A Class or engineered B,C class?

[forcecomdr]

Assuming you're not going for all out best of the best of the best...sir!

Would it be benifical to just engineer up a B or C class to get the same or slightly better performance then an A considering the reduced weight could greatly increase your jump range and probably reduce the power draw?

Or is the difference so great that it's not worth getting anything but A's?

[forcecomdr]

Originally posted by Very Sad:

Depends what you're doing.
An A-class FSD is always a must, regardless of what you're doing.

Sometimes you can supplant a lower-tier B or A class of what you want (e.g. an A class Tier-4 power plant in a Tier-5 slot) which gives you better performance than a top class D or C at reduced or acceptably higher weight.

E.g. in my Type 9 I use that setup (Tier 4-Class A) with my PP because it gives me about 4% more power at less weight than the highest tier D class PP.

Yeah, this was kinda my point. When i bought my python i used my old PD, it was a 5A engineered but had better stats then the default 6 and was lighter, which got me thinking about it and making this post.

[Kamiyama]

E class is almost as heavy as B and has the worst performance.

D class has the least weight but second worst performance. D class is only good for maximizing jump range.

C class has the same weight as A but with mediocre performance. C class is a good middle ground if you're on a budget.

B class has the highest weight and second best performance. It also has the highest module integrity. People generally avoid B because of the weight.

A class has mediocre weight (same as C class) but the best performance. It has the second highest module integrity. It's also the most expensive.

Explorers generally go A class FSD, A class Power Plant, and D class everything else. Power plants have an efficiency rating and A class has the best efficiency. This means you won't overheat as quickly when fuel scooping. Sensors are useless for exploration. Buy D class and turn them off once you've left populated space. You only need your discovery scanners to discover things. You can also turn off your power distributor and cargo hatch. This reduces power and lowers your ship's heat. Just remember to turn them back on again when you get back to civilization. You can't dock without sensors.

Multi-purpose would generally use C or A class for everything, depending on your budget.

[forcecomdr]

Thanks for the detailed response the power plant thing is good to know.

[Gralzeim]

Also of note, for fuel scoops, particularly the larger classes, it may be beneficial to pick up a B rated scoop, as that is only slightly slower than an A rated scoop (also draws a little less power). More importantly, a B rated scoop for the larger classes is significantly less expensive than an A rated scoop, and you likely won't notice the difference in speeds as the A rated scoop will only shave a few more seconds off the time it takes to fill your tank. Useful if you are on a tight budget.

For example...

5A fuel scoop: 577 kg/s fill rate, 9,073,690 credits
5B fuel scoop: 494 kg/s fill rate, 2,268,420 credits

As you can see, the fill rate for the A is not drastically higher, while it costs over four times as much. The fill rate isn't even 50% higher than the B. Something you can skimp on in a build.

Fuel scoops have no weight, so the usual 'downside' of a B rated module doesn't exist here.


Yes, I know, if you're doing an 'ideal' setup, the A is the best choice here, but if you're looking for somewhere to shave a few million credits from the cost, downrating the fuel scoop to B might be worth looking into.

[Zourin]

Class C's are middle of the road, inexpensive, and easy fit. If you're on a budget and running some light non-combat missions like scan & salvage recovery, they get the job done great without being overkill for what you're trying to do.

Class B's are heavy, tough, and nearly as strong as A's. Emphasis on heavy. These can destroy jump ranges, but only cost around 1/3rd as much as an A. They're an option for combat craft, particularly for power plants and engines, since they can be pretty hard to shoot out when engineered to be reinforced rather than overclocked.

A's are the module of choice, high powered C's, but you quickly find yourself sinking down huge chunks of your powergrid into them. They're usually top-of-the line, but required a monstered-out power plant that can be a soft spot in a very offense-focused loadout. There's no downsides to Class A FSD's, power plants, and power distributors other than the up front costs, lower durability, and additional rebuy costs compared to B's.

D's are lightweight, low power options, typically favored by traders and explorers for a very important function to them: Jump range. It is ALL about jump range when looking at class D's, and aren't particularly useful on low-Jump combat ships. These should be packed and shipped to the system you want to fight in with higher rated systems.

Note on BiWeaves: Bi-weaves are shields designed for hit-and-run combat ships. These are highly ineffective on large/slow/low mobility ships, or in engagements where you are outnumbered. Explorers are encouraged to go D-class as an idiot shield (we all have those moments), while traders and larger 'multi-role' ships should probably look at A's for the deeper defense.