Frontier, can we PLEASE have a new Exploration ship now?

[space voyager]

My "apex" exploration ship is a 60Ly AspX, the "USS Janeway", which is parked in my exploration base-camp, just waiting until I get the itch again.

No man, now you can have Krait with an SLF. Great handling in SC and out. I haven't even bothered to go into engineering spree and I don't care much for extreme jumping so I rather equip my exploration ships with as big A thruster they can take (5DD and drag drives), much more fun among the asteroids.

Anyway, huge engines, double SRV, single SLF hangar - 50LYs with Guardian assistance. All I need. And FUN. Currently looking for a rock with nice canyons to smash my first SLF in.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

Geez, we've had 2 new exploration ships in the last 6 months.

Both the T10 and the Krait are eminently suitable for exploration.

None are comparable to the ones we currently use (AspX, DBX and Anaconda).

IMHO any ship willing to go 'out there to discover the Unknown' should be prepared for everything, including combat.

So far the galaxy is empty and alone both in RL and in ED so I see no reason for that.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

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Hmm. 57 LY and still not good? Are you sure this is about exploration and not interstellar racing?
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Also, unless FD implentes a hard cap, there will always be one ship which has half a LY more range than the others and thus apparently is the "best" choice. It's just like with cargo ships, as long as one can just carry 4 tons more than another, it'll be seen as the better cargo ship.
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It might be just me, but in my eyes the the criteria "does the job reasonably well and is fun to use" counts. And 57 LY jump range in my eyes is more than just reasonably well.
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57 Ly is the consecuence of the new FSD booster. With one of those, I could jump a little more than 70 Ly in my AspX.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

The Anaconda retains the issue to not be able to dock at outposts. It's also hard to land depending on the planet.
Also, according to the DWE list above, not even half of CMDRs pilots an Anaconda

Considering explorers spend 99% of their time outside of the bubble, the first issue pointed out isn't a big deal, after all, you can return to a station and then switch to a smaller vessel if you wish to deliver your data in an outpost.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

If the Kra2t had been named 'Krait Explorer' we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Yes we would because the thing is effectively as good as the Python in exploration. Not sure why there's so much hype around it.

 

[Shinji Ikari]

To which my counter is that FSD boosts aren't a mandatory part of exploration.
Also, the list was edited after I started answering - see my 17.

If you are planning to visit places in hard to reach areas (Star one comes to my mind), you'll likely need it.

 

[NW3]

That's nuts. This is what you need, in order of priority for exploring.
Cargo? What for. There aren't stations outside of the bubble or Colonia to trade with
Fuel limpets? What for? Anyone you meet out in the black should have a scoop and an SRV. If they don't, that's a job for the rats, not you.
AMFUs? Where are you getting this damage from? crashing into stars? Just learn to zero your throttle during the jump countdown.
Fighter? For exploring? Uhhhh, wow.
Combat reinforcements? For exploring? Uhhhh, also wow.
Docking computer? To dock with what, exactly? If you're in an inhabited system, you're *by definition* not exploring.
Fuel tank? I'll let you have that one as an optional. If you don't have an SRV then it's a workaround for that instead.

• Cargo? There's a lot of stuff out there to collect, if you want to. I recently had to leave a dozen or so life pods behind from a crash site, because I have no cargo racks.
• Fuel limpets? Fuel Rats also go on explorations.
• AMFUs? Required, if you use neutron star boosts.
• Fighter? Fun to have; completely optional.
• Combat stuff? No need.
• Docking computer? Nice to have, when it's been months since you last docked, especially if you didn't take an AMFU and your hull is in single digits (which has happened to me).

 

[kofeyh]

I'm not suggesting there is a problem with how people play, I'd never do that. Everyone plays their game their way and they're not wrong for doing so.

Not suggesting you did; however it is a very common comment, generally speaking.

I stick to my point however, that the Annie isn't a cut and dry case of being by far the best explorer vehicle as a few folks keep stating.

Preference for a thing, does not have a 1:1 relationship with the capability of a thing. I refer to 'best' in the logical sense; the most optimal configuration. Because that is quantifiable. Personal preference is not. Make sense?

I don't want Frontier getting that impression. The SC handling is absolutely unacceptable for me and many others, and the view is pitiful.

I do not dispute this; but suggesting a thing "is not enjoyable" does not suddenly negate it's capabilities. Anaconda has 10 optional internals, 8 hardpoints and 8 utlity modules and it does this with the highest jump range potential. That it drives like a brick on molasses does not change that simple fact.

Every single remaining ship is therefore a compromise for exploration as a consequence. All of them. Again; personal choice is fine. All good. But if a given apple is red, then the given apple is red. Whether one likes apples or not, does not fundimentally change what the thing is.

Again, for the complete avoidance of any confusion or doubt, the Anaconda currently holds the most optimal, customisable and greatest potential of all ships for exploration. And it does this by a considerable margin. This is why it features strongly in so many expeditions; it offers the strongest combination possible for exploration. I hate the thing for exploration, but it's about the best there is, from a capability and potential perspective.

People are conflating choice with capability and suggesting there is no problem as a consequence. This is highly disingenuous and ignores the simple facts. Rather, I would like that to be a far less academic choice. More than one option. Q4 strikes me as being a very good time to introduce something that potentially solves that and I believe Frontier have work to do for the existing exploration ships.

 

[Numenor1379]

I still think the best solution would be a new engineer that can modify Hull Mass (say lightweight, armored and thermal radiative as possible choices). Then give all Anacondas a stock maxed G5 lightweight mod.

 

[Sylveria]

It's quite amusing the lengths some will go to in order to prevent the Anaconda from being balanced like it should be.

 

[Numenor1379]

It's quite amusing the lengths some will go to in order to prevent the Anaconda from being balanced like it should be.

Considering EVERYTHING on the ship (mass lock factor being the biggest, but speed, armor and handling also) points to a 700-800T design, it is quite interesting.

 

[Zelos1983]

It's quite amusing the lengths some will go to in order to prevent the Anaconda from being balanced like it should be.

Because it doesn't matter. Buy and use an Anaconda or don't. It's your choice.

Constantly changing ship stats is a bad idea since all the owners have to rebuild their ships.

btw, I don't have an Anaconda. I prefer the ASP for exploration.

Considering EVERYTHING on the ship (mass lock factor being the biggest, but speed, armor and handling also) points to a 700-800T design, it is quite interesting.

Speed and - to an extend - handling are functions of the Flight Computer. Mass-Lock factor never had anything to do with mass (see T9).

 

[Sylveria]

Considering EVERYTHING on the ship (mass lock factor being the biggest, but speed, armor and handling also) points to a 700-800T design, it is quite interesting.

Indeed. It needs to be corrected, regardless of wailing and gnashing of teeth.

If Frontier really intends to improve the game, they need to fix what's broken, not continue to layer more broken upon already broken.

 

[Mengy]

Indeed. It needs to be corrected, regardless of wailing and gnashing of teeth.

If Frontier really intends to improve the game, they need to fix what's broken, not continue to layer more broken upon already broken.

I agree.

However, Frontier seems very reluctant to nerf one of the most popular ships in the game. I can see why too, it would upset a great many players, but the Conda really should have a hull mass of about 650-800T given it’s stats and placement in the fleet. So, that leaves them with only one other option to balance the fleet: adjust other ships upwards toward the Anaconda in order to give it some company on the exploration mountain top it currently sits on.

I’ve said it in the past, it would be trivial to do so with the DBX and Asp Explorer. I’ve done the math, if you reduce the hull of the Asp and DBX by very minimal amounts they both would jump comparatively to the Anaconda. We’re talking like ~30T off the Asp and ~15T off the DBX. That’s all it would take and suddenly explorers would have three ships with competitive jump ranges to choose from, absolutely no other changes would be needed.

There is another option too, simply leave the Anaconda broken with it’s magical feather weight hull mass. That preserves its place as an outlier in the game though, and maintains it’s super popular choice among players over all other ships. Maybe Frontier doesn’t mind that reality though?

 

[Nadreck]

No reason at all why they shouldn't do several things at once, and most of them are things they've already done in other situations:

Mass reduction of AspX/DBX? Done with Beluga and T9 (and Orca IIRC)

New size 1 slots for explorers? The T9 suddenly gained a size 8 (!!), and various ships suddenly gained military slots. I think the T7 gained a slot too.

New ships? Happens all the time, especially with warships.

Why is there still no Medium ship with a size 6 FSD, and the only 3 ships with a size 7 are all around 1000t hull weight? And why is there a size 8 FSD that no current ship can use? Not unreasonable to assume that FD might find a use for that.

 

[V'larr]

Indeed. It needs to be corrected, regardless of wailing and gnashing of teeth.

If Frontier really intends to improve the game, they need to fix what's broken, not continue to layer more broken upon already broken.

Hear Hear.

 

[Lightspeed]

Isn't the Krait about as close to what an Explorer needs (as opposed to wants)?

Good visibility.
Decent jump range with 5A FSD engineered.
Enough space to hold modules for:
Shields
Fuel Scoop
Cargo space
AFMU
SRV
DDS
ADS

If FD introduce module racks there might even be space for a SLF if you want to carry one.

Reasonable heat control
And it flies responsively and looks good [heart]

 

[Nadreck]

The Krait is good enough to attract interest, yes.

Still leaves a gap further upmarket though, with the Anaconda as the only really viable "Starship Enterprise" big explorer.

It's a pity the Cutter is so heavy, and only has 9 slots. The GFSDB helps, and a multi-scanner module would also help. But if we start getting new "science modules" in Q4... erm, where will they fit?

One interesting idea would be to fit scanner/science slots into existing sensor arrays, so large and/or A-rated sensors have more slots.

 

[A D]

Isn't the Krait about as close to what an Explorer needs (as opposed to wants)?

Good visibility.
Decent jump range with 5A FSD engineered.
Enough space to hold modules for:
Shields
Fuel Scoop
Cargo space
AFMU
SRV
DDS
ADS

If FD introduce module racks there might even be space for a SLF if you want to carry one.

Reasonable heat control
And it flies responsively and looks good [heart]

It already fits an SLF with the above fit out. Check this build out - just substitute the Guardian FSD with a cargo rack.

 

[Lightspeed]

It already fits an SLF with the above fit out. Check this build out - just substitute the Guardian FSD with a cargo rack.

You are so right !

That's a mighty big jump range you've built there [heart]