Mandalay Builds post release, your wild optimizations pretty please.

Sure, one can make almost any build work in PVE.

I don't think your build is gank proof. 2 python mk2 with 4 frags / pacifiers with incendiary experimental will cut thru that shield like knife thru butter, and grom bombs will prevent you from waking. Not to mention if you get rammed.

Perhaps you made the assumption that since OP asked for a PVE build, possibly used in PP2.0, therefore s/he will fly in SOLO ? You may be right, I don't know.

I was looking at the Mandalay and wanted to make a similar build like yours for general mission running using a biweave (class 5 with C6 SCB) and an armored PP but couldn't make it work yet, granted I fly in open. In open I feel I will need prismatics and an overcharged PP.
Well not to backpedal to much, but it's pretty gank proof for your average ganker (who is usually pretty bad). For organized dedicated ones in a group, maybe probably not so much. I have a similarly built/protected but slower Viper IV that escaped the odd gank with no problem.

But also, I don''t really care. I choose my mode according to what I want to do and whether I care if I am disturbed or not, and that may be solo, it might also be open. I have even played in a group with some gankers without being ganked - so it all depends on the context.
 
I understand. When I am in a combat ship, I fight even against uneven odds. I simply want to practice, I don't care if I die.

But I don't want to give gankers the satisfaction, even though rebuys are inconsequential :)
 
I understand. When I am in a combat ship, I fight even against uneven odds. I simply want to practice, I don't care if I die.

But I don't want to give gankers the satisfaction, even though rebuys are inconsequential :)
well my Mandalay isn't a dedicated combat ship, much less so for PvP. If it was it wouldn't have cargo, a scoop, collectors, or a vehicle hangar. It's an armed multirole mission runner, and such a ship will never be proof against the most dedicated PVPer or murder hobo (or both).

Maybe I should not have said "gank proof" but "open proof". Which it is, partly because I know where to not go in open if I care about not being disturbed. And as I said, I have no interest in PvP.
 
Yeah, don't worry too much about it.


I think the power priorities don't get exported correctly from Inara, I haven't set the priorities in game like they are shown in Coriolis. I've had that issue with EDSY in the past, too. I didn't bother to check the priorities when exporting last night.

The way I traditionally organize my power groups is like this: I distribute the core functions across 1 and 2. 1 is always the thrusters and FSD, 2 is often the rest. 3 is everything deployeable and / or needed in combat, 4 is all things shields, and 5 is all the stuff I don't need in normal space or only need in SC. It's fine and works for me.

See above.

it works fine and doesn't matter. Edit: If anything, I might be most susceptable to the argument that a C5 Bi-Weave works as well with the added benefit of upping the cargo capacity ;).

First, I don't have prismatics, so there's that. Second, ramming is my (in this case) 7th hardpoint, so I've made my peace with always going for optimum raw strength and absolute protection vs. protection through resistances. It's fine either way, and my way helps with the ramming hardpoint. And again, in PvE it doesn't matter, above a certain threshold a ship like this is unkillable either way unless you aggro a whole instance of a dozen or more ships, changing this or that to optimize is basically "funny number goes up (or down)". I don't do PvP, but I am very sure this build is gank proof as in: Fast and robust enough to escape.


Appreciated.
I’m also running a 6C BiWeave (Reinforced and Fast Charge) and am not seeing any issues with the 5A Charge Enhanced PD … I pretty much fly with 2-pips in everything and it all just seems to work …
 
I've also tried 4D, if simplified: -40m/s +0.8LY. Diff. in handling none to barely noticeable.
This time I'm for exobio, thus 5D are to stay, for Bubble jumper I would go for 4D instead.
I’m out on an exobio shakedown trip and very happy with the 5D G3 Dirty ones I’m running. It’s way faster than my DBX so need to be aware of how much throttle you give it when you’re down low.
 
Exploration build focused on self-sufficiency. No downgrade on thrusters but running with a size 3 power distributor and an overcharged size 4 powerplant.
Carries 2 SRVs, AFMU, repair limpet controller and a reinforced size 3 shield generator. Range is at 75ly unladen.
 
Looks good.

The 4D PD, at G5, has almost the same boost characteristics, for 3 boosts, as the 3A but is lighter.

There’s also the standard comment pointing out that you could use a smaller PP if you switch off the vehicle bay.
I hate switching the vehicle bay on and off all the time, so I didn't bother with that. So that's very much on purpose. Since I'm exploring with my carrier around most of the time, I was actually thinking about taking only one SRV though.
Thanks for the distributor hint! I'll try and see how much of a difference it makes. Not sure why I didn't have that idea myself. :D
 
I hate switching the vehicle bay on and off all the time, so I didn't bother with that. So that's very much on purpose. ...

If you give the vehicle bay the lowest priority (4 or 5 say) it will be disabled and then automatically power on when you land and the thrusters power off.
It only takes 2-3 seconds for the bay to power on after landing.

(doesn't work landing at bases as the thrusters stay powered but that's not an issue exploring)
 
If you give the vehicle bay the lowest priority (4 or 5 say) it will be disabled and then automatically power on when you land and the thrusters power off.
It only takes 2-3 seconds for the bay to power on after landing.

(doesn't work landing at bases as the thrusters stay powered but that's not an issue exploring)
Yeah, I know, but that's still not what I want. Things need to be functional and not switch off under certain circumstances. The difference would be about 0.4ly and that's also not worth it in my book. I need my ship to be robust and functional somehow.
 
I hate switching the vehicle bay on and off all the time, so I didn't bother with that. So that's very much on purpose. Since I'm exploring with my carrier around most of the time, I was actually thinking about taking only one SRV though.
Thanks for the distributor hint! I'll try and see how much of a difference it makes. Not sure why I didn't have that idea myself. :D
If you put the vehicle hanger at priority 4 or 5 it will shutdown automatically and power itself back on when you are landed and the thrusters are powered off.
 
I REALLY like this ship but I'd appreciate some feedback/advice on my build. I could probably squeeze a little more jump range out of it but 77+ LY ain't bad. Although, if I could change one thing, I think it'd be that damnable horizontal bar right in the way of my view out of the cockpit. I like the vertical bars of the Asp Explorer/Phantom better.

https://s.orbis.zone/qBLl
 
That was already suggested and my answer is right above your post. :D
Sorry missed that. Though I am struggling a little with the idea that a powered up vehicle hanger is functional while the ship is in flight. But it is your ship and you are the one that has to be happy with it.

We do tend to overlook how small the gains of lightweighting can be at times.
 
Sorry missed that. Though I am struggling a little with the idea that a powered up vehicle hanger is functional while the ship is in flight. But it is your ship and you are the one that has to be happy with it.

We do tend to overlook how small the gains of lightweighting can be at times.
Yeah. In this case it would get me about 0.4ly and if I'd be hell-bent to squeeze every little lightyear out of the ship, I'd definitely do that, and I guess shave off some more. But like I'm not willing to downgrade thrusters I need a few basic things for my ship, and a module switching off once I start the machine, because of insufficient power somehow rings a virtual warning bell or something like that. I'm fine with AFMU and repair limpets turned off all the time, though I could also power them I think. Those are emergency modules somehow.

Jump range sure is a factor for an explorer, and I like my 75ly a lot, but jump range is reach and travel speed when you're going somewhere. When actually exploring I very rarely make max range jumps. So I don't really participate in the shaving-off-stuff-until-max-range race I guess. :D
 
I REALLY like this ship but I'd appreciate some feedback/advice on my build. I could probably squeeze a little more jump range out of it but 77+ LY ain't bad. Although, if I could change one thing, I think it'd be that damnable horizontal bar right in the way of my view out of the cockpit. I like the vertical bars of the Asp Explorer/Phantom better.

https://s.orbis.zone/qBLl
This looks good!
I tried ditching the shield booster and go for a size 3A shield generator reinforced and stripped down, and that actually gave the ship 0.10ly more. Strength is about the same.
Not sure if that's worth it.
Not sure about that Guardian shield package, but it looked very deliberately equipped so I kept it in there. I use a 3A shield that always was enough, also in my Krait Phantom. The package is 4T, so it will increase range quite a bit if you ditch it.
Here's the change: https://s.orbis.zone/qBLL
 
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This looks good!
I tried ditching the shield booster and go for a size 3A shield generator reinforced and stripped down, and that actually gave the ship 0.10ly more. Strength is about the same.
Not sure if that's worth it.
Not sure about that Guardian shield package, but it looked very deliberately equipped so I kept it in there. I use a 3A shield that always was enough, also in my Krait Phantom. The package is 4T, so it will increase range quite a bit if you ditch it.
Here's the change: https://s.orbis.zone/qBLL
You can switch out the 3A Reinforced shield with a 4A Enhanced Low-Power shield, gives you a bit more shield strength for the same weight and a lower power cost. Like this:
 
You can switch out the 3A Reinforced shield with a 4A Enhanced Low-Power shield, gives you a bit more shield strength for the same weight and a lower power cost. Like this:
And 3A powerplant overcharged (tried 4D too, but a lot more heat).
Makes about 1,5ly.

EDIT: shields actually have almost 10% more kinetic resistance. That might actually be worth changing next time I'm back in the Bubble. Didn't know the mod would get the mass down so much!
 
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