While expressing an opinion is fine, issuing absolute statements about what the OP will or will not need/like is a bit arrogant. I know, many do it here, but that doesn't make it right. Let the OP make up their own mind?
Why the hell am I rank grinding? Cutter or Corvette worth it?
- Thread starter DukeIronHand
- Start date
While expressing an opinion is fine, issuing absolute statements about what the OP will or will not need/like is a bit arrogant. I know, many do it here, but that doesn't make it right. Let the OP make up their own mind?
I was looking at the same decision some months ago, and for me, it ended up being very simple, and clear-cut:
Currently, obtaining these ships is time-consuming, but easy.
In the future, it is likely that it will still be time-consuming, but it may not be as easy to obtain them. Decision made.
I did both grinds back-to-back, and it took me about 5 weeks (with roughly double your play time), and I'm not going to say it was awesome. It was, however, quite profitable, and now, in the past.
Riôt
Currently, obtaining these ships is time-consuming, but easy.
In the future, it is likely that it will still be time-consuming, but it may not be as easy to obtain them. Decision made.
I did both grinds back-to-back, and it took me about 5 weeks (with roughly double your play time), and I'm not going to say it was awesome. It was, however, quite profitable, and now, in the past.
Riôt
Ooofff.
Was doing some reading on Imperial ranking and requirements and one gentlemen (he had spreadsheets so he must know what he is talking about right?) estimated that running ++ missions it will take 1000(!) missions to go from 50% Viscount to Duke.
Currently at 27% Viscount. Lord knows how many I have run already.
Yea. I feel a break forthcoming.
And people have done this without Mode Switching and 1 to 3 missions at a time? God Bless!
Was doing some reading on Imperial ranking and requirements and one gentlemen (he had spreadsheets so he must know what he is talking about right?) estimated that running ++ missions it will take 1000(!) missions to go from 50% Viscount to Duke.
Currently at 27% Viscount. Lord knows how many I have run already.
Yea. I feel a break forthcoming.
And people have done this without Mode Switching and 1 to 3 missions at a time? God Bless!
Last edited:
The Cutter is the only of the big ships I bought two of. I has a place in the game.
One shoting trade CGs.
3 million CR trade runs.
One boost to the mailshot, perfectly.
Mass locking stuff.
Probably the best mobile home in the game.
Shield and hull tanking for when armagedon comes.
It'll become clear when your stinking rich.
The Cutter is the only of the big ships I bought two of. I has a place in the game.
One shoting trade CGs.
3 million CR trade runs.
One boost to the mailshot, perfectly.
Mass locking stuff.
Probably the best mobile home in the game.
Shield and hull tanking for when armagedon comes.
It'll become clear when your stinking rich.
Thargoids going to eat the cutter for dinner along with any other big ships.
All I can say is that I never regretted the grind for the Corvette.
Ooofff.
Was doing some reading on Imperial ranking and requirements and one gentlemen (he had spreadsheets so he must know what he is talking about right?) estimated that running ++ missions it will take 1000(!) missions to go from 50% Viscount to Duke.
Currently at 27% Viscount. Lord knows how many I have run already.
Yea. I feel a break forthcoming.
And people have done this without Mode Switching and 1 to 3 missions at a time? God Bless!
I didn't mode switch either, but when running missions between 10 or more stations I had repped up with, I usually had anywhere from 10-20 missions active at any one time. I get to a station, turn in a mission or two (or three if i was lucky) and end up getting more missions to yet more different stations. It kept me busy, and introduced me to a bunch of systems I probably would have never gone to otherwise.
This all took me months to accomplish, with lots of diving into res sites to break it up a bit.
I got the cutter first, loved it, main ship I fly in.
Then I did the corvette rank up, bought it, got it properly engineered and intended to make it my main ship.
Funny thing, I found I was just opting not to use it, I'd jump in the DBX or exploraconda to get anywhere quick, and the courier for fun high speed stuff. I was using the corvette for blowing things up but I didn't want to use it for anything else.
After a while i realised that the cutter could do everything better, more jump range, better shields, better cargo space, that awesome boost speed and ramming ability, and of course, it still kills things as easily as the vette (as in, destroy an npc conda in 60 seconds with the cutter or 50 seconds in the vette), the slight combat advantage of the vette was totally outclassed by the Shields and boost speed of the cutter.
So the corvette is currently retried to the garage, I go everywhere in the cutter again, and it's fun, sure it drifts like crazy and takes a year to come to a full stop, but it feels more like a huge fleet command ship than the corvette.
I'm hoping one day I'll find a good use for the corvette as it's a great ship too, maybe it'll turn out to be a thargoid interceptor, or get a buff in the jump range.
Is it worth the time it takes to get either of them? Definitely, they're great ships, different from the conda, I prefer the cutter, though others prefer the corvette, there's not a huge deal between them, but keep at it and enjoy whichever you get
Then I did the corvette rank up, bought it, got it properly engineered and intended to make it my main ship.
Funny thing, I found I was just opting not to use it, I'd jump in the DBX or exploraconda to get anywhere quick, and the courier for fun high speed stuff. I was using the corvette for blowing things up but I didn't want to use it for anything else.
After a while i realised that the cutter could do everything better, more jump range, better shields, better cargo space, that awesome boost speed and ramming ability, and of course, it still kills things as easily as the vette (as in, destroy an npc conda in 60 seconds with the cutter or 50 seconds in the vette), the slight combat advantage of the vette was totally outclassed by the Shields and boost speed of the cutter.
So the corvette is currently retried to the garage, I go everywhere in the cutter again, and it's fun, sure it drifts like crazy and takes a year to come to a full stop, but it feels more like a huge fleet command ship than the corvette.
I'm hoping one day I'll find a good use for the corvette as it's a great ship too, maybe it'll turn out to be a thargoid interceptor, or get a buff in the jump range.
Is it worth the time it takes to get either of them? Definitely, they're great ships, different from the conda, I prefer the cutter, though others prefer the corvette, there's not a huge deal between them, but keep at it and enjoy whichever you get
So I'm currently out exploring in my conda, I built up a multirole conda - flew her on all sorts of missions (smuggling included - flying through the slot at full speed fa off flipping in the bay to stop in the days when silent running didn't work). I've been living with her for 9 months out in the far black and love her dearly. I got the rank for the cutter and its a great ship neigh on invincible in terms of being able to escape from any ambush whilst carrying a cargo, huge cargo capacity (although I'm too wimpy to go with low shields). Flying is very different though - I haven't yet saved up enough to kit her out with A grade thrusters and she turns like a supertanker (actually yaw is better than pitch). As mentioned I'm still in the black, I don't regret buyting the cutter - it's beautiful and does pretty much everything well, when I eventuallly get back to the bubble I'll finish her off and engineer her up, I expect she'll be great as a bubble ship.
That said I completely understand how you feel about your conda and your T9 (although I did sell my T9) - and there's definitely something about flying what you love!
One downside about flying the cutter - rebuy is incredibly painful, the combination of weak thrusters and that make it dangerous as slowing down to avoid teh suicide eagle brigade is hard work and 30million rebuy is painful. But she is beautiful and incredibly tough, sounds amazing too - I felt privileged to fly her. Not to mention turning up to refuel someone in her on an oppourtunistic fuelrats mission always gave an interesting reaction!
Main differences from teh conda - pitch is terrible, a combination of yaw and pitch is the best way to turn. Big back end - people say the conda's difficult to dock but actually as you know it's easy - just try to just miss the roof with the cockpit. Not true with the cutter, above middle vertically and middle of one side horizontally, then cross your fingers - those engine pods stick out a long way!
Ramming- touch another ship with a conda it will probably survive, touch anything even gently with the cutter and it dies - and you get a bounty, this is a big problem when cargo scooping - use collector limpets whereas in the conda it's not to hard to scoop.
In short enjoy what you're doing - if the "grinding" is getting you down do something else for a bit, the cutter's a great ship but it'll come one way or another and once you've got it kitting it out will be pricey. So do what you enjoy and the cutter will eventually come to you, but she's a beautiful big ship and yes worth it (in my opinion now I've got it!)
Will probably go for the corvette when I get back to the bubble@-)!
Not to mention, you've probably forgotten it now but I'm sure there was a time when the conda seemed like a distant dream and you had to "grind" for it!
That said I completely understand how you feel about your conda and your T9 (although I did sell my T9) - and there's definitely something about flying what you love!
One downside about flying the cutter - rebuy is incredibly painful, the combination of weak thrusters and that make it dangerous as slowing down to avoid teh suicide eagle brigade is hard work and 30million rebuy is painful. But she is beautiful and incredibly tough, sounds amazing too - I felt privileged to fly her. Not to mention turning up to refuel someone in her on an oppourtunistic fuelrats mission always gave an interesting reaction
! Main differences from teh conda - pitch is terrible, a combination of yaw and pitch is the best way to turn. Big back end - people say the conda's difficult to dock but actually as you know it's easy - just try to just miss the roof with the cockpit. Not true with the cutter, above middle vertically and middle of one side horizontally, then cross your fingers - those engine pods stick out a long way!
Ramming- touch another ship with a conda it will probably survive, touch anything even gently with the cutter and it dies - and you get a bounty, this is a big problem when cargo scooping - use collector limpets whereas in the conda it's not to hard to scoop.
In short enjoy what you're doing - if the "grinding" is getting you down do something else for a bit, the cutter's a great ship but it'll come one way or another and once you've got it kitting it out will be pricey. So do what you enjoy and the cutter will eventually come to you, but she's a beautiful big ship and yes worth it (in my opinion now I've got it
!)Will probably go for the corvette when I get back to the bubble@-)!
Not to mention, you've probably forgotten it now but I'm sure there was a time when the conda seemed like a distant dream and you had to "grind" for it
!
Last edited:
This has been a very interesting read for me. A nice, almost even split, between the Cutter Cmdr's and ones who like the non-ranked locked (Anaconda, etc) ships especially when throwing in the rank grind.
I really like my Conda and T9 but am convinced I should at least give the Cutter a try based on feedback here.
The "fly in the ointment" is, of course, the hundreds of missions needed before I get there. With my limited playtime it doesn't get grindy but it will be a heck of a time commitment so I suspect this will be a marathon and not a sprint.
Besides I am getting a little itchy for some stick time with my two big ships.
As for the Corvette that seems to be a most distant dream at this point - can't see doing this ranking thing again any time soon. And I was glad to see my like of the mighty Conda and T9 wasn't out in left field!
Thanks to all for the input.
I really like my Conda and T9 but am convinced I should at least give the Cutter a try based on feedback here.
The "fly in the ointment" is, of course, the hundreds of missions needed before I get there. With my limited playtime it doesn't get grindy but it will be a heck of a time commitment so I suspect this will be a marathon and not a sprint.
Besides I am getting a little itchy for some stick time with my two big ships.
As for the Corvette that seems to be a most distant dream at this point - can't see doing this ranking thing again any time soon. And I was glad to see my like of the mighty Conda and T9 wasn't out in left field!
Thanks to all for the input.
The Cutter looks and sounds nice....but it's overall usefulness ends there.
There's a ship that trades better.
There's a ship that fights better.
There's a ship that explores better.
It's a status symbol, of course I am forced to own one because of who I work for (see left).
There's a ship that trades better.
There's a ship that fights better.
There's a ship that explores better.
It's a status symbol, of course I am forced to own one because of who I work for (see left).
What ship trades better than the Cutter?!
Ooofff.
Was doing some reading on Imperial ranking and requirements and one gentlemen (he had spreadsheets so he must know what he is talking about right?) estimated that running ++ missions it will take 1000(!) missions to go from 50% Viscount to Duke.
Currently at 27% Viscount. Lord knows how many I have run already.
Yea. I feel a break forthcoming.
And people have done this without Mode Switching and 1 to 3 missions at a time? God Bless!
I guess I was quite fortunate since when I was still ranking up the 20 mission limit had not been implemented. My M.O. was to set a timer for 10 minutes and each time it went off I'd log in to Solo, pick any suitable missions from the board and then log out and go back to work. Repeat this until I hit the mission limit which was 99 in those days, I think, certainly a lot more than 20. Then in the evening I would spend my time doing the mission ready for the next day. I had great fun and it was very profitable.
99 is a large number. Fortunately I don't miss those days too much in that, rarely, has the 20 mission limit been a factor for me. Normally I lose patience before I get that many. So far anyway.
But as a Cmdr of experience a final question if I may about Donation missions.
All show as a "Large Increase" in Rep or +++.
I jump on them quick when they are 150,000 or less but many are for much more. And I tend to be a cheapskate.
Is there a "behind the scenes difference" between a Donation Mission of 1,000,000 and a 25,000 credit one?
But as a Cmdr of experience a final question if I may about Donation missions.
All show as a "Large Increase" in Rep or +++.
I jump on them quick when they are 150,000 or less but many are for much more. And I tend to be a cheapskate.
Is there a "behind the scenes difference" between a Donation Mission of 1,000,000 and a 25,000 credit one?
There used to be, I don't know if this still holds true. It used to be that rank was driven by money spend or made under the hood, so the more you spend (donation missions or sourcing and returning commodities) or the higher value of the mission the closer you got to the next level. There used to be a table that showed the equivalent spending required for each of the super power ranks. But that was a while ago and I'm not sure that it is still valid.
Remember for quince to be good you need to rank up with all the imperial aligned groups out there only then will you get the missions to make it worth it. Two loads of Exploration data is the easiest way IMO. Quince is GOLD for explorers since all the missions scale with exploration rep as well as faction rep, even after the 2.3 nerf to reputation gains.
I hit Quince today and rerolled the mission board for a full half hour without seeing a single sightseeing passenger mission. I have max reputation with one faction, friendly with two others, and my explorer rank is pathfinder. What am I doing wrong?
The passenger sightseeing missions were removed several weeks ago. When in Quince you now need to use the scan missions. There are a number of posts and YouTube clips on this.