Double Chaff?

[ForeverN00b]

Hello all,
Has anyone tested the viability of using 2 chaff launchers at one time against NPCs? Will this increase the effectiveness against NPC gimbals/turrets?

I'm thinking of trying this myself with my FdL, given its excess of util slots, but I was curious if this has been tested before.

Any antecdotal stories or empirical data would be awesome! Thx

 

[Exiton]

Hello all,
Has anyone tested the viability of using 2 chaff launchers at one time against NPCs? Will this increase the effectiveness against NPC gimbals/turrets?

I'm thinking of trying this myself with my FdL, given its excess of util slots, but I was curious if this has been tested before.

Any antecdotal stories or empirical data would be awesome! Thx

NPCs ignore chaff, module damage, mass-lock and overheating. They also seem to have endless supply of ammo and energy in weapon capacitors. Not to mention turning around at full speed better than any player can with FA OFF at optimal speed.

 

[h347h]

Hello all,
Has anyone tested the viability of using 2 chaff launchers at one time against NPCs? Will this increase the effectiveness against NPC gimbals/turrets?

I'm thinking of trying this myself with my FdL, given its excess of util slots, but I was curious if this has been tested before.

Any antecdotal stories or empirical data would be awesome! Thx

No it won't do anything. The reason NPCs half the time are not effected by chaff is they often use a mix of fixed and gimbled/turreted weapons. If you want your chaff to be more effective put that FDL's boosters to use and boost away while the chaff is active. Since its a larger ship its still relatively easy to hit even while chaff is active depending on the distance of the attacker.

Despite what Exiton said NPCs do not ignore chaff. If you want proof go find a Anaconda or Python in a conflict zone using turrets and pop a chaff on it. Their lasers or flak guns will go all over the place.

 

[GluttonyFang]

NPC doesn't get affected by chaff or to a lesser degree, from experience.

It's definitely useful against players, though.

 

[Evil]

It doesnt increase effectiveness, but if you chain macro them then you can get almost 100% chaff uptime.

 

[Jmanis]

NPC doesn't get affected by chaff or to a lesser degree, from experience.

It's definitely useful against players, though.

NPCs just manage it better. e.g de-targeting the ship launching the chaff basically converts gimballed weapons into fixed, ignoring the chaff effect.

I also think the general impression that chaff doesn't work against NPCs gets brought about from the tendency for NPCs (particularly larger ones) to have lots of beam/multi weapons. If you watch the effect of chaff on turrets/gimballed weapons, they still cross the target ship often. If you're letting loose with 4 gimballed/turreted beams, you're still going to get a high frequency of hits.

- - - Updated - - -

It doesnt increase effectiveness, but if you chain macro them then you can get almost 100% chaff uptime.

This. Don't use them at the same time, but one after the other.

 

[vindicator jones]

Hello all,
Has anyone tested the viability of using 2 chaff launchers at one time against NPCs? Will this increase the effectiveness against NPC gimbals/turrets?

I'm thinking of trying this myself with my FdL, given its excess of util slots, but I was curious if this has been tested before.

Any antecdotal stories or empirical data would be awesome! Thx

What on earth are you doing with empty util slots.....tsk..tsk..tsk... hehehe

Class 4PA Build using all slots, maximum shield and SCB's

Or you can take off the Class 4PA Put a Cannon or another Class 3 pulse laser.. and up the shield boosters to compensate for lower power usage.

[url]http://coriolis.io/outfit/fer_de_lance/05A5A4A4D6A4D3C2c1b1b1b1b0l04040800024a5d5d2o66.Iw18QDCQ.CwBhrEEYZgmBiQGZnGEA?bn=Basic%20FDL%20CLASS%204%20PA


[/URL]

 

[Alex Brentnall]

I use chaff only if I don't have the power to fit A grade boosters. My FDL build is as below.
http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=70O,A727tw7tw7tw7tw0_g0_g0_g01Q01Q3wo,327_7_6Q6u9Y6u5A,7Sk7go7go4xo2UI

Chaff against NPC's isn't foolproof but it does affect them to some degree. I tend to use it when I've messed up on my cell bank activation and need to keep my shields up another few seconds. Works best at distance in my experience.

 

[Gimmename]

I use chaff only if I don't have the power to fit A grade boosters. My FDL build is as below.
http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=70O,A727tw7tw7tw7tw0_g0_g0_g01Q01Q3wo,327_7_6Q6u9Y6u5A,7Sk7go7go4xo2UI

Chaff against NPC's isn't foolproof but it does affect them to some degree. I tend to use it when I've messed up on my cell bank activation and need to keep my shields up another few seconds. Works best at distance in my experience.

Do you retract hardpoints for using SCB with that build?

 

[Alex Brentnall]

Do you retract hardpoints for using SCB with that build?

Yeah, its mostly an NPC assassin killer that I use for fun so I can afford to risk it every now and then I have also tested deactivating the PA and using a SCB which works well if you get their shields down quick, just sit shredding with the multicannons
If I was building a pure PVP I may have gone a different way but I use a Clipper for that at the moment.

Edit: I may have to update that for the 1.3 changes with targets now appearing in supercruise, got to fit me an interdictor, maybe in the class 1 slot.

 

[camper]

changing 4 boosters to 4 chaffs on my Vulture increased survivability in CZ from 10 minutes to "until I run out of chaffs" (1.5-2 hours). shields never drop now.
the same goes for all other ships I tried.
also, if you use dedicated chaff button, all chaffs are queued, i.e. they fire one after another. no need to switch them off or even assign to fire groups

 

[HeavyGroovez]

changing 4 boosters to 4 chaffs on my Vulture increased survivability in CZ from 10 minutes to "until I run out of chaffs" (1.5-2 hours). shields never drop now.
the same goes for all other ships I tried.
also, if you use dedicated chaff button, all chaffs are queued, i.e. they fire one after another. no need to switch them off or even assign to fire groups

This.

I find chaff to be very effective against NPCs given that the majority of them run turrets in their loadouts.

I run a dual Advanced Plasma Vulture with no shields (military grade armor and hull reinforcements) with 4 chaff launchers and it has remarkable staying power in a conflict zone which is in part attributed to the large chaff pool.

Against human commanders chaff is crazy powerful and renders gimballed firing solutions a wobbling mess for ages.

 

[Jockey79]

I have no idea why people say Chaff doesn't work on NPCs - my experience shows that it definitely does. I wouldn't be able to survive nearly as well in High Intensity Combat Zones without my chaff launchers, especially against the Pythons & Anacondas running turrets.

There was a point in time when most NPCs had turrets - and chaff was bugged versus turrets (aka, didn't work)
So while chaff has always worked on gimbals for PC and NPC - chaff did not work on turrets, for PC or NPC.
That has since been fixed.

 

[Windscreen Smudge]

Chaff most definitely does work against NPC's. One of my favorite things to do while fighting Anacondas is to come to a dead stop, pop some chaff and watch them turn into a disco ball as lasers, multicannons and flak cannons spaz out in every direction except for mine.

Best Light Show in ED. 10/10.

 

[JessieColt]

Chaff works against NPC's.

The distance you are from the NPC though can have an affect. The further away you are, the more effective the Chaff.

If you are close to the target, you will still get hit by their weapons, just not as much.

Chaff works best when you are 2km from the target.

 

[CATPAIN KIRK]

I was under the impression they work marvelously against low level NPCs. Call me a lunatic, but I'd say they work just fine.

I categorically run in open so lack the comparison, but do they even work better in PVP?

 

[Quineloe]

NPCs ignore chaff, module damage, mass-lock and overheating. They also seem to have endless supply of ammo and energy in weapon capacitors. Not to mention turning around at full speed better than any player can with FA OFF at optimal speed.

Don't forget how they can hyperjump through planets and stars.

 

[Quineloe]

I was under the impression they work marvelously against low level NPCs. Call me a lunatic, but I'd say they work just fine.

I categorically run in open so lack the comparison, but do they even work better in PVP?

Yeah, chaff definitely works a lot better in a small ship. Don't expect your Anaconda to get missed a lot because of chaff.

 

[HeavyGroovez]

I was under the impression they work marvelously against low level NPCs. Call me a lunatic, but I'd say they work just fine.

I categorically run in open so lack the comparison, but do they even work better in PVP?

In PvP a double chaff blast will send any hostile gimballed/turreted firing solutions into full on wobblers for ages.

It's great because it makes using fixed weapons essential.

Without it PvP would be a full on gimbalfest.

 

[ForeverN00b]

What on earth are you doing with empty util slots.....tsk..tsk..tsk... hehehe

Class 4PA Build using all slots, maximum shield and SCB's

Or you can take off the Class 4PA Put a Cannon or another Class 3 pulse laser.. and up the shield boosters to compensate for lower power usage.

[url]http://coriolis.io/outfit/fer_de_lance/05A5A4A4D6A4D3C2c1b1b1b1b0l04040800024a5d5d2o66.Iw18QDCQ.CwBhrEEYZgmBiQGZnGEA?bn=Basic%20FDL%20CLASS%204%20PA


[/URL]

Lol I am using all 6 atm, 3 SBs and 3 chaff launchers.