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Author Topic: Apogee variants  (Read 9970 times)

ArkAngel

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Apogee variants
« on: January 19, 2013, 10:25:37 PM »

Hello there just got my computer working again and been messing around with the apogee lately. How ever I don't realy like its variants and my own variants doesn't seem as up to par as it could be.
So any one have some good variants? I will post mine tomorrow. Screen shots would be help full but not nesicary thanks!
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LazyWizard

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2013, 10:33:21 PM »

I don't have it anymore so I don't remember the exact build, but I armed mine with a plasma cannon + sabots + burst PD, hullmods include integrated targetting unit, expanded magazines, unstable injector, and (if you invested in the tech tree and can afford the OP) hardened shields. The plasma cannon plus its high speed and massive targeting range make it an excellent cap killer, the sabots deal with anything that manages to close in on you, and the burst PD kills fighters (keeping your drones alive is crucial to this build).
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sdmike1

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2013, 10:50:10 PM »

i had a similar build, but i found the sabots to be optional

cerberusti

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2013, 10:53:44 PM »

Try two antimatter blasters and a plasma cannon in the front slots.  I fire the plasma manually, and have the antimatter assigned to its own group for which I toggle autofire on briefly to basically get it to fire when I press a convenient key (it would be nice to get a keybind to fire a group when a button is pressed... but that is not in the game as far as I know.)

I use graviton beams in the medium turrets, although others would work.  Graviton has the benefit of being very efficient, and something I can just leave under autofire at all times (it either hits shields with great efficiency, or the damage is permanent and still cheap.)  It also spins fighters, which makes it very good in that scenario.

I leave missiles empty unless I have extra OP, but that is mostly due to the lack of staying power for missiles... and that in any hard fight I want weapons with longevity.

If you have the OP, you may want to consider extra speed.  Being able to outrun what you cannot outgun is very useful.

The Apogee is definitely my favorite cruiser, I personally think it is unmatched for power in its class (the free range and damage from the drones helps quite a bit.)
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blamatron

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2013, 05:58:00 AM »

Give it hardened shields, and it's unstoppable.
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Fangz

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #5 on: January 20, 2013, 10:46:24 AM »

From stern to bow.

2x graviton beams + burst pd laser + harpoon pods + harpoon mrm (group 3) + burst pd laser + 2x antimatter (group 2) + heavy blaster (group 1).

hullmod: flux coil adjunct

This is a fairly powerful and very flux effective loadout.

Plasma cannon is also a good choice but it will eat 30 OPs (Heavy Blaster costs only 12) and increase your flux generation by a good margin.


 

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Wyvern

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2013, 02:13:36 PM »

Ah, the Apogee.  Here, I'll attach some of my favorites.

The first build is one you can use with no skill points spent at all; the heavy blasters are quite sufficient punch for munching pirate fleets, though large fleets can get a bit tricky if you really haven't spent any skill points yet.  Missiles are mostly there to help break armor, or occasionally for sniping at Broadswords before they get too close.

The second, by contrast, is an example of an end-game build - by this point, you should have the +75% maneuverability perk, which is why I didn't bother with Auxiliary Thrusters hull mod.  The plasma cannon is your go-to weapon, used against anything and everything, from fighters to enemy capital ships.  Or you can just ignore fighters and let your beam turrets take them down.  Or, if dealing with massed fighters... well, that's what the Proximity Charge Launcher is for.

In both cases, your general tactic is going to be launch drones (to holding formation), put up shields, and then just keep shields up as much as you can (occasionally you may have to back off and vent, but even sabot SRMs or a pile of bombs shouldn't pose too big a threat).  The build with the Heavy Blasters will require you to occasionally turn the blasters off or hold fire while you dissipate soft flux; likewise, you may occasionally need to exercise some discretion in when you fire the plasma cannon.

The key skills for these builds are Helmsmanship and Power Grid Modulation - you want both at level 10, so you can keep full speed with shields up, and not have to lower shields to vent hard flux (though, with the level five perk from Power Grid Modulation, venting starts to get pretty safe - especially if you decide to add accelerated shields.  I find it's usually not necessary, but it's still a decent option.)
Of secondary importance are, in no particular order, Ordnance Expertise level 5 (extra speed greatly improves accuracy, especially when firing the plasma cannon at extreme range), Ordnance Expertise level 10 (more ordnance points), Mechanical Engineering & Computer Systems (also more ordnance points), and Gunnery Implants 5 (more range!  Because obviously you need more range.  Plus the target leading bonus is really good if you're using heavy blasters.)

[attachment deleted by admin]
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Lucian Greymark

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2013, 03:46:21 AM »

IMO the best/most efficient loadout for the apogee (Not counting capacitors/vents and mods because those depend on your level and perks) is a single front mounted auto pulse, fill the turret small energy mounts with burst pd lasers, the hard points with antimatter and the real medium energy mounts with the medium laser which i forget the name of, failing that two heavy blasters
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Wyvern

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2013, 09:16:53 AM »

I tried an autopulse based Apogee... didn't like it much.  Yeah, it's got higher (burst) dps on paper... but the low per-shot damage & low sustained dps makes it take forever to chew through heavy armor.  Now, add a MIRV mount for cracking armor, and then you've probably got a decent setup - at least as long as your ammunition holds out, and you aren't fighting something with too many flak cannons, and... you get the idea.
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Lucian Greymark

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2013, 01:38:27 PM »

I found that it was efficient at taking down the smaller craft very quickly, and if backed up by a couple of sniping frigates then it could hammer about anything. It's also very flux efficient so you can keep up the fire from your lasers a lot longer
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Hotshot3434

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2013, 01:59:30 PM »

My favorite build is similar to what Lucian describes. It has two Anti-Matter Blasters in the front slots, an Autopulse Laser in the larger forward spot, Heavy Blasters on the sides, and Burst PD on the two small mounts. I take hardened shields, a range upgrade (like the dedicated targeting core or the other less costly one, i cant remember the name off the top of my head), expanded magazines (for the benefit of the Autopulse laser), advanced turret gyros (so the Heavy Blasters can track those pesky fighters), and the rest in flux dissipation.

This setup is best suited to a mid ranged brawler style. I have the Autopulse on manual, the Heavy Blasters on auto, and the Anti-Matter Blasters in reserve. Fly at them with the Autopulse firing to bring their flux up (Often this brings them to vent or overload) and then start pounding with the Heavy Blasters. If their shields drop, hit em with the Anti-Matter Blasters, although it is not necessary. Usually the enemies are floating husks by the time you line up a shot with them.

When you first get it, you may not have the required skills to mount everything and to handle the flux, but with the all the ordinance points and flux upgrades, it can solo every fleet on the map (although I haven't tried to solo the Hegemony fleet yet) without dropping shields or venting.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2013, 02:04:42 PM by Hotshot3434 »
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Lucian Greymark

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #11 on: January 23, 2013, 05:32:24 PM »

This is essentially it, although i eschew hardened shields for increased magazine capacity and maxed capacitors and vents. it's a touch more efficient than hardened shields and you get an extra seven bursts with your autopulse when fully charged.
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cerberusti

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #12 on: January 24, 2013, 02:38:41 PM »


When driving a cruiser I am mostly fighting pirates, which tend to have poor shielding and good armor. 

The plasma cannon is very destructive to armor, and has good range (rockets are probably the most effective defense pirates have against it.)  The OP and credit costs are high, but it does well in place of missiles, so I drop those to get the OP necessary to effectively mount it.  Heavy blasters and mining blasters are also effective in this role and much cheaper (especially important if you trade in your starting ship for the apogee asap... which is what I did this game.)

On a paragon I like the autopulse more, but the apogee is fast enough to get into and out of combat quickly, and separate an enemy fleet by size.  I imagine preference will depend upon play style quite a bit, I usually only have one ship in my fleet until very late game.

Graviton beams combo well with the plasma cannon to get them to drop their shields (and win the flux battle if they are in range and shooting.)  They are also decently effective once the armor is gone, and nothing shreds armor like a plasma cannon (antimatter is good, but short range and long recharge.)

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Lucian Greymark

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #13 on: January 24, 2013, 03:09:12 PM »

On that point i find that the plasma cannon overheat's once flux too much, and forces you to play the ship every time you go into combat because on auto resolve the second in command get's his ass kicked because he spams the plasma. It's marginally less powerful, but using the auto-pulse means that you can auto resolve without fear of loosing your favorite ship.
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cerberusti

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Re: Apogee variants
« Reply #14 on: January 24, 2013, 03:37:34 PM »


Oh, totally agree.  I never use plasma cannons on AI controlled ships, for those it is always the most flux efficient layout I can make. 

I am playing without the ability to save, so I do not use the second in command (with it I just save before auto-resolve, and if the losses are not acceptable reload and do it myself.)
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