Is the Python MkII worth trying ...

tolm

tolm
I've been waiting for the Python MkII to become available to all and, given that is just around the corner, was putting some possible builds together on coriolis.io in preparation. My hope was to set one up as my general purpose ship: combat capable but also running 10-16T of limpets so I can use it for materials gathering and salvage missions alongside courier missions, assassination/massacre missions, and a spot of HazRES fun. At the moment a Chieftain does this for me but I hate the cockpit (sorry!) and whilst I know a Krait MkII would be the obvious choice ... well ... it is such an obvious choice ... :)

So ... enter the Python MkII ... as far as I can tell ... it's way too small? Or - more accurately - it's severely limited on internals! I get that it's been balanced against the FDL and Mamba but compared to the MkI it's lost 2x C6 and 2xC5 internals. That's a lot of space gone for one extra hardpoint and better handling ... to my mind, it needs one C5 back for it to be usable for my purposes.

The best I can come up with thus far is:

  • 6C Bi-Weave Shields
  • 4E Cargo Rack (primarily for limpets, and whatever I salvage)
  • 3C Operations Limpet Controller (supports salvage and hacking missions)
  • 2G Planetary Vehicle Hangar
  • 1H Guardian FSD Booster
  • 1E Advanced Docking Computer (because, what, I'm gonna put a 1A Fuel Scoop on this thing?!)
  • 1x C3 Beam, 2xC2 Beam and 3x C3 MCs

Obviously all engineered appropriately ...

This hits all the main points I want to cover - giving a range of missions that can be taken and being very combat capable. But it doesn't have a Fuel Scoop ... and whilst most of the time I won't need one ... I kinda just want to be able to go wherever I want and not worry about it. For example, the point of the SRV is to go exploring or material gathering but you won't be able to get very far without a Fuel Scoop!

Looking for some opinions for folks who have already given one a try. If you went for a multi-purpose build, what compromises did you make? Or is everyone going combat only on these?
 

Three Stars

T
Dillon Fallon said:
I'm most interested in how the weapon convergence is going to be. The possibility that I can take the principles of a Fragaconda and add them to a much more manoeuvrable ship is interesting, to say the least.
Click to expand...

Look at the convergence of a Python Mk I and add a single large hardpoint above and just slightly to the right of your pilot's head. That's the convergence of the P2.

I've built 3 of them. It seems weapon-wise that the best principles are to go low draw/efficient, because 6 hardpoints is a lot of mouths to feed for a 6a Power Distributor even with engineering. Think of it as a Chieftain with larger hardpoints and more utility slots, so you have to stretch the available power out to larger buckets.
 

tolm

tolm
Three Stars said:
Look at the convergence of a Python Mk I and add a single large hardpoint above and just slightly to the right of your pilot's head. That's the convergence of the P2.

I've built 3 of them. It seems weapon-wise that the best principles are to go low draw/efficient, because 6 hardpoints is a lot of mouths to feed for a 6a Power Distributor even with engineering. Think of it as a Chieftain with larger hardpoints and more utility slots, so you have to stretch the available power out to larger buckets.
Click to expand...
That’s more encouraging!

I went out in my Mamba today … I think the Python MkII might be very similar but with 1xC3 / 2xC2 Beams and 3xC3 MCs it will have a little more “umph” on the weapons front.
 

uncle bulgaria

uncle bulgaria
I had a look at a build on coriolis yesterday, got to say I’m quite tempted by one. The internals don’t really lend themselves to anything other than a combat build.

I’m on an exploration trip at the moment so it will have to wait for me.
 

aRJay

aRJay
Yes it is worth trying, even if you can’t get it to work satisfactorily you can get back most of the costs.

I find it a fun ship too fly in normal space and combat and it is so much better in SCO than anything else, you could almost be tempted to take your hands off the stick.

Unlike the mk1 it is a combat hull so running out of slots is going to be a fact of life.
 

galahad2069

G
I don't really understand all the brainstorming, it's pretty obvious:

1. 4x c3 hardpoints but only c6 distro = you want low distro draw weapons. The best c3 weapons are pacifiers anyway (hands down). Preferably OC+screening, because otherwise the reload time is too long (won't match boost cycles).

2. 2x c2 hardpoints = rails or (gimballed) MCs (corrosive+emissive, for example)

3. too few optional slots = weak hull, therefore biweave shield is out of question. Use c6 prismo. With 6 boosters + 1 gsrp it will have nearly exactly the same upfront shield as a 6-booster FDL.
 
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Aleks Zuno

Aleks Zuno
tolm said:
I went out in my Mamba today … I think the Python MkII might be very similar but with 1xC3 / 2xC2 Beams and 3xC3 MCs it will have a little more “umph” on the weapons front.
Click to expand...

Python 2 is very much that way, yes—narrowly I prefer Mamba for bounty-hunting due to being more stabby:
  • More speed, and more boost acceleration.
  • More points of contact instead of a sharp nose which veers to the side upon impact.
Definitely it is better for weapon hardpoints though; in effect, it brings one additional class 3 Fragment cannon. Due to the good placement of the three upper class 3 hardpoints, I put Pacifiers on the Python 2 for a hull destruction strategy, meanwhile the Mamba uses gimbal Fragment cannons because those converge at point-blank for a Power plant strategy. If you try Pacifiers, I recommend the Trailing sights option!

Moreover, I have several Python 2s now:
  • That bounty-hunter with three class 3 Pacifiers, class 3 Beam, class 2 corrosive shell Fragment, class 2 impact Burst.
  • Titan attack with four class 3 Shards and anti-Guardian resistance, class 2 thermal vent Beam, class 2 Nanite torpedo.
  • Spire ground attack with three class 3 and two class 2 Sirius missiles, class 3 Azimuth multi-cannon.
  • General AX conflict zone which varies but usually has three class 3 Azimuth multi-cannons, two class 2 Azimuth Plasma chargers mounted on one side, class 2 Flak on the other side.
  • Simple traveller I built to discover whether orbiting VY Canis Majoris with SCO has a radius close enough to scoop fuel; it gets close with 5C rather than 5A but ultimately does not work.
 

Nugstar

Nugstar
tolm said:
I've been waiting for the Python MkII to become available to all and, given that is just around the corner, was putting some possible builds together on coriolis.io in preparation. My hope was to set one up as my general purpose ship: combat capable but also running 10-16T of limpets so I can use it for materials gathering and salvage missions alongside courier missions, assassination/massacre missions, and a spot of HazRES fun. At the moment a Chieftain does this for me but I hate the cockpit (sorry!) and whilst I know a Krait MkII would be the obvious choice ... well ... it is such an obvious choice ... :)

So ... enter the Python MkII ... as far as I can tell ... it's way too small? Or - more accurately - it's severely limited on internals! I get that it's been balanced against the FDL and Mamba but compared to the MkI it's lost 2x C6 and 2xC5 internals. That's a lot of space gone for one extra hardpoint and better handling ... to my mind, it needs one C5 back for it to be usable for my purposes.

The best I can come up with thus far is:

  • 6C Bi-Weave Shields
  • 4E Cargo Rack (primarily for limpets, and whatever I salvage)
  • 3C Operations Limpet Controller (supports salvage and hacking missions)
  • 2G Planetary Vehicle Hangar
  • 1H Guardian FSD Booster
  • 1E Advanced Docking Computer (because, what, I'm gonna put a 1A Fuel Scoop on this thing?!)
  • 1x C3 Beam, 2xC2 Beam and 3x C3 MCs

Obviously all engineered appropriately ...

This hits all the main points I want to cover - giving a range of missions that can be taken and being very combat capable. But it doesn't have a Fuel Scoop ... and whilst most of the time I won't need one ... I kinda just want to be able to go wherever I want and not worry about it. For example, the point of the SRV is to go exploring or material gathering but you won't be able to get very far without a Fuel Scoop!

Looking for some opinions for folks who have already given one a try. If you went for a multi-purpose build, what compromises did you make? Or is everyone going combat only on these?
Click to expand...
The Python mk2 is a combat ship. Go make a combat build and go kill things. It is not a multi role mission running ship. For the Pmk2 to excel, it should be built for it's purpose.
 

tolm

tolm
Nugstar said:
The Python mk2 is a combat ship. Go make a combat build and go kill things. It is not a multi role mission running ship. For the Pmk2 to excel, it should be built for it's purpose.
Click to expand...
Yeh, I know, a spade’s a spade … but where’s the fun in that?!

Might try a combat build Python Mk II … I just think it will overlap with the Mamba a lot.
 

tolm

tolm
Aleks Zuno said:
Python 2 is very much that way, yes—narrowly I prefer Mamba for bounty-hunting due to being more stabby:
  • More speed, and more boost acceleration.
  • More points of contact instead of a sharp nose which veers to the side upon impact.
Definitely it is better for weapon hardpoints though; in effect, it brings one additional class 3 Fragment cannon. Due to the good placement of the three upper class 3 hardpoints, I put Pacifiers on the Python 2 for a hull destruction strategy, meanwhile the Mamba uses gimbal Fragment cannons because those converge at point-blank for a Power plant strategy. If you try Pacifiers, I recommend the Trailing sights option!

Moreover, I have several Python 2s now:
  • That bounty-hunter with three class 3 Pacifiers, class 3 Beam, class 2 corrosive shell Fragment, class 2 impact Burst.
  • Titan attack with four class 3 Shards and anti-Guardian resistance, class 2 thermal vent Beam, class 2 Nanite torpedo.
  • Spire ground attack with three class 3 and two class 2 Sirius missiles, class 3 Azimuth multi-cannon.
  • General AX conflict zone which varies but usually has three class 3 Azimuth multi-cannons, two class 2 Azimuth Plasma chargers mounted on one side, class 2 Flak on the other side.
  • Simple traveller I built to discover whether orbiting VY Canis Majoris with SCO has a radius close enough to scoop fuel; it gets close with 5C rather than 5A but ultimately does not work.
Click to expand...
IIRC, Pacifiers are Power Play rewards? If so … yeh, I don’t have ‘em!

I only do PvE and usually run very boring Efficient Beam / Overcharged MultiCannon configurations but it doesn’t use too much power and allows you to stick around in a HazRES for a good while.

However, I am wondering if 3x C2 Mod Plasma Chargers, 1xC3 Efficient Beam and 2xC3 Overcharged MCs would be viable … that’s a lot of power requirements … would probably need to overcharge the heck outta the PP …
 
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Three Stars

T
I wouldn’t mix AX weapons into a PvE build. You’re doing only 55% of the listed damage to non-Xeno targets.

I’ve done 2L2M efficient PAs and 2L efficient beams…4 pacifiers and 2 medium PAs…and 3L cannons with a corrosive Pacifier and two cytoscramblers.
 

Commander Biscuit

Commander Biscuit
If you aren't interested in min-maxing PVE it'll work just fine, like say if you're just stacking missions and popping stuff quickly in a low RES.

Mine has power issues which prevent usage of the pre-engineered KWS, and distributor issues which handicaps its potential DPS output.

Krait 2 doesn't have these issues, but the Python 2 is faster, and changes vector much more easily. You might be better off with the Python 2 if you dislike how drifty the Krait is.
 

uncle bulgaria

uncle bulgaria
tolm said:
IIRC, Pacifiers are Power Play rewards? If so … yeh, I don’t have ‘em!

I only do PvE and usually run very boring Efficient Beam / Overcharged MultiCannon configurations but it doesn’t use too much power and allows you to stick around in a HazRES for a good while.

However, I am wondering if 3x C2 Mod Plasma Chargers, 1xC3 Efficient Beam and 2xC3 Overcharged MCs would be viable … that’s a lot of power requirements … would probably need to overcharge the heck outta the PP …
Click to expand...
I had a lot of fun with my Chieftain with plasma accelerators and railguns in Haz Res sites. I’ve not used it for a while as had a 3 year break and am very rusty in ship combat. I’m out exploring at the moment too
 

tolm

tolm
uncle bulgaria said:
I had a lot of fun with my Chieftain with plasma accelerators and railguns in Haz Res sites. I’ve not used it for a while as had a 3 year break and am very rusty in ship combat. I’m out exploring at the moment too
Click to expand...
Hmm … I have a pair of those Long Range / High Capacity C2 Rails kicking around … those, a C3 Beam and 3 PAs could be fun, assuming I can hit anything!!
 
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