What is the point of the KWS?
- Thread starter Brownshortz
- Start date
Yesterday I downed an Anaconda, in an Anarchy system. Nets me 102k cr. Pretty decent for 10 sec patience.
What was the part from the KWS?
But, yes, KWS are way more useful to increase the bounties of the large ships (Anaconda, Imperial Clipper and Python).
I add my KWS to two fire groups. The first group is with my beam weapons, the second group KWS on primary, Wake Scanner secondary.
If I'm fighting a small ship I will use the solo scan, then kill. shielded Cobras and up I start scanning with the solo scan and at the 7 second mark switch to the combined weapon group. Since the KWS is on the same button the scan doesn't stop and I can start blasting! Best of both worlds.
If I'm fighting a small ship I will use the solo scan, then kill. shielded Cobras and up I start scanning with the solo scan and at the 7 second mark switch to the combined weapon group. Since the KWS is on the same button the scan doesn't stop and I can start blasting! Best of both worlds.
They don't scan faster, always 10 seconds.
To those saying the kws needs work, I disagree. They're easy to use and earn you the highest profit for bounty hunting. They're fine.
To the op, kws are mainly useful in anarchy space. Anywhere else is pretty pointless; if a target is wanted, I don't recall the kws ever finding more bounties elsewhere. So they're only really useful in anarchy space. If anything needs work with kws scanning, it's how the NPCs are randomised.
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I think you should be able to sell those bounties anywhere, BUT, if you sell em in a system where they are not issued, you only get less for them. So the bounty office can collect them and sell them in the right system.
To find subfactions you need to go into the system map and check the controlling group at each station/outpost.
You can get a list of all factions active in the system by moving the cursor off any planets, suns, stations etc.
So just move the cursor so it's hovering over empty space - this is a list of all ACTIVE groups; so not all of them may be in charge at the systems stations...
It's handy for bulletin board missions when trying to work particular factions but won't always help claim bounties if you are trying to find a subfaction outside of the system you made the kill in...
Oh and KWS is useful in any system not just anarchy - just don't bother stopping clean targets with the intention of scanning - only ever intercept wanted targets then use the KWS.
I regularly double or even triple the bounty they already had.
You can get a list of all factions active in the system by moving the cursor off any planets, suns, stations etc.
So just move the cursor so it's hovering over empty space - this is a list of all ACTIVE groups; so not all of them may be in charge at the systems stations...
It's handy for bulletin board missions when trying to work particular factions but won't always help claim bounties if you are trying to find a subfaction outside of the system you made the kill in...
Oh and KWS is useful in any system not just anarchy - just don't bother stopping clean targets with the intention of scanning - only ever intercept wanted targets then use the KWS.
I regularly double or even triple the bounty they already had.
I use fire groups, and have no issues with KWS scan time hunting in anarchy, I now can almost forget I am scanning and it just happens on its own. This is how I am using KWS with my cobra:
Group 1 - Button1: KWS, Button 2: Interdicter
Group 2 - Button1: KWS+beams
Group 3 - Button1: KWS+beams+multicannon, Button2: Shield charger 1
Group 4 - Button1: KWS+beams+multicannon, Button2: Shield charger 2
I use the chaff key bind no need to put it in a fire group.
I can't use the shield charger key bind as I have 2 fitted and this fires both together.
small ships (easy cobra and smaller):
start with group 1, part way through the scan switch to group 2
if you keep the fire button pressed, the KWS continues and the beams start killing.
only switch to group 3 if their FSD starts charging.
big ships(hard cobra and bigger):
start with group 1 or 2, then group 3 once the shields are down, switch to group 4 if your first shield charger is empty.
kws is 10 seconds, and that's a long continuous blast from guns, using the kws only (group 1)first shortens the scan under fire time. with practice most ships will popping one second after the scan completes. some may pop too soon but that's practice.
once one scan completes, you no longer need to perma-fire button1, use your normal attack patterns from then on
triggering partial scans after the first completion seems to have no detriment, so binding it to fire buttons is fine.
if a big ship is going down fast i'll just kill it, but if it looks like I'll be using ammo and shield charges and i'm not sure a bounty was detected, i will check the contact details for the ship just to check its work finishing the fight.
most small ships go down without using ammo so, they get killed bounty or not.
I am in a federation anarchy system, and when only targeting Wanted ships the bounty from emipre is easliy 3x more than what is paid by the local feds.
Group 1 - Button1: KWS, Button 2: Interdicter
Group 2 - Button1: KWS+beams
Group 3 - Button1: KWS+beams+multicannon, Button2: Shield charger 1
Group 4 - Button1: KWS+beams+multicannon, Button2: Shield charger 2
I use the chaff key bind no need to put it in a fire group.
I can't use the shield charger key bind as I have 2 fitted and this fires both together.
small ships (easy cobra and smaller):
start with group 1, part way through the scan switch to group 2
if you keep the fire button pressed, the KWS continues and the beams start killing.
only switch to group 3 if their FSD starts charging.
big ships(hard cobra and bigger):
start with group 1 or 2, then group 3 once the shields are down, switch to group 4 if your first shield charger is empty.
kws is 10 seconds, and that's a long continuous blast from guns, using the kws only (group 1)first shortens the scan under fire time. with practice most ships will popping one second after the scan completes. some may pop too soon but that's practice.
once one scan completes, you no longer need to perma-fire button1, use your normal attack patterns from then on
triggering partial scans after the first completion seems to have no detriment, so binding it to fire buttons is fine.
if a big ship is going down fast i'll just kill it, but if it looks like I'll be using ammo and shield charges and i'm not sure a bounty was detected, i will check the contact details for the ship just to check its work finishing the fight.
most small ships go down without using ammo so, they get killed bounty or not.
I am in a federation anarchy system, and when only targeting Wanted ships the bounty from emipre is easliy 3x more than what is paid by the local feds.
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From my experience in my starting system, they do improve the bounties. Roughly 150% at the nav beacon I used to patrol with the starting Eagle (LTT 15449 / Federation).
Sometimes from an Independant system or even Empire bounties.
Scanning while shooting is a nice way to use the KWS. Indeed.
I got all my bonus extra bounties over in the Empire, and I am nowhere near the Empire, dang! It's like 220K worth too, so it may force me to go on an Exodus sometime - the KWS is awkward for those with an obsessive type nature! Heh!
EDIT to post before mine, only range changes with upgraded KWS, the time to scan remains the same.
EDIT to post before mine, only range changes with upgraded KWS, the time to scan remains the same.
How I wish that was the case, but sadly it is not.
Most of those "drive by" bounties, I guess I'll call them, are so minor that it's not really worth the time docking to claim. Especially if you are on a 5 hop trade route. I'd gladly sell them to the local security office at a discount if they let me. To my chagrin , it's not an option.
So, TL;DR version of my problem: "Can't find factions on the galaxy map".
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As it was in an Anarchy system, you would have Seen nothing without a KWS, not one cr. And before asking, it was no Killmissions, just a random uss.
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1. I think better version grades should scan faster, and lower grades slower. To kind of give an incentive to get higher grade KWS modules.
2. Man, back in beta, you had to be within 1km of the target to scan lol. It was really hard. I think it's balanced quite fairly right now.
3. I disagree, it should use a hardpoint. That way not everyone is running with a KWS. (I believe that the FSD Interdictor should also be on a hardpoint too)
I'm PVE bounty hunting in a cobra and for me anti-missile modules are pointless.
using KWS+chaff and shield chargers:
I'm usually on full shields, most missiles that hit do no damage.
Most missiles fired can be out run.
I don't pvp elite but i expect If a pvp pilot is going to hit you with missiles he will be really close. maybe too close for any anti missile mods to activate?
Heat sink? running away hot seems to work fine. I don't smuggle in hi-sec so very rarely need sneak into stations. the chance of smuggling fines seem to make that not worth it.
True for independant anarchy systems but I know at lease one system that is Federation & Anarchy. Pilots wanted by the federation show as "Wanted".