Two autopulse lasers, two gazers, one locust, one breech, one mining pod, one xyphos, max caps, hardened shields, ITU, expanded missile racks, expanded magazines, flux coil adjunct and resistant flux conduits, is my current Odyssey build that can handle its DP in everything. It can win with 0 hull damage vs an Onslaught or frigates. If the A.I. plays intelligently, it can beat a conquest with minimal hull damage, and any combination of cruisers. If it plays poorly, (refuses to back off despite being able to do so), it can be a coin flip. It will always win vs destroyers from what I've seen, but always takes notable damage.
This is the only useful A.I. controlled short range Odyssey build that I've found so far.
The current A.I. behavior for Plasma Burn is absolutely required for this build to function. The Odyssey goes in, dumps it damage, and then backs off before hitting max flux, vents, and then double plasma burns back into range of the autopulse lasers. This grinds down the Onslaught over multiple runs, allows it to stay caught up to the Conquest, and provides a method of guaranteeing kills against frigates and destroyers.
Plasma jets would struggle or flat out not allow this build to work as PB seems to get cover more distance than PJ does.
I would not be against changing how PB works so it can propel ships backwards. This would fix most of the A.I. issues, without compromising the few good short-range builds that these ships have. Also, telling a ship with PB to directly retreat still causes it to use its system regardless of the direction it's facing so PB A.I. as a whole is buggy and needs some work.
