I know 2.1 was a massive undertaking, esp with all the new content you all had to create, code and apply.
I am one of the few that has been having a blast since 2.1 hit, before 2.1 I was a little worried that I was going to get bored real fast as the npc's were stupid. So the increase AI the npc's are showing is appreciated.
I have earned close to 23 mil in bounties since 2.1 landed (had to add this doesn't include all the credits buying and spec'ing out the Cobra mkIII for smuggling cost, so actually close to 30+ mil).
Perhaps the reason I have enjoyed the game more so then a lot is because I only started on 4/15 so less than 2 mths, for me and it has been exciting.
I studied all the purposed upgrades coming in 2.1 and began updating my Vulture before 2.1 landed, my primary job is bounty hunter. I tried several loadouts on her and thought I had found the perfect solution, but in the end scraped that loadout and went with another which has worked out perfectly. Night before last was proof to me, it was late and I wanted one last kill before calling it a night, not just any kill a nice fat one. Well I was hunting in a high res and 6 security vessels were keeping the area clean, (actually too clean I had to fight them for kills) so anyway they started hammering a conda, by the time I jumped in it was at 35% and fading fast, not thinking I jumped to soon, my scan wasn't finished, yep dreaded wanted light flashed. Well the combined attack with my beam finished up the conda and I received a nice bounty, except now every one of the security forces was after me. Retracting my weapons allowed my second SB ( second SB goes offline when I deploy) to come online and man was it needed, 5 security forces were hammering me, conda security for some reason didn't jump in, so 5 Vipers are trying to chew me a new AXX, there were so many lasers and frags flashing by me it looked like I was going into warp in reverse. Dodging, hiding behind meteors and flat out boosting it was soon down to only 2 Vipers chasing me, by now my shields were down and hull was at 85% (so this loadout works great) finally I get out of mass lock and fsb comes online(yes it goes off when I deploy) so I frame shift out.
Before 2.1 I would not have had this much fun.
From a new players perspective, 2.1 is complicated, I spec'd up a nice Cobra mk III for smuggling, pure speed no shields and used it to open up two of the engineers though I am in no hurry to increase my gear, its too fun as it is now. If I spec out my gear it will be as it was in pre 2.1 the npc's will be to easy.
Now before some of you start trying to blast me, I am a 60 year old fart, my reflexes are no where as good as you younger players so I have had to rely on skill and research, yes the dreaded word research. If I hadn't done the research, the above scenario would not have had the outcome it did and I would have been out the 2 mil in bounties I had accumulated plus the ins buyout.
Here are some tips, a lot of you more senior Cmdr's may know them but from reading, I'm afraid a lot do not:
1. Security forces are your friends, use them, let them soften the wanted down to below 50% then jump in and help kill.
2. The days of just using pitch and roll by themselves are gone, I have my warthog hotas setup so that I can pitch, up or down while applying up or down thrust at the same time.
3. My Roll is also boosted by using left or right yaw as needed at the same time or by using left or right thrust depending on the situation.
4. Players, esp bounty hunters need to learn what the snap kick maneuver is, also watch the conda's they pitch straight up then rotate before lowering, its a lot faster to get on target esp with a Vulture. Don't try just circling with an enemy, its a never ending dance that gets boring. Kick your birds nose up, spin her around 180 degrees, slam her nose down and boost and you on your targets butt chewing it up.
5. Those npc's that face off and come at you full force, most times they will pass right off your right side, or left below you, let them, as soon as they come in "STOP" yaw left or right and keep your guns trained on them as they pass, if you do it correctly you actually follow them, then kick her in the butt with boost and your on their butt chewing them a new you know what.
6. For gods sake put a point defense on, better yet 2. Each time out it totally surprise's me how effective they are, I'm just glad they have such a large magazine.
7. FA off is your friend, learn to use it.
That's all for now, but research guys, research, there are so many military maneuvers de-classified that you can learn to help you out in your battles. One final thought, this is for those other Vulture pilots, the ones who state they can't kill anything without almost loosing their bird, no insult meant by you really need to do some research. I average in high rez sites 2-3 mil every night when I can get on, which usually isn't for more than 2 hours or so, and most times I go back to base with 100% hull, sure my shields may get popped once or twice but that's all the damage I take.
I am one of the few that has been having a blast since 2.1 hit, before 2.1 I was a little worried that I was going to get bored real fast as the npc's were stupid. So the increase AI the npc's are showing is appreciated.
I have earned close to 23 mil in bounties since 2.1 landed (had to add this doesn't include all the credits buying and spec'ing out the Cobra mkIII for smuggling cost, so actually close to 30+ mil).
Perhaps the reason I have enjoyed the game more so then a lot is because I only started on 4/15 so less than 2 mths, for me and it has been exciting.
I studied all the purposed upgrades coming in 2.1 and began updating my Vulture before 2.1 landed, my primary job is bounty hunter. I tried several loadouts on her and thought I had found the perfect solution, but in the end scraped that loadout and went with another which has worked out perfectly. Night before last was proof to me, it was late and I wanted one last kill before calling it a night, not just any kill a nice fat one. Well I was hunting in a high res and 6 security vessels were keeping the area clean, (actually too clean I had to fight them for kills) so anyway they started hammering a conda, by the time I jumped in it was at 35% and fading fast, not thinking I jumped to soon, my scan wasn't finished, yep dreaded wanted light flashed. Well the combined attack with my beam finished up the conda and I received a nice bounty, except now every one of the security forces was after me. Retracting my weapons allowed my second SB ( second SB goes offline when I deploy) to come online and man was it needed, 5 security forces were hammering me, conda security for some reason didn't jump in, so 5 Vipers are trying to chew me a new AXX, there were so many lasers and frags flashing by me it looked like I was going into warp in reverse. Dodging, hiding behind meteors and flat out boosting it was soon down to only 2 Vipers chasing me, by now my shields were down and hull was at 85% (so this loadout works great) finally I get out of mass lock and fsb comes online(yes it goes off when I deploy) so I frame shift out.
Before 2.1 I would not have had this much fun.
From a new players perspective, 2.1 is complicated, I spec'd up a nice Cobra mk III for smuggling, pure speed no shields and used it to open up two of the engineers though I am in no hurry to increase my gear, its too fun as it is now. If I spec out my gear it will be as it was in pre 2.1 the npc's will be to easy.
Now before some of you start trying to blast me, I am a 60 year old fart, my reflexes are no where as good as you younger players so I have had to rely on skill and research, yes the dreaded word research. If I hadn't done the research, the above scenario would not have had the outcome it did and I would have been out the 2 mil in bounties I had accumulated plus the ins buyout.
Here are some tips, a lot of you more senior Cmdr's may know them but from reading, I'm afraid a lot do not:
1. Security forces are your friends, use them, let them soften the wanted down to below 50% then jump in and help kill.
2. The days of just using pitch and roll by themselves are gone, I have my warthog hotas setup so that I can pitch, up or down while applying up or down thrust at the same time.
3. My Roll is also boosted by using left or right yaw as needed at the same time or by using left or right thrust depending on the situation.
4. Players, esp bounty hunters need to learn what the snap kick maneuver is, also watch the conda's they pitch straight up then rotate before lowering, its a lot faster to get on target esp with a Vulture. Don't try just circling with an enemy, its a never ending dance that gets boring. Kick your birds nose up, spin her around 180 degrees, slam her nose down and boost and you on your targets butt chewing it up.
5. Those npc's that face off and come at you full force, most times they will pass right off your right side, or left below you, let them, as soon as they come in "STOP" yaw left or right and keep your guns trained on them as they pass, if you do it correctly you actually follow them, then kick her in the butt with boost and your on their butt chewing them a new you know what.
6. For gods sake put a point defense on, better yet 2. Each time out it totally surprise's me how effective they are, I'm just glad they have such a large magazine.
7. FA off is your friend, learn to use it.
That's all for now, but research guys, research, there are so many military maneuvers de-classified that you can learn to help you out in your battles. One final thought, this is for those other Vulture pilots, the ones who state they can't kill anything without almost loosing their bird, no insult meant by you really need to do some research. I average in high rez sites 2-3 mil every night when I can get on, which usually isn't for more than 2 hours or so, and most times I go back to base with 100% hull, sure my shields may get popped once or twice but that's all the damage I take.
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