Harbinger Carrier starting loadout suggestion

[ygdrad]

So I finally got into carriers and went straight to the Harbinger Carrier and was puzzled by its default loadout. For some reason it has 4 medium missile launcher when its config only allows you to fire 2 at once while lacking a med bay and only having 6 of 7 possible officer slots. Would suggest revising some of those extra missile launchers for a med bay or more officer room or anything that actually gets some value without needing 2 RP buffs up at all time, maybe a passenger suite... Anything really.

[Aimstrong]

This is an interesting subject is it OK to have a bit more optimized default component loadouts for ships? From what I've seen from the start of EA default component loadout for ships has improved a lot.
It's very hard to cover all aspects: player play-style+difficulty+flexibility (that's the main reason why there are so many ships imo)
The other aspect is the symmetrical design(if AI gets hold of a optimally designed ship ... people that just started playing will be frustrated with good reason :100: ).
I always like to tinker with my component loadouts ... if it would be perfect from the get go it would not be as fun. But that is only my opinion(2 cents).

Cheers!

[ygdrad]

I mean it's not about optimal min/maxed design at this point, it's that 2 of the components are 100% useless and unusable unless you happen to lose the other 2 missile launchers in combat or run buffs for +4 reactor points on its default loadout. I think literally anything else could go in those spots and be more desirable in most circumstances

[drspendlove]

Yeah, I think redundancy is what Andrew was going for there. Comps can be wiped out. Losing your only two weapons can really stink. I agree with you broadly but there is more merit to redundancy than perhaps you've given credit for.

[ygdrad]

Feb 19, 2020 18:25:27 GMT -5 drspendlove said:

Yeah, I think redundancy is what Andrew was going for there. Comps can be wiped out. Losing your only two weapons can really stink. I agree with you broadly but there is more merit to redundancy than perhaps you've given credit for.

I really don't think redundancy is the reason. If it was this wouldn't be only one of 2 ships in the entire game to have more weapons of one type than it can fire at once, the other being the Extremis Carrier which has 9RP of railguns on an 8RP engine. Carriers also would be the ships to be the least in need of extra guns given how crafts already cost RP to launch, can deal damage, and take up multiple slots leading to choice of other components being very important.

The fact that only 2 ships in the game are outfitted this way and that both are carriers leads me to only one potential reason, planned combined alpha strike. Launch all crafts, buff up engine RP and/or damage over the first 2 turns of the flight plan while getting into position and then fire all weapons at once with the fighters on turn 3 but due to only being able to damage 5 components per turn and not being able to damage any of them past 60% in a single turn, this strategy is less effective than just spreading out your damage a bit more so you don't waste internal damage and is easier to counter with buffs/debuffs due to most of the damage being in a small window.

[drspendlove]

Fair enough. Good reasoning!

[Cory Trese]

Thanks for the feedback, I will look at those ships!

PS: Andrew makes the ship artwork, Cory makes the numbers <3

[drspendlove]

Oh. I'll blame you going forward. Thanks!

[Cory Trese]

I will work on these ship's load outs