A week in the DBE

[Whiterose]

Yes, I have been exploring in the Diamondback Explorer and here are my thoughts after one week:

1. Jump range is better (with my usual loadout with a direct comparison to the Asp).
2. It runs and scoops a lot cooler, although very scittish (that means it judders rather than a typo for our Northern brethren) very rarely get smoke in the cockpit (apart from spliff smoke which doesnt count)
3. The cockpit is very similar to the Asp, industrial and a bit claustrophobic.
4. The little blue lights are irritating, when facing the core they are okay, but facing the black the lights look like two large O stars.
5. Man hoover ability is much better.
6. Photos look a lot cooler with the DBE.
7. It can also find Earth Like Worlds.

As a personal preference I would use it over the Asp, just my opinion mind you.

 

[newman1702]

I'm sure both are capable ships. What I'm not clear on is why does everyone, when comparing these two, start talking about the DBE running cooler. I've been using an Asp set for exploration, as such I do a lot of corona scooping, and even when closing to maximum scooping rate close range, my heat doesn't go above 60%. That's 20% before the first heat alarm starts buzzing (meaning unless I've done something very wrong, like flew into a star, I won't ever hear it), and 40% before starting to take any damage.

Now, maybe the DBE runs cooler than that, but surely it's irrelevant as long as you're not overheating in either? There's no benefits to running at, say, 40% as opposed to 60%. As long as I'm not taking damage and as a bonus, not hearing heat alarms at any point, I'm happy.

 

[Whiterose]

I'm sure both are capable ships. What I'm not clear on is why does everyone, when comparing these two, start talking about the DBE running cooler. I've been using an Asp set for exploration, as such I do a lot of corona scooping, and even when closing to maximum scooping rate close range, my heat doesn't go above 60%. That's 20% before the first heat alarm starts buzzing (meaning unless I've done something very wrong, like flew into a star, I won't ever hear it), and 40% before starting to take any damage.

Now, maybe the DBE runs cooler than that, but surely it's irrelevant as long as you're not overheating in either? There's no benefits to running at, say, 40% as opposed to 60%. As long as I'm not taking damage and as a bonus, not hearing heat alarms at any point, I'm happy.

I tend to scoop as quickly and as close as possible, I used to get smoke in the cockpit in the Asp, but dont in the DBE. It depends on how you scoop. The way I scoop the DBE is cooler, but others may find the Asp better or no difference.

 

[kpmop]

....What I'm not clear on is why does everyone, when comparing these two, start talking about the DBE running cooler...

The max fuel scoop size is a little small for the DBE compared to the size of its tank, so it's good to be able to get to max scooping rate without getting too hot - but I guess this is more of a mitigation than a "good thing". The other is if/when you do crash into a star/or jump into a binary pair, it's easier to get away without overheating - it's not impossible in an Asp or a Cobra, it's just easier in the DBE.

Been flying a DBE for a couple of weeks now and I'm liking it more as I go along. It still needs another internal slot though & i'd trade the large hardpoint for another medium and increased jump range, but hey...

 

[Cmdr Raz]

It runs and scoops a lot cooler, although very scittish (that means it judders rather than a typo for our Northern brethren)

Actually, I found it a lot steadier than my old Asp, and it feels "zippier" to me - but overall, I agree, it's a nice little exploration ship, good competition for the Asp.

 

[newman1702]

It may have something to do with my scooping style while exploring. I tend to scan the star I just jumped to first, so I dip into the corona to scoop while it scans. With a 6B scoop I rarely even reach full scooping rate distance before I'm full, it literally takes less than the surface scan does. Temperature never goes above 60%..

 

[Ziljan]

They are pretty similar but the Asp isn't slowed down as much by unscoopable stars. But despite the longer scooping time in the DBE, you can theoretically jump both ships in under 45s while refueling ~5T. Not that most pilots care about this. I do though so I've "mastered" the technique because for me, speed is everything.

Both ships can jump away from binaries and neutron stars without resorting to heat sinks. So no worries there, and if you are speed jumping then even with 6A/4A scoops, both ships will occasionally red line the heat, particularly on yellow and blue stars. Hitting 86% on both is about average, which means that with the longer scooping time, the DBE is significantly better at staying deeper/longer. The only practical advantage this confers for the DBE is the ability to hide from other ships while deeper inside the corona in SC.

Both ships have pretty bad maneuverability. The DBE is a bit worse however, which is noticeable during full throttle scooping at the max fuel intake rate. Very easy to slip up and crash into the star.

For jump range, the Asp is 18T lighter with the same load out. It can also slot a 16T tank without getting slowed down as much by unscoopable stars or missing a few drops of fuel on the that last jump. So the Asp can jump much farther than the DBE in any practical and useful sense which can shave an hour or two off a run to Sag A*.


In general, the DBE is a good beginner ship because of its heat tolerance, while the Asp is a better intermediate ship because of its speed. But if you want an advanced level of challenge for exploration, then you'll have to circle back to the DBE and try speed jumping

 

[S~P]

Got one thing to say, class 6 scoop, Asp wins every time.

 

[Ziljan]

Got one thing to say, class 6 scoop, Asp wins every time.

Not quite.

 

[IronGremlin]

Being able to jump from inside the corona of a star while scooping without worrying about overheating is something you can do more regularly in a DBX, from my experience.

Also, although you won't fill a tank faster necessarily, you can get to your max fill rate without exercising nuch in the way of caution, which can make scooping less stressful.

In general, running 20-40% cooler in the DBX lets you play it a little more loosely in any circumstance that might have you worried about heat - since heat is basically the only thing that can hurt you outside the bubble, this is an advantage, although it's not strictly a question of capacity.

But, really, if you're in the black for months on end, I'd imagine that a lower likelihood of mistakes would be useful.

I personally prefer the Asp because the cockpit struts are comparatively invisible, whereas they muck up my in cockpit screenshots in the DBX.

But I went on my very first trip outside the bubble in a DBX and enjoyed it immensely, and the ship will always have a warm spot in my heart.