Ships are based on airplane masses not naval ship masses which makes perfect sense when they're required to break out of gravity wells. The anaconda has a fairly realistic mass for it's size under those constraints. Economies of scale really should mean that a large ship should be a better explorer. We see that regularly in the ED world as well with carriers and megaships being able to jump far further than our puny little anacondas and mandalays. Finally give us something to put that size 8 FSD in.
New large long-range explorer ship, which can carry small explorer ship for exobiology?
- Thread starter Shane Grimm
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My policy has always been that an exploration ship should have a good jump range even if it's not needed for exploring itself, because the explorer might have a sudden need to return home or be somewhere else. I went to beagle with 63 ly Phantom. With double engineered FSD the same build increased to 68 ly later. SCO FSD and the double engineered version pushed this over 70, but I don't remember exactly where now that I've switched to Mandalay.
From that I'd say an acceptable range for this hypothetical large explorer should be around 65 ly with best modern FSDs and without ridiculous min-maxing. Could be a bit less if the said min-maxing would make it compete with jumpaconda or mandalay.
Take a look at this.
That's guardian SLF, but in general it is the same with other ones. All SLFs have cabin, human-compatible controls, enough place for a pilot, and they usually have landing gear. You can see landing gear when you edit their livery. Condor also has handles on the side for climbing into the cabin.
For remote control drones they're too big and have too many unnecessary elements.
No it doesn't. It has a magic hull that is the only reason it jumps so well and is so popular as an explorer. If it had twice the hull mass or more, like its peers, it wouldn't be.
It's light and has a small FSD. It is simply less ship than most other large ships. Even if you did boost it's mass if you also boosted it's FSD to match it's "peers" though the imperial clipper is more it's peer than the Imperial cutter. You would still get a very good long range explorer and that's without going up to the top end FSD that they made and never put into a ship. The ship simply doesn't deserve to have the same hull mass as even a t9. The magic has little to do with it.
Large and explorer go really well together. Economies of scale is very much a logical thing. Big ships should extremely capable of long range flight.
The Clipper isn't really the Anaconda's peer. It's only a large ship be cause it is to wide. So basically the Anaconda has the same mass as a large medium ship, and an FSD one size up.
It's okay to like the Anaconda, but defending its magic existance is... well it is defending its magic existence.
It's okay to like the Anaconda, but defending its magic existance is... well it is defending its magic existence.
I like the general concept, large ship to travel in, and a small ship for local stuff less than about 25Ly or so. That is why I'd like to see a "mini" carrier, holds up to maybe 10 ships, jump range of maybe 300 Ly. And only the owner can land on it and has only the modules of repair/refuel and genomics/cartography. Basically an Exploration/Mining Carrier that can carry maybe 15K tons.
That said, there is no need to be running around a planet's surface if you are looking for bios. Once you scan the planet, it tells you where the samples are. Select which sample type you want. Just head for a large blue area on the planet surface. If you want more than one, then hop back out away from the planet enough to see the blue areas and select another sample type.
You shouldn't have to fly far at all when reaching the planet surface, so not much flying around. Pick an area that's large enough and drop in on the first sample, then fly in a straight line to the next 2. Done.
For sightseeing? Yeah, a nice quick runabout that you can land and disembark would be cool.
That said, there is no need to be running around a planet's surface if you are looking for bios. Once you scan the planet, it tells you where the samples are. Select which sample type you want. Just head for a large blue area on the planet surface. If you want more than one, then hop back out away from the planet enough to see the blue areas and select another sample type.
You shouldn't have to fly far at all when reaching the planet surface, so not much flying around. Pick an area that's large enough and drop in on the first sample, then fly in a straight line to the next 2. Done.
For sightseeing? Yeah, a nice quick runabout that you can land and disembark would be cool.
Not disagreeing there! It would be nice if we could just land the fighters.
Most people prefer to traverse that distance a bit faster than 2 years...
But isn't that some of the issues ? Some( not most ) want to do it faster ? Some ( not most) are more than happy to take longer . Exploration in this game is a very marmite thing . You have to weigh up the time taken to get to a place or not too bother but many want to get to a place without the time taken to appreciate ( thanks god that's finished , I'm never going exploring again ) til the next time.
I have a hard time understanding the rush to do stuff in this game and feel that Fdev's slow move to make things quicker / easier detracts from the game . Again I know that it's just my opinion .
I seem to remember that the SLFs were just old(?) normal space fighters that had been hardwired to be run by telepresence as an RPV not designed from the ground up as a drone, that is the human ones of course.Take a look at this.
That's guardian SLF, but in general it is the same with other ones. All SLFs have cabin, human-compatible controls, enough place for a pilot, and they usually have landing gear. You can see landing gear when you edit their livery. Condor also has handles on the side for climbing into the cabin.
For remote control drones they're too big and have too many unnecessary elements.
I fail to see the point of a “mini” carrier now for exploration and exobiology the only advantage would be lower costs in credits which is pointless with exobiology payments. Back before Odyssey launched or even better before FCs were launched there would have been some point but that point is years behind us.
I find it is often better to pick an area that is small enough to search properly.
I seem to recall that FDev said early on that there where issues with having what the code thinks of as ships that can be flown by a player inside a ship that can be flown by a player.
All SLFs are like that. Full cockpit and pilot presence. They come from the CQC game. "Telepresence" is a handwave.
"It is fun". SLFs are nimbler and smaller. I think they're smaller even than sidewinger.
He didn't ask teleportation
In my case, it could be faster, I just had 1-2-3 weeks pauses.Well, once you try landing in some areas with a Mandalay, you'd understand. A smaller ship is a definite advantage. We are no longer "before Odyssey", so none of that really applies.
The point is having something different. Another tool in the toolbox. A "mini carrier" would allow you to take with you a more specific toolbox! A massive fleet carrier is a bit overkill for exploring. When I go on vacation, I don't take my whole house.
Search properly? There is no searching. You drop in on a spot and it's right there, then fly a short distance of 500 meters, and there's the next sample. Do it once more and you're done. If you are having to search for a bio sample, you're doing something wrong. That said, I'm speaking from a Tectonicus angle. I don't go for anything less than 19M. But others that I have collected were basically the same, if you drop in on it, it's right there, no real searching needed.
That said, I'm not into collecting samples of everything. I'm interested in collecting credits!
There could be some base code issues. Very possible. That can lead to some changes not being possible without rewriting the base code of the game. If that is the case, it would be most unfortunate.
My main issue with the Mandalay wasn’t landing, turning 90 degrees often worked, but with how often the bottom of it hit stuff like ridge lines. I didn’t go back to my Hauler but moved on to the Cobra V.
No but that was when it would have made most sense to introduce one.
While having a mini carrier could make us have to think which is a good thing there is nothing wrong with the overkill of the existing FC.
The searching is what happens between dropping out of glide and seeing something other than rock.
I am more into collecting samples of everything that I need to complete my Codex, credits beyond comfortably covering costs aren’t a driver as I am not pushing for rank after passing Elite.That said, I'm not into collecting samples of everything. I'm interested in collecting credits!
I do it because I enjoy it.
Edited to correct memory malfunction regarding ship type used.
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I actually suggested the same thing today: a large ship where you can park a small ship on. I didn't read the rest of this part of the forum beforehand, just came to spew out what I wanted to say. I'm sorry.
I do agree that there should be somewhat of limitations and balance. In the game in general. I'm by no means a hardcore player. But I flown about 200 hours in Elite Legacy. To and through Barnards Loop - I believe. Never played Horizons. And now a few months into Odyssey. And for everything I don't know, about Elite, I do can say that the pace is absolutely different. With the larger jumps etc. Though on the other hand, that comes from a player that only just about discovered engineering.
And maybe the faster pace is simply a natural evolving of the game, and also something you can choose to go in or out to, I guess. You can participate in CG's but you can also go out for a exploration, and I guess the experience would be the same as mine Legacy one. But I mean to say that I did like the old pace of the game. But I also do like the way it is now. I think it is something to be watched for, because I feel it has a lot of what makes Elite. (the hardship instead of just flying to the other side of the universe I mean, English isn't my native language).
And that you can already explore the way it's always done aside, I think it simply would be cool to have a standard ship that you can land on your bigger ship. And by that I mean and Adder or an Hauler or an Eagle. Or a Sidewinder if that's your thing. I don't know if it should include all small ships. Or say the ships up unto the DiamondBack Scout. If you would sort by cost. Or just the three (four) I named. Something of a weight-limit I think. And/or size. (because if diamondback scout than dbx should fit as well.. so I don't know the in's and outs of what is a good idea).
Wouldn't it be cool if you can bring along one of the first ships you bought, just because you can.
I wouldn't exactly know how to envision it. But I do second the idea. I already thought it is an obvious idea more or less. So we probably aren't the first to suggest either. But still.
And or going into another but little the same direction: Instead of only ship launched fighters, maybe also have an ship launched explorer. A mini Mandalay with an glass foot part would be awesome
And yes, I do think that having a Mandalay (which I think is awesome) medium ship boarding your Anaconda would be too much. Against the spirit of Elite I guess. So I do like limitations as well. Even though I do like to fantasize about my Black Beauty Mandy sitting on my Anaconda.
All the best, o7
dr00p
I do agree that there should be somewhat of limitations and balance. In the game in general. I'm by no means a hardcore player. But I flown about 200 hours in Elite Legacy. To and through Barnards Loop - I believe
. Never played Horizons. And now a few months into Odyssey. And for everything I don't know, about Elite, I do can say that the pace is absolutely different. With the larger jumps etc. Though on the other hand, that comes from a player that only just about discovered engineering.And maybe the faster pace is simply a natural evolving of the game, and also something you can choose to go in or out to, I guess. You can participate in CG's but you can also go out for a exploration, and I guess the experience would be the same as mine Legacy one. But I mean to say that I did like the old pace of the game. But I also do like the way it is now. I think it is something to be watched for, because I feel it has a lot of what makes Elite. (the hardship instead of just flying to the other side of the universe I mean, English isn't my native language).
And that you can already explore the way it's always done aside, I think it simply would be cool to have a standard ship that you can land on your bigger ship. And by that I mean and Adder or an Hauler or an Eagle. Or a Sidewinder if that's your thing. I don't know if it should include all small ships. Or say the ships up unto the DiamondBack Scout. If you would sort by cost. Or just the three (four) I named. Something of a weight-limit I think. And/or size. (because if diamondback scout than dbx should fit as well.. so I don't know the in's and outs of what is a good idea).
Wouldn't it be cool if you can bring along one of the first ships you bought, just because you can.
I wouldn't exactly know how to envision it. But I do second the idea. I already thought it is an obvious idea more or less. So we probably aren't the first to suggest either. But still.
And or going into another but little the same direction: Instead of only ship launched fighters, maybe also have an ship launched explorer. A mini Mandalay with an glass foot part would be awesome
And yes, I do think that having a Mandalay (which I think is awesome) medium ship boarding your Anaconda would be too much. Against the spirit of Elite I guess. So I do like limitations as well. Even though I do like to fantasize about my Black Beauty Mandy sitting on my Anaconda.
All the best, o7
dr00p
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I think it would be enough to add option to alter mid section of FC (through livery for example) to modify it's primary function- in this case like limiting internal cargo space and replacing tritium based FSD in favor of increased jump range and ability to use hydrogen as fuel (so player could simply scoop it from the star and then transfer it to FC fuel tank) at the cost of internal cargo space available and number of landing pads.
Another option is to add new exploration type "fighter" which could use fighter bay along with option to use passenger cabin as a sort of player home on ship (with thing like terminal to sell exploration data through it).
Another option is to add new exploration type "fighter" which could use fighter bay along with option to use passenger cabin as a sort of player home on ship (with thing like terminal to sell exploration data through it).
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Realistic mass? Dunno about that.
But, in terms of game balance, Anaconda is made of hand-wavium:
- Carries largest powerplant
- Carries 2nd largest thrusters (while having some of the worst speed and boost of its class)
- Same FSD as Corvette and T9
- One of only 2 ships with size 8 power distro and sensors
- Same fuel tank as medium explorers
- Higher mass lock than Beluga and T9 (4th highest)
- More agile than similar-sized ships
- Tied for 3rd place in hull hardness with several other ships
- Less hull tonnage than nearly every medium combat-focused ship
- 3rd highest base armor of ANY ship
- 2nd highest base jump range
Make it make sense.
landing gear on slf would be so easy to do and such a gamechanger. but if we are to dream then i still want my ship with tracks on landing gear so its movable when landed, and slf bay on top with landed-launchable slf with bioscanner. and lil drinks with umbrellas instead of coffee machine!