[X3:TC] Wings, Cannon Fodder and Fireworks

[wubble]

Hi all, Loved X2 to bits, X3 was good, and I've been playing X3:R with the Xtended mod since before X3TC was released. I bought X3TC when it was released and played it for about a day before going back to X3R Xtended.
Now I got bored with Reunion, I took Elite 2 Frontier as far as having a Panther Clipper and a bajillion dollars, and seeing as theres a new X Game coming this year I thought I might as well go through the plot of X3TC.

I quite like it this time around, despite the absence of immersive cockpit graphics and the sad emphasis on mouse control. There's a better interface and much better non-plot missions. I dig the classic white terran ships also, none of these ships that look like a goddamn rusty blade nonsense.

I'm worried about there being even more missiles though. I hate buying things just to blow them up. I've never even bought a firework IRL. It's like those kids at school that would throw their sweets around, I could never understand those overpriveliged punks. Apart from mosquito missile defence, are missiles really necessary?

I've just got to the part of the plot where I was assigned 3 drone rapiers and advised to use them in my wing. Cool, I thought, this should streamline things a bit and really get a fleet going later on. but 1 of them immediately got blown up by a Xenon N, and after the battle, another just plain slammed into my Nova and exploded. Hmm.

Then I tried to dock with my wing at a station, and it just couldn't manage it, even with SETA on for many minutes. Then I was escorting the scabbard and as soon as I entered the Asteroid belt my Nova turned sharply and slammed into the jumpgate. Hmm.

So my questions are: Do wings work properly? What good are M5s in a wing? And can I get by with just lasers and mosquitoes?
I have boxed X3TC with disc and manual all updated etc.
(whoops, found missile defence mosquito in that bonus pack, commercial agents, an absolute must have also

[blackfire83]

You should be able to get by with very few missiles. I'm of a similar mind and don't bother using most missiles. However, the missile frigate is immensely useful, and if you want to board ships (one of the best parts of TC), you're gonna need one loaded up with Hammers and Flails (and boarding pods of course).

The M5's they give you in the plot are awful. They have one gun (which can't hit anything) and they're too fast for their own good. People have more success with M4's or M3's that they have the AI control. It's often good to try to give them ammo-based weapons as well.

As for Mosquito Missile Defense, you will probably have to download the Bonus Pack from the main page of the site. Installing it will NOT change your game from Vanilla (you will not be marked as modified). The bonus pack drastically changes the game for the good, however. There's really no reason NOT to get it.

[wubble]

Thanks very much for your thoughts, you've cheered me up a bit there I certainly shall favour M4's as my smallest ship, and will investigate boarding later when I have lots of space bucks, as it looked quite fun when described in the manual. When you say missiale frigate, do you mean the new M7M or the M3+ like the Eclipse?

[ancienthighway]

Every time I've gotten one of those Terran M5s, I simply dock it. Later after I'll send them to the EQ Dock in OL, give them the extensions needed to go on CLS2, and run them between OL and Oort Cloud training CAG/CLS pilots.

As far a missiles go, Mosquito Defense and some Wasps or Hurricanes to hunt down M5s I can't catch. I've put Silkworms and Tempests on my AI M3's and set their missile fire rate up, but on my personal ship, no.

As far as wings go, I've only used them for movement of groups OOS. I've got 4 Falcon Haulers on each of me TLs in a wing. Then when I need fuel and I don't have a TS handy to refuel the TL, I'll send the wing off to an SPP.

Another wing of Discos on an Elephant that have all the extensions, fighter drones, mosquitoes, and pilots to equip new transports right at the shipyard.

If you do decide to try wings out more, make sure all the ships are of the same type with same engine and rudder tunings. They will do a better job of attacking in mass rather than piecemeal.