Asp Explorer: is it still worth its name?
- Thread starter Zeus Cubed
- Start date
Different strokes for different folks.
The Asp Explorer (Asp-X) is not and never was meant as a comprehensive exploration ship, rather as what could best be described as a capable but "limited" exploration ship.
The Diamondback Explorer (DBX) is (for me) the "bare-bones" explorer, basically a "jump-HONK, jump-HONK" ship, though capable of fitting a SRV.
The Asp-X can add some limited planetary exploration and multi-crew capability.
The Anaconda is (IMO) the closest to a "comprehensive" exploration ship with room for scanners, SRV, SLF, redundant AFMU, etc. o7
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Yes, simply because the kraits are not THAT much better, are a lot more expensive, and probably also Asp nostalgia.
They do fit a nice middle ground though, if you want more space but not a huge ship like the anaconda.
Also, the Phantom's cockpit view has a big issue, you have a huge plate covering your face if you look to the right or left, it seems like you would have to lean around it in VR.
They do fit a nice middle ground though, if you want more space but not a huge ship like the anaconda.
Also, the Phantom's cockpit view has a big issue, you have a huge plate covering your face if you look to the right or left, it seems like you would have to lean around it in VR.
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You went to the effort of engineering your FSD but not buying an A rated one first?
Well, that's new.
Always A-rate the FSD. The largest FSD Booster fits into your Asp-X's size 5 optional module slot.
Um. You have a very strange idea of what an exploration ship is supposed to be. Recall that the Asp Explorer was the ship of the DSS Beagle - the first ship to cross the entire galaxy, and what ended up naming Beagle Point.The AspX fits all necessary exploration gear, an AFMU, and gets well over 50 Ly range with engineering.
The following things are not exploration gear, they are toys for your ship, if you're bringing them on a deep space explorer:
* Weapons
* Fighters
* Literally everything related to combat
* Mining gear
* Everything using limpets (exception: hull repair)
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The AspX remains highly relevant and serviceable. This is the (base) ship I took to Beagle Point and back:
* https://s.orbis.zone/255y
That ship has a 34 Ly range with an SRV, AFMU, shield generator for "oops" landings, and heat sink for the occasional "landed-between-two-stars" moment. It costs 41 million, and 28 million of that is from the 6A fuel scoop. You can happily downgrade to a 6C fuel scoop and the cost drops to a mere 15 million.
If you've got the time to engineer it, and unlock the Guardian FSD booster, you end up with this:
* https://s.orbis.zone/255-
This puts you at 65ly loaded to 69ly max range with dual AFMUs. 454 ly range before you need to refuel. The major time sink here is the engineering, not the cost, which is only 50 million. This is also the ship I've taken with me for DW2.
* https://s.orbis.zone/255y
That ship has a 34 Ly range with an SRV, AFMU, shield generator for "oops" landings, and heat sink for the occasional "landed-between-two-stars" moment. It costs 41 million, and 28 million of that is from the 6A fuel scoop. You can happily downgrade to a 6C fuel scoop and the cost drops to a mere 15 million.
If you've got the time to engineer it, and unlock the Guardian FSD booster, you end up with this:
* https://s.orbis.zone/255-
This puts you at 65ly loaded to 69ly max range with dual AFMUs. 454 ly range before you need to refuel. The major time sink here is the engineering, not the cost, which is only 50 million. This is also the ship I've taken with me for DW2.
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Stop writing about my childhood, except that i was 14. Since Elite II, there was only one choice of ship. I love the form since '84 and i really love, what they did with it in Elite Dangerous.
Hmm, I always wanted an FDL:
"A Zorgon Petterson Group (Zee Pee Gee) designed vessel favored by well- heeled bounty hunter and freewheeling business corporations. A sophisticated craft, capable of both limited trading, combat, and leisure function. The spacious hull is mainly given over to sophisticated weaponry, defences and navigation equipment at the expense of cargo capacity. Cabin accommodation is large and luxurious with extensive Owndirt Inc. recycling facilities, encouraging extended live-in periods (useful whilst pursuing a quarry). Fuel scoop is a standard fitting, ensuring complete self-sufficiency."
I always imagined it to make an excellent exploration ship. But I guess Frontier thought differently.
As to the AspX; I went on DW1 with it (pre-engineers) and it was pretty good. But I got to hate the spartan cockpit (awesome view, but too industrial). I was pretty damn glad to get out of it to be honest.
Took a Krait MkII on DW2. Similarly industrial cockpit, but different enough for now to still be bearable. Supercruise is much more sluggish than the AspX, I didn't really notice at first but now I'm a few weeks out it's starting to bug me.
I was -very- tempted to take a CobraMkIV but jumprange won out. And initially I was going to take an SLF but decided against it at the last minute; mostly because you can't dismiss your ship while in it which seriously reduces the versatility of it. Otherwise an SLF (perhaps a special exploration version) would be awesome to use as a planet reconnaissance vessel.
Parked next to an AspX in the same livery as my old "Alacritious" recently and did feel some nostalgia, but was also struck by how old-fashioned it looked compared to the Krait!
That said, yes, the AspX is still a very worthy exploration craft. Just give me a different cockpit option PLEASE!
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The Anaconda is just broken. I really wish FDev would fix it. Or bring all other ships in line with its stats. But the outcry would be impossible to weather.
Agreed, the hull mass needs to be doubled to 800T.
![[VR] Frank_G](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/59/59394.jpg?1553527111){kind=avatar}
Absolutely.
A huge fundamental mistake is the Anaconda.
Of course they will never sort it, fdev specialised subject is leaving totally stupid inbalanced things ingame...
![[VR] Merkir](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/141/141091.jpg?1553527154){kind=avatar}
@OP, when playing in VR, there is only one ship I call an explorer. No prizes for guessing which one.
Yeah I think it was the original one I put in when I first bought the ASP probably did not have the cash for A rated - did some exploring to unlock Farseer then started to experiment with engineering.
Then I went to colonia n back and then got a python for some fun in the bubble...... then stopped playing ED and started playing red dead/GT sport etc.
when the last update dropped decided it was time to do some exploring - only when I was about 5 k lights into the trip and I was just checking modules etc did I notice it was only d rated!
Can you get A rated at colonia? Think I still have farseer FSD blueprint pinned.
I
^ This. So much this.
I replaced my AspX with a Krait Mk2 when I was checking out the Guardian ruins. The AspX's biggest issue IMO is the fact that it only has two internals of a decent size (4+), and you need one for a fuelscoop. So you can't then fit a 16t cargo rack and a dual SRV bay, and you're likely to end up with a size 3 FSD Booster if you fit one at all. The Krait solved all of these problems for me, but at the cost of a somewhat shorter jumprange. So I kept the AspX as a long-range runabout.
When the Krait Phantom capme out, it became my main exploration ship, and I sold the Mk2. But I repurposed the AspX somewhat, by downgrading the fuelscoop and AFMU to make it cheaper to transport. It played a vital role in getting my "Colonia Expeditionary Force" to Colonia: while flying the Phantom and a Beluga, and transferring other ships to stations along the route (shipyards at Rohini and Gandharvi) I'd transfer the AspX and then fly it back to pick up the Beluga or Phantom.
I've also used it within the Bubble to carry various modules to Engineers (taking them off ships with lesser jumprange). It has an impressive number of hardpoints, so even though it's usually unarmed, I can carry many small/medium weapons from A to B. And in Colonia I managed to turn it into a viable miner to unlock Marsha Hicks. I had another ship to unlock Mel Brandon, but I could have turned the AspX into a viable warship for that.
So it's still a cheap ship with an impressive jumprange, that can be turned into almost anything if outfitting is available.
When the Krait Phantom capme out, it became my main exploration ship, and I sold the Mk2. But I repurposed the AspX somewhat, by downgrading the fuelscoop and AFMU to make it cheaper to transport. It played a vital role in getting my "Colonia Expeditionary Force" to Colonia: while flying the Phantom and a Beluga, and transferring other ships to stations along the route (shipyards at Rohini and Gandharvi) I'd transfer the AspX and then fly it back to pick up the Beluga or Phantom.
I've also used it within the Bubble to carry various modules to Engineers (taking them off ships with lesser jumprange). It has an impressive number of hardpoints, so even though it's usually unarmed, I can carry many small/medium weapons from A to B. And in Colonia I managed to turn it into a viable miner to unlock Marsha Hicks. I had another ship to unlock Mel Brandon, but I could have turned the AspX into a viable warship for that.
So it's still a cheap ship with an impressive jumprange, that can be turned into almost anything if outfitting is available.
I wouldn't mind seeing the 'Conda's specs rebalanced. I suspect it'd need something more comprehensive than just increasing the hull mass though, as that would have knock-on effects on other things (thrusters, shields, whatever.)
At present, although I don't like flying the 'Conda much as an explorer - it's horribly slow in and out of supercruise - it's the only thing that has the range I need (I set an 80ly bar for reaching far-flung HIPs.) Reducing the 'Conda's jump range would be sensible but would have the effect of rendering some currently-reachable locations unreachable, which would be a far bigger drawback.
Something that would make a big difference, I think, would be Fuel Scoop engineering mods to increase scoop speed. The painfully slow scoop speed makes the Diamondback line less attractive than they should be.
At present, although I don't like flying the 'Conda much as an explorer - it's horribly slow in and out of supercruise - it's the only thing that has the range I need (I set an 80ly bar for reaching far-flung HIPs.) Reducing the 'Conda's jump range would be sensible but would have the effect of rendering some currently-reachable locations unreachable, which would be a far bigger drawback.
Something that would make a big difference, I think, would be Fuel Scoop engineering mods to increase scoop speed. The painfully slow scoop speed makes the Diamondback line less attractive than they should be.
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