eClipper and my second major exploration trip

Palinson

P
Hello all! I'm fairly new to Elite Dangerous, having just started in August (but I've put in a ton of hours). I did a 56K LY trip in my ASP Explorer last month and had a grand time. I enjoy most aspects of the game, but it is really enjoyable for me to get away from the bubble and just explore.

In preparation for my second trip, I bought and engineered up an Anaconda. Looked great on paper, with over 50LY jump range. However, after a 6000LY test flight I wasn't that thrilled. I disliked the lack of maneuverability in supercruise. It's a great ship and I'll keep it for passenger runs, but I decided to go another direction.

The ASP Explorer is great but I really love flying the Imperial Clipper. Decided I'd build one just for exploring. It doesn't have the jump range of an ASP, but it does 38.74LY with a full tank of fuel and I'm in no hurry this time around, wanting to scan as much as possible and perhaps make it all the way to Beagle Point.

Specs: https://coriolis.edcd.io/outfit/imp...0WfDeiM/wxYAADt63jCDQEAAA==&bn=ExploreClipper

Runs cool as can be as I went Low Emissions on the powerplant, and Clean Drives on the thrusters. I never even hear the 80% heat level alarm. Turns on a dime. 41 million before the 15% discount, so not too expensive, either. Only negatives as an exploration ship are the jump range and small fuel tank.

Too bad Gutamaya doesn't come out with a civilian version called the eClipper - bump up the jump range a tad, maybe drop the large hardpoints in exchange and bump the price up. But don't lose that supercruise handling! :D

Anyway, I'm about 3 days out and a bit over 9000LY from Sol, having some quiet-time. :) With luck I'll join that 65,000 LY from Sol club soon.
 
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marx

marx
Yep, the Clipper is a great ship for exploring. Sure, it doesn't have the jump range of the three dedicated explorer ships (Anaconda, AspE, DBE), but it can do a decent jump range while having everything. Plus it has a better cockpit view and more screenshot potential, in my opinion. Not to mention that it can do a decent forward and boost speed without having to sacrifice much, so it has pretty good survivability too. In fact, since it's not so sensitive to weight, you can get a build that can do better in combat and still have a decent jump range: for example, I used this and had a 33.89 / 34.56 ly jump range on it. (Mods aren't included on there because at the time, Coriolis had no mod support, and right now I'm far from any shipyard.)
Not something to take on top-end combat ships but, but it can either handle any hostile or it can run away from it.

I'd also recommend trying out the Courier too: these days, I prefer it instead. Better jump range (although you really have to save weight everywhere you can for that), looks even better in my opinion, and it's quite something to fly a ship so small so far away from inhabited space. And an absolute joy to fly planetside. See here for my space explorer build, and I also have one geared for planetary exploration with great forward speed. 35 ly on full tank, but 494 m/s base and 671 m/s boost speed: that build's here, but no mod list yet for the same reason as the Clipper above.

Also, +56.1% optimised mass on your FSD roll? Very nice! How many times did you have to roll the dice to make that happen?
 

Palinson

P
marx said:
Also, +56.1% optimised mass on your FSD roll? Very nice! How many times did you have to roll the dice to make that happen?
Click to expand...

I have a Courier, I'll have to play with that sometime and see what range I can get. Thanks for the tip! :)

As for the 56.1%, I was pretty happy to get that - but I worked for it. I spent a few days farming materials and had enough for 37 rolls with Felicity. Bought two additional 5A drives and had them transferred out to Deciat (since I have a lot of ships with size 5 drives). Used 27 of the rolls and got a couple of +50% rolls, and that one beautiful +56.1.
Kept the +50% ones of course, those went into some other ships (my ASP Explorer and my other Clipper, which is fully kitted out as a first-class passenger hauler with full shields/weapons).
 

goemon

goemon
i used a clipper as a science vessel, when unknown artifacts where quite new .... amazing ship.

now, as marx, i'm sporting an exploration courier.

I'm thinking about an exploration cutter for planetary exploration with fighters... but if you dislike a condas supercruise handling, you would outright hate a cutter :D

still i prefer my conda above an AspE - there is a special floating feeling with it, which comes from that slow turning in SC.
 

Palinson

P
goemon said:
i used a clipper as a science vessel, when unknown artifacts where quite new .... amazing ship.

now, as marx, i'm sporting an exploration courier.

I'm thinking about an exploration cutter for planetary exploration with fighters... but if you dislike a condas supercruise handling, you would outright hate a cutter :D

still i prefer my conda above an AspE - there is a special floating feeling with it, which comes from that slow turning in SC.
Click to expand...

I have a Cutter that is for trading - I do plan to get another at some point and really fit it out to be a mission/battle kind of ship, but that will be quite pricey. I played with the idea of one for exploration (in Coriolis), but the range with the handling just made it seem like a bad idea compared to the Anaconda.

I still plan to use my exploration Conda, but I think I'll put a few passenger cabins in it and try to stack a few explorers. My 56K trip was a passenger trip, so I felt rushed to get back and turn that in for the 87 million or so the guy paid for the ride. This time I'm out without and passengers, I can take my time.
 

newman1702

newman1702
goemon said:
but if you dislike a condas supercruise handling, you would outright hate a cutter :D
Click to expand...

The Cutter handles slower than a Conda on thrusters, but it actually turns faster in supercruise. AFAIK the Anaconda and Type 9 have the worst supercruise handling in the game. And honestly, it makes no sense - there is no reason for the Annie to be so slow-turning in supercruise. Perhaps when she was the only big end game ship they wanted to accentuate her size, but in the current situation her SC handling makes zero sense. The Beluga can run circles around a Conda while in SC - that's just wrong.
 
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goemon

goemon
newman1702 said:
The Cutter handles slower than a Conda on thrusters, but it actually turns faster in supercruise.
Click to expand...

hm, doesn't feel like it - but probably after more than 100k ly in my conda i'm simply use to it.

beluga is exceptionally good in SC ... if it could fit a shield AND a class 6 fuelscoop AND a fighter bay, i would take it as a huge exploration ship.
 

marx

marx
Hm, do you happen to have any data on this? That sounds surprising. I'd try measuring it myself now, but I'm quite far from my Cutter and Anaconda now, and I don't expect to be back for them till next year.
I never did mind the Anaconda's supercruise handling (in my opinion, it lends well to the feeling that you are captaining a large ship, not a space-boat), but the Cutter's has seemed worse to me. It's evident of course that the Anaconda handles better in normal flight.
 

newman1702

newman1702
goemon said:
I'll measure it right away. anyway with my cutter on my way to my conda.
Click to expand...

You should get something like 33-34s for a full SC turn on an Anaconda, and some 26s for the Cutter at 50% throttle in SC. FSD size or class do not seem to affect this. I think the Anaconda will turn quicker on 0 throttle, but who does that, it's the blue zone that counts.
 

goemon

goemon
Cutter:
SC speed zero
Pitch: 52 sec
Roll: 11 sec
Yaw:1 min 32 sec

SC Speed 50% (middle of blue zone)
Pitch: 33 sec
Roll: 11 sec
Yaw: 58 sec

Conda:
SC speed zero
Pitch: 46 sec
Roll: 12 sec
Yaw:1 min 57 sec

SC Speed 50% (middle of blue zone)
Pitch: 30 sec
Roll: 11 sec
Yaw: 1:20 sec

___


so, the two roll the same, cutter yaws better, conda pitches better (~10%).
 

Ginger chris

G
I've just ground my way to Baron, now starting a little bit of engineering on a new Clipper for some exploring in imperial style

At least until I get a Cutter....Bask in her glory thargoid scum.....
 

marx

marx
@ goemon: Thanks for the data! The Cutter vs Anaconda results were surprising for me, based on how flying one in SC feels, I expected the differences to be larger. Maybe it's also a question of acceleration? Hard to say.
I did some quick tests with my Courier, here are the results:

Courier, 0 throttle (SC):
Pitch: 22.1 s
Roll: 5.5 s
Yaw: 60 s

Courier, 50% throttle (SC):
Pitch: 14.4 s
Roll: 4.4 s
Yaw: 38.3 s

Anyone mind testing these with the Clipper? I'd be quite curious about how it compares to these three ships.
 
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Palinson

P
In my clipper:

Clipper, 0 Throttle (SC):
Pitch: 24.28
Roll: 5.8
Yaw: 40.23

Clipper, 50% Throttle (SC):
Pitch: 14.99
Roll: 4.7
Yaw: 24.78
 

goemon

goemon
goemon said:
Cutter:
SC speed zero
Pitch: 52 sec
Roll: 11 sec
Yaw:1 min 32 sec

SC Speed 50% (middle of blue zone)
Pitch: 33 sec
Roll: 11 sec
Yaw: 58 sec

Conda:
SC speed zero
Pitch: 46 sec
Roll: 12 sec
Yaw:1 min 57 sec

SC Speed 50% (middle of blue zone)
Pitch: 30 sec
Roll: 11 sec
Yaw: 1:20 sec
Click to expand...

marx said:
Courier, 0 throttle (SC):
Pitch: 22.1 s
Roll: 5.5 s
Yaw: 60 s

Courier, 50% throttle (SC):
Pitch: 14.4 s
Roll: 4.4 s
Yaw: 38.3 s
Click to expand...

Palinson said:
Clipper, 0 Throttle (SC):
Pitch: 24.28
Roll: 5.8
Yaw: 40.23

Clipper, 50% Throttle (SC):
Pitch: 14.99
Roll: 4.7
Yaw: 24.78
Click to expand...

wow. the clipper pitches and tolls as well as a courier. that's impressive. maybe i have to refit an exploration clipper, for surface surveys... or for passenger missions?
 

Palinson

P
About 20,000LY out now, going great in the Clipper. Really loving it for exploration. I moved off the 'beaten path' a ways on my way to Beagle Point, I haven't seen a system with a name tag on it in two days now. :)
 
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