Long Live Mass Drivers

General discussions about the games by Egosoft including X-BTF, XT, X², X³: Reunion, X³: Terran Conflict and X³: Albion Prelude.

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Maverick98
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue, 26. Oct 04, 04:39
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Long Live Mass Drivers

Post by Maverick98 » Fri, 25. Mar 05, 15:00

Long Live Mass Drivers


I know it sounds like a newbie comment, but in the off and on playing I've done for the past year, it's the first truly profitable action I've seen.

The Boron invasion mission was a nightmare. I had a Nova with Dual Ions, Dual mass drivers, and an HEPT, up against the concerning, but deal-able Xenon fleet of one carrier and a bunch of small fry.

After wasting the smaller ships, I moved in(along with everyone else) on the carrier. After several attempts with my dual Ions to bring down it's shields, I noticed (to not so much surprise) that the computer AI ships are in fact less usefull than a Disco (assuming I had one there and under my control). None of them could manuever well enough to keep hammering at the carrier, let alone do any actual hull damage.

Well, seeing as how things looked bleak, I broke out the twin mass-drivers and started making strafing runs on the thing, which was easy since after the first five percent of hul strength was gone, it started to consider me the likely threat. I'd pull away, recharge the shields, move back in, strafe the sides, drop in behind, shoot at the engines a while until my shields ran low, pull away, wash-repeat-rinse. I guess the computer ships did make themselves usefull by bravely sacrificing themselves before it's PPC's, taking most of the heat off of me.

Finally, I came to the unfortunate realization that I wouldnt have enough ammo to take him down (I had only hauled about 32 units with me), but that was all okay, since he collided with me during a turn shortly after.

So...I reloaded the game, jumped in a freighter with a load of ammo from Argon Prime, and went after it again, finally blowing the thing away after an hour of stick and move. The great and wonderful Boron Queen gave me 15million credits or so for my effort, which I promptly blew (probably not so wisely) on a paranid corvette, a little something for those wonderful incurrsions of the Khaak into Ore Belt.

Anyway, I know it's long winded, but It's a good story for the newbies to learn from. The Mass Driver, though low damage, is incredibly usefull.

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JungleJim
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Joined: Fri, 23. Jul 04, 23:41
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Post by JungleJim » Fri, 25. Mar 05, 15:15

Maverick,

MDs are indeed fun to play with. You ought to try out the other weapons available to you too.

In my mind MDs are not useful for Cap ship combat because 1) they cost too much & 2) it takes too long to take down a cap ship with them.

Since you now own a Nemmy, try another XI mission. Load your Nemmy with 2x bPSG + 1x gPSG. Make sure you only use the PSG in the Xenon sector (jump there to tackle the J).

You should be able to take down the J in a few minutes at most.
Be seeing you,


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Maverick98
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Joined: Tue, 26. Oct 04, 04:39
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Post by Maverick98 » Fri, 25. Mar 05, 15:18

Thanks, I'll try that.

Griefheart
Posts: 424
Joined: Fri, 2. Apr 04, 13:20
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Post by Griefheart » Sat, 26. Mar 05, 01:09

PSG are just... a joke, so sickeningly imbalanced.

With a M5 class ship (pirate mandalay) and two ALPHA psgs's its entirely possible to destroy stations / cap ships with them easilly (in under 3 mins).

PSG are teh suck.
Its a lonely life being me...

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