COMPLETED CG Defend the True Chapter Cultists (Combat)

[Unknown Zombie]

what are you using as a ship/weapon combo? and are your guns engineered? i'm using frag builds - ammo increased engineered - which can do 1 HCZ or 2 Medium CZ in medium ships, and 1 MCZ or two LCZ in small ships (cobra).
my overcharged multicanonn-smallship-builds (eagle, DBE, courier) can do 2 LCZ or 1 MCZ.
as a small ship cmdr i'm used to attack with a pack of npc friendlies, get a green wave going - if i do to many 1:1 with my MC builds i may run out of ammo in the 2nd CZ.

Right now I'm using a Krait Phantom with 2 large G5 efficient pulse lasers, 2 G5 hi-cap packhound launchers. I have to reload the packhound launchers at least once each per medium CZ. Twice if my allies have ADD and keep leaving the chosen target to go attack something else.

I always subtarget the powerplant too, but it's been a long time since I've done a lot of combat and it seems like ships don't pop anymore once the PP reaches 0%?

I've got a couple of medium G5 overcharged screening shell frag cannons .. but those are on transfer from the Colonia region and still have about 2 days left before arrival.

 

[Unknown Zombie]

Combat zones are supposed to be hard. They're the endgame PvE content for non-Thargoid combat.

It's not hard.

I don't carry SCB and I've never even lost my bi-weaves because I don't aggro everything. You have to boost away because getting hit while synthing stops the synth.

It just takes a lot of ammo, which isn't added difficulty. I don't even mind that it takes a lot of ammo, but I think that weapons should by default carry an amount of ammo that reflects the number of hits enemy ships can actually endure.

 

[Flameon985]

Right now I'm using a Krait Phantom with 2 large G5 efficient pulse lasers, 2 G5 hi-cap packhound launchers. I have to reload the packhound launchers at least once each per medium CZ. Twice if my allies have ADD and keep leaving the chosen target to go attack something else.

I always subtarget the powerplant too, but it's been a long time since I've done a lot of combat and it seems like ships don't pop anymore once the PP reaches 0%?

They do, from experience there is a chance each time damage is taken when it is at 0%. I run a G5 efficent thermal vent beam FdL so ammo doesn't matter to me. Also have the PD modded weapon focused with the increased recharge experimental.

 

[forbiddenlake]

Right now I'm using a Krait Phantom with 2 large G5 efficient pulse lasers, 2 G5 hi-cap packhound launchers. I have to reload the packhound launchers at least once each per medium CZ. Twice if my allies have ADD and keep leaving the chosen target to go attack something else.

I always subtarget the powerplant too, but it's been a long time since I've done a lot of combat and it seems like ships don't pop anymore once the PP reaches 0%?

I've got a couple of medium G5 overcharged screening shell frag cannons .. but those are on transfer from the Colonia region and still have about 2 days left before arrival.

Just saying up front that I too would love more ammo overall.

But part of the problem here is the ship and the weapons. The Phantom isn't primarily a combat ship; and its firepower is less than that of a large ship; efficient on pulses is a weird choice (especially on a Phantom which doesn't particularly have distro problems); and while Packhounds are fun their ammo is a significant disadvantage.

For comparison, I run a Corvette with MCs and I can do one MAYBE two High CZs before needing to reload.

 

[Ryox]

I have no idea why people play Elite in order to play a sub-standard FPS

Sounds salty. Let me guess, you got sub-standard FPS skills and got bullied in gCZ, isn'it?

 

[Danieros]

It just takes a lot of ammo, which isn't added difficulty. I don't even mind that it takes a lot of ammo, but I think that weapons should by default carry an amount of ammo that reflects the number of hits enemy ships can actually endure.

Probably due to engineering, since being able to increase not only the shield health but also the shield resistances greatly increased survivability, but no ammo buff was given. Except for doing synths... for each hardpoint.

I just end up avoiding weapons with standard ammo. Energy weapons or weapons that can have the 'plasma slugs' experimental are just so efficient. Wish we could have ammo in the cargo hold like you can just bring extra fuel tanks and feed the plasma slug for hours.

 

[goemon]

Right now I'm using a Krait Phantom with 2 large G5 efficient pulse lasers, 2 G5 hi-cap packhound launchers. I have to reload the packhound launchers at least once each per medium CZ. Twice if my allies have ADD and keep leaving the chosen target to go attack something else.

I always subtarget the powerplant too, but it's been a long time since I've done a lot of combat and it seems like ships don't pop anymore once the PP reaches 0%?

I've got a couple of medium G5 overcharged screening shell frag cannons .. but those are on transfer from the Colonia region and still have about 2 days left before arrival.

as others have pointed out, packhounds as any missiles are not a good key weapon choice in a CZ --- some of my medium CZ ships have a single seeker missile rack ammo increased for pesky eagles or to shoot out chaff, but

• many ships in a CZ have point defence, and all enemies point defences in range will shoot down your missiles
• they do good damage against external modules, but not much against internal modules like powerplant or hull
• their total damage pool is low

i have some trader-missile boats, and even for single interdicting pirates ammo count can be not enough.

if you want to greatly improve your phantoms set up with minimal engineering:

• fit a large beam longrange G1 (you can get that from the dweller for 1 sulphur)
• fit a medium pulse G1 focussed (you can get that from the dweller for 1 iron)
• fit a large MC overcharged (of the grade you have the materials) with corrosive special (this is a bit more costly). use it after shields are down.
• keep 1 set of packhounds as they are fun, but use them only to target chaff or eagles

effect:

• corrosive reduces hardness of targets hull, bringing the beam and the focussed pulse to values always dealing full damage against medium and large ships -- besides the general damage plus
• Large beams have a good armour piercing value by themself, longrange gets rid of damage fall-off, and beams pop powerplants fastest

with that you should be able to do more than 1 CZ without synth.

and, if you intent to do CZs more often, you might think about building a ship for it.

 

[zimms]

I have been fighting for the cultists. I would normally skip community goals centered around combat zones altogether but I feel like I need to participate in what is the first opportunity at FD-sanctioned anti-anti-xeno content (I think?). I'd forever feel like I should have participated here because of the thought that this might be FD gauging community support for less aggressive approaches to the thargoid storyline.

Anyway, it's making me acutely aware of why I hate (space) combat zones. Reloading my guns four times each combat zone sucks. I don't even care that enemies are bullet sponges, that's just whatever. But weapons across the board really need like twice the amount of ammo they currently carry because of said bullet sponginess. I don't want to just strap on four lasers and call it a day because that's even more boring than having to boost away from the melee so you can synth your ammo refills. It's frustrating; it breaks up the flow too much.

Sounds like we really could have used that balance pass Frontier were talking about like six years ago. I still think ship combat was better before Engineering.

 

[Ned Flandalorian]

Probably due to engineering, since being able to increase not only the shield health but also the shield resistances greatly increased survivability, but no ammo buff was given.

Engineering does let you add more ammo capacity, or alternatively increase the damage dealt.
It doesn't make sense to give an ammo buff for free when it costs resources to enhance shields.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Engineering does let you add more ammo capacity, or alternatively increase the damage dealt.
It doesn't make sense to give an ammo buff for free when it costs resources to enhance shields.

That's true but you can get some annoyingly tanky builds with no or minimal engineering, and engineering stacks way better for defence.

FGS with 6A shield, military armour, and the rest of the optionals and militaries with HRPs has 3485 hull. Total damage on a size 3 stock gimballed multicannon's ammo pool is 5880, so could take out just over 1 FGS (when counting shield regen and a few missed shots too). Extend to a typical 5-hardpoint medium and you're therefore expecting at most 5 kills, which isn't usually enough to win a CZ.

Engineer the multicannon for G5 short-ranged + oversized for maximum raw shot damage and you get up to a bit over 10,000 damage assuming you can maintain optimal range, almost doubling the kill count ... which is still barely enough to win a CZ. Using G5 high-cap + oversized instead gives a bit over 12,000 damage, but because your DPS isn't improved at all, more of that will be spent on shooting through regenerating shields, so depending on the situation might end up slightly behind.

Engineer all the FGS's defensive modules at G5 reinforced/heavy and it goes up to 5504 hull ... but the secondary resistance boosts from all of that put it at more like 11000 effective hull, which completely wipes out the multicannon's boost and then some once the multiple shield rebuild cycles it'll get in are accounted for

(And this isn't fully optimising the defensive build - using a prismatic or biweave shield, or adding some resistance boosters, or optimising the armour resistance further, or looking at a CZ ship which can also do proper shield-tanking too)

 

[Northpin]

Right now I'm using a Krait Phantom with 2 large G5 efficient pulse lasers, 2 G5 hi-cap packhound launchers. I have to reload the packhound launchers at least once each per medium CZ. Twice if my allies have ADD and keep leaving the chosen target to go attack something else.

Pff... packhounds? in a CZ? really?

You're flying a Phantom, a medium ship with a size 7 PD
Put 4 Efficient beams on it and target only the PowerPlant of the enemies ships - no need to rearm, PP goes down really fast if you keep close to your target

Or use 2 medium beams and 2 large Multicannons - but again, make sure you always target the PP
And do it while trying to keep within 500m of your target - the gimbals wobble like hell and this is not helping to kill that PP at range.

 

[Spaceman-FXL5]

I have no idea why people play Elite in order to play a sub-standard FPS, but it's nice that for once those of us who love Elite for what it has always been, aren't getting screwed in the CGs

Yay \o/

I've also wondered where the Anti-Anti-Xeno side of recent combat or otherwise CG's are.
Well, here we are, even though most are siding with Corporate Federation thugs.

Also @Cori stated obvious disappointment with "the player base appears to be in favour of paranoia, religious intolerance and Federal attacks in independent systems"

 

[rgrocott]

Sounds salty. Let me guess, you got sub-standard FPS skills and got bullied in gCZ, isn'it?

In order to do that, I'd have had to give FDev money for the dumpster fire that is Odyssey. Which I haven't

 

[goemon]

700 Mio to go. we might make it to tier 1 and send a sign by that.

 

[Unknown Zombie]

I been doing what I can. I'm in top 25% even with my suboptimal slow-killing build.

 

[Ryox]

In order to do that, I'd have had to give FDev money for the dumpster fire that is Odyssey. Which I haven't

So you're just parroting clichés from uneducated and low skill Elite's players. Odyssey PvP FPS is super tight.

 

[Cori]

I been doing what I can. I'm in top 25% even with my suboptimal slow-killing build.

So am I ... and if you knew anything about my combat ability (or lack of it) that would definitely be cause for concern.

 

[Chaparral]

I have found that there are quite a few players that do not care about the outcome of the CZ, but simply pick the opposing side to get in some pvp. Their ships aren't geared for sustained CZ fighting, they are alpha strikers with module breakers. Usually FDLs.

To counter this, I always fly a ship with a 600+ m/s top end to duck out when these folks show up. Though fighting in a CZ is possible without a G5 ship, if you're in Open, you need it G5'd top to bottom.

 

[GraphiteGB]

After sunday and tuesday seamed to drop the balls, Wednesday had a resurgence to avoid total failure...
Still crushed 2:1 in bonds but you have got the cult out the wine gutter tier 0 to tier 1 in the last hours...

Wonder how many randoms had no clue about planet 4 and the pay multipliers on each side of these CGs ...

 

[Ned Flandalorian]

700 Mio to go. we might make it to tier 1 and send a sign by that.

Tier 1 reached! GGs you crazy bug lovers.