DryHeatAndSand

Nuclear Option offers a variety of available weapons across multiple archetypes, not all of which are implemented at time of writing. The following are a selection of weapons currently in game, along with their attributes and best use cases. These weapons are the selection available as of patch 0.25.2 and may not reflect the current offerings in game. Individual weapon performance in game may differ from figures provided in this video, as future patches make adjustments. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:18 Missiles Use 2:23 Air to Air 2:34 IRM-S1 3:53 MMR-S3 5:17 AAM-29 Scythe 6:39 Ground to Air 6:58 RAM-45 7:29 StratoLance R9 8:10 Air to Ground 8:31 AGR-18 Lynchpin 9:37 AGM-48 10:54 AGM-68 12:02 Cruise Missile 12:49 Nuclear Criuse Missile 13:17 Gravity Bombs 13:49 500kg Bomb 14:52 Demolition Bomb 16:11 Nuclear Bomb 1.5kt 16:56 Conclusion 17:24 Closing

Over the last decade, this game has been climbing a long development ladder that began with a relatively basic pitch for what amounted to another wing commander. There was a lot more to it, but the essential goal was to modernize a concept from the 90’s that remains fondly regarded by everyone who played it. While I never encountered Wing Commander in its day, I have encountered a ton of people who enjoyed it, especially since Star Citizen got rolling and dredged up all those nostalgic memories for them. Its not a bad time to get in the game, but even if you decide against it, consider funding others that you think look fun. Hits and misses abound, but win or lose, developers are only able to take risks that players are willing to back. We can set the standards ourselves, or let them be set by wall street, and last decade, they’ve missed more often they they’ve hit. Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:30 Early Access 1:07 AAA Shade 1:30 Golden Years 2:10 Controversial Decade 2:59 Cultural Date Stamp 3:55 Technical Failures 4:48 Stagnation 5:44 Crowd Funding 6:37 Expectations 7:01 NOT A Scam 7:14 If It Succeeds 8:28 Next 12 Months 9:05 Conclusion 9:38 Closing

Nuclear Option has a wide assortment of ground vehicles, with plans for more as the game develops. Each has a specific function and capability on the battlefield. The following is a brief list of some important vehicles to look for, and their functions in combat. These aren’t all the vehicles planned, so depending on when you watch this video, there will be more. Keep in mind that Nuclear Strike is still in alpha, so these capabilities are subject to change as new features and vehicles get added. EDITORS NOTE: The Linebreaker Sam actually fires the same missiles as the AFV-8, but carries more of them. It does not have a range advantage over the AFV series. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:18 FGA-57 Anvil 1:11 Main Battle Tank 2:18 AFV-8 Series 2:30 AFV-8 Air Defense 3:30 AFV-8 APC 3:47 Linebreaker Series 4:04 Linebreaker IFV 4:26 Linebreaker APC 4:56 Linebreaker SAM 5:34 LCV-45 Recon Truck 6:02 HLT Support Trucks 7:08 Aero Sentry SPAAG 8:01 TK-941 Boltstrike 8:46 Closing

The SAH-41 Chicane is a ground attack helicopter with emphasis on stealth and low ground flight. Sporting a massive AGM-48 payload, the Chicane is able to saturate large areas of the battlefield with low yield ordinance sufficient to overwhelm air defenses and other lightly armored threats. With typical engagement range under ten kilometers, the Chicane prefers localized attacks on targets within visual range, though a few of its ordinance options offer greater range at the cost of payload capacity. Taken as a whole, the Chicane is best deployed alongside ground vehicles and with air focused escorts like the Compass or Revoker, creating an effective screen against ranged AA and other aircraft able to close with the Chicane. Hostiles seeking to attack the Chicane should always attack from above the rotor line, ideally from behind its wings, where incoming rounds are likely to damage the tail and turbines. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:36 Brawler & Archer 0:58 Handling 1:28 Low IR 1:51 Guns & Flack 2:01 The Turret 2:41 Ground Attack 3:10 Logistics 3:41 Stealth 4:46 Beware AGM 5:07 Conclusion 6:20 Closing

The SFB-81 Darkreach is a high level strategic bomber offering a large selection of ground focused ordinance ranging in power from small conventional bombs, to nuclear cruise missiles. With significant emphasis on payload capacity, the Darkreach sacrifices speed and maneuverability for armor, a deep magazine, and long loiter times. As a bomber, the Darkreach is surprisingly flexible in payload and engagement range. While it can’t engage other aircraft, it can neutralize large swaths of ground forces in a single pass and from a wide variety of altitudes, including stratospheric and low ground attack. With high payload capacity, thick armor, and excellent fuel efficiency, the Darkreach makes for a powerful ground attack platform respected by all who fly for or against it. Offering a multitude of ground attack options, and ample range, the Darkreach can engage and destroy most ground forces, near and far, in a single pass. Though slower to travel, and more difficult to replace, the Darkreach is well worth the effort for those with the patience and awareness to wait for an opening, and exploit every opportunity. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:27 Attributes 0:50 Low Altitudes 1:19 Standoff Distance 1:57 Gravity Bombs 2:25 Ordinance Intercept 3:25 Value & Logistics 4:07 Escorts 4:43 Conclusion 5:18 Closing

The FS-12 Revoker is a specialized fighter interceptor that emphasizes super maneuverability at high speeds. Featuring an afterburner and small wing cross section, the revoker offers a handling profile that is less forgiving at low speeds. It requires a surprising amount of runway to get airborne, making the Revoker impractical for launch at forward airfields, though it can still land at them in emergencies. Pilots who play the Revoker to its strengths will find excellent successes at high altitudes, beyond the range of AA guns, providing fast response against hostile interceptors, enemy bombers, and other large aircraft. In this environment, missiles fired from the ground are easy to evade, often without the use of flares. This king of the skies is best assailed at altitude by other interceptors, or using saturation attack by multiple opponents. Chapters:

The CI-22 Cricket is a lightweight ground attack fighter designed for close ground support against lightly armored hostiles. While it can be adapted for anti-aircraft operations, the cricket lacks enough survivability to endure the open skies. While not as fast as a jet, the Cricket is ideal for hard flying at low altitude, where it can slip in and out of canyons or hide along mountainsides. These flying characteristics give the Cricket impressive stealth capability, despite possessing no stealth technology. Skilled pilots can strike out at enemy camps, convoys, or radar stations, flying below radar level, and only emerging from cover to deploy its payload before diving back to safety. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:18 Low Flying 1:21 Landing Performance 1:48 Its Slow 2:21 Ground Attack 3:16 Considerations 3:43 Summary 4:16 Closing

As a multi-role fighter, the Compass is a go to choice for unknown or highly variable mission profiles. While not as maneuverable as the Cricket, the Compass can still fly hard along the ground at high or low speeds without feeling awkward or unwieldy. Even in the late game, a Compass is competent and dangerous, sporting the ability to kill interceptors and bombers with some deft handling. This jack of all trades is a valuable supplement to established air forces, though as a master none, it’s often unfit for solo, or deep penetration strikes behind enemy lines. Its best kept close at hand, at or within the friendly lines of combat, venturing out short distances to strike hostile forces and then returning to dissuade a counterattack. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:40 Loadout 1:13 Flight Performance 1:52 Strengths 2:10 Weaknesses 2:30 Late Game Performance 2:54 Conclusion Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2168680/Nuclear_Option/ Official Discord: https://discord.gg/u64GtcNjkQ

Meet Nuclear Option, a near future combat flight simulator currently free to play on Steam during its alpha testing phase. Having bought into several early access projects, like Fractured Space and Dragon: The Game, I was even more interested when I saw that the game is not for sale, but you can request access for free. The download is compact, and was ready on my 100M/b connection in about five minutes. It loads fast, and has a simple menu system that will definitely evolve as the game develops. Everything that is deployed in the game is working great, making it one of the best alpha level experiences I’ve had in a long time. I highly recommend this for fans of simulator games. These guys deserve success, and they need more publicity than they are getting for what they have built. NOTE: At time of recording, the SAH-41 Helicopter was not available to play and so was not included in this review. Steam Store Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2168680/Nuclear_Option/ Official Discord: https://discord.gg/u64GtcNjkQ Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:40 One Issue 2:13 Learning Curve 2:53 Missions 3:52 Alpha Economy 4:12 CI-22 Cricket 5:03 TA-30 Compass 5:33 FS-12 Revoker 6:12 SFB-22 Darkreach 6:49 Nuclear Explosions 7:15 Damage Modeling 8:00 Conclusion This video was NOT sponsored or requested by the developers or any other party. I made it on my own, because I think its cool and want it to succeed.

Designed by the pirate king Delane to enable less lethal acts of piracy, the Cytoscrambler deals tremendous damage to shield systems, with the stock variant dealing about 330% more damage than a standard size one burst laser system. This comes at the cost of being totally useless against the hull of target ships. The end result is a weapon that can outperform huge hardpoints when targeting shields. With niche applications, and severe hardpoint limitations, the Cytoscrambler is an interesting and powerful, but nuanced weapon best applied in PvE situations on close combat focused builds. It's an interesting mark to chase, but not an essential powerplay weapon to pursue if you’re just getting started. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:22 Overview 1:15 Downside 1 1:40 Downside 2 2:10 PVP 2:38 PVE 3:05 Synergy 4:22 Engineering 5:02 Experimental 6:18 Conclusion 6:45 Closing

The Pacifier is a Power Play variant of the Fragmentation Cannon given as a loyalty reward to supporters of Zachary Hudson. This modified variant features a tighter spread pattern & longer effective range at the cost of damage per pellet, making this weapon do less overall damage than the standard variant, but deals that damage from a greater distance. This makes the Pacifier much easier to use, especially for larger ships like the anaconda, because it greatly increases standoff distance. This makes it a favorite for large ship PvP & PvE builds, where engagement range is expected to be under 3KM. Burst DPS attributes for this weapon are incredible, trailing closely behind the stock fragmentation cannon as one of the highest damage dealing hardpoints in the game. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:25 Strengths 1:24 Downsides 1:42 Engineering 2:23 Considerations 2:50 Closing

Now here is a game I never imagined would become what it has. Minecraft is basically ubiquitous in the younger gaming world, but has retained a lot of its older, 1st generation audience. I was first exposed to this game during its beta while I was in High School. Students would play it through the browser during lectures in computer literacy, so it spread like wildfire through the whole school before it was even released officially. What has always impressed me about it is the nature of its engine, which was originally written in javascript. This workhorse programming language had been essential for running various web browser elements for about a decade at the time, and was used in a handful of browser only games. Java also has a bunch of commercial applications, and is known for being powerful, if occasionally obtuse to work with. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:40 Minecraft's Origin 1:32 Constrained Creativity 2:23 The Failures of Anthem 3:15 Minecraft By Comparison 4:00 Evolution in Design 4:32 Design & Success 5:23 Conclusion

How to prep and install a power supply, and an overview of the different cables that you can encounter while getting things set up. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:38 Selected Power Supply 1:00 Wattage Ratings 2:15 Unboxing 3:08 Set In Place 3:45 Mounting & Fasteners 4:31 Cables Overview 6:32 Digital Monitoring 7:45 CPU Cables 8:23 PCIe & 600 Watt 9:07 Split Ends 9:48 Cable Management 10:27 Patience & Care 11:52 SATA & MOLEX 14:03 Leftover Cables 15:28 Braded Cables Care 17:00 Save Spares 17:46 Conclusion

The Shock Cannon is a powerful weapon available from human tech brokers found at stations across the bubble. This weapon is available in fixed, gimballed, and turreted mounts, though turreted weapons will only function when guided by a multi-crew gunner, and will otherwise function as fixed weapons. Shock cannons deal kinetic damage, making them best suited against the hull of a target. There is no limit to how quickly the shock cannon is able to fire, but the weapon will produce large amounts of heat and jitter when fired in tightly spaced bursts. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:20 Stats Overview 0:58 Drawbacks 1:35 Considerations 3:06 What It Needs 3:37 Conclusion 4:33 Closing

A review of the physical case I've selected for the build, and the assembly of fans and air filters in preparation for the power supply.

Engineering, and the addition of more module slots for all ships has resulted in a slow creeping increase in the hull integrity of all ships, with smaller craft seeing a disproportionate growth in power. Here I discuss the impact of this power creep, and suggest some solutions to fixing it.

The Pulse Wave Xeno Scanner is a powerful utility intended to help identify key points of interest on the hull of a Thargoid Titan. This device, which can replace a xeno-scanner on any AX focused build, offers extremely specialized functionality at the cost of effectiveness when scanning Thargoid ships. Unless its pulse scan function finds other applications in general AX combat, it will be useful only in dedicated maelstrom builds, where it provides an important assist in researching Thargoid Titans. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:34 Stats 1:06 Mechanics 2:03 Considerations 3:41 Conclusion 4:19 Closing

Overall this goal is only slightly above average, and not something that gets me excited. The module on offer is known to be unlockable afterwards, and will be permanently available. Given the amount of effort required, I doubt that pursuing this module at the CG is more time efficient than unlocking it conventionally, so the only advantage to goal participation is the chance of early acquisition and nothing more. NOTE: This video was made before the accidental sale of the reward module in game. As there is a credit value assigned to these leaked modules, it is likely that this module will be a single unlock for right to buy unit, rather than a single unlock for single unit trade. Inara CG Page: https://inara.cz/elite/communitygoals/ Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:11 Commodity Goal 1:36 Bounty Goal 2:15 Reward Overview 3:10 Considerations 3:32 Conclusion

The TG or Thargoid Pulse neutralizer is a more specialized and powerful variant of the shutdown pulse neutralizer designed to help penetrate Thargoid maelstroms. It does this by sacrificing effectiveness in general AX combat to provide a countermeasure against the impulse wave that Thargoid Titan ships use to push away unwanted vessels. While time consuming to acquire, the module isn't as essential as other offerings by Tech Brokers, and isn't something that all players need to concern themselves with. Usability is easy to understand, and a bit more difficult to master, though achievable for any player willing to make the required attempts. It's a welcome addition to the game, and one which exposes new content with additional lore which many are interested to explore and understand. Chapters: 0:00 Stinger 0:18 Intro 0:45 Tech Broker Req 1:08 Module Stats 2:12 Usage 3:19 Cycling & Capacitor 3:47 Relevance & Meta 4:16 Build Considerations 4:38 SYS Load 5:08 Summary & Impact 5:51 Conclusion

Meet the War Ox, an advanced engineered Type-10 Defender optimized for high level PvE activity. I’ve covered this build a while ago using a different video format, but thought it would be a good idea to try updating a few older builds that I have found particularly useful to take advantage of improvements to my production processes. The Type-10 defender is one of the most fun ships to build with by virtue of its unique design and turret focused hardpoint layout. Despite being mostly reliant on turrets, the Type-10 manages to be an effective wedge to be recklessly jammed into the center of massive battles. Its unbeatable hull, coupled with ample shielding combine to form a ship that is a relentless chore for anyone to fight, and one which makes for a devastating multi-crew ship when set up properly. Chapters: 0:00 Stinger 0:20 Intro 0:43 Hull Overview 1:40 Armor 2:12 Power Plant 2:33 Thrusters 3:30 Frame Shift Drive 3:54 Life Support 4:19 Power Distributor 6:38 Sensors & Fuel 7:06 Optional Overview 7:24 Shield Cell Bank 8:05 Shield Generator 8:40 Fighter Hangar 9:08 Military Internals 9:29 Other Optional Int. 10:15 Hardpoint Overview 10:52 3F Pulse Lasers 12:27 2F Pulse Lasers 13:15 2B Pack Hound 14:27 1G Multi-Cannon 14:56 Utility Overview 16:35 Flight Performance 20:37 Closing Thoughts You can see the depreciated 1.0 version of this video at: https://youtu.be/ONEmXiqmWXc The old version has been retained to preserve comments and show changes over time.

Effectively hunting different high grade emissions requires understanding what conditions trigger the material that you are looking for, and then working to find as many systems with that matching condition as possible. This video details strategies for finding these emissions, and where to go for material trading afterwards. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:27 Types & Categories 2:11 Rare Mats Example 2:53 Trigger Conditions 3:22 Search Nearest 3:41 Components 5:05 Material Categories 5:26 Category Trading 6:54 Cross-Category Trading 8:54 Material Trader List 9:28 Trading Strategy 10:06 Ship Outfitting 11:14 Conclusion

EDDB represents a significant, but not essential component of the Elite Dangerous 3rd party ecosystem. Functioning largely as a data aggregator, with systems for sharing data across several other platforms, EDDB helps ensure the accuracy of the other tools by adding its own information to that of others, like Inara and the ED:starmap projects. It was one of the first major data aggregator tools, and was responsible for inspiring or otherwise encouraging the creation of more tools in the years that followed. This process has, thankfully, meant that EDDB is no longer the mission critical element that it used to be, and I believe is part of the reason why its creator feels that the tool can be shut down in that way it has been.

The Type-10 is a bit of a controversial ship in the game. It undoubtedly failed to settle into its role as a primary damage AX ship, though it has managed to inhabit a very unique position as a durable supporting damage ship. I say this as an unreserved fan of the idea of a turret focused damage tank, and adore how the port defense operations have finally given the defender something to defend. The Type-10 remains a steadfast and reliable craft that can and does play a useful role in port defense by quickly destroying the various harassing forces in and around a station. Able to support strong shields, or massive hull integrity, there is a surprising amount of flexibility in build crafting, though none of it will ever give this ship the speed or agility of its other large combat counterparts. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:13 Hull Overview 2:03 Armor 2:22 Power Plant 2:47 Thrusters 3:11 FSD 3:34 Life Support 3:58 Power Distributor 4:18 Sensors & Fuel 4:40 Cargo Rack 5:07 Universal Limpet 5:46 AFMU 6:15 Experimental Stabilizer 6:34 Module Reinforcement 7:03 Hull Reinforcement 7:13 Hardpoints 8:16 Utility Systems 8:39 Flight Performance 11:35 Conclusion 11:59 Closing