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Yesterday I hacked a K and sent my Drostan bombers to hit it. oddly enough they didn't throw torpedoes instead they gun around and bounced on it. Is this a known bug?

Hi,
that's interesting.. defeats the primary use of a drostan. I've not used much small ships yet, but could there be changes with 4.30?

Like maybe they need to be loaded with 'ammo' now and if the selling station has none you get none..

I may be remembering wrong, but there seems to be new ammo support/changes/features which previously were not there.

At any rate, I'll be playing a bit more with small/med ships once I get a couple of stations working smoothly to fund my trashing of them.

donzi wrote:Like maybe they need to be loaded with 'ammo' now and if the selling station has none you get none..

I may be remembering wrong, but there seems to be new ammo support/changes/features which previously were not there.

It is also my impression, at least where capital ships are concerned. I rarely use fighters and bombers, so I never took notice, but I wouldn't be surprised if they changed them as well.

On that note, it would be nice to have some ways to facilitate resupplying the ships with missiles or drones. I know it probably won't happen in XR, but I hope X4 will have a solution for this. (I do think the point has been brought up previously though, so I won't delve in the topic)

Probably not exactly what you're referring to, but does make for DIY resupply Vs using the formal drone/ammo resupply at a shipyard.

I use a lepton for a support ship -- the normal ship transfer command offers the ability to equip drones and ammo. Also a well protected CV (deployed) I have been using for drone, ammo supply point. They work pretty well for this since you can cue up ships to 'reload' from them since they are basically mini stations.

Only catch, it's best IMO to be observant on what is valid ammo for a ship by seeing what a fully stocked shipyard offers for reload -- reason being the plain ship transfer command will not prevent the player from equipping invalid ammo or illogical drones.

Manual resuply via cargo ships is what I use right now for both missiles and drones. I found it to be the fastest method for capships, although I never thought of using a CV.

I'm considering using a warehouse, too. I've used stations in the past, and it works pretty well since it's easier to queue up orders including them. (Same as deployed CV, actually) Although I'm not sure you can initiate transfer orders from combat capital ships. I guess I'll have to do some testing.

Now, drifting closer to the thread's subject, I also have to wonder if you can equip bombers with missiles, directly from a station, or even a trade ship.

I guess the first thing is to figure out if it was simply a lack of ammo for the drostan or if the ship just no longer functions as a bomber for some reason.

I've been messing with stations and station traders and manual trades for a while now... going to break from it and will grab a drostan as I go collect the bailed ships I've missed.

If a lack of ammo, I'd kind of think that it will need to be installed by a shipyard -- don't think I've ever seen any medium <-> cap ship transfer possibilities... but that would be based on cargo.. So maybe ammo would work.

Transfers by capitol fight ships is doable IIRC.. Think I've already done it but I transfer so many different ways I can't remember for certain.

Just initiate the xfer order and then reverse the direction of the transfer ([2] I think). I'm pretty sure that I've use a deployed CV to load fight drones and ammo onto the taranus.

I've done M <-> L trades in the past. It works, but IIRC I had some issues with it while in sight. OOS worked fine. Also note that it was between traders.
(It was a modded game, but no mods I use should affect ware transfer, to the best of my knowledge)

Cool.

..I'd probably done that so long back and forgot.

Drostan supposed to use novadrones I guess.. Something that always was a head scratcher for me since they're described as missile launching drones iirc.

"Drostan supposed to use novadrones I guess.. Something that always was a head scratcher for me since they're described as missile launching drones iirc. "

Novadrones are operator-guided while in flight heavy torpedoes (or a kamikaze drone if you prefer!) rather like the Remote Guided Warhead in X3 was supposed to be. Used by an AI Drostan I expect they are effectively just big dumbfire missiles once launched, although I can't say that I've ever investigated that aspect.

Alan Phipps wrote:"Drostan supposed to use novadrones I guess.. Something that always was a head scratcher for me since they're described as missile launching drones iirc. "

Novadrones are operator-guided while in flight heavy torpedoes (or a kamikaze drone if you prefer!) rather like the Remote Guided Warhead in X3 was supposed to be. Used by an AI Drostan I expect they are effectively just big dumbfire missiles once launched, although I can't say that I've ever investigated that aspect.

yeah they work pretty fine on disarmed targets though. just need a wing of them for alpha damage. though its annoying to join them to your squad manually to engage targets as the poor escort function. on hacked targets now thats an oddity as if its trying to disable the ship instead of killing them with torp.

When I've used Drostans in the past (pre-4.30) they've reliably fired missiles but not on every strafing run. Despite the longer range of their missiles, they would regularly enter the range of their gun.

I bought a drostan just for kicks and checked all the stations cap/small in AL and OL and none offered any ammo loading. Not sure that means anything though..

I'll try some out in Bleak Pebble at the pirate waystation eventually, or maybe that annoying spacefuel station that block the wavy have <--> ratfish waters route.

donzi wrote:I bought a drostan just for kicks and checked all the stations cap/small in AL and OL and none offered any ammo loading. Not sure that means anything though..

I'll try some out in Bleak Pebble at the pirate waystation eventually, or maybe that annoying spacefuel station that block the wavy have <--> ratfish waters route.

fighters/or ships lower than L class in XR don't need ammo reload since the beginning. Only the player has finite missiles and require reload afaik.

I tend to experiment in Maelstrom's Alpha Quadrant since there's usually an abundant Xenon K's attacking the station and i can just station my ships a sector away east side of the gate. and the fact that a shipyard in devoid clime just a gate away.

On the small/med ships ammo infinite supply, that is the way I remember it also. This was the same for some caps too before 4.x too IIRC.

Regarding your OP, had the Drostan fired it missiles previous to the hacked K?

As in the ship actually functioned as expected against other targets? ..which could indicate no more infinite ammo for them, despite the possibility that it cannot be resupplied with ammo.

Is I can't really see how it would not use them again on a hacked K.
Incidentally, doesn't hacking a K just cause it to drop it's cargo or fuel?
..since it can't be docked at to hack specific panels.

My assumption was the K was also a enemy to you -- occurred to me that may not be the case if using a mod, save edit or perhaps even during the campaign when the skunk is cloaked.