Mamba, still dissapointing...

[Mugur]

I've just had enough time to put DD5 with drag and also maxxed the FSD and put a Guardian FSD booster. Lightweight build and still I had to take out the weapons to reach 639 m/s boost. The optimal/minimum mass is too high.

What The Hell...? :O

The boost ENG it's a bit improved, but not to the initial beta release. The plus pitch is not something to write home about. I really want to like Mamba (I like the concept of high speed in strait line for a boom and zoom fight), but I still think she's got no chance against an FDL.

One of the fastest ship in the game? Much slower than a Clipper or Orca and way much slower than any class 2-3 enhanced performance thruster equipped ship.

Maybe a good solution for Mamba to find its niche is to have class 6 thrusters instead of 5. Otherwise, a full combat build will still have under 600 m/s boost fully engineered.

 

[SAB380]

I've just had enough time to put DD5 with drag and also maxxed the FSD and put a Guardian FSD booster. Lightweight build and still I had to take out the weapons to reach 639 m/s boost. The optimal/minimum mass is too high.

What The Hell...? :O

The boost ENG it's a bit improved, but not to the initial beta release. The plus pitch is not something to write home about. I really want to like Mamba (I like the concept of high speed in strait line for a boom and zoom fight), but I still think she's got no chance against an FDL.

One of the fastest ship in the game? Much slower than a Clipper or Orca and way much slower than any class 2-3 enhanced performance thruster equipped ship.

Maybe a good solution for Mamba to find its niche is to have class 6 thrusters instead of 5. Otherwise, a full combat build will still have under 600 m/s boost fully engineered.

I flew one for the first time yesterday. No idea what the point of this ship is relative to the FDL.
It was a less agile FDL but a much higher jump range I'd be all over it. Leave the FDL the PVP king but have the Mamba more useful for PVE long range bounty hunting.

 

[Mugur]

I flew one for the first time yesterday. No idea what the point of this ship is relative to the FDL.
It was a less agile FDL but a much higher jump range I'd be all over it. Leave the FDL the PVP king but have the Mamba more useful for PVE long range bounty hunting.

It's an FDL clone, like Krait MK2 is a Python clone. So people expect to be used the same as an FDL or against an FDL. In this case, a logical approach would have been to make it much faster but with less maneuverability and with a different hardpoint style. They almost nailed it with the hardpoints, but not with the others...

As for the range, I don't understand: FDL and Mamba are about the same. If you want a long range bounty hunter, the Kraits are a much better solution.

 

[Julio Montega]

It's an FDL clone, like Krait MK2 is a Python clone. So people expect to be used the same as an FDL or against an FDL. In this case, a logical approach would have been to make it much faster but with less maneuverability and with a different hardpoint style. They almost nailed it with the hardpoints, but not with the others...

As for the range, I don't understand: FDL and Mamba are about the same. If you want a long range bounty hunter, the Kraits are a much better solution.

Doesn't the Mamba have a more sophisticated cooling mechanism?
It has animated extending radiators on the enginge, cooling from high heat spikes
rapidly down to normal ranges, contrary to the FDL self cooker.

 

[Typhon]

It's an FDL clone, like Krait MK2 is a Python clone. So people expect to be used the same as an FDL or against an FDL. In this case, a logical approach would have been to make it much faster but with less maneuverability and with a different hardpoint style. They almost nailed it with the hardpoints, but not with the others...

As for the range, I don't understand: FDL and Mamba are about the same. If you want a long range bounty hunter, the Kraits are a much better solution.

The Mamba however has way less maneuverability less Shields and less hull. It's giving up way too much for a little extra speed.

 

[Vasco Sapien]

I think the trouble with Elite now is the fact that most of its user base are invested, experianced and entrenched so much so that every gradual parcel of content added to the game is something to be focused upon, played to death and then fated to fade into last weeks fad.... 'now im bored and disappointed'.

If Elite was released as we see it now in 3.3 back on lauch day 2014 with the inventory of content it now provides, i wonder if the word disapointment would be used so readily. would the Mamba stand out as a disappointment?

Every patch since 2.2 (i think) starts out with enthusiastic reception which then devolves into disapointment specifically targeted towards the new features added.

I wonder if this cycle will ever end?

I hope that the new content which Fdev are building right now... will just blow peoples brains out.

I'd love to see the enthusiasm stand.

 

[tolm]

I do like the Mamba. Yes, it’s technically “inferior” to the FDL in almost every way. Yes, I wish it had a C6 internal for a better BiWeave Shield. And, yes, the agility - compared to the FDL - can be infuriating ... but I much prefer the central pilots seat and the hardpoint size/placement - for what I run (C4 PA + 2x C3 gimballed Beams) - is much better.

TBH - it’s not the Mamba vs the FDL I have a problem with. It’s vs the Krait. I can spec a Krait that is *almost* as fast, has better shields and armour, better jump range, better power distributor, can carry cargo ... and, heck, 2x C3 PAs does more damage than 1x C4 and the hardpoint placement on the Krait is excellent ... that’s when the Mamba starts to look disappointing to me. It needs *something* over the Krait to make up for its compromises and agility would seem to be the obvious thing for it to have had given its “racing” pedigree.

But I still like it.

 

[Stealthie]

I flew one for the first time yesterday. No idea what the point of this ship is relative to the FDL.
It was a less agile FDL but a much higher jump range I'd be all over it. Leave the FDL the PVP king but have the Mamba more useful for PVE long range bounty hunting.

That's not a bad idea.

I don't think it's reasonable to increase the class of thrusters 'cos the minimum-mass of C6 thrusters is such that almost any Mamba build is going to be stupid-fast.
It'd also be a bit silly to give the Mamba C6 thrusters and give it more weight to regulate the speed.

Giving it a bigger FSD, OTOH, might be a reasonable compromise.
Either pick the FdL for ultimate combat capability, or pick the Mamba for a combination of combat and jump capability.

And then, if FDev could actually come up with kind of meaningful gameplay that involved pursuing targets from system to system, that'd be absolutely smashing. [up]

 

[Typhon]

It definitely needs another balance pass. The description states that it is slightly less maneuverable than the FDL, well it isn't even close to that.

It still needs an agility buff, a combat ship shouldn't maneuver as bad as it does.

Either a large agility buff, to basically make it the FDL clone we expected, or a smaller one and beef up something else. Class 6 slot for a better shield, or a class 7 PD. Sort of a heavier FDL, not as agile but a bit better defensive and punch.

Love the ascetics of the ship, but having trouble taking it out when so many other medium combat and MPs out perform it.

 

[gpcustoms]

I rather like mine. Its worse than anything in the garage but I use mine for Data runs. All that grade 5 engineering and its only positive feature is in a straight line[yesnod]
It looks good parked

 

[Morbad]

It's an FDL clone, like Krait MK2 is a Python clone. So people expect to be used the same as an FDL or against an FDL.

the FDL clone we expected

Expecting it to be an FDL clone, or trying to use it like one, is a mistake.

The game doesn't need another FDL and the Mamba, despite some superficial similarities is not, nor was meant to be an FDL. You won't get the most out of it if you treat it like one.

If Elite was released as we see it now in 3.3 back on lauch day 2014 with the inventory of content it now provides, i wonder if the word disapointment would be used so readily. would the Mamba stand out as a disappointment?

No, it wouldn't.

People keep expecting (what is I hope) the impossible...a ship that directly competes with what is probably the most overpowered vessel in the game. This isn't going to happen. The FDL is a fluke, the result of taking an extremely potent vessel, easily one of the best combat ships in the game, and foolishly giving it a major buff. Now people are asking for that mistake to be repeated every time a new ship comes out.

Doesn't the Mamba have a more sophisticated cooling mechanism?
It has animated extending radiators on the enginge, cooling from high heat spikes
rapidly down to normal ranges, contrary to the FDL self cooker.

The FDL has the same sort of rotating radiators that extend as the ship gets hotter, and the FDL has a larger thermal capacity. I do think the Mamba dissipates heat slightly faster, but overall the FDL still seems less likely to melt itself.

 

[Mrat13]

Why do people still think the FDL is king? Doesn't the fighter bay in the Krait Mk II count for anything?

 

[shadowhand]

Why do people still think the FDL is king? Doesn't the fighter bay in the Krait Mk II count for anything?

Define people... I'm a PVE pilot, and I enjoy both the FDL and the Krait MKII for bounty hunting and assassinations. They each have their perks - the FDL being faster, more agile, and more heavily armed, and with higher shield MJs than my Krait MKII. The MKII on the other hand has its fighter, is almost as agile as the FDL, and by applying the boost more frequently, can do hit and run attacks on almost anything while its fighter keeps the target distracted.

For me it's not really a question of which ship is better, but which ship I want to fly on any given day.

I'm not done engineering my Mamba yet, and I haven't yet decided on a niche for it, but I have no doubt I'll be able to tweak it into a decent hunter/killer like I did the Chieftain and Krait MKII.

I wish they'd all handle as butter smooth as the FDL though...

 

[vindicator jones]

Mamba has improved.. A lot... But Stock A-Rated is still not good enough, especially the distributor, it needs a class 7. To get the Mamba to perform, you need to engineer it.

Once engineered, the Mamba still dosent feel right, until you start to fly it to its strengths. Fully loaded and at a top boost speed of around 610/ms (heavy) It's a great ship for FAOFFing in and doing some dynamic turns as long as you turn before the target has passed.

Dare I say it, after about an hour in the cockpit, I am actually enjoying it. It feels like a fighter version of the cutter, which sounds bad, but really isnt. Heat can still be an issue, but thats one of its drawbacks.

Mamba takes a certain flying style to get it cooking in combat, in fact, dare I say it, it takes even more nuance than an FDL, and certainly is not a beginners combat ship.

Im working on an updated video, should be out soon.

 

[Xious]

It does have a specialized use in it's current state but could still use a buff.

 

[Bortas]

Why do people still think the FDL is king? Doesn't the fighter bay in the Krait Mk II count for anything?

Many ships can beat FdLs in PvP. I have defeated a few even with my Dropship. Apart from skill it almost always comes down to outfitting.

One problem is the omnipresence of feedback cascade railguns, which can make taking advantage of the passive shield strength, ships like the Krait, Python, Dropship etc. can carry in their SCBs, difficult.

 

[BL1P]

I bought a mamba then modded it up.
I fly mostly in FA-OFF and found that the mambas lateral and vertical thrust was just too weak for my fly style.
Will be using the parts to make a second FDL, I guess.
Unless something changes.

 

[ApexWanderer]

I noticed I kept ramming ships at close range so it doesn't suit my flying style but I'll keep using a bit longer before I condemn it for good.

 

[Julio Montega]

I do not agree with the mamba needing bigger core internals like the PD. We have enough meta already. The mamba is a great Bomber and fast attack craft especially due to the hardpoint allocation. The FDL is better at dogfighting but lacks the hardpoints for heavy ordnance and suitable backups.

What the mamba could need would be stronger vert/lat thrusters and maybe a bit more agility.
What a special mamba for me would require is splitting up a size 2 opt internal into 2 size 1s as we still have no limpet controller bays.

 

[Ashnak]

I like her. But then again, I'm not into PvP combat.

Yes, the Mamba will (currently) "only" boost to 639 m/s (642 max in Coriolis) - but you can load her with 80 tons over the fashionable weight and she still only loses something like 15 m/s boost speed (down to 628 m/s boost at 428 tons, which includes a full weapon loadout, lightweight military armour and 4 D-rated boosters). And I have to disagree with VJ here - I have no trouble with a class 5 charge enhanced PD. But then again, I prefer Frags for the smaller HPs. I'd love to use a laser on the huge HP, but I think I ought to git gud with PAs, and the name I intend for her somewhat demands something that shoots a single bullet, so a huge PA it is.
Still engineering mine - I'll have to pick up a SRV one of these days and go prospecting for Arsenic and Niobium.

And she looks good