The Return from 2010.

Dreez · Post by **Dreez** » Sun, 5. Feb 17, 16:53

So... figured i'd start a post/thread/diary where i keep uninterested people
updated with my return to glory and total domination of the X3 universe...
on my PC that is

.

I started this friday i believe, custom game ofc and got myself placed in a paperthin
M4 Buster with no weapons or shield worth speaking of.
I've died so many times i have lost count, that 1MJ shield couldn't tank a butterknife
even if my life depended on it, which it did multiple times.

So i abused the cops and military, accepted defense and patrolmissions
then hid my very squishy ship inside some station until the mission was done
and collected both reward and loot from kills.

After a while i actually spent some money on the Buster, i simply got tired
of dying when an enemy farted on me. So i bought 2x5MJ shields, not much better
but better non the less.. and i sold the repeaters and bought a PAC.

This way i've been able to amass a scary fortune of 600k credits and
today i got tired of shovering shit uphill in my Buster... So i went and picked
up the derelic Eclipse Elite, claimed it.. sold the papertank buster and
now suddenly i'm facetanking M6 enemies and cashing in 100-200 per kill.

I've died a few times even with the 75MJ shielding because sometimes the enemies
loves to fire away Firestorm's into my line of fire... *BOOOM* game over.

Anyway, it's fun to relearn everything. Finally got a real ship, going to build my
reputation up with Paranid and get 2 more HEPT's.. moar dmg.

Now it's time to start saving for the next step, and M6, or i'll just cap one,
but then i'll have to train Marines first....

RAVEN.myst · Post by **RAVEN.myst** » Sun, 5. Feb 17, 17:41

One question: why "custom game ofc"? In X3TC and AP the custom game offers basically only disadvantages to a player who isn't testing/debugging stuff. It's the only start that locks you out of all the plots, but since all the plots are 100% optional and can be totally ignored if desired, even a normally 100% sandbox-only player benefits from choosing a normal (plot-enabled) start, in case of a later change of mind. Basically, isn't it better to keep one's options open?

I'm pointing this out now, while you're still early into your game, so that if you change your mind it's sooner, rather than once you've invested a lot of hours into a game that (essentially) may not go anywhere...

Happy hunting

thrangar · Post by **thrangar** » Sun, 5. Feb 17, 17:49

"So i went and picked
up the derelic Eclipse Elite, claimed it.. "

I thought all those ships were placed random now?

birdtable · Post by **birdtable** » Sun, 5. Feb 17, 17:58

Hello to you Raven ,,, Always enjoy your viewpoints but on this we may disagree .. I always use custom start, why .. because after a few (slight exaggeration) hrs I find I am playing the same game,, never do plots (usually flawed ) so I save myself any rise in blood pressure and not distracted from my free play enjoyment.
When you consider how long a ""self imposed gameplay plan"" can last the initial small percentage of pre defined targets is of no real consequence.
I cannot think of any non custom start from X Beyond Frontier to Rebirth that in any way effects my long term game plan.

These are of course my totally uncoerced opinions and may well be influenced by external factors beyond my control ....

RAVEN.myst · Post by **RAVEN.myst** » Sun, 5. Feb 17, 18:08

Heya

Well, if you are always 100% sure that you will definitely not want to do any plots, fair enough. I just find it (from my perspective) to make more sense to not irrevocably close any doors - I needn't step through them until such time as I am ready to, if ever, after all (the plots also don't coerce ^^) However, to be fair, I'm biased: I know that I will *always* want to play through plots - they provide external challenges (even if not hugely abundant or, for that matter, difficult) that can't all be self-contrived, through sheer game mechanics. That being said, my current game IS more "sandy" than is usual for me - go figure!

I'm really slow-rolling the plots (however, I know that once I do eventually finish them all, I'll feel there's no point in carrying on, and start anew again, or go do something else entirely...)

birdtable · Post by **birdtable** » Sun, 5. Feb 17, 18:45

I remember in one of the early X games (I innocently tried the plots) I had to fly up in between what appeared to be paddles of a mill wheel to reach a target,, At the time I thought "what has this to do with a Space Sim" but I persevered and finished the plot.... but that was the last.
The Xtended adaptation was (in my opinion) the supreme one of the X series but the plot was finely balanced and rather delicate ....
So no plots for me ...Been there done that..... But that what was so great about the X series ... so many options...

The word "mod" was never mentioned or intended ..

RAVEN.myst · Post by **RAVEN.myst** » Sun, 5. Feb 17, 19:02

birdtable wrote:I remember in one of the early X games (I innocently tried the plots) I had to fly up in between what appeared to be paddles of a mill wheel to reach a target,,

That sounds like, perhaps, the final battle in X2 at Omicron Lyrae (where my current game is headquartered!

), against that Kha'ak battleship... (If not, then the concept template has been used more than once

)

birdtable wrote: But that what was so great about the X series ... so many options...

Indeed! What you want, how you want, when you want, often where you want - hell, IF you want, even!

birdtable · Post by **birdtable** » Sun, 5. Feb 17, 19:14

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. Khaak destroyers in Omicron Lyrae, I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate, had a chat with RAVEN.myst,, All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die ,,, but not yet got to play X4 first ...

RAVEN.myst · Post by **RAVEN.myst** » Sun, 5. Feb 17, 19:38

Heheheh, an interesting take on [I forget that replicant's name, played by Rutget Hauer]'s speech at the end of Blade Runner. Incidentally, that was totally invented for the movie, it was never in Philip K. Dick's original book, DO Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

Dreez · Post by **Dreez** » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 08:31

So... yesterday after the post i accepted a very hard partolmission in Paranid Prime, figured it would be
not "that hard" considering my new ride... boy was i wrong.

Xenon fighters of all sizes started flooding the system and apparently Paranid arent' very strong on AA,
so their miltary capitals couldn't deal with the pesky fighters too good.
It started well with my burning down 3 Xenon P's in a row but then things
turned for the worse.. much worse. Xenon L's started ripping the entire
zone to pieces ship by ship, even the Zeus was getting swarmed and down
to 50% shields, by some pesky fighters. I was dying repeatedly to the all famous "thud thud thud thud"
rapid fire from the L's. Barely being able to handle 1 L, much less 2 L's,
they would melt my shields and rip my ship apart in 3 seconds.
Hiding next to the Zeus did nothing since it has no Flak.

After 1+ hour of trying to finish this mission, i gave up and flew back
to Argon prime where i picked up other missions instead, made a Boron M8 eject, repaired
it and sold it at the Argon Shipyard... 4.5 million free credits.

I am now trying to decide if i'm going to buy an Argon Centaur or
train Marines and try capping the famous Centaur Prototype of Hyperion.

Timsup2nothin · Post by **Timsup2nothin** » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 08:38

Doesn't Paranid Prime have some lasertowers floating around? Maybe by the trading dock? If you stand off a ways and lob mosquitoes at an L until it gets interested then lead it to the lasertower the problem should resolve, one L at a time.

Though if you can lead them off so you can take them on one at a time you should be able to manage them even without the lasertower. Ls aren't really all that, one at a time.

delray · Post by **delray** » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 11:06

Paranid arent' very strong on AA

Nobody with PSG in Paranid Prime?

Buy some Wasps (missiles) before your next attempt. It'll help a ton.

Dreez · Post by **Dreez** » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 13:29

delray wrote: Nobody with PSG in Paranid Prime?

I couldn't really see any Paranidship effectily dealing with the massive amount of
Xenon fighters that were everywhere like a swarm of flies.
But i guess i compare all AA with the FAA and nothing performs better iirc.

I'm now in the Split sectors around Rhonkar's Pride starting to work on that reputation needed to
buy myself the Split Tiger. Currently the money isn't coming in very fast
and i am considering moving to Legend's Home and buy the Heavy Centaur.

I have been thinking about training a few marines, buy a cheap TL and
try capping the Hyperion, but i feel the time spent will be too much required.

So for now its just small pieces of credits until i either buy the Tiger straight up,
or buy the Heavy Centaur from Legend's Home.

delray · Post by **delray** » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 14:11

Don't buy any Split Tigers, you can board 50 of them during the plot. With many full sets of IBLs.

Dreez · Post by **Dreez** » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 14:36

delray wrote:Don't buy any Split Tigers, you can board 50 of them during the plot. With many full sets of IBLs.

No plot, im running custom game. I've looked into the M7M's but they're
almost twice as expensive and the missileresources required makes the money drain even faster.

We'll see what route i take, sofar it's been an entertaining journey uphill.

delray · Post by **delray** » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 14:43

Oh crap, you made a terrible mistake there with custom start.

In regards to M7M, when your reputation is very high with a race, their "Return abandoned ship" missions will sometimes ask you to return a battered down M7M. Then you can steal the ship for yourself, hide it deep in pirate or yaki space so the police sent to recover is shredded and then just keep using it.

I think most people get their first M7M this way, as those missions start appearing way earlier than you're able to afford buying one, or have ship and marines ready to cap one in the wild (spoiler alert, they barrage you with torpedoes).

Always take those recovery missions whenever you see one.

Dreez · Post by **Dreez** » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 17:25

Well.. i took a break from the Split sectors after i reached enough rep to
buy the policelicense at their tradehubs.
I then ventured back to Home of Light to set my plan in motion, and on the way home
i was sursprised with 2 defense-missions yielding 2.5mil each for killing a few fighters and 2 M6+M8 each...
wasn't a big deal but i had to keep my distance, stick and move.
I almost got popped when one of the M8's launched a Hornet just as he
died and the explosion took away some of my shield.

My current plan now is to buy a really fast M5 in Argon Prime, equip it with Transporter Device,
jumpdrive and upgrade its speed, then head towards Legend's Home
and hope i don't get shot down on the way there..

Then i'm gonna spend some of my 20mil on a Heavy Centaur.

Armament : 2xCIG +6EBC front, PAC on sides, IRE in the back.

But that's the current plan. I could just save the 20mil, go back to the
split sectors and farm rep+money until i can buy my Tiger..
However... even if i can afford the Tiger, i need extra money for the shielding
and all the weapons, most likely another 6 mil...

Future will tell what happens.

RAVEN.myst · Post by **RAVEN.myst** » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 18:11

When you get where you're going, might I suggest that you compare the Heavy Centaur you're considering with the Skiron at the OTAS shipyard, and then make your decision.

delray · Post by **delray** » Mon, 6. Feb 17, 18:22

Do you even have the bonus pack? Mosquito defence is pretty mandatory, considering firestorm barrage was added to the game.

Dreez · Post by **Dreez** » Tue, 7. Feb 17, 00:15

So.. i bought the Skiron after some consideration, and i was tired of contantly having to tiptoe around
all the M6's that was spawning on my missions, and the Xenon L's.

But i think i encountered a bug and i need to reload the save where i bought the Skiron because according
to the ships information its not upgraded with combat command, but when i'm docked at ship equipmentdocks,
i can't buy the upgrades because i have them apparently...

So i did a test and tried transfering upgrades from my Eclipse to my Skiron but according to that screen,
my Skiron was already equipped with the combat command 1&2.

And i can't assign turrets to "enemy" or "Missile defense"...

(damn the skiron was ugly tho)

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The Return from 2010.

The Return from 2010.