[Tritian]

Why? Looks like you guys already found your win button. They call it the freighter.

[Mickey_D]

Heh, mortars certainly take down the Gaurdian quick enough. Take a freighter through a heavy snail sector without an Antiflux if you don't believe me.

Yes, it would mean flying with two weapons loadouts (one installed, one in the hold) and handy POS's nearby, but it's certainly doable.



WTF am I thinking describing to a pirate how to kill me?!?!l

[Istanbul]

Originally Posted by Tritian

IMO, the tow should have NEVER been nerfed, and the freighter is WAY out of balance. Freighter is impossible to destroy, and now the tow is virtually worthless so all people fly the invulnerable freighter.

Using techniques such as gate hopping and nuking inanimate objects, a freighter pilot is basically invulnerable to a lone pirate. The huge shield recharges before any damage can be done to them if they jump back and forth between gates until help arrives. If that doesn't work, they can always nuke the gate and destroy virtually any target within a set radius. And since they have two nukes onboard, you could take out multiple pirates easily and collect lots of bounties.

The freighter is the only 'non-pvp' ship that can stand a chance of surviving a run in with a single pirate when loaded down. Any pirate worth his salt knows about nukes, or will pay attention to them after having gotten a lesson in them even once. Nukes don't explode instantaneously, and can't be fired while the frt is actually in the gate. If you want to pirate freighters maybe you should get a wingman...

@Mickey_D, we'd certainly welcome any of you in M E C

[Tritian]

Originally Posted by Istanbul

The freighter is the only 'non-pvp' ship that can stand a chance of surviving a run in with a single pirate when loaded down. Any pirate worth his salt knows about nukes, or will pay attention to them after having gotten a lesson in them even once. Nukes don't explode instantaneously, and can't be fired while the frt is actually in the gate. If you want to pirate freighters maybe you should get a wingman...

@Mickey_D, we'd certainly welcome any of you in M E C

Finding pirate wingman... LOL!!! It's hard enough to find a SINGLE pirate flying around in space. I'd say it's virtually impossible for two to be logged in at the same time, both willing to work together and take bounties.

Besides, non-combat ships should not be able to kill most pvp ships in most engagements. That's ridiculous. You get two nukes. One nuke is enough to kill most ships.

Here's a few strategies to try the moment you see the pirate/civripper:

1) FF to the next gate, jump and then get a small distance from the gate, turn around, and wait for said pirate to show up. When he jumps in, don't launch the nuke until you are sure he engages you and his invulnerability time wears off, and then nuke the gate. He'll die and you live. And if that pirate had a wingman, he'd be dead too. And if he wasn't dead, you have another nuke to try again.

2) If you are far from another gate and not too heavy, it might be better to simply fly towards a POS, beacon, or other large object. Chances are if your not near any gates, you will have a radar advantage head start. Simply hang out as close as you can to the large object and if the pirate tries to civrip you, nuke the object. Announce your location to squadmates or F5 and wait for help to arrive.

3) If you are heavy, and far from any gates, it might be better just to burn FF's for the next gate. Since your shield and armor are uber, chances are you'll make it to the next gate without much damage. As you approach the gate, if the pirate is foolish enough to follow you too close, just nuke the gate at full speed (FF's help) and then cut all engine/lay on the breaks. The nuke will fly ahead and hit the gate, often killing the pirate. If the pirate lives, perform option 1.

4) If you run out of nukes, just hop back and forth between a gate until help arrives. Even if the pirate is using ammo, it will take ages to kill you if you do this, if he even can kill you. You might also be able to simply dock at a public POS, providing you arent too heavy.

Oh, and here's some fun stats for you. A single nuke will bring a Guardian shield down to ~70% at point blank. it takes about ~25 seconds for that shield to recover that 30%. I've civripped tons of non-combat ships, but never a freighter. Never one. And not because I havent tried. Oh dear lord i've tried. Most I gave up on after trying for minutes, simply because I saw how futile it was. Several I was actually killed by.

Freighter is uber. Plain and simple. Just another one of the MANY reasons why our bounty/pirate system is so screwed up.

Some day someone, perhaps even lamer then me, might get the idea to use freighters in PvP. Sure, they arent manueverable and turn like ****... but all you'd need is to simply park the MT freighter right next to the gate and boom, you have an instant sanctuary. If your allies are badly damaged or trailing enemies, they could just FF to the gate, and the momment your friend jumped, you fire the nukes at the gate and kill all the enemies foolishly trailing him. If they dont follow, your friends can recharge their shields and come back, or even retreat.

[Algore]

Originally Posted by Tritian

Why? Looks like you guys already found your win button. They call it the freighter.

Let me get this one straight in my own mind.
Are you now saying that this weeks reason for Jumpgate dying is freighters?

Regards
Al

[Eraser55]

actually the first ship i cived after i started that Hyp privateer RP was a oct frig.. it did take 2-4 minutes because the frig was shooting back so i had to avoid his front side.

anyway, this was in primus point.. and no one came to his rescue:P hehe lazy octs..

well i regret i cived him cause i lost all my money.. and now i cant play rat:/

[dahalb]

Back when i was still active the freighter was used as an assault ship. Some of the RP missions required it. No they are not manouverable but with plasma and a stupid or non-observant fighter they can deal damage and withstand a sustained attack. Nukes became dangerous because it was an instant -30% to shields but they are/were still worthwhile considering. Just think about how successful InterOrka was against pirates. Even Vae Victis had problems with him.

[Lordopic]

Originally Posted by Tritian

Finding pirate wingman... LOL!!! It's hard enough to find a SINGLE pirate flying around in space. I'd say it's virtually impossible for two to be logged in at the same time, both willing to work together and take bounties.

Virtually, but not impossible

From our internal forum regarding pirate activates etc.

I was downed in outer lighthouse today by Riptarr and Riqhama. Its no big deal, just thought you should know about it.

After I went for the pod ride I reported on F5 that there were 2 Quant rats in OL. So it go’s on …..

The I was not me by the way.

Have to say though if a rat pods me in a Freighter he best be quick following me as I don’t stop if im hauling, then depending on what im hauling I either pay it or sod it lets go for a pod ride, as for the insight pirate I have a quick chat asking him to hurry it along.

[dailatron]

I know a better solution.

Lets get rid of the /give command, that way Tritian wont be forced to civ rip anyone any more thus saving him from having to be a victim of others unwillingness to interact with him, on his terms.

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by vorlon31

Look, Im not going to tell you how to do it but its no good crying because its too hard in reg space. Lifes hard, space life is harder, pirate space life even harder still. Then again, crime shouldn't pay should it or we'd all be rats running around space feeding off of other rats and who'd look after the roids then. Toughen up man and stop looking for win buttons.

He's not looking for a win button. He's looking to make things more interesting and fun for everyone involved. We're playing a game here, and right now playing a bad guy in the game is not fun. The whole point of playing a game is to have fun so if it isn't fun then people aren't going to play.

[Wild_Bill]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

He's not looking for a win button. He's looking to make things more interesting and fun for everyone involved. We're playing a game here, and right now playing a bad guy in the game is not fun. The whole point of playing a game is to have fun so if it isn't fun then people aren't going to play.

Sephiroth, I thank you. You have proven the exact point of every PvEer on the server! It's also not fun when some (insert inflamitory pronoun of choice) decides to ruin your day just because they can. And there's nothing really the non-combat pilot can do about a P.O.D. pirate/griefer unless he 1) has an escort; or 2) is flying a freighter with sufficient nukes. Word up dude, not all of us non-combat folks like to fly freighters.

No one, PvPer or PvEer enjoys seeing their efforts and their fun disrupted. POD demand, griefer or a bounty hunting civ, the result is the same. The difference here is choice. The PvPer can nearly always choose what role to play and when. The PvEer is pretty much at the mercy of those who's ability to do harm exceeds their morality to avoid causing harm to others.

I'm with dialatron on this. Take away the /give command and take away the griefer's RP that's shabbily hidden under the cloak of a P.O.D. pirate. If you want to help a noob or reward someone, do it with "TRADE" in-station.