Ships Asp Ex. on moderate steroids/engineering

[Slingshot]

So, I love my Asp Explorer and want to engineer her a bit. I want to keep the balance of the Asp (decent jump range, fighting ability, defense etc...) but also want to avoid mistakes choosing engineers/mods that may handcuff me down the road with other ship builds. I'm new to this engineering thing and there's a head-spinning number of way to approach it (or make a mess of it).

I've already modded FSD to grade 4 - increased jump range - and though I have enough materials for grade 5 I'm not sure the added j.range is worth the negatives that create other problems. Again, looking for balance. So FSD, shields, weapons (likely sticking to lasers, multi-cannons for now), power .distributor (?), thrusters(?).

I'm looking for suggestions: order of mods , level of mods, etc... basic stuff that adds a little spring to her step and a touch of attitude without trying to make her something she ain't. It doesn't have to be Grade 5 up and down. Suggestions?

Current Core:
1C Lightweight Alloy Bulkhead ...... (1 x 0B Shield Booster) (2 x 0C Point Defence)
5A Power Plant
5A Thrusters
5A FSD* - grade 4
4D Life Sup.
5A Power Distr.
5D Sensors
5C Fuel Tank

3A Shield Generator

 

[Zannry]

First off, I admire anyone for using the AspX for play other than exploration. Personally I've used the AspX for player piracy in the past. It can be surprisingly fast and punchy.

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

s.orbis.zone

In general it looks like you are on the right track. I would suggest dropping the fuel tank from class 5 to class 4. I also would not recommend running a 3A shield unless you've unlocked prismatic shields from power play. Some people swear by point defense but I've found them lacking compared to a shield booster or heatsink. Below are some suggested engineering modifications and specials grade 1-3 that you can use as a starter for any multi purpose build.

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

s.orbis.zone

for multi cannons, overcharged with incendiary special is another always useful weapon. For lasers, you may want to stick to efficient pulse so your power distributor can keep up.

 

[Captain Willard]

So little time, so many builds.
Before engineers I had 4 at one time.
Expolorer, trade ship, rares runner, gunship "6 multicannons"
Engineers let you expand on that.

 

[Zannry]

So little time, so many builds.
Before engineers I had 4 at one time.
Expolorer, trade ship, rares runner, gunship "6 multicannons"
Engineers let you expand on that.

Did you ever try enforcer cannons? If not and your feeling nastalgic for the an AspX multi cannon gunship again I can say it's worth the 4 weeks pledged to Antal to get them. The AspX really is an amazingly good all rounder that seems overlooked too often by new players.

 

[Oytis57]

Did you ever try enforcer cannons? If not and your feeling nastalgic for the an AspX multi cannon gunship again I can say it's worth the 4 weeks pledged to Antal to get them. The AspX really is an amazingly good all rounder that seems overlooked too often by new players.

I'm with you in this,I love Enforcers,they are amazing

 

[Oytis57]

Long legged wreck machine ,have fun.

 

[Slingshot]

Long legged wreck machine ,have fun.

Nice ASsP!

 

[Slingshot]

???...
Are the Guardian upgrades the way to go for best performance? It seems like unlocking Guardian is more of a challenge/haul.

That said, I've enjoyed the process of collecting materials/data/etc over the last week. Had to learn how to properly use the SRV, its scanner/radar/turret data scans, how to find the best element-rich planets (or at least good ones somewhat nearby); had to get in the habit of scanning wake jumps / USS (Unidentified Signal Sources), chose to engage in a lot more combat at Resource Extraction Site's to hoover-up materials from destroyed ships, etc.. I treated it as an opportunity to open up another part of the game and expand skills. Some of it frustrating, like driving round and round at a planet settlement trying to scan 5 or so different data pts as the clock is ticking.........unsuccesfully......a couple of times......still haven't done it. UGH!! And the skimmers are still a problem. But all in all a fruitful experience. Oh yeah, also learned not to tangle with an Anaconda even when it was under fire from multiple other ships. That thing lit me up before i could turn and run. Funny in hindsight.

 

[Oytis57]

???...
Are the Guardian upgrades the way to go for best performance? It seems like unlocking Guardian is more of a challenge/haul.

That said, I've enjoyed the process of collecting materials/data/etc over the last week. Had to learn how to properly use the SRV, its scanner/radar/turret data scans, how to find the best element-rich planets (or at least good ones somewhat nearby); had to get in the habit of scanning wake jumps / USS (Unidentified Signal Sources), chose to engage in a lot more combat at Resource Extraction Site's to hoover-up materials from destroyed ships, etc.. I treated it as an opportunity to open up another part of the game and expand skills. Some of it frustrating, like driving round and round at a planet settlement trying to scan 5 or so different data pts as the clock is ticking.........unsuccesfully......a couple of times......still haven't done it. UGH!! And the skimmers are still a problem. But all in all a fruitful experience. Oh yeah, also learned not to tangle with an Anaconda even when it was under fire from multiple other ships. That thing lit me up before i could turn and run. Funny in hindsight.

Unlocking Guardian weapons and Modules is really easy,if you are on PS4 hit me up I'll give you a hand (seen once then you go by yourself)

 

[Slingshot]

Unlocking Guardian weapons and Modules is really easy,if you are on PS4 hit me up I'll give you a hand (seen once then you go by yourself)

Very generous offer. I'm a PC user. Not a big deal, I know there are a slew of video's out there that try to explain the process.

But are the Guardian upgrades generally preferred over traditional engineers?

 

[Zannry]

But are the Guardian upgrades generally preferred over traditional engineers?

Unless you want to get in AX combat the only guardian tech generally worth unlocking is the FSD booster. Longer jump range means fewer jumps getting to where you are going so you can spend more time playing.

Aside from that, small poorly shielded ships like an eagle can benefit from the flat MJ provided by shield boosters. You'll get more overall bang for you buck working on engineering first.

 

[Northpin]

The AspX is a multipurpose.
It can basically do anything at a time, but not everything at the same time

So outfitting is down to activity.
Those being said: engineer that 5A FSD to G5 increased jump range and add mass manager. you cant go wrong there

This should be a cargo runner - for those 120t supply/delivery missions
Limited combat ability, those shields are really tiny. You might be able to kill a random pirate, depending on your skill and/or pirate level
But if you start to lose shields, boost and get the hell outa there - that hull is really thin.

This one is bounty hunting oriented

This one is for short range exploration and/or material gathering (guardians included)

Universal miner (but do try to avoid combat, those shields are there to protect from asteroids)

 

[Slingshot]

Unless you want to get in AX combat the only guardian tech generally worth unlocking is the FSD booster. Longer jump range means fewer jumps getting to where you are going so you can spend more time playing.

Aside from that, small poorly shielded ships like an eagle can benefit from the flat MJ provided by shield boosters. You'll get more overall bang for you buck working on engineering first.

Thanks!
I've got G4 FSD now. Can upgrade to G5 now if I want. One area of immediate concern is shielding. My ASP EX can't take much of a beating in combat. But then the other corner's of the rug pops up: energy draw and regen time. So I'm looking for reasonable solutions, keeping overall balance of "all-arounder" in mind, that address this without killing jump range or exceeding total power capability. That's where the friction of engineering needs finesse/experience...which i don't have. And I'd like to have access to the right engineers for the right modules in future ship builds

 

[Slingshot]

The AspX is a multipurpose.
It can basically do anything at a time, but not everything at the same time

So outfitting is down to activity.
Those being said: engineer that 5A FSD to G5 increased jump range and add mass manager. you cant go wrong there

This should be a cargo runner - for those 120t supply/delivery missions
Limited combat ability, those shields are really tiny. You might be able to kill a random pirate, depending on your skill and/or pirate level
But if you start to lose shields, boost and get the hell outa there - that hull is really thin.

This one is bounty hunting oriented

This one is for short range exploration and/or material gathering (guardians included)

Universal miner (but do try to avoid combat, those shields are there to protect from asteroids)

Timing is everything. I was just responding to Zannry as you posted. And of course you addressed pretty much what my concerns are. Well done and thanks.

Regarding combat. I'm Novice level on the verge of achieving Competent (97% Novice), but that is a mixed blessing at best. I've avoided piling on ships with combat rankings of Expert or above (Master, Dangerous, Deadly, Elite) because my rank would go up too fast; and next thing you know every interdiction is a 'conda with Deadly pilot. As it is, facing Competent (NPC variety) is a challenge because they appear to use Flight Assist Off. I don't have that game yet and they can turn on me pretty easily. That said, the NPC's are still pretty easy to 'dispatch'.

 

[Zannry]

Thanks!
I've got G4 FSD now. Can upgrade to G5 now if I want. One area of immediate concern is shielding. My ASP EX can't take much of a beating in combat. But then the other corner's of the rug pops up: energy draw and regen time.

In general for shields their are two different routes. Lower overall MJ with high resistances and fast regen. Thes are usually Bi-Weave shields engineered with thermal resistance or reinforced and with the fast recharge special. The benefit to this set up is that it generally is a lot less power hungry and better in PvE encounters where combat involves fewer combatants and spaced apart by a minute or so. Under sustained fire or concentrated fire you will lose shields. This method works best with a high system recharge power distributor rate.

The other route is maximum total MJ at the cost of power, wight and overall resistances. The best way to do this is with prismatic shields unlocked through power play or if unavailable your normal a class shields the highest class you can mount. Reinforced or Thermal resistant engineering with the hi-cap special is generally the way to go to maximize MJs or close the Thermal resistance shield vulnerability.

The other think worth noting is that for hi MJ builds, once your sheilds break don't expect to have them up again for that combat. The are best under concentrated fire but fall to pieces under sustained combat. One trick to off set this is to use the reboot/restart command when your shields are low or broken and not in active combat to immediate start the reformation sequences and get them back tp 50% strength.

Beyond that both generally add Shield Boosters. If total MJ is the goal heavy duty with supercapcitor is the way to go. For resistance, 1 heavy duty and 2-3 resistance augmented boosters gives decent all-round protection. right now mu immediate advice is find enough power to increase your Shield from 3a to a 5A or 5C Bi-weave.

Both paths can also benefit from SCBs (Shield cell batteries) which can given emergency shield reinforcement prior to a shield breaking. I would suggest finding a set up you feel comfortable fighting in that doesn't rely on using them in most scenarios before trying to incorporate SCBs.

 

[Slingshot]

This is what I amassed a lot of my 5B Cr's with. Mining oriented. Naturally started with a Sidewinder, moved to Hauler for exploration/"road-to-riches", got a Cobra Mk III (Love it!), and then the Asp Ex. More recently tweaked the Asp to accommodate SRV. Also dropped some mining hardpoints for more combat capability. The notable difference to your Universal miner is my choice of 5A limpet collector and fuel scoop (I wanted travel options). The loss of cargo space was rarely missed. Filling 70t usually took long enough to test my commitment to Athe task.

Also, my 5A thruster is a recent add and I haven't recalibrated the power priority's.

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

coriolis.io

 

[Oytis57]

Unless you want to get in AX combat the only guardian tech generally worth unlocking is the FSD booster. Longer jump range means fewer jumps getting to where you are going so you can spend more time playing.

Aside from that, small poorly shielded ships like an eagle can benefit from the flat MJ provided by shield boosters. You'll get more overall bang for you buck working on engineering first.

Totally disagree,but to each his own

 

[Slingshot]

First off, I admire anyone for using the AspX for play other than exploration. Personally I've used the AspX for player piracy in the past. It can be surprisingly fast and punchy.

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

s.orbis.zone

I n general it looks like you are on the right track. I would suggest dropping the fuel tank from class 5 to class 4. I also would not recommend running a 3A shield unless you've unlocked prismatic shields from power play. Some people swear by point defense but I've found them lacking compared to a shield booster or heatsink. Below are some suggested engineering modifications and specials grade 1-3 that you can use as a starter for any multi purpose build.

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

s.orbis.zone

for multi cannons, overcharged with incendiary special is another always useful weapon. For lasers, you may want to stick to efficient pulse so your power distributor can keep up.

Gotta' say, that Jitter Boat build is really something. The combination of jump range, speed, amazing fire power, and stout shielding/protection is......well, unbelievable. Might not scratch your itch for mining but I'd sure hate to run into you in a dark alley. Also, the low power draw is impressive given the fire power. Definitely a combat animal.

Green with envy. I need to learn how to engineer.

 

[Slingshot]

The AspX is a multipurpose.
It can basically do anything at a time, but not everything at the same time

So outfitting is down to activity.
Those being said: engineer that 5A FSD to G5 increased jump range and add mass manager. you cant go wrong there

This should be a cargo runner - for those 120t supply/delivery missions
Limited combat ability, those shields are really tiny. You might be able to kill a random pirate, depending on your skill and/or pirate level
But if you start to lose shields, boost and get the hell outa there - that hull is really thin.

This one is bounty hunting oriented

This one is for short range exploration and/or material gathering (guardians included)

Universal miner (but do try to avoid combat, those shields are there to protect from asteroids)

Thanks Northpin. These builds and the one by Zannry have me rethinking my goal of 1 balance-enhanced Asp Ex and instead thinking 2(+) purpose built Asp's. One of the other problems/considerations is not really having a home base yet. I have my other ships and some modules stored at one base but it's only 41 LY's from Sol. Should that even be a consideration in view of having to transport multiple and potentially growing number of ships?

 

[Slingshot]

Thanks Northpin. These builds and the one by Zannry have me rethinking my goal of 1 balance-enhanced Asp Ex and instead thinking 2(+) purpose built Asp's. One of the other problems/considerations is not really having a home base yet. I have my other ships and some modules stored at one base but it's only 41 LY's from Sol. Should that even be a consideration in view of having to transport multiple and potentially growing number of ships?
[/QUOTE
.....then again, I have 'Elite' Trade Rank so I think that gives me access to Jameson Memorial. Maybe I just buy a Sidewinder where I am, fly to JM and build out a base Asp.