Mini-Guide: Destroying 1.4 Lasertowers v0.9

Knower of Names · Post by **Knower of Names** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:19

Just thought I'd share my thoughts on taking out the new Lasertowers as
I had real problems with this in 1.4 initially. Apologies if this has already been covered and to all those far older and wiser than I.

The problem:

Basically those damn beam weapons make them nearly impossible to dodge even using the strafe drive and they now eat through shields/hull pretty damn quick.

The solutions:

1. Don't try taking them on in anything less than an M3 (someone is bound to claim they have taken on 10 towers at once with one A-IRE in a disco with no shields now I've said this)

2. Speed is more important than shielding. I discovered this to my cost when trying to take out a large (5+) group of laser towers around a Pirate base in my Nova. Basically before you have a chance to close to range they have already fried you. Use something faster like a Mamba to close to range quickly enough and get out of range again quickly enough. Make sure you use the age old tactic of firing before you're in range (start letting rip at about 3km out) as your shots will still hit as long as you close to range before the 'bullets' disappear.

3. PSGs (equipable on the Perseus) are your friend. Cheesy they may be, but they enable you to hit the towers from longer range and also more than one at once. If a large number are spawned around a pirate base they tend to be VERY close together too.

4. As they can only fire in one direction a good tactic is to get just in range so they swing around to fire at you then nip out of range again. Then loop all the way round the back of the towers making sure you stay out of range and then start a run at them. The extra few seconds it takes for the tower to swing around can be invaluable.

5. Missiles are pants when it comes to taking down towers. Hornets are too slow to get to them before geting fried themselves and the other types don't pack enough punch to do any substantial damage.

6. Fighter Drones are marginally more useful in distracting the towers altough I never bother with them as the cost/benefit ratio is far too high.

7. Remember if you're approaching a pirate base with laser towers it won't be hostile to you until you start firing. So, if you can, park yourself so that you are lined up with two (or more) towers at once before you start firing. That way the furthest tower might hit the near one and give you a hand plus you don't have to line yourself up for the second tower once the first one is dust.

8.Pirate Base = Big Shield. The Pirate Base is very good a blocking off attacks from others towers. Position yourself cunningly to use it.

Questions/Comments are welcome

Hengist · Post by **Hengist** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:31

Comment:

Thanks for taking the time to share your 1.4 gained knowledge of Laser Towers, I'm sure it'll be of use to people.

Mobile · Post by **Mobile** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:36

I think lasertowers have become more powerful to serve the player for using them.

I don't find them that difficult to destroy with an M3.

Dunners · Post by **Dunners** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:36

I will try your tips tonight, thanks.

Dunners

Knower of Names · Post by **Knower of Names** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:38

I think lasertowers have become more powerful to serve the player for using them.

I don't find them that difficult to destroy with an M3.

Which M3 and how many towers just out of interest?

OutSane · Post by **OutSane** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:39

anyone else wish they could mount lasertowers to your ships? M6 and up

(only givve it to Split M6 and up that is...the APPC could be repleace with the laser..fear the split!!!)

Darshu · Post by **Darshu** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:41

OutSane wrote:anyone else wish they could mount lasertowers to your ships? M6 and up

(only givve it to Split M6 and up that is...the APPC could be repleace with the laser..fear the split!!!)

I think THAT is an awesome idea, it would make sense for the Split to put the biggest gun they could find facing forward.

Is there a script for this? And maybe add a dorsal mounted 18th gun to the Python, and have it be the laser tower weapon too?

OH GOD! Quick, is this possible?!?!?!?!

Knower of Names · Post by **Knower of Names** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:41

I suppose someone has probably scripted it as I think the laser tower itseld is just the container and the actual weapon is called 'laser tower weapon' imaginatively enough.

See:

http://argonopedia.ppcis.org/object.php?object=29

keanut · Post by **keanut** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:44

well i managed to take out 10 laser towers in a disco with no shields

nah, i tryed in a nova and got fried, so i got a dragon on the job, that did the trick, no more laser towers, but a bit overkill for 4 laser towers. silkworms work reasonably well if your thinking fo using missiles.

Mobile · Post by **Mobile** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:46

Knower of Names wrote:
I think lasertowers have become more powerful to serve the player for using them.

I don't find them that difficult to destroy with an M3.
Which M3 and how many towers just out of interest?

I used an NOVA with NOS, so I got there quick and finished them of. They are a bit slow on aiming at you and are always next to a base. Oh and their 25MW shield isn't that great now.

On the other hand, I've placed 50 lasertowers south of the Xenon sector for killing all those migrating xenon ships (I think it;s black hole the sector, not sure). THey work great.

Oh and once got a BBS assasination mission on that sector, so 5 centaurs were after me, while I lured them into my lasertower swarm. and kaboom, got them all in 10 seconds.

Knower of Names · Post by **Knower of Names** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:48

NOS! I hope you don't have a heavy foot! (sorry random Fast and the Furious quote)

roboneal · Post by **roboneal** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:50

Knower of Names wrote:I suppose someone has probably scripted it as I think the laser tower itseld is just the container and the actual weapon is called 'laser tower weapon' imaginatively enough.

See:

http://argonopedia.ppcis.org/object.php?object=29

Yeah, that would make it difficult - you'd have to script in a location to buy these weapons from and make sure they have masses and the like assigned correctly

Mobile · Post by **Mobile** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:51

or Spacefly Boost.

gerrythegremlin · Post by **gerrythegremlin** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 15:52

The old way with XTension laser towers was to sneak up on them individually, getting behind them, and killing them before they complete the turn. The essential ingredient was that they tended to have a range of 1km and if you kept that distance from the second it could not hit you.

Knower of Names · Post by **Knower of Names** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 16:04

Unfortunately they seem to be closer together and with a longer range in X2!

Bishop149 · Post by **Bishop149** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 17:24

Aw Crap, I was hoping this would be a guide on how to use them not dodge them.
Pre 1.4 I bought a Lasertower Fact as I heard they would be better, but I am now swimming in the damn things and finding them just as in effective as in 1.3!!

Any Tips?

Knower of Names · Post by **Knower of Names** » Wed, 28. Jul 04, 17:51

Sorry maybe I should rename the guide! I am yet to test their effectiveness as defence in 1.4. Still realtively early on in the game after an X-TREME 1.4 restart so they're a bit of a waste of money at the moment.

gerrythegremlin · Post by **gerrythegremlin** » Thu, 29. Jul 04, 13:56

Knower of Names wrote:Unfortunately they seem to be closer together and with a longer range in X2!

Yes, more difficult. So the question

(if you want to take them down without being shot) is what precisely is their range, and is there a ship weapon that outranges them?

Also, is the question of style more important to you: is the sitting duck, creep and snipe method too tedious; or the hawk's swoop and retreat method too precarious?

Knower of Names · Post by **Knower of Names** » Thu, 29. Jul 04, 14:10

Well PSGs certainly let you outrange them (just) although there is the danger of hitting the pirate base and it unleashing a load of Orinocos.
If it can get enough of them out before you can do anything they can cause some problems especially if some towers remain

JaimeWolf · Post by **JaimeWolf** » Thu, 29. Jul 04, 16:21

All the PPCs (I think) and the Beta Kyon Emitter outrange them.
My solution now is a fully armed Khaak M3. It's not as effective against the Pirate Base inhabitants as my Orinoco but it survives the laser towers better.
So the Khaak blows away the Laser Towers and clears up the ships.
Then, when I want to go harvesting, the Pirate bases are already unfriendly and without their LTs

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Mini-Guide: Destroying 1.4 Lasertowers v0.9

Mini-Guide: Destroying 1.4 Lasertowers v0.9