[TC] Mass Driver Forge.

[Twest09]

Silly question, where can I buy a Mass Driver forge? I have searched through all the Argon Shipyards and came up empty

Been playing for awhile and I usually just manually buy them when needed but recently I have a goal to buy and build every weapon factory that I can in the game. So far can't find MD forges.

[Allan F]

I'm not at the home computer at the moment, but you can look in your encyclopedia in-game and find out which shipyards sell it.

[Catra]

check the split shipyards

[you_rebel_scum]

http://eng.x3tc.ru/x3_tc_map/ware-list. ... iver+forge

[Twest09]

Yep, most convenient place I found was Zyarth's Dominion. Z is an easy button to get there in the Universe Map. I now have a massive MD complex so I can outfit a Mass Driver fleet.

My idea;

5 Odins with max power loadouts.
250 Eclipse loaded with full MD and Wasps.

Why Eclipse you ask?

1) They can hold 10 MDs.
2) They have a large cargo space.
3) 200 MJ shields on a M3 is just stupid good.

That should be a total of 2500 MDs firing on a target. Chances of success = High

[Catra]

is that for OOS or IS combat?

[Twest09]

In sector, but I have a really good rig that maintains high FPS. My goal is to create an awesome destructive in sector battlefleet that I can F3 and watch lol.

[Kor'ah]

Collision avoidance will be your undoing. The fighters will turn away to avoid the target before getting into fireing range of the MDs. Ever notice PBE armed Xenon fighters seem to little, if any at all, damage to M2s? Also, unless your rig uses liquid nitrogen the FPS won't be that hot. The game code has never been optimized well for such massive IS fights.

[Twest09]

Collision avoidance will be your undoing. The fighters will turn away to avoid the target before getting into fireing range of the MDs. Ever notice PBE armed Xenon fighters seem to little, if any at all, damage to M2s? Also, unless your rig uses liquid nitrogen the FPS won't be that hot. The game code has never been optimized well for such massive IS fights.

See now you have my brain working. I have tried this on a much lower scale before, in fact with just a wing of 10 Eclipses and me (in an identical Eclipse). I hired a TL from the Teladi and had it follow me into a pirate sector where I attacked it with my wing. I did little to no work, and lost 3 fighters but they did take it down.

Doesn't collision detection utilize momentum as a factor in the avoidance algorithm? If so Eclipses may be the best at this kind of role simply because they really aren't that fast. If this is the case then I can even go as far as finding just the right amount of engine tunings to optimize the desired behavioral effect...

[Dareliisko]

ouch, you can take out TLs by staying stationary in an M4 unless you were testing the fighting effectiveness in which case a TL isnt heavily armed just heavily shielded you should try it on an M6 or whatever you actually plan to take out, just give yourself a jump drive if your guys start failing

[Triaxx2]

Technically it's possible to take out a TL with a single mosquito in an M5.

Fire the missile at an M2, and when it opens fire, go hide next to the TL. It'll get blown by the PPC fire before you are.

[you_rebel_scum]

Id use EBCs on an eclipse tbh, the MD's range is sooooo small, would seem better as a missile defence weapon

let us know how it goes and how effective they r in mass fleets

[Twest09]

Id use EBCs on an eclipse tbh, the MD's range is sooooo small, would seem better as a missile defence weapon

let us know how it goes and how effective they r in mass fleets

That's the plan .

The idea is a swarm of fighters that can ignore shields. In theory such a swarm could be devastating. But if it's true that for very large targets collision avoidance would kick in before they got in range then I may have to experiment further.

[DaveyP]

I use Enhanced Chimeras with 8xEBC and 2xMD based to my Shrike. Works prettty well. Chuck in 4 Prototype Medusas armed with 8xEBC, 2x PAC and a shed load of Typhoons from my Cerberus and you have a pretty effective (and useable) mini fleet.

[Twest09]

I use Enhanced Chimeras with 8xEBC and 2xMD based to my Shrike. Works prettty well. Chuck in 4 Prototype Medusas armed with 8xEBC, 2x PAC and a shed load of Typhoons from my Cerberus and you have a pretty effective (and useable) mini fleet.

Right, and that sounds awesome. But that's not the goal. You are using weapons that have to go through shields first. My goal is to bypass that completely.

So far I am less than a third of a way into arming and obtaining the desired accompanying "Battle Carrier Fleet". Once I get finished though I will definitely post the results, thoughts, and anything else relevant.

[DaveyP]

Fair point.

As someone's already pointed out, the problem you may well have is that the short range of mass drivers will cause your attacking fighters to veer away from the capitals before they get into firing range.

Also, if the capitals have FLAK mounted, you're going to get maimed.

[Bobucles]

Mass drivers are amazing for M4 interceptors. They'll destroy everything up to corvette class ships without a hitch. However the energy bolt chaingun is typically more versatile, and will kill most ships just as quickly.

I've found the MD is amazingly good at taking out fighter drones. Something about the weapon makes for virtually guaranteed hits, where other weapons have trouble even at point blank.

[Snowship]

why does the MD even have a range? the bullet should just keep going until it hits something or enters a gravity-well.

cross gaming goodness

[Dantrithor]

Balance, most likely. Given it's great accuracy, having it reach long range would cause it to be a heavily unbalanced weapon. I'd love to see slow fire-rate capital-ship class (XL cargo) energy+ammo mass drivers, for anti-corvette usage and above.

[Derkylos]

Because it's already in a gravity well. Several, in fact. Including your ship's...