How to do Conflict Zones ?

Mercenary Squad
Tom Derrick
Mostly Harmless
Mostly Harmless
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:05 pm
CMDR: Tom Derrick
CMDR_Platform: PC-MAC
Contact:

How to do Conflict Zones ?

Postby Tom Derrick » Thu Mar 29, 2018 2:40 pm

Hello Commanders.
Not much going on here in the Mercenary department, so due to a recent experience, I´d like to ask for a few tips on how to do well in Conflict Zones. Because it seems that I don´t really understand how they work...

So I´ve done a couple of CZ in my Diamondback Explorer and did reasonably well. Of course, sometimes I bit off more that I could chew, but most of the times, I managed to get a dozen kills or so.
Just recently I got enough money to buy my long awaited Python. So I put everything A-rated in it, (except Sensors and Life Support), I outfitted it with three large beam lasers and two frag cannons, I also put in hull and module reinforcements, shield boosters, chaff launcher and then I did an engineering round and I have everything engineered between grade 3-5.

Then I though "Let´s kick some ass and see what this baby can do" and I entered a high intensity CZ. After just a few seconds all the ass that was kicked was mine, and I managed to jump out with 10% hull left.
OK, let´s start smaller, I repaired, and entered a low intensity CZ. The exact same thing happened. Just after picking a side, 2-3 ships focused me and I had to flee. After the fifth conflict zone, I finally gave up. All I could achieve was one ! shot down fighter and a new highscore for my repair bills.
But every time, there was at least a Corvette with one or two addtional ships attacking me. That never happened in my DBX.

Was it just bad luck ? Somehow it feels weird that I did much better in conflict zones with my DBX than with a much more combat focused Python...
Do the enemies scale with the player ship ? Do they have something like a "targeting priority" ?
If I figure out how to post a link from coriolis, I can also link my Python setup.

But any tips and tricks would be appreciated.

User avatar
Lanceor
Expert
Expert
Posts: 389
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2015 3:53 am
CMDR: Lanceor
CMDR_Platform: PC-MAC
Contact:

Re: How to do Conflict Zones ?

Postby Lanceor » Thu Mar 29, 2018 4:19 pm

CZs tend to spawn ships that will be a challenge for yours and that's why you're getting a lot more big ships than when you were in a DBE. Also, the biggest, baddest ship in the area tends to attract the most aggro. As you move into more powerful ships, you'll need to learn aggro management for CZs. :)

  • Pick your fights more carefully. Don't aggro any enemies when you're surrounded by them. Wait until you have a lot of friendlies near you.
  • Don't sit in the centre of the CZ. New enemies spawn near the centre, and tend to attack the biggest, baddest ship that they find.
  • If there's a friendly ship that's bigger and badder than yours, hang around with them. :)
  • The moment you see that you are being ganged up on, RUN!

Also, it sounds like you are still getting used to the Python; remember that CZs are a very tough environment for solo players, much harder than Haz RESs. It takes time to master a new ship.

Anyone else have further tips?
Image
Very little game time, but often chatting at work.

User avatar
CMDR Abil Midena
Expert
Expert
Posts: 379
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 7:00 pm
CMDR: Abil Midena
CMDR_Platform: None Specified
Contact:

Re: How to do Conflict Zones ?

Postby CMDR Abil Midena » Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:13 pm

- When you enter the cz, fly a bit from the furball before you pick a side. After you pick, then go after a target. It's better to be the attacker than the attackee.
- Stay with the herd. Keep aware of the green blips and try to stay near the groups of friendlies. If you see a group of red close to you, move out, or just low wake out.
- If you see two on your side attacking one on the other, help them. Then when that target is down, stay with the friendlies. You can sort of build a little flight group that way.
- In my experience, when I get to about 500K in bonds, the game decides it's time for me to leave, and spawns 4, 5, 6 enemies close by. Leave. Don't even try to fight that.
- When you get down to about one ring on the shields, leave. Not so much because you are afraid to take hull damage, but because it can mean that you have lost control of the situation, and are no longer dictating the fights. You can always go back to the cz later.
- Sometimes you will get an easy cz with manageable friendly/enemy ratio, and other times it will be one sided, with lots of enemy and few friendly. It doesn't seem to relate to anything, and I think it's just rng. If you see a lop sided cz after you select a side, it may be time to leave and come back to try again.
- Hulls are tougher in cz's. I do testing in cz's because, relatively, they have the toughest npc's in the game. If your loadout works there, you are good to go everywhere else. That means, in a python, chaff won't do you any good (you are a huge target), and SCB's can give you a little extra time to decide to stay/leave. IMHO, you have a reverse build. Less lasers, more hull chewing might work better. I have 1 lg and 2 med laser, and 2 lg multicannons. I do that because their shields don't seem much tougher, but their hulls sure do.
-Good luck
My Youtube Channel
Elite - Elite - Elite

TorTorden
Deadly
Deadly
Posts: 4021
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2015 11:13 am
CMDR: TorTorden
CMDR_Platform: None Specified
Contact:

Re: How to do Conflict Zones ?

Postby TorTorden » Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:44 pm

I all point above.
Well put sir.

I would like to suggest two things.
Frag cannons are useless.
You would be better off using regular cannons or just go with multi's.

Also massacre missions are basically worthless these days.
They seem to have tweaked the kw scanners now so just hitting up targets in a haz res is more profitable.

Spent less than 40 minutes in one today and clocked in almost 4 mil in bounties.
Some bounties where nearly in the 400k a piece.
And unlike a cz targets are positively soft.
Image

Hey I'm Thor -
People call me Bob.

Rule 1: Pillage. Then burn.
Rule 2: No such thing as overkill, as long as there are reloads.

User avatar
CMDR Abil Midena
Expert
Expert
Posts: 379
Joined: Fri May 15, 2015 7:00 pm
CMDR: Abil Midena
CMDR_Platform: None Specified
Contact:

Re: How to do Conflict Zones ?

Postby CMDR Abil Midena » Thu Mar 29, 2018 8:33 pm

FWIW, below is a link to my Python build. It is an "all arounder" that I use for BGS work. I can take it to a cz and be ok, but I usually use my Vette for cz's because I spend so much time in my Python.

Python PVE: http://www.edshipyard.com/#/L=B050,HgBG ... U11IM02UI1
My Youtube Channel
Elite - Elite - Elite

User avatar
JohnLuke
Deadly
Deadly
Posts: 5172
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2015 10:24 am
CMDR: JohnLuke
CMDR_Platform: PC-MAC
Contact:

Re: How to do Conflict Zones ?

Postby JohnLuke » Thu Mar 29, 2018 9:30 pm

We have a pretty awesome CZ guide that Cyberbofh wrote a little while back that you may find helpful....

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8071
-JL

Discord Admin
Forum moderator
FB Group moderator

Image

LeDoyen
Expert
Expert
Posts: 342
Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2017 7:48 pm
CMDR: Le Doyen
CMDR_Platform: PC-MAC
Contact:

Re: How to do Conflict Zones ?

Postby LeDoyen » Thu Mar 29, 2018 10:50 pm

Also the python is not that manoeuverable.. stuffing it with hull and modules reinforcement doesn't help. You don't need those if you keep your shields up :)
I'd rather use shield boosters, and maybe a SCB in case shit hit the fan.
DD4 or 5 thrusters, and bi weave shields (why not engineer them for even faster recharge)

As for "strategy" (cough !) when you enter a CZ, quickly cycle through all the ships present. You may want to side with the faction that has the biggies. It's easier to get the hang of it if you don't blow up after 10 seconds :)
Stay away from the melee, and pick ships on the outskirts of the crowd. Once it's down, boost away, scan and repeat.
The Python being a (sexy) brick you may want to practice fighting while flying in reverse. It will help agaisnt eagles, vipers, Cobras, etc..
You can't out-turn most other ships so try to manage your pips to be able to boost regularely to get out of the line of fire or to get ships on your sights.

I am not the best at combat but i never lost my shields in CZ by doing that


Return to “Mercenary Squad”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests

i