The Ur-Quan Masters Discussion Forum

For exploration as well as combat... I'd like to have a pair of every mod, + 3 cannons + 3 shivas + 15 dynamos... but that obviously isn't possible... so what's the configuration that can handle most combat with ease, and yet have plentiful crews supply, and not run out of cargo space whenever you mine a single system...?

after 3 dynamos don't do anything.

the dynamo / shiwa furnace question has been dealt with a few times. I can't remember what the optimal configuration was, though. In my opinion, you don't need the third cannon.

I do remember that dynamos increase the rate of energy regeneration and shiva furnace increaces the amount of energy regenerated. So you'll be wanting both of them.

Actually, I don't really see the flagship as something that you can set up to be a good combination of both mining/exploration or combat for several reasons.  In fact, I usually transition my rig over as new technologies become available from the Melnorme and the RU starts pouring in.

1) Usually on mining trips you want to go for economy so you need a lot of cargo bins.  Depending on where I go, I can fill up one or two of these quite easily so it becomes counterproductive if I don't carry at least 4 or 5 if I'm in full-on mining mode.  Profit is the big motive in mining, not getting the minerals.  If it costs you more to mine than what you get out of it, DON'T DO IT!  Then again if you pick the right spots (white stars) you can get more RU than you ever need by mining 2 or 3 systems.

2) I find I need no more than one (or two depending on what I'm doing) crew pods.  You run out of fuel and need to go back to base before you lose that much crew usually anyway if you're playing a good game (i.e. not doing foolish things).

3) The dynamo/shiva question.  Dynamos increase the rate of energy regeneration and Shivas increase the amount.  You need both.  The most dynamos that are effective is 3.  Usually I load up the rest of my spots that I don't have anything else in with dynamos and shivas.

4) The gun question.  Three of them are a waste.  You want a minimum of one hellbore in the 2nd position.  Then if you want to increase firepower go for another hellbore in the first position.

5) Tracking modules.  Get them.  No more than 2.

6) Fuel.  Usually no more than 1 hi-eff tank unless there's a special purpose mission where you plan to use more than that.  As an example in my speed game, I have 6 regular fuel tanks in my flagship setup.

So there are usually "bests" for each of the items, but it's all subjective depending on what you're doing at the time.

Flagship combat is dull, IMAO. Last time I beat this game, I had Fwiffo and *Pepper* do all the fighting.

Wouldn't know - I'm only about to upgrade to improved Ion Bolts now... but I really don't have anything better to take out Probes with (and don't tell me Spathi can do it, because they can't) and I'm really looking forward to adding 3 point defense (is that what you need to do 3 damage per strike?) and tracking systems and blowing away every Orz in the galaxy without taking a scratch...

Just because you dont know how to kill the probes with Fwiffo doesn't mean you cant learn.

You just need to fight... patiently.

'k... I have the original Star Control 2 PC version (not UQM) so maybe it's different for you... but for me, it's very simple: the Probe dodges 3 B.U.T.T missles (only 90% of the time when fully zoomed, 100% when not) then proceeds to ovetake you (as it's way faster then Fwiffo) and zap the living hell out of you. Then back to an asteroid, and repeat.

I do manage to get a 80% victory chance with the Fury, but it's fairly battered once I'm done...

Not different.  Evidently, we have a newb on our hands that needs to learn that you aren't doomed in any combination or matchup.  Spathi will work quite well if you practice it a bit and are patient.

Just because YOU can't do it doesn't mean it can't be done.

Though the only reason the Spathi can win is a bug in the AI. If it couldn't be incited to go into a bull-headed pursuit and then break off after taking damage, things would go just as he described.

If not using Fwiffo, the best way to deal with probes is to avoid them completely by maxing out thrusters. That's about it until you get tracking modules so you can pulp the thing in a single volley.

If you DO run into one unprepared, escape. You'll take damage but not as much as losing a ship or two. If you resent the idea, then use a cruiser. Face it, fire two missiles. If you're lucky, they'll connect. Then PDL your way to victory.

That said, the options are generally pretty poor early in the game.

*copynpaste from another post of mine*

fighting the probe with the spathi is relatively easy. just go in a strait line, if the probe turns to intercept you from the other direction, do a 180 just before he leaves the screen on the other side and hell slowly gain on you. when he starts to weave back and forth thats when you give him the butt torpedoes. the idea is to get him in range and keep him there, if for any reason you gain speed or he hits an asteroid hell change direction. we were giving the choice of recruiting the spathi for just that purpose. just think of all the earthling cruisers you'd waste trying to kill just one probe.

~DEFIANT

Yeah, you're in an excellent position to start calling people noobs. Xander must bow down to your whopping post count. :P

How you know little of people on this board?  I posted with this nick for almost 2 years + on this board now.  Only recently have I officially signed up for this account.  Want to tell me how many other posts I have on this board?  Oh and about my post count:  The board isn't too good about searching by author to find my first real post on here, but I did a quick search and found this one on screen #60:

http://uqm.stack.nl/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Gendiscuss;action=display;num=1039178720

That means screen #4 that existed on this iteration of YaBB out of 64 total right now has one of my posts on it.  So am I that much of a newb on this board?  Funny too is I see your nick back then too so I'm a bit surprised you don't know me after all this time.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I have more posts between my white print & orange print iterations than you do.

I never understand, why you all use the AI bug against the probes. In a way I see it like cheating.

The cruiser's nukes are actually more energy-damage efficient than the point defense. One nuclear launch takes 7 energy-units and does 4 damage, whereas one laser strike takes 2 energy-units and does 1 damage. So I only use the laser on 'special occasions'.

I'm not exactly sure what bug you're refering too, but I do know the AI is intentionally flawed in some places, because it would be unbeatable otherwise. (Think of an Utwig which always turns on its shields at the correct moment).

Tiberian, the trouble with using the nuke is that YOU WILL MISS. The advantage of the PDL is that YOU WILL HIT.

And anyway, if Captain Smith were a newb here but an oldb to SC, well, that would still make his comment sensible (if not very nice).

Oh, and I have to modify my comment about how to beat the probes:

Once you get the level 2 cannon (4 damage) and max maneuvering, it isn't too hard to beat the Slylandro with the flagship, based on the flagship's superior maneuvering (over cruisers) and firepower (over Fwiffo). That was just with a nose gun and no dynamos. Note that the spread gun would not have been in any way useful, since you need rapid fire and the ability to miss a few times. Triple shots means triple (double?) the battery drain -- yikes!

I wasn't bragging about my post count (89? Come on.), I was merely saying that the pot shouldn't call the kettle black. Now that you mention it though, I do remember seeing your nick around (for much more than 11 posts, at that) but that still doesn't give you a reason to start calling people "newbs", especially over something trivial.

I may as well state that in my opinion, post quality is much more important than post count. You could have someone with thousands of posts acting noobish, or someone with just a few who is very mature. Truthfully, I'm not really sure why I made that remark to begin with. I guess I felt like blowing of some steam, and decided I might as well do it in someone's defense. Anyway, no offense meant.

Yeah, I'm not taking offense.  Just was responding to "Yeah, you're in an excellent position to start calling people noobs. Xander must bow down to your whopping post count.".  The argument as I see it was being made that you were looking at my post count and maybe implying that I was a noob here (rather oldb here, and actually even OLDERb when it comes to UQM or SC2).

Perhaps I was blowing off some steam too, I guess after my experiences, it grates at me to see someone say that something can't be done within the game, especially after I know I've proven that wrong time after time (and mentioned several of them in my posts here), and then having my post count pointed out after being around here for a couple of years.  Basic message was good (if Xander practices, he can find a way to defeat the probes), the way it was said perhaps wasn't.

I'm not offended, I just hope Xander wasn't too offended.

I'm past the stage where probes are a problem, anyways... (though I solemnly swear that I'll find a way to perfect my licking technics until the Stinger is a Probe killing machine)

Where do you guys place the Ships guns? All three seems like overkill, but so far the back seems to work out better then the front...

And is the point defense system really worth it for anything other then Ur-Quan and Orz (and how many does it take to kill a marine in one zap?)?

Optimal location for guns is precisely one, in the second slot from the front.  That gives you a good firing angle that allows you to hit pretty much all the time with 2 or 3 tracking units.  The first slot and rear slot only fire one shot but uses as just much energy, and the third shot has trouble hitting with both bolts even with 3 tracking modules.

PDS isn't worth the slot it takes up, imho.

If you have a PDS, the Ur-Quan won't even launch their fighters, and the Orz won't launch marines.

Neat about the marines. Can it blow up the Orz howitzer shot (it only takes 1 damage, as I recall...) and does that mean the Orz are helpless against me? What shots in the game can be destroyed by the PDS, and how many does it take for each?

Woah!

Lets see here... As a general rule - the amount that they damage is the amount that it can take. (at least that is what I have seen)

So, it takes three PDL's for the orz's gun. Actually - Something tells me its the same for the marines.

6 for Ur-quan shot (one for fighters)

1 for Earthling missle

9 (?) for Kor-ah blade (flames arn't effected I don't think)

That is all that I know off the top of my head.... More later...

No number of PDL's will take out either Ur-Quan shot. I tried. I got clobbered.

Thanx for the correction - Your right..... I just finished loading up my entire ship with pld's and ten fuel.... boy, did I get nailed...