Is there any reason to go bigger than the Vulture?

Unless you're rich, the Vulture is the best buy.
I loved my Clipper, but it was too expensive to fly into a warzone (Lave)
 
I've finally got my Python up to the point where it feels like a vulture at a RES site.... everything is As except the power plant and shield generator, which are still . Why bother, then I can have a vulture for a fraction of the price?
Mostly because I hate having more than one ship, and the python can trade as well as fight.
Before getting that A class thruster and A class distributer, it was decidedly sub-vulture in performance... sure on paper it has even more firepower, but it can't turn like the vulture to keep that fire-power on target.
If you only want to bounty hunt, or if you're not bothered by having multiple ships scattered about the place: Vulture is king of PVE.
 
I agree with you OP, for PVE combat you don't need anything bigger than a Vulture.

However, after spending hours spanking the AI in my Vulture with never-ending shields and big guns, I needed a change because fighting, bounty hunting and assassinations became a boring routine. I stored my Vulture, bought a Diamondback Explorer, and enjoyed not being immortal.

I recently managed to rank up and got myself a Federal Dropship to replace my DBX.

I won't fly my Vulture unless I want to chill and derp around in easy mode.
 
The main problem I have with the bigger ships is that it feels like they have weaker shields than the Vulture.

Whenever I take a Clipper or Python into a CZ or HIRES it feels like the shields go down much faster than in the vulture.

Though the numbers in Elite Shipyard and Coriolis say otherwise, I can't shake off that feeling.
 
I find the Asp a good "up" grade.

Sure, the hardpoints are slightly smaller but there are more of them so you can be more flexible in your loadout.

And if you just want to have fun you can always make a smuggler and designed for running while dropping 6 proximity mines behind you as you burn.
 
I only keep two ships, 'A' rated Cobra and Vulture. The Vulture is a thug, plain and simple but excellent at what it does, I run fixed pulses on it and they chug their way through anything. If I had to pick one over the other though it would have to be the MK III. There is something so comfortable about that ship, I always feel safe flying it because if I end up in a situation I can't control with 2 medium fixed beams and two gimballed m/c's (the small hardpoints are no good on a Cobby for fixed weapons) I can just walk away.

I was thinking about a FDL but had to ask myself, what would it give me that I don't have with the pair of ships I've already got ?

This ^^ almost to the letter.

When I want to trade the Cobra will haul 40t of slaves or drugs or beer and do it in comfort and style.

The Vulture is a tank that will destroy anything you get in its sights.

I keep looking at the FDL and walking around it kicking the tires but I just can't bring myself to drop the credits on it when I already have two very excellent, purpose built ships..
 
... at least for PVE combat?

With this loadout I've never had a problem to take down anything.

Sure the occasional Clipper or Cobra outruns me, but oh well.

Where is the point in taking a Python, Clipper, Fer de Lance to battle?

Sure they may be faster or sexier - but the Vulture outmanouvres and outtanks them all in my opinion.

I've tried them all (A rated) and always came back to the Vulture.

Any fun load outs for the bigger ships I've missed?

For me it is the Python. I can trade, bounty hunt, smuggle illegal goods, and play sidewinder baseball in anarchy systems.
 
So, I bought a FDL a few days ago.
In contrast to what people are saying, I actually like the cockpit.
Yes, the canopy bar does get in the way of navdata sometimes, but I still like it. It's not the most beautiful cockpit, but it's my favourite so far.

Thing is, I can't decide if it has terrible mobility or the vulture has just been spoiling me.
People say it's about as mobile as the viper, but honestly it really doesn't feel like that to me. Then again, it's a boom/n/zoomer, not a brawler.

Mobility? Turns like a goddamn brick in tar. You need to FA off and boost to get any real effect.
Speed? Those A thrusters get me to 400+. Downgraded for power and C get me about 380m/s. Accelerates fast, engine sounds awesome.
Shields? Big strong point. No problems here. Plenty of space for SCB/Boosters. Takes a ridiculous amount of punishment, although the Python can always stack SCBs and boosters better.
Hull? Fairly strong. Even in the event shields fail (The only time it's happened so far was by my generator somehow getting set to power priority 5. Doh.) I can still remain in the fight for long enough to kill the other guy first. No wonder military composite will be so damn expensive.

Guns? For 51mil base price it's seriously undergunned. I could take the average mobility if it at least had 2xC3/2xC2 mounts, but as it is the huge hardpoint can't target the top half of the screen (well, it's an underhood mount) but the thing is... PA, Cannon or a C3, which isn't making the most of the slot. Been unable to find a C4 PA so far. The C3 PA was distinctly underwhelming, however I didn't really have any power problems with it and in fairness it did pretty nice damage to the shields, you just have to be wary that the damage dropoff over range is pretty drastic.


I get the feeling that my profit per minute has gone down pretty severely by switching from the vulture to the FDL.
PA ammo ain't cheap after all.

So, beforewarned. I'm going to try and get used to it, find that freaking 14mil PA and keep testing it until I scrape up another 50mil.
 
I've messed around with the python and the vulture, two of my favorite ships. Python is excellent as far as firepower, but seeing as how I hate scb, the vulture has more staying power and maneuverability.

I'm about to try the FDL, I have enough to a rate the modules. Will use x4 medium pulse on everything, and a huge cannon to deal with anything rather large. I suspect it'll go well, but we'll see how I fare.
 
Well, if pve's your thing fine, but I've fried more vultures with those other ships your speak of in the past two weeks than in my Elite career. Come to think of it, Even the scout and courier are better than the vulture for PVP.
But yes, for pve, carry on!
 
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Carro

Banned
I've messed around with the python and the vulture, two of my favorite ships. Python is excellent as far as firepower, but seeing as how I hate scb, the vulture has more staying power and maneuverability.

I'm about to try the FDL, I have enough to a rate the modules. Will use x4 medium pulse on everything, and a huge cannon to deal with anything rather large. I suspect it'll go well, but we'll see how I fare.

The FDL is the Marmite of ships. You either love it, or you hate it.
 
I have an A - rated Anaconda and an A - rated Vulture.

Depends on what I want to do.

If I want to have fun, I fly the Vulture.

If I want to have fun and at the same time get richer real quick, and I mean lightning-quick, I fly the Anaconda.

Judging by my bank balance, I spend 99% of my time in the Conda.

Lol. So, you are 1 percent Vulture?
 
Well, if pve's your thing fine, but I've fried more vultures with those other ships your speak of in the past two weeks than in my Elite career. Come to think of it, Even the scout and courier are better than the vulture for PVP.
But yes, for pve, carry on!

There are also a lot of bad Vulture pilots who are carried by the ship, fine for pve but against a competent commander they're fodder. Scout is good fun for pvp and people actually engage you :) Even for PvE Vulture bores me silly now but it's effective.
 
When I got my Vulture and after my first visit to a RES my first thought was:"Is it even legal to have this much fun?"
For sheer strength, awesomeness and staying power while in a CZ, I use Shuruga which is an absolutely phenomenal ship.
 
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The Vulture is a much smaller ship, so if we imagine shields as being pure energy then it takes a lot less energy to surround a small ship in a bubble than it does a large one. And, the same energy would make a "thinner" bubble on a larger ship. I think this is why the Courier has such great shields for it's class/rating.
That could make sense if the same shield generator tried to power both ships... But the courier is powered by a Size 3 generator, while the Clipper is Powered by a size 7 one.

The only true reason, is just that developers decided that the clipper should have weak shields. So it doesn't matter if the clipper has a class 3 or a class 20 shield generator, it always will be "weaker" than other similar shields.
 
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