Newcomer / Intro Graphical Comparison of Ships (for v1.2)

Krepose Gavayne · May 3, 2015

Whilst I've been playing ED I have often wanted something extra to what my current ship provided, e.g. it might have had one too few Utility Mounts, or I wanted something a bit faster. I found looking at all the different ships quite confusing due to all their various specification values, and whilst flipping between them I'd lose track of certain things (information overload). So, I decided to compare them graphically; with a few simple bar charts I could narrow down my choice for the next ship to try. This was not purely ship progression, but may have included test beds so that I could experiment with different weapons or modules, or if I decided to change trade and so wanted to buy an extra ship (even if it was a temporary role change).

Here is the Key for the different charts (those ships in italics cannot dock at outposts):

Here is the data used:

All ships in order of price (running costs will vary):

Here are the ships in order of hull mass (dimensional sizes vary). If any ships share the same value then they are shown in order of price (low to high):

For their speeds I've used both top speed and boost. Depending on your chosen module ratings you may find that top speed is the defining criterion. If you equip a ship to chase or flee then the boost speed can be more important. The ordering sequence is: speed type in question; other speed type; manoeuvrability; hull mass. My reasoning is that i) both speed types will play a part, even if simply waiting for the ENG capacitor to recharge; ii) whether chasing, fleeing or trying to get your ship to a specific place (docking pad, around an asteroid, through the station entrance, &c.) if your ship won't realign itself quickly then you're in trouble; iii) a higher mass means that you have a better chance of survival (whether from weapon fire or an unwanted collision).

The number of Utility Mounts and ship Module space is a subjective topic and depends on what you want to achieve with your ship. For example, if exploring you might want as many Heat Sink Launchers as possible; if hunting you might want enough to accommodate that Wake Shift Scanner without having to omit your preferred kit of Chaff Launchers and Shield Boosters, and also squeeze in some Shield Cell Banks; and so forth.
The ordering sequence used for Utility Mounts is: quantity (few to many); ship price (low to high).
The ordering sequence used for Internal Compartments is: quantity (few to many); largest size available (small to large); hardpoint quantity (few to many). The last only applies for Hauler and Viper.

The question of Hardpoints is difficult to show in any meaningful way in a simple bar chart, but I include it here for completeness. I think it would be more useful when wanting to try several different weapons whilst minimising the need to keep redocking to make outfitting changes.
The ordering sequence used is: quantity (few to many); size available (small to large); Utility Mount quantity (few to many); Internal Compartments quantity (few to many).

I have not bothered attempting to order ships in jump range as the permutations are prohibitive and everyone will have their own opinions on what to include in their ship build, with each variation altering the jump distance.

The different charts are not meant to be used in isolation, but rather a quick way to compare different factors, thus narrowing down the choice of ship to use. Referring back to the ship's entire range of spec values shall always be needed before a final choice is made.

EDIT: I'm collating more info ready for the v1.3 roll out, so I'm adding the jump ranges chart. I've used the ED Shipyard site for the calculations. All ships have been stripped down as much as possible, with power draw values below 99% (I've found a bug whereby 99% can show as okay but still be too much, hence why I've not gone for <100%).

Here are the ship configurations:

Here is the chart:

wilkie79 · May 3, 2015

nice work +1 rep.

gwing · May 3, 2015

yeah, thank you! seems like a lot of work...

anybody know of a graphical size comparison of all available ships?!

Krepose Gavayne · May 3, 2015

I don't know where to obtain the dimensions of each ship. The info on the Elite Wiki is incomplete or approximated.

retslag1 · May 3, 2015

nice little comparison. might be helpful for some to do a quick look and get the info they needed.

cmdr lowest · May 4, 2015

I think the hardpoints graph is a bit contentious as there is way more to hardpoints than just quantity. There's no way a Vulture should be 6 places lower than a Cobra because it has one less hardpoint. It has a large hardpoint and will outgun a Cobra every day of the week.

Maybe you could assign a points-based system, like 1 = small hardpoint, 2=medium, 3=large etc. and do a graph based on potential firepower output by collating the scores? Just an idea.

Also, I think a graph of maximum potential jump range should be done as it is something a commander would be most interested in. Just base the calculations on the proviso that it is the maximum potential, with no guns, compartments or shields and D-rated equipment throughout.

Krepose Gavayne · May 4, 2015

cmdr lowest said:
I think the hardpoints graph is a bit contentious as there is way more to hardpoints than just quantity. There's no way a Vulture should be 6 places lower than a Cobra because it has one less hardpoint. It has a large hardpoint and will outgun a Cobra every day of the week.

Maybe you could assign a points-based system, like 1 = small hardpoint, 2=medium, 3=large etc. and do a graph based on potential firepower output by collating the scores? Just an idea.

Also, I think a graph of maximum potential jump range should be done as it is something a commander would be most interested in. Just base the calculations on the proviso that it is the maximum potential, with no guns, compartments or shields and D-rated equipment throughout.

I agree about the hardpoints and was originally not going to include it, but then I thought something is better than nothing. Another factor to consider (but which is difficult to incorporate into a chart) is the hardpoint placement. A ship with fewer hardpoints may still be able to bring more to bear upon a target than another ship which has more hardpoints. Then when one begins considering the distribution of sizes of the hardpoints and what weapons are available in those sizes it all becomes too much (the more comprehensive it is, the more complex it is). An altogether different type of chart would be needed to have a useful impact on properly grading the different ships, which would stray from the purpose of these charts which are only intended to provide a quick way to narrow things down when undecided on what ship to go for next. Of course, it is of more use to beginners looking at the smaller, cheaper ships (hence why I put it in this forum) as more experienced players will have a better understanding of what each ship is capable of (and people can read enough threads here about how powerful the Vulture is, how good the Asp is for exploring, and such like). I take your point about the scoring method for the hardpoint sizes, though. I shall give it some consideration.

When we have more ships introduced I shall also consider the maximum jump range chart. I suppose I could look at doing some suggested configs, too, to see how the maximum range falls once other components are added/upgraded. Perhaps a series of side-by-side charts, with the first being maximum range configs, then another with another upgraded Life Support, another with weapons, etc..

EDIT: whilst I'm thinking about what I could do once 1.3 lands, a comparison of modules and weapons might be useful. The curves of power usage and cost stay the same I think (might be wrong), but having it all shown together might be useful. There are other charts available regarding damage done, but one which exists to help players make decisions based on their credit balance or ship's spare power could be good.

Newcomer / Intro Graphical Comparison of Ships (for v1.2)

Krepose Gavayne

wilkie79

gwing

Krepose Gavayne

retslag1

cmdr lowest

Krepose Gavayne