I like the lance, its good fun sniping with a "railgun" from an SLF, and my NPC SLF pilot is lethal with the damned thing. I like the trident, but there is a spinup time on the plasma weapon making it less intuitive to fly with.
XG Trident, Javelin or Lance
- Thread starter Maymo
- Start date
Thanks for everyone’s advice on these today. It paid off...
I got the Trident and the Lance.
The Lance has been the most fun, it’s like having an annoying rail-eagle on your side and you can really see them chipping at hull. I have to bring it back in to get ammo but it’s cool...
The Trident seems to miss a lot, but does lay on the damage when it connects.
It was a fun day out, not sure I’d do it again. Like others have noted, they don’t seem to be a big upgrade on regular SLF.
I got the Trident and the Lance.
The Lance has been the most fun, it’s like having an annoying rail-eagle on your side and you can really see them chipping at hull. I have to bring it back in to get ammo but it’s cool...
The Trident seems to miss a lot, but does lay on the damage when it connects.
It was a fun day out, not sure I’d do it again. Like others have noted, they don’t seem to be a big upgrade on regular SLF.
Far be it for me to argue with katie, but my fighter can sometimes last quite some time.
It is when she engages the interceptor despite my orders that she gets waxed. That said, if used for interceptor fighting, they are best fore swarm distraction. If they get it in their head to shoot at the interceptor, then they won't last. They get, you know, intercepted.
The trick seems to be to stay just outside the range of the interceptor but still close enough to make it think it can get you.
My best SLF survivability has been with the empire SLF and an elite pilot. Lasted the entire encounter minus the 3rd heart shutdown field.
Yesterday's interceptor kill shot was by my SLF, though. Even if she did ignore every order given and it was the 4th SLF she launched.
Please attack the swarm on evasive. What are you doing? No, not the inte... oy. Why do I pay you?
It is when she engages the interceptor despite my orders that she gets waxed. That said, if used for interceptor fighting, they are best fore swarm distraction. If they get it in their head to shoot at the interceptor, then they won't last. They get, you know, intercepted.
The trick seems to be to stay just outside the range of the interceptor but still close enough to make it think it can get you.
My best SLF survivability has been with the empire SLF and an elite pilot. Lasted the entire encounter minus the 3rd heart shutdown field.
Yesterday's interceptor kill shot was by my SLF, though. Even if she did ignore every order given and it was the 4th SLF she launched.
Please attack the swarm on evasive. What are you doing? No, not the inte... oy. Why do I pay you?
The guardian fighters are really flawed in my opinion, for AX they are too squishy (should be fully resistant against corrosive debuff and have some more armor) and due to around 50% AX damage type, they really don't perform well against human NPC. I wish that the disadvantages of normal weapons vs. thargoid and AX weapons vs. humans would range more around 10-20%, so that you could actually fight against both with a single ship, even tho it might not be the most effective way.
In general, the way outfitting in Elite is done could use some refinement to cut multipurpose/mixed builds some more slack. For example being able to use cargo holds for economy passenger transport with a 70% efficiency or load cargo into economy passenger cabins with 70% capacity. Or being able to change the frequency on beam lasers to mine with them with reduced output quality. To make A-class sensors interesting they could also include a "free" extra scanner slot for xeno scanner/KWS/wake scanner to make the massive extra weight and power usage worthwile. I want some of my ships highly specialized and that works quite well in Elite, but multipurpose ships are in 99% useless, because the disadvantages of mixing certain playstyles is way too big.
In general, the way outfitting in Elite is done could use some refinement to cut multipurpose/mixed builds some more slack. For example being able to use cargo holds for economy passenger transport with a 70% efficiency or load cargo into economy passenger cabins with 70% capacity. Or being able to change the frequency on beam lasers to mine with them with reduced output quality. To make A-class sensors interesting they could also include a "free" extra scanner slot for xeno scanner/KWS/wake scanner to make the massive extra weight and power usage worthwile. I want some of my ships highly specialized and that works quite well in Elite, but multipurpose ships are in 99% useless, because the disadvantages of mixing certain playstyles is way too big.
The sensors and life support core modules in ED have basically never made much sense...
The emission range of an Anaconda’s huge, heavy, expensive 8A sensors is 7.7km. A Sidewinder’s tiny, cheap 1A sensors are 6km...
this, in a game that apparently focuses on realism is just way off and also totally lacking in any kind of creativity.Now that life support juice can be synthesised there’s really never a point in going with anything other than D rated. FD could quietly remove life support from all ships in the game and nobody would notice or care.
One thing that is always overlooked is that the Trident's damage type is absolute; that is, it ignores resistances the same as PA's.
Once you factor in a target likely having some sort of resist over 50%, the power of the Trident becomes much more apparent.
Yep.
I was just trying to provide a practical view of the Trident's DPS, rather than the technical aspects of it.
I was in a Pirate POI earlier, for example, and after knocking out a Deadly Clipper's shield, my Trident took it from 50% hull to 4% hull in a single volley.
That's pretty darned devastating, for a ship that "only" claims to have 14 DPS (or thereabouts).
Equally, though, it does seem to have pathetically puny armour and shield.
In CZs, it just seems to get destroyed as soon as it takes any hits.
In a Taipan, my SLF jockey will report taking hits, or even losing their shield, but then manage to stay alive until the CZ's won anyway.
In the Trident, it's always "I'm taking hits!" followed by "There's no sign of the fighter".
On an Assassination mission, it'll happily keep an FdL busy while you explode the target but in a CZ a few stray shots from anything seems to destroy it.
Getting a or all Guardian fighters is on my to do list. I've heard they're not much in combat. But I find them looking SO ffing AMAZING! I've seen footage of the cockpit too. I already dig those lose cables and raw parts deeply and the fighter cockpits look like heaven to me.
I'm also hoping there will be cockpit accesories available which are rolls of duck tape and vials of WD40....
I'm also hoping there will be cockpit accesories available which are rolls of duck tape and vials of WD40....
Am I the only one that thinks there's no point designing 3 fighters for AX combat if they're all useless at it?
At least make them highly resistant to the Thargoid attacks... Maybe even immune to some of them (like the damage over time). At least then they'd be worse at non AX combat but useful in AX combat. Isn't that the point?
Seems to me that the general consensus here is something like "they're worse at everything, don't do anything in AX combat but they look shiny so I accept them entirely!"
That sort of low bar setting doesn't sit right with me... The standard SLFs are all effective in PvE combat, they all serve a purpose and perform it very well. Why is it accepted happily that the highly specified for AX, time consuming to unlock options, are nothing but "a bit fun in canyons because they purdy..."?
At least make them highly resistant to the Thargoid attacks... Maybe even immune to some of them (like the damage over time). At least then they'd be worse at non AX combat but useful in AX combat. Isn't that the point?
Seems to me that the general consensus here is something like "they're worse at everything, don't do anything in AX combat but they look shiny so I accept them entirely!"
That sort of low bar setting doesn't sit right with me... The standard SLFs are all effective in PvE combat, they all serve a purpose and perform it very well. Why is it accepted happily that the highly specified for AX, time consuming to unlock options, are nothing but "a bit fun in canyons because they purdy..."?
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Something I’m noticing is that npc’s absolutely hate them...
I can engage something like a Python and half way through the fight he goes after my guardian SLF instead even though I’m technically the greater threat.
It could be the absolute damage from the Trident that’s causing this or it could be the fact that no ship likes being repeatedly pranged by the Lance rails...
My pilot is dangerous rank now and a very good shot with the triple rail gun...
...it also makes a very satisfying noise. Prang!!
They are really fragile though, I suspect this is why they get mixed reviews.
I see what you're trying there... Distract him with pretty pictures and tell him it sounds good and hope he forgets how useless it is!
Almost got me!
I am not convinced ability to distract enemies is highly dependent on the SLF you choose. I find this is just a feature of them overall. And if they're flying a weak SLF, it can be a hindrance rather than a bonus.
I'd choose that one last. If it did loads of damage to offset the ammo, I'd consider it. But it doesn't.
I'm content that they're not as good as standard options for normal combat. Just irritates me when people say they're useless for what they're supposed to be good for and no one seems to mind.
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I see what you're trying there... Distract him with pretty pictures and tell him it sounds good and hope he forgets how useless it is!
Almost got me!
I am not convinced ability to distract enemies is highly dependent on the SLF you choose. I find this is just a feature of them overall. And if they're flying a weak SLF, it can be a hindrance rather than a bonus.
I'd choose that one last. If it did loads of damage to offset the ammo, I'd consider it. But it doesn't.
, I’m not trying to convince you of anything...
Where did you buy from?
My nearest guardian tech broker at the time...can’t remember.
Glad you bumped this thread though because I’d like to deliver my final review...
4/10 They’re pretty rubbish.
Far to fragile for what is already a fragile craft. The Taipan is an absolute tank in comparison...
Another issue is that you can't store them, so if you want to use another normal fighter for a bit you'll then have to go back to a guardian tech system to rebuy them. Bit of a PITA. You can always buy a separate fighter hangar to keep them in I suppose.
Anyways, done it once, won't be doing it again...
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The Lance is very useful. My SLF pilot is constantly revealing Thargoid hearts so I don't need to waste ammo on that. I do deplete the swarms and only leave like 5 drones alive so they are not a problem and annew swarm is not put into action - until they turn into missiles... IMO this should happen always when the swarm is weakened enough.
BTW, if you haven't tested yourself, I did this for you - SLF pilot won't target the hearts even if you have the Xeno scanner, target the exposed heart and give an attack order. It will attack the interceptor and I have seen it destroy the heart but it was pure luck.
As for scouts... Lance destroys them like nobody's bussiness.
BTW, if you haven't tested yourself, I did this for you - SLF pilot won't target the hearts even if you have the Xeno scanner, target the exposed heart and give an attack order. It will attack the interceptor and I have seen it destroy the heart but it was pure luck.
As for scouts... Lance destroys them like nobody's bussiness.
My slf pilot in the gauss cannon version has lasted till the end of the fight the last few cyclops kills. I gave up trying to micromanage her given she ignores me anyway. Maybe it is luck (probably) maybe she just didn't like being managed.
She even managed NOT to fly through the acid cloud at the end (that was just luck because I know they are oblivious to the cloud).
She's 47% through dangerous. I know my SLF pilot who was elite did a very good job of staying alive. Then there was the basilisk fiasco. This was before FD finally allowed us to insure pilots.
She even managed NOT to fly through the acid cloud at the end (that was just luck because I know they are oblivious to the cloud).
She's 47% through dangerous. I know my SLF pilot who was elite did a very good job of staying alive. Then there was the basilisk fiasco. This was before FD finally allowed us to insure pilots.
Just like others already said: if it has to be a guardian SLF, it's the Trident.
Also, as others already said, no matter what you plan to do, you'll find a human built fighter which does it better, with merely one exception: the cockpit. The guardian SLF cockpits are exceptionally well made, in look, sound and special effects. When i got my guardian SLFs, i also took them for a spin. And while i only have an eye tracker and don't play in VR, it was already an experience when firing weapons, using a lot of energy and the fighter heating up. At some time a friend who has a VR setup flew my Trident and went crazy about it. It seems to take this already awesome design to the next level.
It's really a shame that all this awesome design is merely an oddity, while the ships themselves are not really worth using.
Also, as others already said, no matter what you plan to do, you'll find a human built fighter which does it better, with merely one exception: the cockpit. The guardian SLF cockpits are exceptionally well made, in look, sound and special effects. When i got my guardian SLFs, i also took them for a spin. And while i only have an eye tracker and don't play in VR, it was already an experience when firing weapons, using a lot of energy and the fighter heating up. At some time a friend who has a VR setup flew my Trident and went crazy about it. It seems to take this already awesome design to the next level.
It's really a shame that all this awesome design is merely an oddity, while the ships themselves are not really worth using.