X3:AP M7's & M7M's

[Haine]

Anything in between? Or would that be considered OP? I.E an M7 with maybe 2-3 launcher tubes but the functionality of a M7 over M7M?

Or am I asking for too much?

I like the idea of a missile boat, I really do, but I don't like how damned defenseless they are unless you want to invest in a fighter wing. Which leads me to another problem, can any of the M7M's field actual Fighters over Drones? And after managing to capture a couple of hi-end vessels during some War Missions I've hit 100m+

I thought about building a couple complexes, but my laptop might melt under the load of some absurd 50 station complex. D:

And I junked my Centaur, kept that M3 you get at the end of the AP Plotline for Argon Patriots.

[Sir Warwick]

M7Ms are not defenceless at all if you are in the same sector.
Flails rip fighters apart once you have a good swarm out and hammers trash everything else.

The downside with them - they use alot of ammo which isnt very practical unless you have your own complex dedicated to mass producing missiles for them. Also lots of missiles flying around can get laggy.

Without ammo - yes they are useless.

Nothing in between at this time - normal M7 with typhoons and hornets might be a useful halfway house.

[Jumee]

Anything in between? Or would that be considered OP? I.E an M7 with maybe 2-3 launcher tubes but the functionality of a M7 over M7M?

Or am I asking for too much?

I like the idea of a missile boat, I really do, but I don't like how damned defenseless they are unless you want to invest in a fighter wing. Which leads me to another problem, can any of the M7M's field actual Fighters over Drones? And after managing to capture a couple of hi-end vessels during some War Missions I've hit 100m+

I thought about building a couple complexes, but my laptop might melt under the load of some absurd 50 station complex. D:

And I junked my Centaur, kept that M3 you get at the end of the AP Plotline for Argon Patriots.

M7M's if they have full missile stock are defenseless?? just use the best missile usage method - "spray and pray" and everything in the sector will be dead in no time

[Haine]

M7Ms are not defenceless at all if you are in the same sector.
Flails rip fighters apart once you have a good swarm out and hammers trash everything else.

The downside with them - they use alot of ammo which isnt very practical unless you have your own complex dedicated to mass producing missiles for them. Also lots of missiles flying around can get laggy.

Without ammo - yes they are useless.

Nothing in between at this time - normal M7 with typhoons and hornets might be a useful halfway house.

Honestly, I think I may just do that, and the Split Panther seems like my kind of vessel.

I am a bit worried about the munitions & equipment required to field one of these tho. The idea of setting up the complexes for it is terrifying.

[Bothersome]

The Panther is not a missile boat.

It's a small carrier with small M2 capabilities and a turning rate of an M6.

M7Ms are not quite as useful in war as an M8 is. For one, an M7M is a much larger target and harder to evade missiles with.

Basically, you jump into sector with your Panther. Kill all that is close until you hear the missile klaxon warning going off. Investigate threat. If determined to be nothing important keep clearing the immediate area. Once clear, bring in the missile boat (an M8 ) loaded with full compliment of missiles. Transport over and launch barrages. Wait until everything big is dead within range. Then transport back into Panther and prepare for sector exit or rearm and continue forward with attack group.

That's about how I do it. Sometimes an adjustment is necessary once you get a look at what's behind the gate or jump beacon. Just be always prepared to jump your fleet out quickly. An incoming barrage(s) of enemy missiles can be deadly. So the trick is to take them out before they launch theirs. Target their M8 and M7M ships first. Priority one is get them out of the battle. Then pick off the M2, M1, and M7 ships. Use the Panther or other many turret equipped ship to finish off the fighters.

As a bonus, be sure to put system override software on the Panther. Just to pick up those bonus spoils. I have yet to be scanned by anybody in AP. Just lucky?

[Liquidpinky]

As a bonus, be sure to put system override software on the Panther. Just to pick up those bonus spoils. I have yet to be scanned by anybody in AP. Just lucky?

Just transfer any dubious wares (software included) to one of your docked fighters, carriers make good smugglers. Transfer the software back for use then hide it again.
My Griffon has been known to transport the odd illicit item or two and the Aran, well that's another story.

[Haine]

You know a lot of the past few days of threads have really made me worry about how they'll implement capital ship combat etc.

It's probably one of the things that detracts the most from X3 overall, if you have a vessel with multiple turrets with wide area's of coverage assigned to anti-missile duty. They should very well be able to fulfill that capacity, as it stands I just bought a Griffin, nearly all the turrets had Anti-Missile equipment and assignment, I jumped into a fight and 2-3 torps later I was dead, despite corkscrewing and rotating my damnest to allow my anti-missile weps to intercept these missiles.

[jperry13]

So what you are saying is that nested ships work great as a smuggling device? I had been thinking about that, but I didn't want to run the risk of attack and rep damage.

~jp

As a bonus, be sure to put system override software on the Panther. Just to pick up those bonus spoils. I have yet to be scanned by anybody in AP. Just lucky?

Just transfer any dubious wares (software included) to one of your docked fighters, carriers make good smugglers. Transfer the software back for use then hide it again.
My Griffon has been known to transport the odd illicit item or two and the Aran, well that's another story.

[Sir Warwick]

You know a lot of the past few days of threads have really made me worry about how they'll implement capital ship combat etc.

It's probably one of the things that detracts the most from X3 overall, if you have a vessel with multiple turrets with wide area's of coverage assigned to anti-missile duty. They should very well be able to fulfill that capacity, as it stands I just bought a Griffin, nearly all the turrets had Anti-Missile equipment and assignment, I jumped into a fight and 2-3 torps later I was dead, despite corkscrewing and rotating my damnest to allow my anti-missile weps to intercept these missiles.

Capital ship combat is just bigger slower fighter combat now with missile spam thrown in.

I think the egosoft guys need to spend some time playing homeworld as X is getting close to those kind of fleets now - only a matter of time now before the mothership/super carrier concept gets down properly based upon an aran concept with lots of guns and launchers.

I know I wish we had salvage corvettes, shhield generators AM frigates etc (think frigate covered in PBCs to serve as an AM screen)

[paulms1980]

even the little M8 ships are now deadly..they carry 40+ tomahawk missiles each, and these missiles are now armoured unlike before!