Noob Question: Destroying capital ships?

Baner86 · Post by **Baner86** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:08 am

Hi guys.

One of the STEAM horde, been lurking for a while and really enjoying the game after working out the combat.

However, I am at a loss for destroying capital ships.

I originally figured that FT's (fulcrum torps) would be the simple solution and after working out how to use them without exploding myself I find that the Contracts do not complete when I use an FT to destroy capital ships.

At this point I don't know if the ship is actually jumping away when it knows the FT is coming because I don't know how I would find out where the ship has jumped to in this situation.

Therefore I have 2 questions for players more experienced than I:

What's the best way (maneuvers, flight path, jumping etc.) to use an FT without dying but also guaranteeing a kill?

also,

How do you destroy capital ships without FT's? I have read some posts on here that say that advanced pilots prefer not to use FT's for destroying capital ships. I would like to know how to do this for my own benefit as my ability to combat 7-8 civ/mil ships is fine but cannot even dent capitals.

My technique right now is to load up on the best missiles or even the Excal pack, fire them at range then strafe at speed past the capital firing my Fusion/Icespear combo. The capital doesn't kill me and I can keep doing this over and over again but I cannot seem to get through the shields to cause any hull damage.

What am I doing wrong? I've also tried targetting subsystems etc. but the problem seems to be my primary weapons cannot do enough damage to overcome the capital's shield regeneration.

Busch · Post by **Busch** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:29 am

Yo Baner86 ! And welcome to the game/sim and forum ! Killing capital ships depend upon your approach. Literally. Figure 'bout 800 mtrs on the flakcannons, all are located midst the girth of the cap. So.... As above - so below. Try to match speeds, go inert and, hammer both shields and ships' armor. Do this with you primary weapons suite. Watch for incoming. If yer tucked, you'll have some benefits of the shields. Once shields go down, coin toss for missiles of any flavor. Cap ships present better target profiles in the right-most MFD. Toggle kybd G to get the proper schema display. Then toggle kybd U to select wpns, shlds, or engine, and.."Fire when ready, Gridley!"

:P:P:P:P

*MDTS toggle "ON"*

[Edited on 1-27-2012 by FADM Busch]

[Edited on 1-27-2012 by FADM Busch]

Post by **Marvin** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:51 am

Inertial: ON

Target: Capital Ship
Specific System: Engines
Speed: 1800 (use Afterburner)
CMs: Lots (Auto-CM Launcher Optional)
In Gun Range: Fire Cannon and Laser
Overshoot: Turn Around and Cancel Drift
2000km From Target: Engage Afterburner
Attack: Continue As Required ('Till Cap Ship Explodes)

Baner86 · Post by **Baner86** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:28 am

Thanks for the quick replies guys.

From post: 126782, Topic: tid=8614, author=Marvin wrote: Inertial: ON

Target: Capital Ship

Specific System: Engines

Speed: 1800 (use Afterburner)

CMs: Lots (Auto-CM Launcher Optional)

In Gun Range: Fire Cannon and Laser

Overshoot: Turn Around and Cancel Drift

2000km From Target: Engage Afterburner

Attack: Continue As Required ('Till Cap Ship Explodes)

This is basically what I'm already doing but each strafing run with guns does not penetrate the ship's shields.

By the time I come around for another pass the shields are back up to the same level they were before.

Do I need a higher level particle cannon in combination with my fusion laser to do more damage or is there something else I'm missing?

I try to strafe the same side of the ship each time to damage the same shield quadrant all the time.

I also have a couple more questions regarding the cap ships.

Everyone seems to think there is a better side to attack them from but in my experience I am hit with flak fire and missiles from wherever I attack.

I've tried to take screenshots of the ships as I fly close by to see where the flak cannons or missile launchers are positioned but I don't believe they are modelled and the textures don't seem to suggest where the weapon systems are.

Can anyone explain where exactly the missiles and flak cannons are positioned so I can better attack the ships?

If the ship is sort of a shoebox shape could you describe where the weapons are?

ie.

TOP VIEW

___________________
|-------------------------\\
|--------------------------}} ---> Forward Direction
|__________________/

SIDE VIEW

___________________
|-------------------------\\
|___________________\\ ---> Forward Direction

As far as I can tell the flak and missiles come from all over the ships but people have said they are only in the middle. So is that in the middle on the sides or the middle on the top and bottom?

Also, why is it preferable to target the ENG subsystems of the CAP ships? I have been targetting weapons which seems to make it easier to just pound on the ship with weapons but maybe are the engines less well shielded or something?

Sorry for all the questions, I have just really been enjoying the game till now, the cap ship destructions just feel like such a cockblock it's really bugging me

[Edited on 27-1-2012 by Baner86]

[Edited on 27-1-2012 by Baner86]

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:46 am

Hi and welcome.

I normally take them out with Fusion/IceSpear and no missiles.

Target engines (toggle U)
Stay behind the ship and strafe left/right Right/left and bring shields down with lasers. Inertia mode (IDS off).
Then hit with Guns until that nice fireball lights up your cockpit.

This way you will not leave the ships target range and will continuously hit it.
Use CM:s if necessary!

Good luck!

Percival · Post by **Percival** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:58 am

The big trick is to stay focused on only one shield array long enough to break through. There is a spot at the low 5 o'clock or 7 o'clock of a Von-c that you can almost park and hammer on the engines all day long. Keep in mind that staying completely still will still leave you to be nailed by flak which will in essence spin you around so badly you wont be able to escape, but if you can stay in the "sweet spot" you can use minimal movement to keep from getting ecsessively pounded. Also side firing missiles will have more of a tendency to hit the Von-C itself provided you are close enough. (about 300 - 500 away from the engine) The Rear firing missiles should be easy enough to conter with CM's provided you have enough of them and are pretty good with timing when to launch them.

The next time you see a Von-C and there are green AI attacking it watch for the ones that get into that spot. Then do as they do. Be careful though it's still no guarrantee, and you will still need to be strafing left and right as much as possible but not at high speeds while trying to stay in gun range and focused on that one spot.
Also choosing a weapons combo that doesn't drain energy too fast and can actually get through the shields is another thing to consider. Ice Spear/Fusion should be adequate but be ready to be in the zone for a few minutes at least.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 2:48 pm

Also to lower the flack of weapons fire from the Cap ship on your first run Target the Weapons System of the Cap ship Fire lasers to bring shields down and Fire your missiles at the weapons System, Rage missiles are excelent for this. Now with the Cap ships Weapons down, you can straff and stay close to the Cap ship and Destroy it much easier!. I ussualy Target the Weapons and destroy the Cap ship without using missiles, but for new Pilots I recommend to use Rage missiles to take out Cap ship Weapons system till they get a hang of controlling their strafe!.....