Finally I have it :)

[Smiffoo]

Finally, I've got my vulture traded in my viper, sad to see her go, but my god, what a good choice, now I just need to get to a RES for equipment and weapons,


Any tips or tricks with the vulture?

And suggested load outs for PvE, PvP or RES?

Thanks again guys, I wouldn't of obtained my new ship if it wasn't for this forum and you guys with all your info, thanks for the hospitality, see you in space.

 

[Dave Angel]

It's a good ship, I prefer it to my FDL if I'm honest with myself.

if your PVE, try gimballed pulse, fixed pulse for pvp, along with double chaff.

dont skimp on the thrusters, but you will have to sacrifice something, I run with class b sheild and class a booster, finished off with class a sensors for the gimbal load out.

dont bother with hull re-inforcement; agility is your friend

 

[Midian27]

It's a good ship, I prefer it to my FDL if I'm honest with myself.

if your PVE, try gimballed pulse, fixed pulse for pvp, along with double chaff.

dont skimp on the thrusters, but you will have to sacrifice something, I run with class b sheild and class a booster, finished off with class a sensors for the gimbal load out.

dont bother with hull re-inforcement; agility is your friend

You do realize the devs have confirmed sensors don't matter at all when it comes to gimbal accuracy?

 

[Vladimir Seya]

finished off with class a sensors for the gimbal load out.

Better sensors won't help your gimballed weapons aim, they are nice for spotting ships at longer ranges though.

Edit:uh-oh, ninjas.

 

[Dave Angel]

I clearly stand corrected - will be dropping those then, save a bit of power.

 

[Rankaze]

Better sensors won't help your gimballed weapons aim, they are nice for spotting ships at longer ranges though.

Edit:uh-oh, ninjas.

Yeah, i use A sensors in mine just because they help me to spot targets faster in RES sites. Spotting faster = killing faster. And since I'm using fixed pulse lasers anyway, i can manage the power needs.

 

[DoppelShifter]

This is my current Vulture setup.

http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=60N,4zh4zh0mI3we3hA0mI,2-6Q7_6Q4s7_6a5A,7Su9tu4xo2jw2UI

Yeah, no cargo space (I focus on Bounty Hunting and Exploration) and the total power exceeds the reactor output, but I manage that with priority groups. For example, you don't need to have your FSD powered up on when your guns are drawn.

This same loadout can fit Fixed beams, but overall, in PvE, Gimbals just kick ass, especially when aiming for power plants.

Also double point defenses on the two top utility hardpoints saved my tail several times, just saying.

 

[clouddancer]

I use gimballed pulse on mine, All modules A, no shield cell pack 2 shield boosters, 1 if I fit a KWS.
In a conflict zone target Asp and above, go for power supply, everything dies. Keep an eye on shields run away at 1 ring to recharge
You will be fuel scooping a lot, I fitting an a4, keep it powered off in modules until I need to scoop, no danger of everything shutting down.

 

[Eloy]

You do realize the devs have confirmed sensors don't matter at all when it comes to gimbal accuracy?

What, really? I´ve got to test that because I am really pretty sure lower class sensors loose often track of the target.
If it´s really not the case, this would be a good suggestion for a change wouldn´t it (completely makes sense to me) ?

 

[DoppelShifter]

What, really? I´ve got to test that because I am really pretty sure lower class sensors loose often track of the target.
If it´s really not the case, this would be a good suggestion for a change wouldn't it (completely makes sense to me) ?

I still wouldn't trade the almost 7km range of my 4B sensors for anything, specially since I farm in RES a lot.

 

[Bokugo]

You can keep the thrusters a lower grade if you wanted. The increase is minimal and it offers up much more power.
I'm liking the 1-2 punch with gimbaled canon and pulse. I never ever need more than 2 pips in weapons, the pulse goes just fine.

 

[DoppelShifter]

Someday I need to try something, though: Equip twin Class 3 Plasma Accelerators, go to a RES, find a 'Conda, turn off all other systems except Reactor and Powerplant and shoot. For the lullz. Extra points if I have a canopy breach while doing so.

 

[hort_wort]

This is my current Vulture setup.

http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=60N,4zh4zh0mI3we3hA0mI,2-6Q7_6Q4s7_6a5A,7Su9tu4xo2jw2UI

Yeah, no cargo space (I focus on Bounty Hunting and Exploration) and the total power exceeds the reactor output, but I manage that with priority groups. For example, you don't need to have your FSD powered up on when your guns are drawn.

This same loadout can fit Fixed beams, but overall, in PvE, Gimbals just kick ass, especially when aiming for power plants.

Also double point defenses on the two top utility hardpoints saved my tail several times, just saying.

Hmmm I like this build! The asymmetry of the cannon/beam builds kept bothering me. I also found out I just never used the cannon in that setup -- ever. By the time I finally closed the gap to shoot the cannon and hit something, the fight was pretty much already over. Seemed like a waste.

Are you having your life support turn off when you're fighting? That's the only way I can think to make the power work out. Otherwise I can only get burst lasers to work, which is still pretty dang fun.

Eh, I tried point defenses for a while. When missiles actually do hit me though they don't really do anything at all. I have better survivability using twin chaff launchers. Then sneaking around those turrets is a bit easier.

 

[DoppelShifter]

Hmmm I like this build! The asymmetry of the cannon/beam builds kept bothering me. I also found out I just never used the cannon in that setup -- ever. By the time I finally closed the gap to shoot the cannon and hit something, the fight was pretty much already over. Seemed like a waste.

Are you having your life support turn off when you're fighting? That's the only way I can think to make the power work out. Otherwise I can only get burst lasers to work, which is still pretty dang fun.

Eh, I tried point defenses for a while. When missiles actually do hit me though they don't really do anything at all. I have better survivability using twin chaff launchers. Then sneaking around those turrets is a bit easier.

My power draw is a bit micromanaged, so only the uneccesary systems go down when I power the weapons. But basically I put the Fuel Scoop, Interdictor, Wake Scanner and FSD in high groups (like 3 or 4, which are low priority) while keeping the most essential ones in the 1 group (highest priority): Life Support, Power Coupling, Shields, Thrusters. Most of the weapons and fight-focused hardpoints (Kill Warrant, point defenses and chaffs) are in the priority 2, so they shut down the unessential systems when I open the hardpoints but won't touch the Priority 1 systems.

That way, as soon as I pop out the guns, the FSD and unnecessary systems shut down, but the essentials and the guns are still online.

Well, in a ship with few hardpoints like the vulture I try to depend as little as possible on ammunition. My weapons are always lasers, and my defenses are turrets (which have a huge ammo pool and are cheap to refill). But I'm thinking about swapping one of the point defense turrets for a chaff dispenser and giving it a try.

Also, with the current power management, I found out that you can couple a Class 3 Plasma Accelerator with a Gimballed Pulse laser without running out of power.

I can try taking screenshots of my power management window later, if you need more fine detail.

 

[hort_wort]

I can try taking screenshots of my power management window later, if you need more fine detail.

I'd love it! I'm just learning about the priority stuff. I can get most of the way there, but... not quite. I'm experimenting trying to decide if the power distributor actually needs to be on. It seems like it still works fine unpowered, but you can't adjust where the power recharge is going.

 

[DoppelShifter]

I'd love it! I'm just learning about the priority stuff. I can get most of the way there, but... not quite. I'm experimenting trying to decide if the power distributor actually needs to be on. It seems like it still works fine unpowered, but you can't adjust where the power recharge is going.

Having your power distributor down is like having your reactor down; only without the explosion.

 

[jgm]

The asymmetry of the cannon/beam builds kept bothering me. I also found out I just never used the cannon in that setup -- ever. By the time I finally closed the gap to shoot the cannon and hit something, the fight was pretty much already over. Seemed like a waste.

For anything bigger than an Asp the cannon really takes them down quickly, but it is a subsystem killer rather than for beating on the hull in general. And with lasers you shouldn't really engage until you are within a maximum of 1km, and ideally 500m, of the target as it's a waste of your precious WEP capacitor with the damage drop off over distance, so you'll generally be within the 250m or so just as the shields are stripped and you can start battering on the hull.

- - - Updated - - -

Having your power distributor down is like having your reactor down; only without the explosion.

You sure? From what I remember it stops you from being able to change pip settings but still charges and discharges as usual.

 

[Eloy]

I still wouldn't trade the almost 7km range of my 4B sensors for anything, specially since I farm in RES a lot.

true that

Having your power distributor down is like having your reactor down; only without the explosion.

Whilst exploring I deactivated Sensors and PDistributor. No pips, but not a problem when not fighting.

 

[DoppelShifter]

Crap, I lost the post, so I'm having to retype everything again....

Anyway.

The sheer amount of components makes the Modules screen too big to fit in a single screenshot, so I'm making a text list here:

Spoiler

Groups:

<1> (Essentials)
- Thrusters
- Shield Generator
- Power Distributor
- Life Support
- Sensors
- Point Defense Turrets * (because they are still active when the hardpoints are closed, but can be fitted on group 2 if needed).

[These are the minimal setup so you can still fly and check your surroundings. Shouldn't take a lot of reactor power.]


<2> (Combat)
- All weapons (in my case, two Class 3 Gimbaled Beam Lasers, but any of the following combinations can be used in this power setup:

• 
  [*=2]2x Class 3 any Laser weapon (Beam, Burst, Pulse)
  [*=2]1x Any Class 3 Laser, 1x Any up to Class 3 kinetic
  [*=2]1x Class 3 Plasma Accelerator, 1x Gimbaled Pulse Laser
  [*=2]I don't recommend any other combination besides this ones.

- Kill Warrant Scanner
- Point Defense Turrets / Chaff Launchers (if you didn't put them on group 1)

[These will lead to a power peak when the weapon hardpoints are activated, so it'll turn off the unnecessary groups while still leaving group 1 protected]


<3> (Important, Non-Combat)
- Frame Shift Drive

[Pretty straightforward, really. This one will become active as soon as the Hardpoints are closed, and it can't be activated with hardpoints open anyway.]


<4> (Situational)
- Fuel Scoop
- Frame Shift Interdictor
- Frame Shift Wake Scanner

[Another straughtforward group. Since they won't be used at the same time as the guns, there's no problem in keeping them here]


<5> (Never used)
- Cargo Hatch (because I don't have cargo spaces)

[I don't have cargo bays and even when I do (usually selling the interdictor, for specific missions, then buying it back when I don't need the cargo bay anymore), I don't use the cargo hatch, which is for grabbing cargo while in space. This can pretty much be set as perma-off, in this kind of setup.]


<-> (No power needed)
- Discovery Sensors

[They don't show up as consuming any energy.


Also, coupled with that setup, I use the following fire groups:

Group 1: Primary: Weapons / Secondary: Kill Warrant Scanner (for combat)
Group 2: Primary: Discovery Scanner / Secondary: Frame Shift Interdictor (for using in space)
Group 3: Primary: Frame Shift Wake Scanner (because I only scan when out of combat)

If I had chaffs, I would just map them to a dedicated button in the Options menu, instead of arming them on a fire group.

I hope this helps o/

 

[digitalscream]

Dual gimballed pulse for me - it's faster to kill the heavier ships (which, really, is what you want) because you don't have to keep pausing for your beams to charge up/cool down. The trick is to get the hang of staying really close to your target to avoid getting hit too much by their turrets - works especially well with Clippers, Dropships, Pythons and Anacondas; the Vulture accelerates and decelerates so fast that you can basically fly rings round them hugging the hull without much effort, so you won't have any trouble staying bang-on-target with their power plant. The odd one is the Python, where you can fly behind and slightly below them and still be in the turret blind spot - because of the hardpoint placement on the Vulture, you can just keep popping right at the power plant and not get hit once.

Also...C-class thrusters are all you need in the Vulture - it's the law of diminishing returns past that. Same goes for shields...you're better off with C-class shields and a couple of A0 shield boosters.

I have a pair of A1 shield cells which are normally switched off and a B4 shield cell which only activates when hardpoints are retracted. Handy for getting back into the action quickly if an NPC wing catches you unawares.