Ships The Cutter really takes the wind out of my sails

Yokoshima

Y
Moahunter said:
A C3 beam turret does almost as much dps as a C3 g pulse (14 v 18), but stays almost constantly on target if on a good hard point like the Cutters top ones.

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=140240

Turrets aren't a weakness, they are a weapon, especially given the terrific shields of the Cutter which keep you in the fight while they strip away opponents shields (and make mince meat of small ships set to fire at will). I'm experimenting right now with beam turrets on top (2 medium, 2 large), which rapidly takes down shields, and 1 huge and 2 medium G cannons at the bottom (a nice mix as mediums easier to hit with but huge does terrific damage, including to shields). Plenty of power in the capacitor for a fitting like this, beams constantly on target doing damage, and pot shots with the cannons. Fun.
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It has terrible on target time in close range vs. gimbaled (thanks to sway), generates more heat (vs. G pulse) AND a G pule does an insane ~45% more DPE. That in essence cuts its C7 PD down by several classes for what, ~26% less DPS than a G pulse? Yeah, that doesn't sound horrible at all. It's a mystery why very few people use them. Turrets sound just so awesome.
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That and on target time rarely matters in larger ships (as long as you can keep you WEP drained without the use of beams and minimal thermal weapons).
 
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Cmdr. Numa

Cmdr. Numa
I've meanwhile put 3 gimballed large pulselasers and 4 gimballed medium multicannons on my A-tradecutter together with full 8 A shield boosters, because that's what at last works for me. So far I haven't had any trouble with any other ship 1vs1 in PvE, Wings of 2 or 3 larger ships yet need testing. Even a small ship usually ends up in my firing arc if I backpedal and pitch up while thrusting down. Don't even need to boost.
 

Adonnay

A
I just bought the Cutter yesterday because I just couldn't stand the "pregnant cow" look of the Anaconda anymore (top is nice but the bulky, blocky belly is just aweful). I must say I have very mixed feelings regarding the Cutter. It has decent speed and is simply beautiful... but the handling, oh well. My main problem is the INSANE drifting. I usually boost towards the station before I go for a roll/pitch to line up with the slot. But not with the Cutter... I drifted so far past the station and at first it seemed as if the ship never came to a halt anymore. This isn't even funny anymore. Even the docking computer doesn't boost the Cutter towards the station... guess it knows better.

I don't really mind the sluggishness, I mean it's a huge ship (though it shouldn't be much worse than the other counterparts) but the drift should definately be reduced!
 

Bzek

B
Adonnay said:
Even the docking computer doesn't boost the Cutter towards the station... guess it knows better.
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Lucky you. For me the SDC did boost once, and resulted in crashing the ship against the station.

The drift is positively insane, and that damn pitch rate...
 

TheGrimCorsair

T
Adonnay said:
I just bought the Cutter yesterday because I just couldn't stand the "pregnant cow" look of the Anaconda anymore (top is nice but the bulky, blocky belly is just aweful). I must say I have very mixed feelings regarding the Cutter. It has decent speed and is simply beautiful... but the handling, oh well. My main problem is the INSANE drifting. I usually boost towards the station before I go for a roll/pitch to line up with the slot. But not with the Cutter... I drifted so far past the station and at first it seemed as if the ship never came to a halt anymore. This isn't even funny anymore. Even the docking computer doesn't boost the Cutter towards the station... guess it knows better.

I don't really mind the sluggishness, I mean it's a huge ship (though it shouldn't be much worse than the other counterparts) but the drift should definately be reduced!
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Bzek said:
Lucky you. For me the SDC did boost once, and resulted in crashing the ship against the station.

The drift is positively insane, and that damn pitch rate...
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The drift dampens out completely once you've got it in the blue zone, so practice timing how long it takes to decelerate, and don't start your pitch up until your speed is below your top non-boost speed for your current power setting.

As a rule of thumb once I drop out of super cruise I'll point my ship so that it crosses the docking port of the station, rather than at said docking port, boost, and then switch to FA-OFF (though not pitch or roll) and reverse thrust at about 4.5 km until I drop down to around 140-150 m/s. Then I re-engage flight assist and I pull into the turn to line up with the slot while making sure my throttle is in the blue zone (towards the low end to be doubly sure I'm under 100 m/s and don't splat any traffic in the slot). After that, it's just a couple corrections as needed to glide right on in.

Oh, if you're approaching directly, remember the distance to the station is to its center, not the port, so make sure to start slowing down a bit earlier. If you happen to be in the mailslot and activate boost, aim straight for the back wall, put 4 pips into shields, and pull up so you pancake the ship rather than hit nose on, as well as using vertical thrust to dampen your speed, and you'll be fine. You won't even scuff the paint with a 6D shield.
 

CMDR Kantos Kan

CMDR Kantos Kan
Adonnay said:
I just bought the Cutter yesterday because I just couldn't stand the "pregnant cow" look of the Anaconda anymore (top is nice but the bulky, blocky belly is just aweful). I must say I have very mixed feelings regarding the Cutter. It has decent speed and is simply beautiful... but the handling, oh well. My main problem is the INSANE drifting. I usually boost towards the station before I go for a roll/pitch to line up with the slot. But not with the Cutter... I drifted so far past the station and at first it seemed as if the ship never came to a halt anymore. This isn't even funny anymore. Even the docking computer doesn't boost the Cutter towards the station... guess it knows better.

I don't really mind the sluggishness, I mean it's a huge ship (though it shouldn't be much worse than the other counterparts) but the drift should definately be reduced!
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Amen to that!

I used to do 2 boosts with the Anaconda to get to the station. Not with the Cutter. I will usually boost once, though. Then, I think the trick is to start lining up with the slot quickly, to break the momentum. I don't drift past the station with one boost anymore.
 
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Cmdr. Numa

Cmdr. Numa
It takes a while to learn, and I still occasionally drift too far. The Cutter's handling has a pretty sharp breaking point. When you boost, it will drift for eternity, But usually I can time my last boost just right, then put the throttle into the blue zone. As soon as the speed has bled down into the blue zone, the drift comes to an abrupt halt, and the ships starts following directional orders. If I get this right, the drift stops right when I am lined up with the slot and facing it. At the end of the day the Cutter is way way faster in docking than the T9, which even boosted doesn't really go anywhere, and even a bit faster than the Conda.
 

TheGrimCorsair

T
Adonnay said:
Thanks for the advice, the cutter really needs a different, more sophisticated docking style ;)
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It's a boat. It flies like a boat. I mean, it's longer than a Cleveland-class cruiser, after all. You just gotta plan ahead, is all.

I'd much, *much* rather see the Corvette and Anaconda's handling become more akin to the Cutter's and the way they balance turrets overhauled than see the Cutter turned into another "I can't believe it's not a fighter"-fighter.
 

James Razor

James Razor
Seems a couple of people skipped the Federal Dropship on their way up. That is just as bad at drifting (hence why some call it Federal Driftship^^).

Funny thing about the Cutter: Not even the Docking Computer boosts with it when approaching a Station. In the Conda it would boost all the time, not so in the Cutter. On the other hand the Cutter with 4 Pips in Engines is almost as fast without boost as the Anaconda is with, so u dont realy need it.

Oh and btw.: If u plan on using the Docking Computer, DO NOT boost before u throttle down and let it take over. It can not handle the Cutter in that case. Nearly smashed me into the station until i fighured that out. Used to do that in the Conda and was more or less doing it automaticly. Well, luckily i fly always with some shields, so nothing serious happened.

I am still in love with it and i realy like the fact that it is different and challenging to fly. This thing is a Behemoth and it feels like one. The Conda always felt wrong in that regard as it didnt behave like a big ship at all.
 
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Yokoshima

Y
James Razor said:
Seems a couple of people skipped the Federal Dropship on their way up. That is just as bad at drifting (hence why some call it Federal Driftship^^).

Funny thing about the Cutter: Not even the Docking Computer boosts with it when approaching a Station. In the Conda it would boost all the time, not so in the Cutter. On the other hand the Cutter with 4 Pips in Engines is almost as fast without boost as the Anaconda is with, so u dont realy need it.

Oh and btw.: If u plan on using the Docking Computer, DO NOT boost before u throttle down and let it take over. It can not handle the Cutter in that case. Nearly smashed me into the station until i fighured that out. Used to do that in the Conda and was more or less doing it automaticly. Well, luckily i fly always with some shields, so nothing serious happened.

I am still in love with it and i realy like the fact that it is different and challenging to fly. This thing is a Behemoth and it feels like one. The Conda always felt wrong in that regard as it didnt behave like a big ship at all.
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I love the FDS. Its one of my most loved ships in fact. I love they way you can make it pivot past targets while drifting. Thing is, with proper thruster management I can get back in the blue pretty easily with the FDS. Not so much with the Cutter. Especially if I boost. I don't mind big ships handling like big ships, but then I'd want the firepower and survivability of a big ship as well. Right now a FDL/Python/FAS/Clipper pilot can do just as well if not better than an equally skilled Conda pilot. However the Cutter falls way, way behind a Conda.
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Though it is fun if you want a challenge.
 
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