Anaconda Blues

[Cody]

Speaking of which, I am so far pretty terrible with the rear laser. I don't have a joystick or particularly want to buy one... am I doomed as a keyboard monkey?

There is a knack to using the keyboard. I use a 'stick, but I can use the keyboard. Have you tried mouse control?

[fronclynne]

I don't think all the practice in the World will help when you fly an Anaconda. A dogfighter it is not!

A military laser and a steady hand, & 90% of pirates will be toast before they get close enough to hit you.

And you've got seven pylons. Load them with HardHeads and scare the other 10% away.

Injectors & a qbomb in case you meet a thargoid or two, too.

[Capt. Murphy]

Speaking of which, I am so far pretty terrible with the rear laser. I don't have a joystick or particularly want to buy one... am I doomed as a keyboard monkey?

There is a knack to using the keyboard. I use a 'stick, but I can use the keyboard. Have you tried mouse control?

Rear laser is fairly easy to pick up with a combo of mouse control and keyboard yaw.

[Cody]

Rear laser is fairly easy to pick up with a combo of mouse control and keyboard yaw.

Yeah, in combination with the yaw, you'll soon get the 'knack'.

[Commander McLane]

Speaking of which, I am so far pretty terrible with the rear laser. I don't have a joystick or particularly want to buy one... am I doomed as a keyboard monkey?

Not at all. I have never used anything but the keyboard controls since 1985.

But I still miss more frequently with the rear laser. Partly this has to do with the fact that my front and rear laser have different parallaxes, therefore the aiming point changes between front and rear view.

[Agis Silverfish]

Just a minute to tell you that I have put your tips into good use. Yesterday I finally could deliver my first cargo - I was flying a Naga. I was surprised to find myself surviving multiple jumps. Now I realise that I had been flying the Anaconda as if it were a giant fighter.

Now the problem is that I am starting a new clean game (no cheats this time) and I'm trying to be an honest trader. Boy, that's not easy at all! I am thinking of cheating a bit and start with a Python. Or something like that, a Josher or a Porcupine...

[snork]

This is one of the side-effects of "cheating" (however you define that) : the next time it is harder to resist. *

Really, to me the restrictions of a game, by not-"cheating" around them add as much (or even more) to the game experience and fun, as the - öhm - other parts of the game.

Restricting myself to "safe systems" only, because I flew a horribly restricted ship, with all that time passing, mounted up immense desire for, and then immense "happiness" when I could finally, finally, switch ships.

But maybe this slow progression is not for everyone to enjoy.
I just want to assure you that "non-cheating" does have a rewarding side.
--------------------------------

* it is the same for me with looking up words in a dictionary - once I start doing that, it may grow into looking up things too often to keep a reading-flow and subsequently immersion (or staying focused, still understanding for non-fiction)

[Agis Silverfish]

Really, to me the restrictions of a game, by not-"cheating" around them add as much (or even more) to the game experience and fun, as the - öhm - other parts of the game.

Thank you, I understand that. I really respect the achievements of those who start with a humble ship and start scratching credits one by one. However, I want to play as a trader/carrier and I need the ship to do that. I've decided to start with a Python and then try to buy an Anaconda. Clearly a Python is not a better ship than a Cobra Mk III. I'm undercheating. It only carries more cargo, and that's what I want. I might get the Docking Computers for out-of-game time reasons and a few credits and that's all. It's not cheating, it's... 'modding'.

The beauty of the game is that you can do anything.

[Commander McLane]

I really respect the achievements of those who start with a humble ship and start scratching credits one by one.

However, the Cobra III is not a humble ship by any means. It's by far the best in the original set.

[Agis Silverfish]

However, the Cobra III is not a humble ship by any means. It's by far the best in the original set.

I absolutely agree, but the standard model only packs a pulse laser. If you can survive with that, you're clearly a better man than me.

[Smivs]

I absolutely agree, but the standard model only packs a pulse laser. If you can survive with that, you're clearly a better man than me.

I took out three pirates with my pulse laser on only my second run
The fourth one killed me

[Switeck]

I really respect the achievements of those who start with a humble ship and start scratching credits one by one.

However, the Cobra III is not a humble ship by any means. It's by far the best in the original set.

But I guess you're not considering the Boa 2 Cruiser among the original set. It's slower than the Cobra 3, but still slightly faster than stuff like Morays, Fer de Lances, and Kraits...and almost as fast as a Mamba.

It doesn't have the cargo capacity of an Anaconda, but for regular station-to-station trading you can still clear them out of everything that matters.

[Commander McLane]

However, the Cobra III is not a humble ship by any means. It's by far the best in the original set.

I absolutely agree, but the standard model only packs a pulse laser. If you can survive with that, you're clearly a better man than me.

Just for fun I started a new Jameson yesterday. I sold my missiles for some extra cash, so I could buy a little more merchandize for my first trip to Zaonce. Right at the witchpoint I met two police Dumas in pursuit of a pirate Python. As it happens they're just a tad slower than a Cobbie III, so I could easily join them. The only disadvantage of my pulse laser was its limited range, so it took quite a while until I came into firing range of the fleeing Python. One shot from my laser convinced it to turn around and fight. I let the Dumas beat down its shields and energy and landed the final hit. A nice 93Cr-bounty almost doubled my initial capital in just an instant. A shame that I didn't even have fuel scoops yet. But still, making my way through a nearby asteroid field brought my balance to about 109Cr even before I docked. After selling my cargo (partly at a Salvage Gang where they paid better for liquor, and had some metals on route to the main station) it jumped to over 370 (and I had my first kill). Not bad for a very first flight.

All of this in a standard Cobra III without any equipment at all.

[DeathKnyte]

I'm no expert with an Anaconda, but I have flown one semi-successfully. ( I tried starting a new career as an an "Assassin" with it, just to see if it could be done - that did not work out well, hence the "semi" part.)



First of all; don't "cheat". Where is the reward in that?
You are really just cheating yourself from the satisfaction of overcoming a challenge, and feeling the gratification of earning what you accomplished.


Here are things that worked (helped) when I was using one:

- She's expensive. Do not purchase one unless you can also afford to outfit her completely (shield boosters, witchfuel injectors, extra energy unit, beer cooler - of course, etc.). Also, don't buy a 'Conda at a station with a low tech level. Wait till you're at one of level 12 or better.

- You are not a dog-fighting, cookie cutter, destruction machine!

- Plan your routes. Get the advanced navigational array, learn how to use it. Avoid the obvious anarchy, feudal, multi-government systems. Careful about confederacies, even though the game readme says they're in the safer range, they often are rife with pirate packs.

- Learn to lean on the "I" key. Even at full injection power, you are slow, so you'll be using lots of witchfuel. If you are going to use most of your witchfuel jumping to a system - is there another route which you could take that will allow you to arrive with more in your tank?

- If you have already flown and contracted with a Boa Class Cruiser, you'll have to figure three times (3x) longer for "in system" lingering (refueling, fighting, traveling, repairs, maintenance, etc), with a 'Conda. If you are not upgrading from a BCC, then figure one hour per system jump for any stop over type of activity, with the 'Conda.

- You are not a dog-fighting, cookie cutter, destruction machine!

- There is a game glitch with the side lasers on the Anaconda. They do not fire like any other ship I have tried. The sights are off center for some reason. I couldn't even hit an asteroid from 500 meters. (This was the principal reason I gave up perusing my assassin career with it.)

- If you do not have Deep Space Pirates oxp installed, by all means - get out of the space lanes and travel most of your route "in the void". If it is installed, and you want to sun skim - learn how to use your aft laser.

- Install the Hired guns oxp. I know you need to be Average, but by the time you can afford to buy a 'Conda, that shouldn't be a problem to achieve while with the (starting ship) Cobra Mk. III. Try and plan your route(s) so that you start multi-system hopping from a tech level 12 and higher. Sun-skim all along the journey. You then get to keep your escort all the time until you enter the aegis of a destination system (I once had two retired viper interceptors escort me over 30 systems.).

- You are not a dog-fighting, cookie cutter, destruction machine!

- While in the space lanes, you can sometimes trick other ships to assist you; fly very close behind (under, over, whichever is between you and the potential bandits) an already escorted trader, fly near police ships, closely maneuver around Rock Hermits, Seedy Space Bars, etc.

- Do not start a fight - unless you are absolutely certain you will win - and win very, very, very quickly.

- You can have 7 missiles, with the special memory thing, I think. Anyways, I seem to remember I could carry five. Only install ECM hardened ones, and use them on the most serious threats - before they become serious threats. You do not need to be pointed at the target with them. Just have to have a target lock, which can be achieved from any of the four viewing screens.

- You are not a dog-fighting, cookie cutter, destruction machine!

- She can carry a lot of cargo, empty entire stations for several systems. Buy and sell shrewdly, carry extras for contract obligations (in case you lose some through combat attrition). Extra tonnage can be used for passengers (I had ten, which meant 50 tons).

- Install UPS Currier oxp. I know you're slow with a 'Conda, but that oxp has very long "urgent" delivery times (I never failed one). These also go towards augmenting your regular cargo standing.

- If you really like the trading game, and I figure you do with a 'Conda - install New Cargoes oxp. That really helps to bring in some credits if you put in a little thought and effort - plus you get to attend auctions (!).

- You are not a dog-fighting, cookie cutter, destruction machine!

- When you get good with her, do not try to become an assassin.



Hope that helps.

[Commander McLane]

There is a game glitch with the side lasers on the Anaconda. They do not fire like any other ship I have tried. The sights are off center for some reason. I couldn't even hit an asteroid from 500 meters. (This was the principal reason I gave up perusing my assassin career with it.)

That's not a glitch. It's called [wp]parallax[/wp], and it's there for every ship in the game. The laser position is different from the view position, for the Anaconda side lasers just some more than for other ships, because the Anaconda is longer.