Military slots. What about hte Python?

[Tryst]

I have flown the Python for some times now and engineered, it makes a fairly decent medium size combat ship. The problem now is that even a small ships that have had military slots added are far more dangerous than they were before. They now pose a big threat with the added slots that gives them the power of a mid range ship with the speed and agility of a small ship. Balancing this with military slots on the Python would give the python back its ability to defend itself against these smaller ships.

I really don't understand why the Python was left out of this upgrade, it is a good combat ship in the right hands but the lack of military slots has consigned it to little more than a hauler class ship.

 

[Jaiotu]

I have flown the Python for some times now and engineered, it makes a fairly decent medium size combat ship. The problem now is that even a small ships that have had military slots added are far more dangerous than they were before. They now pose a big threat with the added slots that gives them the power of a mid range ship with the speed and agility of a small ship. Balancing this with military slots on the Python would give the python back its ability to defend itself against these smaller ships.

I really don't understand why the Python was left out of this upgrade, it is a good combat ship in the right hands but the lack of military slots has consigned it to little more than a hauler class ship.

Technically the Python is a civilian vessel. For those of us not wanting a career in the Imperial or Federation navies though ... it is the closest thing to a military ship that you can get without a rank requirement. They should at least give us an engineer who can kit out the Python to accept military slots, even if the "stock python" can't handle them.

 

[Tryst]

How many civilian ships can you see here? I can see 5 if you don't count the Imperial Eagle.

Eagle: 1x size 2
Imperial Eagle: 1x size 2
Viper Mk III: 2x size 3
Viper Mk IV: 2x size 3
Vulture: 2x size 5
Federal Dropship: 3x size 4
Federal Gunship 3x size 4
Federal Assault ship: 3x size 4
Anaconda: 2x size 5
Imperial Cutter: 3x size 5
Federal Corvette 3x size5

Plus the Python already suffers from not having a fighter bay which the Anaconda already has, which will be on top of the 2 size 5 military bays it gets.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

The Python is an armed trader vessel at heart, it's not a military vessel.

Plus, the Python is already almost too good for its price, despite taking several hits from the nerf bat over the years.

Adding any more capabilities to it would be make overpowered, and thus require a nerf elsewhere.

And I'm perfectly happy with my current Python, with Engineer mods, it's faster, more agile than a stock FDL, and packs a bigger punch. And it can perform a multitude of roles while it's at it.
All while jumping quite a bit further.

So in essence, no thanks!

 

[Tryst]

The Python is a good ship but it's not THAT good. It can hold it's own against small ships like a Cobra but put a stock Python against a stock Fed Dropship and you have a problem, against an Anaconda with anything more than a competent NPC pilot and the Python is toast. The problem I find is that, even as a novice in combat, I am getting Dangerous level NPC pilots in Anacondas interdicting me. Unless they fix the supposedly "equal to your ship/build" with NPC interdictions, the Python definitely needs something more up it's sleeve. Even a fighter bay would help. The problem is that the Anaconda's coming up against you now have 2 military slots as well.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

My modified* Python can take on everything. Elite sidewinder to Elite Corvette/Cutter/Anaconda.

Funnily enough, it struggles the most with Viper MkIVs. Lol

*It has some low level shield mods, an no military armour. But a good roll on Dirty Drives 5.

But even before the mods, it could take on anything.
Never lost one in combat, rarely loose shields.

Admittedly, my FDL took on 2 Elite Cutters at once, and won. But that was mostly because I somehow got them to ram each other. Lol

 

[Tryst]

My modified* Python can take on everything. Elite sidewinder to Elite Corvette/Cutter/Anaconda.

Funnily enough, it struggles the most with Viper MkIVs. Lol

*It has some low level shield mods, an no military armour. But a good roll on Dirty Drives 5.

But even before the mods, it could take on anything.
Never lost one in combat, rarely loose shields.

Admittedly, my FDL took on 2 Elite Cutters at once, and won. But that was mostly because I somehow got them to ram each other. Lol

Well I'm really sorry that we are not all Elite pilots like you and can't take a bucket for armour and a shotgun and kill anything that comes at us.

I have more combat skill and better results in an Imp Courier.

I've lost 4 Pythons so far, all in combat. 2 against Elite Anacondas which s great since my rank is still novice, 1 against a Dangerous Fed Dropship and another got blown up by feds who came in after I started shooting at a wanted Viper MkIV that interdicted me and then proceeded to shoot at me instead of the Viper (no, I wasn't wanted either).

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

I'm not an Elite pilot. Yet. Lol

What's your setup for your Python?

Mine can get overwhelmed, I'm not saying I win every single fight I get in to, I'm just saying I don't die.
Running is always a valid option.

This is more or less my Python.

Only difference is a modded powerplant for around 31~mw of power(overkill), modded distributor, FSD range 5, and dirty drives 5.
Shield and weapon mods are pretty basic, and make very little difference.
That said, I sometimes use a 5A SCB now instead, for added cargo space, depends on what I'm doing.

With that, I can stay in a RES until I run out of SCBs.
CZs are a little more difficult, I tend to run out of missiles pretty quick. Lol

Lack of Military armour is a personal choice, I prefer the speed and agility of lightweight armour, and tend to flee the moment my shields drop.
Which of course is no issue when you can boost to 456m/s.
Very few NPCs can match that.
It also keeps the costs and rebuy down, significantly.
The lowest hull I've gotten too in combat is 50%, with a blown canopy.
Which was of course from being rammed, then railgunned in the face with godlike accuracy.
But I still had plenty of time to escape.

 

[Tryst]

Mine is a standard trader build 256 cargo. I avoid combat when I can but get dragged in through interdictions by pirates occasionally.

I recently got an engineer upgrade for L3 dirty speed, L4 FSD range and L1 power output. L3 dirty drive is all I could do with the mats I had available with reasonable results, 320 on a boost. Still don't have the mats to do the shields though but did get a slight improvement on resists for the boosters but it's only minor. Weapons consist of a burst laser turret on the underside to keep the pressure on their shields, gimballed multicannons (due to the lack of agility the Python has) and one seeker rack which seem to work better for me than most setups I've had.

Even so, I have lost shields more times than I can count, even with a 403 power pip setup, at which point I quickly switch to 141 and boost like mad to get out of range to let the shields recover.

You made one point that has been brought up several times by many other players. While our weapons miss more often than hit, NPC's tend to have pinpoint accuracy with almost every shot. While their piloting skill may scale with their rank, their gunnery skills seem to be permanently Elite.

However, I still stand by my suggestion that the Python needs at least 1 military slot to be competitive against most things that interdict you now. Especially considering I seem to be getting more Anacondas now that have 3 extra mil slots and fighter bays as well. Thankfully, npc's don't use fighters but you just know FD will implement that soon as well.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Ah, that makes sense.
You're running a class 5 shield generator instead of a class 6.

My Python isn't a dedicated trade ship, so I never max out the cargo hold.
I'll switch up internals to fit large deliveries, but I always keep the 6A shield generator.
Plus I run 2 shield boosters.
I also hate bulk trading, and only use my Anaconda for trade CGs. Lol

That alone is probably the main difference in our combat outcomes.

Try cutting your profits a bit, and run with a 6A shield generator.
You dip in regular profits more than makes up for losing an entire ship and cargo.

 

[Tryst]

5a shield allows me to make 1mil per run and my overall losses are far less than my profits, I've gone from 5 mil to over 100 mil in two weeks playing about 3 hours per day on average even with 4 ship losses. I'm good at evading interdictions which is a real bonus. Trading is still the most lucrative of all the professions in Elite in terms of credits/hour. Even so, considering my combat skills, it's probably best I keep out of mission running or CZ encounters even if they paid a lot more than they do now and exploration doesn't interest me in the slightest.

It isn't even worth mining unless you have something with a decent size cargo hold to stay out a while, I tried it with a Python and you can't install any decent size collectors to keep from waiting around for them to finish before moving on and the collector limpets expire before you've mined out two roids. Might try it again later with a T9.

 

[goemon]

It isn't even worth mining unless you have something with a decent size cargo hold to stay out a while, I tried it with a Python and you can't install any decent size collectors to keep from waiting around for them to finish before moving on and the collector limpets expire before you've mined out two roids. Might try it again later with a T9.

back at some mining CG we have run some competetive tests with various ships and outfittings, and python miners where the best mining ships - beat any clipper/conda/t9. what is your outfitting? you want to run either 2 medium mining laser with 10 active limpets, or 3 medium mining lasers with 13 active limpets (which is only possible shieldless).

I'd say my mining corvette is more efficient (15 active limpets, 3 sustained mining lasers and 256 T of cargo) and very close in its manouverability - but thats the only ship which can beat a mining python.

___

as for military slots - you have the ship with the thrid highest amount of internals - you can fit HRP and MRP in all of those slots. not sure why military slots are needed.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Oh god.

Do not mine, in a T-9...(poet and didn't know it!)

Mine was an utter deathtrap, even full upgraded, with large shields and boosters.

For some reason, they're just pirate magnets.
Anaconda makes a real good miner, and the python is handy if you're near an outpost. Both can defend themselves while mining, but the T-9 simply gets owned. Lol

 

[Ozram]

Python is awesome. There are missions that can only be accomplished in and accepted by a Python. It is uniquely useful and a true multipurpose. It can be set up for nearly any role in the game and do well. It doesn't need SLF or military module slots. It's a well balanced ship. If anything, the kit could have been nicer