:

- Chokaro and Adv. Chokaro (speed, shields, XL cargo, docking bays, cheap). Other TMs to a lesser degree as they have less cargo and/or speed.
- Angel (XL cargo, speed, VIP missions, might as well be my favourite player ship).
- Mistral or Demeter Proto (freighters with barely enough speed to make it to the profits on time).
- Mani an Boa (quick TPs with barely enough cargo space to sorta/kinda work in the game for player needs)
- Acinonyx, but it doesn't have enough fuel space unless you fly it unarmed, which is super-lame.
- Elephant (just enough speed and docking space to remain useful but it can't do any missions other than building stations).
- Auster Hauler with ecells instead of missiles (but slow and unable to do a lot of different missions).
- Hydra (absolute crap as M6 and so shamefully ugly, but it's the only one among regular M6s with cargo space and speed to make sense in this role)
- Guppy and/or Ariadne (quick enough and can carry TP or TS for missions).
- Panther or Griffon (but they are really obsoleted by Guppy cause they can't carry a TP/TS for missions which require these).
- Kyoto (6 medium ship docking bays to be mobile base for your M8, M6, TS, TP and fighters) but costs much profits to get one and it's slower than a glacier.
- Raptor (the only carrier to actually make sense). Also Pteranodon, the lol destroyer that flies like a frigate should.
- Hyperion and Springblossom (because OP as hell).
Where is it?

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