[TC] Am I wasting my time trying to be a pirate in an M5?

[WhiteOwl]

Hi,

Topic says it all really... Trying my hand at being a pirate, i.e. staying away from doing missions for the factions and hanging around the pirate sectors next to Elena's Fortune. Problem is, I can't cap any ships, or get them to drop cargo. When I find the odd M4 or M5 all alone, I can kill them but no caps. When I get on top of a freighter, I can kill it usually (unless it launches drones, in which case it can kill me, always), but no cap and no drop...

So, do I just suck and should keep trying to get better or am I wasting my time?

Thanks

[Morkonan]

It's going to be tough going, if all you are willing to fly is an M5. Eventually, people are going to want to kill you. That can be problematic for an M5 pilot...

However, if you can kill fighters, you can make them bail. If you can kill freighters, you can make the drop their cargo. That you haven't had much success so far doesn't mean that you won't. It's a random chance at certain hull percentages (starts at 86%, IIRC) for them to bail and you don't get another check until the hull is much lower. By that time, it may be too late. Though, armed with only M5 weapons, I don't see you chewing through them inordinately fast.

You're doing fine, I imagine. It's just about as expected. But, you're going to have to accept the limitations that you have imposed on yourself. It will be slow going, but I think you could manage it once you start seeing enough pilots bails and freighters that choose to drop their cargo. (Get a Cargo Scanner so you can scan freighters to see if they have drones on board or any juicy cargo.)

[Mazz]

What M5 are you flying? If it can mount PACs use PACs. Will make fighting other fighters easier.

As Morkonan said, rinse and repeat, eventually something will bail. I find they are more likely to bail if you get through their shield and start chipping into their hull in one go. That said, with the M5s laser generators this will only apply to capping M5s and M4s. Basically show cruel intentions to scare the pilot to bail. If there is a ship you really want use salvage insurance before attacking it, reload until it bails. Oh and there is always that abandoned mamba lying around somewhere...

If you want to live a rich pirate, its quicker in a M3.

[AL'42]

I think the higher your fight reputation the more likely you are to get a bail. That’ll take a long time in an M5. They need to believe you’re gonna kill them, right. M3 is the way to go, keep your M5 for exploring and scouting.

[Ripskar]

My best success rate as commerce raider is in an M6.
Size does seem to matter when it comes to convincing pilots to bail.

The real question is; are you hell-bent on taking the entire ship or happy to scav some missiles to pay for something bigger?

Weapon loadout would be important too. generally you want as much firepower as you can muster.

[WhiteOwl]

Thanks for the replies. I'm flying the discoverer from the humble merchant start. I sold off the freighter immediately and upgraded the disco as best I can, but it can only hold 4 IRE, no PACs and its missiles suck. No luck so far with capping but I'll keep trying, it's just very frustrating in an M5, but boy I'm going to appreciate the M4 when I get it. My previous save I did the first few terran defender missions and was then just doing stuff in the M4 they give you (sabre I think). With upgraded shields (25MJ IIRC) and those awesome guns the terrans have. Compared to now it feels like I was invincible, I even managed to take down an M6... Now I have to scurry like a scared little mouse every time 3-4 pirate ships jump into my sector... At least I'm quick

Anyways, thanks again for the replies and most importantly the encouragement, I just need to keep plugging at it and maybe take a few missions so I don't go insane

Cheers

[Mazz]

I sold off the freighter immediately and upgraded the disco as best I can...

BAM! A man after my own heart

I just need to keep plugging at it and maybe take a few missions so I don't go insane

You can make OK money going to the Xenon corridoors in your M5 and picking up loot, early missions give poor rewards.

[RefocusedLight]

There is a major drawback to pirating in an M5. It is not the battle, Rapiers, Valkyries and Adv Discos (at least one of those is accessible, depending on start) can handle themselves in combat - it's that you can plunder screw all with a M5 cargohold. It's the antithesis of Blastclaw concept.

i suppose pirate recons and assassinations are doable - and protect station too, until you come up against an M8 - which btw can't harm an M5, but it might be hard to chew through its hull and shields

Ah and imo bails/drops happen more depending on your combat rank

[NUKLEAR-SLUG]

If you can fight and stay alive in your M5 then you're already doing fine. Eventually something will bail.

I'd broaden your tastes a little tho and try for M3 as well. So long as they don't have a rear turret you can get on their tail and stay there as long as you like.

[Triaxx2]

The Barracuda is a capable fighter with no turrets. Get behind it and you should be able to bail it without issue.

I like a Kestrel for my own pirating use, but the Disco is more than capable. Remember, drones aren't a problem as long as you see them coming. If you do, PUNCH IT. The Disco is fast enough to out run Mk2's, and Mk1's will go down to mosquitoes if you have MDM running.

The secret to pirating with M5's is to remember that you're a very FAST ship, and thus if you're in weapons contact long enough to drain your batteries, you've been there too long. Freighters should be attacked in long looping runs. Race in head on guns blazing and then peel away just before you hit, and come around for another pass.

Be warned though, while Boron Dolphins are very good targets, they do tend to carry drones.

Also, try hitting Pirate Buster Haulers. For some reason, I find they bail more often than the average pirate. Possibly just an incidence of the RNG, but any advantage you can get is worth it.

Also remember to pick up any missiles you can use. And don't be afraid to engage above your weight class if you think you can win. Fortune favors the bald. Or rather the bold.

Also, read N-S DID's. He's a master of this sort of bare bones piracy.

[Neferdias]

You always start somewhere. I give you props for doing it in an M5 though, It's much tougher and each shot definitely counts. Your fight rank will have a lot to do with who will drop what. Bailing without a mod is going to be random at best. If you can get your hands on something that can equip PBE's bailing will be a little easier for you. If you run.. say... 4 PBE's and 4 Hepts/EBC's you can chew through shields and a little bit of hull fast enough to initiate a panic bail (as I like to call them). With a high enough fight rank you'll find the faster you chew through shields and 15% hull the more likely ships will bail. (I ran through a primary Terran sector in a flak equipped Griffon and every second ship was bailing)

For my pirate game I started with a Mamba and two HEPTS... got a freighter full of pacs to drop it's cargo... then capped a Perseus Raider. (had better energy regen) Capped a bunch of freighters and small fighters for cash... then managed to get my hands on a Mamba Raider and 8 PBG's (capped the MR, freighter dropped the guns). Now I BBQ things... they tend to give up their stuff rather quickly. If I don't scorch them to badly... sometimes I fail to check how much shielding they have... and watch them go from full shields to 0% hull in about 2 seconds. (and yes I have my weapons grouped...)

Now I board TM's for Marine training with a Skate loaded with IonD's and a Tocan. (I still use the Mamba Raider to knock out escorts and get the TM's attention) I'm gather a force to cap a couple helpless TL's that wander through Hatikvah's... then maybe a Carrack or two with my ultimate goal being Brig and Galleon.... or three...

A proper pirate needs proper pirate hardware!

And nothing has been bought in my game aside from software... it's more fun that way.

[perkint]

In X3 there are a couple of things about bailing which means you are at a disadvantage in an M5:

Spoiler

Show

The size of your ship (I think) and certainly the weapons you have equipped, in comparison with your target, are taken into account

I would suggest you try and hunt yourself a Kestrel! Still an M5, but by far the best one

Once you've got one of them, go for an M4 (can't remember the best one Pirates use in X3TC, used to be the Pirate Buster in X3R) and once you've an M4, M3's and even M3+s are fair game

Go for the bailing one stage at a time, even going for a better ship in class if needed (eg from your M5 to a kestrel, and at M3 stage, try for a falcon first and then for a Nova or any M3+). Of course, if you find you are toasting ships fairly well, feel free to skip any stage You've obviously got some combat skill if you're doing OK in the Disco!

The average bail rate is roughly 10% and remember, that's an average. That means you can easily go through a fair few ships without seeing one bail. And probably then you'll get 3 bail at once

Tim

[Triaxx2]

I still can't understand why something like the Nova is rated above the Falcon. Frankly, with the exception of the Paranid Junkships, I'm not sure why anything is rated below the Nova. It's completely average except at being horrible.

[Morkonan]

I still can't understand why something like the Nova is rated above the Falcon. Frankly, with the exception of the Paranid Junkships, I'm not sure why anything is rated below the Nova. It's completely average except at being horrible.

A rear turret?

[FrostBlg]

My best success rate as commerce raider is in an M6.
Size does seem to matter when it comes to convincing pilots to bail.

Ur totally right ! Size metters - the bigger u are the easyer pilots leave their ship so if u can manage to get M6 or M7 u can make them bail easy but for begining u should try to aquire an m3

[Jumee]

I still can't understand why something like the Nova is rated above the Falcon. Frankly, with the exception of the Paranid Junkships, I'm not sure why anything is rated below the Nova. It's completely average except at being horrible.

falcon is slow, even the fastest falcon (vanguard) is only 137, while the fastest nova (raider) is 190
regarding "convincing" to bail the best things are flaks (but all the ships you will get will be half dead - but hey if you have flaks you dont need to cap anything )