Multi cannon and kinetic weapons advice

[Dragonrubi]

I have a Viper MK IV with 2 lasers and 2 multi cannon, as n00b followed the tutorial advice, lasers for the shields and once disabled tear down the ship with kinetics.

However those multi-cannon are super annoying, they have a looooong delay I trigger my mouse and often take ages to start shooting I Googled about the issue, it seems in theory they need to start “rotating” before shooting

I have not checked in the heat of the battle but I have the impression the damage is not that much considering that annoying “delay”(?)

In any case some advice? A Non energy alternative, other kinetic weapon or anything, I would like an alternative for secondary weapon since lasers are fine but deplete the energy superfast and I don’t see the point of installing other 2. Or advice to use the multi cannon properly.

[Luzilyo]

you could just try swapping your multicannons for regular cannons. haven't tried them yet, but i think they'd shoot immediately, do more damage, but have longer reload.

[ShelLuser]

Originally posted by dragonrubi:

I have not checked in the heat of the battle but I have the impression the damage is not that much considering that annoying “delay”(?)

It's not the delay. What type did you install? The change between damage comes from fixed (full damage) vs. gimballed (less damage) vs. turret (idem).

A good strategy for combat is to deplete the shields of your opponent, then deal some damage to their hull (and/or components).

Personally I prefer multi-cannons because you'll always spray something in there (when done right) but other kinetic weapons should do fine as well. In the end it's also a matter of preference.

... and what your ship can handle.

[Qrazy]

Just run plasmas. No need to swap

[Yaldabaoth]

First of all, do you have class 2 lasers and class 1 multicannons? It really should be the other way around. That will solve your energy problems. Regarding the delay, multicannons work best when gimballed. That way you can aim fixed lasers at the enemy ship while the cannons automatically track the target. You just have to keep the enemy in front of you. However, the Viper is a bit challenged because it's weapons are on top and below the ship. Severely limits the firing arc.
Pro tip: Never ever use turrets and normal cannons are trash.

[Dragonrubi]

Originally posted by ShelLuser:

Originally posted by dragonrubi:

I have not checked in the heat of the battle but I have the impression the damage is not that much considering that annoying “delay”(?)

It's not the delay. What type did you install? The change between damage comes from fixed (full damage) vs. gimballed (less damage) vs. turret (idem).

A good strategy for combat is to deplete the shields of your opponent, then deal some damage to their hull (and/or components).

Personally I prefer multi-cannons because you'll always spray something in there (when done right) but other kinetic weapons should do fine as well. In the end it's also a matter of preference.

... and what your ship can handle.

Since i am new and very clumsy I think installed grimballed (auto aim)

I am a disaster and I feel happy I get some shots to the enemy ship; to hit them in a specific part is for a “PRO league” much above my level :D

I was askinf for alternatives but if you say they do decent damage is ok.
Qrazy recommends plasma but I have not seen any of those yet.

[Dragonrubi]

Originally posted by Yaldabaoth:

First of all, do you have class 2 lasers and class 1 multicannons? It really should be the other way around. That will solve your energy problems. Regarding the delay, multicannons work best when gimballed. That way you can aim fixed lasers at the enemy ship while the cannons automatically track the target. You just have to keep the enemy in front of you. However, the Viper is a bit challenged because it's weapons are on top and below the ship. Severely limits the firing arc.
Pro tip: Never ever use turrets and normal cannons are trash.

No 2 and 2 lasers works nicely no cpmplain about them but deplete the energy very fast so the mc are an alternative

I saw a video tut about how to keep the enemy in "defensive" i am clumsy but more or less had been useful to me.

[Myrmidon]

A lot of people see lasers vs shields and kinetic vs hulls/armour as very black and white. Don't be afraid to use both at once on hulls or shields, yeah one will be more effective but the less effective one will still supplement your firepower potential, especially on a little ship like a Viper. The multi-cannon obviously only has finite ammo but if it's the difference between breaking a targets shields or finishing off their hull before they evade and potentially regenerate meaning you need another pass or they're able to jump away it can be worth it.

[Argos]

After going through the Engineering rotation, I can say that multicannons are the way to go for kinetic damage. Just like any rotating barreled gun in all of history, there is a spin-up time, and this game is pretty hardcore when it comes to hyper-realism by design. The multicannons technically aren't the best dps, but you dont run out of ammo any time soon, and deal consistent damage, minus the reload times.It's also cheap to restock.

You will need to invest time in order to get it right. Most of my battles starting off lasted 5-15 minutes per ship. Upwards of 20-30 minutes on difficult targets, balancing damage output, and dodging.

Since you have 4 hardpoints total, 2 medium (Class 2) and 2 small (Class 1), stancing out the Viper IV for combat is not optimal, but technically doable. For myself, Class 2 should be the multicannons, Class 1 should be the beam lasers. Since you are starting off, I would highly recommend gimballed weapons, since consistent DPS is the way to go. That assistive tracking is nice, and it deals more damage compared to the turreted weapons.

Missing shots is either heat generated, or ammo wasted in the combat side of things.

Your target is also an important part of combat. If you get close enough, your ship scans the target, and puts some information in the bottom left corner of your HUD. Since you have a ViperIV, your targets are the ViperIV and smaller. Once you get engineering done, you can play with bigger targets and out-maneuver them, but until then, you need to pick smaller targets and make sure they are not Elite. Also make sure they are Wanted, otherwise you'll get a bounty/fine.

Some Targets have standard armor, where Kinetic shots make the most difference. Some have the Reactive Surface Composite, which increases resistance to kinetic and explosive, but it's weakness is Thermal weapons. So you have a good balance going with Lasers/Multicannons, just have to power through it. And dont be afraid to bare both down on the target. just gotta watch your heat, and your power.

In Engineering, you can take your weapons, armor, shields, etc. and augment them to perform better. But the Viper IV is not the usual meta for a combat ship. Buying a ship that has better weapons, more hull points, and stronger shields, is probably going to make the most difference. The Combat Meta is the Fer-de-Lance, Anaconda, Fed Corvette, Python, and Krait MK II. The Mamba, Vulture, Imp Cutter and Type-10 are honorable mentions. Notice with the exception of the Vulture, these are all Medium and Large ships.

Of course, anything can be done. I've seen the Asp Explorer turn out to be an awesome combat ship, in the right pilots hands. It adds 2 small hardpoints, so you have to use more Fire Groups. Once you have more hardpoints on deck, you can look into the seeker missiles, plasma accelerators, all types of stuff. My buddy tore up the battlefield in his AspX, using Beams, Multis, and Seekers. He'd run out of rockets pretty quick, but not before taking out 3 or 4 ships on his own. 8 before he bailed out. You just have to do some trial and error to find the right fit for you. Save up some credits, make sure you can afford the re-buy on your ship if you get destroyed, and try to remember to have fun with it.

TLDR: Starting Off, your best bet is to use the gimballed Multicannons and Beam Lasers, focusing on smaller targets than yourself. Upgrading your ship to a Medium Class is going to be the best improvement to your damage output, and survivability. Bigger Weapons, More Damage. You can look into the other weapons, and find the right fit for your style of gameplay, but the Fer-de-Lance with Beam Lasers and Multicannons is Meta.

[Dragonrubi]

Thank you guys, this game is complex but (with exceptions I had seen in the forum :/ ) I see in general has a nice helpful community

And thank you Argos for the reply and your time I read it all, I understand the Viper MKIV may not be the best, is the “best” I could afford at that moment to get into fighting, I hope to get something better later, but ATM has served me well.

[Agony_Aunt]

Originally posted by dragonrubi:

Thank you guys, this game is complex but (with exceptions I had seen in the forum :/ ) I see in general has a nice helpful community

And thank you Argos for the reply and your time I read it all, I understand the Viper MKIV may not be the best, is the “best” I could afford at that moment to get into fighting, I hope to get something better later, but ATM has served me well.

I prefer the Viper Mk3 to the Viper Mk4. The Mk4 is tankier but the Mk3 is faster and more agile.

On the topic of MCs, yeah, they have a second or so spin up time. Interestingly enough, the huge MC doesn't have a spin up time.

[Dolphin Bottlenose]

Originally posted by Agony_Aunt:

On the topic of MCs, yeah, they have a second or so spin up time. Interestingly enough, the huge MC doesn't have a spin up time.

Huge MCs work on a different principle. They are more like a quad of mini-cannons, they don't spin. Take a look at one in your outfitting - you will see.

Other multicannons take a spin-up time, proportional to their sizes. Larger the MC - longer the spin-up before it can start shooting.

[Kevlar]

Originally posted by Agony_Aunt:

Originally posted by dragonrubi:

Thank you guys, this game is complex but (with exceptions I had seen in the forum :/ ) I see in general has a nice helpful community

And thank you Argos for the reply and your time I read it all, I understand the Viper MKIV may not be the best, is the “best” I could afford at that moment to get into fighting, I hope to get something better later, but ATM has served me well.

I prefer the Viper Mk3 to the Viper Mk4. The Mk4 is tankier but the Mk3 is faster and more agile.

On the topic of MCs, yeah, they have a second or so spin up time. Interestingly enough, the huge MC doesn't have a spin up time.

The huge mc has no spin up time since it does not actually even spin. It has 4 barrels that fire sequentially.

[Dolphin Bottlenose]

Originally posted by Yaldabaoth:

First of all, do you have class 2 lasers and class 1 multicannons? It really should be the other way around. That will solve your energy problems.

It's not only the energy problem. Let's not forget about a hull hardness penalty that multicannons have against larger ships. Smaller the multicannons - higher the penalty. So it's better to have larger multicannons.

[Agony_Aunt]

Originally posted by Dolphin Bottlenose:

Originally posted by Agony_Aunt:

On the topic of MCs, yeah, they have a second or so spin up time. Interestingly enough, the huge MC doesn't have a spin up time.

Huge MCs work on a different principle. They are more like a quad of mini-cannons, they don't spin. Take a look at one in your outfitting - you will see.

Other multicannons take a spin-up time, proportional to their sizes. Larger the MC - longer the spin-up before it can start shooting.

Yes. I am aware.

[Agony_Aunt]

Originally posted by Kevlar:

Originally posted by Agony_Aunt:

I prefer the Viper Mk3 to the Viper Mk4. The Mk4 is tankier but the Mk3 is faster and more agile.

On the topic of MCs, yeah, they have a second or so spin up time. Interestingly enough, the huge MC doesn't have a spin up time.

The huge mc has no spin up time since it does not actually even spin. It has 4 barrels that fire sequentially.

Yes. I am aware.