Starting with the Sidewinder seems like a winner

[Adept]

First a small disclaimer. I'm a KS backer and an enthusiast, but I don't have Alpha access. My opinions are just based on the info available to all, and the alpha footage.

That said, I think the Sidewinder is looking like a great pick for the starter ship. As a military "scout" in the Elite lore the Sidewinder is stealthy, agile and seems to punch above it's weight. As long as gimbaled lasers get some sort of nerf before launch the new pilots in the 'winders should have a lot of fun, and not feel like they are at the bottom rung of the Elite world flying a throwaway klunker.

The only problem I can see is that it's a fighter pilot's ship. With the small hold a trader will have a hard time getting started. I hope the resale value of the ship will be enough to trade it for some rustbucket with 10+ tons of cargo capacity with enough change left over to start trading.

 

[KickahasTier]

The only problem I can see is that it's a fighter pilot's ship. With the small hold a trader will have a hard time getting started. I hope the resale value of the ship will be enough to trade it for some rustbucket with 10+ tons of cargo capacity with enough change left over to start trading.

Lets say a Cobra Mk3 + 100 creds, is where you start, and you can trade it for a sidewinder and afford to purchase starter weapons.

 

[deusx_ophc]

"Starting with the Sidewinder seems like a winner"

no it isn't - starting with 50% death discount is a winner and greifing everyone in my stolen but upgraded pewpewpew Cobra Mk III!

IF i make it out of my random anarchic Frontier system alive that is

 

[Adept]

Lets say a Cobra Mk3 + 100 creds, is where you start, and you can trade it for a sidewinder and afford to purchase starter weapons.

It's not though, unless you backed to that level in the KS. I don't have that option, but I'm also enough of a fighter jock that I'd just make money in the 'winder.

I believe the standard start is a sidewinder and 100 cr.

 

[Neon Raven]

It does seem like the Sidewinders cargo hold is a little on the small side (maybe 8 slots instead of 4 would be nice) but I guess you could earn money initially by taking on small combat missions, giving you the feel for combat, then sell up and get a bigger ship to get your start in trading.

 

[Adept]

"Starting with the Sidewinder seems like a winner"

no it isn't - starting with 50% death discount is a winner and greifing everyone in my stolen but upgraded pewpewpew Cobra Mk III!

IF i make it out of my random anarchic Frontier system alive that is

Oh dear. Easy trollbait is easy. I can tell you're amused by the storm in a teacup, but could you kindly not make the drama spread?

It does seem like the Sidewinders cargo hold is a little on the small side (maybe 8 slots instead of 4 would be nice) but I guess you could earn money initially by taking on small combat missions, giving you the feel for combat, then sell up and get a bigger ship to get your start in trading.

This is the problem though. Some more gentle-natured pilots will not want to play the fighter jock.

 

[Winterwalker]

It does seem like the Sidewinders cargo hold is a little on the small side (maybe 8 slots instead of 4 would be nice) but I guess you could earn money initially by taking on small combat missions, giving you the feel for combat, then sell up and get a bigger ship to get your start in trading.

As I remember from earlier games, weren't combat missions quite restricted until you'd built up some reputation? I definitely remember having to trade first, build rep off pirates, and then the missions started to appear .. (?)

 

[deusx_ophc]

Oh dear. Easy trollbait is easy. I can tell you're amused by the storm in a teacup, but could you kindly not make the drama spread?

sorry, my tone might be slightly simple but i am serious. and why not? (well except i don't think "being an *******" is my cup of tea, though there will be unprovoked, opportunistic deaths... my own included)

 

[Neon Raven]

As I remember from earlier games, weren't combat missions quite restricted until you'd built up some reputation? I definitely remember having to trade first, build rep off pirates, and then the missions started to appear .. (?)

Yes, this is true. Maybe courier type missions, ferrying a sensitive piece of data or some other item of negligible size/weight?

This is the problem though. Some more gentle-natured pilots will not want to play the fighter jock.

I can understand this, but sooner or later everyone will have to fight. A pirate cares not for gentle natures.

 

[Adept]

I can understand this, but sooner or later everyone will have to fight. A pirate cares not for gentle natures.

Still, starting with combat is getting dropped into the deep end to sink or swim. Not the best.

Also I'm not so sure everybody has to fight. Trading in and near the core should be pretty safe, if not super lucrative, and running is always an option. Presumably you can hire escorts as well. Playing a pacifist game sounds like an interesting challenge actually.

 

[Memnoch]

Play it as a veteran who has seen his fair share of death and doesn't want to fight anyone any more, just make some easy money and retire. But will fight back, and hard, if his back is against a wall.

 

[Tony Spaniels]

Highway to the Dangerzone

Am I the only one then, who's getting more and more stoked about starting the game in an Eagle MKII or III whatever it is, after seeing that wip peek o' the week??

I think I must be, nobody else brings it up..

 

[Neon Raven]

Also I'm not so sure everybody has to fight. Trading in and near the core should be pretty safe, if not super lucrative, and running is always an option. Presumably you can hire escorts as well. Playing a pacifist game sounds like an interesting challenge actually.

Agreed, having more options available can only enrich the experience. Perhaps your starting sidewinder is not the cheapest vessel in the galaxy, there are many more ships after all so selling the Sidewinder and buying a more suitable cargo vessel might be an option.

With the recent controversy created by the latest newsletter, one detail from it seems to have been largely overlooked:

Le-Betz - Will there be ships without hyperspace capability in the game?

Yes, some ships are too small to have hyperdrives (such as the small fighters and some shuttles).

There may be money to be made using a shuttle, I would imagine them to be quite cheap to buy.

 

[Adept]

Agreed, having more options available can only enrich the experience. Perhaps your starting sidewinder is not the cheapest vessel in the galaxy, there are many more ships after all so selling the Sidewinder and buying a more suitable cargo vessel might be an option.

I'm pretty certain that a sweet, brand new Sidewinder isn't the chepest ship out there. I'd expect Geckos and Adders to be cheaper for one... but they aren't necessarily any bigger (it's a long, long time since I've played an Elite game).

The in-system shuttle is an interesting option if you make your way to Sol, for instance, and trade the Sidewinder in for one of those. Still, it's not all that obvious for a new player.

I hope there's a cheap lorry you can trade the sidewinder in for. I just can't imagine what it would be, from the old ships. All the dedicated freight-carriers were much bigger and more expensive.

Can anybody think of an existing ship for the job? Cheaper than a Sidewinder with significantly more freight capacity (say 10 - 20 tons).

 

[[VR] Mad Mike]

if you really dont want to do ANY starter missions involving shooting it may be there will be other mission types which dont involve that to make some early money to get a better trader ship.

things like snooping on ships and recording private info, espionage such as planting bombs on communication satelites etc.

Also, I am hoping there will be some missions where you actually have to use a supplied ship... what better way to get to play in ships you would otherwise never get to fly than to do some under cover missions in a ship which is loaned to you. This may not be in there, but it seems a no brainer to have such missions to me.

all of which may allow you to earn money without "cheating" using an upgraded starter ship, or going out dogfighting.

 

[Patrick_68000]

In FE2 we began with the Eagle. It was not too bad to make some journeys towards Barnard Star for sell a little of animal meat, and to try to take out the head out of the water.

 

[Dr Wookie]

This is the problem though. Some more gentle-natured pilots will not want to play the fighter jock.

The sidey is a great little ship for sure ! Traders would be best served by going for small quantities of big ticket items rather than huge amounts of cheap stuff... some of the cargo in alpha has a value of 5000 credits (which may not be representative of course)

 

[Captain N]

If Alpha 3 has shown us anything it's just how limited the Sidewinder is in performing a combat role. A Sidewinder will lose against a human-controlled Cobra hands down, every time. It's a paper plane armed with peashots, and not even particularly fast or manoeuverable. Whether you're going for a combat career or not, you would want to move away from the starting Sidewinder as fast as you can.

 

[warbaby2]

Also I'm not so sure everybody has to fight. Trading in and near the core should be pretty safe, if not super lucrative, and running is always an option. Presumably you can hire escorts as well. Playing a pacifist game sounds like an interesting challenge actually.

I did it in EVE, I shall do so here...

...NPC pirates don't count, do they?

 

[Adept]

I hope that is partly due to balancing that will get fixed Capt N. They are just too easy to burn from the sky with gimballed lasers, it seems.