Ships Is the FDL a straight upgrade from the Vulture? (PVE)

[Pixeldemon]

Looking for opinions: is the FDL outright superior to a Vulture for NPC bounty hunting?

I have a lot of experience with the Vulture, and enjoy it quite a bit, but I'd like to have more weapon options. Does anyone with a FDL sometimes switch back to the Vulture, or is it a total replacement?

 

[Thebadmf]

Looking for opinions: is the FDL outright superior to a Vulture for NPC bounty hunting?

I have a lot of experience with the Vulture, and enjoy it quite a bit, but I'd like to have more weapon options. Does anyone with a FDL sometimes switch back to the Vulture, or is it a total replacement?

I would say no. I still own both to a grade (as far as you can for these ships). The vulture makes me grin when flying because it's so nimble. The FdL makes me grin when the huge plasma one shots an adder or two shots a clipper pp.

The mass locking benefits are wasted in pve as npcs cheat but, the extra speed is nice. I've had to force myself to fly the FdL for the past two weeks but, the FdL only feels better when I can bring the huge gun to bear on a target/get a timed snipe at an apex. The vulture just doesn't make me work to keep guns on target.

However I still wouldn't sell either: great ships.

 

[puca]

No. The vulture is hard to beat in PvE. Its only disadvantage is that it is harder to run if things turn sour. The advantages of the FDL (high masslock, ability to engage and disengage) come into play in PvP more. In return, the FDL is less maneuverable and has a hard to use hardpoint on the bottom, and weird cockpit -- issues the vulture does not suffer from.

 

[Pixeldemon]

Thanks for the opinions! Sounds like the Vulture might be the king of PVE, at least until there are some more interesting challenges. The FDL isn't a lot of interest to me if mainly distinguishes itself for its speed/mass in PVP.

 

[talshiarr]

I finally traded up to the FDL and went right back down to the Vulture after a day or two. FDL is gorgeous, but I hated the heat issues while fuel scooping and firing, and much poorer maneuverability in comparison for just tearing it up in conflict zones and RESes.

 

[Pixeldemon]

I finally traded up to the FDL and went right back down to the Vulture after a day or two. FDL is gorgeous, but I hated the heat issues while fuel scooping and firing, and much poorer maneuverability in comparison for just tearing it up in conflict zones and RESes.

So the extra hardpoints weren't enough compensation?

 

[Sathayorn]

So the extra hardpoints weren't enough compensation?

Extra hardpoints are mostly only class 2, Class 4 weapons are limited to Cannon and Plasma accelerator, lining up for the shot takes time and requires you to be relatively close to the target to hit as the projectiles are so slow. If you split the class 2 hardpoints between gimballed and fixed to better swat the flies (sidewinders and such) you start to feel the limitations of there only being 2 fire groups.

Class 4 weapons are a lot of fun, but pretty easy to avoid.

 

[fergal]

It depends on what type of NPCs you are fighting most of the time.
In my opinion the Vulture is better at killing everything smaller than an Asp because of its superior maneuverability over the FDL, but they both destroy these ships quickly.

Asp, Clipper, Dropship, Python and Anaconda can be hit with size 4 plasma accelerators and cannons, which means the FDL can take them out quicker than a Vulture. A Vulture with one beam and one cannon will still make pretty quick work out of them though.

I got rid of my Vulture for a FDL when I could afford one. I prefer the superior speed of the FDL, but if I was only fighting NPCs it wouldn't really do anything, the Vulture should be able to escape from them if you need to.

 

[skramz]

I just upgraded to an FDL from a vulture, the only downside of the FDL is it's menuverability and hardpoint locations. After playing for a week tho, you get used to it and will appreciate the better armor and speed.