Vulture - not as good as everyone says it is? Or just me?
No, Thargoids are way tougher IMO.☺
The Vulture is a great fighter... IF it is outfitted, engineered and flown correctly.
The PP is too small, so it needs to be A-grade and Overcharged-engineered.
Choose you weapons carefully: twin beams would be useless as they're too power-hungry. Have at least one kinetic weapon: They use less juice. Try different loadouts.
THEN you need to get used to flying it. Try things out, see what works for you.
Also, the canopy tends to break easily.
Apart from that, I like it.
The PP is too small, so it needs to be A-grade and Overcharged-engineered.
Choose you weapons carefully: twin beams would be useless as they're too power-hungry. Have at least one kinetic weapon: They use less juice. Try different loadouts.
THEN you need to get used to flying it. Try things out, see what works for you.
Also, the canopy tends to break easily.
Apart from that, I like it.
Apply engineering. It'd an ok ship that must be quick and maneuvered in the enemies blind spot.
Avoid czs. I went to a low one in my godly engineered conda and found myself fighting two Deadly Corvettes at the same time after 20 mins or so and being rammed by my allies.. I bet them but almost lost my shields.
Once, an asp flew into my field of fired to save the enemy from my PA. Everyone turned red... I escaped.
Avoid czs. I went to a low one in my godly engineered conda and found myself fighting two Deadly Corvettes at the same time after 20 mins or so and being rammed by my allies.. I bet them but almost lost my shields.
Once, an asp flew into my field of fired to save the enemy from my PA. Everyone turned red... I escaped.
It's you. I was in the same boat myself. The Vulture is a fantastic ship, but... it does require some serious piloting skills along with some serious ship-outfitting and engineering to really appreciate. I sold my first Vulture as well, dismissing it as "terrible". It wasn't until many months later I opted to try another, and figured out it wasn't the ship - it was me.
If you're looking for something to just go blast things with, but aren't yet up to the Vulture, I'd suggest a Python. What it lacks in maneuverability it more than makes up for in durability and firepower. Spend a couple weeks blasting things, then you might find the Vulture's improved maneuverability more suited to you. Alternately, there is the Chieftain - spry and well armed, it might make for a good intermediate ship for you.
I got into a Vulture early on, and I think I had two maybe three engineers unlocked at that time. It flew nice, and had large hardpoints, but it was intentionally crippled by FD with the small PP, had limited range, and also has a paper thin canopy.
But back then on I was all about doing missions to make credits and gain Fed rank, and the Vulture is not well suited for that. It could defend itself decently, but couldn't carry much more than a overnight bag.
So as soon as I could get into a better ship I sold that thing and never looked back. Now if I want to bounty hunt in a small(er) ship I use either my FDL or my Python as IMO they are more efficient at it than the Vulture. And my default 'armed traders' are now my Python and my Corvette.
But back then on I was all about doing missions to make credits and gain Fed rank, and the Vulture is not well suited for that. It could defend itself decently, but couldn't carry much more than a overnight bag.
So as soon as I could get into a better ship I sold that thing and never looked back. Now if I want to bounty hunt in a small(er) ship I use either my FDL or my Python as IMO they are more efficient at it than the Vulture. And my default 'armed traders' are now my Python and my Corvette.
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Okay I made a testrun with a umodded Vulture in a CZ and he works fine, the Video below isn't very entertaining and mostly displays my rubish piloting but its a proof of concept that shows the unmodded Vulture is still a very good ship for conflict zones (but surley not the most effective one)
For the most part in CZ its more about where you are going and who you are shooting. And outfitting a good Vulture is perfectly doable with a standard ummodded Powerplant, I don't even have to shut anything down when deploying weapons. Just gotta ditch the Idea of shieldtanking with SCBs, you don't need that.
[video=youtube_share;Qmjb4P5lKfs]https://youtu.be/Qmjb4P5lKfs[/video]
For the most part in CZ its more about where you are going and who you are shooting. And outfitting a good Vulture is perfectly doable with a standard ummodded Powerplant, I don't even have to shut anything down when deploying weapons. Just gotta ditch the Idea of shieldtanking with SCBs, you don't need that.
[hotas] The Vulture requires the CMDR to be careful with his/her outfitting, engineering and power management. Also, the Vulture does not depend on its overwhelming firepower so much as its maneuverability and the combat skills of its pilot. For instance, simply selecting a ship as your target and blasting away will probably get you blown up. You need to selectively target the sub-systems of your target, especially if it is a larger target, in order to effectively concentrate your fire. You need to have your power-priorities set properly so that when you deploy your weapons, power is not being wasted on systems unnecessary for combat i.e. fuel-scoops, cargo scoops, even the FSD and life-support (A-rate your life support in a Vulture, or any combat ship).
One more thing: Often it is not the arrow, it is the Indian, especially in the case of PvP combat. Even in PvE a NPC CMDR can often outfight a lesser skilled human pilot. Unless your combat skills are already legendary you will probably find that as you polish up those combat skills you will get blown up less and less. Starting out with an Eagle will help you inexpensively learn to fight. o7
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I got into a Vulture early on, and I think I had two maybe three engineers unlocked at that time. It flew nice, and had large hardpoints, but it was intentionally crippled by FD with the small PP, had limited range, and also has a paper thin canopy.
But back then on I was all about doing missions to make credits and gain Fed rank, and the Vulture is not well suited for that. It could defend itself decently, but couldn't carry much more than a overnight bag.
So as soon as I could get into a better ship I sold that thing and never looked back. Now if I want to bounty hunt in a small(er) ship I use either my FDL or my Python as IMO they are more efficient at it than the Vulture. And my default 'armed traders' are now my Python and my Corvette.
It is actually surprising how many people see vulture only as fighter.
Because when you look closer at what it offers... jump range is not amazing, but it is not bad either. In fact it is not that far of some multipurpose ships, like python for example. Then there is cargo - one of the biggest of any small ship. How much cobra, one of the best multipurpose ships, can carry? ~32T? That is exactly how much cargo vulture has when you switch to class 4 shield. You loose something like 10-15%, which is not ideal for dedicated combat ship, but for a mission runner more than acceptable. And then there is the fact that you can do any combat mission you ever find in it...
Yes, it is not multipurpose ship by any means, but when specifically built to be mission runner it works surprisingly well. Sure python will do better, but it is entirely different size and cost.
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This is my approach. I usually build the ship the way I want it and keep everything turned off until it's done, them engineer the powerplant until it can run everything I want.
The Vulture is a nice ship, yes. But no, it is not you. The ship, like how Yamiks pointed out, has no juice. It's like putting the engine of a Toyota Prius into a modern Abrams main battle tank. Don't forget the canopy that suicides itself the moment somebody even breathes in your general direction. Vulture is over-rated and only worth it until you can replace it with something much better like a Federal Assault Ship/Gunship, Python or Chieftain.
I used one for a couple of months a while back. I thought it was a pretty solid ship with some modest engineering, but gradually became bored of it in combat. With only 2 hardpoints it limits options to a degree.
No, you're thinking is being guided by traditional MMO's, ships don't denote levels like armor and weapons in other MMO's, a good pilot in a small ship can be a formidable opponent!
It was.. before the ages old ai patch now. In the past you could put plasma balls and cannons on it and take out anacondas with fun.
Also the outfitting was actually a challenge, you didn't have enough power for many loadout combinations, so you actually had to make a choice. I'm sure kids complained and now you can do whatever you want, but in the past it was actually a thing of satisfaction to outfit it successfully (and every vulture pilot flew with their cargo hatch wide open).
Now i don't know, the vulture and its combat opportunities have been smoothed out into dumb and dumber (alongside removing the combat gameplay option for multipurpose).
Also the outfitting was actually a challenge, you didn't have enough power for many loadout combinations, so you actually had to make a choice. I'm sure kids complained and now you can do whatever you want, but in the past it was actually a thing of satisfaction to outfit it successfully (and every vulture pilot flew with their cargo hatch wide open).
Now i don't know, the vulture and its combat opportunities have been smoothed out into dumb and dumber (alongside removing the combat gameplay option for multipurpose).
Except it is the other way around. Vulture has ridiculously oversized thrusters. To the point that it can remain below minimal mass while fully loaded with armour, HD boosters and such. And just as small bonus - pips to engines have almost no effect on ship speed, at 0 pips you still have like ~90% of what you get at 4 pips.
Why do people always neglect to mention the Vultures extremely undersized powerplant?
Huh, the powerplant has been talked about in just about every second thread! In fact that is one of the aspects I thoroughly enjoyed about the Vulture (pre-Engineers). You had to be very astute on what weapons and modules you installed, you couldn't just go and fill it full of everything A Rated and then throw whatever weapons you wanted on the hard points. You actually had to THINK, to PLAN, and most of all, to COMPROMISE but when it all worked, there was a great deal of satisfaction.
Don't get me wrong, the Vulture is a fun ship. But after the vast array of (one) viable loadouts, it gets real old real fast.
Because engineers made it irrelevant. You can power anything you want up to dual 5A SCB + class4 prismatic shield.