Do you think we'll ever get new ships, or reworked ships?

[DemiserofD]

I don't see any reason why every ship in the game shouldn't or couldn't have a useful niche. That Niche might not be very big, but if a player chooses to do whatever that activity is, they would have a reason to buy it.

The type 6, for example, should clearly be a small pad ship. That would make it the best small hauler, and with Odyssey out now, that would be a very useful tool in certain circumstances.

The same exact thing would go for the type 7. Make it a medium pad instead of large, and suddenly it would slightly Edge out the python for Outpost hauling, while leaving the python much more useful as a general purpose Jack of all trades.

All it would take would be relatively minor tweaks, and every single ship in the game could be perfectly usable, even to the most efficiency-minded player there is.

 

[Felix DiCestria]

Exactly. There's a handful of "good" ships to use. Using anything else is a handicap. There was a thread on here that mentioned something like 7 viable ships for AX in the Storm because of the lacking optinal slots. The game is a bit stale with the same ships being a "must." For example, you can't realistically compete in CG's unless you're using a python, simply because of the cargo and ability to land at outposts.

Odd I usually finish in the upper end of the 10% and I use a T9.

 

[The Lawful]

I'm for the Panther Clipper, but only because @Bigmaec wants (and deserves) one. Practically, we got enough ships already, and while cool, even the Mamba is questionable IMHO. Not to speak of the T-10. We don't need more one-trick ponies. That said, it took me nearly a year to get the Corvette, about a half for the Conda thanks to the legendary Morai CG, but that was long ago.

O7,

 

[Old Duck]

I don't need a new ship, I just need the Type 7 to be allowed to land on a medium pad at an outpost, which it could do right now if the game didn't insist on lowering ships into the hangar to turn them around before launching, which is only necessary in stations, not outposts!

It would be nice, however, if NPC ships were randomly equipped with ship kits and cool paint jobs, for more diversity in what we see while flying around. To me this would be the ultimate guerilla advertising, because players would see Cobras with cool engines or Dolphins with cool fins and say, "Woah, I want one of those!"

 

[Nikephorus Phocas]

A new ship or two would be interesting but there are so many ships in the game currently not sure it would be anything but white noise in the end. I mean, it'll be a novelty at first but it will end up like every other ship really. Everyone talks of a Panther Clipper and I think that would be interesting, if it's larger than than the Cutter/Vette as I've read speculation on it.

However I would like FDEV to add engineering for SRVs or even add a couple different variants of it instead. Ship interiors and heck I'm probably an outlier but a 'companion' would be interesting. Like an Android or Bot. Just something to sit next to you while flying, not necessarily a functioning 'companion' that does anything.

It would be nice, however, if NPC ships were randomly equipped with ship kits and cool paint jobs,

I suspect a number of us have that very same thought on the NPC ships. Not to mention maybe adding more NPC text. I mean how many Belugas are truly in the top 1% of all liners out there?

 

[Sera Scratch]

That's what happens when you make the choice to learn to play by watching youtube instead of learning it yourself. Happens with every game.

I really don't get your meaning. The optimal path is something you learn online, sure. But a python is a no brainer, it has more internal modules with a larger size, can hold more cargo if needed, fits on a medium pad, and has better hardpoints. This has been an issue for years now and never been properly addressed. Other ships are clear losers. The Dolphin, Asp Scout, Beluga, Type-7 and 10. They are all objectively bad and it's clear from simply looking at their hardpoints/internals.

 

[Old Duck]

Other ships are clear losers. The Dolphin, Asp Scout, Beluga, Type-7 and 10. They are all objectively bad and it's clear from simply looking at their hardpoints/internals.

Woah, hold on there. The Dolphin and Type-7 are great ships. Unless you want a combat ship, in which case there are plenty of other ships I'd rather use than the Python. But for everything except combat, they are great - I've hauled cargo, passengers, run missions, and gone exploring in both. Heck, most my PvP pirating was in a Dolphin! (Stealing LTDs from more than one Python, mind you).

Allow a Type-7 to land on a medium pad at an Outpost, and the Python would be obsolete

 

[Hooplah]

Given all the ships in the game since the basic Cobra Mk III in 1984 I think Frontier is done with adding more ships. Some of them over the years were pretty goofy and looked silly. Still we diehards can always hope for the Panther Clipper. Here's my ancient list for all the game versions before Elite Dangerous. You decide.

 

[Sera Scratch]

Woah, hold on there. The Dolphin and Type-7 are great ships. Unless you want a combat ship, in which case there are plenty of other ships I'd rather use than the Python. But for everything except combat, they are great - I've hauled cargo, passengers, run missions, and gone exploring in both. Heck, most my PvP pirating was in a Dolphin! (Stealing LTDs from more than one Python, mind you).

Allow a Type-7 to land on a medium pad at an Outpost, and the Python would be obsolete

The Dolphin gives you access to luxury cabins. That's it. Compare it to, say, the Cobra, it gives you a 5 Optional internal compared to a 4 for cobra, one extra utility slot and a 5 grade thruster compared to the 4 from Cobra. Dolphin can carry 24 more max cargo than a cobra and has a 7ly better jump range. But if we compare it to credit value, it's 1.3mil compared to the measly 300k from the Cobra. It also has two small hard points compared to the 2xS and 2xM cobra.

No offense but you can't look at me and honestly tell me it's a good ship. In it's size class even the DBX is better for Combat, jumps and only slightly loses out on cargo.

And yes, if the type-7 was a medium pad, it would win out as a dedicated trader compared to the python. But it's not...

 

[Hooplah]

The Type 7 has specs pretty close to the Python but being a lot cheaper to purchase when hauling cargo. Requiring a large landing pad versus the Python with a medium landing pad is what the Devs desiged. Using a Type 7 wisely can easily move up to a Python and that is what the Devs designed in the game between the two. One of their best creative moments.

Complain all you want with the Type 7 but it was designed as a ship to haul cargo making the credits later to purchase a Python or anything else. Frontier is not going to change it and for many very good reasons.

Regards

 

[Felix DiCestria]

The Dolphin gives you access to luxury cabins. That's it. Compare it to, say, the Cobra, it gives you a 5 Optional internal compared to a 4 for cobra, one extra utility slot and a 5 grade thruster compared to the 4 from Cobra. Dolphin can carry 24 more max cargo than a cobra and has a 7ly better jump range. But if we compare it to credit value, it's 1.3mil compared to the measly 300k from the Cobra. It also has two small hard points compared to the 2xS and 2xM cobra.

No offense but you can't look at me and honestly tell me it's a good ship. In it's size class even the DBX is better for Combat, jumps and only slightly loses out on cargo.

And yes, if the type-7 was a medium pad, it would win out as a dedicated trader compared to the python. But it's not...

All my accounts have a Dolphin because it's a fantastic ship and the only non Delacy/Lakon to do so.
I always get a chuckle when someone proclaims that X Y or Z is 'objectively bad' as it instantly tells me they're incapable of reversing the perspective.
Its thermal profile is second to none and trying to get a screenie with reflected dawn just isn't happening with a Cobra as good as that ship is.

 

[Sera Scratch]

All my accounts have a Dolphin because it's a fantastic ship and the only non Delacy/Lakon to do so.
I always get a chuckle when someone proclaims that X Y or Z is 'objectively bad' as it instantly tells me they're incapable of reversing the perspective.
Its thermal profile is second to none and trying to get a screenie with reflected dawn just isn't happening with a Cobra as good as that ship is.

I'm not saying it's bad for what it is. I'm saying so compared to the competition. I also enjoy the dolphin because I enjoy the design, it can land on small pads (Unlike Beluga/Orca) and it's nice for some comfy passenger missions. But that aside, objectively, the Python does passenger missions better. My entire point for this thread was comparing ships to eachother.

When the Robingo missions came about, no one was looking to the passenger ships, but to the Python. LTD / Painite rush? Python or Cutter. Combat? FDL/Vette. I personally love the Federal Gun Ship, but it's not terribly viable because of it's poor handling and speed. Fed Drop ship is the same, use to be a hull tank, but like most ships with Engineering coming along it got outclassed even in that.

I'm not here to attack anyone's personal ships or say alot of ships don't serve a purpose. It's like if you played WoW and did Arena with a class you enjoy but wasn't meta. I just don't like how some ships (ahem... Python) can do so much more than ships designed for the role. Not everyone cares about optimal uses obviously, so it's not a huge issue and I doubt it's on FDev's radar, but nothing wrong with discussing it.

 

[Felix DiCestria]

I'm not saying it's bad for what it is. I'm saying so compared to the competition. I also enjoy the dolphin because I enjoy the design, it can land on small pads (Unlike Beluga/Orca) and it's nice for some comfy passenger missions. But that aside, objectively, the Python does passenger missions better. My entire point for this thread was comparing ships to eachother.

When the Robingo missions came about, no one was looking to the passenger ships, but to the Python. LTD / Painite rush? Python or Cutter. Combat? FDL/Vette. I personally love the Federal Gun Ship, but it's not terribly viable because of it's poor handling and speed. Fed Drop ship is the same, use to be a hull tank, but like most ships with Engineering coming along it got outclassed even in that.

I'm not here to attack anyone's personal ships or say alot of ships don't serve a purpose. It's like if you played WoW and did Arena with a class you enjoy but wasn't meta. I just don't like how some ships (ahem... Python) can do so much more than ships designed for the role. Not everyone cares about optimal uses obviously, so it's not a huge issue and I doubt it's on FDev's radar, but nothing wrong with discussing it.

The Dolphin is better if your passenger would prefer not to get scanned by the local authorities.
How else would a top executive claim to have seen first hand the live and death struggles of their underlings in the corporate CZ except in a luxuriously appointed stealth transport with a range of intoxicating beverages on hand?

 

[Riverside]

All my accounts have a Dolphin because it's a fantastic ship and the only non Delacy/Lakon to do so.
I always get a chuckle when someone proclaims that X Y or Z is 'objectively bad' as it instantly tells me they're incapable of reversing the perspective.
Its thermal profile is second to none and trying to get a screenie with reflected dawn just isn't happening with a Cobra as good as that ship is.
View attachment 356919

I have a Dolphin too, it makes an excellent alternative to the benchmark Cobra MkIII, ans as you highlight it's pretty photogenic too

It fills a fairly narrow role as a long range (high jump range, decent fuel consumption & scooping speed for fast travel) while being small enough to easily land in rough terrain while salad hunting. It's pretty fast, pretty tough and doesn't have a rear entry (important to me for salad hunting). Handles better than the DBX too, in supercruise and normal space with less drift. I wouldn't take on into combat but that's not something I do with most ships anyway.

I'm not saying it's bad for what it is. I'm saying so compared to the competition. I also enjoy the dolphin because I enjoy the design, it can land on small pads (Unlike Beluga/Orca) and it's nice for some comfy passenger missions. But that aside, objectively, the Python does passenger missions better. My entire point for this thread was comparing ships to eachother.

When the Robingo missions came about, no one was looking to the passenger ships, but to the Python. LTD / Painite rush? Python or Cutter. Combat? FDL/Vette. I personally love the Federal Gun Ship, but it's not terribly viable because of it's poor handling and speed. Fed Drop ship is the same, use to be a hull tank, but like most ships with Engineering coming along it got outclassed even in that.

I'm not here to attack anyone's personal ships or say alot of ships don't serve a purpose. It's like if you played WoW and did Arena with a class you enjoy but wasn't meta. I just don't like how some ships (ahem... Python) can do so much more than ships designed for the role. Not everyone cares about optimal uses obviously, so it's not a huge issue and I doubt it's on FDev's radar, but nothing wrong with discussing it.

Sera, I think your argument is that all ships strengths & weaknesses /should/ balance out and this is a good point but perhaps you are not taking all factors into account. Different playstyles highlight different strengths, my ~1 ship right now is a Viper MkIV, principally because it's small & has really good speed control (acceleration/deceleration) for quick landings on planets with beefy enough shields that I can just slam it into the deck for maximum turnaround (land, get out, do my thing, get back in & take off to go to the next waypoint/plant/POI).

There are some ships that time has told are not that good at anything (looking at you AspS) but it's still a capable ship with a decent distro & handling. It could be faster, or have better optional module space but it's good enough & I have one in my fleet that I use for variety. I have a Gunship too. The Corvette does nearly everything it's good at better but if you don't have a Corvette yet...

They don't have to balance out precisely, good enough is good enough for most purposes and imo there are only a few outliers that could be a bit better without becoming OP.

 

[Old Duck]

The Dolphin [...] No offense but you can't look at me and honestly tell me it's a good ship.

Change your avatar so I can look at "you", and then I will again tell you it IS a good ship. @Helmut Grokenberger back me up here!

The Dolphin is one of my favorite ships, and since returning to playing Elite last week, it's the one I've spent the most time in, despite having money for any ship I could possibly want (including a Python that I accidentally sold and can't be bothered to replace because that's how little I like it). Just because you don't like it doesn't make it objectively bad. If you're judging a ship solely on module slots and hardpoints, you're missing 3/4s of what makes a ship unique, including the all important flight model, which for the Python sucks.

 

[Helmut Grokenberger]

You rang?

The Dolphin is one of the greatest and sadly overlooked explorers out there, fun to fly, the sounds it makes are incredible, and the view out of the huge canopy is awesome in VR. have mothballed pretty much every other explorer I ever used, and my only active explorers left in service is the Dolphin for quick travel and short range exploration and the Beluga for long range/luxury exploration.

As a "around the bubble" explorer, I don't carry stuff like an AFMU or repair limpets anymore on the Dolphin in favor of some protection, but that's easily modified. In its current form, my Dolphin (it is called "Travis Bickle"... you know... Taxi paintjob... taxi driver...) has over 700 raw shields, 890 armor, boosts to 590 (not quite perma, but almost) and jumps almost 50 ly. And, as a bonus, I can charge the FSD while scooping my fuel. And all that with an overcharged power plant. I can carry 16 tons of corrosive cargo, and it brings a PD as protection at guardian sites. It is very nimble, is very fast (both literally and in the "Kessel run" sense), and it can land on a stamp. And its boost sound is just hilariously cute. I love the Dolphin.

Outfitted as a cargo hauler (yes, you can do it), it probably has the largest capacity of all the small ships. Slap economy cabins on it, and its cold running nature makes it the perfect burning station rescue vessel. Even unengineered, an A-rated Dolphin jumps almost 30 ly without a booster, and it makes it a great data courier, if you are into rep grinding.

No, it will not be the most efficient in those tasks. But boy is it a fun ship. And it is cheap, my A-rated-engineered-to-the-brim explorer Dolphin has a rebuy of 800k. I spend more than that on fuel, repairs and restocking on my other ships.

Here is my current build iteration. I didn't make any larger compromises in terms of either protection or speed and agility to gain jump range, and it still does 46 ly. Before that, it was a bit more stripped down "paperish" and had 4D thrusters, 2A PD and a 2A PP, and it jumped almost 60, and was still as fun, just not as fast and agile.

The Dolphin is a gem.

 

[Kira Goto]

Now I might’ve said stuff about certain ships being uncontested kings in some regards(Corvette for PvE, for instance), but that shouldn’t stop anyone from doing things in ships they find more fun to fly.

I for one really need to do more with mediums for combat activities. Had a go at some pirate hunting with my as-yet underused FDL(I didn’t build it for PvP so please don’t yell at me) with a thermal shock beam and 4 PAs. Even though I only spent about half an hour out I had more fun with it in that time than hours of pirate massacring in the god-mode ship.

Spoiler

Curse those small ships zipping around refusing to give you a good target.

Now if I could figure out a replacement that I find suits my own desires for the medium pad needs in regards to passengers/cargo, I’d be sold… that’s the one thing I find the Phantom otherwise lacking in.

 

[RolloTreadway]

Other ships are clear losers. The Dolphin, Asp Scout, Beluga, Type-7 and 10. They are all objectively bad and it's clear from simply looking at their hardpoints/internals.

I fitted my Beluga out as a mining ship a little while back. It does a great job.

Plus it's gorgeous and luxurious. You can't fly a Beluga without feeling good.

 

[Helmut Grokenberger]

I fitted my Beluga out as a mining ship a little while back. It does a great job.

Plus it's gorgeous and luxurious. You can't fly a Beluga without feeling good.

I second that. The Beluga is the only explorer other than the Dolphin that I kept in my hangar. It fits all the toys you might ever want to take on a trip and then some, it handles like a medium ship in SC (where you spend most of your time with an explorer) and even pretty good in normal space, fully kitted out it still has a respectable jump range, again the view out of the canopy is great... it makes an awesome luxury explorer. Only downsides are the size (duh) and the heat problems it has unengineered.

My Beluga brings all sensors and scanners you would ever need, two SRVs, two fighters for hooning around, some good cargo space with 16t of corrosive, and still has okayish shields and armor (I wouldn't take it to ShinDez in open though) while jumping 54 ly and boosting to 415.

I used to have the standard Anaconda as large explorer, but it looks like a cow, feels like a cow and steers like a cow. The Beluga handles much better, looks much better and is more fun. Belugas rule.

 

[Old Duck]

I might like the Beluga if it had a crew. Being all alone on an Oasis-class cruise ship just doesn't seem right. Actually, this applies to all large ships in Elite except the T7, which is truly a medium ship forced to use large landing pads.

At the very least, let me wake up Jennifer Lawrence so I'm not totally alone in space!