Newcomer / Intro Destroying the power plant

[Ashnak]

So... really, after all is said and done, for PvE, is targetting any module actually worth it?

Depends on what you're fighting with and who you're fighting against.

For me:

• 1v1 (and 1vN) in regular missions (assassination, black box, cargo interdictions) with triple Pacifiers as main guns: no
• NvN in Combat Zones with lasers/PA: yes

 

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

Hmm. What about a compromised nav beacon, one on one, with a huge beam and four MC's? I think I'll experiment and see what works best - so far, it seems a bit inconsistent. Sometimes, I'll blow the PP and the battle rages on. Sometimes, I won't target anything and it's all over pretty quickly. Regardless of ship/rank.

 

[Ashnak]

Far from an expert, but from what I understand, for internal modules (like PP, FSD) you want something that has both a decent damage potential and a high piercing value. It's the piercing value that gets you through the hull/armour. The laser may be good after you've punched through and reduced the PP integrity for delivering constant small damage.

 

[Screemonster]

Far from an expert, but from what I understand, for internal modules (like PP, FSD) you want something that has both a decent damage potential and a high piercing value. It's the piercing value that gets you through the hull/armour. The laser may be good after you've punched through and reduced the PP integrity for delivering constant small damage.

Breach chance is what you want for something that'll do internal module damage rather than hull / external module damage.
For instance, missiles tend to have a low breach chance if they don't have the penetrator payload experimental - which is good if you want them to take out drives, because if they penetrate then they'll hit the ship's internal modules instead.

High Yield Shell isn't as good as it used to be (it's actually pretty worthless now, the splash radius is too small to do anything an unmodified shell wouldn't do better) but cannons are pretty good for internal damage - they have a better breach chance than PAs (60%-90% versus 40%-80%), and their breach damage is 95% of their regular damage, compared to 85% for PAs.

 

[avow555]

I sometimes target FSD so they can't jump out.

 

[badibeat]

So... really, after all is said and done, for PvE, is targetting any module actually worth it?

Absolutely.
Sub-Targeting is even worth it if the shields are still up, because targeting is generally improved if a sub-target is selected.
Only once the shields are down you start dealing module damage if you hit.

I think weapons with enough piercing always do random module damage along the trajectory, and sub-targeting will allow you to better focus where. However, module damage does not go to the hull and may even delay the kill. (please somebody more knowledgeable confirm or contradict).

Note that the location of modules varies between ships, and chances to hit depend on the angle from where you hit.

Against multiple enemies that interdict me in a row on trading missions I tend to select the Frame Shift Drive to prevent them from leaving and switch to the Power Plant once the FSD is reduced to 0% Health (If I have the. time or need engineering materials). On deadly Anacondas which are currently the most common for me I get very little module damage on the FSD from the front or back, but from the top or bottom it gets reduced quickly. Thats mostly from Pulse Laser turrets, not just Rail Guns (without super penetrator). Once that is gone I switch to the Power Plant to finish faster.
For smaller ships and in Hazardous Resource Extraction Sites I prefer to target the Power Plant, as this makes them simply pop faster.