15 ships have no variants. Which deserves the next one?

[Alexander the Grape]

There are a ton of ships that are variants on a theme. There are 2 Kraits, 2 Vipers, 2 Cobras, 3 Chieftain variants and so on. But 15 of the 38 ships in the game have no alternate variants. These are the:

• Adder
• Anaconda
• Beluga
• Dolphin
• Federal Corvette
• FDL
• Hauler
• Imperial Clipper
• Imperial Courier
• Imperial Cutter
• Mamba
• Orca
• Python
• Sidewinder
• Type 7
• Vulture

If any of these could be given an alternate variant, what would it be and why?

EDIT: It's 16! Forgot the Courier

 

[CMDR Cknarf]

Vulture. Add at least one small hardpoint for some sweet railgun action, and we’re good to go.

 

[Marklar_]

Clipper. We need a medium one. I mean, we have one, but it doesn't land on a medium pad.

 

[Bryan K]

I second the Sidewinder. Make a “pro” version that’s got a little more internal space and a medium hardpoint in addition to the two smalls.

 

[Alexander the Grape]

Clipper. We need a medium one. I mean, we have one, but it doesn't land on a medium pad.

I always forget the Clipper isn't medium! It's so weird there are no Medium Imperial ships.

 

[aardappelianen]

Courier mk 2, no hardpoints, single utility, size 1 optionals, retractable nacelles and deployable from slf bays or a sidewinder mk2 actually launchable from an anaconda like the flavor text stated it could

 

[Ian Doncaster]

There are a ton of ships that are variants on a theme. There are 2 Kraits, 2 Vipers, 2 Cobras, 3 Chieftain variants and so on. But 15 of the 38 ships in the game have no alternate variants. These are the:

• Adder
• Anaconda
• Beluga
• Dolphin
• Federal Corvette
• FDL
• Hauler
• Imperial Clipper
• Imperial Cutter
• Mamba
• Orca
• Python
• Sidewinder
• Type 7
• Vulture

If any of these could be given an alternate variant, what would it be and why?

Arguably the Hauler and Adder are variants of each other, as are the FDL and Mamba. Certainly those pairs are as similar as the Vipers or Cobras are.

A Vulture II variant that's 1 Huge, 2 Small for hardpoints would be interesting.

I'd quite like a "Python Phantom" - lose a size 6 internal and a medium hardpoint in exchange for better speed, agility and jump range. Not sure it'd take me away from the Krait Phantom for regular use, but it'd be nicer for bulk hauling

 

[Old Duck]

I want a NEW Anaconda, not one taken from the scrap yard. Same ship, just new interior (no more hanging wires and dirty consoles) and perhaps less of those honking huge old-school antennas all over the place.

 

[Bigmaec]

I think Mamba and FdL need to be crossed off that list...

 

[myothershipisacobraiv]

Yeah Sidewinder MkII would be super badass.

 

[Maolagin]

I would claim that the Hauler and Adder are a pair of variant forms. And I would count the S-K liners and the Imperial ships as their own families already.

I also don't think we have any shortage of medium ships right now. So I'll call for a Vulture mk II (perhaps one that trades some tankiness for more speed and power headroom) or a Type 8 modeled after the Type 7 (either a little smaller so it can land at outposts, or a modestly larger cargo ship with medium hardpoints in the gap between the Types 7 and 9).

 

[Ceekay]

Granted the Krait mk2 is a variant(ish) of the Python but I always reckoned a military version would be fun, perhaps an additional medium Hp and a couple more utilities.

 

[myothershipisacobraiv]

I want a NEW Anaconda, not one taken from the scrap yard. Same ship, just new interior (no more hanging wires and dirty consoles) and perhaps less of those honking huge old-school antennas all over the place.

I always thought the wires were intentionally left out so that you could rewire stuff in a hurry in case you need to short circuit or jump something. I mean, obviously it's just a detailing trick but it never bothered me much. I thoguht it's to give the ships a sort of lean and mean aesthetic. A kind of "lives in the spaceways" feel.

If anything I want to know what the Sidewinder's one wire is for.

 

[Hedy]

Hauler with one huge hardpoint. Love to see it spin around like a Catherine Wheel every time it fires.

 

[znôrt]

I always forget the Clipper isn't medium! It's so weird there are no Medium Imperial ships.

some freudian stuff ...

I think Mamba and FdL need to be crossed off that list...

yeah but they're just accidental variants. the mamba was really a viper sized racer, but for some reason even more medium ships were urgently needed. so i guess they copy pasted the fdl modules blueprint onto the new design, changed the magic values and went from there, so it's quite similar although the ships look completely different and are totally unrelated.

 

[Capt. Hook]

Military Asp

 

[Gully Foyle]

Vulture. Add at least one small hardpoint for some sweet railgun action, and we’re good to go.

Add two Medium and call it an Orc and a medium ship.

 

[Gully Foyle]

I always thought the wires were intentionally left out so that you could rewire stuff in a hurry in case you need to short circuit or jump something. I mean, obviously it's just a detailing trick but it never bothered me much. I thoguht it's to give the ships a sort of lean and mean aesthetic. A kind of "lives in the spaceways" feel.

If anything I want to know what the Sidewinder's one wire is for.

FM antenna

 

[Obi Wan Naboo]

We need a medium sized passenger liner. Call it the Narwhal, make it look like a smaller, leaner Beluga and give it a nice tusk:

Beluga and Narwal.

 

[Rubbernuke]

If I was being salty I would say the Corvette we never had with 4 mediums and none of that small pap going on. Or perhaps giving back the T-7 its missing guns and make a T-8 thats a bit more than a novelty flying Maersk container.

Salt granules aside, I'd love an alternative to the Sidewinder for some odd reason, or maybe give SLFs a class 1 FSD and have a galactic moped.