weps on an exploration anaconda?

jmg

J
I'm about to take my anaconda out again for another trip.. I've learned a lot from my last trip.
I've learned that I need a bigger fuel scoop (scooping at 250 units/whatever gets really, really old).
I learned that 27ly/jump just isn't enough.
And I learned that I never, ever once used my weapons.

But I'm having a tough time stripping all of the weps from the conda. I keep thinking, what if? is it really worth that extra .5 ly to be TOTALLY defenseless?
I'm currently down to a turreted autocanon (d4), a turreted beam (a5) and two missle packs (d4).
If I deleted all of these, I'd get about an extra light year of range/jump (I'm currently at just shy of 34 ly/jump). I don't think I'll end up making up any differences anywhere else -- I'm already at an a5 power generator, and am right at its limit, dropping the weps gives me more breathing room on energy, but not enough to get a smaller unit.

anything else I can skimp on? I have an a6 jump drive, d class thrusters (I made the mistake of flying the conda with a6 thrusters.. WOW, it actually feels responsive... but... they use a lot of energy and weigh a lot).

the ONLY other think I can think of is to drop shields ... again, this is not something I EVER needed on an 8k ly trip... but... I'm just thinking .. that ONE time I'll need it..

and if to underscore the issue.. last night , coming back into habited space for the first time in months, passing through habited space on my way to zaonce to get a discounted anaconda, I was, of course, interdicted successfully.. .. scared the living crap out of me. turned out to just me a npe military guy interdicting me for apparently no reason, but having turreted weps that can fire and at ldeast distract the guy and shields that can take some punishment while I boost and wait for FSD to cool down was comforting ..

any way, this has turned into a long winded rant ... am I deluding my self? Is a beam weapon/autocanonn/missles such crappy weps that they're not even worth their weight? should I drop the shields?
 

Morbad

Morbad
You don't need weapons against NPCs and any player equipped for combat should just be fled from with a pure explorer. A crappy token shield might be wise, however.

You should just submit to any interdiction then jump out after the eight seconds.
 

Klab

Klab
I have explored without weapons in my Asp & it made me really nervous. Any 'new contact' that appeared it felt like 100% was gonna interdict me (happened a lot). When i got home, I kitted it out with 6 pulse lasers & better shields, and went out again. This time I felt much safer, my jump range was ruined, but my trousers were always warm & dry :)
 

TriumphANT

TriumphANT
You don't need weapons! Just a very stiff upper lip the first time you jump and see dots on the scanner!! :) A small shield is great advice, although it'll be a tough ship that takes out even an unshielded 'conda more quickly than it can get away.

Unless you're totally mad, you could just store it and equip a full expo Asp for about 10Million of course. :) I did my exploration in an Adder which is about 2.5MCr total including the 1.5MCr ADS. But if you want to take your tanker into the void.... :D
 

jmg

J
Morbad said:
A pure explorer Anaconda has a ~40ly jump range.
Click to expand...

exactly.. I'm currently at just over 34ly. So, I'm paying a 6ly/jump tax to have weps/shields.. and I'm still debating if they're worth it.

dropping the sheidls will definitely give me a decent boost -- over 1ly /jump. but I'm not willing to lose them. The weps will not give me much of a boost either -- dropping them will only give me about .5 ly/jump. but if I drop both shdields and weps, I can get a smaller power generator, and be up around 37 ly/jump....
 

thehairymob

T
I have an Asp and before that a Cobra. I have always kept basic weapons at least along with shields. I always expect the least likely thing to happen ie nasty surprises out in the void. That is just me though :)
 

Rowander

Rowander
You don't need any weapons. A small shield is enough (with 4 pips to shields) to fend off any attacker until you can jump back again. Your hull alone is a beast, and you can't be mass-locked, so it's very hard to take you down fast by any NPC.

And with 39ly jump range, you'll be out of human controlled space in no time. You're alone afterwards...
 
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