I also say python. Do not let the lower jump range discourage you from getting one. The 32 T tank makes up for it. Your ship will sip fuel as you run about the bubble. 3 large hard points will have you shredding small and medium ships. Upgrade the armor and add shield cell banks and you will hold your own against the large ships.
A nice problem to have...
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It's like civet coffee, but more badass.
Missions - AFAIK the trade rank is based on profit from both missions and trade, so it's far more efficient to do trade elite by running missions that contribute to trade rank (data delivery, small-scale haulage.)
Why not? 370M should be enough for a nice combat fit for PVE.
As others have stated already Vulture, FDL or even a Python are viable options.
If you're only after combat, both Vulture and FDL are great fun.
Vulture is extremely nimble, especially with engineered thrusters, and packs a punch with its large hardpoints but having only two of those it's a little constrained concerning weapon loadouts.
FDL makes for a great variety of weapon loadouts with its 5 hardpoints but is somewhat more challenging to pilot.
Both can be made pretty sturdy, too, but have very limited multi-role capability due to their lack of optional internals.
For multi-role I'd absolutely go for the Python. Mine is fully A-rated and was about 240M, including Military Grade Composite armour and a Prismatic Shield Generator. It's not the fastest ship (engineered thrusters highly recommended) but a charm to fly with a very direct response. It can be turned into a very capable combat ship, cargo hauler, or outfitted as an extremely versatile multi-role ship still viable in most PVE combat situations. If I had to choose one ship in the game it'd probably be the Python. Due to limited jump range I wouldn't choose it as an explorer, though.
Can't say anything about the Beluga, as recommended by IndigoWyrd. Never owned a passenger ship and not likely to buy one. It starts with I don't like their design...
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Strangler's Old Throat Tightener. Dark roast.
Personally, I'd just be taking things as they come. Actually, this is what I do do.
The most fun I've had in Elite have been 4 individual things... in no particular order...
1. Exploring. Haven't been to beagle point, but I've been way beyond the core and that gave me Elite Explorer. Did it in a pretty basic Asp X.
2. Guardians. A lot of puzzles and searching were great fun, even when not in game - a lot of fun was had in the Canonn threads.
3. Thargoids (before they were confirmed Thargoids). I think this was the best thread of the game by a long way - the UA, the UP - the UP honk - the spectrogram - the puzzles - the unknown settlement - the "map room".
4. Pursuing CGs. (and joining Mobius group for a more realistic environment o7).
First thing in my opinion would be to get an Asp X and treat it to upgrades. You shouldn't really go straight for a Python without experiencing the angry little ASP. Best cockpit view - it's a great ship.
I'd go engineering with it. Flit around gathering materials. Find a system that offers missions to gain materials while also gathering Super-power rep++ and keeps the cash rolling in.
Don't do any of that *exclusively* - it just gets tedious.
Keep it fresh by visiting somewhere like Canonn or Adle's Armada and help them keep on top of the BGS now and again. (I see you do PvE, so I thought these white-knight and Sciencey player factions might appeal to your sense of PvE
)
Choose some CGs to participate in along the way. Perhaps not every week, just ones that appeal to your sense of what your CMDR wants to achieve in the galaxy. Maybe Fed aligned if that's your thing, or maybe the Imp or Indi CGs, whether it be bulk trade, rares (like this week), NPC combat in a Haz Res perhaps - just have a go at one or two for a bit of variety.
If you haven't already done so, get your Asp X around to gather a UA, a UP and do the Thargoid settlement map room in your SRV.
Then after a while, go for a Python. Excellent all-round ship. has pros and cons compared to Asp X. A bit of light engineering and it's a truly brilliant ship. Only thing that lets it down is jump range, but mine now does 25Ly or 21Ly fully loaded with over 200T cargo. Not too shabby.
The next logical step is an Anaconda. The common thread here is that they are all multi-role PvE workhorses and all fun to fly in their own way.
Just keep dipping into CGs, keep dipping into mission running for rep++ and cash, and don't stay fixated on one thing. That's what keeps me engaged and keeps me logging in every week. The ranks will take care of themselves and so will the cash if you just keep having fun with it.
Enjoy
Mark H
The most fun I've had in Elite have been 4 individual things... in no particular order...
1. Exploring. Haven't been to beagle point, but I've been way beyond the core and that gave me Elite Explorer. Did it in a pretty basic Asp X.
2. Guardians. A lot of puzzles and searching were great fun, even when not in game - a lot of fun was had in the Canonn threads.
3. Thargoids (before they were confirmed Thargoids). I think this was the best thread of the game by a long way - the UA, the UP - the UP honk - the spectrogram - the puzzles - the unknown settlement - the "map room".
4. Pursuing CGs. (and joining Mobius group for a more realistic environment o7).
First thing in my opinion would be to get an Asp X and treat it to upgrades. You shouldn't really go straight for a Python without experiencing the angry little ASP. Best cockpit view - it's a great ship.
I'd go engineering with it. Flit around gathering materials. Find a system that offers missions to gain materials while also gathering Super-power rep++ and keeps the cash rolling in.
Don't do any of that *exclusively* - it just gets tedious.
Keep it fresh by visiting somewhere like Canonn or Adle's Armada and help them keep on top of the BGS now and again. (I see you do PvE, so I thought these white-knight and Sciencey player factions might appeal to your sense of PvE
)Choose some CGs to participate in along the way. Perhaps not every week, just ones that appeal to your sense of what your CMDR wants to achieve in the galaxy. Maybe Fed aligned if that's your thing, or maybe the Imp or Indi CGs, whether it be bulk trade, rares (like this week), NPC combat in a Haz Res perhaps - just have a go at one or two for a bit of variety.
If you haven't already done so, get your Asp X around to gather a UA, a UP and do the Thargoid settlement map room in your SRV.
Then after a while, go for a Python. Excellent all-round ship. has pros and cons compared to Asp X. A bit of light engineering and it's a truly brilliant ship. Only thing that lets it down is jump range, but mine now does 25Ly or 21Ly fully loaded with over 200T cargo. Not too shabby.
The next logical step is an Anaconda. The common thread here is that they are all multi-role PvE workhorses and all fun to fly in their own way.
Just keep dipping into CGs, keep dipping into mission running for rep++ and cash, and don't stay fixated on one thing. That's what keeps me engaged and keeps me logging in every week. The ranks will take care of themselves and so will the cash if you just keep having fun with it.
Enjoy
Mark H
Thanks again for the awesome replies folks. Nice to have a civil chat about space ships innit?
Before I started this thread the two ships I had in the back of my mind (without thinking too hard about it and probably going on looks and game history more than practical considerations) were the FDL and the Python.
The FDL much as it plays to my inner Essex Boy Racer is probably overkill for my current level of combat, and I can see it's going to be expensive to outfit properly and ... it has a horrible jump range.
The Python calls to me through its chunky multi-role loveliness. Again, not an amazing jump range but I've got an Asp X for that. I kind of think of the Python as an upgrade from the Cobra in a way.
I've never been hugely combat focused (it's fun but I don't think I'm particularly good at it, even just against NPCs) so I've ignored ships like the Eagle, Viper and Vulture. There's maybe an argument for going back for one of those (perhaps the less expensive ones) and having a bash at trying to ... dare I say it ... git gud. Maybe after I've sorted out my Sol tour.
Before I started this thread the two ships I had in the back of my mind (without thinking too hard about it and probably going on looks and game history more than practical considerations) were the FDL and the Python.
The FDL much as it plays to my inner Essex Boy Racer is probably overkill for my current level of combat, and I can see it's going to be expensive to outfit properly and ... it has a horrible jump range.
The Python calls to me through its chunky multi-role loveliness. Again, not an amazing jump range but I've got an Asp X for that. I kind of think of the Python as an upgrade from the Cobra in a way.
I've never been hugely combat focused (it's fun but I don't think I'm particularly good at it, even just against NPCs) so I've ignored ships like the Eagle, Viper and Vulture. There's maybe an argument for going back for one of those (perhaps the less expensive ones) and having a bash at trying to ... dare I say it ... git gud. Maybe after I've sorted out my Sol tour.
Ah I already have an Asp X, it's what I did my Elite exploration rank in. I love it, it is a great ship, and I'l no doubt get back into it and carry on exploring after I've had my flirtation with whatever ship I decide to treat myself to now.
Oh, we're going to get along just fine
Standard advice though: the stock Python is a big, horrible, slow, lumbering target. A-rate the snot out of it, then Engineer it until it squeaks, and it becomes awesome.
Oh, we're going to get along just fine
Standard advice though: the stock Python is a big, horrible, slow, lumbering target. A-rate the snot out of it, then Engineer it until it squeaks, and it becomes awesome.
Yup when considering the Python, the other half GreyAreaUK made those recommendations to me.
Especially when I commented it's turning speed was like Disaster Areas stunt ship, (steers like a cow), but he's right, A rate and engineer and it becomes something _wonderful_. I'm loving mine at the moment, despite having a dolphin for passenger and DBX for exploring.
ObNitpic: it wasn’t Disaster Area’s stunt ship, it was a tangerine Star Buggy. The Lazlar Lyrikon Kustom version.
Ah, sounds like getting the Python might be a bit of a project in itself. Not a bad thing! I'm getting lots of ideas from this thread.
Best way to think of it is this: when you first buy it it’s a bit of a fixer-upper.
With regard to the Python's turn-rate (and the FdL's, actually), this is why you need some basic competence with FA-off.
Blue zone manoeuvring means that there is a max turn-rate for all ships. The FdL has a huge delta between turning in the blue zone and outside it. The same is true for the Python, although it's less pronounced.
Combat invloves a lot of boosting, which pulls you outside the blue zone. This means that the Python and FdL can both spend a lot of time in FA-on combat turning like bathtubs because they're going too fast. Switching FA-off when turning prevents the pitch-rate from dropping, just as it prevents straight-line speed from dropping below maximum speed. You can basically keep max pitch-rate for far longer by flipping FA-off when you boost turn.
Blue zone manoeuvring means that there is a max turn-rate for all ships. The FdL has a huge delta between turning in the blue zone and outside it. The same is true for the Python, although it's less pronounced.
Combat invloves a lot of boosting, which pulls you outside the blue zone. This means that the Python and FdL can both spend a lot of time in FA-on combat turning like bathtubs because they're going too fast. Switching FA-off when turning prevents the pitch-rate from dropping, just as it prevents straight-line speed from dropping below maximum speed. You can basically keep max pitch-rate for far longer by flipping FA-off when you boost turn.
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Can only add to the "Python" vote. It's a great multi-role, but its niche is in mission-running (which you'll need to be doing lots of if you're going to be ranking-up in the Navies). The Python is the biggest Medium-sized ship in the game. Unless things have changed in recent updates (I've been out exploring for the past six months) it's surprising how many missions there are for transporting over 180 tons of cargo to an Outpost with no Large landing pads. Only in a Python can you do that and still have plenty of room left over for enough firepower to fend off NPC pirates. In a Python visiting a station where everybody is Allied to you, there's no such thing as "mission unavailable".
If you want a combat ship the FDL is a great choice strong shields, 5 hard points(4 meds and a huge) they're placed perfectly for fixed weapons, it's cheap and fast. In Coriolis I built the most expensive yet practical Fer de Lance I could with military hull, 5a prismatics, and A rated it only totalled up to 140 million
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You mined 500t of ore for Selene in a winder? Took the time to move 200t of gold over to Lei?
While I have respect for the small ships I call ...