[Spoilers] End game weapon

[PM]

For a three weapon configuration, the choice between the Sapphire (with a drive upgrade) and Wolfen is more speed and cargo space versus a lighter load. If I can get all of my equipment without losing turning speed, I prefer the Sapphire's advantages. An extra weapon slot is nice, but when I have enough weapons (two at endgame, three before then), an extra non-weapon slot is better.

[Atarlost]

You don't get to be faster unless you use the Pteracnium Megadrive. That's 10 tons and 200mw. Otherwise you're trading a slot for the privilege of carrying a 5 ton drive upgrade.

If you do use the megadrive you're effectively up a slot, but the Titan 440 or Wolfen starting engine will already outrun everything past the Sung. A 200mw drive upgrade will eat a lot of fuel in nebula systems and a not insignificant amount in normal use. I do not think this is at all worth it except possibly for the freighter which needs that extra thrust to get decent acceleration.

[Amilir]

Ah, the problem I see with this discussion is that drives can be enhanced. True, it's not particularly easy, but an enhanced titan 440 beats the wolfen's default drive handily.

Anyway, my favorite endgame weapon has to be the nami heavy launcher. Medusae are wonderful fun and nemeses are terrifying. Heck, you can use one to take down the ICS without upgrading your reactor! Most importantly, it doesn't interfere with your primary weapon.

[blizgerg]

You don't get to be faster unless you use the Pteracnium Megadrive. That's 10 tons and 200mw. Otherwise you're trading a slot for the privilege of carrying a 5 ton drive upgrade.

If you do use the megadrive you're effectively up a slot, but the Titan 440 or Wolfen starting engine will already outrun everything past the Sung. A 200mw drive upgrade will eat a lot of fuel in nebula systems and a not insignificant amount in normal use. I do not think this is at all worth it except possibly for the freighter which needs that extra thrust to get decent acceleration.

I rarely use drive upgrades. In my mind the default Sapphire handles just fine. A little sluggish with a full hold, but that's the price you pay for carrying that much cargo. I think this comes down to a different style of play. I generally stay as far away as possible. I often target enemies using the radar. I do find most missions to be easier if I keep my hold nearly empty or install a drive upgrade, but for everything else I don't bother.

OFC, I also regularly go off and swat wind slavers with howitzers so my view is a bit skewed...

[Aury]

I managed to get just enough enhancers (exactly) to get a 150% taikon 200 & IM90 combo.
The ares don't stand a chance.

[IceMephit]

*sigh*. End game sounds so fun...I really must try and do it sometime. My last...three?...playthroughs I have ended up at a dead end.
Eg.
Last Freighter playthrough -- get to two systems after St Kats, choose to safe at the wrong moment and continually get blown up by Heliotropes until I just give up.

Last Wolfen playthrough -- get my shields smashed up, my armour reduced to 1 ON ALL SIDES, getting smashed up by a whole fleet of .... wait for it.... Hornet battlepods. I flee to a sun, but my fuel is next to nothing. I accidentally save (I meant to press Suicde) so now I either die of fuel starvation, or get a few clicks off the sun, my shields get destroyed and my armour punched through.

I don't know If i'm just a bad player or what...

I have the same problem, 3 years playing this game and I haven't made it past Point Juno yet.
Most games I am lucky to get past St K's.
Maybe we need some intensive combat flight training?

[PM]

If drives could not be enhanced, and the only way to go faster than .25c is with the megadrive, then the Sapphire would be lame. A Sapphire with an enhanced Titan (which has .28c) is noticably faster than the Wolfen. When I play the Wolfen, I do not have enough spare slots for an engine. Engines can be enhanced by spamming Domina power Ingenuity, using a longzhu sphere on it, or (if you are lucky) university class at the Arcology.

NAMI heavy launcher is fun to use. Unfortunately, the launcher and ammo are very heavy, and M5 Nemesis missiles are rare enough that they may not spawn in a game. (Fabricator is useless for replication if there is nothing to replicate.) M2 Vulcan missiles do not have enough stopping power against late game enemies. Every time I equip the launcher and about 100 missiles, the Sapphire and Wolfen are overburdened. The only ship I would consider equipping the weapon on (the EI500) does not have enough weapon slots.

[Datal]

In my opinion the best weapon is anyway omnidirectional Tev 9 ,
but for end game i just get ares plasma or locrym -somethink, I don't
remember- the most power weapon for me.
... I'm waiting fo Dual Omnidirectional Tev 9...

[Aury]

You could mod that in, but I doubt it would ever be added to vanilla.

[Resident-Pyromaniac]

Unfortunately, My end Game weapons tend to Be a Fracture Cannon or Fusionfire or Positron cannon, and a Enhanced low-level weapon.

My IDEAL setup,(which I have never acheived) is a Plasma Cannon,
Kaidun Shields, and a NAMI heavy w/ Nemisis/Vulcan.

No matter how hard I try, I can't get the Laplighter.



EDIT: I hear NASA is offering space combat Lessons...