Exploration ship builds - range over functionality

Nadreck · Nov 18, 2018

I have a couple of Torval mining lances. OK for activating Guardian stuff or shooting asteroids for raw materials. I'd rather not have to fight with them though.

Annoying that I can't engineer them, but at least they only weigh 2t each.

I might add a couple of large torpedo launchers with G5 Lightweight, 1.6t for eight reverb cascade torps might give someone a nasty surprise one day.

MrFailfactory · Nov 18, 2018

I choose and outfit ships to achieve my intended purpose, primarily. If it can do more, so much the better, but I would not call that a personal requirement.

In this case, if my intended purpose is going to the fringes, then a I choose a ship that can do that, and outfit it accordingly.

If I am not doing that particular, specific activity, then any (Engineered) ship in the game will do the job just fine.

Riôt

Ian Skippy · Nov 18, 2018

GunnerBill said:
I took a trip to Beagle and back. Once I was 200 Ly past the bubble I didn't see a NPC for 4 months.

I think Gnosis taught us that the "I'm sure it'll be fine" mentality can become a health hazard to explorers...

GMANTOR · Nov 18, 2018

Brrokk said:
Yes.

I always say that "no weapons" and "enough weapons" are both ok, but anything in-between is bad. A weedy loadout will not beat an attacker but will slow you down while running away. I therefore don't carry weapons on an exploration ship.

Once you've decided not to carry weapons, power requirements are reduced. It's therefore often logical to undersize (but A-rate) the power plant. Distributor requirements are also less.

I wouldn't go without a decent shield though.

Exactly ! That was the dilemma I mulled over for a while. There's no point in taking anything less than a strong combat loadout. If you are interdicted on the way back would you run or risk combat ? Even with some weapons on board I would still run as the risk of combat isn't worth it. Everything to lose and little to gain. So for exploration you might as well pack a mining laser only.

Faybs · Nov 18, 2018

The one "combat" module that I used to think was not that important for exploration, but I changed my mind on, is the shield generator. After a couple of bellyflops in high-G worlds, all my exploration builds now include a reinforced shield. Since bouncing off the dirt is absolute damage, I don't bother with resistances; it's all about the MJ.

Stealthie · Nov 18, 2018

Faybs said:
The one "combat" module that I used to think was not that important for exploration, but I changed my mind on, is the shield generator. After a couple of bellyflops in high-G worlds, all my exploration builds now include a reinforced shield. Since bouncing off the dirt is absolute damage, I don't bother with resistances; it's all about the MJ.

You gotta love that feeling when your ship's falling, out of control, on a 4g world, you've got a scrawny PDist that can only make one boost so you go FA-off, point the nose at the stars, hit the boost button and hope for the best.

No pressure. [where is it]

Faybs · Nov 18, 2018

Stealthie said:
You gotta love that feeling when your ship's falling, out of control, on a 4g world, you've got a scrawny PDist that can only make one boost so you go FA-off, point the nose at the stars, hit the boost button and hope for the best.

No pressure. [where is it]

Incidentally, the guardian shield reinforcement is an interesting critter: I've noticed that in some cases you can get better shields from a smaller generator and a GSR than you can with a bigger shield gen. Since it's classed as a military module, it also opens up some previously unavailable options for people wanting to explore in "military" ships like the Viper Mk.IV.

Mengy · Nov 18, 2018

Stealthie said:
You gotta love that feeling when your ship's falling, out of control, on a 4g world, you've got a scrawny PDist that can only make one boost so you go FA-off, point the nose at the stars, hit the boost button and hope for the best.

No pressure. [where is it]

I don't fly with scrawny distributors. I honestly love chain boosting around planet surfaces and asteroid fields, plus it's saved my bacon a few times while trying to land on high G worlds.

I do downgrade to a D distributor one or two sizes below stock to save mass, but then I engineer it for engine focus to bring it back up to performance. Works very well.