Wait, another patch update snuck by me? Oh well, chance to take my Avenger Titan out to shake off the rust. Located Ghazi in a asteroid belt flying a Defender, strange for a VLRT. Asteroids can be tricky, best not to drift too much. I merged right into the slot and without much effort stayed there. Ghazi’s shields soon failed for a much too easy kill.
As I sauntered away Ghazi’s wingman flying a M50 intercepted me and despite my turn rate disadvantage a few shots on target was all she wrote.
For a starter ship the avenger is a strong contender in the lower ranks of bounty hunting.
Space Marshal Christoper Blair Wing Commander Privateers
It’s not often, if at all, that I get into the business of recommending a starter ship. There are probably tons of utube and tictok vids all vying to be your influencer when it comes to recommending your best cash outlay to get started.
And certainly, there are a large variety of starter ships to choose from. By far and away the easiest path to early success in Star Citizen is the vaunted role of a transporter. Here you can start out small running box missions to earn aUEC and stock your inventory with loot. In fact, the creds you earn selling excess loot gathered on these missions far exceeds the payments you will receive.
Once you’ve mastered the role of a transporter you can easily step into mercenary work. Tackle those underground bunker missions to collect “modified” armor and an array of more advanced weaponry.
The ship that best fits this game play is hands down the Avenger Titan.
With a size 4 nose weapon along with a size 3 weapon under each wing you will command enough fire power to take down the majority of the resistance you will meet, including medium sized ships like the Drake Cutlass. The cargo area is easily accessed and is ideal to load up all the road kill from the bunker missions for easy looting. It is one of the few ships that has two hatches. Upgrade the components and you can also use the ship for beginner bounty missions.
FEELING LUCKY? AVENGER TITAN STARTER PACK
For a limited time CIG is offering a feeling lucky 25% discount on the Avenger Titan making it one of least expensive options and by far the most versatile starter ship available. CIG is also adding a Gemini Sniper rifle plus a generous 20,00 starting UEC.
Never say never to box missions, you know, those tedious missions you run on your way to becoming “the” transporter.
CIG offered one last chance to mine a gold ticket for obtaining the legendary F8C Lightining so off I went to MicroTech to curry favor with Unified Distribution Management. On the very last run for Courier Status (lvl 3), and on the vary last loot crate – I found one!
Two other citizens had landed so I dropped everything, jumped in my STV and headed back to my ship to quickly dock with Port Tressler. No sooner than had I landed and exited my seat – 30K!
So I tested this beast out on a Tracker Beginner’s Permit Certification bounty(LTR) and it is easy to see why this ship is so special. Cole appeared to be the eyes in the sky for their op and while Cole’s eyes were glued on his radar my Lightning’s one two punch was lights out. A leisurely circle around and splash.
Space Marshal Christoper Blair Wing Commander Privateers
CIG media is chock full of employee testimonials proclaiming pride in a work product that exceeds the expectations of the current AAA genre. Employees are proud to polish their work to increase the quality and efficiency of each workflow. Indeed, there are some extraordinary events unfolding as the code base from Squadron 42 finds it way into the verse.
Master Modes
Based on currently available MM tuning it is unmistakable that the speed caps have impacted the ability of pilots to generate sufficient rotational accelerations to enable pilots to increase or decrease the distance between each other at a rate that allows pilots to execute a number of common maneuvers.
So pilots be forwarned, Master Modes is a FM on rails.
So, this is the best you can do?
ya know, ya know, ya know, physics, ya know, ya know, ya know, mathematics, ya know, ya know, ya know, …
The reviews of Master Modes(MM) are in. CIG is introducing a base line FM that eliminates the need for dog fighting skills similar to EVE Online. Some of Star Citizen’s newest citizens are delighted.
Frustration is directly palpable in the PVP community. As well as with those of us that take pride, having learned the basics so that we may enjoy the occasional thrill of PVP to break up reputation and other grinds. Basic piloting skills rule PVE.
The alarming consequences of MM, as is currently playable in Arena Commander is the elimination of the need for its citizens to acquire a piloting skill set. This is deliberate. When MM was introduced CIG very publicly committed to a company wide sign off. No game play was to be broken.
We are left to “draw the inference” that masters and blasters is CIG’s first attempt at establishing a non-flight combat based MMO.
Unrealized goals
The goals promised by MM have largely been unmet. Other than the new cone firing mechanic, the promise of reduced jousting and up close knife fighting and of an end to the light fighter meta are not to be found. Light fighter meta has been replace with interceptor meta. The FM has become more complicated and janky with the (re)introduction of an old concept, segmented flight modes(SCM/NAV): a net-loss. And for now, PVP has become a pure DPS battle with a terrible smell of RNG.
And we still have that nasty space drag. Seriously, space drag.
Of course we have seen game play shifts in the past. Sometimes with the goal of obtaining telemetry data. This could be a baseline non-combat patch. Despite the wrath of the PVP community, obtaining baseline telemetry should not turn into a smoke screen. We have seen that act before. Adding the flight combat back into the mix must come quickly.
This fork’s existence could be a baseline to address the console market which will need a radically different FM than found in PC realm.
Saving Master Mode
Critics believe, using sound engineering protocols that with a few changes MM can be saved. Aiming for the center is a neat trick, say wrt max SCM speeds? The throttle is the most effective speed mechanic, far surpassing the afterburner and boost mechanics. Truth be told, none of the cures for the ill(s) require MM but I suspect MM does provide a means to quickly re-balance the over 200 ships per their particular archetype. Some well thought out recommendations could very well save MM from itself.
Posits that speed is not nearly the burden that accelerations are have yet to be disproved. I was sorely chastised by others when I called out Sir Richard for the wholly absurd introduction to MM that claimed speed was the problem. So the gang nerfed the hell out of ship velocities and didn’t solve a damn thing. So much for sound engineering over marketing.
Progressing from the VLRT missions to LRT missions after each patch requires yet another re-certification from the Bounty Hunters Guild.
I finally got my hands on the Blade for my birthday and decided to run it through its paces. The canons on the Blade are bespoke, so you’ll need to get in close. Rolland didn’t provide much of a challenge as the blade easily merged on target and quickly eliminated him.
Both the Heartseeker and the Blade are easily over kills for completing both the VRLT and LRT bounty evaluation missions.
Space Marshal Christoper Blair Wing Commander Privateers
After clearing that first guild mission I returned to ArcCorp and 4 more certification missions hit the screen. Low on quantum fuel I quickly grabbed the BlacJac certification mission to locate Leslie Holstein on Wala.
Space Marshal Christoper Blair Wing Commander Privateers
While reputation gained in previous patches remains after a patch update, the mission tree resets. After flying to Hurston to work on my rep there and finding none, a sole permit certification mission from the Guild popped up on my screen. So off I went to restart my mission tree with a visit to Yela to locate Kane Yazawa.
Space Marshal Christoper Blair Wing Commander Privateers