[Alikchi]

For anti-bomber missions, I tend to load up with Tempests and Tornadoes. Tornadoes will usually take out one bomber and severely damage another by the time I get in Tempest range.

[Snail]

The GTF Limo is simply too long to be effective--you have enemies from all sides taking shots at your excessive size. It's really horrible--no matter the direction, even if you change speeds, quite a few shots are bound to hit you while you are turning. The simple fact is the Limo is too long and not tough enough to be effective. There are quite a few larger ships that work better--the Ursa tops the list as largest but I find it is also one of the most-survivable, due to the top-mounted turret. In a Limo, I can't bring firepower to bear on a target--in a Ursa, I have a turret blasting you to shreds while I keep you above me.

It's not that big at all - heck, the Pegasus is longer from the side. It's eight gunmounts are glory, but you're right, the Potato is better since it packs more of an overall punch. Sacrificing 2 gunmounts, a bit of speed and maneuverability for heavier shielding as well as a secondary capacity more than that of the Artemis is definitely worth it, no? Also, the Ursa's turret doesn't do ****ing **** to your attacker.

For anti-bomber missions, I tend to load up with Tempests and Tornadoes. Tornadoes will usually take out one bomber and severely damage another by the time I get in Tempest range.

Tornadoes don't fire that far, though. Longer than a Harpoon, yes, but I find you can only weaken about two or three of their bombers before you have to switch to Tempests. I usually use Tornadoes against fighters that are annoying me.

[TrashMan]

Also, the Ursa's turret doesn't do ****ing **** to your attacker.

Wroks fine for me...A single keyser turret is not that much, yes.. but it can kill off a Mara or Astaroth rather fast

[Alikchi]

Point taken with the Tornadoes, but at least they're flexible. Im not gonna waste a bank on Trebs.

By the way, does anyone else find the Hornet basically useless? It doesnt track well enough to reliably take down a bomber from any angle except almost directly behind, and when I'm at that point I might as well use primaries.

[TrashMan]

The Turkey is a monster of a fighter--it's better then a Herc2 in basically every way. It's not much bigger, much tougher, and has much more firepower. If not for the final missions justifying it, I'd say it's way overpowered as a fighter.

You disremember the fact that it handles like a car with no wheels.

With the player at the helm manuverabiltiy and speed aren't that big an issue.  Actually, I find less manuverbale fighters much simpler to control and for that reason my aim is more precise in a Ares than it would be in a Perseus. Add the increased firepower to the equation and it easy to see why I very often fly an Ares

[Snail]

Wroks fine for me...A single keyser turret is not that much, yes.. but it can kill off a Mara or Astaroth rather fast

Only if you're targeting the damned thing.

Hey, BTW, while I was checking out the length of the Erinyes, I placed a Mara sideways - Have you ever noticed how cool it looks from the side?

[castor]

By the way, does anyone else find the Hornet basically useless? It doesnt track well enough to reliably take down a bomber from any angle except almost directly behind, and when I'm at that point I might as well use primaries.

Pretty much so. One thing to remember though is that you can also dumbfire Hornets! Comes in handy against bombers, but using this against fast targets is... hard.

[S-99]

Makes you wish  you could dumbfire cyclopses, talk about unbalanced if so.

[Alikchi]

By the way, does anyone else find the Hornet basically useless? It doesnt track well enough to reliably take down a bomber from any angle except almost directly behind, and when I'm at that point I might as well use primaries.

Pretty much so. One thing to remember though is that you can also dumbfire Hornets! Comes in handy against bombers, but using this against fast targets is... hard.

I like using them against cruisers and anything smaller when I get the chance. A wing of Herc Is armed with Hornets will absolutely eat up a Fenris or a whole convoy.

[castor]

Makes you wish  you could dumbfire cyclopses, talk about unbalanced if so.

Oh yes, talk about anti-bomber ordinance! Wouldn't want to get one of those in my Ursa's "windshield", even if it didn't explode

[Wanderer]

Flying Ares in lower difficulties in kinda ok due the AI's poor handling of shivans.. however on higher difficulties Ares is a real POS as practically every single shivan ship can out turn you (yeah.. that includes bombers)...

[Stormkeeper]

Hornet spam eats cruisers for breakfast, but fail at fighter/bomber killing... unless its near point-blank.

[Snail]

Flying Ares in lower difficulties in kinda ok due the AI's poor handling of shivans.. however on higher difficulties Ares is a real POS as practically every single shivan ship can out turn you (yeah.. that includes bombers)...

Not if you can blow them up. The WORST thing you can do in an Ares is to turn and run. You're slow and you get pounded. Sure, you've got shields, but that doesn't last when there are ten Maras behind you. The best thing to do is to plop them from afar. It's still pretty capable in a dogfight (more so than the Ursa, which I've killed a Dragon in).

[Alikchi]

I can't stand flying an Ares.. especially during that last loop of missions.. I always get eaten up by Dragons, and I can never make it to the node before Capella blows anyhow.

[asyikarea51]

By the way, does anyone else find the Hornet basically useless? It doesnt track well enough to reliably take down a bomber from any angle except almost directly behind, and when I'm at that point I might as well use primaries.

Errr, me too?

If it tracked better I probably would've flown the slower ships more often (mouse flyer). But I've seen the AI use Hornets to tear up a convoy really fast... makes using Cyclops bombs on Fenris/Leviathans a moot point. Not forgetting the Hornet's added... "drama" bonus...

I see Tornadoes/Harpoons/Trebuchets as high-tech weapons, and with my playing style, I'd rather issue them to the wingmen and just go with a dependable set of primaries on something superagile. (Bleah, I still get hit though. Just an average player, I am...)

[Snail]

The Ares is good for softening up capital ships and popping fighters from afar. Basically an overpowered Herc. If you hate the Herc, the Ares ain't for ya.

[TrashMan]

I can't stand flying an Ares.. especially during that last loop of missions.. I always get eaten up by Dragons, and I can never make it to the node before Capella blows anyhow.

I eat Dragons for breakfest in it...reached the node everytime to boot 

[asyikarea51]

Yeah, well, I'm not too fond of the slower stuff, though I don't mind flying the HercI because it's FS1 tech. My life in terms of technology has always been backward - I was still on a P1 playing W95 and DOS games when the first P3's came out. (Call that an example if you like. )

Just the slower fire rates of both Prometheus cannons in FS2 making it harder for me to cope with said HercI.

[Wobble73]

- I was still on a P1 playing W95 and DOS games when the first P3's came out. (Call that an example if you like. )

I was still playing around with a 486 when the P3's came out! 

[colecampbell666]

For practically any mission I can I fly a Herc II armed with a Subach, a Maxim, a Harpoon bank, and a bank of Trebuchets. It is the perfect combo of short and long-range firepower. Depending on the mission and my mood I may sub the Harpoons for Tornadoes. I hate the Hornet in FS1/2 but it seems upgraded in Inferno R1.