Weapons....?

[Ghostieboi]

Ok, so, I'm a bit stumped here. I have 2x Pulse lasers Class 2 Rating E. Where can I get them with higher ratings? I've looked everywhere. Also, I have two small hardpoints. At this moment, I'm about to sell the Cannons I have mounted there Class 1 Rating D. I'm getting pretty mesed up lately, yet I wasn't before. Can I snag a little advice from you all? I don't wanna be a big badass, but Iwant to be able to protect myself, and get the occasional "wanted" or two. I've already lost some cargo, and bounties, as well as map data from dying earlier. I've been trying to figure out what I can put oon my ship.

Ship Specs:

Cobra Mk III
Lightwight Alloys Class 1
Power Plant B 4
Thrusters C 4
Frame Shift Drive A 4
Life Support E 3
Power Dist. A 3
Sensors A 3
Fuel Tank C 4 (cap: 16)
Cargo Rak E 4 (cap: 16) x2
Shield Gen. E 4
Standard Dock Comp. E 1
Empty
Adv. Disc. Scanner C 1

External Specs:

Pulse Laser E 2 x2
Twp small Hard Points
Killer Warrant Scanner
Point Defence


This is all my stuff that has taken me a few days to get. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Halp Please?

CMDR. Ghostieboi

P.S. Message me ingame. I'm on right now.

 

[hoppingdeth]

Ship looks ok. Improve your skillz!

 

[Alex Brentnall]

Only 1 rating per weapon type:

Taking beam laser as an example:
http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Beam_Laser

For a cobra i'd advise a mix of beam lasers and multicannons. That ship has good heat management with an A class powerplant and can support those hungry beam lasers long enough to do serious damage. Gimballed works well against NPC's at this stage.

Yeah, NPC's got a major buff to their programming recently and apparently that was just phase 1. Try using flight assist off mode in combat and watch some gameplay tutorials on youtube or something. It is getting harder and more... dangerous... (sorry) but its still possible to do well.


Or eschew human contact and outfit the cobra for exploring. Disappear for 4 months, scan a ton of neutron stars and come back with a few million credits of data

 

[Kyudos]

In my Eagle I have a shield booster, two Class 3 gimballed pulses on top, with two class 1 turreted pulses below a KWS and a FSI. I can hold my own against most single (NPC) ships, but I struggle against Wings of 3 (it can generally take a low rate Wing of 2).

I buy all my ships at Founders though, so I don't know where you would find class 3 weapons otherwise. Sorry.

 

[Ghostieboi]

I buy all my ships at Founders though, so I don't know where you would find class 3 weapons otherwise. Sorry.

Where is this founders at?

- - - Updated - - -

Only 1 rating per weapon type:

Taking beam laser as an example:
http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Beam_Laser

Or eschew human contact for 4 months, scan a ton of neutron stars and come back with a few million credits of data

What do you mean "ONly 1 rating per weapon type"? I'm not sure what you are saying there. I apologize. I'm still pretty new to this game.

As for Eschewing human contact, I haven't ran into anyone yet except NPCs...

 

[PhazonAran]

Where is this founders at?

System's name is Shinrarta Dezhra. You can access it only if you're Elite or a Founder.

 

[Kyudos]

Where is this founders at?

Shinrarta Dezhra - but you need a Founders permit i.e., be a beta backer or reach 'Elite' status.

 

[Alex Brentnall]

What do you mean "ONly 1 rating per weapon type"? I'm not sure what you are saying there. I apologize. I'm still pretty new to this game.

As for Eschewing human contact, I haven't ran into anyone yet except NPCs...

Don't worry we all learn somewhere/sometime

All items come in different classes. Class is basically size, the bigger it is, generally the better it is.

The rating is A to E grade.
For normal modules:
A grade is the best yet expensive
B grade is most armoured yet heaviest
C grade is middle of the class, not best not worst, decent value for money.
D grade is lightest
E grade is cheapest

Weapons on the other hand come in 3 flavours:
Fixed
Gimballed
Turret

I assume you know about those 3 types but for example Class 2 Gimballed beam lasers only come in D rating. Other ratings for class 2 gimballed beams simply do not exist so rating is irrelevant for weapons, only the type and size (class) matters.

 

[MaggieM]

Where is this founders at?


What do you mean "ONly 1 rating per weapon type"? I'm not sure what you are saying there. I apologize. I'm still pretty new to this game.

As for Eschewing human contact, I haven't ran into anyone yet except NPCs...

If you just started and are not a kick starter backer than you can't get to founders world. Also if you are looking for other players to play with in open Leesti and Lave have a lot of people, and there should be a lot around the new Power Play areas (the ones with the colourful bubbles around them). But I would avoid players as they might just pirate your stuff

What he means by only one rating per weapon type is that there isn't and class 2 A,B,C,or D Pulse lasers so you don't have to worry about that.

Your ship doesn't seem to bad but I would suggest getting gimbaled weapons if you have just started as they are a lot easier to use than fixed weapons.
You can down grade your sensors to E or D class (D class is better and lighter put used more power than E) as you never need an A class sensor.
Overall tip for load outs, D class stuff is always the lightest so it will increase your jump range.

For weapons I would suggest getting 2 gimbaled class-2 multi cannons and 2 gimbaled class-1 beam lasers. (this is considered a good set up but I wont explain it because its sort of complicated how the weapon classes and damage work against different ships) Use the beam lasers to take down shields and then use the multi cannons to attack the hull.
For utility mounts, chaff is generally better than point defense, as point defense only protects you from missiles which most people don't have, and chaff is more general.
Lose the docking computer and learn how to land as it is really a waste of space on a smaller ship, fill the rest of the slots with cargo racks as it seems like you want to be a trader mostly.
Sell the discovery scanner and put in a fuel scoop instead so you don't have to stop at stations for fuel. (unless you want to be an explorer, in that case its a very very different load out than what you have now)

Here's a link to the set up http://edshipyard.com/#/L=702,7u57u54wt4wt01Q3we,2-6a6k6Q5K4s5K6k,0720727Re03w03w4xo
Upgrade your shields, thrusters, and powerplant to A rated as you see fit or as you have the money (which you should have a lot more money once you sell the 1.5 mil you put into the adv discovery scanner).
Always keep enough money to pay for a rebuy if you get blown up

 

[Alex Brentnall]

You can down grade your sensors to E or D class (D class is better and lighter put used more power than E) as you never need an A class sensor.
Overall tip for load outs, D class stuff is always the lightest so it will increase your jump range.

Sell the discovery scanner and put in a fuel scoop instead so you don't have to stop at stations for fuel. (unless you want to be an explorer, in that case its a very very different load out than what you have now)

Lots of top advice there but I have to partly disagree on these 2.

I often use A grade sensors in RES sites, being check out targets at 7km away and see if they are worth flying towards is very useful imo. Especially with the multirole ships that usually have power and jump range to spare.

Fuel scoop is subjective, if you are only flying in a few systems close together and not hyperspacing around a lot you really don't need a scoop since you'll need repairs and munitions before fuel. That having been said if you are sticking to known systems you don't need a discovery scanner either.
When I was still back in a Cobra I kept a discovery scanner at all times for those occasions when i just felt like seeing what that next system along contained

 

[MaggieM]

Lots of top advice there but I have to partly disagree on these 2.

I often use A grade sensors in RES sites, being check out targets at 7km away and see if they are worth flying towards is very useful imo. Especially with the multirole ships that usually have power and jump range to spare.

Fuel scoop is subjective, if you are only flying in a few systems close together and not hyperspacing around a lot you really don't need a scoop since you'll need repairs and munitions before fuel. That having been said if you are sticking to known systems you don't need a discovery scanner either.
When I was still back in a Cobra I kept a discovery scanner at all times for those occasions when i just felt like seeing what that next system along contained

You are completely right those are pretty subjective and if they work better for you or the OP than stick with them, its just my preferred set up for a trader / bounty hunter on the side. Never had much use for the discovery scanner as I can just buy the data at stations and I found the fuel scoop more useful when looking for good trade routes or doing rare goods runs.

As for sensors... meh, I've just never found the small boost in range (cobra max range with A rating is 6k only 1.5k more than the D rated) worth the extra weight and power. And if you are flying around fast enough that 1.5k wont be noticeable as if you just keep flying at speed you will cover that distance in seconds. But if you feel it helps its not a big cost to weight or power so it doesn't make too much of a difference.

 

[Valethar]

Shinrarta Dezhra - but you need a Founders permit i.e., be a beta backer or reach 'Elite' status.

I bought into the Premium Beta at one point, but do not have access to Shinrarta Dezhra. Unless there was a specific class of Beta backer that received access as part of the package, being a Beta backer isn't a guarantee. Most Beta players should have received the Sol permit, but I thought the Founder's world was for the original Kickstarter and possibly Alpha backers.

 

[nighthawk71]

I bought into the Premium Beta at one point, but do not have access to Shinrarta Dezhra. Unless there was a specific class of Beta backer that received access as part of the package, being a Beta backer isn't a guarantee. Most Beta players should have received the Sol permit, but I thought the Founder's world was for the original Kickstarter and possibly Alpha backers.

Yeah, Beta Backers only got the Sol permit.

 

[LameoveR]

Take a look.
http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=702,4yH4yH7sh7sh0_g3wU,2-6Q6Q6Q5K4s4s6k,7RA
Turn off your Cargo Hatch in Modules menu.

You can get 15% discount on all outfit at Lembava or Diaguandri systems.

 

[hoppingdeth]

OK look, staying on track with the OP.

Mate you need something like this: http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=702,4wt4wt7N77N70_g0_g,2-6Q6Q6Q5U4s5A6k,05U05U7RAmpU2Uc

Most high tech systems will sell all of this, and you'll need about 7m to build it.

If you don't have the money trade until you do. Stay away from starter zones and the idiot zones like Lave, and you'll be fine.

Go forward, walk alone, work it our for yourself. That's part of the beauty of the game.

 

[Phoenix366]

Is it just me who thinks higher class smaller weapons would be a good idea for customisation.

More damage. more power usage etc... theres already the penalty in effect for a small gun hitting big ships so you wouldnt have the issue of a smaller gun doing more damage than a larger one and it would add a new level of customisation other than hardpoints then ramming shield boosters or SCB's into whats left.

Id love to be able to have for example class 2A pulse lasers on a ship.

 

[Toffa]

Removed as I was mistaken.

Toffs
( '-')7

 

[Poseidal]

They should remove rating all together for weapons. Currently I do not see how they contribute, especially as the higher rater weapons are generally worse due to impracticality.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

OP: I'm guessing your budget has been limited. If so, that's still a decent set of equipment, and two class 2 pulse lasers will get you quite far. There is room for improvement, of course.

I agree with mixing them up with multicannons, say having them on your class 1 hardpoints and selected for secondary fire. The pulse lasers can work on the shields, and all 4 weapons can the tear up the hull (bearing in mind particularly in conflict zones that some enemies will have tougher bulkheads).

A good combat ship is more than weaponry, though, and improvements in other equipment can make a big difference.

The next upgrade I recommend is the thrusters. The Cobra is a fairly nimble beast, but with 4A thrusters it can have a better edge in combat than usual, and you can boost to the ship's top rated speed (currently the fastest in the game). On top of this, if you can afford an A-spec class 4 power plant, get one. The enhanced heating profile means you will overheat less with your weaponry, and the much lighter weight will also get your craft moving better. Also consider upgrades to life support. A smashed canopy with an E-spec life support only gives you a very short time before you expire.

As for where to get equipment? Your best bet is highly populated systems with either a high tech or an industrial economy, as seen on your galaxy map filters.

 

[Psycho Romeo]

1) Drop the pint defense. I understand completely why at face value someone might think point defense is worthwhile, but with missiles nerfed to oblivion it's quite pointless. Drop the point defense and either pick up two chaff launchers or a chaff launcher and a kill warrant scanner. Set that chaff to an easy to reach button, and use them in a hard fight to give you a constant screen.
.
2) Fill your hardpoints. Sell those class two pulse lasers and get class one pulse lasers. Fill the class two hardpoints with gimbaled multi-cannons, then cannons once you have the flight skill to stick on someone well enough.
.
3) Lower your expectations. Especially after the AI patch, don't expect to punch much higher than your weight class. As a new mid-fit cobra pilot you definitely want to be fleeing from things like Vultures and Pythons. You own one of the fastest ships in the game. You get to pick when you engage (and disengage). Stick to taking down ships of your size and class.
.
Remember to set speed to the blue zone. Don't boost like a madman. Throw pips in SYS when you're taking fire, but remember it's not really all that effective unless you go 4 pips - so use all or none. Empty your WEP capacitor into your enemy, boost away, refill your capacitors, re-engage. Once you take down their shields, go with a 4-1-1 or 4-1.5-0.5 distribution and poke your enemy to death with your multi-cannons. Against a slower opponent, use a 4-0-2 set up from the start and just stay on them.
.
Do NOT put multi-cannons on the class 1 hardpoint, unless you only plan on using them on the smallest of ships. Larger ships get increasing amounts of hull damage reduction from smaller weapons.