What is the most efficient non-fulcrum way of soloing capital ships?

Discord · Post by **Discord** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 4:34 am

Assuming a good deal of combat experience and unlimited resources, all civ/mil frames obtainable.

My family was enslaved in the Pearl system, forced to build capital ships until one of the antimatter reactors exploded and killed them in a fiery ball of death.

I barely escaped with my life.

Now, I have made it my mission to forcefully remove all capital ships from the universe.

Permanently.

Current setups that have worked with good success
(all of these assume heatsink + relay + fusion beam)

Chimera with Icespear
Chimera with Maxim-R

SeeJay · Post by **SeeJay** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:11 am

Hi and welcome.

There is a "sweet spot" under the ship where the cannons can't reach you. Just sit there and fire away.
Fighters can still reach you, so you might wanna take them out first.

I normally strafe back and forth behind the engine targeting the engine and deploy CM:s as needed.
Or circle around the ship continuously within guns range. Missiles help as well but lasers/guns will do.

Good luck!

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:14 am

From post: 142687, Topic: tid=9694, author=SeeJay wrote:I normally strafe back and forth behind the engine targeting the engine and deploy CM:s as needed.

My favorite method. Approach the ship at speeds between 1800 and 2100, depending on the position of the escorts.

Nubarus · Post by **Nubarus** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:15 am

What cannons are those then? Other then the cannons they use when fighting other capital ships they only got the flak cannons but if you ask me I am not even sure they actually do any damage, they only seem to knock me around a little once in a while without doing damage.

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:17 am

Cannons for which ship? Yours or the cap?

Nubarus · Post by **Nubarus** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:23 am

The cap.

Post by **Marvin** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:27 am

It's classified and above the pay grade of a mercenary.

Nubarus · Post by **Nubarus** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:35 am

Ah well, don't matter anyway, the caps in this game are just as dangerous as a navel lint.

Busch · Post by **Busch** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:09 am

Now, we're talking killing Cap ships, right ? Cap ships have always had missiles... a lot of missiles, and beam weapons (although of a capital ship "variety"). At least since Renegades, in my experience. In Mercs, Vice also added in the extra spices of point-defense flak cannons. These defenses are co-located 'round the circumfrance/equator of capital ships., from the foc'sle to the aft bulkhead. Especially aft, as they protect the main engine(s). These can be "ranged/distanced". You may be able to place yourself at 0 or 180 degrees relative-to-target, hopeully tucked in close enough to the cap ship to render neutral hostile missile launches. If you can do it, render your own speed relative to the cap ship, either thru throttle control then going inert, or pressing kybd M, to match speed w/tgt. Once you're "in", start hammering away at shields with your laser, or the one-two punch of cannons and lasers, if you've got your power needs worked out. Once shields go down, launch your own missiles at target. Watch go BOOM! Smile for the camera!

"This malox moment brought to your courtesy of Pilot Powell." This is/was his most favorite approach to counting coup on cap ships.

KingArthur · Post by **KingArthur** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 3:49 am

Place Yourself DIRECTLY ASTERN of the CAP SHIP at Between 1650-1750. MATCH SPEED. This Distance is Measured from the CERNTRE of the CAP SHIP. This Will Put You OUTSIDE FLAK GUN RANGE and a CAP SHIP only has a SINGLE MISSILE TUBE in the REAR. TARGET THE MISSLE TUBE WITH CANNONS/BEAMS And Continue to Fire Until the CAP SHIP EXPLODES.

You will SEE the Impact Of Your WEAPONS on the CAP SHIPS REAR SHEILDS. By Targeting the MISSILE TUBE You Will Destroy Them As Soon As The're Launched.

This Method Works on BOTH NAVY and VONARI CAP SHIPS.

Nubarus · Post by **Nubarus** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 8:31 am

That methode takes too long if you ask me King and only works if there are no other ships around to protect the cap ship since you will be a sitting duck to escort craft like that.

Since the cap ship close defense weapons are next to useless and they don't use the beam weapons and other lasers on small ships you can destroy them easy just by side sliding passed it and blast it with your cannons and lasers, even if there are escorts around you can destroy the cap easy.

KingArthur · Post by **KingArthur** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 1:59 pm

Nubarus. Your Method Exposes You to MASSIVE FLAK and MISSIILE FIRE. My Way I Just Sit and Smoke a Cigarette holding My TRIGGER DOWN but it is True. Your Method Is Quicker.

Of Course you KILL ALL FIGHTER ESCORTS FIRST Before Engaging the CAP SHIP.

Major Grubert · Post by **Major Grubert** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 2:04 pm

so, my conclusion is that cap ship have to be upgraded to something more dangerous

KingArthur · Post by **KingArthur** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 2:19 pm

They WILL BE in the EXPANSION.

Post by **Marvin** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 3:46 pm

From post: 142779, Topic: tid=9694, author=KingArthur wrote:Of Course you KILL ALL FIGHTER ESCORTS FIRST Before Engaging the CAP SHIP.

Every time I try to do that, the escorts drag me close to the cap ship where (because I'm concentrating on the escorts) I get blindsided. I don't like getting blindsided. So I get rid of the blindsider first ... and concentrate on the escorts afterward.

EN4CER · Post by **EN4CER** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:04 pm

I'm getting to where I use the cap ship's bulk as a defensive shield while taking out the escorts. CMs for missiles and flak/lasers are barely noticed. Use inertia to make circles around it and the AI pretty much stops and scratches its head. The only problem I had was punching through the shields until I read about the blind spot mentioned above. Thanks for the info and tips!!!

Nubarus · Post by **Nubarus** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:05 pm

There is no massive flak attack, the flak is weak and small in volume.

As for the missiles, they pose a minimal threat since in a slide you can shoot and spoof them with ease, besides, in a slide there is only 1 or 2 missile launchers as well that can shoot at you, not all of em so nothing massive about it in any way either.

Fact is the cap ships in this game are just oversized garbage trucks with weak weapons to defend themselves, unless they face another cap ship, then they have lasers everywhere and a beam weapon.

Major Grubert · Post by **Major Grubert** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:11 pm

if cap ship are well upgrade it became more incentive to use other player's help on server side for example, could be funny
"hey dude come help against that biiig baby, full of precious special water"

Nubarus · Post by **Nubarus** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:34 pm

From post: 142793, Topic: tid=9694, author=Major Grubert wrote:if cap ship are well upgrade it became more incentive to use other player's help on server side for example, could be funny
"hey dude come help against that biiig baby, full of precious special water"

Exactly, I recall the times from Freespace 2 MP where you had to team up with other players to take on cap ships. By yourself you are unable to defeat them, as it should be.

Space battle

Here you can see why you cannot take a capship in a small ship.

sundalo · Post by **sundalo** » Wed Aug 08, 2012 1:07 am

Nice FS2 video, excellent take of the original Freespace intro! Freespace 2 truly had the best space combat with the most exhilarating cap ship fighting in any space combat game!:)