yet another Aran question

[lexraider]

Found the Aran (again) This time 4 BPs with 20 marines. Still can't get through completely. If I reload and try again will the outcome be the same each time or does the situation change with each reload.


{Not a technical support question, moved. - Terre}

[Alan Phipps]

It changes every time you reload (not always for the better though).

[lexraider]

More questions, having spent a fortune training Marines, they are all super good at hacking etc but most are only 1* , 2* at best for fighting. Do they eventually get better with more training.
What is the best strategy, launch all BPs at once, or sequentially after the previous one has failed.
Thanks for the help.

[OzWraith]

If they suck at fighting, they'll lose against large ships - especially if those ships have reasonable defences. Sorry 'bout that.

You'll need to get your marines some combat experience. Start attacking M6 ships in unknown sectors (Hub counts as unknown). You'll still lose a few men, reload your game if you must.

Another common trick is to hire/lure TLs to unknown or pirate sectors and get your marines to cut their teeth on them in private away from police. TLs have 5 decks though, and M6's only have two.

Add up the fight skills of your marines. Now add up the opposing marines fight skill. You'll want yours to be better. Lots better.

[Alan Phipps]

Marines only improve fight skill with boarding experience and not through training. You need to get as many marines onto the target at the same time as possible to improve their success and survival chances. Hence launch as many marines in pods at once as the target ship will hold.

Your questions show that you really need to read through one of the many basic boarding guides in the Sticky. The guides tend to be for X3TC but are still good background knowledge even though X3AP may be slightly different in some boarding and ship characteristics.

[Sabrina Bergin]

I use a cobra which I equipped with Twenty marines all 50 plus in fighting and 5 star in all other skills cost a fortune and took forever to train them up.

After that I started calling in on Dukes Haven First I get rid of all ships in sector except the Zeus. That one I get to follow me up beyond the North Gate matching his speed at 10 km distance.

Once his shields are down to 3 % I use all my marines to board it and sit back whilst they take the ship increasing their fighting rank every time.

Once the ship is mine I get an M3 to dock with it from a mother ship Keeping an eye out for the spawining of more Nemesis's.

Once I have my marines back I jump the Zeus to Heavens Assertion and then dock at the shipyard. The M3 swaps back its jump drive and return home after collecting the goodies left in Lasting Veangance.

I sell the Zeus for 60,000000 or more then rinse and repeat every couple of hours game time. I'm training up my second cobra's skilled Marines A.T.M

[lexraider]

Honestly, is the Aran worth the effort?

[Alan Phipps]

Yes, but you don't need an M7M for that in X3AP. I comfortably boarded my Aran using an M6 and 8 well-trained space-walking marines (not even all at 100% fighting skill but they were all fairly experienced).

[TTD]

Honestly, is the Aran worth the effort?

Amongst other things ,you can use it as a mobile HQ/store house for your invasion fleet/munitions.

[Gold Dragon]

Honestly, is the Aran worth the effort?

It has the ability to dock ANY ship (1 big, ~30 small), including TL or M1 (carrier) or even another Aran.