So, convince me to buy a Diamondback.

Actually, I am looking for a nice single star system for a particular test I have planned... :) More information to come.

That aside, I have no idea what you're trying to get at. Feel free to let me in on the secret anytime you want. ;)

By "only one star in them" I also was implying "and nothing else."

It's not really a system if the star is the only object in it. It's just a star. You said system, so that implies planets.
 
It's not really a system if the star is the only object in it. It's just a star. You said system, so that implies planets.

I didn't say "planetary system" either. So now we're on the same page as each other. [up]

In the game, we jump from "system" to "system" regardless of what's in it, as we often don't know ahead of time. It serves as a way to describe these things in a general/generic way.
 
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I didn't say "planetary system" either. So now we're on the same page as each other. [up]

Actually, planetary system is a type of star system. Even an asteroid belt would constitute a star system :)

Semantics aside, I still don't see why fuel-scoop time would really be a selling point. After all, the Cutter sure is popular. When you go to buy a car, people expect you to pick one based on facts and figures, which is why some people waste away in VW Jettas and Lexus IS 250s. Other people pick a car based on what they actually like about it, and that is the real point of a Diamondback. It's the Vauxhall Monaro VXR of the Elite universe.

I own both a DBX and Asp X and while the Asp may have a slight statistical advantage, I still feel like pulling my hair out when I fly it because it has no character whatsoever. The DBX has a charm that makes it more than worth it for me.
 
Actually, planetary system is a type of star system. Even an asteroid belt would constitute a star system :)

...

You're the one that said it implies planets. :p In the context of this game, it doesn't. Just admit to yourself that you were intentionally being pedantic for the sake of it and let it go. [hehe]

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I really like the style of the Diamondbacks, the Diamondback Scout in particular. Too bad after 50K LY of traveling in one it kind of drove me nuts from fuel scooping. That bulge of cabling sticking out in front of the canopy a bit didn't help either.

The long and the short of it is that they aren't exploration ships, though you can use them as that if you so desire, just like most ships in the game. I personally would recommend something a little more capable at exploration myself though, such as a Vulture, or of course the Cobra Mk. III, if cost is more of a concern and you want a higher jump range potential instead of large weapons and shielding.
 
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You're the one that said it implies planets. :p In the context of this game, it doesn't. Just admit to yourself that you were intentionally being pedantic for the sake of it and let it go. [hehe]
Never!!! ;)

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The long and the short of it is that they aren't exploration ships, though you can use them as that if you so desire, just like most ships in the game. I personally would recommend something a little more capable at exploration myself though, such as a Vulture, or of course the Cobra Mk. III, if cost is more of a concern and you want a higher jump range potential instead of large weapons and shielding.

I've thought of using my Vulture for exploration, but the 8 ton fuel tank concerns me. The view sure is nice, though.
 
The Diamondback (either scout or explorer) is one of those ships that just looks cool and I'm looking for an excuse to buy one..

But why would you do this terrible thing? :x

Kidding :p I find the DB's in general to be lacklustre, especially the pile of sadness that is the DBE, but they're not completely terrible. If you're looking for an excuse to buy either, I'd recommend the Scout and fit it for combat - it makes a decent long-range taxi and it's fun to fly and dogfight in, unlike its larger cousin. It's cheaper too.
 
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I've thought of using my Vulture for exploration, but the 8 ton fuel tank concerns me. The view sure is nice, though.

If you swap out the class 5 shield for a class 4 one, that frees up the class 5 slot, which allows you to fit a 32t (?) fuel tank in there.
I did that to fly my Vulture to an engineer.
Probably not the best way to configure a Vulture for combat but it can be done.
 
If you swap out the class 5 shield for a class 4 one, that frees up the class 5 slot, which allows you to fit a 32t (?) fuel tank in there.
I did that to fly my Vulture to an engineer.
Probably not the best way to configure a Vulture for combat but it can be done.
I may have to try that :)
 
But why would you do this terrible thing? :x

Kidding :p I find the DB's in general to be lacklustre, especially the pile of sadness that is the DBE, but they're not completely terrible. If you're looking for an excuse to buy either, I'd recommend the Scout and fit it for combat - it makes a decent long-range taxi and it's fun to fly and dogfight in, unlike its larger cousin. It's cheaper too.

Yeah,

It's really just an impulse purchase.
I'll give the DBX a go and then, if I'm not happy with it, I'll strip all the spendy bits off it and swap it for a DBS and see how that works out.
I already have a Vulture (and a Viper 4) for the pew-pew so I was hoping to build it into something other than a combat ship.
 
...

I've thought of using my Vulture for exploration, but the 8 ton fuel tank concerns me. The view sure is nice, though.

At first I was using an extra size 4 tank with it, but you don't need it now with the star type selection for route plotting. You might want to give it a go sometime. Awesome supercruise maneuverability and handling over worlds are definitely nice bonuses too. But yeah, it's not going to win any speed races for crossing the galaxy or set any records for getting to hard to reach places.
 
At first I was using an extra size 4 tank with it, but you don't need it now with the star type selection for route plotting. You might want to give it a go sometime. Awesome supercruise maneuverability and handling over worlds are definitely nice bonuses too. But yeah, it's not going to win any speed races for crossing the galaxy or set any records for getting to hard to reach places.

I may have to try using the Vulture for scouting out ruins sites. Unfortunately (and somewhat hypocritically) I'm 1000 LY away in, of all things, an Asp X (I was in a hurry and it was either the 42 LY Asp or a 27 LY Battleconda, or wait half an hour for the DBX to transfer out). What kind of galaxy would condone such irony?
 
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The DBX feels like flying a 1980s Lada with a misfire but it looks cooler and is cheaper than the ASP, so I went for one as my taxi and surface exploration ship. It remains unarmed and costs approx 18mil fitted. Engineered with approx a 45ly jump range, a 4A fuel scoop, 3A shield, adv. discovery scanner, SRV hanger and 8t cargo hold. It's nice.
 
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If you don't buy one, I will poke you repeatedly in the ear with ma sausage.

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The DBX feels like flying a 1980s Lada with a misfire but it looks cooler and is cheaper than the ASP, so I went for one as my taxi and surface exploration ship. It remains unarmed and costs approx 18mil fitted. Engineered with approx a 45ly jump range, a 4A fuel scoop, 3A shield, adv. discovery scanner and 8t cargo hold. It's nice.

The DBX, is best looking explorer class ship (That's a joke, because the is zero point in them, seeing as you can get an anaconda full equipped in a week)... Any way, the DBX is the sexiest look explorer class ship, I had when I went exploring and I wouldn't change it for the world.
 
Yes

The DBX is a terrific ship.

Mine, the Custard Gannet, has been my all-purpose pootler for about a year now. Small pads, top-end jump range, cheapish rebuy and transport costs. Class 3 and 4 modules are available all over the place; with a decent FSD you're never more than one jump from whatever equipment you need for whatever's on hand right now.

so maybe I could do that and then buy a DBX to take over as my "runaround" ship,

Absolutely. Yes. Go for it. You're thinking along exactly the same lines as Lakon. Yes, the Queen has a Bentley and a Rolls and what have you. However much use they get, the Range Rover's never exactly gathering dust.

Taxi and odd job runner. Whatever comes up. Long range transit, market scouting, light haulage. Prospecting, courier mission stacking, datapoint farming, material gathering. All those little errands you find yourself doing to unlock engineers or gain rank - or whatever -- the DBX can handle.

This is the kind of odd side-story where your DBX takes a starring role:

  • You're doing a CZ in your combat ship.
  • You run out of Chromium for AFM refills (or whatever)
  • Dock at the nearest shipyard
  • Take the DBX out to a nearby source of Chromium
  • Fill your boots until you've had enough, in any sense
  • Return to, in the following order:
    1. The shipyard
    2. Your DPS-mobile
    3. The CZ
    4. pewpewing

No need to swap out modules on your combat ship; the most outfitting you'll have to do it fit the mission module (SRV in this case, and possibly a scoop or tank if you're in for a trek).

It's not the cheapest option for summoning, but if you're making money through other means the occasional few hundred kcr is easy enough to swallow. At the outside, Shinrarta - Sothis:

L1BLZgN.png


Under 500k for a long route. Most summons are much shorter, 20 minutes and five figures is more typical when you're in the bubble. In practice you don't often summon the taxi halfway across the bubble, you tend to be in the cockpit for long trips. Usually, when I'm summoning, it's because the big ship will make me twenty million from a transport CG and spending under 1% of that on logistics is a bargain in anybody's book.

The Custard Gannet can escape from most interdictions, grab the standout resources from a USS before trouble shows up for business, and generally be the nippy little utility ship that allows you to put the rest of your credits into a pimped-out "DPS-mobile" or whatever superyacht is the main love of your life.

I wish I knew what happened to my paintjob though. I've lost it, I don't know which one it was or where it came from, and without a bit of bright yellow inyourfaceness she's not really the Custard.

jjnlWlA.jpg
 
Ok... So I was always a DBS guy.
From the first time I tried it, I loved its blend of speed and manoeuvrability, it's hardpoint placement and it's looks.
It's not the most practical, internals wise. Not enough cargo, not enough shield, but decent jump range help balance this out and make it a decent small mission runner.

Then, however, I bought a Courier and decided I had a new favourite. Much better shields and speed with enhanced DD5's

But last night, having spent the last few weeks practicing fixed weapons, I fitted a pair of rails on the DBS, to go with it's 2 class 2 overcharged multis.

Oh my.

It's back to being my favourite again.
It just moves SO well.
 
In my experience the DBS is the best ship to learn how to use fixed weapons, the hardpoint placement is amazing and the yaw rate helps when you need to adjust the aim.
 
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