X3TC: Vidar as a personal ship?
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X3TC: Vidar as a personal ship?
First off, I've been lurking here for years and would just like to say thank you to all the people on the forum for all the advice I've followed with much success in the game over the years.
So I've just finished the Terran plot and got me a Vidar. Up to now I've been flying round in the awesome Blastclaw Prototype, but I'm wondering if I need to switch to the Vidar or put it in a wing with some M3s, M4s and a couple of OTAS bombers for use as an OOS fleet when there's too many for me in my Blastclaw?
I intend to (eventually) complete the Hub plot and the Final Fury missions so it might be useful for that?
Thanks in advance
So I've just finished the Terran plot and got me a Vidar. Up to now I've been flying round in the awesome Blastclaw Prototype, but I'm wondering if I need to switch to the Vidar or put it in a wing with some M3s, M4s and a couple of OTAS bombers for use as an OOS fleet when there's too many for me in my Blastclaw?
I intend to (eventually) complete the Hub plot and the Final Fury missions so it might be useful for that?
Thanks in advance
The Vidar is one of the best M6's in the game. While not overly fast, it maneuvers like an M3 and packs the punch of much bigger ships when carrying M/AM launchers. It can easily take out a Xenon Q. It makes a great personal ship, especially early in the game, IMO.
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I agree with Nanook's assessment, and would add that it even packs a decent punch against small and medium opponents when equipped with just EMPCs all round - yes, the damage output is significantly lower, but it's shot out faster (so it's better against smaller targets), can be maintained indefinitely (EMPCs are quite energy efficient, and the Vidar's weapon generator will keep up), and will take up minimal space in terms of cargo.
However, if you want to take on bigger opponents (or shoot out to a farther range) and don't mind managing the ammo requirements, the MAM/Ls turn the Vidar into a pretty respectable heavy(ish) hitter, again able to dish out its damage indefinitely (the MAM/L being an ammo-based weapon.) This is one of the advantages of the Vidar: its versatility.
Also, it has the toughest shields to be found on an M6, matching those more typically found on M6+s and TLs.
However, if you want to take on bigger opponents (or shoot out to a farther range) and don't mind managing the ammo requirements, the MAM/Ls turn the Vidar into a pretty respectable heavy(ish) hitter, again able to dish out its damage indefinitely (the MAM/L being an ammo-based weapon.) This is one of the advantages of the Vidar: its versatility.
Also, it has the toughest shields to be found on an M6, matching those more typically found on M6+s and TLs.
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Due to its weapon choices you may find an unaccompanied Vidar has difficulty swatting small nippy enemy fighters - unless you also perhaps use Poltergeist swarm missiles and/or fighter drones.
You may also have a relatively low percentage of bails leading to ship captures when using it due to the power and slow rate of fire of its weapons.
Other than that, think of it as a personal tank for early to mid game that can easily protect you and your nearby assets but can take a while to cross a sector without jumping. If you are into the fun and complexity of M6 vs M6/TM boarding, the Vidar can be a very good and safe marine launch ship.
You may also have a relatively low percentage of bails leading to ship captures when using it due to the power and slow rate of fire of its weapons.
Other than that, think of it as a personal tank for early to mid game that can easily protect you and your nearby assets but can take a while to cross a sector without jumping. If you are into the fun and complexity of M6 vs M6/TM boarding, the Vidar can be a very good and safe marine launch ship.
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Hi,
just to provide a different view: I don't like the Vidar as a personal ship apart from fighting. It's too slow and has too little storage space. Filled with weapons (and ammo and missiles) there is not enough space for e-cells. And travelling through Terran space in a Vidar is ... boring at least.
It's a decent fighter but nearly unusable for most of the good paying missions. You basically need another ship with big storage as well, and in that case you most likely stay in the other ship once you have switched.
cu
Rainer
just to provide a different view: I don't like the Vidar as a personal ship apart from fighting. It's too slow and has too little storage space. Filled with weapons (and ammo and missiles) there is not enough space for e-cells. And travelling through Terran space in a Vidar is ... boring at least.
It's a decent fighter but nearly unusable for most of the good paying missions. You basically need another ship with big storage as well, and in that case you most likely stay in the other ship once you have switched.
cu
Rainer
The Vidar is great for a first personal M6, the firepower provided by the M/AM-launchers is superb. However, since I changed to a faster ship (I think, Hyperion was it in my case) I wouldn't get back into the Vidar.
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Thanks for all the input. I'm definitely early game, got a couple of factories with CAGs , 8 UTs and a load of sector traders keeping the economy going throughout the universe. Speed isn't an issue for me, I tend to use traveling time to keep an eye on my empire, convert my high level STs to UTs and train more STs. Oh, and spend quite a lot of time flicking through the various views going "ooooh, pretty....", Fly a hundred Kms past target, turn round, rinse & repeat.
Tonight, "Your Vidar" will become "Vindicator" and I'll run loads of taxi missions in Terran space until I have enough rep to buy a M/AM warhead factory (if this is even possible) or just buy up all the warheads I can. Then I'll go find me some Qs to give a good kicking to.
I love this game!
Tonight, "Your Vidar" will become "Vindicator" and I'll run loads of taxi missions in Terran space until I have enough rep to buy a M/AM warhead factory (if this is even possible) or just buy up all the warheads I can. Then I'll go find me some Qs to give a good kicking to.
I love this game!
Personal opinion: the Vidar is a very good Terran M6 to fly, but it's Terran, which is both a good and a bad thing. Point is, the Terran weapons selections are mostly along the line of the "bigger hammer" approach, while I prefer having the "right tool for the job", rather than having to treat the entire universe as a collection of nails. Sadly, it's a case of a ship that flies nicely (although barely above typical Teladi speeds), but can't be equipped to suit my play style.
My own preference is something that will take a combination such as either Phased Repeater Guns and Particle Accellerator Cannons, or else Pulse Beam Emitters and High Energy Plasma Throwers: a controllable high projectile speed weapon with low hull damage, along with a high damage weapon for bigger/slower targets. That allows me to actually HIT elusive M5s, and to control the hull damage I do to M4/M5/M6 targets, rather than blowing M5s out of the sky on the first salvo that connects when the target accidentally flies into the lethargic "bullets".
The Terran weapons selection gives you few options. I like options.
My own preference is something that will take a combination such as either Phased Repeater Guns and Particle Accellerator Cannons, or else Pulse Beam Emitters and High Energy Plasma Throwers: a controllable high projectile speed weapon with low hull damage, along with a high damage weapon for bigger/slower targets. That allows me to actually HIT elusive M5s, and to control the hull damage I do to M4/M5/M6 targets, rather than blowing M5s out of the sky on the first salvo that connects when the target accidentally flies into the lethargic "bullets".
The Terran weapons selection gives you few options. I like options.
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Vidar is a good starting point and much better than any M3 including the Blastclaw, but Springblossom or Hyperion are better.
Spring is only buyable after completing the (first) terran plot. For 5mil.
Hyperion must be boarded so you will first need to get another M6 e.g. the Vidar to be reasonable thinking about boarding a Hyperion.
Oh and keep the Vidar, because it's unique.
Spring is only buyable after completing the (first) terran plot. For 5mil.
Hyperion must be boarded so you will first need to get another M6 e.g. the Vidar to be reasonable thinking about boarding a Hyperion.
Oh and keep the Vidar, because it's unique.
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I find it kind of meh. It's not bad, but it's certainly not the best. Then again, play style differences come into play. I like to play with a Firebreathing Dragon, using Plasma Burst Generators in all possible mountings and watch entire enemy wings melt before me. So for that, the Vidar is useless for me.
On the other hand, if you can land a solid hit with them, a full bank of M/AM will deliver a knockout blow to most things, either killing them outright or hitting hard enough to strip off a lot of shielding.
Plus you can name it Darth Vidar and it's hilarious to run around in.
On the other hand, if you can land a solid hit with them, a full bank of M/AM will deliver a knockout blow to most things, either killing them outright or hitting hard enough to strip off a lot of shielding.
Plus you can name it Darth Vidar and it's hilarious to run around in.
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I absolutely love the Vidar. It's all about agility for X3 combat, and as far as M6s go, little else can compare. It does have some downsides, but virtually all M6s except the Hyperion (IMO) have at least one downside. I love the Vidar over just about all M6s and most M6+.
Upsides:
> It's available relatively early on if you start in or near Terran space. The only "funds" you have to put up, as the player, are some satellites and teladianium to get through the Terran missions. When delivered this way, it also comes equipped with a jumpdrive and (I think?) full weapons loadout.
> Best steering of any M6. It turns faster than any other M6 except the P, meaning it will be pretty much impossible for anything to flank you, letting you keep your front guns on target at all times. Since the primary attack strategy for M5-M3 craft is to engage you from range, shoot, then come around from the back, the Vidar is more or less immune to the AI in tiny ships.
> Very long lasting weapon energy. In TC, it will fire its EMPCs for a long time. In AP it fires them forever, it literally can't run out of energy for them.
> 1GJ shielding
> M/AML has decent range and does decent damage
> Anything M6 or less you can vaporize with basically no effort. Even the heaviest M6s will be nothing against the Vidar in the hands of a player.
> WRAITHS! Wraiths are absolutely awesome, and the fact the Terran/ATF M6 get the "best" Terran missile is kind of ridiculous. A few dozen of these can take out anything, meaning that a Vidar alone is easily capable of destroying any one ship. This missile is ALSO one of the reasons the Hyperion is just absurd, because this is functionally an anti-cap missile that can defeat MDM and turret defenses. But see the caveats below...
Downsides:
> Really, really short on cargo space. You will need something to be refilling you constantly. If you are trying to kill caps in this thing, you'll be carrying M/AML and Wraiths, which will leave basically nothing for jump fuel. If you use only EMPCs, you will have a bit more space, but you can count on being able to destroy probably at most 1 capital ship between missile resupply.
> Pretty slow. Nothing's better than speed, I say, so the Vidar is a ship that tests my patience. If you save tunings for it, it's fine, but the fact it can't outrun a Q is either a blessing or a curse depending on your mindset. However, given its huge weapons energy reserves, the turbo booster can be a great help here, and one of the few ships I prefer to burn laser energy over energy cells in. I highly suggest NOT taking it into fights against Kha'ak, because it can't avoid any of their fire.
> No FLAK. Scouts are super annoying in the vidar, because the Poltergeist is a terrible missile that can't do its job and has abysmal range and wastes valuable cargo space
And the biggest downside, IMO...
> If you have access to the Hyperion or the Skiron, there's really no reason to use the Vidar anymore.
But hey - you get it free, you can get it early, and with a little practice there's nothing it can't kill. I wish it looked as pretty as the Katana, which is one of my favorite ships aesthetically.
Upsides:
> It's available relatively early on if you start in or near Terran space. The only "funds" you have to put up, as the player, are some satellites and teladianium to get through the Terran missions. When delivered this way, it also comes equipped with a jumpdrive and (I think?) full weapons loadout.
> Best steering of any M6. It turns faster than any other M6 except the P, meaning it will be pretty much impossible for anything to flank you, letting you keep your front guns on target at all times. Since the primary attack strategy for M5-M3 craft is to engage you from range, shoot, then come around from the back, the Vidar is more or less immune to the AI in tiny ships.
> Very long lasting weapon energy. In TC, it will fire its EMPCs for a long time. In AP it fires them forever, it literally can't run out of energy for them.
> 1GJ shielding
> M/AML has decent range and does decent damage
> Anything M6 or less you can vaporize with basically no effort. Even the heaviest M6s will be nothing against the Vidar in the hands of a player.
> WRAITHS! Wraiths are absolutely awesome, and the fact the Terran/ATF M6 get the "best" Terran missile is kind of ridiculous. A few dozen of these can take out anything, meaning that a Vidar alone is easily capable of destroying any one ship. This missile is ALSO one of the reasons the Hyperion is just absurd, because this is functionally an anti-cap missile that can defeat MDM and turret defenses. But see the caveats below...
Downsides:
> Really, really short on cargo space. You will need something to be refilling you constantly. If you are trying to kill caps in this thing, you'll be carrying M/AML and Wraiths, which will leave basically nothing for jump fuel. If you use only EMPCs, you will have a bit more space, but you can count on being able to destroy probably at most 1 capital ship between missile resupply.
> Pretty slow. Nothing's better than speed, I say, so the Vidar is a ship that tests my patience. If you save tunings for it, it's fine, but the fact it can't outrun a Q is either a blessing or a curse depending on your mindset. However, given its huge weapons energy reserves, the turbo booster can be a great help here, and one of the few ships I prefer to burn laser energy over energy cells in. I highly suggest NOT taking it into fights against Kha'ak, because it can't avoid any of their fire.
> No FLAK. Scouts are super annoying in the vidar, because the Poltergeist is a terrible missile that can't do its job and has abysmal range and wastes valuable cargo space
And the biggest downside, IMO...
> If you have access to the Hyperion or the Skiron, there's really no reason to use the Vidar anymore.
But hey - you get it free, you can get it early, and with a little practice there's nothing it can't kill. I wish it looked as pretty as the Katana, which is one of my favorite ships aesthetically.
I like the vicar as a personal early ship. But echo all the comments raised in this thread. I have a wing of hyperions and skirons now. I use the hyperion as my personal ship because of the firepower and size of cargo bay. Plus its the only m6+ that allow docking of smaller ships (two in total).
When i need speed the springblossom is always one of my faves. It has the speed of slower m5s but the firepower of m6s.
When i need speed the springblossom is always one of my faves. It has the speed of slower m5s but the firepower of m6s.
I like having the Vidar as a personal ship all through the game. Once you get to the point of being able supply it and have the extra ships for supply duties, cargo hauling and the occasional light or heavy support, depending upon what you need, it's an excellent, versatile, player ship with extreme survivability and a very powerful weapons compliment.
BUT, that does require you to work hard to rejuivinate the Terran economy. You need those MAMLs and a full compliment of missiles. You need a supply ship to restock you, as necessary, too. You may also need some heavy-combat support, though the Vidar can take on anything, in the player's hands, and do very well. Having a flight of fighters for support, if necessary, is a good choice as well.
Typically, I'll have something like a Springblossom supplying me, because it's fast and heavy enough to get through to me, if that becomes necessary. I'll task a TM with a compliment of good heavy/medium fighters, just in case I need that support. (EMPCs/MAMLs are slow tracking and poltergeist spam is... cheating. For heavy support, that's just about anything i want. But, when I want something "no longer qualifying as being "something", I'll call in a Yokohama and Wraith the thing into oblivion.
Love the Vidar! Though, I also enjoy flying everything, from time to time, just for funsies.
BUT, that does require you to work hard to rejuivinate the Terran economy. You need those MAMLs and a full compliment of missiles. You need a supply ship to restock you, as necessary, too. You may also need some heavy-combat support, though the Vidar can take on anything, in the player's hands, and do very well. Having a flight of fighters for support, if necessary, is a good choice as well.
Typically, I'll have something like a Springblossom supplying me, because it's fast and heavy enough to get through to me, if that becomes necessary. I'll task a TM with a compliment of good heavy/medium fighters, just in case I need that support. (EMPCs/MAMLs are slow tracking and poltergeist spam is... cheating. For heavy support, that's just about anything i want. But, when I want something "no longer qualifying as being "something", I'll call in a Yokohama and Wraith the thing into oblivion.
Love the Vidar! Though, I also enjoy flying everything, from time to time, just for funsies.