I would think that it would take an internal compartment, just like the SRV hanger does, but it will be somewhat larger and called a fighter hanger. What will be interesting is if larger ships can have more than one fighter hanger, therefore able to launch more than one figher. My guess is that it will use up one of the Rank 5 internal slots in the Keelback and still have some cargo storage to go with it.
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Initially I imagined that fighters will share the module with the vehicles. It would make sense so have, for example, one fighter and one SRV in the C4 hangar. Then again, the name of the module is kinda telling us that there will be another separate one for fighters.
It's next on my list to purchase (buying them all in order of expense). I just need a few more credits from RES in my Imperial Courier, and then I plan on a Keelback. I'll probably kit it for Mining, with the addition that I can turn around and blast the proverbial waste product out of any would-be pirates whilst I'm there.
Then I'll probably get bored of Mining like I have done in the past, and take it on the Silk Road or Rare's Route instead. I did like the T6, but this is just the sort of ship that might I might fight off a pirate with rather than run away.
Might be a nice ship to PP in as well...
Does the Cutter have a visible bay? I'm thinking the Empire have different looking bays for esrhetic reasons, just like their fighters are highly unusual in design (the wings even compress for launching)
The Cutter's fighter bay is hidden to make it look better.
My biggest complaint with the 'ol Keelback is it's handling. It's simply a dog. Otherwise it's "ok" for what I'm doing. In any kind of combat (should one be foolish enough to stick around) it's just going to die.
I'll probably jump back in an Asp or Vulcan. Either that or learn to trade. My mind just doesn't work with the trading system.
I'll probably jump back in an Asp or Vulcan. Either that or learn to trade. My mind just doesn't work with the trading system.
Yeah... the one thing I'm really looking forward to in 2.1 is seeing just how (and how much) I can upgrade my Keelback into something that isn't one of the must sluggish ships in the game. I mean, it'll never be a fighter, but I don't want it to be. I just want it to either be able to a) run away or b) turn well enough to stand a chance in a fight.
The T6 had the advantage of speed, even if it was sluggish as hell, so it could escape many situations. The Keelback has neither speed nor maneuverability.
As for the hanger issue - is there a picture of the Cutter's hanger? Because there's a theory out (just a theory) that Imperial launch bays are different from Federal/Normal ones and that the back of the Clipper might very well have one already, we just don't see it as such. There's a part of the Clipper's back-end that looks like it could open up and act as a launch chute (kind of like this video at 1:00 onward showing imperial fighters launching)
[video=youtube;VE8B4KptyVI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE8B4KptyVI[/video]
I personally hope the Clipper allows fighters (and that said fighters can eventually dock at stations) so I can use it as a shuttle at outposts or other eventual locations that don't have large landing pads
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I love the look and sounds of the Keelback. But it's balanced with a feature not yet implemented in game: that of a low end carrier. I'm certain that she'll become much more popular come 2.2. The Federal Gunship is in a similar boat, although she's already very fun to play now due to her disgusting firepower (at 10 times the price of the Keelback, mind you).
Agreed. After flying my Keelback halfway to Sag A, I want come back and change as it is pretty boring and not good as an explorer, but it will be far more fun when I can jump in to my fighter.
Yeah... the one thing I'm really looking forward to in 2.1 is seeing just how (and how much) I can upgrade my Keelback into something that isn't one of the must sluggish ships in the game. I mean, it'll never be a fighter, but I don't want it to be. I just want it to either be able to a) run away or b) turn well enough to stand a chance in a fight.
The T6 had the advantage of speed, even if it was sluggish as hell, so it could escape many situations. The Keelback has neither speed nor maneuverability.
As for the hanger issue - is there a picture of the Cutter's hanger? Because there's a theory out (just a theory) that Imperial launch bays are different from Federal/Normal ones and that the back of the Clipper might very well have one already, we just don't see it as such. There's a part of the Clipper's back-end that looks like it could open up and act as a launch chute (kind of like this video at 1:00 onward showing imperial fighters launching)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE8B4KptyVI
I personally hope the Clipper allows fighters (and that said fighters can eventually dock at stations) so I can use it as a shuttle at outposts or other eventual locations that don't have large landing pads
I know that the cutter has a hidden fighter bay, not sure about the clipper (I hope so as I have one). The only problem I see about leaving your ship while you dock with your fighter is that your main ship will be cannon fodder. That scares me.
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Multi-crew!
Also, even outposts have lethal defenses set up if anyone opens fire on you. NPCs won't do it, so you only need to be cautious around hollow blips.
If we could see what the hidden fighter bay looked like (yes, I know it's hidden, but maybe there's a hint of where it will be based on the seams of the ship?) we'd have a better idea of if it's in the cards for the Clipper or not. Hope so.
To me flying a keelback is like driving a truck - in the best possible way. More than most ships it feels like you're using a utility/work vehicle and if your focus is on cargo or surface missions and the like, then it just adds to that feeling. Plus if you're intercepted by single light NPC fighters it feels like an actual thread most of the time
I lost a couple of keelbacks trying to figure out the "best" weapons loadout given its limitations, and came to the obvious conclusion - gimbled c1 beams and c2 multicannons. Regular cannons might punch above their weight but that advantage is offset by the crappy turn. You want to burn shields as quickly as possible (beams) then do as much hull damage as quickly as possible (MCs), and nothing else really works. Frag cannons require speed to ensure you can get close for maximum damage, regular cannons require better maneuvering to maximize the amount of time you get on hits (and also require closer range). Anything fixed? Fuggedaboudit.
When you think about it, that's WAY bigger than the bay needs to be (Cutter is huge!) - speculation has been that the blue circle to the left of that area (also seen on the Clipper, by the way) might be a bay, not meant to be a ramp like an anaconda, but the end of a launch tube (not unlike the video linked above). Someone crunched the numbers in terms of Imperial Fighter width and that area and it fit (especially when the wings are pulled in as designed)
Still, all speculation till we see it in action.
the text next to that circle says 'main drive access - warning', so... i'm placing my money on that large oval thingie.
we'll have to wait it out.
Apparently it has beastly verticle thrusters and is perfect for high g worlds.
My theory was that the rotational engines were an experiment ready for the Panther Clipper (which has 4 of them)
This thread is worth a read through on the Keelback https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=213020
I had a really good time using the Keelback for mining. It fits a class 2 mining laser, has good cargo capacity and has plenty of power for a decent defensive setup for mining in and around a HRES. I was making > 1million credits a trip, selling to my local commodities market.
I like my Keelback but I also like my Type-6 back in the early days of ED. Its a good economical ship that does a lot of tasks well but not great. I've survived a few interdictions with it that were close but came out on top (and I'm not a good combat pilot at all).
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Its a keeper for me and I look forward to when the I can put a fighter in it. So far, its my most used planetary landing ship; with a very nice view for flying around planets (as usual with most Lakons).
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Its a keeper for me and I look forward to when the I can put a fighter in it. So far, its my most used planetary landing ship; with a very nice view for flying around planets (as usual with most Lakons).