I've just started getting into combat, I'm currently Novice, but finding the right level of challenge is.. well... a challenge. Most of the assination missions coming up now are Mostly Harmless or Harmless level, which is too easy, straight line fliers. They are a little time consuming too flying too. I have most engineers unlocked and don't want to over-engineer my ship and make it too easy, currently flying a Viper III A rated, only engineering is long-distance lasers and cannons. I've tackled a few ships in RES and CZs, a Deadly Courier and Vulture where the challenge was too great, ending up in a long battle where I was only very slowly loosing, before running away. Any pointers?
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Newcomer / Intro Finding the right level of challenge in combat
- Thread starter Ant hill
- Start date
Engineering will mostly make your ship more fun.
CZs almost require you to be heavily engineered as your opponent NPCs will be. Your target in a CZ is to win the battle for your side, so you'll need to take down 6 to 10 enemy ships, often by yourself. You'll probably need more than an unengineered Viper though.
Fly dirty!
CZs almost require you to be heavily engineered as your opponent NPCs will be. Your target in a CZ is to win the battle for your side, so you'll need to take down 6 to 10 enemy ships, often by yourself. You'll probably need more than an unengineered Viper though.
Fly dirty!
The "difficulty" of missions you are offered (i.e. their rank and consequent payoff) depend on your reputation with the factions that issue them. If you want harder missions that pay well, stay in one system (or rather keep returning to it for more missions) until you raised your rep. Once you're at least friendly, you will be getting harder missions.
The difficulty of the RES on the other hand depend on which intensity type it is. So if you want an easier time there, choose a low intensity one where pirates are less experienced and cops are more numerous. Or choose higher intensity but only attack ships that are already engaged in a battle with cops. And don't engage ships that are in a wing no matter their rank.
CZ in a small ship can be fun, but you have to know what you're doing, otherwise you're gonna draw too much aggro and die quickly, no matter the ship you're flying. There it pays off to simply follow the largest blob of friendly ships around and help them rather than fighting som "private battles" in some corner without support.
Ships in CZs are also always stronger than anywere else. Always engineered and quite a bit tougher than your average pirate.
But overall, I think - simply keep at it. You will learn only by doing and soon, the difficulty won't matter.
The difficulty of the RES on the other hand depend on which intensity type it is. So if you want an easier time there, choose a low intensity one where pirates are less experienced and cops are more numerous. Or choose higher intensity but only attack ships that are already engaged in a battle with cops. And don't engage ships that are in a wing no matter their rank.
CZ in a small ship can be fun, but you have to know what you're doing, otherwise you're gonna draw too much aggro and die quickly, no matter the ship you're flying. There it pays off to simply follow the largest blob of friendly ships around and help them rather than fighting som "private battles" in some corner without support.
Ships in CZs are also always stronger than anywere else. Always engineered and quite a bit tougher than your average pirate.
But overall, I think - simply keep at it. You will learn only by doing and soon, the difficulty won't matter.
The best way to find the right level of opponents is to fit an FSD interdictor, then go to a high population system and look for wanted ships in supercruise. When you find one of the right type and rank (doesn't take too long), hook it out and start your battle. If you don't want the police to interfere, switch off "Report Crimes against me" in right panel/ship tab/third tab down.
I had the same problem when trying to make a combat tutorial. I see that FD have changed low RESs now. They used to have only low rank ships with low bounties on them, but when I went there yesterday, I couldn't tell the difference from a high RES. It was all high rank Gunships, Clippers FASs and things like that - not much fun for a Sidewinder or even a beginners Viper.
You also get a mix of ranks at a nav beacon, but it's difficult to get a battle without other ships joining in.
I had the same problem when trying to make a combat tutorial. I see that FD have changed low RESs now. They used to have only low rank ships with low bounties on them, but when I went there yesterday, I couldn't tell the difference from a high RES. It was all high rank Gunships, Clippers FASs and things like that - not much fun for a Sidewinder or even a beginners Viper.
You also get a mix of ranks at a nav beacon, but it's difficult to get a battle without other ships joining in.
As above, I don't think it's like that anymore.
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Interesting. Honestly, I haven't been in RES for maybe a couple of months. Good to know.
Though it doesn't sound like an intentional change, imo.
If you are taking missions don’t take ones that are too far from your own rank that way the mission targets shouldn’t be too easy or difficult.
Random encounters such as Nav beacons and RESs where you establish the instance should mostly have ships of Similar rank to your own, though I cannot confirm this as I don’t have a low ranked alternate to test, Compromised Nav Beacons and Hazardous RES are usually high traffic areas with valuable targets but there is no security support so you will be on your own.
Ships in Conflict Zones have always been tougher than the same ship in a RES this is now even more the case.
Random encounters such as Nav beacons and RESs where you establish the instance should mostly have ships of Similar rank to your own, though I cannot confirm this as I don’t have a low ranked alternate to test, Compromised Nav Beacons and Hazardous RES are usually high traffic areas with valuable targets but there is no security support so you will be on your own.
Ships in Conflict Zones have always been tougher than the same ship in a RES this is now even more the case.
Yeah big note to new players, black box missions are easy money until u find one thats got 2+vipers guarding it. ONE death and u loose all the BBs u carring. You can open scoop, hit limpet/scoop it and FSD but dont do it while loaded with the 4 easy ones you did first, (im new too, learnt that the hard way)
Just got my imp curry, it can pretty much clear a whole BBS of combat and a mission that says kill 2, plus a mission that says kill 3 of the same is just kill 3 ( im sure it just work that way for me - somebody correct me if im being crazy)
Also the massicer pirates missions are funny cause u find them all in one location but they "let you" 1v1 them, im really happy 3 pythons and a chief didnt all shoot me at once. ****Only works if you empty, even limpets count as cargo, 6 pythons just mudered me
Also when u following a Chief and a Challenger in a wing expecting to FSD interdict them, just abandon this one you will know when u can take them. ( i got squished )
Im on XBOX incase some of what i said is different
Also if a target of assination interdicts u, maybe let him - if he fires first you get police turn up and still get paid/credit/bounty really helped with the Fed Assault ship, on our 1st meeting he put me to 16%, i just about escaped
I found the Cobra a little flimsy to be reliable in combat, and my imp curry well capable but limited right around the level the OP speaks of. Prob get the same result from a vulture, it cost me about 2-3 mil in Insurance claims / lost bounties getting that right. ( i also diamond mine in a Keel - so i really dont care )
Just got my imp curry, it can pretty much clear a whole BBS of combat and a mission that says kill 2, plus a mission that says kill 3 of the same is just kill 3 ( im sure it just work that way for me - somebody correct me if im being crazy)
Also the massicer pirates missions are funny cause u find them all in one location but they "let you" 1v1 them, im really happy 3 pythons and a chief didnt all shoot me at once. ****Only works if you empty, even limpets count as cargo, 6 pythons just mudered me
Also when u following a Chief and a Challenger in a wing expecting to FSD interdict them, just abandon this one you will know when u can take them. ( i got squished )
Im on XBOX incase some of what i said is different
Also if a target of assination interdicts u, maybe let him - if he fires first you get police turn up and still get paid/credit/bounty really helped with the Fed Assault ship, on our 1st meeting he put me to 16%, i just about escaped
I found the Cobra a little flimsy to be reliable in combat, and my imp curry well capable but limited right around the level the OP speaks of. Prob get the same result from a vulture, it cost me about 2-3 mil in Insurance claims / lost bounties getting that right. ( i also diamond mine in a Keel - so i really dont care )
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