Does trading with No shields actually make sense?

[Vasious]

So I finally got a type 7 and fitted it with a Size 5 Shield Generator and a Shield Cell Bank.
However even some NPC's that have interdicted me are capable of stripping the shields before the shield cell even pops and recharges.

Would it then be worth just fitting Heavy armour and a 4D Hull reinforcement (increasing the armour from 120 to 240) and just eat the loss of jump range for the extra 20 tons of cargo space and rely on taking the hits when trying to escape/trying to claim the bounty

 

[DAYLEET]

Armor cost cash to repair, after a jump shields are back to full. You can get interdicted many times before you get to your station and it could be a wing, id say shields are more useful.

 

[PhazonAran]

Take a better power plant and slap a few shield boosters on your ship.

 

[Eagle Eye]

I use 4D and slapped an E booster on it. Won't help but meh...

 

[Tusken]

Shields? You mean that big machine that keeps your paint from getting scratched?
Yea i threu that out.... Just took up cargo space
Trading is so mutch more... rewarding flying about without a shield... or insurance

Don't worry though, i got backup ships standing by.

 

[The.Doover]

Debate how many times you'll die and get damaged vs much less cargo you'd haul.

Tot the costs and decide.

Likewise, if accidentally losing a full hold will leave you annoyed for days, despite the fact you maybe made up for it on the last 3 runs compared to running a shield, then I'd run a shield.

Really boils down to how Buddhist you might be

 

[bamber]

I occassionally run no shields

If i do I have

• the best Power supply I can afford
• The best Power distributer I can afford
• The best thrusters i can afford
• A docking computer

You have to run away if you have no shields so maximise this

 

[Vasious]

Shields? You mean that big machine that keeps your paint from getting scratched?
.

Armor cost cash to repair, after a jump shields are back to full. You can get interdicted many times before you get to your station and it could be a wing, id say shields are more useful.

Well they don't seem to be stopping the damage anyways, I figured may as well accepted it.

I will give it a go then

*edit*
Aesthetically Armour beats shields

 

[Schattenbogen]

Always used shields, can be useful at docking too. And to save me time, used Shield Cells Bank too. As a merchant vessel which is mostly unarmed (chaffs, point defence and perhaps mines ?), you have plenty of power for them.
Better a good Shield and a good Shield Cells Bank than oversized Power Plant and oversized Thrusters.
But yeah, always best Power Distributor.

 

[EddyRockSteady]

With repairs costing peanuts these days, shields are about as useless as as fart in a spacesuit.

 

[Jeeves]

So I finally got a type 7 and fitted it with a Size 5 Shield Generator and a Shield Cell Bank.
However even some NPC's that have interdicted me are capable of stripping the shields before the shield cell even pops and recharges.

Would it then be worth just fitting Heavy armour and a 4D Hull reinforcement (increasing the armour from 120 to 240) and just eat the loss of jump range for the extra 20 tons of cargo space and rely on taking the hits when trying to escape/trying to claim the bounty

No. Just buy the best shields that are still unobtrusive. I think the class 4 will actually fit on that thing. You don't want to pay for hull damage, it eats into your profits like nothing you've ever seen before.

 

[Whiterose]

Trading without shields is one thing, docking without them is another.

 

[Madbeard]

Put the lowest A rated shield size you can on your ship. Fill all your utility mounts with A rated shield boosters.

Here is a good T7 for trading and also being able to run out of a fight.

http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=60X,mpW0_g0_g0_g0_g,2-6Q8S7_6u5K5K8I,0AA0AA08c08c0727RA03w03w

[Type-7 Transport]
U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0A Shield Booster
U: 0A Shield Booster


BH: 1I Lightweight Alloy
RB: 4A Power Plant
TM: 5D Thrusters
FH: 5A Frame Shift Drive
EC: 4D Life Support
PC: 3D Power Distributor
SS: 3D Sensors
FS: 5C Fuel Tank (Capacity: 32)


6: 6E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 64)
6: 6E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 64)
5: 5E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 32)
5: 5E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 32)
4: 4E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 16)
4: 4A Shield Generator
2: 2E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 4)
2: 2E Cargo Rack (Capacity: 4)
---
Shield: 225.13 MJ
Power : 14.93 MW retracted (96%)
14.93 MW deployed (96%)
15.60 MW available
Cargo : 216 T
Fuel : 32 T
Mass : 485.0 T empty
733.0 T full
Range : 23.82 LY unladen
16.80 LY laden
Price : 27,654,194 CR
Re-Buy: 1,382,710 CR @ 95% insurance

Always submit to interdiction as the FSD cooldown is minimal. The moment you are in space put 3 pips to sys and 3 pips to eng and then engage FSD and boost boost boost to get out of their sight while it loads.

 

[Captain Fizz]

Decent shield gen...
As many Shield Boosters as you have Utility slots.
(Class A power plant, class or two down)

Means 80% stronger shields than they would be normally whilst using a small shield.

 

[Geztyr]

Of the three ships I own (two from starter privs), I have a T6 with no shields. Trade runs in solo go OK - don't get interdicted very often, and when I do I manage to break the interdiction more often than not.
If I do get dragged back to real-space, I keep the blip behind me and boost for all the engines are worth till the FSD is ready to spool up again. Worked so far...

 

[Kayweg]

Easy 2-part answer to the original question:

1: as long as you don't get yourself killed, yes.

2: as soon as you got yourself killed, no.

Question is, can you live with scenario 2 ?

 

[Vasious]

Easy 2-part answer to the original question:

1: as long as you don't get yourself killed, yes.

2: as soon as you got yourself killed, no.

Question is, can you live with scenario 2 ?

Aside form it being a tautology that it is impossible to live with being kill... Yes

Just with all the talk on No shields in Open as unthinkable
But if the shields don't work without hordes of boosters, would armour/hull be the cheaper option

Gems are best when there is no clear answer for things like this.

2.4 million in shields or 200,000 hull re enforcement package plus repairs

 

[Morbad]

Only in the Cobra, which has crap shields, good armor, speed enough to not need the former, and is cheap enough to repair the latter every landing.

 

[cherbert]

In a Cobra it is the only way to maximise trading. Swap out that Shield Generator for a 16 x Cargo Bay.

 

[Uncertain]

But if the shields don't work without hordes of boosters, would armour/hull be the cheaper option
2.4 million in shields or 200,000 hull re enforcement package plus repairs

Shields do work without the boosters. The 2.4m in shields isn't lost, that money still counts toward your total assets. Any hull damage expenses are lost. If you run with A4 shields you're losing 16 tons of cargo space. The amount of times you'd have to trade 16 tons to make up for a single T7 insurance claim is ridiculous.

Always take shields, because unless you are incapable of distraction or error, something will go horribly wrong on at least one of your 400 billion trade runs.