Hi,
Even though I'm mildy mad, I'll try to explain the point (I'm sure this is posted every week, at least).
To start from the beginning:
Actually I do like and love hardcore games, I do like games that make me think, that make me want to get better, that have a very steep learning curve.
I don't have a problem with dying, or dying often, or dying every damn time in a damn game, till you learn how to develop yourself.
But what the actual is this? Never did the game explain to me, that if I don't have enough money for my insurance and the 600,000 loan are not enough, my progress of hundreds of hours is gone forever.
Details might bore you, but in 200 hours and 30.000.000 credits later, it was the first time ever I got into this situation. In this ressource point with these many asteroids, I got a lag and my Clipper crashed into the big damn stone.
Instant death.
And now I have to start over with the ing Sidewinder and the bit credits I got left _again_ to grind 200 hours _a_g_a_i_n_?!
Isn't there any better solution for this?
Frontier, don't you got any alternative, instead of basically deleting everything the player has ever achieved?
Couldn't there be a hardcore mode or at least a big damn warning sign at the beginning?
I think the problem lies in the early-ship gameplay. I think death in a Sidewinder should be much more common, almost wholly unavoidable, to the new player. Also, All ships should be very much more expensive, to keep newbies in the lower ships to learn and get to grips with the game. Large ships are no longer something to earn, now, if you grind endlessly until your brains fall out you get an Anaconda! I think the Sidewinder should have decent options other than heat, which is useless as smuggling isn't even implemented, and progressing to the next ship, whether it be a Hauler, Adder or Eagle, or whatever, will feel great! I propose the following prices, although they're not all very accurate, and all approximate.
Sidewinder: 44,000 (A bit more than 1.33333333333...x the current price)
Eagle: 110,000 (Almost 3x, as the Eagle is a very good combat ship in comparison to the Sidewinder, and deserves something more than a five-minute stepping-stone.
Hauler: 70,000 (A slight price increase, but trading as a newbie is hard. I completely ignore the existence of Thrudd's because i think it ruins any fun in trading)
Adder: 160,000 (about 2x the price, and a good bump because it's such a good vessel! Good maneuverability and 3x hardpoints, one Class 2!)
Viper: 362,000 (This thing needs to be priced similarly to the Cobra as it is now. It's an amazingly capable and maneuverable fighter, and with good piloting easily outfights a Cobra in a dogfight. Now it just needs it's speed back, it shouldn't be outclassed by a Multipurpose!)
Cobra: 726,000 (The iconic ship of the game, and the very first computer-generated 3-dimensional figure to ever exist. Amazing speed (a bit of nerf, say, by 20 m/s, please), good weaponry and amazing internal space, alongside a quite good jump range. 372k as it is now is just ridiculous, this ship shouldn't be an early-game freebie. I see novice, pure bounty hunters in the thing!)
Type 6: I'm pretty undecided here, maybe 1.3 million? It's a nice alternative to the Cobra for a trader, as it trades defense for cargo space, and certainly not a direct step-up, unless you're in it for the imaginary internet points and the "last" ship.
Vulture: This one is hugely controversial. 4.9M is far too little, as this thing is an everything-killer. If it became barely maneuverable and thus a dedicated heavy assault craft, a few more million credits could justify it, say 7.3M. If it lost it's super-heavy weapons in favor maneuverability and thus became a dogfighter (Ie OP Eagle) it's current price could fit the description. However, if it remains the utterly OP mass-murdering lulzmobile it is today, I'm EASILY saying 30M. The thing can absolutely dominate CMDR-flown Clippers!
I think I'll just stop there because you all have my main idea probably drilled and engraved onto your brains at this point. I think ship progression should be slower.
!rant off
Most ships are very useful for their purpose, the big problem is, that this is only true in PvE. Add PvP and you get the mess we have now. 
