Newcomer / Intro Better frameshift drive - what else is needet?

[quetza]

I own the Cobra MK III. I Installed a 4C Frameshift and 2 2F pulse laser. My goal was, to get enough money to install the next best framshift drive (2D?), wich should have a reach of about 18 ly (if I recall correctly). But suddenly I can´t install it, it would give me a reach of only 1,7 ly.
Do I have to install a better power plant? I dont understand the relationship between parts yet, beause i am quite new to the game

 

[Maymo]

I own the Cobra MK III. I Installed a 4C Frameshift and 2 2F pulse laser. My goal was, to get enough money to install the next best framshift drive (2D?), wich should have a reach of about 18 ly (if I recall correctly). But suddenly I can´t install it, it would give me a reach of only 1,7 ly.
Do I have to install a better power plant? I dont understand the relationship between parts yet, beause i am quite new to the game

It's the other way around, you start with a 4E FSD and your goal should be a 4A FSD if your goal is bigger jumps. A class 2FSD is for smaller ships.

Basically the number is the size and the letter is the quality.
E=Poop/Stock
D=Light Weight, good for exploration
C=Mediocre
B=Toughest armour, high weight
A=Best

When looking through parts at a station remember that they won't always have everything you need, you may have to shop around to completely tool out your ship. That 4A FSD you need costs around 1.5million credits I think.

 

[Para Handy]

Just remember that the number is the size - choose the number which is the same as that of the slot you are fitting it in. The letter indicates the "quality" or "capability" of the module - E is cheapest, worst; D is the lightest but better than E; C is more capable but heavier; B is much heavier so more robust; A is the bees-knees (same mass as C but much more capable hence much more expensive).

 

[Winterwalker]

FSD's and all modules get better as you go up the classes: 4 is higher class (so better) than 2.
A to E Ratings fit inside module classes and example; 4B has more armour than 4D, but 4D weighs less than 4B.

It's possible Class 2 FSD is to small for Cobra Hull Mass, though I'm not expert on the ship.
Could be why you're restricted from fitting it though.
The game will not stop you from installing a module that uses too much power.

To improve jump distance you need to reduce weight. You can't change hull mass, but you can choose lower mass modules. As example above, 4D is lighter weight and will give you longer range than 4B (but you make a choice of less armour too).

 

[quetza]

First of all, thx to your replys. If I understand correctly, you are trying to teach me the meening of the part labels.
But that is not, what I want to understand. (Maybe, I should :-D)
When I bought the ship, I searched the shop for a better FSD, so I watched the number of the LYs I can jump. The highest was about 18 LYs (shown in blue letters), cost about 560 000 credits. If I could have afford it, I could have installed it.
Now it seems to be the same FSD (because of the price), but all letters are red and it wont increase to 18LYs, it would decrease to 1,5 LYs.
I dont understand why. Even if I would have 1,5 millions for the 4a FSD, it would be the same drastic decrease.
So it must be, that I have to exchange other parts to install it. But I don't understand, what the other red statistics want to tell me, so I don't know what to do next.
The gimbeled pulse lasers I installed are a bit heavier than the standart ones, I will store them on my next visit to a biger station to see what happens.

 

[Para Handy]

First of all, thx to your replys. If I understand correctly, you are trying to teach me the meening of the part labels.
But that is not, what I want to understand. (Maybe, I should :-D)
....................

But that is what you need to understand.

A class 2 FSD (frame shift drive) is not capable enough to give you what you want because of the mass of your Cobra.

Your Cobra is designed to operate with class 4 FSDs, it comes with a stock 4E FSD, by moving to any other class 4 FSD you will get an improved jump range - 4A giving you the best.

By fitting a class 2 FSD you have a much smaller jump range, hence systems are beyond your capability. For example a stock CobraIII has a jump range of about 10Ly - if you put a 2C FSD in there that drops to about 2Ly, even a 2A FSD only gives you about 3Ly.

Get it now?

 

[quetza]

slowly, but yes
I cant explain, why the story is as I told it, my memory must be defect

 

[Winterwalker]

So it must be, that I have to exchange other parts to install it. But I don't understand, what the other red statistics want to tell me, so I don't know what to do next.

It's to do with the Hull Mass that each FSD class can manage. Cobra III ship has a Hull Mass of 180t.
Now look at each FSD .. it will tell the minimum, optimum and maximum (hull) mass each FSD can push.

If your ship's HULL MASS is below the optimum mass on FSD module, you get a better jump range.
If your ship's hull is above the optimum mass, of FSD drive, you get a worse jump range.

Credits is misleading maybe. The 2A FSD can be more expensive than a 4E (because 2A is best in Class 2 so costs a lot, 4E is worst in Class 4 so it's cheap) but because Class 2 is a smaller engine than Class 4 and as Class 2 has a lower optimum mass rating, your ship is too heavy for a smaller FSD engine and you get a shorter jump range.

Hull Mass is useful to take note of because Shield Generators work the same way ..
Choosing modules with optimum mass ratings, higher than your ship's hull mass, always gives a better result.

 

[quetza]

got it, thx!

 

[JetsonRING]

Always try to fit an A-rated Frame Shift Drive (FSD). Always.

Generally you choose your power plant last, since you want to choose one powerful enough to run all your systems but not so powerful that it makes your ship "extra" large and heavy. You want just a bit more than enough power to run all your systems with the weapons (if any) deployed. So you choose everything else first, core modules, weapons, accessories, etc. then select an appropriate power plant to run them all. You may find that you have hung so much stuff on your ship that even an A-rated power plant will nor run it all. In this case you can either (1) remove some stuff to reduce your energy budget, (2) turn stuff off that you are not using to temporarily reduce your energy budget and (3) get the "overcharged" power plant modification from (Felicity Farseer?) as that mod can grant upwards of 125% improvement in power output from a power plant, at the cost of increased heat generation and reduced module integrity. o7

Been posted, but worth noting:

Higher module NUMBERS determine module SIZE.
Lower module grade LETTERS determine higher capability/quality (like in school).

Size 8 module = LARGE
Size 2 module = small

Module Grades:
A=BEST. Most expensive (oh, God) and most capable, best trade-off between capability and mass (weight). A-rated power plants are also the most thermally efficient, useful in combat.
B=HEAVIEST/most armor. Highest module integrity. A more cost-effective alternative to expensive A-rated modules.
C=COMPROMISE. Best trade-off between cost and capabilities. Works OK, doesn't break the bank.
D=LIGHTEST. Least mass (weight), very useful for maximizing jump-range. I almost always D-rate life support and the ship's main scanners.
E=ECONOMY. A bargain module at a bargain price. When you got to have that module but are short on credit.

 

[MickyG1982]

Essentially, always fit the largest drive that will fit in the slot (i.e. if the slot is size 4 always install a size 4 FSD), never fit a smaller one as that will always reduce range.

The only time you might want to fit a smaller FSD is if you are building a combat setup designed to stay in one system - even then the downsides outweigh the weight & maneuverability gains that you might get as the FSD is very useful for running away, should you run out of talent / luck.