The MkIV Viper [The Pilot]
- Thread starter The Pilot
- Start date
After the Cobra, the Viper is the iconic design of Elite, imo. I think they botched it with the nose section in ED tho. A sharp edge or tip would have been better. Sound-wise it is well done with a nice aggressive undertone. Combat wise it always felt undergeared - especially in the shield department. It was a long time a very fast ship but performance drives and engineering wrecked its uniqueness for good. It is a nice missile boat still.
The MkIV is a special one, because it has a very pronounced, long landing gear, making it ideal for planetary landings and incursions. This alone makes the MkIV worth a look imo. It is a good pick for rough terrain landing and SRV deployment.
The MkIV is a special one, because it has a very pronounced, long landing gear, making it ideal for planetary landings and incursions. This alone makes the MkIV worth a look imo. It is a good pick for rough terrain landing and SRV deployment.
It also sounds like a muscle car
Ohhh my fav ship. My baby. Be nice 
watching now.
-- Edit... watched it.
I will like to add that with engineering i have managed to satisfactorily alleviate the bugbears you listed with this ship.
Ive engineered with Heat, Power, weight and handling in mind over the years. Slowly playing with it to get what ive got now.
I LOVE my viper4.
Its a diamond in the rough. You just need to chip away at it with engineering before you get the gem within.
watching now.
-- Edit... watched it.
I will like to add that with engineering i have managed to satisfactorily alleviate the bugbears you listed with this ship.
Ive engineered with Heat, Power, weight and handling in mind over the years. Slowly playing with it to get what ive got now.
I LOVE my viper4.
Its a diamond in the rough. You just need to chip away at it with engineering before you get the gem within.
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I was counting on you to demand a Viper MkIV ship kit! My turn I guess.
Where's the ship kit for the best ship in the game, Frontier!?
Can't watch vid now unfortunately, will later though.
I love the forked nose of the Viper4. But the Viper 3 can change its nose with the ship kit.
A kit that i feel could easily be adapted for the Viper 4. But frontier wont make it, because the Viper 4 isnt popular enough.
----edit.
By seconds!!!
Deleted member 182079
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Deleted member 182079
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Best looking ship in game INHO, second is the Python.
But if you look at the Viper 3 individual Ship kit part there are some nice parts that i think could work well with the Viper 4. A little flare here and there.
Of course Frontier would have to change one or two aspect of the Viper3 Ship kit for the Viper4. So some creativity and originality would be warranted and appreciated.
The type 10 is a ship kit for the Type 9. But the Type Ten has its own ship kit.
Two Alliance vessels have ship kits yet they are all the same basic hull.
Both Kraits have ship kits.
The viper 4 is its own ship. The viper 3 kit pretends to be a Viper 4.... But the Viper 4 kit should pretent to be a Viper 5.
Deleted member 38366
D
Going shieldless in a Viper?
Well, head to a HazRES and aggro a Wing of 3 there. A hull wreck with malfunctioning Modules doesn't make a good Combat Ship.
(especially when you can get superb Shield strength on a Viper III, which is its primary Combat Asset so to speak)
The Viper IV will take more punishment - but it remains a fairly slow brick that still relies on typical Cobra III Weapon limitations - but minus the speed.
IMHO the IV belongs to the group of "personal fun Ships" - Ships which' purpose you as a CMDR have to find all for yourself.
For an original Combat Ship, the Mk.IV brings very solid Jumprange and plenty of Internals to the table for what it's worth. It can go places a Mk.III can't easily follow.
Well, head to a HazRES and aggro a Wing of 3 there. A hull wreck with malfunctioning Modules doesn't make a good Combat Ship.
(especially when you can get superb Shield strength on a Viper III, which is its primary Combat Asset so to speak)
The Viper IV will take more punishment - but it remains a fairly slow brick that still relies on typical Cobra III Weapon limitations - but minus the speed.
IMHO the IV belongs to the group of "personal fun Ships" - Ships which' purpose you as a CMDR have to find all for yourself.
For an original Combat Ship, the Mk.IV brings very solid Jumprange and plenty of Internals to the table for what it's worth. It can go places a Mk.III can't easily follow.
I definitely agree with this, and i think it kind of sums up the video as well.
I have had hull tank combat variants, shield tank ones (since GSRP showed up) pushing 1k shields/2k effective, a miner for quick trips, bubble taxi, and I've done probably half of my exploration in one rocking right under 50 ly jump range with nothing left to want so far as equipping. The Viper MkIV actually took me to Sag A and beyond, and it wasn't a compromise to fly something unique, it was taking a very capable and effective exploration ship.
I could ramble on forever, but really it is as simple as this:
and those lateral thrusters!
Deleted member 182079
D
On my alt account I travelled to Colonia in one, with engineering applied from only Farseer/Martuuk. 42ly jump range with a Guardian booster I believe. For me it is, similar to the Cobra, one of the 'can-do-everything' small ships.
Besides being a fantastic small multi role and a not bad explorer ship - Mark IV is a solid combat ship, but requires solid engineer approach. Thing worth nothing, one federal squadron flies mk4's exclusively, they used to harass Cubeo some thime ago (google "elite viper blockade of cubeo" for materials)
Nevertheless... Pros - hull, hull, hull. Internals good for multirole, decent jump range, good hardpoint placement, not bad shield with perspectives for tanking.
Here is my shieldless brawler. Force shells + rails, fun in pvp. Without mrp hull goes up to 4000 which is INSANE for a small ship. I decided for single mrp, it gives extra toughness for weapons, because weapon systems are most prone to take damage in MK4 and especially small those small hardpoints, mediums are usually safe due to being positioned on the belly side. If you want that 4000 hull points simply dump the mrp and engineer your weapons towards sturdy and it is not that bad as weapons get extra piercing damage plus lowered heat production which is invaluable in silent running. https://s.orbis.zone/6jj6
Another of my propositions comes with an enhanced shield. Good for a haz res fun. Just slap any weapons and have a blast. Acceptable recharge rates and SCB in case you need a quick boost. Tough enough to survive pvp interdiction and hi waking. https://s.orbis.zone/6jjn
Nevertheless... Pros - hull, hull, hull. Internals good for multirole, decent jump range, good hardpoint placement, not bad shield with perspectives for tanking.
Here is my shieldless brawler. Force shells + rails, fun in pvp. Without mrp hull goes up to 4000 which is INSANE for a small ship. I decided for single mrp, it gives extra toughness for weapons, because weapon systems are most prone to take damage in MK4 and especially small those small hardpoints, mediums are usually safe due to being positioned on the belly side. If you want that 4000 hull points simply dump the mrp and engineer your weapons towards sturdy and it is not that bad as weapons get extra piercing damage plus lowered heat production which is invaluable in silent running. https://s.orbis.zone/6jj6
Another of my propositions comes with an enhanced shield. Good for a haz res fun. Just slap any weapons and have a blast. Acceptable recharge rates and SCB in case you need a quick boost. Tough enough to survive pvp interdiction and hi waking. https://s.orbis.zone/6jjn
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better be all loves or we riot.
yep, good points, good video
yep, good points, good video
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