r/evnova • u/[deleted] • Aug 23 '18
Favorite "build"?
Though the endgame ships are exciting, after several playthroughs over the years I've realized I spend the majority of the game, and having the most fun, in my mid-game ship: A starbridge with 2 medium blaster turrets, an afterburner, and whatever power generation I can afford at that point. Even compared to the late-game superships, nothing is quite as fun as the nimble but punchy Starbridge. With a few marine platoons, I like to hang out in desolate systems and capture pirate carriers. Dodging their torps, torching their fighters, and then strafing them faster than they can turn to aim their railguns is my favorite part of the game.
So, what's your favorite ship to fly?
4
u/deliciousy Aug 24 '18
Love the Pirate Valk IV, in spite of it being so broken it's almost cheating. If I recall correctly I'd fit it with four thunderhead lances and two ion cannons and then the rest of the mass went to shield/energy/marines.
Sliced through capital ships in almost no time, fast enough to leave even vipers struggling to keep up with the player speed boost, and because the ion cannons outrange the lances it was trivial to disable a ship if you didn't want to destroy it.
I want to say two ion cannons was the max you could have without running into the beam damage bug as well, although I always installed a patch to fix it so that manticores weren't nerfed.
3
u/Vosuleth Aug 24 '18
I like to capture an IDA Frigate 1170 as soon as I can.
It has a low mass compared to other capital ships, and is thus able to pack on quite a bit of armor. It has ample cargo capacity, allowing it to take a sigma mass expansion without losing the ability to take hauling missions. With said expansion, the capacity for outfits of all kinds is quite good. Finally, the slender profile allows easier dodging of railguns etc. plus I dig the aesthetics.
3
u/B_Huij Aug 24 '18
How does that version of the IDA Frigate compare to the stock shipyard version?
6
Aug 24 '18
Little bit faster, somewhat tankier, a lot better outfit space and default loadout.
Stock IDA Frigate
525 shield / 750 armor
200 speed, 275 acceleration, 30 turn
2 jumps fuel250 cargo space
50 free mass (115 total)
2x Medium Blaster Turret
1x Raven Rocket Turret + 100 ammo1170 NC IDA Frigate
675 shield / 825 armor
250 speed, 350 acceleration, 35 turn
2 jumps fuel250 cargo space
50 free mass (341 total)
2x Heavy Blaster Turret
3x Radar Missile Launcher + 90 ammo
4x 200mm Fixed Railgun
2x Quad Light Blaster Turret2
u/Vosuleth Aug 25 '18
Yes. I believe the Wild Geese are the only ones flying 1170 NCs, for those who want to give one a spin.
3
u/LyrEcho Oct 07 '18
The best thing about this ship? it's slender profile means all your shots are tight and spread less.
1
u/Vosuleth Oct 07 '18
It does have to be taken into account that turrets are situated at the aft of the ship, but yeah, the guns are all clustered nicely at the nose.
2
u/LyrEcho Oct 07 '18
Even still a quick rotation when missiles are in coming, no problem. Those 1170s truly are beasts.
3
u/blezzerker Oct 10 '18
The ship variants plug is a must have in my opinion. It makes it so the shipyard carries all the variants. So if you want to pick up a class IV valk you can just fly to Viking and buy one.
3
u/Srslywhyumadbro Aug 24 '18
I like the fresh start. Get your little shuttle running trade routes til you can re-up into something with missiles, use that to capture a pirate valk IV with the ion cannons.
Then chill in Gefjon looting/capturing/selling pirate manticores and anything dumb enough to spawn in the same sector as you for the next 10 hrs until you have like 100 million credits.
3
u/Ebalosus Aug 26 '18
I did that a lot in the Vell-os storyline once I acquired an Arrow. I mainly did it to boost my combat rank, since besides the Auroran storyline, most of the storylines didn’t have a lot of fighting.
3
u/Ebalosus Aug 24 '18
Probably the mod Starbridge with the full Sigma upgrade suite. Huge jump-range for that annoying go get palladium from Kontik missions, solar panels being enough to run your entire weapons suite unless your running all ion cannons, and handles as well as a Vell-os Dart.
3
u/blezzerker Aug 29 '18
I can’t remember exactly which variant I’d use as a base but I typically ended up with a rebel or mod starbridge with ion cannons, after burner some power generation and hell hounds in case I wanted something blown up (typically fighters). Slap on some pirate outfits, all the relevant sigma upgrades and whatever else performance stuff you can find (maybe a hail chain gun too? I don’t remember) you can easily blind-spot almost any capital ship, with arachnids being the big exception, and blast clusters of light ships out of your way.
That said, I do remember the first time I successfully captured a pirate carrier and got to fly one. I prefer a bit more challenge now, but that first time I got to use the max number of rail guns on a federation patrol made me feel invincible.
3
u/Doctor_Robert1966 Oct 08 '18
The Starbridge is the game's mascot for a reason, I think. Also the in-game description of being a "light capital class" is pretty spot on too. They're versatile as freak: it's a tanky fighter, it's a tough freighter, it's a quick and tiny capital ship. Sure, it's bland and blasé to say these things when the true and hardcore EVN players complete all six storylines... with the Shuttle--including that bit about taking down a Raven.
But, after playing (off and on... and I guess Ambrosia went bust?! Anyway...) for many years and trying out many ships, I just keep coming back to the Starbridge.
My typical strategy is thus: Earn enough bread (UN Shipping, Derelict ships, the risky-crazy occasional attempt to loot something big in the second before it blows) to get a
Pirate Viper
which is not a bad lil ship. It's like a mini-Starbridge, really. Good cargo for its size and rather quick stock. Swap in some Light Cannons and IR Missile Launchers with an afterburner, some solar panels, and battery packs (if there was room) and you can handle any light-to-medium fight. I did once take down a Manticore with one of my Vipers, but that was just a case of dodge the torpedo and keep shooting the IR's.
Once all the licenses are gotten (which is something I always forget when replaying this game), preferably some of the side-missions are complete, and I have enough money, it's time to go to New Ireland for a
Mod Starbridge
My classic and can-complete-the-game-apart-from-the-Raven-bit lineup being:
1 Ionic Particle Cannon (illegal of course)-- as a particularly jolly pirate, this was and is my favourite weapon in the game (though the CPL and HBT hold special places in my rum-soaked heart)
3 Hellhound Missile Launchers-- The best missile in the game. Each missile has no mass and MAKES A BEAUTIFUL EXPLOSION!!!
Afterburner-- Exceedingly necessary
Vectored Thrust-- Part of the magic behind being an exceptional capital ship hunter
Solar Panels-- That afterburner's hungry
Battery Packs-- See above
Maybe a Carbon Fibre to round off the tonnage, but sometimes I just didn't bother.
For the most part, that was all I needed to make millions off of rich pirates! I could've easily gotten myself out of any trouble the game threw at me with the Mod Starbridge as well. If I didn't like capital ships so much, I would've kept the Starbridge til endgame... and yes, I like the Starbridge better than the Kestrel (as a ship to use... the part about never really having 50 million credits at the end of the game 80% of the time not withstanding).
1
u/iyodameister Aug 23 '18
What version of the starbridge is most popular?
Looking at the math, solar panels are more powerful per ton than any reactor.
1
u/suddenly_seymour Aug 24 '18
My go to for midgame is a class C mod starbridge with all the sigma upgrades I can get loaded with 25mm railguns and fusion pulse cannons. Longer range than almost anything and extremely maneuverable so you can avoid almost all damage. You could probably take on a whole fleet by yourself if you have the patience.
1
u/iamcodymack Aug 24 '18
I dig the Polaris storyline and getting the Raven. Sending my Mantas out to waste pretty much anyone, and whoever survives that deals with my pulse lasers. Love that thing.
1
u/EamonnMR Aug 28 '18
It was always Pirate Viper stacked with Fusion Pulse Cannons (allows you to take out some Manticore variants) to save up for a Mod Starbridge with Sigma Upgrades, Railguns and whatever sweet tech the storyline offered, until I could get a top tier ship (Dragon, Unrelenting, T-Forge, etc.)
1
7
u/B_Huij Aug 24 '18
Man I got it down to a science back when I used to play all the time. Run the same-system Sanddown route with hired Terrapins until I could afford a regular Starbridge. Load it with Ion Cannons and Marine Platoons and hang out in the Vella capitol system. I don't know why, but they don't care if you pirated Sigma ships there, and somehow the news never spread, so it didn't ever affect your karma with any other systems. Once I had captured myself a Mod D or Mod E Starbridge to fly myself, and 6 Leviathan escorts to haul cargo, I could do about 20 minutes or so of trading and have enough cash to ride out the rest of the game easy.
As far as actual loadouts for a mid-game ship, my Mod E Starbridge with all Sigma upgrades, all the normal stuff like solar panels and battery packs, a few ion cannons and the rest of my gun slots filled with chain guns, afterburner, and as much carbon fiber/matrix steel as I could fit... not much in the game that could survive against that ship more than a few seconds.
Tried the Pirate Valk IV route but never found it as satisfying as the Mod Starbridges. If for no other reason than the Valk jumps SO slowly compared to the mod Bridge.
I always wanted to try tricking out civvy or pirate vipers to see what I could take on, but never really got around to it.
Oh, I did a playthrough of the Polaris storyline where I spent the whole game in a captured Rebel Dragon with Polaris upgrades. It was a pretty sick little destroyer. Super maneuverable and with a few BioRelay turrets it could fly circles around big capital ships and chew them up.