Ohhh... doh! The mercury is useful to trade with - once you get the controls going it would be fine.
The Mako is an okay M4, but fighting may prove tough. The best thing I can recommend is a strafe drive, but knowing just how little of the universe you already know... it may take some exploring to find stuff.
Unless of course you visit the best X2 resources site on the net - the
Argonopedia.... Now that is one informative site! Check out sectors, weapons etc for all the useful info.
Combat can be tough, some things you will need include to turn on your "trailing" site - which you may have already done. Its toggled with the K key I think it was - two blue dashes (or red, forgotten colour) is the best setting (keep pressing button looking at Hud, you'll spot what I mean as they come on!).
The next big thing for you would be a strafe drive. These suckers are expensive when you first start out, but by christ - strafe means
strafe . The 'pedia' will show which equip stations sell em (I think its split, but not sure - maybe boron, dunno - forgot!). Its either the right hand ctrl or alt button - hold it down, and move the mouse up/down/left/right - the more you move it whilst holding it down - the more strafe you'll get! Its
very useful, nay - necessary - to dodge incoming fire effectively. Get on someones butt and then shoot em - if they have a turret and start firing - strafe out the way whilst keeping on shooting them. You can strafe in circles to make them miss near constantly.
A ship with a rear turret is also a good choice (for future ref) - because you can set the turret command to act as "missile defence" (as long as you have bought combat controls, if you don't have a rear turret - then don't bother with these to be honest!). They will shoot down incoming missiles, arm it with a light weapon - or heavy if you prefer (it will suck energy if you put on the best, but then again, it can also kill ships if powerful enough). Ships that can mount a PSG on a rear turret are awesome - they kill ships really easily (and missiles). Sadly, PSG's have a huge fire radius - so you will piss off ALOT of locals.
For a player ship, apart from the trading extension - you won't need the software for trading (as in trading Mk I) because your flying it, or combat Mk I or II unless you have a turret. You only need these for your ships you
don't fly, as those software will enable commands to make em trade for you
.
Speed extensions are a must, very useful (as are handling). Don't plonk all your cash on them though, because you may not be in that Mako long enough - that I can garuntee!
Cargo extensions - only buy on fighters if you intend to do the odd trading mission/cargo carrying mission, don't bother on cargo ships because it can cost half a mil to max out the cargo bay - which just isn't worth it. Cheap dolphins are the best - they are slowish (126 max speed) but only take a few upgrades to make them that quick. They come with 2k cargo space though - loadsa money!
Quick tip on docking - hit Esc when you fly through the main dock entrance and the door opens inside to say "the <gove name here> welcomes you aboard" it makes you appear inside the docking bays instantly - no flying around. I usually use my Nav software to dock for me - because you can do it on SETA (so making it lightning quick instead of poncing around in space - time is money!).
Taking on M5's should be okay (smallest fighters) or other M4's once you get used to fighting. Unless you are skilled, forget taking on M3's - they have between 50-75k shields, and your weapons just won't make any damage in a Mako.
You may actually be better off trying to capture a pirates Bayamon, as a Bayamon can mount ION D's!!!
Why? Because although the bayamon has small shields, its fast, nimble - and best yet - mounts awesome firepower. The Ion cannons take down shields on ships in seconds (may also harm friendly ships as its "lighting" and jumps all over the place, so be careful). Swap the guns out and use a laser or something to take down the hull. Quick killing
Note on
capturing ships (excellent source of income) - its been found that if you damage a ships hull to just 87% (or below), then (as long as its a fighter) you can keep taking their shields down with Ions, eventually they will "bail", and leave you a ship. Unfort the ions may also fry off any weapons/shields they may have had on board, but still - ships cost alot when you first start out. With a Mako you'll have a hard time trying to capture anything to be honest, but a bayamon (with pratice) will have you capping M3's - but you MUST have that strafe drive! Pirate ships - including their rather lame M3 are excellent ships to cap (especially their M3!), as they can be sold and are in plentiful supply. Just take your time - it may take 5 mins to catch one, but once you get that M3 (worth around 400k if in good condition), you can make bucks FAST!
If you buy/capture a new ship - swap the equipment across to your new ship. You can do this by being docked at the same station, then going into the sector map, select the station, select docked ships, select your old ship - and then "transfer cargo".
You may also be able to transfer cargo from the normal "docked" screen - but its been so long since I flew my ships I can't remember if you can (I sit wayyyy out in another sector onboard my capship, and direct my 250+ TS and 80+ stations at distance, hence why I am having trouble remembering how to do things
).
Holy moly, I am dribbling on a bit! My suggestion, strafe drive - then try and cap a Bayamon (be careful, always save regularly and ensure your "autosave when docking" is enabled - its INVALUABLE!). You may die a few times, and mind they don't ram you!
Once done, get an Ion or two on that bayamon (with two other hull damaging weapons on the other two slots), mount its max shield size (buy 5k's down in Elena's Fortune), and get capping pirate ships. Flog em, or use em (but upgrade their speed if you do) as cargo ships.
When you have cargo ships, buy full speed upgrades - but NOT hull (its too expensive to do cargo upgrades). Buy nav and trade software and then set em to trading around a bit. Using navsats in sectors, you can find silicon mines that are nearly full (so dead cheap to buy), and there is always somewhere buying for near max price within 5 jumps. You can make a fortune (around 80k+) in profit if you find this. If you don't buy a station (recommend Solar Power Plant as first, second and third stations in different sectors), then when you
do get enough money - I would suggest either a mercury of dolphin - FULLY LOADED. Yeah, it will cost 750k at least, but thats not the half of it. Buy Mk III trading software (500k), full upgrades for speed and manouverablity, a weak turret on the rear (for defence) with full trading, navigation and combat software. Now set it to a sector trader (best is split capital system, it is quick to level
. Once it hits level 8 you want to plonk a jumpdrive in it (buyable at Goner base or Home of Light's Terracorp headquarters). Then set it to universe trader. One of mine has made around 70million credits in 5-10 playing days. I now have 14, and they make more money per hour than my 80 stations!!! They do cost nearly 2mil to set up though... but once they are off, they will buy their own drones for defence (they need them), and take care of themselves.
Stick with your Bayamon if you get one, if not - the next fighter you should buy is the Argon M3 (Nova) - it is perfect, and cap easily whoop many a ship (it mounts ions to, and has a turret).
The best weapons are PSG's - phase shockwave generators - but they are indiscriminate (they fire a kinda visible shockwave - which "radiates" out in circles infront of you for a massive hit area - and if anything is infront of you about 1k away, it will get hit - including friendlys). The PSG's are by far the most deadly weapons, you can take down M2's with an M6 no sweat. Pirate ships can mount one on their rear turret, so be careful - because if you meet one - you'll be toast (its very rare).
Now I will shut up, I've written another 1000 words...
Thu Sep 29, 2005 2:28 am 