I use a combination of fixed (Enforcer Cannons) and gimballed (multi-cannons). I like the ability to keep fire on the bad dudes regardless of where I'm pointing, but at the same time use the higher DPS of fixed for when the gimbals are scrambled. I've never been comfortable with 100% fixed weapons. Should I try to overcome that mental block and go all-in Fixed for PvP?
I think you should keep what you've got. You're losing out on some DPS with the gimbals but you're keeping your options open for those great strafing moments, and don't forget that you've always got the deselect-target fixed option for when your gimbals get scrambled. Do you want to give all that up for a bit more DPS?
In a nutshell: no, but a little bit of yes (and sorry to be ambiguous).
There's very little that requires a CMDR to use all-fixed outside the meta of the month (the current TLBs/long range/chaff are indeed quite negative towards gimballed). The couple of fixed-only weapons we have are quite effective in some circumstances, and it's otherwise been long established that gimballed > fixed as long as chaff isn't up permanently.
The real line is making sure you aren't reliant on gimbals, which is in part why I favour mixed fixed/gimballed loadouts. If you fall to pieces because your opponent chaffed and can fly a bit sideways, you have problems.
TL;DR learn to use fixed weapons, so that you know when not to use them as well as use them. Don't develop an arbitrary mixed loadout and use that to avoid developing your skills all-around.
As it goes for me personally I find the idea of a fixed only loadout to be as potentially flawed as a gimballed only loadout; any concept applied indiscriminately can be a downfall. Almost all my PvP ships have featured both fixed and gimballed weaponry.
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The general rule is this: if you're a 1v1mebro, gimbals win because shield inflation means that chaff is finished about 5 minutes into the fight and you have 100% ToT for the rest of it. If you wing fight, fixed is the only option. Players die in wing fights before chaff runs out, so you can actually be chaffed for the entire encounter, and pretty much everyone carries at least 1 capacity modded chaff.
Ryan is on the PvP money, as ever, although I do agree with StiTch's qualification, especially about long range (i.e. that long range is powerful and redresses the 1v1 balance in favour of fixed, somewhat).
My last guide was about gimballed duelling, if interested:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/341107-Truesilver-s-Top-Tips-No-3-Gimballed-Duelling
First vid of three from that thread:
[video=youtube_share;reVQ4FXxkxU]https://youtu.be/reVQ4FXxkxU[/video]
(Note that I wouldn't nowadays recommend the shieldless build featured due to the prevalence of the super penetrator rail gun. But the thread was about gimbals, not shields.)
I just know that I can't hit anything with fixed if I want to do any strafing... Especially with agile ships, like shooting a bow from an unbroken horse.
Leading sight, hit the target ahead ...
A what now? The 1v1 I get, but what's a 'mebro'?
Gimballed are perfect for pve e.g. Corvette in a CZ or Haz, all gimballed, all overcharged, NO effects except one small corrosive, rips shields and hull on NPC,s
PvP, depending on what you fly, fixed is the way to go, maximum damage, maximum dps, less power draw, less thermal load, its a no brainer.
PvP, depending on what you fly, fixed is the way to go, maximum damage, maximum dps, less power draw, less thermal load, its a no brainer.
Difficult question. I find I fly a bit better when I use fixed weapons. It feels less detached. It's probably because my limited brain prefers to deal with a smaler number of vectors.
In theory it should be a huge advantage to detach the firing vector from the main thrust vector. Gimbals also speeds up module destruction, in my experience. That may be solved with better aim though.
When chaff is gone, gimbals should be superior. Fixed is more fun.
I wrote a guide to learning fixed which might be worth a look:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...s-No-2-Beginner’s-Guide-Courier-v-FdL-PvP-vid
Tend to use fixed instead of gimballed though it's crazy hard to hit small ships with it.
increased distance helps a ton
Though small ships are much faster than my Python so...
I use cascade rails as well.
Most use grade ONE long range. Less downsides for almost full effect. I personally run super pen, but I'm starting to think one of each would be fun
1v1mebro is a perjorative term for someone who thinks 1v1s are anything more than outfitting battles. Engineers put a HUGE amount of variability into loadouts, meaning that you can potentially drop into a fight you cannot possibly win, due to outfitting alone. An example would be a Clipper with long-range lasers fighting a frag gunship. The clipper can fly backwards faster than the gunship can fly forwards, so the clipper wins. This is an extreme example, but counters like that exist all over the PvP arena. The only "valid" 1v1 is pretty much a mirror loadout: same mods, same weps.
Not true at all. G4/5 long range, depending if you already got your thrusters finished or not. The further out you get, the more the micro gimbal effect takes over and makes it so you have a VERY high hit-rate on subtargets. Module sniping from 4km out is much easier than 2km.