Weak Hull

[inklor]

Loving your game Cory, I haven't found anything not to adore about it. I hope you keep it updating and improving and expanding. Now for my question....

I play on Demanding and Challening. Maybe I don't exactly have a weak hull, but once in a while when I'm really on a roll in my game, I will run into usually a Pirate, but sometimes a Bounty Hunter from an upset Faction, and I'll deal with them as I see fit. my issue is, that even on these difficulty levels, although usually on Demanding, the Pirate will randomly hit me for enough damage to take my Hull from full to 0, leaving me no chance to change tactics to survive. I've got literally 30+ dead characters because of this.

So my question is, what precautions can I take to best keep this from happening? I'll have a Hull strength of anywhere between 10 and 15, and I will often have it all taken in a single hit, abruptly ending yet another character. Keep my Armor up? Surrender and Flee more? More points into Warrior or Pilot?

I've had my smartphone almost a year now, and I just bought my first game on the Android Market today: Star Traders Elite.

[spike]

If you equip Escape Pod, at least your character will survive. That doesn't address your basic question about Hull damage though.

[jerry]

Definitely keep the armor fully repaired. It's cheaper then hull and gives you better results. Armor is great against guns, not so against torpedoes, but I always either run or close the distance.
I was hit by enemy guns for 0 damage quite a lot of times, all thanks to my high armor. I think it also helps against ramming.
It's also worth rearming all guns and torpedoes, even if you don't use them. They usually take part of the damage before it goes to hull (however torps are quite expensive as an additional defence layer).

But basically, the less you get hit, the longer you'll live.
So if you want to avoid taking damage:
- against torpedoes invest in quickness, stealth and choose ship and upgrades for high solar sails or choose to sail through orbits rather then empty space, because solar sails are folded there, so torpedoes are much less likely to hit.
- against guns invest in quickness and high engines (especially titan components), Piloting skill also helps you close the distance, where torpedoes are useless.
I've had quite a few encounters that lasted about 70-100 rounds because we couldn't hit each other and I've slowly gained advantage, because I shot engines and he shot my armor/hull/guns/torps.

[oldalchemist]

Big Engines also make it easier to run away.

[Cory Trese]

Armor should literally stop death from Hull loss. The game (maybe bugs, still searching) is now honoring Armor damage first and foremost.