Which is *your* favourite Cobra variant, and why?

[lohwengk]

To all Cobra pilots out there, which is your favourite Cobra variant, and why? I'm at the stage where I need to upgrade my basic but iron-assed Cobra to something with better performance. I've been getting outnumbered by pirates with lasers that seem to slice through my shields (shield booster, military shield and iron hide armour) in moments. Sometimes I can't even run away with injectors before they cut me down. I'm running the Random Hits OXP, and I want to continue with it.

After much effort, I have enough moolah to upgrade to an Asp Mk 2, but then I thought, why not stick to a Cobra?

So far, I know of these variants:

• DW Cobra (same as the basic Cobra Mk 3)
• Solid Gold Cobra (same as the basic Cobra Mk 3)
• Cobra Rapier
• Cobra AC (no military shields)
• Cobra NJX Blue
• Cobra NJX Black (same as the Cobra NJX Blue)
• Cobra NJX Red
• Cobra Commodore
• Chopped Cobra
• Cobra ShieldTail
• Cobra Phaze
• Cobra Courier
• Cobra Courier SE
• Cobra Clipper
• Cobra Clix (is this the Cobra Clipper SAR?)
• SuperCobra (out of my budget right now)

Did I miss any other variant?

The best is, no doubt, the SuperCobra, followed by the ShieldTail/Phaze. But all three of these are way out of my budget.

The best of those within my budget seem to be the NJX Red and Commodore. I'll even have enough left over to iron ass the ship. But what do those of you with more experience think?

[CheeseRedux]

Did I miss any other variant?

Cobra MkIV from Isis Interstellar.

[Fatleaf]

Or you could be really radical and upgrade to a real hunters ship like the Caduceus Alpha and then the Omega. If your career is going to be bounty hunting then four energy banks is going to be a bit tough. You could get [wiki]Automatic_Chaff_System[/wiki] which is a godsend against hard heads albeit it's a bit buggy. Then you have [wiki]Energy_Equipment_OXP[/wiki] which is expensive but at times is the difference between victory and escape pod, I have the internal unit installed and keep one in the pylons. Try to save scooped combat drones for a real barny, they prove to be a distraction but little else in my view. But the biggest plus is the ability to serve up a proper broadside in true naval fashion. Combine that with [wiki]Target_Autolock_OXP[/wiki], so while your lasering one pirate with the front gun your turrets are firing on another. Then switch to your rear cannon and blast the blighter thats up yer aft to... well you get the idea. With targets that take more than one full salvo of military laser, close the gap to about 5k, stop turn to give them the broadside and open up with the side gun as well (Good for ships that usually turn tail and run as you can get them before they do). Add a little Naval Energy Grid and your ready to take on any foe. But don't feel too invincible as you can still die very quickly if you get cocky.

That's if you want an uber ship that is. Did you include the purple haze? But if a super cobra is beyond budget then this will too. So the point of my prattle...? Good question!

[Ganelon]

I've tried some of the variants, but always went back to the MKIII. I fly a Griff version, the older "scuffed" one that isn't multi-decal, just because I like how it looks. But so far as I'm aware, that variant is only a cosmetic change from the same Cobra MKIII as the "strict" version of the game so far as it's specs.

Looking at your problem, it may not be the ship. Depends on how long you've been playing the game. Random Hits can be a bit challenging, depending on the level of opponent/contract you're doing it at. The "vengeance strikes" by the family or friends of people you've offed is part of that, so being outnumbered sometimes is pretty normal.

No offence intended if you're an old hand, but a little advice on fighting. If you're outnumbered by pirates with lasers, they "should" be able to slice right through your shields if you give them the chance. That's just a point of realism. Now, if you're injectoring straight away from them, trying to just outrun them.. Well, you don't fly faster than a laser. LOL If you fly in a straight path, it makes you an easy target, and once they have a bead on you, you're easy to cut down.

You want to fly evasively, while trying to get the drop on your opponents or get away from them. "Jinking" is making unpredictable little swerves while flying. Don't want to turn all the way around or anything, but something to keep your flight path from being a nice predictable straight line that's easy to shoot.

Now, have you maybe ever tried to shoot an incoming hardhead missile with your rear laser? It's hard to hit, because it comes in on a spiral course at you. You can do that too! I'm not sure exactly why, but the AI seems to be baffled more by roll moves than simple yaw/pitch moves. Might be because all 3 coordinates for your ship are changing rapidly in roll or spiral type manoeuvres. But the "why" doesn't matter so much, so long as it seems to work.

Now, some folks prefer to stay at a distance and pick off opponents before they actually actively come after you with careful longshots with the laser. Military laser has good range for that. But if you get jumped and they're coming in after you, that's no longer an option. My usual solution is to force an actual dogfight. Get in close, close enough that their collision avoidance starts kicking in and they start sort of wildly weaving all over to shake you off their tail. Slow down to match their speed, since it sucks to lose the fight by rear-ending your opponent's ship. LOL Then keep right on their tail, trying to follow every turn they make. That will make you really hard for their buddies to shoot, and every time you get the ship you're chasing in your sights, give it a short burst of laser. Eventually, that one will explode and you can pick the next nearest and dog after him/her, keeping tight on their "six" and cutting pieces off every time you get a good clear shot at their tail.

I've taken down some good sized groups of opponents that way, without using a single missile and without taking much damage. But if you're outnumbered, and it *might* be a bit more than you can handle all at once, sending a hardhead missile off after one or two of them will give them something to think about other than you for a bit while you even up the odds some.

Use your injectors in short bursts every time the opponent you're dogging at the moment turns in a way you didn't expect and gets a little ways away from you. Close that distance up fast, because if he's running from you and trying to avoid a collision, he isn't shooting at you. This "method" also allows you to really enjoy the graphics quality as seen in the details of your opponent's ship as you slice it to ribbons a bit at a time.

When you opponent's hull pops, don't spend too long enjoying the show of the explosion. Especially not if you're on your injectors at the moment. Running into the debris, cargo and etc from his ship can damage you just like a laser hit or a missile, and it sucks to get killed by the junk just a couple seconds after you actually won the fight. LOL I've done that little error more than a few times.

What I'm saying is the Cobra is a nice little ship and does usually handle fights well, especially when "iron assed" a bit. But when you're outnumbered, outgunned, or are up against something faster, then some "fancy flying" is in order. It's where the fun is.

[Thargoid]

So the point of my prattle...? Good question!

Your commission cheque from the Aquarian Shipbuilding Corp is in the hyper-post...

[lohwengk]

Did I miss any other variant?

Cobra MkIV from Isis Interstellar.

Ooooh, nice! Especially because the Black Cobra IV looks a bit under-priced for its stats

[Selezen]

My favourite by a mile is the Griff Cobra - just looking at that beast makes parts of me move that haven't moved in years.

I have to cheekily admit to having a soft spot for the Cobra NjX Black - it's my favourite texture out of all the texturing jobs I've done, and I do like the model too. I'm quite proud of that one, actually.

[lohwengk]

Or you could be really radical and upgrade to a real hunters ship like the Caduceus Alpha and then the Omega. If your career is going to be bounty hunting then four energy banks is going to be a bit tough. You could get [wiki]Automatic_Chaff_System[/wiki] which is a godsend against hard heads albeit it's a bit buggy.

It's buggy? It works well enough for me.

Then you have [wiki]Energy_Equipment_OXP[/wiki] which is expensive but at times is the difference between victory and escape pod, I have the internal unit installed and keep one in the pylons. Try to save scooped combat drones for a real barny, they prove to be a distraction but little else in my view.

I had one for a while, but tossed it aside when it did not seem to help. Then I encountered one in a battle - the pirate used it against me and it caused me a lot of trouble. Well, together with all his other buddies, anyway. So I'm trying it out again.

But the biggest plus is the ability to serve up a proper broadside in true naval fashion. Combine that with [wiki]Target_Autolock_OXP[/wiki], so while your lasering one pirate with the front gun your turrets are firing on another.

Ah! So that's when the Target Autolock really comes into its own, eh? I have it, it doesn't always work, and it's distracting as heck when it suddenly switches the red box to another target.

Then switch to your rear cannon and blast the blighter thats up yer aft to... well you get the idea. With targets that take more than one full salvo of military laser, close the gap to about 5k, stop turn to give them the broadside and open up with the side gun as well (Good for ships that usually turn tail and run as you can get them before they do). Add a little Naval Energy Grid and your ready to take on any foe. But don't feel too invincible as you can still die very quickly if you get cocky.

Before I buy the Naval Energy Grid, I need to get the Naval Energy Unit.

That's if you want an uber ship that is. Did you include the purple haze?

Oops! I think that's the Cobra Phaze.

I don't need a uber ship. But it is pretty fun to try out all the shiny bells and whistles, you know, all those different ships and especially all those stuff in OXPs like Armoury or Bombs and Missiles.

But if a super cobra is beyond budget then this will too. So the point of my prattle...? Good question!

[lohwengk]

I've tried some of the variants, but always went back to the MKIII. I fly a Griff version, the older "scuffed" one that isn't multi-decal, just because I like how it looks. But so far as I'm aware, that variant is only a cosmetic change from the same Cobra MKIII as the "strict" version of the game so far as it's specs.

Looking at your problem, it may not be the ship. Depends on how long you've been playing the game. Random Hits can be a bit challenging, depending on the level of opponent/contract you're doing it at. The "vengeance strikes" by the family or friends of people you've offed is part of that, so being outnumbered sometimes is pretty normal.

Oh no, the problem is not the ship, it's me. I just suck at combat, especially because I can't make fine movements with my keyboard and I can't get the hang of flying and shooting with the mouse. But part of the fun of playing Oolite is the combat, so I do need to find a ship that let's me do that. I'm looking for a ship that let's me keep just ahead of the curve, without going too uber too fast.

I also like the trading parts of Oolite. For that, I have a different commander (currently flying a Python) who tends to avoid combat.

No offence intended if you're an old hand, but a little advice on fighting. If you're outnumbered by pirates with lasers, they "should" be able to slice right through your shields if you give them the chance. That's just a point of realism. Now, if you're injectoring straight away from them, trying to just outrun them.. Well, you don't fly faster than a laser. LOL If you fly in a straight path, it makes you an easy target, and once they have a bead on you, you're easy to cut down.

I'll take all the advice I can get. Unfortunately, it's the implementation that's the problem, especially in the heat of battle.

You want to fly evasively, while trying to get the drop on your opponents or get away from them. "Jinking" is making unpredictable little swerves while flying. Don't want to turn all the way around or anything, but something to keep your flight path from being a nice predictable straight line that's easy to shoot.

I'll have to try and remember to do that the next time I'm running away. I usually just hit the injectors then try to figure out which direction is away from them all. Sometimes, it doesn't work

Now, have you maybe ever tried to shoot an incoming hardhead missile with your rear laser? It's hard to hit, because it comes in on a spiral course at you. You can do that too! I'm not sure exactly why, but the AI seems to be baffled more by roll moves than simple yaw/pitch moves. Might be because all 3 coordinates for your ship are changing rapidly in roll or spiral type manoeuvres. But the "why" doesn't matter so much, so long as it seems to work.

Interesting, so I should try to perform some kind of barrel roll, huh? I'll try, but sometimes my keyboard won't let me do that. Either that or I suck.

Now, some folks prefer to stay at a distance and pick off opponents before they actually actively come after you with careful longshots with the laser. Military laser has good range for that.

I often try that. But I normally only kill one before my laser overheats.

But if you get jumped and they're coming in after you, that's no longer an option. My usual solution is to force an actual dogfight. Get in close, close enough that their collision avoidance starts kicking in and they start sort of wildly weaving all over to shake you off their tail. Slow down to match their speed, since it sucks to lose the fight by rear-ending your opponent's ship. LOL Then keep right on their tail, trying to follow every turn they make. That will make you really hard for their buddies to shoot, and every time you get the ship you're chasing in your sights, give it a short burst of laser. Eventually, that one will explode and you can pick the next nearest and dog after him/her, keeping tight on their "six" and cutting pieces off every time you get a good clear shot at their tail.

Yes, I do that, too. Sometimes I even win. But when the odds are 4 to 1 or worse ...

I've taken down some good sized groups of opponents that way, without using a single missile and without taking much damage. But if you're outnumbered, and it *might* be a bit more than you can handle all at once, sending a hardhead missile off after one or two of them will give them something to think about other than you for a bit while you even up the odds some.

Use your injectors in short bursts every time the opponent you're dogging at the moment turns in a way you didn't expect and gets a little ways away from you. Close that distance up fast, because if he's running from you and trying to avoid a collision, he isn't shooting at you. This "method" also allows you to really enjoy the graphics quality as seen in the details of your opponent's ship as you slice it to ribbons a bit at a time.

When you opponent's hull pops, don't spend too long enjoying the show of the explosion. Especially not if you're on your injectors at the moment. Running into the debris, cargo and etc from his ship can damage you just like a laser hit or a missile, and it sucks to get killed by the junk just a couple seconds after you actually won the fight. LOL I've done that little error more than a few times.

What I'm saying is the Cobra is a nice little ship and does usually handle fights well, especially when "iron assed" a bit. But when you're outnumbered, outgunned, or are up against something faster, then some "fancy flying" is in order. It's where the fun is.

Mmm, yes. That's why I don't want to give up the combat part of Oolite. I don't need to master it, just become good enough to be able to enjoy the game more.

[Fatleaf]

It's buggy? It works well enough for me.

Have you noticed most of the time when you get refills your credits go UP! Also once you have used up all 25 it keeps on working into the negative.

I have it, it doesn't always work, and it's distracting as heck when it suddenly switches the red box to another target.

??? In what way does in not work? It only switches target once you have destroyed your current painted target and another hostile shoots you, or a hardhead gets lobbed your way. Or at least that is how it works for me.

But it is pretty fun to try out all the shiny bells and whistles, you know, all those different ships and especially all those stuff in OXPs like Armoury or Bombs and Missiles.

Here here!

So the point of my prattle...? Good question!

[lohwengk]

It's buggy? It works well enough for me.

Have you noticed most of the time when you get refills your credits go UP! Also once you have used up all 25 it keeps on working into the negative.

Ah! I see. I never used up all 25 before. I usually refill it around the 1/3 mark. As for the credits going up, I never noticed it.

The Anti-Missile System also seems to have a similar problem. It sometimes resets your full load of darts back up to 6 on its own. I wonder if the manual Chaff Dispenser has the same issue?

I have it, it doesn't always work, and it's distracting as heck when it suddenly switches the red box to another target.

??? In what way does in not work? It only switches target once you have destroyed your current painted target and another hostile shoots you, or a hardhead gets lobbed your way. Or at least that is how it works for me.

The last few times I was attacked, the Target Autolock did not automatically target my first attacker. It did seem to work after that, though. And I'll admit that it seemed to work OK a few days ago, before I started installed a few new OXPs. So I looked at the log file, but did not see any error messages.

[Ganelon]

Oh no, the problem is not the ship, it's me. I just suck at combat, especially because I can't make fine movements with my keyboard and I can't get the hang of flying and shooting with the mouse. But part of the fun of playing Oolite is the combat, so I do need to find a ship that let's me do that. I'm looking for a ship that let's me keep just ahead of the curve, without going too uber too fast.

Well, that's one approach, lohwengk. There are some fine fighters and old hands that swear by the keyboard for controls, and probably some where the mouse is their favourite. Myself, I like a joystick. Other people like other sorts of controllers as well, so maybe you just haven't found a controller that works well for you yet.

But honestly, no matter what you use, a certain amount of it is just skill that comes from practice. The more you play, the better you'll get. I sucked at first, too. Crashed when docking, got shot down, ran into floating cargo instead of managing to scoop it, etc. But every time, you get a tiny little bit better at those things. Keep at it, even for a just a bit every day, and you'll get better fast.

Remember you can save game. Back in WW I and etc, pilots didn't have that luxury. Probably the only ones who actually lived long enough to be "Aces" were rare natural talents. But you have a savegame, and so you can practice things where it's easy to get killed. Take docking, for example. You can launch from the station, fly around for a minute (maybe practising a few barrel rolls or whatever) then turn towards the station and come in and dock. If you bang up your ship or get killed, restore from your saved game. Do that maybe 10 or 20 times as "warm up" before you actually start playing every day, and within a week or two you'll be a lot better at docking.

I got annoyed early on because docking was difficult for me. So I'd dock over and over again, sometimes maybe 50 times at one sitting. Or try to dock, anyway, but I eventually got the hang of it ok. By the time I could afford a docking computer (it wasn't the first thing on my shopping list), I didn't really need it. I almost never use it.

Another excellent option for basic practice is the Lave Academy OXP. I wish I'd found that when I was just starting out in Oolite. It puts you through practice on piloting, shooting and docking (without having things shooting back at you). It keeps a score, so you can see yourself get better at stuff. I'd already pretty much learned everything the hard way before I ran across it, but it's good basic stuff for practice. It doesn't cover "fancy flying", but fancy is made up of putting together different parts of the basics.

http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Lave_Academy_OXP

One more thing.. If it takes odds of 4 to 1 or worse before you are in real trouble (like doomed), that is a long way from "sucks". That's doing pretty good for early on. I'd figure that in a "fair fight" against only one opponent in a ship that's about an even match for yours, you'd probably be likely to win most of the time. You will get better. Just stick with it. You will be great someday.

[lohwengk]

But honestly, no matter what you use, a certain amount of it is just skill that comes from practice. The more you play, the better you'll get. I sucked at first, too. Crashed when docking, got shot down, ran into floating cargo instead of managing to scoop it, etc. But every time, you get a tiny little bit better at those things. Keep at it, even for a just a bit every day, and you'll get better fast.

Remember you can save game. Back in WW I and etc, pilots didn't have that luxury. Probably the only ones who actually lived long enough to be "Aces" were rare natural talents. But you have a savegame, and so you can practice things where it's easy to get killed. Take docking, for example. You can launch from the station, fly around for a minute (maybe practising a few barrel rolls or whatever) then turn towards the station and come in and dock. If you bang up your ship or get killed, restore from your saved game. Do that maybe 10 or 20 times as "warm up" before you actually start playing every day, and within a week or two you'll be a lot better at docking.

I got annoyed early on because docking was difficult for me. So I'd dock over and over again, sometimes maybe 50 times at one sitting. Or try to dock, anyway, but I eventually got the hang of it ok. By the time I could afford a docking computer (it wasn't the first thing on my shopping list), I didn't really need it. I almost never use it.

Another excellent option for basic practice is the Lave Academy OXP. I wish I'd found that when I was just starting out in Oolite. It puts you through practice on piloting, shooting and docking (without having things shooting back at you). It keeps a score, so you can see yourself get better at stuff. I'd already pretty much learned everything the hard way before I ran across it, but it's good basic stuff for practice. It doesn't cover "fancy flying", but fancy is made up of putting together different parts of the basics.

http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Lave_Academy_OXP

One more thing.. If it takes odds of 4 to 1 or worse before you are in real trouble (like doomed), that is a long way from "sucks". That's doing pretty good for early on. I'd figure that in a "fair fight" against only one opponent in a ship that's about an even match for yours, you'd probably be likely to win most of the time. You will get better. Just stick with it. You will be great someday.

Yes, practice makes perfect. For shooting practice, I found http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Target_Range_OXP more helpful. Too bad there is some problem with it in Oolite 1.75, according to the Wiki. When I used it, I was running Oolite 1.74 and it helped me a lot. With regards to chasing ships, anyway. They never shot back, so I never learned how to dodge enemy fire.

The drones used for shooting practice in http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Lave_Academy_OXP are too small and dim. Most times, I was still looking for them when they timed out.

I also found scooping cargo pods and mining to be helpful practice. My ability to chase after enemies, though not my precision shooting, seemed to improve a lot after I consistently started trying to scoop up cargo pods and splinters. Installing the http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Rock_Hermit_Locator is a good way to find asteroids to practice on. Finding cargo pods is not a problem when you go *play* in lawless systems.

The 4 to 1 odds thing is only true of normal pirates encountered in the spacelanes. Other enemies seem to have much better weapons. Although my situation seems to be improving now that I'm closing in to dogfighting range using injectors and the barrel roll. Right now, I still have a big moment of vulnerability when I end my barrel roll and try to find my target, but I think I can handle it with more practice (and dying ).

[Ganelon]

I've never tried the Target Range OXP, but it looks pretty good.

When you have just passed the opponent using a barrel roll and injectors, you can just pull up or dive hard and they should come into view fairly soon. Usually you'll be behind them then, which is right where you want to be. I forget if it's part of the core game or part of an OXP, but there's the little triangle thing on the edge of the screen that tells you what direction your current target is in when they're off your screen at the moment. Keep with the roll as you pass the opponent until the roll brings that to the top or bottom of your screen and then either pull up or dive to come around and bring them under your gun.

Since you use keyboard, you might not use your throttle much in fights. It's a lot of keys to try and handle at once. When you do get comfortable enough to be able to use varying speed in your strategy, it can help a good bit with your evasive tactics. But assuming you're usually just using the injectors for bursts of speed in fights, here's something to try. After you've taken your shot at your opponent (but before you run into them), roll right or left until your ship is sideways to them, kind of "standing on your wingtip". Then pull up hard until you've come around enough that they're in your sights again for your next shot.

As you may have noticed, most Oolite ships are wider than they are "tall". Turning sideways and pulling up (or diving) to do a sort of loop that's sideways to your opponent's ship makes you a more narrow target. If you're sideways to your opponent when shooting them from behind as part of a loop manoeuvre, it also gives you an extra second or fraction of a second you can have them in your sights. Those are both little things, but they can result in a bit less damage for you and a bit more to him/her/it, and it adds up.

Another thing you may or may not have noticed is that when your opponents get hit, they most often pull up as a reaction to try and come around and shoot back at you. You can use that against them, since there will be at least a second or two when the broad top of their ship is facing you. It's an easier/larger target than trying to hit them from directly behind and etc. Take advantage of that, and also try not to give your opponent the same easy shot on you.

Another OXP you might like to try is Feudal States. It has some nice missions and intrigue, but the fighting challenges give you the opportunity to do plenty of one on on fighting that is intended to be non-fatal sport between you and your noble companions. No missiles or etc are allowed in the challenges, so you can focus on your flying and shooting. If you're getting shot up bad, you can fire the flare to concede the match rather than dying and seeing "press space commander". Since you can (optionally) bet on yourself in the matches, it can also be a source of income. Like the bounty hunting and seedy bars of Random Hits, it adds some sense of story to the game and titles/ranks to work towards as you play. They are two of my all-time favourite OXPs for that. Feudal systems are also often a bit rough, like the Anarchy systems.

[lohwengk]

I've never tried the Target Range OXP, but it looks pretty good.

When you have just passed the opponent using a barrel roll and injectors, you can just pull up or dive hard and they should come into view fairly soon. Usually you'll be behind them then, which is right where you want to be.

Ah! You're right. I receive much less damage when I stop my barrel roll behind them. Before I read this, I usually came up short and ended up in a close range head-to-head game of playing chicken. I can survive ramming a Sidewinder, but the Python's a different matter.

But it's hard to judge when I've just passed them. Even keeping an eye on the scanner, I still sometimes undershoot. And how do I tell when I've just passed them, rather than passed them so far that they have turned on my tail? That's my current problem now. Hopefully, I can work it out with more practice, but I'd appreciate any additional tips.

Since you use keyboard, you might not use your throttle much in fights. It's a lot of keys to try and handle at once. When you do get comfortable enough to be able to use varying speed in your strategy, it can help a good bit with your evasive tactics. But assuming you're usually just using the injectors for bursts of speed in fights, here's something to try. After you've taken your shot at your opponent (but before you run into them), roll right or left until your ship is sideways to them, kind of "standing on your wingtip". Then pull up hard until you've come around enough that they're in your sights again for your next shot.

As you may have noticed, most Oolite ships are wider than they are "tall". Turning sideways and pulling up (or diving) to do a sort of loop that's sideways to your opponent's ship makes you a more narrow target. If you're sideways to your opponent when shooting them from behind as part of a loop manoeuvre, it also gives you an extra second or fraction of a second you can have them in your sights. Those are both little things, but they can result in a bit less damage for you and a bit more to him/her/it, and it adds up.

Understood. It helped a bit when I remembered to do it. Assuming I succeeded. But I'm getting better with practice.

Another thing you may or may not have noticed is that when your opponents get hit, they most often pull up as a reaction to try and come around and shoot back at you. You can use that against them, since there will be at least a second or two when the broad top of their ship is facing you. It's an easier/larger target than trying to hit them from directly behind and etc. Take advantage of that, and also try not to give your opponent the same easy shot on you.

Is there a way to tell if they'll break up or break down? Right now I don't always manage to react in time, so I miss some good opportunities.

Another OXP you might like to try is Feudal States. It has some nice missions and intrigue, but the fighting challenges give you the opportunity to do plenty of one on on fighting that is intended to be non-fatal sport between you and your noble companions. No missiles or etc are allowed in the challenges, so you can focus on your flying and shooting. If you're getting shot up bad, you can fire the flare to concede the match rather than dying and seeing "press space commander". Since you can (optionally) bet on yourself in the matches, it can also be a source of income. Like the bounty hunting and seedy bars of Random Hits, it adds some sense of story to the game and titles/ranks to work towards as you play. They are two of my all-time favourite OXPs for that. Feudal systems are also often a bit rough, like the Anarchy systems.

Sounds interesting. I've just installed it, but have not reached any feudal states yet.

Much thanks for the valuable tactical tips. I ended the last few battles taking much less damage than usual. If this keeps up, I may even be able to do the medium-difficulty Random Hits missions.