Newcomer / Intro Progression with a Cobra / Upgrades / Q about Interception

Avengeruk

A
Hi All,

Just a quickie hopefully :p - I've been playing elite since beta/release (backer) - but not had enough time to get properly into it just yet, beginning to now however once the house move is complete!

I currently have a cobra, outfitted quite basic atm, minus some better weapons.

Currently doing RES bountys using a scanner, question is this - I like and aim for the new Vulture ship, but not sure how to go about getting there. To take down targets a hell of lot more effectively / bigger targets, I'd need to upgrade the cobra's power/sheilds etc - but when it comes to switch the ship, (sell), do the upgrades increase the sale price, or is it worth just continuing with the basic loadout and saving for the vulture directly?

Also, the Frame shift interdiction module, I don't currently have one however most hunters do, Is this worth a look at or? (Very few if not 0 ships get away via FSJ while doing bountys in RES for me it seems anyway)

Thanks,
CMDR AvengerUK
 

Dommarraa

Dommarraa
When selling a ship, always sell (or downgrade to the cheapest possible) components. You will get 100% of the purchase price for them.
Any components still fitted when you sell the ship will only get 90%

So upgrade away, you are losing nothing

Not many people use FSI. Its just not effective in terms of time or money. You get damaged whenever you use it. I tried one twice, then sold it.
 

Red Kite

Red Kite
The Cobra is a good allrounder. My loadout is here.

The weapons are good enough to take on most NPCs, it can explore, carry enough cargo for small rare trade runs and the jump range is reasonable. The heat sink is for silent running into stations with illicit cargo. I use it for general missions and community goals involving exploration. I didn't bother with the interdictor.

I have a Vulture for pure combat (with an interdictor) but the jump range is shorter and I run a T6 for pure bulk trading. Planning on getting a Python to trade with teeth! And I may set up another Cobra for mining when the drones appear.

All in all the Cobra is still my favourite ship and I will never sell it. It carries a wire-frame paint job in honour of the 30th anniversary of Elite (I was an Elite veteran of the original game).

Say hello if you see me out there!
 

Avengeruk

A
Red Kite said:
The Cobra is a good allrounder. My loadout is here.
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Thanks Red & Dommarraa.

I do like the cobra, and may yet keep it (have a paint job on it so, probably silly to not keep it). Definitely going to upgrade it tonight and see how it handles after a few much needed upgrades!

I think ultimately keeping it (or not) will come down to credits. I'm not sure how much my bounty hunting is currently getting me (yet to turn in) - or will get much per hour after upgrades, so it probably depends on time vs keeping the cobra.

Won't be bothering with a interdiction thing then :p

Out of interest Red, what Illicit cargo do you bother with? (Guessing from Signals?)
 

Red Kite

Red Kite
Avengeruk said:
Out of interest Red, what Illicit cargo do you bother with? (Guessing from Signals?)
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Mostly the result of taking missions to pick up illegal items, such as Rebel Transmissions and so on.

If you are running rare trades some items are illegal in certain systems. Onionhead is illegal in all Federation systems, for example. If you need to dock the silent running trick can be quite helpful.
 

Avengeruk

A
Red Kite said:
Mostly the result of taking missions to pick up illegal items, such as Rebel Transmissions and so on.

If you are running rare trades some items are illegal in certain systems. Onionhead is illegal in all Federation systems, for example. If you need to dock the silent running trick can be quite helpful.
Click to expand...

Yeh :) Great.

Played a lot last night, (also, made a lot of stupid mistakes... i.e. dark side of the planet RES, what's that beeping? *bang, explosions, hello asteroid*), but made alot also (would of made 1+ million more if I hadn't of lost bounties twice.

Upgraded my power coupling and powerplant to the best available (Class 4?) - next, sheilds and weapons I think??
 

Universal Evil

Universal Evil
I would choose to D-modules instead of the E-modules you have exept for the FSD that I would upgrade to A for much better jump distances...
I would also switch the 2 beams to burst since they don't use as much power as the beams I would proberly also make the multiguns Turreted instead of just gimballed so they keep firring on the target even when you are pitching upwards trying to get your target infront of you...
 

Red Kite

Red Kite
I would also improve the thrusters, higher boost speed. And possibly the sensors. Even if you don't feel you need major upgrades it is always worth going from E to D. If you go for an A rated FSD, as suggested above, and put D modules in thrusters, sensors and life support you suddenly have a 23Ly unladen jump range!
 

smiths121

S
Hello,

You Cobra is starting to look very nice, I would stick with it, taking note of upgrading the modules to D to lighten weight.
I started looking at the vulture at around 8MCr. Like most fighters you have to do some work with the power plant and FSD to make them useable. It is bigger, so this gets quite expensive.

8MCr was the point where I got a Vulture that suited my style of play. We are all different, so experiment with ED Shipyard now you have the feel of how to upgrade the Cobra.

Simon
 

Avengeruk

A
annnnd we have a vulture!

Currently just running C3 Pulse gimbled, until more money allows to go overkill Beam or similar! - Upgraded power distro / sensors - next up is to the best power generator, and so on.

Too tired to try it out now however :p
 

Hellios

H
I've bought and sold my cobra 3 times! I had a couple vipers and the vulture but each time I went back to the cobra. If your looking for flexibility, it's hard to beat this well rounded ship. Point being... I'd highly recommend you keep your cobra and build up your vulture as you can especially if you like to mix things up for change of pace.

Hellios
 

Ziljan

Ziljan
Once you get a Vulture, there is no reason to ever fly a cobra again except for pure exploration. You can swap out cargo with shields to make the Vulture a better pirate ship. The vulture is also a better mining ship since its more nimble among the rocks and can slot a higher class refinery. It can also take beating from pirates without having to run even with a mining laser equipped. Pure trading should never be done in either small ship - if you can afford a Vulture, just go t-6. Combat isn't even close between the two. So again, the only thing a Cobra beats the Vulture at is exploration jump range.


All this being said, I miss my sleek Cobra and wish I could upgrade it to a similar tier as my Vulture. Even if it cost 5M CR to do it.
 

Adept

Adept
Avengeruk said:
annnnd we have a vulture!

Currently just running C3 Pulse gimbled, until more money allows to go overkill Beam or similar! - Upgraded power distro / sensors - next up is to the best power generator, and so on.

Too tired to try it out now however :p
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With the current silly state of the Vulture, those pulse lasers are all you need. That's it.

- - - Updated - - -

Ziljan said:
All this being said, I miss my sleek Cobra and wish I could upgrade it to a similar tier as my Vulture. Even if it cost 5M CR to do it.
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My Cobra costs over 10 million, but the only thing it can match a Vulture on is speed. The vulture is a travesty, and has made combat ships other than the Fer-de-Lance pointless.
 

Avengeruk

A
The cobra certainly was flexible. I am enjoying the Vulture a lot in combat however.

I will probably just go down the two-ship route when cash allows ;)

The Pulse lasers are...well ridiculous yes, but it's not like the cobra couldn't take down the same targets, just took a few minutes instead of 20seconds!

Happy I switched. Just need to save for the last upgrades, mainly being shield and thrusters if weapons are staying pulse. Depends!

Lots of RES to do for just those two, 10million! - trying to decide whether to stay at RES or go and do a combat CG.
 
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the100thmonkey

the100thmonkey
A5 thrusters make the Vulture soar.

A5 shields with a couple of C0 boosters mean it can take an absolute beating.

Pulse lasers make it stronk.

Keep the sensors at C grade and install a D0 KWS. Set the cargo hatch, FSD, fuel scoop (if you have one) and any shield cell bank to priority 2 and you'll have an absolute BEAST of a ship. In fact, it's easy mode.

I've turned in more than 30mcr in bounties and combat bonds, and have not once been killed in it. I've redecorated a station wall with it though.
 
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Ziljan

Ziljan
Adept said:
With the current silly state of the Vulture, those pulse lasers are all you need. That's it.

My Cobra costs over 10 million, but the only thing it can match a Vulture on is speed. The vulture is a travesty, and has made combat ships other than the Fer-de-Lance pointless.
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If the game was better balanced, a 10 million Cobra should be almost as functional as a 6.6 million base Vulture. I think we should be able to upgrade a Cobra up to at least 20 million to make them within 10% as tough and hard hitting as a fully upgraded A-class Vulture. Likewise with the Viper. Really, the Eagle and the Sidewinder should also be more upgradable at a fairly high expense as well. The real problem isn't that Vulture is good, but that the old ships become obsolete. They should never become obsolete at their role as long as someone has the money to upgrade them. Instead, we get pushed into larger and larger ships if we want to advance in technology. This makes it feel like a WOW style MMO with an "endgame" where everyone is running around in the same cookie cutter ships. I can see it already.
 
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