HEPTs miss the mark?
Moderator: Moderators for English X Forum
HEPTs miss the mark?
No pun intended.
But does anyone else feel HEPTs really miss the mark? To me they just seem too slow to actually hit fighters, and yet they don't really do enough damage to bigger ships. The energy usage makes it hard for fighters to use, and yet it doesn't seem to have enough range to be a good corvette weapon. I feel like I can just replace them with PRGs and not really lose much.
Are there HEPT fans around? What do you feel this weapon is best used against, and mounted in what kind of ship?
But does anyone else feel HEPTs really miss the mark? To me they just seem too slow to actually hit fighters, and yet they don't really do enough damage to bigger ships. The energy usage makes it hard for fighters to use, and yet it doesn't seem to have enough range to be a good corvette weapon. I feel like I can just replace them with PRGs and not really lose much.
Are there HEPT fans around? What do you feel this weapon is best used against, and mounted in what kind of ship?
- EmperorJon
- Posts: 9378
- Joined: Mon, 29. Dec 08, 20:58
- Reimu Hakurei
- Posts: 1030
- Joined: Fri, 28. Aug 09, 05:29
I have noted that is has a slightly slower bullet than the ISR, which in turn is slower than the EMPC. What the HEPT is however, is much cheaper than either weapon. Once you consider PRG though... well, you may as well equip that. The HEPTs days in military service are ultimately numbered.
So it's a dated weapon, really only sticking around for its damage potential rather than reliability. This is something cool about the X games, technology has moved on as the timeline has progressed, what was once a powerful capital ship weapon is now a mere pop-gun that can't keep up with the ever-increasing speed and manoeuvrability of modern fighters.
So to answer your question, it was good in BTF, XT and X2, but thereonafter it is indeed becoming obsolete.
So it's a dated weapon, really only sticking around for its damage potential rather than reliability. This is something cool about the X games, technology has moved on as the timeline has progressed, what was once a powerful capital ship weapon is now a mere pop-gun that can't keep up with the ever-increasing speed and manoeuvrability of modern fighters.
So to answer your question, it was good in BTF, XT and X2, but thereonafter it is indeed becoming obsolete.
I usually go with HEPTs as soon as I get my hands on a decent M3. My all time favourite is the Chimera with 8 HEPTs up front and mass drivers in the turrets, followed by the Heavy Dragon with 8 HEPTs in the nose and 4 PBEs in the turret.
I tend to use HEPTs against anything up to M6, and with some marksmanship and a bit of knowledge on how the AI works it's usually not that difficult to hit an M5 as it make its attack run.
I tend to use HEPTs against anything up to M6, and with some marksmanship and a bit of knowledge on how the AI works it's usually not that difficult to hit an M5 as it make its attack run.
I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am
DiDs:
Eye of the storm Completed
Eye of the storm - book 2 Inactive
Black Sun - Completed
Endgame - Completed
DiDs:
Eye of the storm Completed
Eye of the storm - book 2 Inactive
Black Sun - Completed
Endgame - Completed
I really must agree with Zaitsev about HEPTs. For fighter combat I really like a load out of 4 HEPTs and 4 EBCs in the main guns, with a MD or IRE for less energy usage in the turrets if applicable. In X3R I usually would go 6x AHEPTs and 2x BPACs. Also I find that a well placed dragonfly will take care of most of those pesky M5s w/o even having to drain energy on it.
I don't use the HEPT at all in corvettes though. For them its pretty much CIGs in the front and PAC or an ammo based gun in the turrets. Now I did setup a HCP for the FF missions with PBGs in the turrets, that was fun In X3TC the HEPT is really just a fighter weapon as you don't have the BHEPT of X3R, which imho leaves the basic corvettes without a main gun that really fits them.
I don't use the HEPT at all in corvettes though. For them its pretty much CIGs in the front and PAC or an ammo based gun in the turrets. Now I did setup a HCP for the FF missions with PBGs in the turrets, that was fun In X3TC the HEPT is really just a fighter weapon as you don't have the BHEPT of X3R, which imho leaves the basic corvettes without a main gun that really fits them.
Give me a mamba or give me death!
-
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Mon, 28. Dec 09, 05:41
I don't run HEPT's on personal ships at all anymore. The EBC does the HEPT's job better; it travels faster, and it drains no energy.
However, it's easy to stamp out a few dozen HEPT's in decent quantities, in a reasonable time frame. These make a great standardized weapon for fighter wings, if you prefer to avoid the hassle of carrying enough EBC ammo for many ships.
This also avoids the oddities of OOS combat and ships not firing any weapons if one ammo-based gun runs out.
However, it's easy to stamp out a few dozen HEPT's in decent quantities, in a reasonable time frame. These make a great standardized weapon for fighter wings, if you prefer to avoid the hassle of carrying enough EBC ammo for many ships.
This also avoids the oddities of OOS combat and ships not firing any weapons if one ammo-based gun runs out.
-
- Posts: 2758
- Joined: Thu, 19. Nov 09, 22:12
- Killjaeden
- Posts: 5366
- Joined: Sun, 3. Sep 06, 18:19
Do you have your own fleet?The HEPTs days in military service are ultimately numbered.
If yes i doubt that it's very big. HEPT is as good as EBC while it doesn't need ammo -> no additional resupplyships necessary.
If you fly a fighter with inferior speed and laserenergy (in other words nonsplit ) you don't hit as good, right, but that's not the fault of the weapon
PRG is good against M4 and smaller stuff but not against M3, TS or M6.
I don't have problems with HEPT. I always use them in my mamba/chimera, personel ship or carrier-fighter, doesn't matter. I also use them regulary in MM6. Because it would be a waste not to use the huge powerreserves of those ships. No ammo-> more Jumpenergy or Missiles.
With a fast ship you can hit M5 pretty easy, even without FSW MK2 so i don't see it as an 'outdated' weapon...
[ external image ]
X-Tended TC Mod Team Veteran.
Modeller of X3AP Split Acinonyx, Split Drake, Argon Lotan, Teladi Tern. My current work:
X-Tended TC Mod Team Veteran.
Modeller of X3AP Split Acinonyx, Split Drake, Argon Lotan, Teladi Tern. My current work:
Scorpion wing+6 HEPTs each=green gooey fun. (At least, I assume Scorpions can mount HEPTs in TC, mine all have PBEs, purely 'coz it's even more fun...).
Thing with this set up is that the Scorpions have the speed and agility to get themselves to a place where they can seriously hurt even an M6, all whilst costing as much as an M4...
Thing with this set up is that the Scorpions have the speed and agility to get themselves to a place where they can seriously hurt even an M6, all whilst costing as much as an M4...
Sum, ergo cogito.
-
- Posts: 2758
- Joined: Thu, 19. Nov 09, 22:12
I should add that although my Skirons do not use the ammuntion based weapons, my Osprey and Heavy Centaurs do, they have PBG with MD and EBC - but I may convert them to HEPT in future.
This is not because HEPT is the best weapon, it is simply for Out of Sector Combat, where bigger guns, not energy efficiency win.
My personal M3 fighter (Tenjin) has more EBC on it than I need, but it chews up asteroids.... and most other things....
This is not because HEPT is the best weapon, it is simply for Out of Sector Combat, where bigger guns, not energy efficiency win.
My personal M3 fighter (Tenjin) has more EBC on it than I need, but it chews up asteroids.... and most other things....
Argon Patriot and Battlemaster
Peace - Through Superior Firepower
Peace - Through Superior Firepower
Indeed, I used a Scorpion as a wingman with HEPTs for a while with good success against larger enemies since it could easily get in close and hit hard.Derkylos wrote:Scorpion wing+6 HEPTs each=green gooey fun. (At least, I assume Scorpions can mount HEPTs in TC, mine all have PBEs, purely 'coz it's even more fun...).
Thing with this set up is that the Scorpions have the speed and agility to get themselves to a place where they can seriously hurt even an M6, all whilst costing as much as an M4...
I use HEPT's on my personal Hyperion vanguard. Works great for m4 and m3 suppression. My forward guns have 4 HEPT and 4 ISR. For some reason though the ISR feel really inaccurate though. Maybe they have smaller hit boxes or something. I wanted to use CIG, but I looked at the stats on CIG and they have really poor performance on shields with only 7-8k dmg per round and the slow firing rate, where as HEPTs are doing 9.4k with a much higher rate of fire. The hyperion's speed makes range less of an issue since it's one of the faster m6.
-
- Posts: 572
- Joined: Fri, 29. Dec 06, 14:25
In TC I feel that the HEPT just isn't up to snuff as anything but an M3 weapon. When it comes to anti fighter weaponry on an M6 I prefer the PAC.
It never uses all available power, so never stops firing, hardly ever misses, and in spite of it's lower damage per hit value rips through fighters really fast.
It never uses all available power, so never stops firing, hardly ever misses, and in spite of it's lower damage per hit value rips through fighters really fast.
If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared. ... Niccolò Machiavelli
ah yes I did.. atleast I know now... but I still find CIG be less useful on a ship that has speed. If I can close the distance the HEPTs do more damage on the shields. The one thing I do like about CIG is that they physically move targets, but that doesn't always work to your advantage. I've had times where I'd fire a volley of CIG and the first one of two shots would hit the target and knock him out of the way of the rest of the salvo.Laden Swallow wrote:Garv222 did you get the damage figures using the in game encyclopedia. The damage values listed in the in game encyclopedia are all damage per second, not damage per round...
Anyway, I think the HEPT are good, but maybe they don't work well with the OP style of combat.
-
- Posts: 424
- Joined: Wed, 25. Feb 09, 09:15