For PP: Clipper, FdL, or Python? My brain is fried

Phoenix13

P
I can't decide which ship to go for. I also have only flown the clipper and python, but both were not upgraded and just for trading. I've been debating for some time which to get and just can't decide. Maybe people with a preference or who have flown them can decide? I plan to be doing mostly combat of sorts, probably a mix of PvP and PvE, though I'm not that good so I'll probably have to mostly do pve for a while first.
Here are the pros and cons I see from reading the forums:
CLIPPER
Pros:
Fastest - can run away, nothing can run away from it
Looks beautiful
Good power output, don't need much for compromises
Good jump range
Good pitch speed will help keep eyes on target
Decent cargo space if needed
Cons:
Large, easy target
Have to use gimballed on the large hardpoints (though I feel like i'd use gimballes for at least some hardpoints on each ship)
Possibly the least firepower of the 3
Worst Shields of the 3
No Outposts!

FDL
Pros:
Still quite fast, tho not as fast as the Clipper. It should be able to outrun/keep up with most ships
Huge Hardpoint. boom.
Great maneuverability
Best Shields
Smaller ship than the other 3 makes it harder to hit
Might be able to land at outposts? Not sure, maybe someone can tell me?
For some strange reason it Mass Locks everything except a conda. I still don't agree with this.
Visually it doesn't look like a pile of scraps.
Cons:
Big power problems, can't outfit it with too much and may need to make compromises (how much exactly I'm unsure)
4 of the guns are medium and thus have a penalty against larger ships
Crappy jump range, though if it has to go far distances it should still be able to make it, just takes a while
Weak Hull
Pretty much no cargo space if i were to need it.

PYTHON
Pros:
Largest power supply, can outfit everything you want
Largest firepower
Largest cargo space if needed
great jump range
good hull strength and decent shields
Cons:
Crappy maneuverability, from what I've read
Very Slow. Many ships can run away from it. If needing to run, you can't.
Large ship makes it easy to hit.
Doesn't look pretty.
 

Rykzon

R
I'd say clipper or python if you just wanna go for efficiency. FDL is purely a home system fighter. I would not want to travel to enemy territory with that tank.

On top of that you need cargo space for many of the powerplay activities if you want to really help your faction to your best capabilities.
 

Phoenix13

P
Rykzon, that is a good point. I am currently downloading PP now, so I actually don't really know too well what's involved.
 

Rykzon

R
Phoenix13 said:
Rykzon, that is a good point. I am currently downloading PP now, so I actually don't really know too well what's involved.
Click to expand...
Well you basically have both combat and cargo hauling activities for most, if not all powers. You help your power by either supporting your systems or damaging enemy systems, so there is plenty of stuff to do. Therefore IMO a multirole ship is best. Python even with some cargo space is perfectly able to kill NPCs and even defend against players. Clipper can always run away :p
 
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n13L5

n13L5
Phoenix13 said:
I can't decide which ship to go for. I also have only flown the clipper and python, but both were not upgraded and just for trading. I've been debating for some time which to get and just can't decide. Maybe people with a preference or who have flown them can decide? I plan to be doing mostly combat of sorts, probably a mix of PvP and PvE, though I'm not that good so I'll probably have to mostly do pve for a while first.
Here are the pros and cons I see from reading the forums:
CLIPPER
Pros:
Fastest - can run away, nothing can run away from it
Looks beautiful
Good power output, don't need much for compromises
Good jump range
Good pitch speed will help keep eyes on target
Decent cargo space if needed
Cons:
Large, easy target
Have to use gimballed on the large hardpoints (though I feel like i'd use gimballes for at least some hardpoints on each ship)
Possibly the least firepower of the 3
Worst Shields of the 3
No Outposts!

FDL
Pros:
Still quite fast, tho not as fast as the Clipper. It should be able to outrun/keep up with most ships
Huge Hardpoint. boom.
Great maneuverability
Best Shields
Smaller ship than the other 3 makes it harder to hit
Might be able to land at outposts? Not sure, maybe someone can tell me?
For some strange reason it Mass Locks everything except a conda. I still don't agree with this.
Visually it doesn't look like a pile of scraps.
Cons:
Big power problems, can't outfit it with too much and may need to make compromises (how much exactly I'm unsure)
4 of the guns are medium and thus have a penalty against larger ships
Crappy jump range, though if it has to go far distances it should still be able to make it, just takes a while
Weak Hull
Pretty much no cargo space if i were to need it.

PYTHON
Pros:
Largest power supply, can outfit everything you want
Largest firepower
Largest cargo space if needed
great jump range
good hull strength and decent shields
Cons:
Crappy maneuverability, from what I've read
Very Slow. Many ships can run away from it. If needing to run, you can't.
Large ship makes it easy to hit.
Doesn't look pretty.
Click to expand...

I was just comparing between those, just for combat though and not PP.


For maximum PP gain, and practicality, I'd say Python.

For one thing, a lot of the courier missions go to outposts.

For another, when fighting NPCs, you don't really need the speed, I've used D thrusters and mostly used 50% throttle. Yes, there are times when you wished you had more speed, like when you want to KWS or when they're speeding up to warp out, which has only happened to me once in a great while, mostly if I came to join on the target very late in the fight.

Python's maneuverability was a positive surprise for me after reading complaints about it. I had no trouble staying on targets I cared about. Sure, its not the greatest against an Eagle, if the new AI is really good. Before 1.3, it sure didn't matter what ship it was, and since 1.3, I felt compelled to help keep the slave trade from collapsing.

Lastly, as for running in the Python, I guess you *could* get in trouble if you ran out of shield cells and something that can mass lock you decides to keep on your tail. So far, its always been that if you stopped firing, they'd eventually switch to those ships that still are firing at them.

The Clipper would be almost as good for keeping a load of common mission goods in the hold, but you couldn't do outposts and its fitting costs make it no cheaper than a Python in the end.

The FDL is not useful for PP, no cargo, no jump range, it would only be good if you want to use and switch between two ships. Which *could* be the better option.
Also, the FDL hard points seem *sub optimal* with most people putting a large weapon into the huge hard point, because the huge weapons apparently having very slow fire rate and projectile speed end up doing less damage. Would seem better to give the FDL 3 large hard points if the huge weapons are rubbish with fancy vfx :p

Also, the Python looking ugly is a matter of taste. Yeah, the rear isn't that great and its hull doesn't have the most detail, but I like the exterior of the Clipper even less. It looks to me like an overdone mix between a business jet and a Gallente Thorax, with all kinds of external hull structure that makes no particular sense.

Looks wise, I prefer Vulture, FDL, Viper, Cobra. Wish there was an Onion Head paint job for the Python
 
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Phoenix13

P
Also, should I upgrade my bulkheads and take the cost and weight for improved hull life, or not since it doesn't help subcomponent durability?
 

Quineloe

Quineloe
I really doubt ai can deal with a Python in full reverse, firing its guns. Most players cant manage that. Eagle vs python is a one sided fight.
 

emacinnes

emacinnes
Clipper for the Win. I'm ranking up in Imperial to get one, (or at least I will as soon as the rank issues get fixed) because the FDL (my current ship) is bad for it (expensive repairs, poor jump range, you'll need to travel back n forth a lot, so you need good jump range, and the C4 hardpoint is wasted with a c3 laser - no kinetics for PP, but there's no way on this green earth that I'm selling the FDL, so I'm out of PP for a bit to rank & save for the Clipper.

The python has even worse repair bills than the FDL does, and costs much more to outfit, so it depends on spare credits. If cash is tight, Clipper for sure. (120mil for a decent combat ready python).

I've never needed bulkheads the entire game. They have a serious negative impact on maneuverability and acceleration. Hull Reinforcements maybe, they seem to help out a bit better when the shields are down and NPCs are attacking.
For PP, cheaper ship is better, because there's only dribbling credits, if the system ticks over properly and doesn't lose your vouchers, and it's the same merits for a sidewinder as it is for an anaconda, so aim low, both in target and in running cost.

I add a fuel scoop just to cut running costs even further. All energy weapons for the same reason too, especially when undermining.
 
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