I love my Viper, but realized last night that I can’t improve one more single system on it (read: A-class shields and/or better than C thrusters) without exceeding its power limit even with its current A-class power plant and distributor. I can’t downgrade weapons (2 beams and a MSL) and I refuse to kick down the A-class jump drive. I took her for a long jaunt last night through the frontier (even picked up some named discoveries) to say goodbye, and plan on trading her in for a Cobra tonight.
conVurt
4202
Just return to the station you got the mission from once it’s over, and you can turn it in just like any other.
When I bought my vulture, I sunk about 15M more into it before I was happy, for a total of about 20M CR. For comparison, my cobra similarly fitted was 10M.
IIRC, with the exception of being able to fit a better power supply to make power management a lot easier, the cobra isn’t really an upgrade to the viper if all you’re planning on doing with it is combat. The cobra has a similar level of offense, but is a lot more versatile, allowing you to multi-role more easily. Combat-wise, the next step up from the viper is probably the vulture.
No really feasible for most folks, though. A tricked-out Viper sits at ~3.5M Cr. A well equipped Vulture at 12M Cr+ is a big leap. I’m heading for the Cobra for reasons mentioned in your first sentence: I’m not looking for a huge offense boost, I just need more power overhead.
Why not save up so you can own both?
Yeah the Viper I have is valued at 2m or so, but it’s has almost all A class (except weapons, I really like the weapons I have on it and don’t really want to go with anything more, plus the power overhead is already too high even with the class A power). I don’t really leave the system I’m in (it has two RES and three ports so I just bounce around taking out wanted fools that dare show up in my system) so maybe I could get something back for my drive and regain some power there.
I have about 2 million saved up so I’m at 4million. If I played some more this weekend I could probably get withing swinging range of 12 million credits if that gets me a better class fighting ship. A cobra is tempting though, too, just because I’ve been in the viper so long I barely even remember what the Sidewinder felt like! Might be fun to try something new out. I can always sell it back and buy a new viper with the money - you don’t seem to lose anything selling parts/ships back, which is kinda awesome.
Thrag
4206
You should be able to almost all class A on a viper. I think the only thing I have on mine that is less than A is the life support. I have things set up so that when I pull out the weapons things I don’t need like the cargo hatch, fsd, etc. power down.
The key is almost… but not quite. I cycle cargo hatch and fuel scoop, but I’m not going to go through the hassle of always cycling other systems just to be able to squeeze that A-shield in there.
conVurt
4208
So the high intensity conflict zone at Lugh 11 features a Fed cap-ship that jumps in as you arrive. If you’re siding with the Feds, you can earn some pretty good combat coin by sticking close to it and finishing off wounded birds. Certainly it makes taking down pythons and anacondas easier when they focus fire on the cap-ship instead of you!
tolwyn
4209
Looks like the community goal at Lugh is complete, I went and cashed in my 6 million credits and finally dropped the hammer on the Vulture. Oh my god, this thing is a killing machine! With a gimballed Pulse and Burst laser, I can take down an Anaconda or Python in a matter of seconds by targeting the power plant. It’s almost too easy, I wonder if they won’t have to re-balance this like they did with the Python.
tolwyn
4210
You are setting up power management to arrange this, right? I set my hyperlight frame-shifty thing as priority 3, along with the cargo hatch. I’m never using the frame drive when in combat anyways, and you have to retract weapons to go hyperlight, that’s an easy way to go over and not worry about things.
KevinC
4211
Huh, I show it still has 1 week and 2 days, but I’m with the Crimson State. Are you with the feds?
conVurt
4212
The Fed mission completed, with the mission progress bar completely filling up. I suppose there’s nothing stopping someone from double-dipping and joining the Crimson State one, other than perhaps tanking their rep with the Federation… Should be a very easy way to earn another 6M CR.
Thrag
4213
What’s the best way to find out what community missions there are aside from reading the news in the station? Is there any place out of game that has all the news for one to catch up on? I was away for a week and it sounds like I missed a lot. I did see a news piece that sounds related to the fed mission mentioned above. It had to do with a massacre of refugee ships.
After being away for a while I finally got to play some more 1.2. It really is a big improvement in that there’s much more variety in ships now compared to the very repetitive nature of hunting in RESs before. Last night I finally found a wanted anaconda worth big money, but I didn’t count on his friends the dropship and cobra joining in the fight. Much fleeing toward the security ships was done that night! I actually survived the encounter and got the bounties on the cobra and dropship. Then, in an encounter with another anaconda I had my first death since release. I am normally really good at retreating before my shields go down, but I got a little target fixated and my shields got dropped. I managed to boost away with just a few scratches, but then before my shields were restored I managed to slam sideways into an asteroid as I swooped and dodged around the rocks (unnecessarily as I was well out of range and was just screwing around).
I sold my crazy upgraded Viper (valued at about 2.7M CR) and picked up a Vulture. I only had about 3 million to sink into it, so it’s got class A power, distribution, and the rest is upgraded to class C or so, oh I think shields and thrusters are B. I have two large C3 pulse lasers, and this thing is just a BEAST. It’s also surprisingly more nimble than my Viper! It lacks the top speed, but it’s more maneuverable (even with just class B) and putting pips into the engine doesn’t really move it much faster (or slower) so it’s been good to run with pips in weapons (those pulse lasers do heat up FAST) and system, though nothing (even an anaconda) has punched through my shields yet, let alone gotten to the hull (which I have picked up a few hull reinforcements, too). So far, just an AMAZING combat ship!
KevinC
4215
Yeah, if you look at the Vulture’s stats, it’s maneuverability and shields are significantly better than what you’d expect of its class. It’s more maneuverable than the tiny Sidewinder (it can almost match the Eagle!) and its shields are near that of a Python, despite the Vulture being a much smaller target to hit. The two class C hardpoints are absurd for its size as well.
Of course, that specialization comes at a cost. Its top speed is horrifically bad and has the same power plant as a Cobra, despite the fact that it carries significantly larger (and thus more power-hungry) modules. It also has a jump distance comparable to that of a 37 year old out of shape white guy. Speaking as a 37 year old out of shape white guy, that’s not good. Not good at all.
Such an awesome bounty hunting ship, though. That thing can rip through an Anaconda’s hull and tear out its power plant in no time, and with it’s insane maneuverability it can be hard for those bigger ships to bring all their guns to bear. I recently traded mine in for an Asp (I’m trying to get my Imperial rank up, and that’s required a lot of traveling and the like) and, while I find the Asp to be a very fine ship, I really miss that Vulture. Some day I’ll have the cash to be able to simultaneously own both!
Yeah, once I put gimbaled lasers on the Vulture, I really began falling for her. She won’t replace the Cobra in my heart, but she sure is fun as fuck to fly.
conVurt
4218
I watch a LOT of Netflix while I bounty hunt. :)
So I logged into get some bounties and I see a High Intensity conflict zone nearby so I fly to it. Not sure which side to pick, I just shot someone. No warrants, and it looks like I managed to shoot the side instigating a civil war, a faction I have 9% with and the other side I have 76%. I spend 45 minutes taking care of business, and then I went back to a base, the base of the people on my side of that massive (and amazing) little firefight. I don’t have any combat vouchers to cash in, I’m not sure I got anything out of those 45 minutes (except the fun of non-stop combat, of course). Did I miss something? What do I need to do there?
