Escape Velocity: Nova on Windows is OUT!

[Dalton]

Pimped out Mod Pirate Starbridge.

Actually, Mod Starbridge Class C (Stock Starbridge with a Sigma upgrade). Completely pimped out (though I had to ditch a Hellhound launcher and a solar panel so I could do a cargo retool so I could do a mission).

My weaponry? Two 100mm railguns, 1 light cannon, 2 prototype polaron cannons and a Hellhound launcher. Afterburners helped

EDIT: My ship! And I'm a total neophyte, so don't go ruining my buzz.

[Shadowhawk]

Pimped out Mod Pirate Starbridge.

Actually, Mod Starbridge Class C (Stock Starbridge with a Sigma upgrade). Completely pimped out (though I had to ditch a Hellhound launcher and a solar panel so I could do a cargo retool so I could do a mission).

My weaponry? Two 100mm railguns, 1 light cannon, 2 prototype polaron cannons and a Hellhound launcher. Afterburners helped

EDIT: My ship! And I'm a total neophyte, so don't go ruining my buzz

What's the Ion Dissipator?

And, 3 batteries? You should already get 7 jumps with the Mod Starbridge, and another if you get the Sigma Electrical Upgrade...once you get hypergate access, you barely need enormous jump capacity.
And, how's the light cannon work out? Reading its stats on ev-nova.net, it seems like I could replace my hail chaingun with two of 'em to good effect.

I tried out railguns for a little while, but didn't find them overly useful. I prefer close combat, which is just great with the ion cannon. I might dump some of my other weaponry for another one or maybe a polaron cannon.

Here's my ship at the moment.

[SirNitram]

You can never have too much battery life... Especially when you add in Afterburners and Energy-draining weaponry. I've wedged in 4 Batteries, 4 Panels, 2 Fission, 2 Fusion, 1 Antimatter cores into a ship just so it could burn nonstop across space.

[Dalton]

What's the Ion Dissipator?

A little side benefit from the Rebel arc. It nullifies the effects of grav missiles.

And, 3 batteries? You should already get 7 jumps with the Mod Starbridge, and another if you get the Sigma Electrical Upgrade...once you get hypergate access, you barely need enormous jump capacity.

Good point, but I liked having that much more jump juice. Now that you mention it though I could probably sell them off so I can buy more guns

And, how's the light cannon work out? Reading its stats on ev-nova.net, it seems like I could replace my hail chaingun with two of 'em to good effect.

I tried out railguns for a little while, but didn't find them overly useful. I prefer close combat, which is just great with the ion cannon. I might dump some of my other weaponry for another one or maybe a polaron cannon.

The light cannon? It cycles fast, but it leads the target and tends to be a little inaccurate. However, it takes up only 2 tons.

Here's my ship at the moment.
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/shadwhawk/EVShip.png

Sweet.

[Dalton]

Well, I sold off three batteries and got back zero mass since my polaron cannons were prototype addons

[Shadowhawk]

Well, I sold off three batteries and got back zero mass since my polaron cannons were prototype addons

D'oh. Don't you just hate that? If I ever restart, I won't start the GLi-Tech-nia missions until my ship's already maxed out on weight and I don't plan on changing craft for a long time. No reason to dump a free weapon when it doesn't count towards your mass.

Might as well get rid of the Etheric Wake launcher, though, since its missiles take up mass. And unless you're already Polaris-friendly, the Wraith Cannon can ruin your day real fast in Polaris space.

[Dalton]

Well, I sold off three batteries and got back zero mass since my polaron cannons were prototype addons

D'oh. Don't you just hate that? If I ever restart, I won't start the GLi-Tech-nia missions until my ship's already maxed out on weight and I don't plan on changing craft for a long time. No reason to dump a free weapon when it doesn't count towards your mass.

Might as well get rid of the Etheric Wake launcher, though, since its missiles take up mass. And unless you're already Polaris-friendly, the Wraith Cannon can ruin your day real fast in Polaris space.

I've only run into Polarans a couple of times. In fact, I was once floating disabled in an empty system near Polaran space and wondered why I couldn't target that blue dot on my radar.

[Shadowhawk]

I've only run into Polarans a couple of times. In fact, I was once floating disabled in an empty system near Polaran space and wondered why I couldn't target that blue dot on my radar.

I haven't seen any Polaris ships use cloak. Wraiths do, however.

I just switched my weaponry around a little. I sold my pulse turrets and another FPC cannon, and bought another ion cannon and 4 light cannons.

Stuff dies so quickly it's only slightly amusing.

Though, 4 light cannons deliver just 8 mass/8 energy damage per shot, where a single FPC cannon delivers 18/11, at 2 tons less. Also has lower inaccuracy and a crapload more impact (knocking the enemy around). Refire rate (7 versus 20) might make up that difference, though.

[Dalton]

I've only run into Polarans a couple of times. In fact, I was once floating disabled in an empty system near Polaran space and wondered why I couldn't target that blue dot on my radar.

I haven't seen any Polaris ships use cloak. Wraiths do, however.

Oh, that's right. It was a Wraith.

I just switched my weaponry around a little. I sold my pulse turrets and another FPC cannon, and bought another ion cannon and 4 light cannons.

Stuff dies so quickly it's only slightly amusing.

Though, 4 light cannons deliver just 8 mass/8 energy damage per shot, where a single FPC cannon delivers 18/11, at 2 tons less. Also has lower inaccuracy and a crapload more impact (knocking the enemy around). Refire rate (7 versus 20) might make up that difference, though.

I want ion cannons dammit!

[SirNitram]

Polaris ships are pretty good, pound for pound, for Conquest.

Outpost, Kania, Tichel have all fallen to me, though it cost ~100 Million creds to do. I may wait until I have Ravens availiable fore hire; Scarabs are not staying enough to be ideal.

[Shadowhawk]

I want ion cannons dammit!

You can buy 'em in Altair. 25 tons, $150k a pop. They've got a pretty good range (a little less than a screen radius), never miss, and can fire nonstop (at least, my pair of them can).
Plus they can ruin an enemy's manuverability.

Oh, cool, my Combat Rating just made "Dangerous".

[Dalton]

I want ion cannons dammit!

You can buy 'em in Altair. 25 tons, $150k a pop. They've got a pretty good range (a little less than a screen radius), never miss, and can fire nonstop (at least, my pair of them can).
Plus they can ruin an enemy's manuverability.

Oh, cool, my Combat Rating just made "Dangerous".

Sw33t!

...but sadly illegal

[Shadowhawk]

Sw33t!

...but sadly illegal

Yea, but as long as you don't let a Federation fighter come too close (I don't think I've ever been tagged by a capital ship), you'll be fine. And if they do tag you, just jump out or land, and they'll forget all about it.

And none of the other governments give a damn about weapon legality (except the Polaris, who are really posessive about their technology).

[Dalton]

Sw33t!

...but sadly illegal

Yea, but as long as you don't let a Federation fighter come too close (I don't think I've ever been tagged by a capital ship), you'll be fine. And if they do tag you, just jump out or land, and they'll forget all about it.

And none of the other governments give a damn about weapon legality (except the Polaris, who are really posessive about their technology).

Oh man, I went one system east of Outbound and nearly bought it. Polaran ships are fuckers!

[phongn]

Yes, you must be careful about Polaris - very deadly ships. I've tangled with their fighters with my fleet and lost, nevermind their capships.

[Dalton]

Yes, you must be careful about Polaris - very deadly ships. I've tangled with their fighters with my fleet and lost, nevermind their capships.

Yup. Those beams they have are goddamn deadly.

And I bought another Sigma mass addition only to find that the prototype weaponry (I now have 2 polaron cannons and an EWM launcher from GLi-Tech-nia - I don't know how many tons over spec my ship is) nullified any added mass benefits

[Slartibartfast]

Polaris ships are pretty good, pound for pound, for Conquest.

Outpost, Kania, Tichel have all fallen to me, though it cost ~100 Million creds to do. I may wait until I have Ravens availiable fore hire; Scarabs are not staying enough to be ideal.

Hiring those is damn near impossible, and I have finished the Polaris thread. The best way I've found to make a fleet of those is buying them myself...

Step 1: Buy yourself a Raven in Mu'Hari (the expensive one is about 10M, if you buy them in nikenmoya they're twice as expensive)
Step 2: sell all lasers except 1 or 2 (so you don't kill everything in one shot), also sell all missiles, fighters, bays, etc. Buy a multi-jump. The good thing is that you get everything back when they become escorts
Step 3: jump to the closest Houseless system (there are three, one is Riva I think... they're all next to each other) and capture any ship except the abomination (it never has any fuel) and use it as your ship (if you have escorts you'll have to tell them to stand down)
Step 4: jump to the closest Tekel system (1 jump away) to recharge, then start your trek back to Mu'Hari. Buy all the batteries you can to get there in a single trip - you'll need 9 more jumps.

Rinse, repeat as needed. Don't waste any time or money on upgrades until you have your definitive Raven (the 7th?).

There you go, your own fleet of Ravens and you don't have to pay them a dime

[phongn]

Hmph. I keep getting killed when I try, ah, opressing various places. My force of 1 Manticore (w/ 2 Ion, 6 Medium Blaster, 2 Fusion Turrets, 2 Stormfire, 6 Pirate Thunderheads, 3 Thunderheads), 2 Heavy Fighter Federation CVs, 2 Armed Levithians and 2 Pirate Starbridge Ds keep getting killed.

Any pointers?

[SirNitram]

Hmph. I keep getting killed when I try, ah, opressing various places. My force of 1 Manticore (w/ 2 Ion, 6 Medium Blaster, 2 Fusion Turrets, 2 Stormfire, 6 Pirate Thunderheads, 3 Thunderheads), 2 Heavy Fighter Federation CVs, 2 Armed Levithians and 2 Pirate Starbridge Ds keep getting killed.

Any pointers?

Four words.

Unholy Assloads Of Firepower.

It takes about 5 'fleets' of seven Polaris Scarabs to subdue a Federation world, though it can subdue places like Gil-Tech-Nia in one go. A Defense Fleet is 120(!) ships. Unless it's Earth. In which case it's 600(!!!!!!!) ships.

[phongn]

I can mow down ships like there's no tomorrow (lots of guns + Vellos Abilities will do that), but eventually I just succumb to the mass firepower of the enemy.

[Dalton]

Wow.

And I'm still working on saving up dough for a Manticore.

[SirNitram]

I can mow down ships like there's no tomorrow (lots of guns + Vellos Abilities will do that), but eventually I just succumb to the mass firepower of the enemy.

You can leave the system, land, recharge, then head back into the fray. You will wear them down.

[Solid Snake]

Christ, how do you people get new ships and weapons so fast? I've been playing for like 3 days and i still have a heavy shuttle. And how can i use the hypergate system?

[Shadowhawk]

Christ, how do you people get new ships and weapons so fast? I've been playing for like 3 days and i still have a heavy shuttle. And how can i use the hypergate system?

You can use the Hypergate system once you complete the third Sigma Shipyards mission.

The best way to get new ships and weapons is to take the obscenely high-paying United Deliveries jobs. I got enough to buy a 750k ship pretty quickly, and I was just in a near-stock normal Shuttle.

[Slartibartfast]

Christ, how do you people get new ships and weapons so fast? I've been playing for like 3 days and i still have a heavy shuttle. And how can i use the hypergate system?

It's too easy to make money in the start, buying luxury goods in Europa and selling them on Earth, but first get at least one terrapin, and then hire other terrapins when you get the money. After that, get a frigate and start changing terrapins to frigates when you have the money. After that just buy a mod starbridge and try to kill pirates n stuff so you up your combat rating and have access to the better missions like Sigma or the Polaris thread.