Kitting out for Heretic

[starstrike]

Hi,

I'm running through a 1.08b game, having not played since the heady days of 0.98. Having saved Point Juno and scouted out the systems between Point Juno and Heretic, I now have a question - what to load up with for Heretic (and ... what's going on in Heretic? Seems to have changed a lot since - well, I haven't played for four years or so)

I'm in the freighter, and haven't been offered the lamplighter mission despite saving Point Juno and returning the prototype. I guess Fleet Lieutenant (or could be commander - is there a way to check?) is not high enough. I have found the Antarctica, although have not yet docked to say hi.

I'm also yet to die, and in an ideal Universe would like to keep it that way (domina helped out a couple of times).

I'd hoped to find and upgrade an IM90 and Taikon-200. Unfortunately, the shops have no IM90s, no shields past level 8, and only one level 10 weapon. Which leads to my question - what is my least bad option re: equipment?

Current loadout:
Enhanced Hyperion reactor
R9 Shield (VIII)
4 x Octacarbide armour (X) (each +50%)
+50% Omni thermocannon (VIII)
+fast Ferian Plasma Cannon (IX)
2 longreach autocannons
1 QCPU
1 Patcher arm
Enhanced Titan440 thrusters (VI)

The high-end options I'm aware of are:

Shields:
Plasma shield +20% (VIII)
R9 shield (VIII)
Taikon-10 (VIII)
(No level IX or X shields on sale)

Armour:
4 Octocarbide +50% (X)
3 Light Iocrym (XI) - disentegraton immune
3 Diamond Lattice (X)
4 Transuranic (VIII) - disentegration immune
(No heavy ithalium sighted and the game wouldn't let me equip massive Tharsis armour )

Weapons
70% Omni TeV (VII)
50% Omni thermo cannon (VIII), and about 1600 rounds
Omni ion blaster (IX)
+fast Ferian plasma cannon (IX)
Ares plasma archcannon (X) captured from their destroyer
Qianlong archcannon (IX)
Alien weapon (X) 5ton = Iocyrm fracture cannon OR Iocrym repeller
A decent handful of strelka and raisemesser missiles of level 7-9.

There's also a Kytryn launcher but I haven't seen any ammunition.

Devices
Pretty much all devices available in shops.

23 Longzhus, 1 ion upgrade and a few crystals in my cargo hold.

I also know of plenty of Ares, and some Ranx, Ventari, and Luminous to farm if they have anything worth getting.

I have little idea of what I will face in heretic - I haven't found that much info here, other than about the final battle - so am not sure how to kit out for it from the options available.

So - any suggestions as to what next? Should I try and get promoted in the fleet in the hope of getting offered the lamplighter mission? Talk to the Antarctica for the gem? Buy the level X alien weapon (should be fracture or repeller)? Or just go into Heretic with an upped R9 shield, 4 autocannons and try to win with an Omni ion and either plasma cannon or ares archcannon? And when do I switch to 3 light Iocryms and 1 transuranic armour to get the disentegration immunity - just for the final ship?

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Atarlost]

Transuranic is the way to go for armor since it's the only disintegration immune stuff you've got a full set of. Also good plasma resist.

For shields I'd aim for the plasma shield. It's got the best regen of the level 8s and I don't think any of them have significant plasma resist.

Weapon-wise you probably want what you've got already. FPC is the longest range plasma weapon outside the APA and you don't have the slots for the APA. Omni-thermo is a really solid gun, though you can stand to enhance it more. If you can backtrack to any corporate outposts that you haven't ordered from you can get +30% worth of enhancers from each order. If you can't backtrack for more enhancers the Omni Ion Blaster is a good alternative. It won't match the DPS at equal enhancement, but you've got quite a lot of Longzhus.

[erik dela cruz]

Yep, go for the omni ion blaster and pump it up to 150% and farm 'em all. The damage is the same though not quite as quick but you'll enjoy it all the same.

BTW if you're with a Makayev launcher buy more Black Strelka and see it's awesome power.

[Xanthe V]

Hi,

I'm running through a 1.08b game, having not played since the heady days of 0.98. Having saved Point Juno and scouted out the systems between Point Juno and Heretic, I now have a question - what to load up with for Heretic (and ... what's going on in Heretic? Seems to have changed a lot since - well, I haven't played for four years or so)

I'm in the freighter, and haven't been offered the lamplighter mission despite saving Point Juno and returning the prototype. I guess Fleet Lieutenant (or could be commander - is there a way to check?) is not high enough. I have found the Antarctica, although have not yet docked to say hi.

I'm also yet to die, and in an ideal Universe would like to keep it that way (domina helped out a couple of times).

I'd hoped to find and upgrade an IM90 and Taikon-200. Unfortunately, the shops have no IM90s, no shields past level 8, and only one level 10 weapon. Which leads to my question - what is my least bad option re: equipment?

Current loadout:
Enhanced Hyperion reactor
R9 Shield (VIII)
4 x Octacarbide armour (X) (each +50%)
+50% Omni thermocannon (VIII)
+fast Ferian Plasma Cannon (IX)
2 longreach autocannons
1 QCPU
1 Patcher arm
Enhanced Titan440 thrusters (VI)

The high-end options I'm aware of are:

Shields:
Plasma shield +20% (VIII)
R9 shield (VIII)
Taikon-10 (VIII)
(No level IX or X shields on sale)

Armour:
4 Octocarbide +50% (X)
3 Light Iocrym (XI) - disentegraton immune
3 Diamond Lattice (X)
4 Transuranic (VIII) - disentegration immune
(No heavy ithalium sighted and the game wouldn't let me equip massive Tharsis armour )

Weapons
70% Omni TeV (VII)
50% Omni thermo cannon (VIII), and about 1600 rounds
Omni ion blaster (IX)
+fast Ferian plasma cannon (IX)
Ares plasma archcannon (X) captured from their destroyer
Qianlong archcannon (IX)
Alien weapon (X) 5ton = Iocyrm fracture cannon OR Iocrym repeller
A decent handful of strelka and raisemesser missiles of level 7-9.

There's also a Kytryn launcher but I haven't seen any ammunition.

Devices
Pretty much all devices available in shops.

23 Longzhus, 1 ion upgrade and a few crystals in my cargo hold.

I also know of plenty of Ares, and some Ranx, Ventari, and Luminous to farm if they have anything worth getting.

I have little idea of what I will face in heretic - I haven't found that much info here, other than about the final battle - so am not sure how to kit out for it from the options available.

So - any suggestions as to what next? Should I try and get promoted in the fleet in the hope of getting offered the lamplighter mission? Talk to the Antarctica for the gem? Buy the level X alien weapon (should be fracture or repeller)? Or just go into Heretic with an upped R9 shield, 4 autocannons and try to win with an Omni ion and either plasma cannon or ares archcannon? And when do I switch to 3 light Iocryms and 1 transuranic armour to get the disentegration immunity - just for the final ship?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Oh by the way, how much rin (as in Ringer and Teraton money) did you have?

[Xanthe V]

I've got an idea. Do you know the Huygens Explorer? Try arming up your ship like it except for the armor. Oh by the way, armor should be heavy ithalium, and try killing a Phobos dreadnought and get lucky to find a working Kaidun Shield generator in the wreck.

[Xanthe V]

Transuranic is the way to go for armor since it's the only disintegration immune stuff you've got a full set of. Also good plasma resist.

For shields I'd aim for the plasma shield. It's got the best regen of the level 8s and I don't think any of them have significant plasma resist.

Weapon-wise you probably want what you've got already. FPC is the longest range plasma weapon outside the APA and you don't have the slots for the APA. Omni-thermo is a really solid gun, though you can stand to enhance it more. If you can backtrack to any corporate outposts that you haven't ordered from you can get +30% worth of enhancers from each order. If you can't backtrack for more enhancers the Omni Ion Blaster is a good alternative. It won't match the DPS at equal enhancement, but you've got quite a lot of Longzhus.

By the way, I'd say Light Iocrym armor is the better and wiser. Why? Because of it's disintegrate-immune trait AND better resistance to plasma & positron attacks. heheheh