Impossible tips?

[hayenne]

Hi guys! Please share your tips on running an Impossible game!

I gained a lot of game experience playing Basic difficulty, then ran up to Dark Centuries on Demanding and now I think I can enjoy more challenge.

So I found my favourite class is Pirate due to large starting Pilot and the Cadar due to comfortable locations around the Galaxy.

I have unlocked all the ships except of Serpent's Tooth, currently trying to switch over and over to find the best starting one (I always seem to end up in Jango/Royal class in the end).

I only succeed to run a couple of contracts (mostly delivery) on Impossible, spending a last nickel on water fuel, but once I bump into any assassination job, my ship resembles a pile of shredded junk.

edit: s/Stealth/Pilot/

[mordechai]

The difference between Demanding and Impossible is very large. I would recommend getting some experience on Hard or Crazy first.

[Fenikso]

Welcome to the Impossible Quadrant !
I went straight from Demanding to Impossible too.

I have written tips some time ago here: Guide for Piracy

In a nutshell:

• Pirate -- starting with Pilot and Tactics skills
  
• Friendly with Cadar and Rychart or any other two syndicate factions combination -- good locations
  
• Serpent's Tooth -- best starting pirate ship
  
• Boost Pilot and Tactics to at least 15 as soon as possible, do not waste XP on stealth (this is very subjective opinion of mine )
  
• Take easy jobs, be friendly, surrender often, until you have enough money for repairs, trade permits and access to military base
  

I love playing Impossible and all my characters are on that difficulty. I would like to discuss Impossible strategies, but the whole topic is too broad. Maybe we can pick some smaller subtopic?

[hayenne]

Ooh, that's a nice guide, thanks!

[Tenebrous Pirate]

I will disagree with fensiko. For a pirate, go pilot and stealth first. Use the tempus fugit, it is better in several regards, most important being it is the quickest ship you can get low fuel usage on. Tactics is good, but it won't do you much good in the beginning.

[Fenikso]

Yea, I am actually very aggressive early on as a Pirate, because you start with big Pilot and Tactics scores so you can start fighting immediately. This is much harder with another classes, but still doable. Depends if you plan to use Stealth ever. I do not, but it is just me . Stealth is probably safer way to go.

[Tenebrous Pirate]

I am insanely aggressive, just ask Cory, lol.

I start fighting right away too, which is why I suggest stealth so emphatically. Stealth is not just used to avoid encounters. It is used to avoid being hit in combat. It is your primary ability for not being hit actually.

If you neglect stealth, you seriously hamstring your ability to tackle strong opponents that are much higher level than yourself.

[Fenikso]

Aug 22, 2011 10:25:57 GMT -5 Tenebrous Pirate said:

It is used to avoid being hit in combat.

I have found some time ago, that boosting Pilot has similar effect.

Aug 22, 2011 10:25:57 GMT -5 Tenebrous Pirate said:

If you neglect stealth, you seriously hamstring your ability to tackle strong opponents that are much higher level than yourself.

I can only disagree, as I am not being usually hit with high Piloting score even that I have Stealth 1 and enemy is twice my level. For me, it is hard to tell, if it is better to have Pilot 100, Stealth 100, Tactics 100, or to have Pilot 150, Stealth 1, Tactics 150. I see that you feel very strong with your opinion. Do you have any objective evidence or do you just guess?

I really am curious, because people are very strongly and confidently disagreeing with me neglecting Stealth without even trying that seriously out and telling me that I *must* be wrong, wrong, wrong. But I am at level 84 and doing well. Hey, I am the guy who insist on Impossible being easy!

EDIT: Hey, I hope it is not even easier when using Stealth!

[innomynate]

Anyway... capture a better ship as soon as you can xD (I get a sniper class at lvl 4 and change it for a raptor class at lvl 7 on my last game)

Look for a scape shuttle upgrade, it isn't too much expensive and it really helps if you don't like to surrender and finish the.combats xD

[Tenebrous Pirate]

I will point you in the direction of this thread from back in May:

startradersrpg.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=rules&thread=599&page=1

Cory said this much:

May 2, 2011 15:00:49 GMT -5 Cory Trese said:

Stealth will be critical in terms of fighting the Alien.

Your best bet is to not run into the Alien randomly -- they're best fought in orbit.

The rest comes from the mouth of slayernz (perhaps he can cite his sources) and was not denied or contradicted by Cory anywhere else in the thread:

May 2, 2011 18:00:57 GMT -5 slayernz said:

Stealth provides significant benefit in both avoiding encounters and surviving them when they do occur.

Higher Stealth reduces the chance of a random encounter. You've made your 20,000,000 ton star ship pirouette around the sectors like a black swan in the dead of night during a power cut.

When you do have an encounter, high Stealth provides an increased ability to dodge the torpedoes and barrage gunfire that scuds your way. A captain with a very high level of Stealth becomes almost teflon coated in battle.

Of course, high Stealth doesn't actually help in closing distances during combat (or retreating either). That is where higher piloting skill comes in handy. It's no good being able to dodge weapons fire only to have the enemy ship sidle up beside you in boarding position.

Edit: Also, here are the in-game skill descriptions:

Pilot (Quickness) The PILOT skill is used by the Captain for landing in Wilderness, Urban Zones and when changing Range in Combat. A high level Pilot skill will make it easier for the Captain to command ships with Large Hulls. Pilot is a critical skill for fuel-consumption.

Tactics (Wisdom) The TACTICS skill is used by the Captain for Blockades, Survellance, Wilderness Landings, and Mutiny.

Stealth (Quickness) The STEALTH skill is used by the Captain for Combat Movement, Space Movement, Avoiding Encounters, Avoiding Aliens, Boarding, and Avoiding Hypersonic Weapons.
(hypersonic weapons are torps.)

[Fenikso]

Aug 22, 2011 11:04:51 GMT -5 innomynate said:

Anyway... capture a better ship as soon as you can xD

Great tip. But that is my most usual death . Nice ship. A little far from docks. Engines down, Sails down, Guns down. And I fall into this trap again ;D. That is probably the time when Stealth may come in handy ...

[Fenikso]

@tenebrous Pirate
Interesting. Thanks for the insight.

Still, I am walking (flying) example, that you can live without stealth on Impossible and be fine. And not to be hit!



Right now I have three captains and all of them have no Stealth. I think I will start a sect around this phenomenon . I did not think that it would be so uncommon.

[Tenebrous Pirate]

You will have a high Quickness stat because of your pilot skill, and it will be a big part of not being hit.

In game description:

The QUICKNESS statistic is critical for Ship Defense and Ship Guns. Quickness plays some role in most combat operations.

[Fenikso]

Hmmm, good catch. You are right, that may be the reason. I would really like to know how big difference it makes. I will probably start a new captain and go Pilot & Stealth.

BTW: In game descriptions are a bit incomplete as far as I know and Cory is adding more detail to them.

[Tenebrous Pirate]

Tell me how it goes and what you think of it, please.

Also, if you are really worried about being aggressive and not missing encounters where you can blow people up, just carry extra weapons in your hold. They will help if you get boarded, and will increase the number of encounters you have.