Fighter/Explorer Craft Advice Please

[Myrm]

Hi everybody.


I've been playing EDH for about a year now, I think, and I've always gone for haulers. Now I'm thinking of changing tact slightly. I still want to centre on exploring but now I want to be able to kick some bottom when I get indicted by wretched NPC pirates, and, of course, working my way up to kicking the bottoms of 'real people' pirates. I've never fired a single shot in the year I've been playing.

So what I am seeking advice on is a ship that will enable me to do the following:

1) Explore with a decent jump capability.

2) Have a decent chance of surviving pirate encounters: decent shields, decent weapons.

3) The ability to run away if it all goes Pete Tong.

4) Advanced Scanner and surface scanner.

5) Docking computer.

6) Some cargo space to make at least a little money

7) Planet landing capability.

I have 17 million shekels at my disposal with my total assets being 43 million if I sold my Type 7 transporter.

I'd like to buy a decent ship but have enough money left for several insurance claims, in case I get my bottom whipped a few times.

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Oh, and XeBeth. If you give any advice, I promise I won't accuse you of giving poop advice.

Thank you.

[TorTorden]

First thought, is a smuggling type build on an asp Explorer.

It can get pricy and would require you sell to t7.
But you can make it all back I a few sessions just running long range missions off the board.

http://coriolis.io/outfit/asp/05A5A5A4D ... 20smuggler

Granted you don't need to A rate it right off the bat but I recommend it if possible.
At least thrusters and power distributor.
As for docking computer. That would either cost you the srv or a surface scanner.
Since it is utterly superfluous on the asp I recommend just going without.

My power groups on coriolis is setup so that priority 1 will remain on even if your power plant gets shot out completely. This way you will never run the risk of being dead in the water but capable of running when the going gets rough.

Granted I have never actually needed this it just seems like a prudentry thing to do.

If I was going for more combat I would change the scoop for a class 5 shield gen.
But since you say "mostly aimed for exploration" I prioritise the scoop.
Scooping with an asp x and its 32t tank with anything smaller than a class 5 scoop is like pulling toenails (especially since you go all the way down to a class 3)

I used a class 3 on my old smuggle build as well and yes your shields will go down in a tougher fight but they should keep you through most interdictions.

As for getting into combat I would first buy an Eagle or a viper and take that into nav beacon or uss's. You can have a fully a rated Eagle or viper for less money than the scanners on the asp.

[Geopan]

This is my idea of a ship you are describing, minus the docking computer which I don't use and the Detailed Surface Scanner. You can always swap the class 2 cargo rack for any of them, though. I would omit the Docking Computer but if you need it you will have to reduce your cargo capacity by a further 8 tons. You will still have 72 t left.

This requires to sell your T7.

A question? You mentioned landing capability but you did not specify if you need SRV's ...
If you do you are down to 64 tons.

P.S. The rail guns is an experiment that oddly enough has worked so far with hilarious results. Once you get used to them and you don't mind the heat damage, most of the ships that can outrun you are a three salvo nuisance. My previous built was 2 gimballed 2nd class bursts and 4 gimballed 1st class multi-cannons, and they worked pretty well.

Edit: It seems that Tor is along the same line with me.

[Loriath]

https://coriolis.io/outfit/asp/05A5A5A4 ... GBczBWIA==

Asp. It is the only ship in your price range that will do what you want. If you get rid of the docking computer, you can up the cargo a bit. If you drop the DC AND the Detailed Surface Scanner until you are ready to really explore, you can move the cargo up to 80T. IMHO a docking computer on a ship smaller than the T7/Conda/Cutter/Corvette is not worth while. If you need to take a bathroom break when coming into a station, get into the No Fire Zone and throttle to zero, press ESC to open the in game menu and take you pit stop. No NPC will kill you in the No Fire Zone. The station kills them before they can kill you.

28 LY jump, weapons to handle itself, good shields, buggy, scanners, and even a KWS to get some extra gas money from NPC's that interdict you. And if its to much to handle, change course, boost and jump away.
The price is 27 million if you buy and equip at LYR space. You will get a 15% discount on everything, and if that is not enough, next time in Hudson controlled station, sell your cargo racks, log out, and back in and save 20% on the racks alone. If you want to head way out and have better scooping, you can stop by a LYR station and sell the cargo rack, current scoop and Docking Computer and drop in a Large Fuel Scoop.

Until you step up to an or Python (and lose the Jump Range), or Anaconda (and lose the M Landing Pad ability), this is the only true Do it all ship in the game. Others are a compromise of Range, Landing Pad Size, Capacity, or Fight ability.

[Geopan]

Asp. It is the only ship in your price range that will do what you want. ...
Until you step up to an or Python (and lose the Jump Range), or Anaconda (and lose the M Landing Pad ability), this is the only true Do it all ship in the game. Others are a compromise of Range, Landing Pad Size, Capacity, or Fight ability.

Isn't it funny that the Asp is a much more of a multirole ship than the multirole ships are???

[TorTorden]

Asp. It is the only ship in your price range that will do what you want. ...
Until you step up to an or Python (and lose the Jump Range), or Anaconda (and lose the M Landing Pad ability), this is the only true Do it all ship in the game. Others are a compromise of Range, Landing Pad Size, Capacity, or Fight ability.

Isn't it funny that the Asp is a much more of a multirole ship than the multirole ships are???

Anyone who thinks the asp isn't multi role should have his head checked.
Its even named after a serpent like all multirole ships.

[burrzoust]

Isn't it funny that the Asp is a much more of a multirole ship than the multirole ships are???

Totally true thinking

[Geopan]

Asp. It is the only ship in your price range that will do what you want. ...
Until you step up to an or Python (and lose the Jump Range), or Anaconda (and lose the M Landing Pad ability), this is the only true Do it all ship in the game. Others are a compromise of Range, Landing Pad Size, Capacity, or Fight ability.

Isn't it funny that the Asp is a much more of a multirole ship than the multirole ships are???

Anyone who thinks the asp isn't multi role should have his head checked.
Its even named after a serpent like all multirole ships.

Welllllll... you should say that to them. And I am pretty sure that until recently elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Ships had it as an Explorer too. I don't know when they changed it. Maybe when Asp-Scout was introduced?

By the way I would disagree about the serpent names, since Fer De Lances, Diamondbacks, Keelbacks and Vipers are also snakes

[TorTorden]

Isn't it funny that the Asp is a much more of a multirole ship than the multirole ships are???

Anyone who thinks the asp isn't multi role should have his head checked.
Its even named after a serpent like all multirole ships.

Welllllll... you should say that to them. And I am pretty sure that until recently elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Ships had it as an Explorer too. I don't know when they changed it. Maybe when Asp-Scout was introduced?

They should.
For one there is no Explorer class for ships.
They are simply (diamondbacks are also a snake btw) multipurpose ships that do well in exploration.

Or are we suddenly saying all the explorer's who use a 38Ly anaconda to be doing it wrong ?
Asp Explorer is the multipurpose ship for the price range 15-30 mil.
If you want a dedicated combat ship in the 20-30 miles range.
Your choice is easily a vulture.
Cargo runner ? Type 7.

[Geopan]

I am not disagreeing with you. And you got me treed about the Diamondbacks etc...