I think a lot of us would just like some alternatives to the Asp X, for variety's sake. So many expeditions look like Anaconda / Asp X rallys, and in a game with 35 ships I don't think it's too much to ask for a couple of those to be exceptional exploration ships. And I mean exceptional to the point where all expeditions aren't 90% Anacondas and Asp Explorers anymore.
Frontier, can we PLEASE have a new Exploration ship now?
- Thread starter Kaybe
- Start date
I think a lot of us would just like some alternatives to the Asp X, for variety's sake. So many expeditions look like Anaconda / Asp X rallys, and in a game with 35 ships I don't think it's too much to ask for a couple of those to be exceptional exploration ships. And I mean exceptional to the point where all expeditions aren't 90% Anacondas and Asp Explorers anymore.
It's 27 current ships.
Several of them have versions where they are either wearing a jacket, a moustache or have an ironing board nailed to the back. The Cobras and Vipers obviously had way more attention spent on them, until some bright spark came up with the FDS. Must have saved a huge amount of resource that change of approach.
1.Anaconda
2.Imperial Cutter
3.Federal Corvette
4.Beluga
5.Type9 (Heavy/Gti Turbo Diesel)
6.Type7 Transporter
7.Type6 (Transporter/Keelback)
8.Orca
9.Clipper
10.Asp (X/Scout)
11.Krait MkII
12.Python
13.Fer-De-Lance
14.Federal Utility Ship (Dropship/Assault/Gunship)
15.Alliance Utility Ship (Chieftain/Challenger/Gti Turbo)
16.Dolphin
17.Vulture
18.Viper MkIII
19.Viper MkIV
20.Cobra MkIII
21.Cobra MkIV
22.Adder
23.Hauler
24.Eagle (MkII/Imperial)
25.Diamondback (Explorer/Scout)
26.Imperial Courier
27.Sidewinder MkII
So:
- Boa
- Cobra Mk 1
- Constrictor
- Eagle Long Range Fighter Mk 1
- Eagle Long Range Fighter Mk 3
- Falcon
- Gecko
- Griffin
- Gyr
- Harrier
- Harris Fighter
- Hawk Airfighter
- Imperial Explorer
- Interplanetary Shuttle
- Kestrel Airfighter
- Lanner
- Lanner 2
- Lifter
- Lion
- Mamba
- Mantis
- Merlin
- Moray 'Starboat'
- Osprey Attack Fighter
- Osprey X
- Panther Clipper
- Puma Clipper
- Saker Mk 3
- Skeet
- Spar
- Tiercel
- Tiger Trader
- Transporter
- Turner Class
- Viper Defence Craft
- Worm Landing Craft
- Wyvern
27 ships out of 64 thus far. (Although we do have a binned Cobra Mk1 on some planet somewhere that no one can fly)
I suppose we're nearly halfway there? Let's be positive about it.
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I still think this was rather insulting of FDev to do.
-Explorers ask for heatsink synthesis.
-FDev adds headsink synthesis, but makes it cost materials explorers CANNOT get out "there".
-FDev laughs? [haha]
So the Courier? It only has 6 slots, and I'm already feeling the pinch since I can't equip everything I "need" for exploration. (no space for AFMU anymore
) If anything, I need 2+ more slots added. (not holding by breath for Q4 to "fix" this)
So the Courier? It only has 6 slots, and I'm already feeling the pinch since I can't equip everything I "need" for exploration. (no space for AFMU anymore
ADS
DSS
Scoop
SRV
Shield
AFMU
So are you suggesting that you now need a Guardian FSD booster because the six items above are the only internals I've ever carried on an explorer. I do add a second AFMU if I'm intending being out for some time, even though I could probably last until the end of time itself without ever needing to repair one AFMU with the other, but that's the sum total of the essentials. Everything else is frosting.
1st: I have Elite status in exploration - been to Colonia several times by different routes - Made Billions in exploration data.
2nd: Exploration isn't about distance jumped, it's about systems discovered, scanned and explored.
( jump-scan-jump is actually purposeless in the grand scale of things ).
30 - 40Ly jump range will get you almost anywhere in the Galaxy - what did you miss between those 50 - 70Ly long jumps?
What were those undiscovered anomalies you missed for using the max jump range constantly instead of taking your time to explore these overshot systems?
It took Lewis and Clark a couple years to get to the Pacific Ocean - not that it took that long, it was because they actually explored the areas they walked thru - cataloging the indigenous flora and fauna of those areas they passed instead of seeing how fast they could get to their ultimate goal.
3rd: I have an AFMU I have never used - In storage for now - if you're a sensible pilot you don't really need it, replace it with something more useful -
An SRV for materials collection -
Collector limpets for things found enroute -
ADS and Surface scanner are a must also, ( knowing what materials you need for jumponium is very helpful to know {Germanium and Vanadium} ) -
A Fuel scoop -
A large cargo bay is also helpful - (you will find this out when you have to decide which cargo to jettison in order to collect something more valued)
My routine is to long jump out a couple 1000 Ly - short jump and explore on the way back - taking my time, landing on some interesting planet - taking screenshots of unusual discoveries -
I use an AspX with 2 miner beams ( for mats ) - 2 multicannons and 2 missile launchers (just in case) - Hardly anything out there to ruin your day.
Loadout of your preferred ship is up to you, trial and error is part of the game, what works for you sometimes does not work for others.
Basically, exploration is not how you get there, its what you bring back.
2nd: Exploration isn't about distance jumped, it's about systems discovered, scanned and explored.
( jump-scan-jump is actually purposeless in the grand scale of things ).
30 - 40Ly jump range will get you almost anywhere in the Galaxy - what did you miss between those 50 - 70Ly long jumps?
What were those undiscovered anomalies you missed for using the max jump range constantly instead of taking your time to explore these overshot systems?
It took Lewis and Clark a couple years to get to the Pacific Ocean - not that it took that long, it was because they actually explored the areas they walked thru - cataloging the indigenous flora and fauna of those areas they passed instead of seeing how fast they could get to their ultimate goal.
3rd: I have an AFMU I have never used - In storage for now - if you're a sensible pilot you don't really need it, replace it with something more useful -
An SRV for materials collection -
Collector limpets for things found enroute -
ADS and Surface scanner are a must also, ( knowing what materials you need for jumponium is very helpful to know {Germanium and Vanadium} ) -
A Fuel scoop -
A large cargo bay is also helpful - (you will find this out when you have to decide which cargo to jettison in order to collect something more valued)
My routine is to long jump out a couple 1000 Ly - short jump and explore on the way back - taking my time, landing on some interesting planet - taking screenshots of unusual discoveries -
I use an AspX with 2 miner beams ( for mats ) - 2 multicannons and 2 missile launchers (just in case) - Hardly anything out there to ruin your day.
Loadout of your preferred ship is up to you, trial and error is part of the game, what works for you sometimes does not work for others.
Basically, exploration is not how you get there, its what you bring back.
No please, nothing behind a grind wall
Ignore the specific modules; look at the pattern. Static ship designs, module counts in a constant state of flux with an upward count trend. Frontier is adding more modules that are keyed to mechanics. Don't have the key, forget the mechanics.
The problem Frontier has before them, is their design predicates endless keys to access content, in ships that can increasingly ill-afford to carry them. This is now firmly bedded in. Ignore whether something is required today or not; just simply consider the trend, and how, increasingly, mechanics require specific modules for specific tasks. Then extrapolate that scenario out. Scale? it doesn't.
People are looking at this as a problem of people wanting to go "glamping" which ignores Frontier are purposefully designing mechanics with gates (modules). This trend has continued since Horizons (in particular) and the module counts are becoming excessive.
If Frontier require a specific module for a specific task and have no alternative (you must shoot at the new guardian content to interact with it, for example) then this creates outfitting issues. It ceases to be choice; it's just "which parts of the experience will I sacrifice, today". None of that scales.
People are potentially going to find Q4 highly problematic, if there are 2-3 more modules added. And I don't think we can assume that won't be the case. It will pigeon hole either ship choice, or what can be interacted with.
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I wouldn't count on 64
We don't need the Viper and Viper Mk.II with the Mk.III and Mk.IV already in game (especially as you dislike the variants, yet seem to have just copy pasted a ship list yourself)
Pretty sure #33 the Lakon Transporter is the Lakon Type 6 Transporter, Both made by Lakon, both called the Transporter, both Box shaped, both in the same size and mass range.
The Eagle Mk.III is the Imperial Eagle in game already, that is what the Mk.III was
Falcoun DeLacy made the Eagle Long range Fighter, then the Federation licenced and developed their own as the Mk.II and the Empire did the same as the Mk.III
Don't expect there would be a need for Worm Landing Crafts, Lifter and Interplanetary Shuttles, as I don't see them surviving the FSD era.
A Hauler with a class 2E FSD fills their role
The Air fighters like the Falcon and Hawk could only fit Military drives we have no equivalent of, maybe a Class 1 FSD, but they were smaller than the Sidewinder so probably should be considered the Older Generation of SLF, as would the Osprey as it was stated to be replaced by the GU 97 in one of the novels.
And the Turner is worse than the Anaconda in having a Faerie Dust Hull, having a hull mass at 29 tonnes when the ship had a 1200 ton capacity, how else did it get a jump range like it did?
So I cannot ever imagine it being remade and like up to its Mary Sue abilities, so would always disappoint
They don't become redundant, If I'm a new player (althought by the looks of it we won't be having any real volume of new players anytime soon) and I want to start exploring with the meager credits I earned in let's say a week? I'll buy a DBX and explore, collect mats for engineering and such, when I get money to buy and fit and ASP I'll buy an ASP and even then I might take the DBX out every once in a while, then when I get money to buy, fit and grinded enough mats for engineering I'll buy the other hypothetical ship.
Having more options is always better, It's not like people have stopped buying the Fed ships and FDLs when the Chieftain and more recently the Challenger came out. More ships is always better.
Having more options is always better, It's not like people have stopped buying the Fed ships and FDLs when the Chieftain and more recently the Challenger came out. More ships is always better.
We are getting new exploration ships all the time... i.e. the Krait:
The Krait is an outstanding Exploration ship...
very good range (55LY+)
large fuel tank
great heat management
great cockpit view
8 optional internals.
What else do you want? You can even name it the "Krait Explorer", if the name is what determines wether a ship is an exploration ship or not for you
The Krait is an outstanding Exploration ship...
very good range (55LY+)
large fuel tank
great heat management
great cockpit view
8 optional internals.
What else do you want? You can even name it the "Krait Explorer", if the name is what determines wether a ship is an exploration ship or not for you
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Big maneuverable exploration ship with SLF (exploration version capable of SC).
With nice big bridge and field of view, glassy like asp x, but not one of top on another but something like conda or phyton with aspx view.
So with Q4 exploration features, probes to be precise, we can enter the system fire some probes on a planet and if we find something mother ship can be left in orbit while we launch small exploration SLF capable of SC (with very limited fuel tank)to investigate place of interest.
Both mother ship and SLF would have 2-3 hardpoints that will make them exclusive exploration tool.
With nice big bridge and field of view, glassy like asp x, but not one of top on another but something like conda or phyton with aspx view.
So with Q4 exploration features, probes to be precise, we can enter the system fire some probes on a planet and if we find something mother ship can be left in orbit while we launch small exploration SLF capable of SC (with very limited fuel tank)to investigate place of interest.
Both mother ship and SLF would have 2-3 hardpoints that will make them exclusive exploration tool.
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So the Courier? It only has 6 slots, and I'm already feeling the pinch since I can't equip everything I "need" for exploration. (no space for AFMU anymore
The Courier's nice, but it doesn't have the expansive forward view of the Clipper, nor the floaty supercruise handling. For me I feel like I want 9 slots, or if not then 5-6 will do. 7-8 is a no mans land.
What we really need is an multi-purpose ship, one that realy acts like a space ship and not a race ship aka race car.
Take the Space 1999 eagle as an example, big engines and little rockets on the side for adjustments/turning.
A belly where you can fit any cargo and release this cargo anywhere, so no internal space needed. Also no need for a well protected hull, but that could be added to the game. Little or no weapons, but only needs that frame and the modules fit under the ship. In addition, there could something added above the frame with would give this transporter a weird flying/landing handling...because the weight on top, especially on worlds with gravity.
For those who don't know space 1999, please look it up on youtube or google it.
I do not know if they will ever do a remake of space 1999, but i would love that..or maybe a game, wow i would be sold right away.
Take the Space 1999 eagle as an example, big engines and little rockets on the side for adjustments/turning.
A belly where you can fit any cargo and release this cargo anywhere, so no internal space needed. Also no need for a well protected hull, but that could be added to the game. Little or no weapons, but only needs that frame and the modules fit under the ship. In addition, there could something added above the frame with would give this transporter a weird flying/landing handling...because the weight on top, especially on worlds with gravity.
For those who don't know space 1999, please look it up on youtube or google it.
I do not know if they will ever do a remake of space 1999, but i would love that..or maybe a game, wow i would be sold right away.
Clipper view is my favorite, along with the Orca and Beluga. I love huge panoramic windows much more than the Lakon glass bubbles.
I wish there would be an exploration ship with a Clipper-like huge window.
Fair enough. Variety is good. Although, as pointed out up-thread, the Krait makes a great exploration ship and I hear some like a DBX. And I'm with Commander Anders and his six module list so while I have no objection to a new ship, I would certainly hope that it isn't designed for an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink loadout.
Choice is good, but there should be consequences and compromises.
For an exploration ship optional module layout. I'd like to see.
x1 Class (Class of FSD + 1) Fuel scoop
x1 Class 5(FSD booster)
x2 Class 4(SRV hanger + 16t corrosive resistant cargo rack)
x1 Class (Whatever is the weakest shield you can equip)
x2 Class 3
x2 Class 2
x3 Class 1
Ship with 12 optional slots, which is to weak for combat and not good at trading but has excellent speed, supercruise handling, cockpit view and jump range.
x1 Class (Class of FSD + 1) Fuel scoop
x1 Class 5(FSD booster)
x2 Class 4(SRV hanger + 16t corrosive resistant cargo rack)
x1 Class (Whatever is the weakest shield you can equip)
x2 Class 3
x2 Class 2
x3 Class 1
Ship with 12 optional slots, which is to weak for combat and not good at trading but has excellent speed, supercruise handling, cockpit view and jump range.
I agree with your general interpretation of the direction of movement. For example I could only realistically take hull repair limpets on my Anaconda since even though I could stick the controller on to my explorer Asp build in the seventh slot, I couldn't then carry any limpets due to not having a cargo rack. Even if I don't carry any limpets around with me to avoid compromising my jump range and just synthesize them as I need them, I have to have somewhere for the synthesised limpet to go before I can deploy it. One way around that would be for the synthesis to be done by the controller itself so that a limpet can be created and deployed without ever having to be stored as cargo.
However the post I was replying to was talking about specific modules (and a specific ship) and was talking about the game as it is today, not as it may be after 3.3.
All I was saying was that the notion that an explorer today needs (as opposed to wants) anything other than the six core exploration modules is bunk. My last long trip out was about 140,000 LY in total - I came back from that with my hull at 97%, so repair limpets aren't something that I'd ever consider to be essential. That may of course change depending on what changes around exploration itself in 3.3 and in particular whether there's any actual danger introduced. Right now the only risk that exists is that created by operator error.
For clarity, I'm all for more exploration ships. Or alternatively, unlocking or reworking passenger and military slots so that they can be unlocked. As an example, I was positively crushed when Guardian FSD boosters were released and I realised that despite having a beautiful exploration Orca, I couldn't add a Guardian FSD booster to give me an extra 10.5 LY range because two of its eight internals are locked for passenger cabins only, leaving me with just the basic six. Without the PAX slots being locked I could upgrade the scoop from a class 5 to a class 6, add a class 5 FSD booster to it and also add either a repair limpet controller and cargo rack, or a regular and corrosion resistant rack, or stick a reserve fuel tank in there to give me another couple of jumps between refuels which can be useful in extreme situations. There are so many ships which would instantly gain viability as explorers if it wasn't for the locked-out internals.
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Exactly! Make it paper thin if you have to FD and make the majority of these optionals 4 or below so that they can only be used for things like scanners, fuel tanks, repair limpets, tiny cargo, and AFMU's and not retrofitted to be a hull tank. Hell, make them reserved so they can't be used for hrp's and what not.
But i want a ship with a great view, great super cruise agility, great jump range, and a bunch of optional slots so that I can take all the trimmings (Including a SLF so that I can race down those soon to be beautiful canyons!)
I don't see why not, it's supposed to be an Elite game.
I'm sure some of the fleets we should be seeing flying about the place would still be flying them.
Interesting point. Call it 63 then.
62
We don't "see" all the traffic going to and fro' orbitals and planetary bases at the moment. They just haven't bothered putting them in game yet. Maybe when atmospheric landings are implemented? No reason why we couldn't fly them ourselves then. It's a pretty rational definition of normal.
Try not to re-write the lore. That's the design teams job. Again, when atmospherics are implemented, we'll be needing atmospheric ships. Might as well have all of them eh?
Faerie Dust? After saying all that...you're back to what makes sense? You're citing actual physics when we have the Anaconda and ships with Gti chav boy racer spoilers nailed to them in order to cut resource costs.
It's an Elite game, having 30 years of Lore which made the game popular in the first place and viable enough to Kickstart Frontier Developments (again).
They should treat it like one, and not like their third favourite toy.
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I explore in an A rated Orca, with engineered FSD I get 42.5 ly or nearly 45 when low on fuel. She flies beautifully, and with a grade 1 power plant mod she skims nicely. The flight model is beautiful and the bridge is elegant and easy on the eye, much better than flying a ship from a cage hanging of the front of it. Got loads of internals too.