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Author Topic: Please Make Easy Start Actually Easier  (Read 9158 times)

Histidine

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Re: Please Make Easy Start Actually Easier
« Reply #15 on: November 14, 2014, 08:14:03 AM »

Is the easy start Hammerhead the one with the Assault Chainguns and Sabot SRMs? I recently rediscovered how annoying it is to use against frigates - or, well, most other things; I've never figured out how to get by with Sabots as your sole shield cracker.

I'd personally find a new variant with Autocannons/HVDs and Harpoons strongly preferable myself.
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Aeson

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Re: Please Make Easy Start Actually Easier
« Reply #16 on: November 14, 2014, 08:32:07 AM »

Is the easy start Hammerhead the one with the Assault Chainguns and Sabot SRMs? I recently rediscovered how annoying it is to use against frigates - or, well, most other things; I've never figured out how to get by with Sabots as your sole shield cracker.
Yes, it is.

I also agree with switching the Hammerhead's armament around to something more useful than sabots for shield cracking and chainguns for killing. Right now, if I take the easy start and keep the Hammerhead, the first thing I try to do is try to find a better armament, where "better" is defined as "any gun that does kinetic damage." Six missiles in a pair of small mounts work much better as finishing weapons or armor breakers than as shield breakers, especially against ships, such as frigates, fast enough to pull back far enough to safely vent.
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Nori

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Re: Please Make Easy Start Actually Easier
« Reply #17 on: November 14, 2014, 09:38:31 AM »

I've always had a soft spot for the hammerhead so I don't mind the so called easy start.
Maybe the easy start hammerhead should come loaded with augmented engines so that speed isn't as much of a issue? Also since we are talking about the hammerhead, it would be amazing if the 4 energy slots were changed to universal... Just saying..
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Megas

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Re: Please Make Easy Start Actually Easier
« Reply #18 on: November 14, 2014, 11:41:21 AM »

Starter Hammerhead has ten Sabots because it comes with Expanded Missile Racks pre-installed.
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Linnis

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Re: Please Make Easy Start Actually Easier
« Reply #19 on: November 20, 2014, 11:56:23 PM »

Lets just face the fact, Hammerhead is the most useless combat destroyer.
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TaLaR

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Re: Please Make Easy Start Actually Easier
« Reply #20 on: November 21, 2014, 12:14:41 AM »

Wouldn't be so sure about it. It is boring and unexciting, but as long as it packs 2x medium ballisitics it is usable.

AI is probably more profficent at controlling it than Medusa (not sure what exactly is problem here, but their survival rates are surprisingly bad) or Enforcer (Burn drive pretty much contributes negatively to AI survival, also uses shield too much). At least in rare cases when i had all three in fleet and started taking losses, Hammerhead was usually the last to die.

Default Hammerhead layout with sabots is atrociously horrible though.
« Last Edit: November 21, 2014, 12:19:24 AM by TaLaR »
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Megas

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Re: Please Make Easy Start Actually Easier
« Reply #21 on: November 21, 2014, 08:15:36 AM »

Hammerhead needs a minor boost, whether it is better combat stats and/or burn 5 instead of 4, or decrease in Logistics and FP cost.  It is usable, just like a Mule is usable, but the Hammerhead does not seem as strong as its other three peers when under player control.

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AI is probably more profficent at controlling it than Medusa (not sure what exactly is problem here, but their survival rates are surprisingly bad) or Enforcer (Burn drive pretty much contributes negatively to AI survival, also uses shield too much). At least in rare cases when i had all three in fleet and started taking losses, Hammerhead was usually the last to die.
Depends what they are armed with.  When I put blasters on AI Medusa, they buildup flux quickly, and often overload and die.  With pulse lasers (backed by railgun or needlers), they live longer.

When I tried out ships for AI use, Medusa with pulse lasers and kinetics was the last to die.  Enforcer and Hammerhead died sooner (but not much sooner) than Medusa, and roughly about the same time.  Sunder died the fastest.

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Default Hammerhead layout with sabots is atrociously horrible though.
Yes, it is bad.  I rather have autocannons instead of chainguns, and either Annihilators or Harpoons instead of Sabots.
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Linnis

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Re: Please Make Easy Start Actually Easier
« Reply #22 on: November 22, 2014, 08:48:40 AM »

Well the brawler is basically smaller, faster, and pack the same punch, and the flux stats are very similar. All the midline ships are weaker, the eagle and conquest make up for it with maneuvering thrusters so its okay.

I agree with more frigates could be an easier start, like well loaded lasher for escort.
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Ranakastrasz

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Re: Please Make Easy Start Actually Easier
« Reply #23 on: November 23, 2014, 01:14:57 PM »

I find just selling the slower ship works fine, and you get more money, to upgrade the stuff on your starter ship.
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I think is easy for Simba and Mufasa sing the Circle of Life when they're on the top of the food chain, I bet the zebras hate that song.

Cigarettes are a lot like hamsters. Perfectly harmless, until you put one in your mouth and light it on fire

Megas

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Re: Please Make Easy Start Actually Easier
« Reply #24 on: November 29, 2014, 05:51:25 AM »

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I find just selling the slower ship works fine, and you get more money, to upgrade the stuff on your starter ship.
There is one nice advantage of the Hammerhead start - LR PD lasers.  They require friendly (50+) reputation to buy, and that takes too long to earn, and the Wolf desperately needs some PD now, since it has frontal shield.  I strip them from the Hammerhead and put them on my Wolf.  I put the Hammerhead away in storage, but I do not sell it (yet), because that would interfere with another exploit I use to get cheap frigates.
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