Solo, the public usually ruins games for me. LOL



Yeah, when they jump in on you while picking up your cargo, it's usually 2-3 of them. Not much you can do, they go straight for your thrusters and weapons right off the bat to disable you. Keep an eye on the radar while picking things up. Don't wait to see if they're friendly--they won't be. Boost your way away from them ASAP and charge your supercruise without navigation. Just get out, you can set navigation for hyperspace once you're on the way. You don't want to wait for the 15 charge up, 5 is hard enough. Come back and get the cargo you missed. If you pick up 1 of 2 or 3, all 3 will likely be there, but you already have one, so you just need what you didn't get before. Better to jump out and come back than get taken out. They will likely follow you back in next time too, so be on the lookout.
I'm not sure what the range of the limpets is? Might be able to put that out and start to rabbit and have it catch up.

Limpet range is module-rating-dependent

I agree with you re: Open Play but it can be challenging sometimes.

Oden -- have you played over here yet? https://coriolis.edcd.io/
Test out some Cobra fits there and you'll be better informed hunting for the modules you want. Where can you buy XXX? This'll help! https://coriolis.edcd.io/

Hung out too long waiting on a 4th limpet pick up. Paid the price. I could practically smell that $500k and got cocky. LOL
Going to practice with spurts of flight assist off in dogfights to see if I can start fighting some off efficiently. I keep getting offers with big bounties for kills on these missions.

Just had the most scary mission so far.

Decided to try a mission to power down a settlement power grid as I imagined that would let me use my hotrod.. eh, SRV that is.

Two jumps to Aulin system and looking for a neighbourhood named Pribylov Settlement.
With no actual idea what I was up to I located the area on a dusty planet and went through the orbit and glide sequences and started to look for a good LZ.


(descending to target)

Jumped into my SRV and steered off towards the site trying to figure out what my HOTAS button would do, not really getting a grip how to control the guns (but I did notice I could switch lights on and off, very covfefe).

Going up the ramp of the site I started to look around but got stuck and what not (should have had a learner label on my rear) suddenly some frigging alarm sets off.
OK, did I do that?
Suddenly some probes/drones swishes by and shoots at me and what not!
Notice I get tagged as WANTED, oh yeah, this is going well.

Realizing I can't reach my target I drive off the bloody ramp again and circles the site, mind you most GUI is flashing red by now and the small buggers just wont stop shooting at me.

Screaming late era Swedish cuss words I finally find the power thing and tries to get my useless wepons on target.
In ha hail of lasers shot at me I manage to take it out and makes a run for life extraction worried my wheels will break long before I explode from the horrible drones continous fire.

Getting far enough out I notice the drones give up or something and now realise I have no idea where my sweet Cobra is hiding.
Using the view menues I find a button that seems to call my ship to my location and after a few scary seconds it comes roaring past over my head.
I turn 180 and look for it's LZ and soon I'm back in cockpit taking off with screaming tyres (you know, Hollywood style)

Realising I now must show up as WANTED where ever I go I totally panic all the way home to Fosters station where I picked up the mission.

Repeating "never again" some 439 times I return to station and manage to land without getting attacked.

Clicking myself into mission list eager to grab my reward I notice the "COMPLETE MISSION" button with a smile.



Being greedy (and not understanding the game mechanics) I choose the 197k reward.



Then I notice maybe I should stop visiting Aulin in future travels..





A truly heart-pouding experience.

Now, questions for you longtimers:

1. Am I now WANTED in general or just in Aulin or will it even drop off?
2. Can I power down settlements without getting into this mess, that is, did I do something I should not, or even possible, did I miss doing something at the site?

/scaredForLifeOden

Cool story, and they always are from you.

Not done this myself, but I'm a voracious reader, so let me disseminate some sketchy information.

As I understand it, you can complete these missions from your ship, with mines, or missiles with AoE effect.. You do not have to use the SRV, but surely there has to be something you can do with a SRV, so there ya go. I've never bought a SRV, but that's neither here nor there.

Your bounty should have an expiration timer on it, and I believe it only applies in that system anyway, and will become a fine you can settle when the timer is up. You have a few billion other systems to check out while it's cooling down. I also believe you can target the defenses first, to make the SRV run a little less perilous.

Dude, where's my car cracked me up. Interesting you can whistle for it like it's Roach or something

Haha yeah, felt a little Roy Rogers there

Good idea trying to disable it from air, was all focused on using the SRV so it never struck me.
Will stay clear of Aulin for a while but surely going back checking how they fell about me later.

I will try hoover the area next time (if I dare) and see if I can target the generator.

Tried another.
Rusch's Folly in 3006.



Overflew only to get a verbal warning so I extended and aimed in on the marker
Tried lasers/gatling guns/bad language/lasers again.
Nothing.



Jumped into my HotRod again and tried a few shots from distance.
Nothing.



Drove in and got up close and personal.
That did the trick.



Alarm was loud and angry already and I "drove like I stole it" right back to my Cobra, noticed it was marked with a green diamond so it wasn't really hard to find (when not fired at that is)



With a WANTED tag I made the terryfing trip back home (sweet home Foster's)



Grabbed another 180k and is less welcome at LHS 3006





Conclusion:
It seems one has to drive the SRV right into the mayhem and deliver - maybe just maybe one can target the generator from air shooting across the site as it seems to be protected with Tiger Tank armor on the "outside". Will give it a try next time but SRV seems to be required.

Soon to have 2 mil, not bad but as you guys said one million isn't really much.

That explosion shot is great.

Now that I think of it, it's possible that your bounty would extend to any system that shares the same controlling power, not just the system where the bounty was earned. So keep that in mind. Sketchy info, that's my specialty

A million isn't much, no, but it's more than less would be

For example, to A-rate your Cobra will probably cost around 10m give or take?

IIRC, you're wanted for as long as there's a bounty out, but then it turns into a fine after some time. Wait for that period, go back to a similarly-aligned system, dock on a station (or outpost, less guards!), pay your fine and you're done!

If you think that SRV mission was fun, try going back into a station before your oxygen timer runs out..... I'll let you figure that one out! I'm sure old-timers know this situation very well! Some lessons are best learned the hard way

Then there are those that make it back in time..... only to forget to ask for docking permission before going through the slot! They either die trying to get back out or run out of oxygen (and die) before they can get back into station.

Cool story! I'm going to have to try that. I haven't done any atmo missions yet, but I did run one SRV training lesson. Reminded me of Mass Effect 1 in the Mako.
1 mil is significant, it's just that it's SO EASY to spend that's the problem. LOL
I've waaay over-invested in my Viper, but I like it. LOL

Why the Viper? I must admit, I loved how the ship looks. The only problem with it was that the bigger hardpoints were UNDER the ship and so they had difficulty tracking targets that were maybe 10degrees above the waterline. Switched to the Cobra where the big hardpoints are up top....

About half the cost of the Cobra IV, more armor, more shields, faster. Short one hardpoint, but otherwise just seemed to have too many positives to ignore it. I haven't had any issue with the weapons, but then I'm not doing a lot of combat. Saving that for the Asp Explorer.
I was going to get a Cobra, but I don't think it would do what I'm doing as well.

Haha oh so true!

Gah, all this chatter from y’all is gonna make me fire E:D up again!
<s>

Can you post your fittings, RK? Would be nice to know.



You do know you're free NOT to read these threads, right, B?

The Viper is a great ship, especially since you can get one so early, and in my estimation it's just a matter of what sort of stuff you want to do in the game. I do believe however that it's the Cobra that has the better armor.

The Viper is considerably faster and has better shields. It's more maneuverable and is half the cost, as RK said. The Cobra has better armor, way more cargo space and better jump range. I seem to remember preferring the Viper's hardpoints,, but I can't remember really which has which.

Any ship in Elite can do virtually any sort of mission, but clearly some ships are more well-suited to some tasks than others. It's telling I think that at the stage I am, I have sold the Viper and kept the Cobra. But honestly, it was only once I had a Vulture that I felt comfortable selling the Viper. It is a really good bounty hunter, and I love that speed.

Welcome back Bo. I recall you and I were sort of in the same place progression-wise. What ship do you have your eye on? What's after your Vulture? I need a goal

Mission accomplished

Well played, sir. Well played!

I may be relying on 3rd party info too much, but it's helped me plan somewhat of a route for my game progression. I haven't had either Cobra to know from experience, but I wonder if the thrusters on the Viper IV are easier to hit for whatever reason? On the chart at https://www.alpha-orbital.com/elite-sct/ it's got more shields and armor, but there's no substitute for an easy target.
On that subject, I wish you could set up a default subsystem target to start with instead of having to scroll to drive or powerplant. I mapped to a button on the stick so I don't have to mess with menus, but it's still too slow.

Made a quick video walkthrough of the current build. I'm trying to resist putting more into it so I can work towards the Asp Ex.
I've used the multicanons, but they always seem to be empty or too slow to fire when I really want them, so I'm giving the frags a chance. Didn't like Missiles much either, too easy to avoid.

Don't get me wrong, I loved my time in the Viper and felt really bad-ass in it too, despite the complaints of the hardpoint location. However, when I stepped into a Cobra, there simply wasn't any going back to the Viper. The hardpoint location alone meant I was more effective in combat as my MCs can track better when it's as far forward as possible and on the top of my ship. It has a much bigger tracking area, basically, and thus greatly improves my lethality.

Here are three comparison builds:








As you can see, the Cobra is only 20m/s slower in normal speed but is faster in boost speed by 30m/s. It's got better jump range and overall jump distance (travel distance?). Damage output is the same but with the weapons layout, I'm more able to apply pressure to the target. The surprising thing is that the Viper has better shields at 214MJ considering it's **only** a 3A shield gen but I guess that's the boost that combat ships get over multi-purpose ships like the Cobra.

Comparing the Viper Mk III vs. the Viper Mk IV, the Mk IV is slower by 34m/s - 39m/s, has better jump range and distance, but the same damage output as before.

If cost is a factor, can you not sell back modules for basically 100% your purchase price? Or have they fixed that? Last I checked, you only lose money when selling back a ship (around 10% loss IIRC??), module buy-back was 100% of the module value, no depreciation at all. However, the Viper fit is only 2.8M, the Viper Mk IV is 7.5M, and the Cobra fit is actually cheaper at 7.4M!

Pity the site doesn't list the maneuverability of the ship, that could be a good factor to consider.



Just to be clear, I'm not dissing the Viper or RK's choice of flying the Viper Mk IV and no offense is intended to anyone. I'd like to discuss the pros and cons of each ship objectively and would welcome discussion in this are. Sorry guys, just have to make that clear. It seems like my posting style (or perhaps my reputation??) is prone to a negative tone when being read by others

It does look like the Viper Mk IV has the potential to be versatile as well, with only a 1.2LY max jump range difference so this thing does have legs which most combat ships don't. Freakin' FDL only has 13LY jump range!! GRRR!!! Anyway, the additional (restricted) hardpoint means it has one more slot compared to the Cobra and thus can be as versatile as a Cobra but with better ability to withstand combat. However, RK said he wasn't doing much combat yet so maybe at this point, the Cobra can actually offer him a better experience?

When RK originally posted, especially when he talked about cost and speed, I thought he was referring to the Viper Mk III, not the Mk IV but his video shows a 4C fuel tank and a two size-4 slots, so definitely a Mk IV.


*side note --- I'm quite sure 4A multi-cannons did not exist when I stopped playing, but they are there now! I want to try out this weapon!!*