Montpellier Explorer (new ship)

iofhua

I
I thought it would be nice to have a dedicated exploration ship that has jump ranges better than the anaconda, so this is it.

Montpellier
340 Mass, 16 MJ Boost, Mnv: 4, MLF: 12
40 to 60 mil price range?


Large x1
Medium x1
Small x2
Utility x6


Reactor 5
Thruster 5
FSD 6
Environment 4
Coupling 5
Sensor 5
Fuel Store 6


Internal 6
Internal 5
Internal 4
Internal 3
Internal 2
Internal 2


"The Montpellier is the premier long-range exploration craft. It's sleek, streamlined hull contains an ample fuel store and sizable frame shift drive that allow it to reach jump ranges unheard of by any other craft."

(As for the name, Montpellier snakes are a type of rear-fanged snake native to the Mediterranean, that are mostly harmless to humans. The ship reflects that with it's ample utility slots but weak weapon loadout. I also thought "Montpellier" sounds like a brand of fine wine and would fit an expensive line of high-end ships for rich snobbish people)

I was thinking Saud Kruger as the manufacturer, as while they normally do passenger liners, the Montpellier be a unique "luxury" line of exploration craft that would better fit their design style.

What do you think?
 

goemon

goemon
a) FSD class 6 with an internal slot of class 6 max will effectively make it a "slower" explorer as an anaconda (which has a class 6 FSD and class 7 max internal)
b) you can downgrade that fueltank, which is a good thing ;-) - who needs 8 jumps on a full tank?
c) i don't think, more jumprange is needed (but it would be nice to have a ship, which can take more mass without loosing to much jumprange, like DBE. so I'd suggest making it more heavy and giving it a class 7 fsd...)
d) i like the name
e) i like the better manouverability, assuming it will manouver better in SC and above planet surfaces
f) not sure, what you need that number of utilities on a exploration ship.
 

iofhua

I
Well it depends what you're doing. When I'm exploring I have two modes of travel:

One mode, is a "stop and smell the roses" mode where I bother to look at the system map and look for interesting things to get a detailed scan on. Pretty much any "exploration" ship, even a hauler, can do this effectively.

My other mods is a "haul butt to that place over there" mode where I will plot to a scoopable star at the maximum range my fuel allows and I jump, scan, jump, scan, jump, scan, and so on until I reach my last stop and then I refuel and repeat. A ship like the Montpellier with a big tank and long jump range would let me crawl across the galaxy faster when I'm in this mode of travel.

You're right a class 7 fuel scoop would let you refuel faster. I suppose the internals could be reworked a bit, maybe like 7,4,4,3,2,2? I just wanted to be careful not to give it too much, and have it become a cargo ship like the type 6. (although they have completely different price ranges so that's probably isn't an issue)
 

Chrystoph

Chrystoph
Not necessarily an auto-merge, but I offer this thread:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=236814

Both OPs have similar ideas.

As to an Internal Layout, I suggest 6,3,3,3,1,1. This would give you a significant space for a fuel scoop, justification for it being maneuverable since it is a light hauler for its mass, and the pair of size 1's fit for the Scanners. If it were used at all as a cargo vessel, it would almost have to be high value cargo since it doesn't have the cubeage for bulk to be effective.
 
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iofhua

I
6,4,3,3,1,1 would give you a decent fuel scoop, a two-slot vehicle bay, and room for two repair units and two scanners. I would be cool with that.
 

Flash_Baggins

Flash_Baggins
Ive designed a similar type of heavy exploration ship, which Ive nicknamed the 'Albatross'

It has 2x large hardpoints
4 Utility mounts
Class 7 FSD
Internals:
6, 4, 4, 3, 1, 1 (similar to Iofhua)
A 64 ton fuel tank
The design has a large spherical cockpit up front, a walkway to the main body of the ship exiting the cockpit, the cockpit has 360 degrees of vision all around, right out back, so the main bridge is located above the walkway. the main body of the ship slopes up then flattens out, and has a 45 degree ish angle at the back to taper the body. It has wings like an X-wing with engine pods on the edges of the wings, and one large thruster on the lower half of the main body
The 2 large hardpoints are located in the forward facing slope of the main body, higher and lower than the sphere of the cockpit

no idea how mass fully equates to FSD but Ill let you use your imagination :p
 
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iofhua

I
Lol! Well from what I understand shields don't do much for you outside populated space. They are just extra weight to carry around once you get away from the bad guys.

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The Albatross sounds cool too. Hopefully we will get a new class of exploration ship with huge jump ranges. Anything to make long-distance trips less tedious.
 

Roqinn

Roqinn
I like this suggestion. I too want a long range explorer pretty badly. One with a forward mounted cockpit. I can't stand the cockpit of the Anaconda, seeing that huge surfboard out in front of you effectively blocking a big chunk of sky.
 

Chrystoph

Chrystoph
iofhua said:
Lol! Well from what I understand shields don't do much for you outside populated space. They are just extra weight to carry around once you get away from the bad guys.

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The Albatross sounds cool too. Hopefully we will get a new class of exploration ship with huge jump ranges. Anything to make long-distance trips less tedious.
Click to expand...

I am told that landing without one is slow suicide.
 

Fenris Wolf

Fenris Wolf
Won't work due to the name... Montpellier ;)

Traditionally all the ships are named after a Snake, a Bird of Prey or a Predator Mammal. Except for the specific Military and Haulage ships that is!

Snakes
- Adder
- Anaconda
- Asp
- Cobra
- Diamondback
- Fer-de-Lance
- Keelback
- Python
- Sidewinder
- Viper

Birds of Prey
- Eagle
- Vulture

Predator Mammal
- Orca
- Panther

Military/Haulage Exceptions
- Federal Assault Ship,Corvette, Dropship, Gunship
- Imperial Clipper, Courier, Cutter
- Hauler, Type-6, Type-7, Type-9


So pick a new name for it and I think you're on to a winner :)
 

DHMeyer

D
I was thinking about this kind of ship recently as well. There is Asp Explorer for deep space exploration, but that's kinda it. You can get Diamondback Explorer and it's OK, but it seems to be more suitable for exploring inside the bubble or as a taxi ship to carry you around when you need to travel fast. I'm using one especially for that now although I think I will switch to Asp anyway as for the same money spent on the ship and upgrades of DBE I can have an Asp E with the same jump range and more compartments... And after Asp, there is really nothing to choose from.


My suggestion would be to make Python Explorer. The difference would be the hardpoints (1 Large Hardpoint, 2 Medium, 2 Small or 3 Medium, 2 Small), better FSD (6 for example) and less / smaller internals (2,2,3,3,4,5,6 or 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,6). Utility mounts and other modules the same as regular Python. So it would be for sure faster and more manouverable than the combat option, but it should be able to carry significantly less cargo whilst offering much bigger jump range. I guess it would become an ultimate smuggling vessel with these specs (as is Asp Explorer), which I don't have a problem with, but some people might. If the hardpoints didn't include any large one, there would still be a reason to go rather for Vulture or Fer-de-Lance for combat roles and as an exploration vessel it wouldn't really need large hardpoints anyway, medium and small with the same placement would be enough to protect it.

The ship would still look very similar to regular Python, but it would have a redesigned canopy (no roof, open sides, relatively thin bars - basically out with the current armor / hull over the current cockpit). As for the price range, something like 50 million would be OK.

So basically a different take on the same subject. We have an in-bubble exploring ship / taxi vessel (Diamondback Explorer), we have a light exploring ship for deep space (Asp Explorer), so it would be nice to have something slightly heavier and more sturdy with more internals than the Asp.
I thought about Python frame as a basis, because it's in the game already and it has nice visibility other than the roof, the cockpit is in front of the ship, not at the back as in Anaconda, so nothing to obscure the view. Since it's an old military vessel, sturdy and proven design, it fits perfectly as something that explorers would be interested in repurposing for civilian use. And also, I like Python. One of the better balanced ships in game, shame not to repurpose it.
 

goemon

goemon
DHMeyer said:
My suggestion would be to make Python Explorer. The difference would be the hardpoints (1 Large Hardpoint, 2 Medium, 2 Small or 3 Medium, 2 Small), better FSD (6 for example) and less / smaller internals (2,2,3,3,4,5,6 or 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,6).
Click to expand...

a python is already a ship with one of the better jumpranges (28 ly stripped down - it beats a cobra and gets close to a DBS). a python with FSD class 6 would end up at 48 ly jumprange...
 

iofhua

I
goemon said:
a python is already a ship with one of the better jumpranges (28 ly stripped down - it beats a cobra and gets close to a DBS). a python with FSD class 6 would end up at 48 ly jumprange...
Click to expand...

That's kind of what I'm looking for. An exploration ship in a jump class all it's own. It would need to be sufficiently expensive of course, because it would be the "end-game" exploration ship that all explorers would dream of flying and save up for throughout their careers.

IMO a jump range between 40 and 50 sounds about right. Keep in mind a stripped down anaconda can get up to 40. But the anaconda also has lots of weapon hardpoints and internals for cargo. This exploration ship doesn't need either of those.
 

Ozric

Volunteer Moderator
Ozric
iofhua said:
That's kind of what I'm looking for. An exploration ship in a jump class all it's own. It would need to be sufficiently expensive of course, because it would be the "end-game" exploration ship that all explorers would dream of flying and save up for throughout their careers.

IMO a jump range between 40 and 50 sounds about right. Keep in mind a stripped down anaconda can get up to 40. But the anaconda also has lots of weapon hardpoints and internals for cargo. This exploration ship doesn't need either of those.
Click to expand...

There is no end-game, even if you put it in inverted commas. What does an extra 5-15 Ly jump range (compared to the Asp, obviously less comparing to an Anaconda) really get you? Most explorers don't care about jump range because they're out to explore, not to try and get somewhere quickly.
 

iofhua

I
The end-game is whatever the player wants it to be. Elite is a sandbox so if your goal in the game is to get the best ship, and you get the best ship, then you've won. "Best" is completely subjective here, as well as the player's motives for playing the game, thus the quotes around "end-game".

Personally I don't care what most other explorers do. Some of us, (I for one) do want to get somewhere quickly and would love a ship like this.
 

Chrystoph

Chrystoph
Ozric said:
There is no end-game, even if you put it in inverted commas. What does an extra 5-15 Ly jump range (compared to the Asp, obviously less comparing to an Anaconda) really get you? Most explorers don't care about jump range because they're out to explore, not to try and get somewhere quickly.
Click to expand...


The extra range gets you to, or through, otherwise inaccessible places, dead zones, etc.

This is my current Asp Explorer.

I have actually been to places where I only had one star leading forward. Having extra range in those cases would have been a very nice option.
 
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