Leaked from source, or just some datamined garbage?
New ship: Panther Clipper
- Thread starter Rubbernuke
- Start date
The latter... 
What's this?
Not sure if the leaks are true, but if they are, they appear to fit within the indecipherable logic the company has used so far....
FSD range should be 250LY for Panther Clipper
For me, are the hardpoints lame or not is totally irrelevant, also the handling, toughness, everything... except the cargo capacity (and jump range to some extent, but that's secondary).
Cargo capacity is what will make or break PC, that's why that ship is needed. All else is irrelevant.
For Balance reasons, this is my Guess:
First off Class 9 Slots (a First in Elite Dangerous)...
Funny Hardpoint Layout, able to fire in all directions with Turreted, but no optimisation for anything else.
Able to take on some stuff, but not be great at it, focussing on using Turreted Weapon Mounts to Target Specific Systems, rather than Destroy Ships.
The "Flying Brick" with abysmal movement, Speed and Turning.
Estimated Stats for a Stellar Release (LOCKED Slots would be only able to be swapped for Items of the same type):
Class 9 - LOCKED - Cargo 512
Class 9 - LOCKED - Cargo 512
Class 9 - LOCKED - Cargo 512
Class 8 - Cargo 256
Class 7 - Shield Generator 7A
Class 6 - Fuel Scoop
Class 5 OR 6 - LOCKED - HULL Reinforcement
Class 5 OR 6 - LOCKED - MODULE Reinforcement
Class 5 - Guardian FSD Booster
Class 3 - Cargo 8
Class 1 - Super-Cruise Assist
Class 1 - Auto-Docking
Class 1 - LOCKED - Planet Landing
This is based on it having the same Number of Slots as the Imperial Cutter.
A Full Cargo Build, assuming you kept the FSD Booster and a Fuel Scoop was at least still in their somewhere (Class 3), you'd get 1,984 Tons of Carry Space.
Assuming a Fuel Scoop was still there, but there was no FSD Booster, you could push it out to 2,016 Tons.
In the Stellar Configuration, you'd get 1,800 Tons of Carry Capacity.
This accounts for a Slant in the Rear Most Compartment, meaning that you actually have 3 Full Compartments, but 1 Slanted one which was basically half the size.
1,800 Tons with otherwise worse than Cutter / Type-9 Stats would mean that both of the other Ships would remain useful, and relevant.
OK, so, what would God Tier look like?
What if we get exactly what we asked for, but it was still somehow Balanced.
God Tier Stellar (The Class 9 Cargo Slots would likely be LOCKED in a Balanced Build):
Class 9 - Cargo 512
Class 9 - Cargo 512
Class 9 - Cargo 512
Class 9 - Cargo 512
Class 8 - Shield Generator 8C Bi-Weave / OR / 8A Standard
Class 8 - Fighter Hanger
Class 7 - Fuel Scoop
Class 5 - LOCKED - HULL Reinforcement
Class 5 - LOCKED - MODULE Reinforcement
Class 5 - Guardian FSD Booster
Class 1 - Super-Cruise Assist
Class 1 - Auto-Docking
Class 1 - LOCKED - Planet Landing
We'd still get the same number of Slots as the Imperial Cutter.
We'd get 2,048 Tons of Cargo Space out of the Gate.
I still think it would get two LOCKED Slots for Hull and Module Reinforcement.
Assuming that we took everything else out, leaving only a Fuel Scoop, we'd kick it out to 2,688 Tons, maybe 2,690 Tons if you left the Super-Cruise Assistance behind.
Assuming that you kept the Class 1 Module, but ripped everything including the Fuel Scoop out, 2,720 Tons of Cargo would be your limit.
Take the Assistance Module out too, you got a 2,724 Tons of Cargo Build... Good Luck Landing, you'll need it...
In both Events, the "Flying Brick" would still apply.
Turning, Worse than anything else.
Speed, A Sidewinder could keep up easily, without even trying, while the Panther Clipper MKII was on Full Boost.
Power, it will be a drain on Power, hungry for every single bit.
The difference between a God Tier and what we might get:
God Tier would result in perfect Weapon Placement, Optimised for Turreted Weapons.
In a God Tier Version, those Weapons would not find it difficult to all train on a single Target as long as the Pilot was facing it head on.
In what we might get, there may be a Blind Spot where the Turrets just can't line up a shot.
That Blind Spot might even be right in front of the Ship, as the Hull of the Ship got in the way of its own guns.
Other differences, and how it could go wrong:
We might have a situation of having no way to Optimise for Better Jump Range.
We can expect, the Jump Range will be bad, so bad that it would make the Type-9 shine.
Without Optional Modifications (only Core Modules Optimised), we might get something like 18 LY, or even 15 LY.
We know that it at least can use the FSD, but, will it be good enough to even allow it into most Star Systems... I'm not sure.
What we fear:
Class 8 - LOCKED - Cargo 256
Class 8 - LOCKED - Cargo 256
Class 8 - LOCKED - Cargo 256
Class 8 - LOCKED - Hangers for Fighters OR SRV's
Class 7 - Shield Generator
Class 6 - Fuel Scoop
Class 5 - LOCKED - HULL Reinforcement
Class 5 - LOCKED - MODULE Reinforcement
Class 4 - FSD Booster
Class 1 - Auto-Docking
Class 1 - LOCKED - Planet Landing
This is what we are all fearing might happen.
Balanced? No, it suffers the opposite issue, as it would be Out-Matched by the Type 9 for Jump Range, and the Imperial Cutter for Capacity and Speed.
In that Configuration, you'd have to rip out the Shield and Fuel Scoop just to get enough Cargo Capacity to out-do the Imperial Cutter.
There would also be the concern over the Jump Range too, as, if you wanted to go anywhere, you'd need the FSD Booster.
However, if you wanted the best FSD Booster, you'd need to lose that Class 6 Slot.
In real terms, you'd have 896 Tons of Cargo, but then, a high likelihood of being Interdicted.
If you ever got interdicted by an Imperial Cutter, you'd basically have to hand over your Cargo, just in order to get away alive.
With only 896 Tons of total Cargo, at a much slower rate, the Cutter remains the better option.
The only advantage to them Bricking the Build this way, is the LOCKED Fighter/SRV Bay, assuming you even use Multi-Crew.
Time will tell.
I see a sea of tears on the horizon.
That was an awesome read Zool, if i may call you that. I smiled the whole time. I sure hope it's not what we fear, and its something more in lines of the first two speculations. I actually don't want the time to fly by until more details, because I feel like summer has already been curtailed too much already, but I am excited, especially after reading your post!
I hope it's not a sea of salty tears, i cannie take it anymore.
13 days to go until so many shattered hopes and dreams....
The panther back in my day had 2 settings. Tank with a minimal cargo hold, or cargo monster (best sticking to the hi-sec runs between Earth and barnard's star or Achenar and some other impie hell hole)
The tank was fun.... unstopable and a 1 shot 1 kill forward plasma cannon... but it didnt turn, it did not like docking and it used to planetary land with a splat.
However if it comes with an extra large surface vehicle that can haul automated mining machinery...........
Bill
But it will make something......... a very large target
The tank was fun.... unstopable and a 1 shot 1 kill forward plasma cannon... but it didnt turn, it did not like docking and it used to planetary land with a splat.
However if it comes with an extra large surface vehicle that can haul automated mining machinery...........
Bill
But it will make something......... a very large target
The panther back in my day had 2 settings. Tank with a minimal cargo hold, or cargo monster (best sticking to the hi-sec runs between Earth and barnard's star or Achenar and some other impie hell hole)
The tank was fun.... unstopable and a 1 shot 1 kill forward plasma cannon... but it didnt turn, it did not like docking and it used to planetary land with a splat.
However if it comes with an extra large surface vehicle that can haul automated mining machinery...........
Bill
But it will make something......... a very large target
Oh the good old days when a Panther actually meant something. In every Version of Elite the Panther was a Monster. It may have been slow but you could just stick on the best weapons and last longer than the poor Vipers a station could throw at you.
I have to say, it was my Fav ship. Now I have been waiting since Day one of this game for them to bring it back, 11 years later I only have days to wait. Would love to know its stats now, instead of having to wait. I remember having 1200 Shield Gens and unkillable fun.
![[VR] Mad Mike](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/27/27910.jpg?1553527108){kind=avatar}
1000 tons being a 30% increase from any trade ship which has come before and presumably SCO optimised as well.
that said my money is still on around the 1200 tons area .. but it's just a guess
the challenge FD face is if it's too much it will totally ruin everything to do with trade runs and CGs with anything except the PC
the only reason we potentially need such huge capacity is for colonisation. I would rather FD worked on adding features to colonisation that we could upgrade rather than throwing every trade ship in the game under the bus just because of 1 feature.
either way... it won't be a flop with 1000 tons usable . every space trucker in the game will get one and it will be a must in trade CGs.
all 1000tons won't do is make colonising by building an orbis solo any less painful. but like I said IF FD wants to reduce that pain there are better ways to do it than just give us a 2000ton + hauler
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Yeah, the FU stream does that to some folk...
I'm remaining positive until I see the saltnado approaching
My pains will be reduced much with that 2k+ hauler.
I think it will be 1200+ ton. Maybe Fdev releases a longer variant with 2000+ tons (Panther Clipper Mk III).
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