Well Python is a multi roll, and not as great at combat, though 2.1 does change that a good bit, but FDL still has a very big advantage in agility and speed, which is something combat needs, doesn't seem like it should be underestimated, I fly my FDL for combat stuff, python for 'general' missions but it is a significant difference when it comes to combat, heck the two extra utility points that the FDL do a lot.
If we do a comparing between python and FDL since they are in same price class, though python is quite a bit more expensive to outfit, and that's another difference, one thing is hull price, but python is the more expensive to outfit, nearly double in price to do so, that seems to be forgotten also? but how would you have it balanced if it were between FDL and python?
Sorry, sorry, missed the response.
Python is more expensive to outfit yus (it tops out around the 220-230 million point for a full A-fit with extras, the FdL around 135) but once it's A-rated there is almost nothing it can't do and have spare room to take up a hobby while it's at it. With the new Engineers and their tasty but power-hungry upgrades, the Python is effectively already future-proofed - A rate the power plant and it's a struggle to even make it break a sweat under most configs. Not saying this is a bad thing - a ship like that is
awesome. It's
fun. Okay, I do struggle to picture how it squeezes all that shininess into a medium size hull, but still. For versatility the Python cannot be beat, it can do anything with a bit of time and effort. I love it. Too many ships in ED's lineup after the first wave seem to have been built with the question
"What drawbacks does this ship have?" being the first and foremost one on the drawing board.
The FdL is better at combat and has better shields and speed, but is worse in virtually every other department, especially as a long-term Swiss army knife. Balancing it against the Python as a price-point entry and for its own lore, I'd personally add the following:-
* One extra Class 5 internal slot.
* Increase fuel tank to 16 units.
* Add around 2 to 3 LY to jump range.
That's it. It's already a superlative fighter - those additions are for quality-of-life purposes. Enough to add a half-decent cargo bay sized for its hull or other useful internal system and make getting around on those VIP executive trips a pleasure rather than an exercise in pain. Before anyone tears my head off (I know how people get about FdL buff posts dammit!
), this is only an exercise in personal opinion! Also compare the FdL's internals to the Vulture's:-
FdL: 5, 4, 4, 2, 1
Vulture: 5, 4, 2, 1, 1
Same number of slots, but not a tremendous leap in performance compared to the leap in price - 51 million vs. 4 million. There's only 20 tons difference between the hulls, but the size-to-tonnage numbers for most of ED's ships doesn't make any kind of sense anyways. If we're going off price and progression, I wouldn't think expanding the FdL's performance like that would break the ship lineup at that cost bracket. It'd make for improved quality of life (not something you should be lacking in a ship that costs that much!), and still wouldn't be able to compete versus the Python at anything outside of killing stuff.
The problem with adding those numbers is the ship design mechanics. At the moment ED's ships are locked into a mechanical framework that basically forces balance passes and tweaks to adhere to its maths - and I'm not absolutely convinced that's a good thing. There are too many exponential numbers involved (a lot of module stats seem to double in certain values at each quality step). Personally I'd prefer each ship to be "hand crafted" so that things like internals, performance and mass could be adjusted precisely for balance and performance reasons and the finer points hand-waved so long as it seemed logical and consistent, rather than forcing ship balance through a series of convoluted hoops - but the dev's are much smarter people than I am and numbers are their thing [wink]
So, there you have it. That's how I'd balance and tweak the FdL if I could, as things stand. Bit wordy, sorry [big grin] The price drop and the agility/power plant buff did wonderful things for the hull, I just wish that fighter ships in general weren't so under-sold on their loadouts. It's like someone at Frontier thinks being able to shoot other spaceships in Elite is a
bad thing [hotas]
Incidentally, I am also all for buffing and tweaking a whole load of the other ships too. I weep every time I see a Diamondback Explorer. Sometimes I can barely harvest their juicy bounties for the tears. Sometimes.
Okay not really <.< >.>
