Omni TeV9 <-> Akan 600

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Schnobs
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v1.08, Freighter
Between StKat & Heretic, I've got an Akan600.
There's also an Omni TeV9 sitting in a Shop.

The last time I played Transcendence (several years ago) the Akan would have been the obvious choice
(plenty of ammo everywhere, far and away the most powerful weapon when considering weight & power
consumption). I made a lot of fuzz about it back then and just found that my name is in the closing titles
(thanks George!), so I presume that things have been given a workover.

I haven't seen any Akan ammo outside of shops yet. The stock I've seen would still last me a long way, though.

I don't want to spend many upgrades on a weapon I soon need to get rid of, so: should I stick with the Akan or get that TeV9 thingy?

Side note: currently, I've got an Nandao Cannon for base-busting. I found ~1600 rounds pre-StKat (how
it got there is anybody's guess) and the cannon in my first Black Market Shipyard. Rather cheap, too.
I'm quite impressed and think I'll keep it for a while... picking the TeV9 would mean that both weapons are
of the same damage type. Trouble?

Side note2: The primary weapon just has to be omni.
PM
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Ranx gunships carry Akan shells, and they begin to appear near Jiang's Star or shortly after. If you can maintain a supply of Akan shells, Akan 600 will last until you find either an omni ion blaster or the IM90.

You do not want both of your weapons to be of the same damage type unless the type is positron or plasma. Nothing in part I strongly resists positron or plasma. Unfortunately, part I does not have any omni weapons that use damage types superior to ion or thermo.
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Looking at the galactic map, there's still about 6 Systems until I reach Ranx space. Not much Akan ammo to be found: ~175 per shop, /if/ there is a shop. My consumption is more like 600-1000 rounds per system... However, there were plenty of Rasiermesser dealers prior to StKats. Thank George there's Mule Autons. I suspect that the ammo might actually be cheaper than the fuel I'd burn on the TeV9.

Besides, that shop is just plain awesome: beside the Omni TeV9, there's also a Plasma Shield, a TM7 launcher, and a level-7 unknown device. All of that at a single Adventure Outfitter's just past StKat. I guess I'll keep coming back to that store.

Right now, I can afford the TeV9 and guess I will -- I can't afford to waste Akan Ammo on Commonwealth Missions (and somehow I suspect it'd be worthwhile to do them). Nothing but Freighter Rescue... possibly even the old Turbolaser & Collimator might suffice, but for the life of me I can't recall where I sold them.
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Go for OmniTev9. I find it more handy and enhancing the Akan 500 is tough sometimes specially in a stringent game play.
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erik dela cruz wrote:Go for OmniTev9. I find it more handy and enhancing the Akan 500 is tough sometimes specially in a stringent game play.
Thanks for the straight answer, that was what I was hoping for.

Too late, though: I went with the Akan and since have become ever more doubtful wether that was a good idea. You can only really enhance one weapon (I'm drawing on trading posts for weapon boosters) so I can't really compare the two. But I have the suspicion that fuel for the TeV9 would weigh half as much as the akan ammo does -- at worst. It'd be cheaper, too. Generally I have the impression that most ammo is isn't quite worth it's weight.
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If I have a choice between Akan600 and omni TeV 9, I take omni TeV 9 every time. I do not want to deal with ammo problems (e.g., ammo supply, ammo weighing down the ship, ammo consuming space, ammo getting in the way when selecting items). Sometimes, I do not have a choice, and Akan600 is the best available.
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PM wrote:If I have a choice between Akan600 and omni TeV 9, I take omni TeV 9 every time. I do not want to deal with ammo problems (e.g., ammo supply, ammo weighing down the ship, ammo consuming space, ammo getting in the way when selecting items). Sometimes, I do not have a choice, and Akan600 is the best available.
I was noticing the problem of the Akan last night: not enough ammo available and often the weapon is not available until you in an area where it would require a back track just to get enough of the ammo. totally nonsense. the makers of the weapon need to sell the ammo : the Armor dealers selling coil shields but no coils .........nonsense.
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shanejfilomena wrote: I was noticing the problem of the Akan last night: not enough ammo available and often the weapon is not available until you in an area where it would require a back track just to get enough of the ammo. totally nonsense. the makers of the weapon need to sell the ammo : the Armor dealers selling coil shields but no coils .........nonsense.
Negative:
In both of my games there were several Rasiermesser shops in StKat -- if that wasn't just a freakish accident, this means you'll have a good chance of finding the gun at the time you get the MilitaryID. Rasiermesser Shops also happen to have ~2000 rounds in stock, other stations ~200.

It takes me ~700 rounds to cleanse a system. Less if the weapon is enhanceed.

Putting that together: ~1500 Rounds from StKat, supplemeted by whatever you find along the way, will last you until you come across the next large stock of akan ammo, be it Ranx or Rasiermesser (don't forget the Manufacturing Plants).
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Schnobs wrote:
shanejfilomena wrote: I was noticing the problem of the Akan last night: not enough ammo available and often the weapon is not available until you in an area where it would require a back track just to get enough of the ammo. totally nonsense. the makers of the weapon need to sell the ammo : the Armor dealers selling coil shields but no coils .........nonsense.
Negative:
In both of my games there were several Rasiermesser shops in StKat -- if that wasn't just a freakish accident, this means you'll have a good chance of finding the gun at the time you get the MilitaryID. Rasiermesser Shops also happen to have ~2000 rounds in stock, other stations ~200.

It takes me ~700 rounds to cleanse a system. Less if the weapon is enhanceed.

Putting that together: ~1500 Rounds from StKat, supplemeted by whatever you find along the way, will last you until you come across the next large stock of akan ammo, be it Ranx or Rasiermesser (don't forget the Manufacturing Plants).
The Rasiermesser Manufacturing no longer ( in 1.08+ ) is stocked with ammo , as I pointed out the station has none to defend itself : so your relying on random generation for most of the game : this will give different players different experiences.
However, most of mine with the Akan Ammo has not been good.
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???
I'm playing 1.08b, 23-March-2012.
Rasiermesser Plants definitely provide ammo for Smartcannon & Akan, also Gotha Missiles and all sorts of MAG.

Back to my previous post: leaving StKat with ~40t of ammo may not be the smartest move, but it's certainly possible (and pretty much necessary if you want to field the Akan Cannon). I didn't do the numbers, but fuel for the TeV9 can hardly be as expensive & heavy.
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The differences:

The TeV9 doesn't use ammo. This is quite a big bonus.

The Akan 600 has a better range, and you can accelerate shots by flying towards the target for even more range.....it also performs better once particle resistance turns up.


So..if I were in an EI500, I'd grab the akan if there's ammo for it and I can find a drive upgrade.....I don't generally use omnis in the sapphire or wolfen. The big problem with ammo isn't the extra mass (unless you're carrying way too much stuff anyway, or are flying a wolfen.), it's finding and managing ammunition so you don't run out.
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The Omni Tev9. I used it before.

It is perfect.
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im currently hunting for the omni TeV9. its usually my third weapon in most of my games, my order is to get rid of the stock weapon then get an omnilaser/turbolaser+collimator then moves onto an omniTeV9 with a bunker buster of a howitzer
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there is usually plenty of akan ammo in st kathrine (I commonly scavenge 3000+ rounds) and in Adventure Outfitters (500+ rounds per station).

To use ammo weapons with the Freighter you have to manage your ammo, and that means you need a support weapon, a Howitzer could be a good idea, it deals with slow ships and stations and saves you lots of akan ammo for fast ships and skirmish fights.
If you go with the akan, use the trade posts to order hexagene upgrades. If you manage to reach Ranx space with an akan 600 then it's piece of cake and you don't have to worry about ammo anymore.
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The Akan 600 has a little WMD and plenty of range. You can base bust with it if you have to, pairing it with a short range base buster like the Dwarg behemoth cannon or pretty much any plasma weapon.

Shops that sell ammo generally also automatically replenish ammo now so wasting shots is just wasting money, not a finite supply of ammunition.

This applies better to the Akan's big brother the omni thermocannon though. The Akan is getting long in the tooth when the good short range WMDs start being powerable and hostile stations stop having weapons that aren't on fragile external turrets.
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