Rift Space

[PaulB]

I finally made it to Rift Space.
I sure didn't expect an Alien convention.
Rift Station seemed more like a nightmare at the old song Hotel California. Best to take a lot of friends if you plan a long stay in Rift Space.
I finally decided to visit Sol and found me an AMS then jumped tp Pearl and headed on back to Orion where I'm currently working on converting it to Good.

What are most of you using for Missile protection?
Who is using AMS and who AutoCM and who manual CMs ??
I don't mention shooting down missiles because I conside that a given when you are facing those missiles plus trying to kill Reds.
But what about when you are getting surrounded and conecntrating on the Reds in front of you???

Is the AMS anygood??

I was hoping AMS plus manual CM's would be the most ideal.
specially since when I'm using the Mammoth instead of my Firestar I only have 25 CM's available on the Mammoth.

[CS-ACI-]

Hello,

AMS does work well, if you can, sit still and watch it work.

The AutoCM ripped through 99 CM in no time at all, manual is better.

Have you tried out the Deploy Shield yet? Pop your nose out and fire a Fulcrum, then backup into the shield.

Steve

[Marvin]

I've been using the auto-CM launcher since Legends. Normally, it pops out about three CMs per threat ... and I never run out unless I forget to refuel after completing a contract or have a really bad day while engaged in a 5-waypoint. The trick is to concentrate on quick kills and ignoring inbound missiles.

[DaveK]

Have you tried out the Deploy Shield yet? Pop your nose out and fire a Fulcrum, then backup into the shield.

Steve

Just limit the technique to SP or make sure there are no other players nearby or your rep will be shredded!

As for the anti-missile technology . . .

I tried AutoCM and it worked well, though I was happy I carry a four pack of CM's - still they're free at every refuel, regardless of how much fuel you take on board, so it's a more of an inconvenience having to restock rather than a major issue
I tried AMS and it too works well enough.

They sort of take missiles out of the equation which is good if that's what you want and you can afford the equipment slots. I've opted for a different road I actually use 'shoot the missiles if possible' plus 'manual CM splurge at the last second' (a sort of Anti-MMM) if anything gets through. My missile shooting technique certainly isn't sophisticated sharpshooting! It consists of hosing the general area with both primaries. My shields usually cope with any odd missile that gets through.

If you use the 'retreat backwards' technique to lure hostiles to follow you, most missiles self destruct before they get to you.

[Marvin]

When luring reds in space to a planet's surface for TW combat, I pass right by the closest AI to lure whatever reds are hanging back. I don't waste time turning around in inertial simply to shoot down missiles fired my way. Nor do I fly fast enough to outrun missiles fired at close range (else, the reds might be left in the dust and go do something other than follow me). Ergo, the auto-CM launcher comes in handy.

[CS-ACI-]

Hello,

Just limit the technique to SP or make sure there are no other players nearby or your rep will be shredded!

For a while a few years ago, we actually took on contracts and used Fulcrums for fun.

It keeps pilots on their toes.

Steve

[PaulB]

Have you tried out the Deploy Shield yet? Pop your nose out and fire a Fulcrum, then backup into the shield.

Steve

Just limit the technique to SP or make sure there are no other players nearby or your rep will be shredded!

As for the anti-missile technology . . .

I tried AutoCM and it worked well, though I was happy I carry a four pack of CM's - still they're free at every refuel, regardless of how much fuel you take on board, so it's a more of an inconvenience having to restock rather than a major issue
I tried AMS and it too works well enough.

They sort of take missiles out of the equation which is good if that's what you want and you can afford the equipment slots. I've opted for a different road I actually use 'shoot the missiles if possible' plus 'manual CM splurge at the last second' (a sort of Anti-MMM) if anything gets through. My missile shooting technique certainly isn't sophisticated sharpshooting! It consists of hosing the general area with both primaries. My shields usually cope with any odd missile that gets through.

If you use the 'retreat backwards' technique to lure hostiles to follow you, most missiles self destruct before they get to you.

I've had less luck with the 'retreat backwards' method lately because it seems the AI tend to take off and then I have to either jump around trying to find some or Deploy a Sensor station so I can find them and complete the contract. I guess maybe it depends on the system you are in - some systems the AI seem to be more simple-minded than in other systems.
I'm finding Orion pleasantly simpler than what I went through in Cerulean and Talison Conflict.
Even though I made Commander in TC I still never managed to complete a Defend Capship contract - even after I got a Firestar.
I recall one try when I barely got to the scene when the CAP ship was destroyed. I hardly got a chance to shoot at anything.

[PaulB]

When luring reds in space to a planet's surface for TW combat, I pass right by the closest AI to lure whatever reds are hanging back. I don't waste time turning around in inertial simply to shoot down missiles fired my way. Nor do I fly fast enough to outrun missiles fired at close range (else, the reds might be left in the dust and go do something other than follow me). Ergo, the auto-CM launcher comes in handy.

I might try it on with the Firestar since it has 99CMs but I couldn't do that with my Mammoth that only has 25, hence I bought the AMS to try it out but have only had a couple of contracts so far so no opinion on it's effectiveness yet.

What's really getting my goat is when I'm trying to kill one or two Reds in front of me and one or two others gang up behind or on top of me with Guns and bouncing me around so I have a hard tie even seeing them on the radar to change targets.
If I have gotten far from the Navpoint I sometimes try to Jump (back to it) to get a bit of respite and maybe get the advantage again.

By the way, if any of you think the Crew make little difference? - let me tell you otherwise.
I've since discovered that my Custom Guns will fire up to ~50% longer on my Mammoth with the Crew than they will on the Firestar.
At 0/0 energy I get 10 sec on Firestar and 12 sec on the Mammoth. At -2/2 I get about 12 sec on the Firestar and about 17 sec on the Mammoth. At -5/5 I get about 15 sec on the Firestar and 25 sec on the Mammoth.

I think the Mil Frames need a Mil Heatsink and Mil Relay system to give extra boost to make up for the non-crew mil frames.

I asked Vice about the difference and he said it was a result of the Civvie Crew boosting performance.

[Edited on 8-29-2014 by PaulB]

[DaveK]

For a while a few years ago, we actually took on contracts and used Fulcrums for fun.

It keeps pilots on their toes.

Steve

More likely it separated them from their toes in an expanding gas of incandescent body bits and vapourised ship dust

[DaveK]

I might try it on with the Firestar since it has 99CMs but I couldn't do that with my Mammoth that only has 25, hence I bought the AMS to try it out but have only had a couple of contracts so far so no opinion on it's effectiveness yet.

You can fit up to 4 x 25CM packs to your mammoth if you want to

[PaulB]

I might try it on with the Firestar since it has 99CMs but I couldn't do that with my Mammoth that only has 25, hence I bought the AMS to try it out but have only had a couple of contracts so far so no opinion on it's effectiveness yet.

You can fit up to 4 x 25CM packs to your mammoth if you want to

Not at the expense of what I'd have to give up.

[Marvin]

I use a mammoth with 3 crewmembers. To drag AI around, I maintain about 1250 kps ... any faster and some AI will drop out and any slower means, once I'm out of CMs, I might get hit. Btw, even at those speeds some AI will drop away if you get too close to another friendly ship ... be it a fighter or a cruiser. (Very frustrating.)

[DaveK]

I might try it on with the Firestar since it has 99CMs but I couldn't do that with my Mammoth that only has 25, hence I bought the AMS to try it out but have only had a couple of contracts so far so no opinion on it's effectiveness yet.

You can fit up to 4 x 25CM packs to your mammoth if you want to

Not at the expense of what I'd have to give up.

What would you have to give up?

[Busch]

Paul, I use the AMS on the larger-framed vessels in my 'fleet'. Usually, the Guardian-Hunter class or better (Class 7 Federation-Alliance categories). IMHYCO, this is the level where agility gets sacrificed to the 'Gods of Armor'. The AMS actually uses the same laser cannon 'effect' that one has installed as primary weapons. It is also linked into the MDTS, all be it just a tad slow (not weak) on the up-take. I use the AMS in combination with the standard CM issue. Usually with the Guardian-Hunter frame class and above, I've got no less than 2 CM pods (50-count) as installed equipment. If I can 'look-down, shoot-down' in-comings, I will, should I see them within a certain time margin that has come hard-earned - with experience and lessons learned from being schooled regularly... well, at least early on...

With the mil-class frames, I'll bang up the equipment list to fill all eight. This includes the AMS, shield recharger, and cannon heat sink - in support of the 'basic 5'. Combat Pilot spawn-ins are fun! I like 'working the dozens' to build both cash and rank = better pay/better & more equipment and up-grades to existing items and then frames, as the rank goes up. I don't usually fly w/crew on the civy side, excepting for testing and what not, so those considerations are a bit moot. But when I do.... Engineer & WSO/RIO, almost exclusively. For me, a science officer is superfluous. And, I've not a really effective use for a navigator... well, maybe to perform in-flight missile calibration and maintenance...

[PaulB]

I might try it on with the Firestar since it has 99CMs but I couldn't do that with my Mammoth that only has 25, hence I bought the AMS to try it out but have only had a couple of contracts so far so no opinion on it's effectiveness yet.

You can fit up to 4 x 25CM packs to your mammoth if you want to

Not at the expense of what I'd have to give up.

What would you have to give up?

I've got 8 equipment slots and 8 missile slots and 4 crew members - none of which I'm willing to sacrifice. I'd have to drop one of those to get another 25 CM's.
not on the Starmaster, since it has the extra Assm I do get 50 CM's but I just find the 40 agility and acceleration of the Starmaster too restrictive compared to the 45 of the Mammoth.
I like the Mammoth - it's brought me up to Expert and Commander throughout Sapphire, Olympus, Cerulean, Atlas, and now Orion - not to mention my trips to Pears, Rucker, Rift Space, etc.
I think if the Mammoth had an agility of 50 and the extra assembly that the Starmaster has that I might well call it a perfect ship (the way I have it configured). Of course I'd really like to have enough additional assembly to step up from the Richton class 5 engine to the Neptune Mark I or II and to a 1500 or 2000 Fuel cell and be able to keep everything else the same.

[PaulB]

Paul, I use the AMS on the larger-framed vessels in my 'fleet'. Usually, the Guardian-Hunter class or better (Class 7 Federation-Alliance categories). IMHYCO, this is the level where agility gets sacrificed to the 'Gods of Armor'. The AMS actually uses the same laser cannon 'effect' that one has installed as primary weapons. It is also linked into the MDTS, all be it just a tad slow (not weak) on the up-take. I use the AMS in combination with the standard CM issue. Usually with the Guardian-Hunter frame class and above, I've got no less than 2 CM pods (50-count) as installed equipment. If I can 'look-down, shoot-down' in-comings, I will, should I see them within a certain time margin that has come hard-earned - with experience and lessons learned from being schooled regularly... well, at least early on...

With the mil-class frames, I'll bang up the equipment list to fill all eight. This includes the AMS, shield recharger, and cannon heat sink - in support of the 'basic 5'. Combat Pilot spawn-ins are fun! I like 'working the dozens' to build both cash and rank = better pay/better & more equipment and up-grades to existing items and then frames, as the rank goes up. I don't usually fly w/crew on the civy side, excepting for testing and what not, so those considerations are a bit moot. But when I do.... Engineer & WSO/RIO, almost exclusively. For me, a science officer is superfluous. And, I've not a really effective use for a navigator... well, maybe to perform in-flight missile calibration and maintenance...

I like the science officer being able to tell me their are containers around. Sure I could look it up in the Spread sheets downloadable but they may not be up to date and I think the S.O. will tell you if containers are around sometimes from recent AI battles (not 100% sure). I've got at least 3 different Map Log entries in Sapphire of containers that have really come in handy for Hydro anf Plat when I want to fool around with Weapons Lab and cut down on mining time.
The Navigator I'm not sure of, but, if all the crew make as much difference in their jobs and the ones that affect my weapons firing time and distance as I've observed and Vice confirmed, then I want to keep all 4.
Actually I'm starting to feel that I like the Mammoth in combat better in combat than I do the Firestar with the possible exception if when Vonari are involved. I'm not totally sure yet.
I do know for a fact I like the extra seconds of firing time (2 to 10 secs more depending on guns and Energy setting) that I just can't get on the Firestar - and it's handy if their's time to pick up the several 100,000s of hostiles cargo from my kills to take and sell with the Mammoth cargo bays. Helps pay for fuel and missiles and offset my 264,000 hanger fees.

[Marvin]

A science officer will also tell you if a wormhole is in the sector ... a nice piece of information, especially when thrashing around in Vonarion space.

[CS-ACI-]

Hello,

A Navigator has one saving grace, they stop you jumping into a planet, meaning you can jump much nearer to planets and such.

Steve

[Busch]

Just that one job....

[PaulB]

Can someone tell me if Deploy works in Rift Space before I make another long trip for nothing?
I know Build doesn't - I was hoping to put my own station there - just for the heck of it.

Also, I went to Andromeda - and naturally I decide NOT to take my Tractor beam - in favor of Build, Deploy, and stealth gen.
You never got what you need when you need it.

I saw the Asteroids and Container and substation and moon but couldn't find anything else (in the amount of time I was able to sit here).
Is there anything I missed?? I tried making a few 10 sector mantis drive jumps around the Sun.

I've heard mention of wrecked ships and flying saucers - but I don't know if it was referring to Andromeda or where. Any hints would be appreciated. My back ias some better but I still can't sit here all day or all night exploring like I did back in my 30's - 50's.

Thank goodness I've got Black Hole jumping down pat now - but I'm having some problems setting my Map Log BH stop point - I guess due to the differing sizes of the BHs - so I'll just try to set them 50% to 80% of a sector away from now on.

I hope Deploy works in Rift Space. I want to try and deploy a Shield array and then try sharing some FT's with the Vonari conventon there. Everywhere I jumped in there was Vonari's about. Then must be an ant-bed type of race. I want to see how they like kerosene of the a sub-atomic nature.
I don't know why - half the time I try an FT I end up blowing up myself.

[Marvin]

Deploy works everywhere ... even in Andromeda (else I'd still be stranded above the planet* you evidently haven't found yet).


* As discussed in the H2GE quest.

[PaulB]

I had fun in Rift Space tonight.
I bought some FT's and just targeting the Vonari outside the station and fired from within the station.
kaboom!!!!! All the Vonari on that side of the station - The Deep Six for them. So I did the same thing thru several of the station ports and wiped out a bunch more. But more showed up so I decided to head to Vonari and on to Andromeda cause I figured I still missed something on the 1st 2 trips.
Well I set up some Map Logs:
#1 sx = sx +20, sz = sz +20
#2 sx = sx -20, sz = sz +20
#3 sx = sx -20, sz = sz -20
#4 sx = sx +20, sz = sz -20
As you can see, that's a 20 sector box around the Entry point to Andromeda.
I made a Alt - Jump torward #1 and then checked the Nav Map and didn't see anything other that the Asteroids and stuff down in the lower-left corner. So I did Autopilot the reast of the way to nav point #1 - and I got a message from the Science Officer that there were Containers at heading 235 pitch -62.
Well 1st I check the Nav Map and don't wee anything but black space zoomed all the way out - so I turn to the heading and dang if there isn't a planet there. I look at the Nav Map again and nothing.
Well before I started the game tonight I was on the Forum and searched for Andromeda and saucer (as in flying saucer) and one of the thread the search return was by Marvin about HG2E I think it was - a stork about the Adromedans abandoning Andromeda for safer parts and how some captain destroyed the wrong Cloaking station cloaking the planet or something but the planet remained cloaked but noone could find it again cause they had no nav points.
So - I knew what I had found so I went down and explored and found some containers that I ignored (cause I had filled up with Fusion and a Station Denator), but I found the Platinum container above the planet and jetisoned one bay of Fusion for some Platinum and then I did a Rear-View and saw the crashed Cloaking station on the planet surface and went back to take a look. Too bad I didn't think to take my Terrain Walker with me.
Anyway I fifued it was time to head back to civilization and as I was leaving the planet a couple of Vonari showed up - which surprised me just a tad. I saw no reason to stick around and fight so I headed back to the asteroid field to use my Tractor Beam (not to mine asteroids).
I got back to civilization and docked at a Construct Station I had built there long ago and converted the Fusion to C5 Fulcrum Drives and the Platinum to C5 Cargo Scanner and then went to Orion (where I'm working) to sell them.
Funny, somewhere in Hints & Tips it says Platinum (25 units) can be converted to a Long Range Probe - but I don't see how cause all I ever get is 25 Plat -> 25 Elec -> C5 Cargo Scanner.

Also funny, I had read (I think) to buy in Orion and sell in Sirius - but maybe the changes I've made has altered that.
First, I've converted both Orion and Sirius to Good.
Second, I build 2 Trade stations in Orion plus some Ore, Research, and maybe an Energy Sub-stations in Orion and One Trade station and a Research Sub-station in Sirius and it seems now that Orion tends to have higher prices. Maybe cause Orion has the asteroid field and all Sirius has is it's 2 planets.
Also there were things there during the fight to make both systems Good that are not there now. For instance, at one point I saw Fulcrum Torpedos for sale there and I don't see them now. And during the "fight" one Orion station was gouging me on fuel prices - like 315 per unit - but now that the system is Good the same station is charging me in the low 200 range per unit.
Beats the heck out of me.
But in the "fight" process man have I got my Guns tweaked.
I had to experment with Weapons Lab again because what had been working pretty well on the Mammoth (because of the Crew I know now) were not working very well (IMO) on the Firestar.
What I have found is that on Rail Cannon and Fusion Cannon the faster you design them to fire the more energy they use and the Firing time decreases - especially on the Firestar since Mil Frames have no Crew.
Try to design a high power Beam (coil, Neodymium, Fusion) and your Firing times will drop through the floor (I'm talking about folks who like to fire both guns for maximum effect).
I've found that the Refractor and Metal-Vapor (at max settings) provide almost as much power 47 & 51 respectively as even the Fusion Laser (62 Y max I think it is).
With my Refractor and Fusion cannon I get a firing time (energy set to 0/0) of 19 seconds on the Mammoth and 13 seconds on the Firestar. With a Coil Beam set for similar Yield and as low as I could get it's Energy, the firing time dropped to 9 seconds on the Mammoth and less on the Firestar - and trying a Fusion Laser was 7 seconds on the Mammoth and I didn't even try it on the Firestar and I don't think the Kill power would be of any significance over the Refractor.
With the Refractor & Fusion I've been able to kill 2 to 3 ships during that ~ 19 seconds of firing time when I had 3 hostiles staying in front of me (sad for them).
If I set Energy to -1/1 firing time = 23s, and Energy to -2/2 firing time = 29s, and Energy to -5/5 I let the Guns fire for 1 minutes and got tired of waiting for them to run out of energy so I just quit firing myself. Anyway, setting energy to -5/5 is a bit too risky except in certain situations.
The Metal-Vapor is similar for the firing times are a bit less with the max being about 25 seconds at -5/5 on the mammoth and the minimum time on the Firestar being about 10s at 0/0 using the higher speed Rail Gun (14C) versus my new Fusion (16C).
And the new 16C Fusion kills a bit faster than the 14C Rail gun with not very much difference in Yield - 77 vs 82.
The Refractor and Fusion really make a difference on the Firestar as far as firing time vs kill ratio.
I haven't run the full set of energy test on the Firestar yet.
And I think most of the old-timers know that the Particle cannon is the main killing force of the combo and that's why the Refractor or Metal- Vapor is more suitable than the Coil, Neodynium, or Fusion Beams.
The Particle cannon will destroy both shields and frame - the Beam is just "icing on the cake" in helping take down the shields faster.

[Busch]

Yep, the commodity conversion paradigm got a tweak, quite a while ago. Several of what might be considered 'normal' commodity conversions (vis a vis Legends and Mercs Part 1) were changed to assist in the Mercs Part 2 weapons lab build function. Platinum conversion to electricals, then to cargo scanners is one of those changed. Hydrogen -> Fusion -> Fulcrum drive is another. Probes, of the type platinum once converted to, may still be purchased in several out-of-the-way locations.

The 'global' economies also got a few tweaks of late. Some areas have less of a charge/draw than they once possessed. Case-in-point: Olympus Prime economy once offered AM & FC's at about twice that of what may be found in Sapphire. Since 'the fix', those two items are now about on par with what may be found in Sapphire. And, the global economy is cyclical, as in commodity prices vary over time and by system location. Also, some system economies are much better, or slightly worse than others. The HP's are still quite lucrative destinations, but other 'reserved' areas have suffered a bit of a down-grade. Best suggestion remains: either buy a station license, or build-yer-own trade station in the prime system of one's choice. Then do the usual....buy low at that built/licensed station, sell higher elsewhere...

Good work with the weapons lab stuff, btw.