Brand loyalty - ship manufacturers

[Agony_Aunt]

Anyone here fly exclusively or almost exclusively ships from a specific manufacturer, and is it intentional in terms of RP or just they have the ships you like? Is it because you are a supporter of the Fed/Empire perhaps, and only fly their ships?

I must admit, i find myself flying Faulcon DeLacy ships mainly, thanks to the Python and Cobras, although i do fly other ships as well (especially the Gunship, Asp, and Beluga). So i can't say i'm totally focused on one manufacturer.

I'll give a rundown here of the manufacturers and their pros and cons so people can get an overview (subjective opinion in the pros and cons of course).

Manufacturer: Faulcon DeLacy
Ships: Sidewinder MkI, Viper MkIII, Viper MkIV, Cobra MkIII, Cobra MkIV, Python, Anaconda
Pros: Good selection of ships covering all career choices and for those with different budgets. Multirole ships a speciality. Produce the iconic CM3.
Cons: None.

Manufacturer: Lakon Spaceways
Ships: Diamondback Scout, Diamondback Explorer, Asp Scout, Asp Explorer, Type-6 Transporter, Keelback, Type-7 Transporter, Type-9 Heavy
Pros: Good for trade ships, one of the best exploration ships in game (and most popular). Also a good small combat ship with the DBS.
Cons: Lacking bigger combat ships. Asp Scout generally considered not to be a good ship and very unpopular.

Manufacturer: Gutamaya
Ships: Imperial Clipper, Imperial Courier, Imperial Cutter, Imperial Eagle
Pros: Fast ships a specialty. Arguably best trade ship in the game (Cutter) and one of the best small fighters (Courier).
Cons: Lacking in a dedicated medium or large combat ship. Only 2 ships that can dock at outposts, both lacking in internals. No small trade/multirole ships. Mainly faction locked ships.

Manufacturer: Core Dynamics
Ships: Eagle MkII, Federal Assault Ship, Federal Corvette, Federal Dropship, Federal Gunship, Vulture
Pros: Good variety in combat ships covering multiple styles and budgets.
Cons: Only Dropship really multirole although the Corvette can be fairly versatile. Lacking in options for trade and exploration. Mainly faction locked ships.

Manufacturer: Zorgon Peterson
Ships: Hauler, Adder. Fer-de-Lance
Pros: One of the best combat ships in the game. Smaller ships are limited but decently multipurpose for their budgets so popular early game ships.
Cons: Limited offerings. No large ships. Only manufacturer that lacks a ship that can fit a fighter bay. (Panther Clipper - if/when it comes might change this)

Manufacturer: Saud Kruger
Ships: Orca, Beluga (Dolphin expected soon(tm))
Pros: Only ships capable of fitting luxury cabins.
Cons: Very limited offerings. Very specialized ships with several slots reserved for specific modules limiting versatility. Both available ships are large, meaning (currently) no ships that can land at outposts.

 

[Thetele]

Mostly fly my anaconda, secondly asp and/or vulture but less with those as i have most engineers now unlocked and i used those to collect materials and unlock engineers. I also have some other ships but i never fly those.

 

[Robert Maynard]

I have no brand loyalty - and fourteen ships.

 

[Gunnet]

I'm almost always flying something built by Gutamaya. I do it for Imperial roleplay, because I enjoy the aesthetics (a.k.a. basking), and because I love fast ships of all sizes.

 

[babelfisch]

I'm a Dapper Dan man!

 

[hunvagy]

I can bask just as hard in a golden Asp, then in a jet black Clipper Hard to have brand loyalty to Gutamaya when all their ships are space versions of american gas guzzlers.

 

[dayrth]

Mostly Faulcon De Lacy, but I do like some of the Lakon ships as well.

 

[askavir]

No brand Loyalty.

Lakon -> AspX and T-6
Falcon DeLacy -> Cobra and Python
Gutamaya-> Courier, Clipper and Cutter

 

[BACKER #-4112]

As much as I hate the cheap and nasty interiors where "we couldn't be bothered hiding the wiring" and wish that everything was a Gutamaya,
I have no choice but to fly whatever fits the purpose best.

 

[Lucius-Darcia]

I'm nothing without my Python [yesnod]
My Python is nothing without me

I often switch to my Cobra or to my Anaconda but that are my main ships. But for combat i'm finding myself more often in Core Dynamic ships

 

[DukeIronHand]

Funny this poll should occur now.
After much experimenting I am, as we speak, buying all Lakon ships.
They fit the style of one of my Cmdr saves - no combat.

For my combat Cmdr save it is whatever the best fighting ship I can afford - no brand loyalty there.

 

[Notwyn]

None, I fly what suits my needs best.
The rank barriers do inhibit my choices a bit but eventually I'll get there.

 

[SG Cersed 1]

They're like Pokemon for me. Gotta catch em all. I wants them! What I fly are whatever works for the time being though. I do like the Gutamaya designs, and how the Anaconda feels though.

 

[KillaALF]

I have no brand loyalty - and fourteen ships.

Same here (down to the size of the fleets). I'd like to add that I have no experience with Saud Kruger ships and very little experience with ships made by Gutamaya. If I had to pick a favorite based on quantity it would probably be Core Dynamics - with the exception of the FDS and FGS I have all their ships, and I love each and every one of them. On the other hand Lakon has given us the AspE, and that is without a doubt the ship I have spent most of my game time in. I even have two of 'em because you can never have enough of a good thing. And then there's Faulcon, with the ViperMkIII, the CobraMkIII and the Python, heck even the Sidewinder can be a lot of fun to fly. So, in the end I choose not to have a favorite.

 

[anikaiful]

Brand loyalty in my case is about zero. I fly whatever serves best the current task at hand (or whatever happens to fancy my whims/mood).

 

[LameoveR]

I just love Faulcon DeLacy ships design!
And last year i fly mostly Python\Anaconda\Cobra.

 

[cmdr sandman]

No brand loyalty, but I favour ships that were in the original Elite - great buzz being able to pilot the FdL, Python and Asp after only having the Cobra in the original and wishing I could upgrade to the others. Right now I have those 4 A-rated and next is the 'conda.

 

[Starbreaker]

In the beginning I was thinking of staying with one brand of ships, but that was limiting my options. Just missing a Zorgon Peterson ship now to complete the fleet, and that will be the Panther Clipper.

 

[Boyo Kendall]

I jump around my ships a lot so not too brand loyal BUT....I would choose Gutamaya for that Bentley level quality.
Generally my uses are as follows:


Lakon Spaceways - Diamondback Explorer / Exploration
Gutamaya - Imperial Courier, Imperial Eagle / Showing off / Short missions
Zorgon Peterson - Fer-de-lance / My war rig
Core Dynamics - Vulture / Haulage of things like media for expansions and trade missions.

 

[Vorxian]

Gutamaya. Any day, all day, whatever the weather.

..except when I'm honking, then it's the ASP.