Wow, convoying is actually fun!

Sun Mar 16, 2003 2:12 pm by Easy Rhino

I was trying to make ridiculous amounts of money in commodity trading, so I bought a Humpback. I was dismayed to learn how amazing unmaneuverable the Humpback is. Unlike some light freighters, it's not even feasible to try to dogfight in the humpy.

So, before heading through a particularly treacherous trade lane, I formed up with a Large Transport and three Startrackers/Starfliers flying escort. We got jumped by three bandits interrupting the trade lane. The three escorts peeled off to attack, while the transport (and me) kept going. And I got to finally use turret view effectively, and it turns out the enemy ships chasing you are really easy to blast with a turret. It was pretty freakin' fun, and I really got "into the feeling" of making a dangerous trade run.

However, during the fight, the transport surprisingly exploded, and as I was then breaking for the next trade lane, I noticed that one of the remaining escorts was *also* red to me along with the bandits. Then, when I landed, I noticed a "1" in the "Transports Killed" colum where there previously was a "0". I think I might have gotten a little carried away with the shooting. Oops.

Course, this just reaffirms my opinion that having convoy escort / cargo hauling random missions would be fun. Oh well, I still made af credits, so I can't complain *too* much.

ER

Sun Mar 16, 2003 2:28 pm by BridgeBoy

Hey, good idea......I never thought about Forming up with an NPC convoy.....it would sure simplify having to control your ship while in turret view. If you formed up with the other transports, they will, in essence, keep your frieghter on the task of escaping, while you can concentrate on shootings baddies with you turrets!

Sun Mar 16, 2003 4:30 pm by WhiteTiger

laughs!..good post. I once joined a formation of Corsiers and watched them take on Bounty Hunters which I am on good terms with also..and it was a lot of fun watching them shoot each other while I would just automatically trail the formation. I once joined in a 6 ship formation and got to safely watch a huge space battle!

Mon Mar 17, 2003 2:31 am by Easy Rhino

I've done that too tiger, following friendly/neutral patrols as they attack other friendly/neutral factions.

The funniest was the Helgoland station, between Rheinland and Kusari space. I was green to everybody, but the different factions (Kusari, Rheinland, Farmer's GMG, corporations) were all attacking each other. Even the trade lanes were shooting at the outpost. It was great

One thing about the NPC convoys is they won't rejoin a tradelane (at the next ring) if they get knocked out of it, they'll just continue along at cruise speed. Heck, one convoy I was with ended up diverting to a jump hole instead of the jump gate after it got attacked. (needless to say, I was very disappointed when I popped out the other side)

ER

Mon Mar 17, 2003 6:53 pm by Weadge

This is what makes this game so great. Hearing these stories and living some of my own. Sure it's not a perfect space/trade sim but I say it's easily the most fun I've had in a long time. I never spend more than a few hours playing one game and last night I spent 5 hours straight! The story is drawing me in big time and the desire to see just one more new sector is making this game really hard to put down.

Oon-tee-dee!

Mon Mar 17, 2003 9:04 pm by Ether Dragon

Yep, if I'm going through a dangerous trade lane, I'll wait for a passing convoy and tow along. That way, if the trade lane gets disrupted, I'll have some friendly folk around to fight back and share the lumps.

Mon Mar 17, 2003 9:37 pm by NukeIt

It's always more fun to play with a group...my first day online, I bought myself a defender, stocked it with junkers and xenos stuff, and decided to join up with a trade run...it was me, one other defender, and a rhino. We did a run from manhattan all the way out to sapporo station in hokkaido, with the fighters formed on the transport. We finally parted back in New York when we had a disagreement over where we should dump our H-fuel.

It's SAFER in a group, too...anyone else notice that enemies shoot at groups a lot less than individuals? There were lots of high-level enemies on the way out to hokkaido, but all three of us lived with minor hull damage...Whereas, when I tried the same run alone in a Pirahna, I almost got killed by a smaller number of baddies.

Reaper: $200,000,000.
Rockets: $100,000
The look on that pilot's face when you launch a full pod of screamers up his tailpipe: priceless

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