FTL - a spaceship Rogue-like

I've started to read that series, btw, since you mentioned it way back. On the third book now.

So I just decided to try and get the achievements for not upgrading until sector 5 and not buying (except repairs) until sector 8 in the same game.

Chose the Engi Torus, since unlike most ships it starts with two of the defensive systems (shields and drones).

Not only did I succeed, but I actually finished! Which I thought was going to be impossible without a cloak or the ability to board and only five crew, but it turns out lots of ion spam with a burst laser and anti-ship drone was (eventually) enough. On the other hand I never did manage to pick up a defense drone, so it could very easily have failed without some lucky dodges.

^ Yeah, those 2 aren't actually necessary (though they do help loads)...funnily enough, one of that is actually a Torus! (another was Feddie Cruiser and Kestrel, which is my first win ever) Shame about no defense drone though...

Also, what do you guys think is more useful? mk1 or mk2 defense drone?

edited 16th Jan '13 10:08:11 AM by onyhow

Cloaking device.

Then again, with the Zoltan Cruiser and a cloaking device, missiles aren't that big of a deal.

edited 16th Jan '13 11:50:10 AM by Balmung

Mk 1 is better by a mile. You got shields for everything except missiles and Mk 2 takes too much energy, while having a higher chance to miss a missile because it shot at some lame laser.

edited 16th Jan '13 12:39:27 PM by Besserwisser

Well, I'm in sector 6 with the mantis cruiser.

only I have no mantis. they all died unfortunate deaths. I have a rockman, a zoltan, and an engi. lets do this.

welp, got stuck in an ion storm and torn to pieces.

I really want to like the Type B Mantis Cruiser, but the fact that it has both limited weapons and drones kinda hurts.

What kills it for me is the lack of *crew*. I've never been able to get more than a single extra crewman before dying, all the times I've tried Mantis B.

sigh, every time I try and start a new game recently, even on easy, the game sees fit to tear me to pieces before I get 3 jumps into sector 1

That's what the durable and disposable boarding drone is for.

What the actual fuck man.

lately this game seems to have cranked the difficulty up significantly. It only seems to throw things at me that I can't counter.

Yeah, the Random Number God loves screwing players over. Or showering them with tech. Tis' a fickle bitch.

Problem is, you can't practically assist the boarding drone, because of the hull breach. If you send in your guys to fight in the same room, they suffocate, too.

^ Use it as a distraction? If the drone's fighting on a room you're most likely free to wreck other rooms...

yeah, I was playing the rock cruiser, and the RNG was being a cruel and fickle god.

it was showering me with ROCKET LAUNCHERS.

so my buddy is having trouble with boarders like all the time before even getting to sector 3. I've recommended blast doors and flying with the airlocks open, but they don't seem to be working. Any other tips?

What ship is he on? I can normally deal with boarders even without keeping the whole ship spaced. Just wait for them to board (or rathe, begin to show up, pause, and open up all the air locks to the room the boarders are coming into while moving everyone I can away from there, preferably into the medbay and behind it (relative to the boarders), with the best fighters in the medbay (or everyone, assuming they'll all fit in the medbay).

basically get the doors to level 3, vent all rooms not occupied by crew.

The main problem is that he's usually getting shot by missiles at the same time.

Then he needs one of the following: Zoltan Shields (unlock Zoltan Cruier), Defense Drones, or a Cloaking Device. Also, he should try to max engines, engine skill, and piloting skill to minimize the number of missile hits he takes (just sit there and take shots from something that can't actually hurt him).

For the boarders, an anti-personnel drone might help, or taking a Mantis Cruiser (enemy wants to board you? BOARD THEM FIRST (added bonus, you can completely vent your ship while you're on the enemy ship if you can take their entire crew, then close it and restore air before taking your doods back)

edited 17th Jan '13 11:58:36 AM by Balmung

all of those are a pain to get. and unlikely to have before sector 3

There are ships that come with each. If on the Kestrel, just load everyone into the medbay, use your missile launcher to damage the enemy weapons, and space everything up to the boarders and that would lead them away from the medbay.

with a good enough medbay, you can even space the medbay.

I know in the Vortex, my engi retreated to the medbay when the guns just barely took out the enemy ship, the atmosphere was literally at 0 and he just sat there in stasis in the medbay while the bot fixed it all.

edited 17th Jan '13 12:27:20 PM by Lanceleoghauni

Well that's the closest I'll ever get to victory.

That's right, I finally reached the third sector! Then was promptly blown to kingdom come, but it's something.

So, I picked up this game and forcibly lost the first time

Meteor Shower + Rock Boarders = new player rape.