Ships New Cobra?

rivimey · Jun 22, 2015

Folks, I've been flying the Cobra for a while as trader, explorer and recently miner, and in lots of ways it's good. However, I get very frustrated that there aren't more smaller cargo units, so I can install, say, a disc. scanner, a surface scanner and a refinery without losing most of my cargo capacity.

So I started wondering, what about a creating a Cobra Mk IV, the "King" Cobra?

Most things the same, but:

Make it 36m (cf. 27) long, and 9.5m (cf. 7.9) high, hull mass ~ 210t (cf 180t)

Cargo cap:

Current: 3 x 4 (48), 3 x 2 (12) tot: 60t (incl shields)
King: 4 x 4 (64), 4 x 2 (16), 2 x 1 (2) tot: 82t (incl shields)

Hardpoints:

Current: 2xM, 2xS
King: 2xM, 3xS -- 1 additional S, on the topside, back centre.

Utility mounts: 2 additional, on topside back edges (similar to existing ones).

Perhaps move to class 5 reactor/fsd? not sure how big a leap that is.

Cost: something in the 550,000 range (cf. 379,000) with the same fitout.

Overall the same shape, with most of the additional length at the rear.
Slightly wider windows, cockpit a little nearer the front but no lower.
Should still fit on pad size S I think.

Good thoughts?

Engadine · Jun 24, 2015

Not sure if you've ever read the Oolite Saga by Drew Wagar http://www.drewwagar.com/books/oolitesaga/, but in that there is mention of the Cobra Courier and a SuperCobra.

The "Courier" being similar to what you've posted, or at least in my mind. The SuperCobra is a military spec Cobra.

It would be nice to see either of these make it into the game, possibly the Courier.

Feldspar · Jun 24, 2015

You basically want to turn it into an Asp?

Ziljan · Jun 24, 2015

Feldspar said:
You basically want to turn it into an Asp?

A much better looking, faster, and more nimble version of the Asp wouldn't be a bad thing. Especially if it had nice visibility.

rivimey · Jul 15, 2015

Sorry for delayed reply - life happened!

Engadine, thanks for the link, I'll have a look.

I'm not rich enough to have tried an Asp, I was thinking that an evolution of the Cobra would be an interesting thing. Doubling the MkIII purchase price would seem fair but the 20 times increase to Asp levels -- if the comparison is accurate -- seems ridiculous.

[I've just been trying a Vulture out - nice manouverability but crap at long distances. The Type 6 I used before that is ok, but defence is not its strong point, and cargo capacity is only twice that of the Cobra.]

Guidebot · Jul 15, 2015

Ziljan said:
A much better looking, faster, and more nimble version of the Asp wouldn't be a bad thing. Especially if it had nice visibility.

I agree, but I think a premium Cobra should command a premium pricetag. Something like 30-35Mcr, since there's a void for ships around that cost. There's nothing wrong with the Cobra at all (in fact, there's such a lot right with it!) so the deluxe one should really be quite expensive imo.

Stealth Gamer92 · Jul 15, 2015

Right now(for me at least) the game has a good number of ship's, to the point wher I'd like to see a few modified models like they did with Diamondback's. Just think about the T-series turned into gunship's, Cobra made to the tune of the Mil-Spec mentioned above, a Vulture interceptor that sacrifices firepower for range and speed? That would be an amazing series of ship's, to me at least.

newman1702 · Jul 15, 2015

I'd really like to see a Super Cobra variant. I really love the Mk.III so seeing a modernized, better version, or possibly a refit option (cobra mk.III block 30 or some such) would be pretty cool. Boosting it's capabilities should come at some cost, though, to prevent it from taking over the roles the Asp and the DBE are filling right now. I do think being a good jack of all trades is a Cobra thing though, and I don't think a newer variant should lose that. In that respect it could be a little tricky to pull off, since the Asp is already basically a bigger, bulkier, better armed better range Cobra, and they probably don't want to make any of the current ships pointless in the process.

IAM GROOT · Jul 16, 2015

newman1702 said:
I'd really like to see a Super Cobra variant. I really love the Mk.III so seeing a modernized, better version, or possibly a refit option (cobra mk.III block 30 or some such) would be pretty cool. Boosting it's capabilities should come at some cost, though, to prevent it from taking over the roles the Asp and the DBE are filling right now. I do think being a good jack of all trades is a Cobra thing though, and I don't think a newer variant should lose that. In that respect it could be a little tricky to pull off, since the Asp is already basically a bigger, bulkier, better armed better range Cobra, and they probably don't want to make any of the current ships pointless in the process.

I've been banging the drum for a Cobra MK IV for a while now, I've hung on to my MK 3 since the beginning in release and back to the Alpha days, still flying her now but took the plunge on a Clipper today with the rank requirement being lowered to Serf.
The clipper will be sidelined for a while till I can kit her out but I'm all for a new Cobra as long as they don't mess it up, the only holdovers from the original that they got the looks right are the Sidewinder, Eagle, Cobra MK 3, Anaconda and Python. The Asp and imp Courier aren't even remotely the same ship class wise, the Asp was fast and feared in the earlier games now it's lumber some and huge in comparison, don't get me started on the Courier and the FDL

SAB380 · Jul 16, 2015

I'd definitely be up for a Supercobra (King Cobra is a very cool name as well!) in the $30-40M range.
Right now there is a rather huge gap between the Asp at $6.5M and Python at $55
Te Courier and Dropship sit in the low $20Ms but these are tied to military rank.

An oversized Cobra that would let us continue to use the iconic ship and fill a gap currently in the game.

Maybe 2 large guns and 2 smalls .... making its guns clearly worse than the Python (which it should be) but a step up from the Asp, Clipper and dropship?
And maybe give it a longer jump range but significantly worse cargo haulage than a Python?

newman1702 · Jul 16, 2015

You know, I honestly think it should come as a refit option, so you can choose to retrofit your old Mk.III into a new variant (as well as just buying a new one straight off the bat). If they introduced additional subvariants for ships, it could bring a lot to customization variety. A retrofit might make some smaller visual changes to distinguish it as a separate variant, and basically increase the rating of some compartments. I'd even be ok with the hardpoints remaining the same size, as long as the C1's placement was improved that would already be a substantial upgrade.

Mephane · Jul 16, 2015

Ziljan said:
A much better looking, faster, and more nimble version of the Asp wouldn't be a bad thing. Especially if it had nice visibility.

Except for the jump range, this already exists. It is called the Imperial Clipper. Even its maximum jump range as an explorer is almost the same as a Cobra's.