Vanduul Swarm co-op - apparently there is a god mode.

[Floating Cloud]

So I was playing a co-op match last night and the other person took out every ship except one in the first four waves. Unfortunately at that point I got kicked to desktop when the Apple update agent decided to fire up, but I did see that he/she was flying a Hornet, and taking out the Vanduul with swarms of what looked to be eight missiles at a time.

I don't know if I witnessed god-mode in action or just some dogfighting demi-god deigning to grace my instance with his presence, but either way it was a wake up call that I need to seriously look into weapon loadouts and start playing more. So, an enquiring mind wants to know - WTF just happened. Anyone have suggestions on what it takes to deliver that kind of punishment?

 

[Phantomoftruth]

I think what you saw were Cluster Missiles. beyond that, no idea.

 

[JeffCraig]

I think what you saw were Cluster Missiles. beyond that, no idea.

AKA Rattlers
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/electronic-access/Weapon-Roms/Rattler-II

It was a wake up call that I need to seriously look into weapon loadouts and start playing more. So, an enquiring mind wants to know - WTF just happened. Anyone have suggestions on what it takes to deliver that kind of punishment?

I've had several of the same kinds of wake-up calls recently. Go into the public Battle Royal or Squadron Battles, and you'll see players that go 10-0 or more, while the rest of the players barely have a 1:1 kill/death ratio.

There isn't one set build that works for everyone, but getting the right load-out is as equally important as is learning how to fly.

If you want to get a good idea of what the current 'meta' is, just check the leaderboards. [RS] actually pulls down the leaderboard data into a spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pFH-KPh9mqHqNliOl0on8oU2297unctmHCyXL7cSpj4/edit#gid=1007337434


Super Hornet and Sabre dominate the top of the charts, and most everyone uses the same sets of weapons:

Pew Pews (lasers):
Klaus & Werner CF-227 Panther Repeater
M4A Laser Cannon
M3A Laser Cannon

Ballistics (shorter range, overheat quicly, but pack a punch):
11-Series Broadsword
Tarantula 870 - Mk2

Try to stick with the same type of weapons as much as possible. Mixing and matching different types makes it hard to use because they fire at different positions and speeds.


Gimbled vs Fixed
Obviously, fixed weapons are going to hit much harder, because they're always 1-2 sizes larger. If you want to really do some damage, you're going to have to learn to fly fixed. However, a good gimbled setup will help you land more of your shots, and I still recommend gimbals for beginners.

Just equipping Broadswords doesn't make you leet though... you actually have to spend a lot of time learning to how use them effectively.

The important thing is to just start trying different loadouts. You can read 100 forum posts, or watch 100 videos, but until you actually equip the things, and give them a try, you won't know if they work for your personal playstyle or not.

And don't forget to equip ammo if you put ballistics on :D

 

[Phantomoftruth]

I've rented a Sabre running Quad mantis. While a bullet hose, my flight and fight style tend to longer range so I'll try the Broadsword or Tarantula builds.

AKA Rattlers
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/electronic-access/Weapon-Roms/Rattler-II



I've had several of the same kinds of wake-up calls recently. Go into the public Battle Royal or Squadron Battles, and you'll see players that go 10-0 or more, while the rest of the players barely have a 1:1 kill/death ratio.

There isn't one set build that works for everyone, but getting the right load-out is as equally important as is learning how to fly.

If you want to get a good idea of what the current 'meta' is, just check the leaderboards. [RS] actually pulls down the leaderboard data into a spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pFH-KPh9mqHqNliOl0on8oU2297unctmHCyXL7cSpj4/edit#gid=1007337434


Super Hornet and Sabre dominate the top of the charts, and most everyone uses the same sets of weapons:

Pew Pews (lasers):
Klaus & Werner CF-227 Panther Repeater
M4A Laser Cannon
M3A Laser Cannon

Ballistics (shorter range, overheat quicly, but pack a punch):
11-Series Broadsword
Tarantula 870 - Mk2

Try to stick with the same type of weapons as much as possible. Mixing and matching different types makes it hard to use because they fire at different positions and speeds.


Gimbled vs Fixed
Obviously, fixed weapons are going to hit much harder, because they're always 1-2 sizes larger. If you want to really do some damage, you're going to have to learn to fly fixed. However, a good gimbled setup will help you land more of your shots, and I still recommend gimbals for beginners.

Just equipping Broadswords doesn't make you leet though... you actually have to spend a lot of time learning to how use them effectively.

The important thing is to just start trying different loadouts. You can read 100 forum posts, or watch 100 videos, but until you actually equip the things, and give them a try, you won't know if they work for your personal playstyle or not.

And don't forget to equip ammo if you put ballistics on :D

 

[AstroSam]

...what Jeff said (Jeez, whats that about these maximum posts of yours, Jeff - u got way too much time, aye? :D;) ). PLUS there are lots and lots of those cheating guys who are changing the XML file or at least are using this lag switch. But I am having full trust into CIG that they are fully aware of this, tracking and analyzing all the data which is produced within Arena Commander to deny/prevent such possibilities of cheating in the live PU lateron.

 

[JeffCraig]

...what Jeff said (Jeez, whats that about these maximum posts of yours, Jeff - u got way too much time, aye? :D;) ). PLUS there are lots and lots of those cheating guys who are changing the XML file or at least are using this lag switch. But I am having full trust into CIG that they are fully aware of this, tracking and analyzing all the data which is produced within Arena Commander to deny/prevent such possibilities of cheating in the live PU lateron.

lol it was my turn to cover the grave shift week, so I been pretty bored at work :p

I thought the XML vulnerabilities were fixed? And the lag switch thing was basically a hoax.

The biggest problem that Arena Commander faces at the moment is that there is no match-making system that places you with pilots of the same skill level. It's really hard to learn when you get blown up ever 2 seconds and you can't do anything about it.

 

[WarrenPeace]

And don't forget to equip ammo if you put ballistics on :D

Good lord, this happened to me too many times. And it'll happen again in the future, unless they put in a "Hey idiot! Are you really gonna take off with empty magazines?" warning.