I though people might find this thread useful, so here it is.
Firstly here is a comparison of the CRAFT specs [take them with pinch of Salt as they are estimated as well as possible] with some commentary about them as seen at the DISCORD site between two well know and fast pilots...bit of a read, but I thought you needed to see the whole conversation as it played out to understand the reasoning.
Player 1]Problem is that Python and Dragon are basically useless in a real race due to their massive shortage of straight line speed. There isn't a single track in the game where they can beat a Vixen.
Player 2] in terms of straight line top speed, most ships outpace vixen pretty easily,vixen's main advantage is the same as Sabres, it's got very high acceleration, which lets it push out of corners much faster,and given that most tracks in this game are quite technical acceleration holds more weight than just top speed.
Player1] Erm, don't think so. Only ship faster on a straight line is Voxel really
burdo plotted out the numbers according to the in-game graphs for each ship. of course take everything regarding UI with a grain of salt.... Sorry in advance if these charts don't apper, I'll sort the later, usual problem loading photos at the ZONE
Pacer craft specs compared.jpg
but i was also wrong, vixen is in the mid-pack according to the chart
Pacer ships stats two.jpg
but again, grain of salt. I think it's a bit sketch it ties the sabre for acceleration while also having mid-tier top speed,it would put Vixen to above average in nearly every position
but really the only main outlier is its acceleration stat if it holds true. if it was at around 65 it would still have a reasonable 2nd place lead on the rest but it would put its other stat more into balance
2nd in acceleration, 3rd in top speed, all around very solid stats. that would make vixen still quite viable I'd say.
Player 1] It's Vixen for curvy tracks, Voxel for straight ones. No way is Python faster than Vixen in any regard. I've had online races where I would beat the other players by 10 seconds in my Vixen, then I would switch to my Python (same loadout) and would struggle to keep up. I'd love Dragon an Python to be viable options, because I dig their looks, but they really are not
Player 2] Python steers like a brick house and dragon just doesn't do anything special overall,and the 10-second lead just demonstrates how much more viable acceleration is over top speed if you barely have a straight where it matters,and lol python with a vixen loadout is asking for trouble to begin with, python's main weakness is its poor acceleration and even worse handling.
The Vixen/Sabre loadout is 'I want everything this ship already does well, but make it faster',hence why my loadout attempts to compensate for its weaknesses by improving handling and acceleration.
Player 1] and lol python with a vixen loadout is asking for trouble to begin with, python's main weakness is its poor acceleration and even worse handling.
I don't care about handling in F3000 and F2000, any handling is fine there. And if I tune a Python towards acceleration, it still doesn't reach Vixen's performance there, AND top speed drops down below Vixen's. It just isn't possible to get a Python to be as fast overall as a Vixen.
Player 2] I don't think there is too much difference between a suspension frame python and a open engine vixen in terms of top speed.
Player 1] Try setting a TT record lap with a Python then, tell me if you've succeeded.
Player 2] I'm not even sure where either of us made the claim python could be a top tier like vixen or sabre, I'm just pointing out that you can at least make python work for you if you lean your mods into improving the things that give it trouble rather than accentuation existing strengths.
Player 1] Nobody claimed that, I just stated I'm sad Python and Dragon are so under-performing that there is no point in using them ever...
Player 2] I'm using python and dragon in online lobbies because they are fun ships,I don't need another reason, if you are that singularly focused on only ever using the very best option, that sounds more like a you problem
Player 1] Well, if I lose to a Vixen even though I am doing perfect laps, there's not much fun in that, no matter how much I like how the ship feels
Player 2] if you have ship diverity, there will always be one that has the best overall spread for the meta,see Icaras,that doesn't actually invalidate using qirex or feisar, they just aren't the most optimal crafts.
Player 1] oh c'mon now, it's a racing game, of course you wanna use the fastest option. At least with ships like Icaras handling was so hard that it was simply too hard to use on some tracks at Phantom speed. Like Voxel times 10.
So you'd use something else because you wouldn't donk with it, which in turn made you faster, But in Pacer, even Voxel is easy to handle. It just loses to Vixen on some tracks due to lack of acceleration.
Player 2] nah still just sounds like salt to me.
Have fun with the game, that's all I can tell ya.
If I feel like racing to win, or at least as reasonably close as angryman lets me I'll jump in the sabre. anytime else I'll just **** around with new builds, python went from being last to being... slightly less badly last. I'm still working out the kinks.
The main problem I'm facing with it is that only two mods improve turning speed, one being suspension frame which eats a small amount of your top speed,the other being heavy ailerons and I won't even use those for a meme, oh right, weight transfer exists too but sacrificing acceleration would be a bad idea on the python I think.
Player 1] ??? Why would I be salty? I just use my Vixen then. All I ask for is all ships in the game to be a viable option, which they are not. That's bad balancing, and I am pointing it out.
Player 3] Yea P1 got a point, I really do like playing around with the diff ships but I also dont wanna be 10 seconds behind everybody lol
At that point im not racing the lobby.
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OK, best overall load out on VIXEN and SABRE for the fastest times as tested by current record holders
ENGINE -OPEN
HANDLING- Handling from Airbrakes
BRAKING- Sharp Airbrakes
ANTI GRAVITY- Sunken
Voxel craft are best used when you intend to try to run ahead of the pack.
Vixen craft are best used for Combat and have better handling.
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Here's a tip I saw YELDER had posted....YES THAT YELDER who used to post here and race against a lot of us back in the old WO PS3 era, seems he doesn't have a PS4 and is playing one PC, but is looking to get a PS5 [good luck with that for the next 6 months]
For killing other craft, use Shockwave with Positive magnetism as weapon one, hit craft in running front they will hit side walls, slow down and stay behind [your weapon needs to cool down before weapon 2 will be made available to use] then hit stricken craft with weapon two- gauss cannon....chose what you find best as weapon modifier.....you obviously need to have run over a few ORANGE WEAPON pickups first.
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Anybody wanting to know what the TRACK ADAPTATION mod does.....best to use on craft builds for ELITE speed class.[Take from post on PACER DISCORD]
Track adaptation is how fast your craft automatically corrects to pitch changes on the track.
Faster adaptation means your craft corrects faster, Reduced adaption means you may need to pitch manually more often, the less aligned you are with the track the less efficient your acceleration is, my for fun dragon drifting setup haha