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Blockade runner fitting: 3-sec align vs signature radius?
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who1 eva
KEQ Industrial Complex
#1 - 2016-06-24 23:22:43 UTC
I'm trying to optimize my Prowler blockade runner fitting to operate in a combination of low-sec/high-sec. I'm curious if any of you think I'm considering the right trade-offs as I've come up with a somewhat different fit than what I've seen posted before.

In particular, conventional wisdom is to always use nanofibers instead of intertial stabilizers for blockade runner fittings because nanofibers help with align time without penalizing signature.

However, there have also been multiple articles written about how align times are always rounded up to the nearest second (3.2 or 3.9 will really mean 4.0 in practice because of the 1 second server ticks). My experimentation with module and implant choices in Pyfa is showing that nanofibers aren't powerful enough to drop me under 3.0 without taking on full-on Nomad implants and that I can get a more agile, faster, and more flexible fitting by using inertial stabilizers instead:

Low Slots:
* Inertial Stabilizers II
* Type-D Restrained Inertial Stabilizers (to minimize signature penalty)
* Expanded Cargohold II

Rigs:
* Medium Low Friction Nozzle Joints II
* Medium Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer II

Implants:
* +5% agility implant

Pros:
* 2.98 second align (rounding to 3.0)
* 5.5k cargo (large enough for cruiser)
* +25% faster warp speed

Cons:
* Signature grows 26% from 105 to 133
* 20M ISK in fittings on top of the 124M hull

I guess my biggest question is what's more valuable in avoiding low-sec gate camps -- 3 second align or 105 signature? Am I right in thinking the align time is more important?

Does this fitting make sense to you all?
Paranoid Loyd
#2 - 2016-06-24 23:53:26 UTC  |  Edited by: Paranoid Loyd
None of that really matters as you can easily cloak before you can be locked. As far as docking make sure you use an interceptor to create insta undock bookmarks as well as warp to zero station bookmarks.

If someone is setup to catch foolish BRs (ones that don't cloak or don't have proper bookmarks setup), sig radius and align time are irrelevant as they can most likely lock you in any align time/sig combo you come up with.

"There is only one authority in this game, and that my friend is violence. The supreme authority upon which all other authority is derived." ISD Max Trix

Fix the Prospect!
who1 eva
KEQ Industrial Complex
#3 - 2016-06-25 01:49:25 UTC
So better would be to forget altogether about beating a 4 sec align and instead expand cargo and speed up hyperspatial velocity more, both of which make long distances more pleasant. Then just be ready to align, cloak, mwd away from any gate camps.
Mephiztopheleze
Laphroaig Inc.
#4 - 2016-06-25 02:05:01 UTC  |  Edited by: Mephiztopheleze
the only thing you need to fear in Lowsec is a particularly well setup gatecamp with a globe of jetcans around it at 12km. so long as you're not inside decloak distance of anything when you go to warp, you'll cloak before you get locked by that pesky re-se-bo'd-Svipul.

In 0.0, you want gate pings. lots and lots of gate pings. bouncing off a celestial won't always help you against a bubble trap.

edit: i fit my Viators for max cargo. The chances of getting snatched are pretty slim if you're not dumb.

Occasional Resident Newbie Correspondent for TMC: http://themittani.com/search/site/mephiztopheleze

This is my Forum Main. My Combat Alt is sambo Inkura
RavenPaine
RaVeN Alliance
#5 - 2016-06-25 03:40:21 UTC
Low and hi-sec gates are generally a breeze to pass. It would be rare to get caught there.
I have never been caught, no matter what the fit.
Null sec bubbles take a bit more experience/skill, but they can be done. Limit your cargo value so the loss can be regulated.

Remember, that server tick rounds up for the enemy as well.
who1 eva
KEQ Industrial Complex
#6 - 2016-06-25 09:55:11 UTC
Thanks all, appreciate the advice!
Frostys Virpio
State War Academy
Caldari State
#7 - 2016-06-26 00:55:37 UTC
who1 eva wrote:
So better would be to forget altogether about beating a 4 sec align and instead expand cargo and speed up hyperspatial velocity more, both of which make long distances more pleasant. Then just be ready to align, cloak, mwd away from any gate camps.


The sig on a BR is just too high to make any fit where align time is a good idea to shoot for. A svipul with only 1 scripted SEBO will lock a sig of that size under a second which mean you would have to be gone before the end of the second tick to not get pointed and getting below 2 second align isn't gonna happen.
Roenok Baalnorn
Baalnorn Heavy Industries
#8 - 2016-06-28 19:21:00 UTC
who1 eva wrote:
I'm trying to optimize my Prowler blockade runner fitting to operate in a combination of low-sec/high-sec. I'm curious if any of you think I'm considering the right trade-offs as I've come up with a somewhat different fit than what I've seen posted before.

In particular, conventional wisdom is to always use nanofibers instead of intertial stabilizers for blockade runner fittings because nanofibers help with align time without penalizing signature.

However, there have also been multiple articles written about how align times are always rounded up to the nearest second (3.2 or 3.9 will really mean 4.0 in practice because of the 1 second server ticks). My experimentation with module and implant choices in Pyfa is showing that nanofibers aren't powerful enough to drop me under 3.0 without taking on full-on Nomad implants and that I can get a more agile, faster, and more flexible fitting by using inertial stabilizers instead:

Low Slots:
* Inertial Stabilizers II
* Type-D Restrained Inertial Stabilizers (to minimize signature penalty)
* Expanded Cargohold II

Rigs:
* Medium Low Friction Nozzle Joints II
* Medium Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer II

Implants:
* +5% agility implant

Pros:
* 2.98 second align (rounding to 3.0)
* 5.5k cargo (large enough for cruiser)
* +25% faster warp speed

Cons:
* Signature grows 26% from 105 to 133
* 20M ISK in fittings on top of the 124M hull

I guess my biggest question is what's more valuable in avoiding low-sec gate camps -- 3 second align or 105 signature? Am I right in thinking the align time is more important?

Does this fitting make sense to you all?


Im going to offer you the best possible advice anyone can, since you are concerned enough about losing your ship/cargo that you are asking here and that is : use a scout. It will save you both isk and headaches. To elaborate on avoiding gate camps:

1) The best method is free. intel. rough intel can be gathered from zkillboards on a system.
2) Use a scout in a nanoed stealth bomber or covert ops so it has insta warp.
3) If you use your cloak correctly, only people who are lucky and on their toes can insta lock you. The server operates in 1 second ticks. The human brain takes time to take in data, analyze it, and react to it. Even with a 1 second lock time you still have an advantage over the person trying to lock you because they have to process the information you are now on the overview and then push the appropriate buttons so their actual lock time will be 1-3 seconds longer than their ships lock time.
4) Never use the MWD Cloak trick on something that can warp cloaked that isnt in a bubble. Active MWD will greatly increase your align time and its only useful on a covert ship if that ship is caught in a bubble.


Like others here, i have ran my viator all over eve fitted however i want both with a scout( when i have really high value cargo) and without. I have never lost one either way. Intel is your best friend in eve. And that covert cloak is your second best friend.