# FTL: I could use some tips **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 11, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874 "2014-04-11T14:44:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/61 "2014-04-16T13:23:58Z")
The active hack lasts a lot longer, same as upgrading your cloak (but you actually get more time-bang from your buck I think. Hack 3 seems to last for fucking ever) ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/62 "2014-04-16T13:30:57Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Flak Is are pretty good. A bit more micro-intensive than straight lasers since the travel time of their shots is annoying, but they fire very fast and wipe shields good (and sometimes might even do some damage when the moon is right, who knows). Follow up with beams, beam drones, ion, heavy lasers… and you’ll be happy. > Though I had 4xFlak I once. That was pretty funny as well. Felt like a Hollywood actor racking a pump-action shotgun every 10 seconds 🙂 > > Flak II is not so great however. It’s very slow, and while it sends 7 projectiles instead of 3 they’re still the same glancing flying dustbins that only do damage once in a while. Aight, I’ll pick them up more often. I’m honestly no longer sure what weapons are any good any more. Charge missiles and laser seemed meh, chain laser is decent but not stellar, stun bomb is just a total waste of space… > [@](#): > > As for your setup : is your hacking lvl 3 ? If so, I’d probably go full on engines and try to power through even with your piddly guns. Phase I, hack their medbay, try to kill as much crew as you can (except the triple-laser weapon guy) with your boarders. Be extra careful about their cloak, since you can’t repatriate boarders while it’s active. The hacking will make it tougher for enemy crew to get inside the medbay (which should give you time to finish 'em off) and if some do make it through you can just hack it and have \*it \*finish them off. If everything goes swimmingly you’ll kill everyone, destroy every weapon then be free to smash the shields room and finish 'em off the old fashioned way. If their own hacking drone hits the engine, helm or shields, well, you’re fucked. But if you make it, the following phases will be much easier. Works for me. Is there any way to recall a hack drone? I don’t think there is, but just to make sure I don’t miss it. > [@Kobal2](#): > > The active hack lasts a lot longer, same as upgrading your cloak (but you actually get more time-bang from your buck I think. Hack 3 seems to last for fucking ever) Seriously. Get hack to level 3 pretty quick; it’s so dumb. I think it’s like 12 seconds at level 3. That’s 12 seconds where their weapons are stuck at 0; 12 seconds where their shields are being drained; 12 seconds of loss of oxygen (so much fun with a Lanius boarding crew :D)… It’s _amazing_. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/63 "2014-04-16T13:59:42Z")
Welp, that didn’t happen. Couldn’t get past the shield, the rocket fucked up my engine, mind control stuffed my crew, and I didn’t get a single hit in. All of my hate. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/64 "2014-04-16T14:01:49Z")
> [@oft\_wears\_hats](#): > > Is the Scrap Collection Arm really that great? I thought it was only good if you got it early on (by Sector 2), to maximize the benefit. Sure, there are some blue options it unlocks, but you have to earn 500 scrap for it to pay for itself, which usually takes two or three sectors to do on Normal. Yes, it’s worth buying up through the beginning of sector 7. You only have to earn 250 scrap to make it worthwhile, because you can sell it later for half the price unless you get unlucky with the stores. Sectors 6 and 7 often have sectors that can earn 80+ scrap fairly regularly. It increases scrap generation from all sources of scrap, not just combat. It’s easily worth it and one of the best augments. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/65 "2014-04-16T17:44:46Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Die horribly in the first system. Apparently the correct answer was “get a Vulcan, chain laser II, and hull laser I and make it to phase 3 without having to repair more than once”. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/66 "2014-04-16T18:35:00Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > Apparently the correct answer was “get a Vulcan, chain laser II, and hull laser I and make it to phase 3 without having to repair more than once”. That’s certainly one way. 😉 Stealth B is certainly going to be something that dies in sector 1 a lot. Things that can HELP are: [ul] [li]Upgrading weapons system 1 notch, even if you don’t have another weapon, so that a stray laser or flick from a beam drone doesn’t knock out your glaive beam[/li][li]Upgrading Stealth to level 3 to give you less time for the preceeding to happen.[/li][/ul] But like many of the ships (including a lot of “fan favorites” like Mantis B), expect to die a lot in sector 1 because there are all kinds of ships that can ruin you. Edit: Oh, and yes, Flak is good, and the game is harder post expansion. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/67 "2014-04-16T20:36:01Z")
Yeah, I feel Stealth B needs to get to cloak 3 ASAP instead of saving up for its first shield (like A can). Upgrading weapons I notch (the “comfort pip” as I like to call it) is good advice as well, but since that’s pip #5 it’s also expensive… maybe after shield I ? That said, it’s still a bitch of a ship to take to sector 8 if you don’t get lucky weapon drops. [QUOTE=Budget Player Cadet] Charge missiles and laser seemed meh, chain laser is decent but not stellar, stun bomb is just a total waste of space… [/QUOTE] Charge laser is… eh. It’s not _bad_, in fact it’s about on par with burst lasers as far as space/power/time efficiency goes, and it’s “modular” which can be good to switch tactics, but the micro is annoying. Chain laser I’m not a fan, since you have to constantly keep it firing to get the most out of it it’s even more micro intensive to sync it with your other weapons. Chain ion is good though. Charge missile… yeah, meh. It’s not absolutely terrible, but it’s nothing to write home about either. Stun bomb, stunning ion and ion charger drone are just scrap as far as I’m concerned. > [@](#): > > Works for me. Is there any way to recall a hack drone? I don’t think there is, but just to make sure I don’t miss it. Don’t believe there is, no. Well, I suppose you could let your hacking room get busted/ioned. Or hell, bomb it yourself 🙂 (cut engines first so you cannot dodge your own bomb. Small bomb would be best, since it only damages systems, not hull). But I didn’t find an easy toggle. [QUOTE=SenorBeef] Yes, it’s worth buying up through the beginning of sector 7. You only have to earn 250 scrap to make it worthwhile, because you can sell it later for half the price unless you get unlucky with the stores. Sectors 6 and 7 often have sectors that can earn 80+ scrap fairly regularly. It increases scrap generation from all sources of scrap, not just combat. It’s easily worth it and one of the best augments. [/QUOTE] Absolutely. I just had one Red-Tail game spawn me one in sector 1 shop, and a second one at the sector 2 shop. Then I dropped a defence drone II. What I’m saying is, that run was mindlessly smooth sailing :). ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/68 "2014-04-16T20:45:56Z")
Lock bomb seems decent though. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/69 "2014-04-16T21:13:35Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Lock bomb seems decent though. Crystal Lock bomb seems like an excellent item for dealing with Medbays (and maybe clone bays if you drop it ON the clone bay, port in,and bust it.) Lots of potential there. Stun bomb isn’t awful - I used one the other night because why not. It stuns for an pretty darn long time. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/70 "2014-04-16T22:19:02Z")
I think the biggest troll I’ve ever seen in this game is that the Stealth C doesn’t even have Stealth. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/71 "2014-04-17T12:43:17Z")
So I was playing earlier with Zoltan A. Man, that ship is _fun_! Throw on a cloak and you have an absolutely _absurd_ length of time where nothing is going to touch you. Plus, three free extra energy bars from the start, and that stupidly powerful Halberd beam (WHY DID I UNDERESTIMATE THIS SO BADLY BEFORE?!). I lost my first run with that ship in a pretty funny way, too - I was in a nebula ion storm, and won the fight, and didn’t notice that my O2 was off until I heard the tell-tale “BEEP BEEP BEEP” of my Zoltan crewmen dying. I turned it back on and got to watch as they all died. Which sucked, because I was doing so well… ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/72 "2014-04-24T14:50:45Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > No, that’s absolutely the wrong tac. That is because boarders will never go to or stay in a room without oxygen. So if you leave the O2 room with some and vent everywhere else, then that’s what they’ll try to break. Which is emphatically not what you want :). … i tried it and yes you are right. i guess i never knew because i always microed the doors towards the Medbay rather than just simply opening everything. as for the OP, i’d like to add that the boss is an entire load of scrap altogether. getting to Sector 8 is an accomplishment, beating the final boss without a savegame is a big deal - and you’re expected to die many, _many_ times before that happens. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/73 "2014-04-24T15:03:16Z")
I wish you could pick which systems go in which rooms. The layout of the Lanius A is clearly deliberately awful. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/74 "2014-04-24T17:46:43Z")
God, I hate Cloning Bays. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/75 "2014-04-24T17:55:39Z")
Me too. They make a boarding-heavy strategy more or less impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/76 "2014-04-24T18:34:32Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Me too. They make a boarding-heavy strategy more or less impossible. I disagree. They just mean that a boarding heavy strategy isn’t the “LOLWinForExtraScrap” that it was in the original game. You just need… you know, some stuff other than a teleporter and two good crew members. (Bombs+Boarding is ideal.) ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/77 "2014-04-24T18:50:18Z")
On the contrary, I find it somewhat easier to board ships with a clone bay because it takes a long ass time to clone a dude, whereas a few top XP mantises wreck people in seconds. They’re like genestealers. Also because you can actually fight inside it without looking like an idiot, making it a primo place to jump into first. Finally, Reconstructive Teleport+lvl3 TP. Board all day, erryday :). Need a pick-me-up ? TP out, TP right back in 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/78 "2014-04-24T18:55:11Z")
Cloning bays make boarding a hassle, because the fight won’t end if someone is in the process of being cloned. So the end of the fight usually goes… kill last crewman, go into cloning bay, start damaging system… crew pops out. fight crew, kill crew. resume damaging system… crew pops out. fight crew. etc. Eventually you can be worn down if you don’t have some sort of bomb. Or what I usually do is sneak a guy off and kill the clone bay while my other boarders are fighting the crew, so it’s dead before anyone pops out of it. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/79 "2014-04-24T20:36:46Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > On the contrary, I find it somewhat easier to board ships with a clone bay because it takes a long ass time to clone a dude, whereas a few top XP mantises wreck people in seconds. They’re like genestealers. Also because you can actually fight inside it without looking like an idiot, making it a primo place to jump into first. Oh, I don’t mind when the ENEMY has one. I mind when _I_ have one. They suck. Won the game again last night. Fact is the best loadout remains a lot of Level II pulse lasers. 9-12 shots at a time and any ship is going down. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874/80 "2014-04-24T22:02:55Z")
Oh, that. Yes :). I mean, I do like their effect on events. And if you have either heal bombs or reconstructive teleport they’re better than a medbay. And I will never cease to be amused by the “You’re wounded ! Go jump out the airlock, quick !” mechanic they introduce. But I do prefer regular medbays on the whole, though it could be my grumpy old psychorigid aspect at work. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ftl-i-could-use-some-tips/685874.md?page=5)