Shield Boosters VS Shield Cell Banks

[TMC]

I have been using SBs mainly, but I notice most others use SCBs. I suppose a player could use both, but would probably not make sense to do that, especially considering the amount of power needed. Anyways, which is better to use? Using SBs, I can make my shields last longer, making it so I don't need SCBs. Using SCBs, I can recharge the shields, so don't really need them to have more capacity. Not sure which is better, so I'm looking for some reasons to use one over the other. Thanks

 

[PhazonAran]

I'm using both, with priority to the boosters. But since I leave the SCBs unpowered until I actually need them, I can get both everytime.

 

[49rTbird]

I guess it might depend on what kind of slots you can spare.

 

[Rankaze]

I have been using SBs mainly, but I notice most others use SCBs. I suppose a player could use both, but would probably not make sense to do that, especially considering the amount of power needed. Anyways, which is better to use? Using SBs, I can make my shields last longer, making it so I don't need SCBs. Using SCBs, I can recharge the shields, so don't really need them to have more capacity. Not sure which is better, so I'm looking for some reasons to use one over the other. Thanks

I use boosters for the lower mass, personally. But i mostly fly Vipers and Vultures... mass is important.

 

[Twelvefield]

I use both. Shields are life! Like friend PhazonAran posted above, priority goes to boosters - I have two on a Cobra, the last ship I'll ever need.

 

[HeavyGroovez]

I use both on big ships with enough power but for smaller ships i just use cells.

You get more shield for the equivalent power draw with cells.

Always have your cells active as priority 1.

You dont want to be retracting hardpoints or fiddling with power management in a proper scrap.

 

[obliterator]

I use both with more emphasis on cells.

Shields cells give you the same amount of shield back, no matter how strong your shields are. So if your shields are very strong, the shield cells will only regenerate a small portion of them, and if your shields are weak, a single cell will be enough to regenerate everything. Since shield booster are percentage based, the stronger your base shield is, the more effective they are. However, the problem with shield boosters is that they don't affect the recharge rate of your shields, so they only give you an edge when you're fully charged.

 

[-SOVEREIGN-]

The Python has plenty of power to use both =)

 

[Faded Glory]

I use both too, but the SCB's are more of a last resort really. I still like to have them available for when you get attacked by a wing or an angry Anaconda, but generally only have a class 1 or 2 unit which will give me 3 or perhaps 4 boosts.

 

[Torashuu]

On the multirole ships I generally use both, because you end up with power to spare anyway. (why is that anyway?) While on the combat ships I generally have the SCB powered down and will use it while powering down some niche weapon when I need it. (Main example, powering down the huge PA on FDL when needing to shield boost. Or the two small missile pods on the Viper.)

 

[Bortas]

I have been using SBs mainly, but I notice most others use SCBs. I suppose a player could use both, but would probably not make sense to do that, especially considering the amount of power needed. Anyways, which is better to use? Using SBs, I can make my shields last longer, making it so I don't need SCBs. Using SCBs, I can recharge the shields, so don't really need them to have more capacity. Not sure which is better, so I'm looking for some reasons to use one over the other. Thanks

If possible, use both. Although it's true, that SCBs give you more overall shield strength per power than SBs, there's a delay of several seconds between triggering them and them actually starting to charge the shields. The stronger your maximum shield strength, the less likely you will lose your shields, before the cell kicks in.

 

[Super_Duty]

It really depends on the task at hand. If I'm in the mood and dropping into SSS's for some bounties against multiple ships, then I always have both.

 

[fergal]

You are generally better off with shield boosters if your ship has more powerful shields, because its a percentage bonus.
Shield cell banks add a specific amount of "shielding", so will add less "shield rings" on powerful shields.

AFAIK shield boosters dont add to other shield boosters, that is 2 A boosters will add 40% (20% each) not 48% (20% + 20% + 20% of 20%).

Or now I've wrote that above and I don't really understand it:
shieldStrength*(1.2+1.2) not shieldStrength*1.2*1.2

 

[Yank31]

You are generally better off with shield boosters if your ship has more powerful shields, because its a percentage bonus.
Shield cell banks add a specific amount of "shielding", so will add less "shield rings" on powerful shields.

AFAIK shield boosters dont add to other shield boosters, that is 2 A boosters will add 40% (20% each) not 48% (20% + 20% + 20% of 20%).

Or now I've wrote that above and I don't really understand it:
shieldStrength*(1.2+1.2) not shieldStrength*1.2*1.2

They each add a percentage of your base shield, to your base shield, to produce your final boosted shield.

Ex : if your using A5 shield generator on a Vulture, you'll get a shield of 344 MJ.

With 1* A0 shield booster (0,20), you'd get : 344 + (0,20 * (344)) = 412 MJ
With 2* A0 shield boosters (2*0,20, or 0,20 + 0,20), you'd get : 344 + (0,40 *(344)) = 481,6MJ

etc

So basically, shield boosters effect is additive between themselves (hence the 0,2 + 0,2) but multiplicative towards the base shield (hence the 344 value). They do not apply their effect to a "currently boosted by one power booster shield" - one such thing does not exist.

In other words, the total boost value is calculated first (here : 0,20 + 0,20), then it is applied to the base shield (here : 344 MJ). It gives you the value of the boost (here : 0,4 * 344 MJ = 137,6 MJ). That you add to your base shield, to get your final boosted shield value (here : 344 MJ + 137,6 MJ = 481,6 MJ).


Also, what Heavygroovez said.

 

[Morbad]

For a given amount of weight and power, you'll get more effective shield strength during a short encounter with SCBs than you will with shield boosters. The downside is that SCBs have a limited number of charges and must be timed correctly, while boosters are fully passive. Using SCBs also produces heat, and on some ships with some weapon loadouts, this can be problematic.

The best combination to use is going to depend on the ship and the situations you expect to encounter.

 

[fergal]

For a given amount of weight and power, you'll get more effective shield strength during a short encounter with SCBs than you will with shield boosters. The downside is that SCBs have a limited number of charges and must be timed correctly, while boosters are fully passive. Using SCBs also produces heat, and on some ships with some weapon loadouts, this can be problematic.

The best combination to use is going to depend on the ship and the situations you expect to encounter.

Didn't realise scb have a heat component now. I've got enough problems running the FDL as it is.

 

[GammaZ]

SCB, then if ship still has excess power and slots - boosters.
Because single SCB of appropriate class can recharge shield multiple times, giving something like 200-300% additional shield very quickly. And booster only gives 20% shield without any recharge bonus, so when it is drained it is completely useless.
Then if you use multiple boosters, all of them have to be powered. With multiple SCBs only one need power at a time, others are there just for additional charges and do not consume power.
Also against gimballed weapons chaff probably will be more usefull than booster, if ship has limited amount of utility hardpoints, like cobra.

 

[Nexolek]

I use both on big ships with enough power but for smaller ships i just use cells.

You get more shield for the equivalent power draw with cells.

Always have your cells active as priority 1.

You dont want to be retracting hardpoints or fiddling with power management in a proper scrap.

There's no need to retract hardpoints. I have it set so that when I lose maybe two rings of shields, I quickly enable a SCB, which auto-disables SBs (cause they're used up anyway). Takes less than a second.

Once my shield is near full again, disable the SCB and the boosters kick back in. Weapons are working the entire time

Edit:

or fiddling with power management in a proper scrap.

Apparently I didn't read that whole sentence...practice makes perfect I guess? It has become habit to me to quickly zip to modules and highlight SCB as soon as I come out of SC. I'm always ready to quickly enable it.

 

[Deleted member 38366]

--- Deleted ---

 

[Rubbernuke]

What happens if you disable a shield booster on a depleted shield, let the shield recharge more quickly and restore the booster?