Thargoid invasion - Next target systems?

[Kayvan]

How have you set up the Module reinforcement, and does it have a AFMU?

Yeah, I'm running 5 / 2 / 1 GMRP on most AX ships; the FAS even a bit better than that, and either 2A or 3A AFMU depending on available slots.
My problem is that I'm a muppet and often forget to use the AFMU, and when I use it I take forever juggling through the menus (and I simply can't manage it under fire), and sometimes I even forget to reactivate a repaired module (if it needs activation).

 

[Neilski]

sometimes I even forget to reactivate a repaired module (if it needs activation).

Doesn't everyone?
It would be nice if any module that wasn't manually deactivated before hitting repair would just reactivate itself...

 

[Kayvan]

Well, the good news is that I took out the FAS for a quick spin again last night and it worked much better already. ^^
However, I did notice that finishing off a Clops immediately after stripping the last heart (wenn solo) actually works more reliably in the Chieftain (with 2 Plasmas and 2 Shards). In the FAS or Chally with their 3 shards, it often happens that I go into reload when the clops has 5-7% hull left. That's a bit annoying, but the increased burst firepower is still nice.

--

Victory in HIP 23716! =)
Looking forward to the updated prediction so I can decide where to go next. ^^

 

[Aleks Zuno]

Victory in HIP 23716! =)

HIP 29596 looks decently viable this cycle with a projected 75% surplus, after which activity is more likely to stop or to divide, though if it were to concentrate then I think one more system with a slim 30% surplus could be possible. Between HIP 4617 and HIP 7338 being about even, and assuming we take one before and one after, I propose that defending the HIP 4617 planetary port and evacuating the outpost in HIP 7338 later is easier than the reverse.

Juipedun is looking much more healthy; it has a 7% deficit if I separate it from the unpopulated Alert we finished earlier via Research runs, but I saw it also gain additional attention the moment HIP 23716 was complete. Based on some Research runs I did there yesterday which appeared to move the progress at half the rate of an unpopulated Alert, I think if others can get it at least to 90% then I can do the final 10% personally.

Top targets at 08:00 15th March 3309, probably 1–2 Invasions:
Juipedun Alert 84% — Oya 24 Ly, 39 Ls starport, 1450 Ls planet
HIP 29596 Invasion 66% — Hadad 18 Ly, 5 ports, 1548 Ls 0.14g planet + 3015 Ls outpost attack, 1550 Ls 0.14g planet + 3038 Ls outpost damage
HIP 4617 Invasion 50% — Oya 28 Ly, 1 port, 3677 Ls 0.19g planet attack
HIP 7338 Invasion 48% — Oya 19 Ly, 1 port, 674 Ls outpost attack, 1660 Ls 0.2g planet damage

Surplus:
Bormuninus Invasion 42% — Raijin 24 Ly, 4 ports, 63 Ls 0.19g planet attack
MCC 105 Invasion 42% — Oya 22 Ly, 1 port, 978 Ls outpost attack, 517 Ls 0.12g planet damage
HIP 19757 Invasion 40% — Indra 25 Ly, 3 ports, 2256 Ls 0.2g planet attack, 1098 Ls 0.4g planet damage


As a note about that for @yttrbio, I sold 6 Scout, 77 Cyclops and 34 Basilisk samples, plus 11 small salvage items. This moved Juipedun with 6% (3 points) prior to HIP 23716 finishing, hence around half for populated Alerts. I also did just one run later at a quiet moment; 27 Scout and 21 Cyclops samples (I used all my limpets...) with 16 salvage moved it 2% (1 point), so I think also that Scout samples may be worth less than Interceptor samples.

Looking forward to the updated prediction so I can decide where to go next. ^^

Remember that you have additional systems listed in one update, the full list at the top of the thread, the Thargoid War Information panel in the Galaxy map (it now has the top five systems of each type), and frequent updates of high-traffic systems at DCOH!

 

[yttrbio]

As a note about that for @yttrbio, I sold 6 Scout, 77 Cyclops and 34 Basilisk samples, plus 11 small salvage items. This moved Juipedun with 6% (3 points) prior to HIP 23716 finishing, hence around half for populated Alerts. I also did just one run later at a quiet moment; 27 Scout and 21 Cyclops samples (I used all my limpets...) with 16 salvage moved it 2% (1 point), so I think also that Scout samples may be worth less than Interceptor samples.

Unlike the unoccupied alert system, Juipedun is being addressed by quite a few different people, many of whom are not reporting or tracking their contributions anywhere, so I'd be hesitant about attributing all progress to visible efforts. A x2 difficulty multiplier would be quite at odds with what we saw before 14.02 in control systems.

 

[Aleks Zuno]

Unlike the unoccupied alert system, Juipedun is being addressed by quite a few different people, many of whom are not reporting or tracking their contributions anywhere, so I'd be hesitant about attributing all progress to visible efforts. A x2 difficulty multiplier would be quite at odds with what we saw before 14.02 in control systems.

I would not want to suppose that Alert and Control correlate necessarily, nor that different actions or different cargo items correlate similarly, nor that nothing has changed in the meantime. It is true that other activity may have occurred, though I would note that:

• The observation yields some information by becoming a one-sided boundary; I can say that the delivery caused at most an amount of progress which was half that of the unpopulated Alert, perhaps less if a burst of other actions occurred or a trickle of other actions were enough to meet another discrete 2% point, but definitely not more than half.
• I was watching the progress closely before and after the delivery; honestly, a 6% jump at Juipedun in the very update immediately after delivery is not explained credibly by its background activity. One has to suppose a temporary surge occurred at that exact moment, which could happen, but with low probability translating at least to decent confidence—enough that I am very sure I can push Juipedun by 10% myself.
• One takes what information one can get; I recorded my delivery for you and its immediate response, which may or may not form part of a future confidence-boosting pattern, but where not to have recorded anything would have ensured the latter.

 

[yttrbio]

If it holds up, it's actually better than 2x as effective, as Juipedun is closer to the maelstrom than the system we were looking at. You could also have just been on the edge of a step up, so the range of impact is 2-3 pips, giving a worst case of something like 55 tissue sample a pip, which is still better than I'd expect, but there are also considerations about when the bar updates, as it sometimes takes far longer than I'd expect. I'm not trying to denigrate your information, just asking folks to keep on their toes about drawing overly optimistic conclusions from limited visibility. I've definitely been caught out way past my skis multiple times while trying to figure this stuff out.

 

[Aleks Zuno]

Looks like its position caught heavy attention today; I had expected Juipedun would be around 90% going into this evening, though it is now at 96% with still a few more hours before I would have started gathering more samples, so that makes for a pleasant interruption of that test!

While a bit antithetical to obtaining a test result, I think I prefer doing it at systems where it will help secure the time investment of others; I will try to offset that with larger deliveries if I can so that the effect is more evident. At this rate I may need to build a proper corrosive cargo transport which uses sacrificial modules, rather than filling an Anaconda with the anti-corrosive cargo racks...

 

[Neilski]

At this rate I may need to build a proper corrosive cargo transport which uses sacrificial modules, rather than filling an Anaconda with the anti-corrosive cargo racks...

Oooh, that sounds like fun - keen to hear how it goes. I have rarely transported corrosive stuff without the CRCRs, and have generally been unsure how long it would take for bad stuff to happen

 

[yttrbio]

I did a bit of testing, I'm fairly confident that you can transfer to your carrier and back without losing its ability to move the progress bar.

 

[Disemboweled Ego]

I did a bit of testing, I'm fairly confident that you can transfer to your carrier and back without losing its ability to move the progress bar.

That would make sense - I remember it working like that for mining CGs too, you can transfer to the carrier and back without losing the attached cargo tags but if you sell/buy then it gets overwritten.

 

[Aleks Zuno]

I did a bit of testing, I'm fairly confident that you can transfer to your carrier and back without losing its ability to move the progress bar.

I can second that immediately; every single sample I delivered for both of those Alert systems went via my Carrier hold at some point! I also like the sound of one unattended jump rather than several with specific timing, and not staking heavy Alert progress on a starship which merely dilutes the chances of losing the Frame Shift Drive.

 

[Andi-C]

Out of interest, what's the money yield for these gathering of Thargoid stem cells lol.

 

[Retyu Ranger]

Well, the good news is that I took out the FAS for a quick spin again last night and it worked much better already. ^^
However, I did notice that finishing off a Clops immediately after stripping the last heart (wenn solo) actually works more reliably in the Chieftain (with 2 Plasmas and 2 Shards). In the FAS or Chally with their 3 shards, it often happens that I go into reload when the clops has 5-7% hull left. That's a bit annoying, but the increased burst firepower is still nice.

--

Victory in HIP 23716! =)
Looking forward to the updated prediction so I can decide where to go next. ^^

So My Thargawner is a Chieftan, and I run with 5 Gauss cannons and a beam laser. What should I use for my loadout? I've messed around with lots of combo's.. from the Improved multicannons to plasma to gauss to shard... so what do you guys kill with? I do lie the 2 large gauss cannons to pinpoint the heart.. but I am really open to suggestions.

The reason I ask.. I am good at taking our Cyclops without a swarm... but I am still trying to master killing the swarm, and taking out the big boy Interceptors.. The Basilisks of the war!

Thanks for your feedback and suggestions.!

o7

CMDR Retyu Ranger

 

[Ned Flandalorian]

Out of interest, what's the money yield for these gathering of Thargoid stem cells lol.

Pitiful. The rescue ships (where they need to be delivered to count towards the war) pay less than 10% of the galactic average.

 

[Aleks Zuno]

Victory in Juipedun; thank you to everyone who stormed it earlier this afternoon!

HIP 29596 may be quite close with just under ten hours remaining this cycle and activity slowing a bit, though I still have it at around a 18% surplus, so we can but try! No worries either way though; it has been a very good and insightful cycle, and it sounds from this announcement as if clearing more of those unpopulated occupied systems may become a sensible prospect:

Previously unpopulated systems that are now under Thargoid Control or Alert states will be easier to push back.

Top targets at 21:20 15th March 3309:
HIP 29596 Invasion 78% — Hadad 18 Ly, 5 ports, 1548 Ls 0.14g planet + 3015 Ls outpost attack, 1550 Ls 0.14g planet + 3038 Ls outpost damage

Surplus:
HIP 4617 Invasion 60% — Oya 28 Ly, 1 port, 3677 Ls 0.19g planet attack
HIP 7338 Invasion 50% — Oya 19 Ly, 1 port, 674 Ls outpost attack, 1660 Ls 0.2g planet damage
Bormuninus Invasion 44% — Raijin 24 Ly, 4 ports, 63 Ls 0.19g planet attack
HIP 19757 Invasion 44% — Indra 25 Ly, 3 ports, 2256 Ls 0.2g planet attack, 1098 Ls 0.4g planet damage
MCC 105 Invasion 42% — Oya 22 Ly, 1 port, 978 Ls outpost attack, 517 Ls 0.12g planet damage
Col 285 Sector AF-E b13-5 Invasion 30% — Cocijo 26 Ly, 2 ports, 283 Ls 0.14g planet attack

I am good at taking our Cyclops without a swarm... but I am still trying to master killing the swarm

With your Chieftain, it is typical for the lone lower hardpoint to house the Remote-release Flak launcher, both matching the weapon class and also being relatively useless for attempting to pair it with weapons in the other hardpoints atop the starship. That said, mind that few worry about Swarms now; my Fer-de-Lance has no Flak, but I can evade Swarm missiles entirely (lightning also...), and normally I respond by ensuring that missile volley was complete then flying through the swarm to calm it down.

If you do carry Flak, exactly how best to aim and release depends on directions; personally I find the following:

• For an approaching swarm and flying backwards with Flight Assist disabled, aim around half-way between the swarm and the leading marker, and release exactly as you see the Flak icon light up fully and it makes a sound. Halving the position is useful because the swarm moves in a wave pattern, and doing so will catch the swarm at the cusp of a turn. Releasing exactly as soon as possible appears to be because otherwise the swarm will have passed before most of the explosive damage occurs; in a sense, you want to trigger the explosion ahead of it slightly (not before the sound, though).
• For a swarm chasing something else, approach it perpendicular to the path and just aim at the marker and release at any moment while the icon is lit fully.
• For a receding swarm, forget it. The Flak shot moves far too slowly both to catch the swarm and also remain on-target, except with astoundingly low probability and at great time cost of not doing something more useful.

 

[Kayvan]

For an approaching swarm and flying backwards with Flight Assist disabled, aim around half-way between the swarm and the leading marker, and release exactly as you see the Flak icon light up fully and it makes a sound.

Operative word here being "leading". The main problem with engaging swarms, I find, is that the flak doesn't pair well with (mod) shards or plasmas. Because you should set the gunsight to Trailing for the Azimuth weapons, but the flak launcher basically can only be used with Leading sights. And I find it far too much hassle, too slow and too cumbersome to switch the gunsights every time you switch between swarm and ceptor.
The problem does not apply when using Gauss guns, though.

So long story short... since I have switched all my AX builds to modshards, I don't bother with flaks anymore. Which is why my beloved Chieftain has been gathering dust for a while now. My experiments with using a med plasma in the lower hardpoint haven't been very successful.

 

[Northpin]

Hopefully HIP 4617 will make it
i know i tried...

 

[Cori]

My attempts to learn to use the flak launcher have also led me to conclude it's virtually useless. Maybe if they upgraded the turreted version to fire by itself, like every other turreted weapon, I might bother using it. As it is, it's just not worth the hassle and I just look for ground installations under attack instead, since the Thargons don't turn up there.

 

[Kayvan]

Aw, too bad -- HIP 29596 just narrowly didn't make it; had 96% before the tick, and ofc HIP 4617 was running behind a lot more.

The war mechanics have been changed again:

• Previously unpopulated systems that are now under Thargoid Control or Alert states will be easier to push back.
• Thargoids will deprioritize expanding into unpopulated systems.

So... that's good, I suppose?