How far have you gotten in FTL

[Alssadar]

On easy mode, I got to sector 8 with 5 crew members, with a person with rank 2 in all the positions, and rank 4 shields. Though, I never was able to upgrade my weapons. Then I got invaded by boarders by a frigate, and then torpedo'd to death.
I also had a fun instance where, in sector 7, I ran out of fuel and missiles, and was stuck fighting a ship with level 2 shields and low weapons, though a rather high dodge chance. The fight took 15 minutes for me to reduce the enemy to eventual surrender, allowing me to actually escape.

On normal, I've gotten to sector 3 before dying in a multitude of ways. In my current run, I'm in 3 and I'm doing okay.

 

[PiCroft]

I got to the enemy flagship, but couldn't get past the 2nd incarnation because of my shitty weapon choice. I had an Ion Bomb and a 3-shot laser, and a boarding drone.

The problem with using the boarding drone on a ship like the flagship is it has compartments (guns) that are completely separate from the rest of the ship. This is useful in its own way since if you beam crew over to a compartment like that, then the enemy is helpless to stop you and can't repair the damage you do afterwards, but a boarding drone in one of those compartments becomes useless for the remainder of the fight, since you can't withdraw it and it won't go away until its destroyed.

This left my Ion Bomb and Laser woefully inadequate for taking down their powerful shields

 

[Frankster]

Have yet to beat the 2nd form of the final boss :/ Considering i only bought it yesterday tho, reckon that isn't too bad.

Have unlocked the stealth ship though so yey!

 

[Nimzar]

Furthest I've made it on Hard was 3rd Form of boss.

Furthest I've made it on Nightmare was level 6 or maybe 7.

 

[hazabaza1]

I've gotten to sector 8 on normal. I was doing really well one time but I ended up only having laser weapons, and even with a full volley I couldn't break through to the hull of the sector 8 standard ships.
Always keep missile launchers handy, kids.

 

[Ralen-Sharr]

I wish this game had a sandbox mode. This game is a lot more fun to play than it is to win. Flagship battle wasn't too bad, but that's because I had killed most of the crew in the second battle (they had 1 guy left on a gun) Using a cloak to avoid the super-weapon stuff helps a lot and I had 55% evasion, so that helped mitigate damage greatly. I kept blasting holes in the hull with bombs and multiple fires started in other areas.(which is how the crew died)

Really it feels like luck is the biggest factor that determines if you are able to win.

 

[R3dF41c0n]

I've only made it to Sector 5. Even though I keep dying I love this game.

 

[Furioso]

I've beaten it twice... I can also consistently beat Binding of Isaac... maybe I have a knack for rogue-likes?

 

[Loop Stricken]

I get to the end, then I discover my ship can't damage the boss, and die horribly.
This is a depressingly regular state of affairs.

 

[ShadowKatt]

So I'm not the only one playing this game then? Wow.

I've made it to stage 8, but I died pretty soon in. I think I've run about a dozen games, died every time. This game is hard as hell even on easy, and yet still so fun.

 

[rayen020]

Wow... Just reread original post. God i sound like a spam/ad bot. Guess i'm just having lots of fun... Got section 8 finally... Met the flagship sans missles, burst laser couldn't get through the shields. It didn't end well. Happy though kept my 2of my original crew alive the whole game.

 

[Geo Da Sponge]

Well, I just did another run in the standard ship you start with. I managed to reach the final boss, and in fact defeated his second form. Unfortunately my ship exploded at the exact same moment (you have to get pretty lucky to be able to reach a repair station between boss forms).

 

[winginson]

Did a stealth run with the stealth cruiser. Got to boss fight and realised I had no shields or decent guns. Heh.

Hard game usually die to the boss or when you meet a double shielded enemy just a bit to early. They usually take out my engines first.

 

[Loop Stricken]

DAMN YOU MANTIS BOARDING PARTIES!

Gaah! And I was so close to having 29 power bars on the Zoltan ship, too.

 

[Inconspicuous Trenchcoat]

Playtime Total: 7 hours
Playthroughs: 3 serious ones, and a handful of brief experiments, e.g. what happens when you run out of fuel?
Difficulty: All 3 playthroughs were done on Easy.

First: Starting human ship. Reached sector 4 or 5 maybe? Died to a distress call trap. 3 or 4 Mantis boarded my ship while their ship shredded me with missles. I probably died here from inexperience and panicking--hadn't developed the asphyxiation + retreat to med bay strategy yet. Having only 2 crew members at that point didn't help.

Second: Starting human ship. Reached the flagship/final boss, kicked the crap out of it. Oh wait, it has another form!? It demolished me with drones, while I couldn't even break its shields; I had been relying on missles to bring down shields up to that point, but the flagships' defense drone ensured my doom.

Third: Played with the Engi ship I unlocked last playthrough. Made it all the way to the flagship again. Took down its second form, YEEEEESSSS!! ... It has a third!?! NoooAOAOO!! But, I intercepted a third time and managed to bring it down. My ship was still boarded, had 2 or 3 hull points left, on fire and breached in 3+ spots but I won!

So, beat it on easy with this loadout: Maximum shields, maximum weapons system power, 1 Ion Bolt gun, 2 line laser guns, 2 anti-ship drones and 1 defense drone. Fully upgraded doors, one point in sensors and about 42% dodge chance, all stations had a maxed out specialist for the system.

It's a very fun game.

 

[Erttheking]

On easy mode I managed to get to sector 8 three times and the rebel flagship once. It blew me out of the water though. Haven't tried normal yet.

 

[veloper]

I only beat the second stage of the flagship, on normal mode.

Getting to the last stage is very doable on normal and beating the first flagship incarnation isn't too hard either, but the game always give me a major FU somewhere at stage 8 that makes me lose the game just steps away before the end.

I like this game for the most part, but the last stage is just one big middle finger to the player.
Not just a very steep incline in difficulty, but even an FU from a narrative perspective, bare bones as it is.
"OK soldier, so you completed your original mission, here's a little fuel, now beat some giant flagship all by yourself." Even the flagship's weakness is never explained.

The entire game has now changed from just flight and survival, to metagame preparation for the boss fight.

 

[rayen020]

really funny LP

Part 2 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCScFxVycRc]
Part 3 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCScFxVycRc] <- this one is really long (over an hour)
Part 4 (finale) [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al7ZC5IrhSY]

 

[lRookiel]

Flagship, final stage with the Kestrel, it was annoying!

 

[Terminal Blue]

I've gotten to sector 6 twice. Once with the starting Kestrel, and the second time with the Red Tail, the Kestrel's second layout.

My most successful game was when I ended up with two mantises and a teleporter. I won a lot of fights by launching hit and run attacks on enemy crews to kill them all then falling back to heal as needed. That is, until my teleporter got hull-breached while my away team were out. Alas, poor mantis marines.

At the moment I'm playing around with the Vortex (Engi cruiser layout B). I never seem to get very far with it, but it's fun as hell. You start out with one dude, a drone bay full of repair and defence drones and a heavy ion/heavy laser combo.

I also got the stealth cruiser, which is insanely difficult to play. Any encounter involving beam weapons may as well be goodbye.

You guys who have done really well, can I ask what upgrades you prioritized? I tend to aim for a second shield as quickly as possible, then more power, then I start thinking about getting a teleporter or cloak. I suspect a lot of my failure is due to neglecting engine upgrades, but beyond that I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.