Chieftain Size and perhaps other specs
- Thread starter Olivia Vespera
- Start date
I'm not sure what other exploration traits you need other than supercruise handling and the ability to hold down one button until it makes a certain noise.
Similar could be said for the Vulture. I'd prefer a little more wiggle room with it, but like I said, it's still an upgrade from my Vulture for combat capable exploration either way.
2 size 5 free module slots means I don't have to choose between shields and fuel scoop, and a size 5 fuel scoop should match the size 5 FSD nicely.
an upgrade for the vulture, would be that you could transport 1 passenger without need to fit an extra cabin, to be true to its description:
after all, it has that kinda useless second seat (and that only, because the only viable multicrew option, using a KWS, was implemented in such a horrible way... )
i wouldn't bet on it, that a known "pirate" ship excells at that.
BUT it could have enough seperate internal slots to accomodate the *****, sorry, "numerous" required limpet controler+cargo space necessary for pirating megaships AND a SLF
Having a decent fuel scoop is also very much appreciated.
For my overall preferences regarding my combat capable exploration play style (as it were) I'll just quite myself here, oh, and yes, supercruise and handling over world surfaces is also very nice, something the Chieftain seems to be quite capable of...
I don't know. More of a forlorn hope I guess. lol.
I wouldn't count on it. At best it might be a Python competitor, but more likely it will be a combat slanted multirole.
ADS, DSS, Scoop are all mandatory. Chieftain can certainly fit those, so no big deal. You'd want an AMFS if you intend to do neutron boosting, but you can fit one (only one, though) if you lose the shields.
OTOH, if you're doing planetary exploration you want both an SRV hangar and shield, which you can't fit in there without losing one of the three mandatory modules.
You can make it work, I guess, but technically you could make a Hauler work just as well. And the Hauler has a much better jump range.
With all those caveats, I think it's far more comparable to the FAS, as others have stated. Trades one medium hardpoint for 3x smalls (potential firepower increase, at the cost of potential piercing decrease), swaps some hull for some shields, swaps an open internal for a mil-spec, and swaps some speed for some range. That's a much more straight-up value comparison than it is to the FGS.
I am really liking the Chieftain, although I would have preferred to see more optional internals. Three locked ones, when the open slots are already limted, makes it very weak there. Compare to the other faction offerings:
Clipper - 8 optional internals, including a C7 and a C6
Dropship - 7 optional internals, including a C6
Assault Ship - 6 optional internals
Gunship - same number of optionals, but 2x C6
The Chieftain is very clearly the weakest there.
I suppose that's probably the point though, given that FD pretty clearly intentionally gives ships big weaknesses like that, and given that it doesn't really have many other major weaknesses.
I hope we'll soon see another mid-sized ship from the Alliance; one that trades some of that combat potency for internal flexibility. Between the Defender and what I've seen of the Chieftain, I really like what Lakon/Alliance have been pushing out so far.
I find a DSS optional for exploration. It increases your profits, sure, but as far pure exploring, it doesn't do much but give you a bit more trivia (and the only game-important bit of that trivia - surface mineral content / ring composition - you can find out on your own anyway, if you're equipped to put that knowledge to use).
DSS Scanner is required for the highest level of Detailed Scan which increases profits as well as details from body scans. I agree with the Tobasco that the DSS is an essential for any serious explorer (i.e. not the Honk and go variety).
You realize you basically just repeated me there, right?
Another advantage of the new surface colouring, you can more easily do without the DSS
Not quite - You are ignoring my point that it (the Detailed Surface Scanner) is essentially a requirement for serious explorers and I hope FD are going to expand on it's relevance with the updated explorer mechanics they have planned.
There is however no good reason why the Chieftain should be usable as an explorer ship, there are already plenty of options.
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Any ship should have "Variants", I see no reason ED cannot take (for example) a Python, and with minimal skinning graphics wise, add windows, loose a hardpoint and call it the "Passenger Python", same for an explorer version (especially if they intend to upgrade the game mechanics) the hardpoints become sensor equipment and maybe sampler equipment. To avoid abusing the variants make certain slots compulsory for the specific equipment.
Or even have stations dedicated to rebuilding the ship to the specific variant for maybe 50% the cost of the ship. A Kind of custom body shop garage, I'm actually surprised there are none anyway, it seems an obvious business opportunity.
elite dangerous ships are modular, and for that, all ships are usable for every task
what you guys do there, is mistaking "beeing usable for" with "is beeing made for".
AFAIK beagle point was discovered by a commander going out with a sidewinder, and i don't know if he even had an advanced scanner, due to the lack of todays money-making schemes.
everyone has his own definition what he needs to explore. some can do it in a sidewinder, some think its totally necessary to go in an anaconda.
end of the year, it will change anyway... probably they add another limpet type
now back to the basking in the chieftains:
what i find disturbing, its made for combat, its made long AFTER multicrew implementation,
it has a second seat... but for what?
the only hardpoint with a "good" multicrew gunner placement is the top large one.
i would have hoped that at least one of the smalls covers the underside.
what you guys do there, is mistaking "beeing usable for" with "is beeing made for".
AFAIK beagle point was discovered by a commander going out with a sidewinder, and i don't know if he even had an advanced scanner, due to the lack of todays money-making schemes.
everyone has his own definition what he needs to explore. some can do it in a sidewinder, some think its totally necessary to go in an anaconda.
end of the year, it will change anyway... probably they add another limpet type
now back to the basking in the chieftains:
what i find disturbing, its made for combat, its made long AFTER multicrew implementation,
it has a second seat... but for what?
the only hardpoint with a "good" multicrew gunner placement is the top large one.
i would have hoped that at least one of the smalls covers the underside.
It's probably also made long before multi crew updates.
Do you really want another Keelback in the future, where you wonder why a particular ship wasn't given a second seat to begin with?
Or would you remove second seats from Cobras now, just because you feel they have no use?
Besides that a tactical crew role can be both extremely helpful and fun. Several multi crew actions don't care about hard point placement (scanning, seekers, limpets, utilities).
edit: oh and the far split between hard points on the FAS is my biggest gripe with it - I'm very glad they clustered all but the medium at the top
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while i do like the option that multicrew uses the scanner - up to now i have only BAD experience with how badly that was implemented.
eg. as helm i have ZERO visuals that my crew is in range for a scan, is doing a scan - or has finished performing a scan.