[DiD] - Terminal Velocity

[magic_ghost]

After reading NUKLEAR-SLUGs stories, I have been inspired to start a DiD of my own. And to make it really interesting (and probably quite short), I’m using exactly the same rules from his second story (Zen and the Art of Running away..).

Although it will be a vanilla game, I will be using the wonderful X3 Map by Scorp, with the included update script. That's it though.
I've also modified the registry to unlock the custom starts as I couldn’t handle the idea of having to enable them the hard way.

Start: Unholy Traitor
Rules:
1. Dead is dead.
2. Repairs to personal ship only.
3. All ships/equipment/weapons/resources will need to be 'acquired'.
4. Due to a need to stay off radar basic trading won't be possible for fear of tracing. Only pirate stations are safe to deal with and the black-market bartering on Teladi trading stations.
5. I have a friendly contact on Ceos Sprite shipyard that will allow sale of damaged ships/repairs. That's a Teladi for you, no scruples where there's a credit to be made..
6. No missions allowed apart from those taken from pirate stations.
7. Factories can only be bought from my Ceos Sprite contact but NPC aren't allowed near. So no Weed-plex unless I'm selling it to the pirates.

Assets:
1x Medusa Prototype 'Reaper'
1x 5Mj shield
6x PBE, 2x PAC

Credits: 23,371

[magic_ghost]

Chapter 01 - Run!

Date: 768-05-01
Time: 00:00
Location: Family Rhonkar

http://www.apricotcloud.com/x3/terminal ... n00009.jpg

So I’ve got a prototype Medusa, and it looks okay. 8 forward laser slots plus two turrets and the ability to fit a fair few types of missiles. All in all not a bad ship. The only problem is the distinct lack of shielding, and the atrcious lack of speed. It looks like I'm going to need all the luck I can get to make good my escape.

Unfortunately, I seem to have attracted the attention of a rather menacing Split Dragon. Since I can’t outrun it, I’ll just have to use the nearby ore mine to help me destroy it. Let battle commence!
After a long battle, the dragon goes down in a flurry of PBE fire, helped along by a good helping of PAC fire. After clearing up the rest of the patrol, i'm left with some nice missiles...

http://www.apricotcloud.com/x3/terminal ... n00010.jpg

These should come in handy, should I run into another M6.

And its not too long before ill have to use them...

http://www.apricotcloud.com/x3/terminal ... n00011.jpg

Looks like I’m going to be here a while. I just hope they aren’t packing any swarm missiles…

Amazing. Just when I thought I had it, the whole patrol flew right past. Not wanting to tempt fate any further, I made a break for the south gate. 13km away, and an M2 shows up just inside scanner, range. Easily outrun and after shooting down a few nasty missiles, it’s on to Thuruks Beard.

One more gate to go and I’m in neutral space. Flying towards the west gate, a small number of bounty hunters appear on the radar, and it’s a mad rush to the nearest station. This affords a good degree of safety since Paranid computers seem to have trouble flying around large structures and quite often end up splattered to the side of the station.

With one bounty hunter limping behind me, it’s on to the west gate and to safety, and to make my life easier, there’s a pirate station about 20km from the east gate. Hopefully, the local military patrols will continue to ignore it's presence, itherwise ill have to look for another base of operations.

On my way to the local trading station, I started to intercept Split Scouts, and much to my surprise, one of them decided to gift me their ship! Not only did it have most of its speed (288m/s) but it also retained it’s triplex scanner and Fight Command Software MK1 & 2.

So, any suggestions on what I should call my shiny new Split Jaguar?

Assets:
1x Medusa Prototype ‘Reaper’
6x PBE
2x PAC
1x 5MJ Shield

1x Jaguar Raider ‘The Super Sparkly Unicorn of Love’

Credits: 23,371

[Chobittsu]

So, any suggestions on what I should call my shiny new Split Jaguar?

The Super Sparkly Unicorn of Love!!!!

[magic_ghost]

The Super Sparkly Unicorn of Love!!!!

You know, I think that's a smashing name, and since it's the only suggestion, it'll have to do

[magic_ghost]

02 – Sightseeing

Date: 768-05-01
Time: 00:53

Location: Company Pride

After stripping the Jaguar of all its useful parts, it’s sent to the Shipyard in Ceo’s sprite for safekeeping.

On the way to Company Pride, I passed a fair few weapon dealers, but the thought of having to deal with an unknown number of fighter drones, makes attacking them somewhat foolhardy, so the next objective is to purchase a freight scanner from the nearest pirate base. Happily, there happens to be one in Company Pride.

http://www.apricotcloud.com/x3/terminal ... n00017.jpg

I knew the base would be destroyed eventually, but I was expecting it to last a bit longer than this, and even if I had the ordinance for it, destroying a Teladi vessel is a definite no-no.

It looks like the shrike has received more urgent orders, as it recalls its fighter escort and flies through the nearest gate. No doubt they will come back and finish the job.

Docking with the pirate base, it turns out freight scanners are slightly more expensive than I had anticipated, so instead I buy FCS MK1 & 2 and Cargo Life Support System as well max out the engine tunings, bringing my top speed up to 142m/s. These upgrades should not only make fighting much easier, but will also make it possible to start assembling a squad of marines for capturing larger ships.

Even though it’s a bit risky, I decide to pick on freighters, unscanned. However being close to a gate means that I have an easy escape route should it launch countless drones.

Despite many attempts, no pilots bail. Picking up the few dropped missiles, I head to Hatikvah’s Faith, only to find that while the pirate station is friendly, it’s sitting right next to a distinctly hostile Pirate Anarchy Port. When funds allow, I will definitely have to hack the station. Still this does not stop me from accepting missions from the pirate station and I take a surveillance mission for a measly 833 credits. Hopefully, the target won’t be too quick.

Starting in Light of Heart, it turns out that the target is around 30m/s faster than me. I have no choice but to abort the mission. No doubt there will be a significant reputation loss as a result.

Arriving in Brennans Triumph, much to my surprise and disappointment the local pirate base seems to be hostile. Now I definitely havn't fired at any pirate ships, so it must have been the aborted mission. Seems there is another station ill have to hack.

With the pirate station yielding no missions, it’s back to a spot of ship capturing, but alas this proves unsuccessful and I head back to Ceo’s Sprite, hoping that changing sectors will affect my success rate a little.

Upon arriving in Dannas Chance, I notice some PBG fire in the distance. It turns out the local pirates have picked a fight with the MMC convoy. Hanging back, I wait until the fight is decided and proceed to scoop a rather pleasant selection of missiles.

http://www.apricotcloud.com/x3/terminal ... n00018.jpg
http://www.apricotcloud.com/x3/terminal ... n00022.jpg

As I near the North gate, a proximity warning flashes on the console, and upon closer inspection, it turns out to be a Paranid Nemesis, with a large number of escorts. My plan is to hide behind the north gate, and hope that they don’t notice me. Assuming they don’t, I may well be able to nab a M8 bomber, which would prove very useful. Of course there is also the possibility that I’ll get blown to smithereens. With my toes and fingers firmly crossed, I wait behind the jumpgate.

http://www.apricotcloud.com/x3/terminal ... n00023.jpg

Thankfully, the Nemesis didn’t notice me, and after trying it one with all three M8s, they all go down with their ships.

Reaching Elenas Fortune, and looking at the sensor readings, there is an Argon Titan and a pirate Carrack moving around the sector, with the Carrack landing hits on the local military outpost. Surely the Argon will respond to this attack.

http://www.apricotcloud.com/x3/terminal ... n00024.jpg

Wow! Looks like the Carrack means business and proceeds to go head to head with the orbital weapons platform, while the argon M1, sits by and does **** all. You’d never see a Split captain do that.

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http://www.apricotcloud.com/x3/terminal ... n00028.jpg
http://www.apricotcloud.com/x3/terminal ... n00030.jpg

All done and said, the weapons platform came up short, and was quickly destroyed by the marauding Carrack.

Assets:
1x Medusa Prototype ‘Reaper’
6x PBE
2x PAC
1x 5MJ Shield

1x Jaguar Raider ‘The Super Sparkly Unicorn of Love’

Credits: 2,291

[Nathancros]

hope ur still going mate, i quite like what you've got so far keep it up!*soz bout very late post btw *