Weapons / Loadout for Combat Exploration

scorpyon

scorpyon
I've done the Combatz.
I've done the Tradingz.

Now I want to do the Exploresorz.

So, I'm kitting out my Asp for exploration to set out into the wild unknown, but I'm having a little bit of a conundrum in terms of what I want to take.
Since I'm going to probably be out there for a really long time, the likelihood is that I'm going to want to occasionally stop for a bit of pie-rat pew-pew.

Now I realise that having weapons and a KWS will diminish my Asp's jump-capacity, so I'm prepared for taking this hit.
What I'm interested to know is if anyone can give me some ideas for a good loadout for a Combat Explorer Asp.
Looking at the (awesome) guides from Nutter, etc, they all seem to focus on having Empty Hardpoints, etc - which I understand completely.

Any suggestions?
Also, I noticed somewhere saying that I should get D-Class everything because above D uses too much power or something? Is that right?
(On a side note, that's kind of weird. I would have thought that the higher class stuff should be 'optimised' to use less power and mass)
 

Kayweg

Kayweg
Only one suggestion from me:

No weapons !

Explorers don't fight, they run...making sure to keep their ship in top condition.

Do not sacrifice jump range.
 

AnnuverScotinExile

AnnuverScotinExile
If you are going to be out there for some time, you will not meet anyone to pew-pew with. Outside about 400-500LY from colonised space, there is nothing but empty systems. If you are going to be meeting people to pew pew with, then you are close to colonised space, so could pop back to change your kit. I have not had any weapons fitted on my ship for over a month.

Of course, what we really need is more than one commander slot, so we can switch commanders to pew-pew when we want to, and then go back to our exploration thousands of LY from civilisation. I am en route to the core, and it will be at least a month before I get back, perhaps more like 2 months.
 

scorpyon

scorpyon
AnnuverScotinExile said:
If you are going to be out there for some time, you will not meet anyone to pew-pew with. Outside about 400-500LY from colonised space, there is nothing but empty systems. If you are going to be meeting people to pew pew with, then you are close to colonised space, so could pop back to change your kit. I have not had any weapons fitted on my ship for over a month.

Of course, what we really need is more than one commander slot, so we can switch commanders to pew-pew when we want to, and then go back to our exploration thousands of LY from civilisation. I am en route to the core, and it will be at least a month before I get back, perhaps more like 2 months.
Click to expand...

Ahh, really? I thought pirates still randomly spawned, even out in the ether. If that's the case, then perhaps that's the biggest point - that I won't have a use for the weapons anyway.
Ok then - mind made up. Follow the tried and tested Explorer loadout, I guess.
 

Tempus-Fugit

Banned
Tempus-Fugit
Kayweg said:
Only one suggestion from me:

No weapons !

Explorers don't fight, they run...making sure to keep their ship in top condition.

Do not sacrifice jump range.
Click to expand...
There is a counter argument that says you have to get back to occupied space to sell all that data and spending a week scanning systems then getting killed as you aproach home might be a tad annoying
 

RedCabbage

R
A bit of a question about this sort of thing (I guess RTFM would answer it but I'm at work)...

If I bought a bare-bones ship with a big-ass engine and scanner but not weapons and then headed off into the wide black yonder as far as I could go, scanning all the way, until I got killed would I be able to claim for all the systems I've explored or would they all go down with the ship?
 

Ryzz

Ryzz
RedCabbage said:
A bit of a question about this sort of thing (I guess RTFM would answer it but I'm at work)...

If I bought a bare-bones ship with a big-ass engine and scanner but not weapons and then headed off into the wide black yonder as far as I could go, scanning all the way, until I got killed would I be able to claim for all the systems I've explored or would they all go down with the ship?
Click to expand...

It all goes down with the ship. You have to sell the data to get credit (and Credits!) :)
 

scorpyon

scorpyon
RedCabbage said:
A bit of a question about this sort of thing (I guess RTFM would answer it but I'm at work)...

If I bought a bare-bones ship with a big-ass engine and scanner but not weapons and then headed off into the wide black yonder as far as I could go, scanning all the way, until I got killed would I be able to claim for all the systems I've explored or would they all go down with the ship?
Click to expand...

I believe that if you die, you lose all exploration data with your ship I'm afraid.
 

Kayweg

Kayweg
Tempus-Fugit said:
There is a counter argument that says you have to get back to occupied space to sell all that data and spending a week scanning systems then getting killed as you aproach home might be a tad annoying
Click to expand...

You made it through that zone on your way out, you can make it through that zone on your way back in.

Fighting back doesn't reduce the risk you describe, it increases it.

Other than that, the only space you SHOULD go through on your way back is the belt of anarchy systems surrounding the "inhabited bubble", roamed by the occasional NPC.

All you do is hyper drive through that space, so you won't get interdicted, barring fuel scooping of course. You see an NPC, abort scooping and move on to the next system.

Especially now, with the improved route planner, you don't even have to take time to plot your next 3-4 jumps anymore...a brief period that made you prone to interdiction.

You then sell your data at the FIRST available station, forget about slow boating all the way back to your "home system".

Minimizing risk, that's what exploration is all about...as far as i'm concerned anyway. ;)
 
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Tempus-Fugit

Banned
Tempus-Fugit
Kayweg said:
I can see the point, but you made it through that zone on your way out, you can make it through that zone on your way back in.

Fighting back doesn't reduce the risk you rightly describe, it increases it.
Click to expand...
But you aren't carrying millions of credits worth of data on your way out.
 

Gibbonici

Gibbonici
Tempus-Fugit said:
But you aren't carrying millions of credits worth of data on your way out.
Click to expand...

Nor is your hull depleted by wear & tear and the occasional crash drop.

I always take shields and guns. They don't reduce my jump range by much proportionally (still running at over 33LYs range) and it's better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them.

IMO you're a lot better off halving your fuel tank and packing a decent fuel scoop.
 

Kayweg

Kayweg
Tempus-Fugit said:
But you aren't carrying millions of credits worth of data on your way out.
Click to expand...

No, you don't. But that's purely psychological, the process is exactly the same, no need to get paranoid.

As i've already said, there's more than one way to do things.

You want to carry guns ? By all means, carry them.

If you explore in areas with a high star system density, you'll most likely never run into any troubles with jump range.

My opinion is based on the fact that i've explored in low system density space, where hard point and utility fittings would have stopped me dead in my tracks.
 
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scorpyon

scorpyon
Getting back on track here for a moment, let's posit this as a question:

If I have decided already that I am going to take weapons on my Asp, which are the best to go for?
Assuming they will have to be lasers to accommodate the ammunition issue, I was thinking:

2 x C2 Beams
4 x C1 Burst

Or would you suggest different?

Do Plasma Cannons need ammo?
Are there any other non-ammo weapons to consider?
 
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