How to build a ship for mid/short range?

[uglymug]

So, I've been slotting in Torpedoes and Missles for my ships for the most part and I've been trying to figure out how to make a ship that operates at closer distances. Anyone had any success? (I normally play on Impossible)

What weapons systems do you like?

I was thinking of maybe trying a smaller hull with the 4rp Rails or Grav so I could load up on Pilot modules.

How do you close? +Nav and Speed? Or do you use twitch surge? Talent use? Defensive Modules? All in on Pilot? Do you use torps on the approach? Mix in boarding? Engines? What hulls do you like for it? What are the benefits of building for close-in over long?

[Zer0Winds]

Personally, I barely ever pass range 3, but I'm a boarder.

I fit my ship with torpedoes for closing in, and Lance Cannon things (the lasers), before activating my boarding talents, and once all boarding is done, broadside angles and annihilate what remains.

[fallen]

Here is the wiki listing of the dice used for different operations at different ranges:
startraders.gamepedia.com/Ship_Combat#Ship_Combat_Dice_Pools

It depends completely on what your goal in combat is. Rapid destruction, ability to board, defeat for looting?

[Aimstrong]

@uglymug (Impossible difficulty)Torps have been part of my arsenal from the beginning(kinda backbone of ship building). The main reason behind it being their built in accuracy(also gives the option to apply debufs from the start).
As a second choice I use either Railguns or Plasma Cannons(or combination of the 2).Debufs have a high importance in my playstyle more than DPS.
I like to board as often as possible so usually I prefer to stay at range3. I love "twitch surge" and always have picked at least 2-3 pilots with this talent. For a range 1,2 build I would invest even further in this talent.
Defensive modules for sure.Focus on Pilot 100%. Agility(1-3) vs Speed(4-5) prefer to have both with a subtle preference for Agility and adding +Nav modules to compensate(depends on the average time spent till you get and maintain your optimal range). Need to fine tune this a bit more to catch up with the TB update schedule(aka healthy dose of nerf bat/needed balance changes)
Talents priority: +Defense first (to mitigate damage), advance, board, finish(Broadside Angle). Prefer looting to destroying(depends on the ship/captain type/cargo size info of the opponent ship I'm facing)
Preferred Hulls : GI (if I start with it from the get go, awesome ship), Broadsword or Warhammer for late game.
Benefits to building for close range: less damage received if done correctly (see debufs), imo fastest win possible(statistically speaking), big DPS scrolling numbers+more fun (personal opinion)

[Uglymug (Guest)]

Hmm, I was trying Sharp Steering (+15 Range Change talent) with a 6000 mass Raptor, with a lvl 4 +Nav Module, 19 Speed, and the Peak Velocity Matrix (+10 to range change module), and I was very consistently failing to advance from 5 range against a few Vengeance-class ships I ran across. No -Range Change talents were used against me.

I dunno, it seems like if I'm willing to devote a medium module (Peak Velocity), a talent (Sharp Steering), my engine choice (high-speed variant), and the +Nav Assist Module - I should be rewarded with being able to close consistently without having to use Twitch Surge. The guaranteed advance from Twitch Surge is great - but it only lasts for a single turn, meaning I have to keep devoting my talent use to it if I want to keep advancing. I feel like I should be able to use a +Range Change talent (which last multiple turns) instead of TS if I'm willing to build my ship towards it.

I suppose I should have been using Perfected Approach instead (didn't think of it - it has a higher bonus IIRC), but as it stands I think it might be a bit too difficult atm for ships to close, and that might need to be looked at. If it was easier to close (and AI closed more aggressively) I think we'd see more varied weapon use from Captains, as it stands a lot of people just use torps and sometimes missles. Additionally +Range Change Talents should be a viable alternative to Twitch Surge.

I'd test it with Perfected Approach instead, but my retired captain I was using to mess around with it ran dry on credits after that last Vengeance. If smaller hulls might be better for this I'd love to hear which ones people have had success with. I was thinking of messing around and testing it with the Longbow Cruiser next time I get a bored captain with more credits than sense. I'm basically looking for hulls with higher than average Medium slots for their class, so I can mess around with cramming double Rails and a Peak Velocity Matrix in there.

[fallen]

uglymug - it is on our list to get the range change rolls into the ship combat logs so you can see what everyone is rolling and why you are failing.

Be sure to raise your Command and Tactics as well.
startraders.gamepedia.com/Ship_Combat#Ship_Combat_Dice_Pools

[Uglymug (Guest)]

Oh, yeah, I was hoping to see the range change rolls in the log, I'd be nice to see those, to get a better sense of it. I imagine it's an opposed roll?

Hmm, Command + Tactics - I normally use a Quartermaster/Commander/Military Off Officer, but wasn't really paying attention to those otherwise. Maybe I need to try a Military Officer Captain with a high skills priority.

[fallen]

Mar 8, 2018 16:45:01 GMT -5 Uglymug (Guest) said:

Oh, yeah, I was hoping to see the range change rolls in the log, I'd be nice to see those, to get a better sense of it. I imagine it's an opposed roll?

Hmm, Command + Tactics - I normally use a Quartermaster/Commander/Military Off Officer, but wasn't really paying attention to those otherwise. Maybe I need to try a Military Officer Captain with a high skills priority.

Yes, it an opposed roll. The enemy makes the same roll against you.

[athios]

fallen, regarding opposed rolls, does this apply to Range Change bonus as well?
e.g. if the enemy has +15 Range Change and I don't, does it make it harder for me to change range?

I sometimes use Perfected Approach to prevent enemies from escaping. Just wanted to double check that it actually works like I think it does.

[athios]

uglymug , be careful when using the 4RP Railguns and Gravcannons. They are heavy hitters and will easily destroy the other ship's hull before you can force a surrender. Unless your central aim is to reap credits from salvage, in which case go for it.

[uglymug]

Hmmm, Okay. So think I'm going to a Zealot for my next captain start with the Juror and upgrade to the Lightbow Raptor (also 3400 mass). Weapons are going to be Railgun + 2 Small Lances. Captain is Zealot w/ all 4 officers going into crew combat w/ a Commander/Pistolero; Doctor/Combat Medic; Bounty Hunter/Soldier; my Zealot/Swordsman Captain. So obviously going to have a lot of boarding action going on. + Speed Engine + double pilot assist modules and lead w/ Barrel Roll (Got to find someone offering Pirate recruits).

I think I'll be able to take 5k mass targets, 6k maybe only if their part of a mission so I can board 1st turn with the bounty hunter talent. Ferocious Crossfire + Bio-Agent Bomb to get some crew casualties maybe or I can cross-class for some of the other boarding abilities. I wonder if a few ranks of Gunner might be worth it for his boarding ability?

Should have a decent Command + Tactics pool w/ my Captain + Commander Officer.

Hmmm, wish me luck.

[fallen]

Mar 8, 2018 17:47:09 GMT -5 athios said:

fallen, regarding opposed rolls, does this apply to Range Change bonus as well?
e.g. if the enemy has +15 Range Change and I don't, does it make it harder for me to change range?

I sometimes use Perfected Approach to prevent enemies from escaping. Just wanted to double check that it actually works like I think it does.

Sorry, changed the text in the Wiki to read "Range Change" instead of Move. My apologies, bad language.

So the answer is yes.

[fallen]

uglymug - good luck and great to see you join the forum +1 report back here on your progress!

Having 2-3 copies of the Boarding Assault Talent can do wonders if you don't want to close all the way in