Robigo and the Keelback

JesusOnEez

JesusOnEez
In my never-ending quest to purchase, equip and keep (equipped) every ship in the game, I finally got a Keelback and after deciding on a long range transporter with bite I spent 15,000,000 (including ship) credits and kitted it out as like this.

In preparation for using my shiny new ship, I decided that I'd load up with a full 68 tonnes of cargo (nothing much, it only worked out as 600 Cr/Ton by the time I got to Robigo). Knowing this would get me at least a couple of interdictions on the long, 600Ly journey.

I submitted to an Adder and a Cobra Mk. III and, although this thing flies like a brick weighed down with more bricks, it does at least pack a bit of a punch and with liberal use of FA off, the Adder was toast quite quickly. The Cobra took longer but was no problem.

So, I arrived at Robigo fairly confident and loaded up on missions until my cargo was full...probably about 20,000,000 all in, and I even took some data courier missions.

Despite my inexperience in smuggling, I do read and I am fully aware that I'm going to get a multitude of interdiction attempts and offers to 'follow my wake'.

Things are going pretty well. I've not been interdicted by anything I want to fight (couple of Vultures and an Anaconda) but I've submitted and run away without issue, even in this lumbering beast with a boost speed of what seems like backwards (I think it's about 320). I had the most problem with a Viper Mk. III which managed to remove a ring or two of shield, but still no damage.

Then I get an interdiction attempt by system security...the ones you don't want scanning you. I fight the interdiction and realise I'm in one of those situations where although I'm keeping in the blue pretty well, I'm still going to lose, so I submit.

There are at least 6 ships waiting for me as I mash boost harder than the toughest of spuds. Crapcrapcrapcrap!

It must have happened, but I didn't even see a message saying I was being scanned.

Mission fail Mission Fail Mission Fail Mission Fail Mission Fail Mission Fail Mission Fail.

At least I still made about 2,500,000 from the courier missions and about 500,000 from the slaves I'd failed to deliver.

So, had I been in a faster ship, say a Cobra Mk. III, my chances of eluding the scan would have been much greater, therefore, with no hesitation, I can fairly state that the Keelback sucks the hairiest of hairy parts when it comes to smuggling.

Next, I'm going to try it on one of the rares routes. I think this ship will be good for that, but it costs so much that you're usually past the kind of profit you get from rares by the time you can afford to own it...still, let's give it a go.

Edit: Blimey...long...

TL;DR - Keelback is poo for Robigo runs
 
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Deleted member 38366

D
I think many forget the remarkable qualities of the oldschool Type-6 ;)

Reasonably fast, fairly agile incl. laterally (very useful to evade Interdictions), very decent Cargo capacity and good Jumprange.

The Keelback... hmm... it seems during its design process it suffered a similar fate like the Cobra Mk.4 or the Viper Mk.4...
 
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Ian Skippy

Ian Skippy
Well, if all goes well soon NO ship will be able to outrun scans unless you're talking about some heavily modified cobra on a very lucky day. :) But yeah, I think the keelback would work better in short/medium range smuggling where there are less interdictions.

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FalconFly said:
The Keelback... hmm... it seems during its design process it suffered a similar fate like the Cobra Mk.4 or the Viper Mk.4...
Click to expand...

You mean it turned out pretty awesome? :)
 

Altair8800

A
To avoid the scanns a realiable a boost speed >350 m/s is needed. Lightweight ASP and Cobra MK3 with A trusters will do with full cargo hold, other builds are problematic.
 

TomP

TomP
sleutelbos said:
Well, if all goes well soon NO ship will be able to outrun scans unless you're talking about some heavily modified cobra on a very lucky day. :) But yeah, I think the keelback would work better in short/medium range smuggling where there are less interdictions.

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You mean it turned out pretty awesome? :)
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The shadow mission vs. new Faulcon de Lacy drives is an interesting conundrum. Given that the interdicting Feds are usually in Vipers, the onus may well end up being on the pilot to successfully fight the interdiction. However, I'll be looking to pimp my Asp, so to speak ;)
 

Crusina Luachra

Crusina Luachra
Cobra Mk.4 or the Viper Mk.4...
Click to expand...

If you look at the description and their setups you would notice they are not intended to replace the old ones in terms of speed or anything. They were meant to be variants of the MkIII's.

Therefore if you want to dislike the ships because of how they handle or whatever. That's fine.

If you want to dislike them simply because they aren't faster Cobra/vipers with more firepower then you are comparing them to a role that they never were intended to fill, which makes no sense.
 
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Deleted member 38366

D
Crusina Luachra said:
If you look at the description and their setups you would notice they are not intended to replace the old ones in terms of speed or anything. They were meant to be variants of the MkIII's.
Click to expand...

If you read the descriptions of these Ships, you'd read that they were meant to be upgrades - hence the Mk.IV and not Mk.III Mod 1 (latter would indicate a Variant).
And at that - they miserably failed.

The Cobra Mk.IV became the infamous "Slowbra" - with an added 5th Hardpoint serving no use due to the poor agility and the limiting C3 Power Distributor. At least this Ship excels as an excellent Cargo Hauler for its size, which is very nice.

The Viper Mk.IV advertised as a "Heavy Fighter" became the "Heavy Runner" - unable to maneuver, limited by its C3 Power Distributor... it literally plays no role (but as a cumbersome Target) amongst the actual heavy Fighters. Excellent Range thou, should you need that.

The Keelback offers a somewhat improved protection - at the price of becoming (surprise!) a slow and cumbersome Target, additionally at a drastically reduced Cargo capacity. Its advertised role as a combat-capable transporter it can't fulfill, instead the design essentially lacks at both Hauling and Combat when combined.

Disclaimer :
For good measure, I own all of them and have put them through repeated & very rigorous Flight Tests in all roles.
 
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OLd_Sarg

OLd_Sarg
I posted this in another thread but this is a better place;

I run armed not necessarily to fight but to deploy, it seems when I deploy hard points they do also and that breaks their scan, YMMV

I would hate to see shadow smuggling go away it is the most intense edge of your seat action in the game for me. [yesnod]
 

Ian Skippy

Ian Skippy
TomP said:
The shadow mission vs. new Faulcon de Lacy drives is an interesting conundrum. Given that the interdicting Feds are usually in Vipers, the onus may well end up being on the pilot to successfully fight the interdiction. However, I'll be looking to pimp my Asp, so to speak ;)
Click to expand...

Well, just updated AI with them using their current speeds would be enough. Add the new drives and hopefully decent scanners (not the f-rated ones they have now!) and things will be interesting. :)

FalconFly said:
If you read the descriptions of these Ships, you'd read that they were meant to be upgrades - hence the Mk.IV and not Mk.III Mod 1 (latter would indicate a Variant).
And at that - they miserably failed.

The Cobra Mk.IV became the infamous "Slowbra" - with an added 5th Hardpoint serving no use due to the poor agility and the limiting C3 Power Distributor. At least this Ship excels as an excellent Cargo Hauler for its size, which is very nice.

The Viper Mk.IV advertised as a "Heavy Fighter became the "Heavy Runner" - unable to maneuver, limited by its C3 Power Distributor... it literally plays no role (but as a cumbersome Target) amongst the actual heavy Fighters. Excellent Range thou, should you need that.

The Keelback offers a somewhat improved protection - at the price of becoming (surprise!) a slow and cumbersome Target, additionally at a drastically reduced Cargo capacity. Its advertised role as a combat-capable transporter it can't fulfill, instead the design essentially lacks at both Hauling and Combat when combined.

Disclaimer :
For good measure, I own all of them and have put them through repeated & very rigorous Flight Tests in all roles.
Click to expand...

Nonsense. The Viper MK4 serves just great as a heavy fighter in a CZ, far better than the mk3 when tanked up. The Cobra mk4 has eight internals, the cheapest alternative to that is the T7, which has less firepower and agility.

"miserably failed" [rolleyes]
 

JesusOnEez

JesusOnEez
sleutelbos said:
The Cobra mk4 has eight internals, the cheapest alternative to that is the T7, which has less firepower and agility.

"miserably failed" [rolleyes]
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Utterly agree, the Cobra Mk. IV is the only ship I've ever managed to spend a decent amount of time in a CZ in. It's a great ship if used for the right things. I also found it very useful in a Res.

I used the 5th central mounted HP for a Railgun, and it came in very handy from time to time.
 

Crusina Luachra

Crusina Luachra
FalconFly;3784121[COLOR=#D1D1D1 said:
you'd read that they were meant to be [/COLOR]upgrades
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TIL that making a ship with a completely different role in mind is an upgrade over a ship with a completely different role.
 

CMDR Corlas

CMDR Corlas
I'm eager to find a mental niche for me to fit the Keelback into. I really liked flying it, and am excited to get one back into my lineup.
 

Black Ops

Black Ops
I was thinking of the Keelback as the Falcon

I'm tempted to buy it and try to make it work even though it(clearly) blows, just for the looks of it.

But it'll die horribly. and even when it can deploy a fighter..meh?
 
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