Favorite Exploration Ship ? Hauler For Me
- Thread starter nvchad2
- Start date
Except that they fly like a... thing that doesn't fly very well. I wouldn't want to explore in an Anaconda unless I really needed the jump range.
Hats off mr/mrs silver = give us ships with their own character
I quite like the look of the Diamondback; I'm not speculating on its stats. I think FD are in a bind due to the multiple-use nature of the cargo slots - a ship that can fit a big fuel scoop can fit a big shield or a lot of cargo, and so on - which makes it harder for them to restrict ships to a narrow use. (In a similar vein, SC may have interesting times if they're making any attempt at balance because they're using an even more modular system for cargo space!)
I still feel that my choice of ships is massively constrained by the need to survive PVP encounters; these days I don't fly anything that can't escape or outfight opponents unless I'm messing around. And that's not right, or at least not conducive to fun.
Which feeds into my current favourite choice of explorer: a Cobra, stripped of weapons but with good shields and speed to escape, with decent jump range, fairly nippy in supercruise, versatile and especially its big fuel tank making it a carefree traveller - I don't have to watch where I'm jumping so closely.
The Diamondback sounds like the sort of ship I want my explorer Cobra to be: a decently ranged scout with twitchier flight controls, better weapon placements, and a good set of thrusters - but optimised purely for this role, with little or no flexibility for cargo and suchlike. Next week cannot come soon enough for us to see.
While you're not wrong about how the casinos work (and MMOs and many mobile games-lookin at you Candy Crush) I think it's a bit cynical to apply it to ED given just how rarely you level up in anything. The addiction you're talking about requires getting that hit regularly and you can go days or weeks in ED without leveling up in anything.
Heck, I don't recall ever getting notified that I'd increased my rank anyway. I always had to check my right UI. Wouldn't mind at least being told of a promotion the same way I get told I discovered new planets.
Now, if they added a bunch of levels in between the current ones, or like in Battlefield where there are like ten ranks of corporal before you make sergeant, etc... then I'd be scowling.
Except that they fly like a... thing that doesn't fly very well. I wouldn't want to explore in an Anaconda unless I really needed the jump range.
Also, I want a ship that can land on platforms in an emergency.
Hauler was my first exploration ship, and still have a soft spot for it. It got my name on Ghost of Jupiter back when exploring was tricky due to remote systems not loading. As I got close to 1000LY from Sol half the time systems wouldn't load.
Then i got a Cobra, another nice exploriation ship, and travelled around 10,000LY in that. It servied me well.
Then i got an Asp, and made several journeys. Never went to Sag A* but saw a few nice systems and stuff. A really nice exploration ship, but i still hadn't learned all the tricks of exploring, and was still rushing around to "goals" instead of choosing my systems.
Then i got an Orca, and with its shorter jump range, i learned that its not distance travelled that really matters, its the systems you visit during your journey.
However, when the Diamondback is released, i probably will be tempted to have a dalliance with that, assuming it has a good jump range and a decent fuel tank.
Then i got a Cobra, another nice exploriation ship, and travelled around 10,000LY in that. It servied me well.
Then i got an Asp, and made several journeys. Never went to Sag A* but saw a few nice systems and stuff. A really nice exploration ship, but i still hadn't learned all the tricks of exploring, and was still rushing around to "goals" instead of choosing my systems.
Then i got an Orca, and with its shorter jump range, i learned that its not distance travelled that really matters, its the systems you visit during your journey.
However, when the Diamondback is released, i probably will be tempted to have a dalliance with that, assuming it has a good jump range and a decent fuel tank.
The issue of immersion etc seems a tad off
The issue of immersion and "REALISM" SEEM SKEWD WHEN THE NEW COURIOUR appears to have such a limited jump range - doesn't a courior cover distances at a fast rate in order to deliver messages? Light and pretty useless at most things EXCEPT from getting from A to B quickly.
The issue of immersion and "REALISM" SEEM SKEWD WHEN THE NEW COURIOUR appears to have such a limited jump range - doesn't a courior cover distances at a fast rate in order to deliver messages? Light and pretty useless at most things EXCEPT from getting from A to B quickly.
No, I get it, there is some variance to ships currently, the cobra is still a great ship, the ASP is very good in its explorer role, the Vulture is a vicious combat vessel, the T9 has storage for everything ever made... all of these are viable ships.Except that they fly like a... thing that doesn't fly very well. I wouldn't want to explore in an Anaconda unless I really needed the jump range.
The thing is, the Anaconda (despite sluggish controls) can outjump the ASP, outshoot the Vulture, Outcarry the T9 (ok not technically but you get the idea)... the game is set up to 'progress' through to higher grade ships, even if the cobra is working well for your intended purpose, the rest of the game is set up around this progression mechanic, and it doesnt fit in my opinion.
Large heavy fighter/cruisers like the anaconda should have extreme difficulty dealing with lightweight torpedo fighters like say, a properly fitted viper or cobra. A viper of that kind should have difficulty dealing with a more nimble interceptor like an eagle, which should have difficulty dealing with an anti-ship fighter like say, a vulture, which should be threatened by a heavy fighter/cruiser like an Anaconda.
Thats the kind of balance Im talking about that is not currently present, instead the game is set up to encourage you to move to the next bigger better ship that can do everything better and that feels counter intuitive to the rest of the game. The progression mechanic is a fine game model, but Im not sure why we need it here.
Last edited:
Except that they fly like a... thing that doesn't fly very well. I wouldn't want to explore in an Anaconda unless I really needed the jump range.
Well to be fair, there really isn't any graceful ship with jump range currently on the market.
Asp - corners like a drunk sea cow, (de)accelerates slightly slower than a freight train
Hauler - well it's light, but a 6 maneuverability? and looks cheap on the inside
T-6 - lighter than the Asp, but a 3 maneuverability binds its feet
Adder - very nimble, but shorter jump range than the Hauler...
Cobra - shortest explorer jump range, handles only slightly better than an Asp
Add the ranks and notifications - if it doesn't float your boat it then doesn't affect you - it may motivate others - then good.
Adding content that doesn't ruin your method of play is good - it MAY help others and has no down side on you
Lots of juicy systems get skipped by people with huge jump ranges...
Very true. ED is no where near as bad most MMOs. However everything you do is only rewarded by money or rank, but once you have nothing left to buy, or rank to earn, what is the motivation to keep playing? More ranks? More stuff? Yes there are some minor aspects of player skill on a joystick, but we need more skill based activities in the game to keep the game alive for good and healthy reasons, and not just to beat the grind and quit after doing a few victory laps around the bubble.
Power play has the potential to change this dynamic, but it's a bit problematic because the rewards will always boil down to money. Maybe the plan is to give us an infinite amount of crap to buy? It is an awfully big universe. So many places to plant a flag, build a space station, start a fleet. Become a power?
Last edited:
Hehe, while I'm not quite at that point my motivation remains the same as ever: to understand the underlying mechanics of the game universe. But then I'm a (bad) programmer and (lapsed) astrophysicist so it's kind of understandable.
@Murishani - I would never bet on a smaller ship to destroy an Anaconda in PVP but I'd certainly bet on smaller ships to drive off an Anaconda. A lot depends on the relative loadouts, although really it should be more skewed towards smaller ships if only chaff worked against turrets like it should.
I agree, however ED has been designed in such way that strict specialization of ships is not easy to achieve. Just as an example, devs want to create heavily shielded "tank" so they'll give her large internals in order to allow players to fit badass shield gen, cells, and whatnot. But if someone decides to dump all that and fit cargo racks, or huge fuel scoop, AFMUs and scanners instead, ship will in most cases lose its originally planned primary role and become hauler. Or explorer. Or something else.
It's not like EVE where all ships have default attributes and very specific bonuses and penalties so that their "nature" can't be fundamentaly changed. ED is different. I am not telling that this or that is better: both concepts have their (dis)advantages. Ships in ED are very versatile which is good, but on the other hand you end up with something like Anaconda.
This is a good point, but I think what Murishani is saying is that small ships need to be useful despite a lack of large class slots. There are several ways to implement this without breaking the game, or even altering the ship models. It could be small changes such as hit box detection, reduced heat signatures, increased speed, increased durability, a slight boost to smaller class weapons damage, etc. You could even add extra utility slots with items that boosted power output or distribution.
I get that. It's a common enough lament here right now. As it stands once you have the ship you want and a ton of money, then what?
Personally this has never been a problem for me, because I'm a writer. I create stories as I play, motivations to go to X and do Y. I've written fanfic based on this and it keeps me enthralled. I only recently (before I left for SagA) acquired a Clipper, and I've been playing since January. No doubt there are plenty playing as long as I have who own two Anacondas (one for Sunday drives), but the accumulation of wealth and property is their driving force. For me it's a welcomed byproduct.
That said, the more content the better. Add more toys to the sandbox. I don't know what other skill-based activities could be added to the game as it is, though. Not until planetary landings and general first-person stuff is added to the mix.
No, they've been pretty clear on the fact that you won't be getting fleets (thank God). This isn't that type of game. Space stations are we currently know them are off the table BUT there are plans in long term development for "inflatable" personal stations that could be set up in asteroids (a callback to the Rock Hermits of old school Elite). Exactly how that'll work I'm not sure, but I look forward to it being implemented eventually.
Finding a power you believe in and helping them succeed or defending them from others is a strong motivator. If I was a war monger I could see myself helping Patraeus stretch his hand. His success is my success. Crush your enemies, have them driven before you, hear the lamentations of the women (and look cool in a cape, 'cause it's Empire). But my hope is that the non-combat oriented Powers will have similar reasons to want back them and reasons to want them to succeed. As long as we're in a position where we care about the Powers and want to see them succeed or stopped, we're going to create a heck of a lot of content right in our own heads in our attempts to make that happen.
Yes, money is a reward and right now it's the primary one, but I see that changing over time. As an explorer, I get a huge kick out of all the "Discovered Firsts" I get, for example. Money is the icing on the cake for when I get back, letting me upgrade and go pew-pew-pew a bit.
Rewards aren't just money - they've mentioned that certain powers will have unique advantages (weapons, shields, exploration equipment, etc...) and of course the grinders will simply side with whoever offers the best whatever they need. But of course it still boils down to "stuff".
The only way that the money grind could ever become stable would be if they implemented ongoing costs (like life). Right now it's just fuel, ammo, insurance, and repairs. But it could also be normal wear and tear, taxes, station rent, crew/employee salaries, food, etc. That is unfortunate that a fleet is already verboden. I can see why they didn't want it, if simply for griefer prevention. I still think you should be able to have at least a wings worth of ships under your indirect command.
I hope the galactic-risk element has real strategy to it and isn't just the current small-cog-in-a-big-machine dynamic we already get from CGs.
I hope the galactic-risk element has real strategy to it and isn't just the current small-cog-in-a-big-machine dynamic we already get from CGs.
Which is why everyone is using combat Type 9's and Cargo vultures right?
I think this is patently false, specialization is EASILY achieved in this game. A type 9 can be fitted for some combat but it will never be a dedicated combat vessel, and the vulture can haul a few tons but its never going to be a freighter, period.
There are ships that are better at multi-role (sideys cobras asps anacondas) but there are most assuredly specialist ships.
A million kinds of this.
I think one of the biggest problems is the forum we are debating this in. After reading Ziljans other post it occured to me that even the ASP explorer doesn't feel like one. Every ship I've explored in had to be adapted to that role from another intended purpose (haulers, type 6's Adders etc.).
Even the ASP, ok, good jump range, little bit wobbly on the handling, that's fine its a bigger ship I can deal with that. Fits a huge jump drive, this is making sense it looks like an explorer. Yes multiple utility slots very good, not sure why I need all this cargo. Capable of holding a big shield... ok Im not sure Id need that in the black but ok, hang on what is with all these hard points? Why is it capable of powering six railguns? This doesn't looks like an explorer it looks like a multirole!
We have dedicated combat ships: Eagles,Vipers, Vultures, etc. Good defenses(shield armor or both), great weaponry, good handling, terrible jump range, bad cargo.
We have dedicated freighter ships: T9, Hauler, T6 etc. Great cargo, ponderous, decent jump range, minimal weaponry, good defenses
We have multirole ships: sidey, cobra, ASP, decent jump, decent cargo, decent weapons, decent defenses, all rounders.
Even the ORCA has a serious bite and acts a bit like an all rounder.
Can we not have?: Bullsnake, Boa and Cottonmouth, Decent defenses, little to no weaponry, terrific jump range, decent handling, moderate cargo. for generally non violent/scout/scientific roles?
If we cant have that, can we have something ELSE to stick on all those six gun slots on an ASP "explorer"? Something to boost scanner range perhaps? Built in heat vents? Jump drive extenders? some freaking Yaw thrusters?
Literally ANYTHING to make an "explorer" vessel more than a gutted out ship of any class with two kinds of sensors in it. When even the ship with "explorer" in the name is framed up like a gunboat, I have to ask where the nonviolent specialization is.
Before the calls of "but murishani, its elite DANGEROUS everything is supposed to be combat capable" I preempt with: The many many many players who paid for the game, are contributing to the community, and are buying skins to go fly their ships in the 99% of the game world with no violence, no NPC's and no conflict would tend to disagree with that assessment, no matter what the original intent or expectation was.
I understand that there is room for many other ships and I cheer loudly for that, but from my perspective, the scientists, explorers, scouts and other far-rangers and wanderers don't even have ONE ship of their own yet, we're making due with the leftovers of the traders and all-rounders.
Mossfoot, you fly a modified trade vessel, Jackie has adjusted a multi-role for his purposes, Ziljan and I are flying the "explorer with a nose full of guns". Weve got ranks for combat, trading and exploration, maybe we could get ONE ship that actually fits that third category and doesnt have to be shoe horned into it?
[/rant]
Last edited:
I'm probably in the minority here, but I'm definitely liking the way the Diamondback is shaping up. A lot of "character" indeed. It looks like an armored fly, beetle, bee, or something. I'm more interested in it now than I was before.
Anyway, yeah. As I had mentioned (or at least alluded to) in my first post in this thread back on the first page, I agree that Elite: Dangerous ideally needs its game-play mechanics tweaked a bit and I'd like to see some of the smaller ships having a bit more viable roles, beyond aesthetics and personal tastes. Then again, it is kind of nice having something you don't mind loosing in a pinch. But I digress.
I love this sci-fi space simulator as it is, but it does feel somewhat lacking and underdeveloped in certain ways, I must admit. But, I won't weigh down this thread with my takes on this as it probably isn't the best place for it and most of it has been suggested before. I do like to keep things in perspective regarding this though, as there isn't another game out there that can scratch my itch the way that Elite: Dangerous does, Star Citizen included. I'm also very much wary of the more traditional FPS type elements that have been discussed as possibly being implemented. I certainly don't want ED to turn into BF4 in space, and honestly, I have no desire to get out of the pilots seat either. That kind of interaction is fine not going beyond just being implied or shown in a cutscene with me.
Anyway, yeah. As I had mentioned (or at least alluded to) in my first post in this thread back on the first page, I agree that Elite: Dangerous ideally needs its game-play mechanics tweaked a bit and I'd like to see some of the smaller ships having a bit more viable roles, beyond aesthetics and personal tastes. Then again, it is kind of nice having something you don't mind loosing in a pinch. But I digress.
I love this sci-fi space simulator as it is, but it does feel somewhat lacking and underdeveloped in certain ways, I must admit. But, I won't weigh down this thread with my takes on this as it probably isn't the best place for it and most of it has been suggested before. I do like to keep things in perspective regarding this though, as there isn't another game out there that can scratch my itch the way that Elite: Dangerous does, Star Citizen included. I'm also very much wary of the more traditional FPS type elements that have been discussed as possibly being implemented. I certainly don't want ED to turn into BF4 in space, and honestly, I have no desire to get out of the pilots seat either. That kind of interaction is fine not going beyond just being implied or shown in a cutscene with me.
Last edited: