How to fly an Iron-Assed Adder

[Ranthe]

In a station hangar somewhere in the Eight, a pilot of repute noted in another conversation:

<wanders around hangar - lingers by the iron-assed Adder - shakes head, decides to take the Constrictor SE out for a spin>

Funny you should mention that - the ship in question must have belonged to a Jameson that I started up yesterday afternoon.

Having proven that it is in fact possible to make a decent game out of flying a slow-as-a-wet-week (albeit somewhat iron-assed) Anaconda, I suddenly had the notion to explore whether it was possible to iron-ass an Adder and what it would be like to fly it in combat. So I started a new Jameson by the name of "Commander Baldrick" at Lave, flew him and his Cobbie to Leesti, where I promptly traded the Cobbie in on a Griff Adder and proceeded to kit it out with as much weaponry and defences as I could. When it departed en route to Riedquat the extra energy unit and shield boosters produced some interesting results on climb-out, with the shields requiring several minutes to charge off the standard single energy bank... and the shields are 265 units each compared to a main energy reading of 85 units!

Witched into Riedquat, and it wasn't long before I had my first combat engagement. Because I'm used to flying the slow-as-treacle Atomic Annie I found that the heightened manoeuvrability of the Adder was very frustrating in terms of overshooting a target lock (even with SniperSight installed), but eventually I was able to achieve my first kill with the Adder's military laser! Sweet!

One thing I did notice though. Despite having no hostiles in scope, no battle damage and an (eventually) fully recharged main energy bank, the Adder was still at "Condition Red" all the way back to Riedquat station aegis. In fact, I couldn't even activate full-auto dock because the Adder still thought it was in a critical state even though everything else was clear. It must be something to do with the single Adder energy bank queering things up, maybe?

So far, this was a triumph. I'm making a note here: huge success

[cim]

It must be something to do with the single Adder energy bank queering things up, maybe?

Possibly, but there's an explicit exception in the code that says that ships with only one energy bank go to red alert when <0.8 energy banks left, not at <1.0 left. Can you remember what colour the full energy gauge was?

[Cody]

So far, this was a triumph. I'm making a note here: huge success

<grins> I like my purple, fully kitted-out Adder - I've even taken it into IS and survived. Its manoeuvrability is its main strength. Leafy converted his Adder to 5TC so he could fit a passenger compartment, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, as I recall. Whether his passengers enjoyed it is another matter, of course.

[Ranthe]

It must be something to do with the single Adder energy bank queering things up, maybe?

Possibly, but there's an explicit exception in the code that says that ships with only one energy bank go to red alert when <0.8 energy banks left, not at <1.0 left. Can you remember what colour the full energy gauge was?

I'm using the NumericHUD - the reading was "85" coming into the station, with shields at "256". The Adder currently has Extra Energy Unit and Shield Boosters.

After docking in Red condition, I launched again and was in Condition Yellow.

[cim]

I'm using the NumericHUD

That'll probably be it, then - the energy status flag checks currently rely on the energy gauge being displayed, so HUDs which take a very different approach to display may occasionally have strange behaviour.

[Cmd. Cheyd]

LOL...

Try a Broke Iron-Man Adder game, then call me.

For those unfamiliar, it's a Jameson start where you have zero cash, zero missiles, zero fuel, zero cargo (2TC possible), and an Adder. If you die, you delete the game and start over at with what I just described.

I just recently got my first commander started in this fashion far enough along to buy a new ship. He proudly graduated to a Cobra Mk I. (It's been 2 years of starts getting to various degrees of success before bravely dieing in a tiny Adder-sized fireball in the middle of the black.)

[Cody]

I just recently got my first commander started in this fashion far enough along to buy a new ship. He proudly graduated to a Cobra Mk I. (It's been 2 years of starts getting to various degrees of success before bravely dieing in a tiny Adder-sized fireball in the middle of the black.)

<applauds> That must have been deeply satisfying, Cheyd - right on!

[Yah-Ta-Hey]

"Try a Broke Iron-Man Adder game, then call me.

For those unfamiliar, it's a Jameson start where you have zero cash, zero missiles, zero fuel, zero cargo (2TC possible), and an Adder. If you die, you delete the game and start over at with what I just described."

Cmd Cheyd's choice for Masochist's game of the Year. Won this title in 2012, 2013, and 2014.


I am on the other end of the spectrum in terms of game play.

[UK_Eliter]

I enjoyed reading this thread, and thought I'd mention - for the slightly (well, considerably) less masochistic amongst you - my Super-Sidewinder.

The ship has only one missile slot (though that's one more than the original SideWinder) and a relatively modest four energy banks (depends what you are comparing it to), has a decent recharge rate (4.15), and is highly manoeuvrable (= slightly more so than the original Sidewinder, and faster). And it looks cool, even if I say so myself. It's not uber, in absolute terms, but it is (or at least 'super') compared to the ship it's based on.

[Geraldine]

Oooh I love the Sidewinder (favourite Elite ship), I will give the Super Sidewinder a try!

[UK_Eliter]

Oooh I love the Sidewinder (favourite Elite ship), I will give the Super Sidewinder a try!

Marvellous!

Is that an Archimedes in your picture, or, maybe, an Amiga?

[Geraldine]

Amiga A500+

[Hans Olo]

The Adder is an underestimated ship once it's got injectors, upgraded shields, and at least a beam laser. If only it had more laser mounts!