What besides combat (PVE) is the new Python MKII good for?

Yesterday there was a big organic multi-wing pewpew in Shin, with a lot of FDLs and Py2's.

The Py2 is a pretty big target with relatively negligible hull, it can die hilariously quickly after shield drop. Literally a couple of seconds in big instances. :)
We've built a beefier version with reactive + HRPs (33/33/33 resistances more or less) that gives 2.6k hull upfront ...but ship is anyway running 1 single C2 MRP and the C6 PP G4/G5 overcharged has low integrity. But as you said the big-leaf shape makes the ship a somehow "easy" target (and isn't even as slim as the Mamba).
 
I run a scoop on everything. Trying to match the size, to my Fuel Tank. I generally scoop each jump to stay topped off. The cA SCO FSD's commonly outclasses the Std FSD in jump range. I have heard of some SCO-FSD/Ship combinations that don't, but my experience is short right now. I get about 27 lys out of the one in my P2. Decent and effective around town.

I have found that I need to include a Collector Limpet, to the P2, though. I cannot seem to scoop cargo with any regularity in it, making Black Box missions and collecting mats aggravating. I understand that is a failing with the P1 too, but I never really used one. Aside from that, it does what I do, and well.
 
So less a Mission Runner and more of a Mission Ambler
Depends whether you need to do these 20 black box missions right now, all at once. Or you're like me and stack half a dozen different missions and do them at your own leasure over a day or a few. Also, if there arw hostiles sent after me during a mission, I tend to do one or two before turning them in—chain interdictions are annoying🙂
But as you said the big-leaf shape makes the ship a somehow "easy" target (and isn't even as slim as the Mamba).
Quintessential Delacy design, then, like Cobras and Kraits. Incredibly annoying to hit if they're facing with front, back or side towards you. Incredible barn doors if they have their tops or bottoms towards you🤪
 
Depends whether you need to do these 20 black box missions right now, all at once. Or you're like me and stack half a dozen different missions and do them at your own leasure over a day or a few. Also, if there arw hostiles sent after me during a mission, I tend to do one or two before turning them in—chain interdictions are annoying🙂
It's not good for my mental health to have mission timers ticking down while I'm not even playing. My play time is not reliable enough to know that I'll have opportunities to close out all those tasks in subsequent days. And it really sours the start of a play session to log in and instantly be bombarded with notifications and messages that I'm a failure and faction x y or z is disappointed in me. Doubly so if it's "kill 50 rats Crimson Azure Militia Prosperity Gang ships," and last time I played I killed 40 out of 50 but now I'm a loser because I went to a movie on Thursday, or whatever. It's great that you have time to mosey through the game. I prefer to do the same, but ironically, three days would be stressful hurrying in my case. On most play sessions I don't take missions at all, for this very reason.
 
It's not good for my mental health to have mission timers ticking down while I'm not even playing. My play time is not reliable enough to know that I'll have opportunities to close out all those tasks in subsequent days. And it really sours the start of a play session to log in and instantly be bombarded with notifications and messages that I'm a failure and faction x y or z is disappointed in me. Doubly so if it's "kill 50 rats Crimson Azure Militia Prosperity Gang ships," and last time I played I killed 40 out of 50 but now I'm a loser because I went to a movie on Thursday, or whatever. It's great that you have time to mosey through the game. I prefer to do the same, but ironically, three days would be stressful hurrying in my case. On most play sessions I don't take missions at all, for this very reason.
Understandable. Different strokes for different blokes :) My schedules are routine enough that I can find an hour almost every evening after supper and mission timers for black box/surface scans are 6 days (almost 7 usually) so even if I have some unscheduled event one evening I can finish the business next day or the day after that. But for someone with more spontaneous and unpredictable days taking on extra deadlines in a game is naturally not the way, and that is fine.
 
I'm currently shaking down my (max-engineered) PII exploration/exobiology build & I'm thinking it's pretty much the bees' knees.

The cabin visibility (for sample spotting) is damned fine.
Stability in surface cruising & efficiency in landing in tight spots for sampling is bang on.

Surface (atmosphere & gravity) approaches are very manageable & the improved SCO behaviour (over pre-SCO gen ships) both in handling and fuel consumption under boost are the final deal sealers.

I'm sold, now I'm orf to achieve that exobiologist Elite V in my newly commissioned PII the 'Midlife Crisis' :)
 
I am having the worst time thus far with exobiology, I made less than a billion credits lasty night and this morning. I need to get on some good stuff lol.

Okay, I had a great afternoon and evening. I made lots of discoveries and first footfalls, and even discovered my first earth like planet.

I have discovered lots of stuff but only one earth like.
 
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Earth-like bodies are pretty rare - even rarer systems with more than one, but they are out there, waiting to be found!
Sorry again for the newb-ish question but i'm a new Commander 'round these here parts, so yeah ... Anyways, how exactly do u guys "find" such planets? Are u guys just plotting course to some "random" system outside the bubble proper and then just SCruise'ing around that system targetting every blip and then scanning every 'globe' ?

i'm still just running basic computer-console missions ( to get the hang of things and figure out my keybinds & such ) from Odyssey starter settlement , so the extent of my umm "exploration" so far is just reading new threads within these Forums lol
 
Sorry again for the newb-ish question but i'm a new Commander 'round these here parts, so yeah ... Anyways, how exactly do u guys "find" such planets? Are u guys just plotting course to some "random" system outside the bubble proper and then just SCruise'ing around that system targetting every blip and then scanning every 'globe' ?

i'm still just running basic computer-console missions ( to get the hang of things and figure out my keybinds & such ) from Odyssey starter settlement , so the extent of my umm "exploration" so far is just reading new threads within these Forums lol
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/marxs-guide-to-finding-earth-like-worlds.339164/
 
Sorry again for the newb-ish question but i'm a new Commander 'round these here parts, so yeah ... Anyways, how exactly do u guys "find" such planets? Are u guys just plotting course to some "random" system outside the bubble proper and then just SCruise'ing around that system targetting every blip and then scanning every 'globe' ?

i'm still just running basic computer-console missions ( to get the hang of things and figure out my keybinds & such ) from Odyssey starter settlement , so the extent of my umm "exploration" so far is just reading new threads within these Forums lol
My exploration world was rocked by the 'discovery' of a couple of tools that delivered such QOL improvements that I couldn't (now) live without them.

EDDI was the first game changer. It can appear overwhelming at first, but I've spent many, many hours tweaking and tuning to reduce it's verbosity and restrict it's reports to (largely) celestial bodies of interest while I travel around.

Next up was Elite Observatory Core with the Bioinsights plugin. These additions simplify xenobiology collection quite dramatically.

All far too involved and way over the top for what is supposed to be a game, but in reality is a way off life.

General approach to exploration (from way back when) - fix up your ship, head out into the black, regret your many flawed design decisions, return to the bubble and fix them. try again :)
 
Sorry again for the newb-ish question but i'm a new Commander 'round these here parts, so yeah ...
Welcome!
Anyways, how exactly do u guys "find" such planets? Are u guys just plotting course to some "random" system outside the bubble proper and then just SCruise'ing around that system targetting every blip and then scanning every 'globe' ?
Others have helpfully detailed methods above.

Me, I just plot a course and see what I find on the way, no star class filtering, and scan each system as I arrive. But, I do not wear the badge of explorer, I'm just a tourist doing my thing for fun.
 
...So big prismo, all boosters, 4 pacifiers (C2 are a bonus slot for feedback rail/grom bomb/scramble pulse) and GSRPs to stack even more MJs.
I'm trying the APAs too, but no permaboost means it's harder to hold the trail to deliver volleys... I mean, Krait works much better with APAs on a first glance.
We've built a beefier version with reactive + HRPs (33/33/33 resistances more or less) that gives 2.6k hull upfront ...but ship is anyway running 1 single C2 MRP and the C6 PP G4/G5 overcharged has low integrity...

Very interesting!
I armored my PP - but had to drop a booster.
I did see a Cmdr using a PA build, but yeah - his distributor really struggled - are APA's more viable?
I am quite happy with the Pac's - but I just can't decide what to do with the mediums. Currently using Flak, but I really like the idea of Feedback Hammers...how have you found the medium hardpoints?
All thoughts appreciated! o7
 
Very interesting!
I armored my PP - but had to drop a booster.

Not worth it. Py2 is a shield tank with low hull, you need to make your shield as strong as possible. Armoured PP has low power output for this ship, it's a big restriction on the loadouts you can possibly use. You can go for a G5 OC + monstered PP, no need to worry about heat, the Py2 loses heat very fast, actually even with the OC plant it's not that easy to keep it hot enough for TC if you have PAs.

I did see a Cmdr using a PA build, but yeah - his distributor really struggled - are APA's more viable?

No. Forget APAs, the TLB nerf made them totally useless years ago, regular PAs are way better. You can use PAs on the Py2 (even 6 PAs, or 4 effi c3 PA + 2 rails, or PAs + medium gimb MCs), but all PA builds are harder on the distro than pacifiers.

I am quite happy with the Pac's - but I just can't decide what to do with the mediums

Pacifiers are really good on the large hardpoints. There are a number of viable choices for the mediums, for example a pair of SRB rails or PAs, RF gimballed MCs (corrosive+emissive) etc.
 
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My exploration world was rocked by the 'discovery' of a couple of tools that delivered such QOL improvements that I couldn't (now) live without them.

EDDI was the first game changer. It can appear overwhelming at first, but I've spent many, many hours tweaking and tuning to reduce it's verbosity and restrict it's reports to (largely) celestial bodies of interest while I travel around.

Next up was Elite Observatory Core with the Bioinsights plugin. These additions simplify xenobiology collection quite dramatically.

All far too involved and way over the top for what is supposed to be a game, but in reality is a way off life.

General approach to exploration (from way back when) - fix up your ship, head out into the black, regret your many flawed design decisions, return to the bubble and fix them. try again :)
Thanks for EDDI, it is new to me and now bookmarked. I love the EOC with the plug in, it is amazing.
 
Very interesting!
I armored my PP - but had to drop a booster.
I did see a Cmdr using a PA build, but yeah - his distributor really struggled - are APA's more viable?
I am quite happy with the Pac's - but I just can't decide what to do with the mediums. Currently using Flak, but I really like the idea of Feedback Hammers...how have you found the medium hardpoints?
All thoughts appreciated! o7

APAs are not viable for high-end PvP and I won't recommend to use APAs on P2... the ship is a boost-jousting one, so you don't basically have enout ToT to fire a full volley of APAs to match PAs DPS (= more or less 3 shots), For that reason, 4xPacifiers work better as you can release 3 shots much quicker than APAs and sourcing way more DPS. For mediums if you have corrosive on frags, 2 rails (I do prefer rails vs. hammers), if you don't have corrosive or drag on frags... a corrosive gimbal MC and a drag-seeker.
 
It will be a brilliant boat for those that are into dipping their toes into PvP but are worried about the otherwise huge investment in time and energy and the obvious skill gap that exists between a new entrant and someone who's been at it for years.

This is the perfect ship to onboard new players. You can A rate and engineer this thing and you will survive long enough to learn and even sometimes win against a lot of players out there. It is a VERY strong ship that will not take thousands of hours to be competitive in. If you have thoughts of wanting to get into PvP but have always been worried. This is the ship for you.

Please don't come at me with the anti-PvP rhetoric btw. Just answering the OP's question and if you don't like PvP that is perfectly fine and valid and your choice. But if you've ever wondered then this is the ship for you.
Don't get the point of your comment. A stong PVPer will beat a beginner in the PMKII like in any other ship.
 
APAs are not viable for high-end PvP and I won't recommend to use APAs on P2... the ship is a boost-jousting one, so you don't basically have enout ToT to fire a full volley of APAs to match PAs DPS (= more or less 3 shots), For that reason, 4xPacifiers work better as you can release 3 shots much quicker than APAs and sourcing way more DPS. For mediums if you have corrosive on frags, 2 rails (I do prefer rails vs. hammers), if you don't have corrosive or drag on frags... a corrosive gimbal MC and a drag-seeker.
I’m actually enjoying my semi-engineered piracy experimental build with 2 OC cytos and 3 SR fixed cannons, that can often kill the PP with one or two shots (NPCs of course). I’ll keep the bottom hard point as a jolly, or at least for an FSD interrupt missile.
 
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