Federal Dropship Hardpoints Changed?

Frenotx

Frenotx
So I opened up the outfitting screen at a station to ogle at my federal dropship, when I noticed something I had not noticed before- there are two small hardpoint bays on the nose. They've got working doors and everything, that look just like the ones on the side-mounted medium hardpoints, but smaller. Observe:
Open:
hpOpen.JPG
Closed:
hpClose.JPG
Compared to the side-mounted medium:
hpCompare.JPG

I don't know about you guys, but I would absolutely love it if the federal dropship got to additional small hardpoints on the nose. It wouldn't be adding a huge amount of firepower, but they'd be in a very handy position, and be a welcome boon to an otherwise... awkward ship. Has this been here for a while, and I just didn't notice it? Did the dropship used to have +2 small hardpoints in a bygone era, and has since been nerfed? (Dropship? Nerfed? Come on now.) Are these new, and step one to buffing my favorite vessel? Discuss.
 

Psycho Romeo

Psycho Romeo
Are you certain they are not utility modules? I kind of agree that more hard points on an FDS would be a bit overpowered. It's already got five, the same as an FDL which is 3x the price.
 
Last edited:

rightsideupsidedown

rightsideupsidedown
That's were Hudson hid those Thargoid space eggs. One moment you're enjoying that fancy stipend and the next thing you know those crazy critters will be crawlin' all over your windshield. Don't you ever hear them rustlin' around after the frequency from each new episode of Galwash gently penetrates their shells. I do. They're in there maaaan, you know they're in there scratchin' around.
 

Frenotx

Frenotx
Psycho Romeo said:
Are you certain they are not utility modules? I kind of agree that more hard points on an FDS would be a bit overpowered. It's already got five, the same as an FDL which is 3x the price.
Click to expand...

They are definitely not utility mounts. The utility mounts are elsewhere, significantly smaller, and square.

The FDL costs more, but has almost twice the shielding, is waaaay faster, has six utility mounts instead of 4, has dramatically better acceleration, better hard point placement, and a huge hard point instead of a large. I don't think adding 2 small hard points to the federal drop ship would over-power it.
 
Last edited:

Psycho Romeo

Psycho Romeo
Frenotx said:
They are definitely not utility mounts. The utility mounts are elsewhere, significantly smaller, and square.

The FDL costs more, but has almost twice the shielding, is waaaay faster, has six utility mounts instead of 4, has dramatically better acceleration, better hard point placement, and a huge hard point instead of a large. I don't think adding 2 small hard points to the federal drop ship would over-power it.
Click to expand...
Maybe not now, but consider that this is not a combat ship.

For a price increase, an an internal module cut, and a bump up in its distributor I wouldn't mind seeing it become a heavy combat ship. We don't have any slow heavy flying fortresses out there. I think that could justify another hardpoint pair or two.
 

vicgreed

V
Frenotx said:
They are definitely not utility mounts. The utility mounts are elsewhere, significantly smaller, and square.

The FDL costs more, but has almost twice the shielding, is waaaay faster, has six utility mounts instead of 4, has dramatically better acceleration, better hard point placement, and a huge hard point instead of a large. I don't think adding 2 small hard points to the federal drop ship would over-power it.
Click to expand...

Some corrections. Having a huge hard point is no better than a large until they come out with some better options for it. Everyone ive known who owns one runs a class three or a railgun in the hardpoint.
But no, two small hard points wouldnt launch the ship into OP status, it would make it better, which it deserves to be. I would also add that "everyone I know who owns one" is about 6-7 pilots...hardly the full representaion of FDL owners club, but its something.
 
Last edited:

Frenotx

Frenotx
vicgreed said:
Some corrections. Having a huge hard point is no better than a large until they come out with some better options for it. Everyone ive known who owns one runs a class three or a railgun in the hardpoint.
But no, two small hard points wouldnt launch the ship into OP status, it would make it better, which it deserves to be. I would also add that "everyone I know who owns one" is about 6-7 pilots...hardly the full representaion of FDL owners club, but its something.
Click to expand...
While a lot people do put class 3 gear in the FDL's class 4 slot, it does objectively still provide you with more options. Personally, when I flew the FDL, I alternated between the huge gimbaled cannon, and the huge PA. But yeah, the dropship could use a bit of love, and it seems like "unlocking" those two hardpoints would be a very cheap way to do it.
 

Joshuarulez

J
I've been looking at the Dropship as a potential mining ship, So more hard points would make it more defendable in that case. While it's internals are not great, they are better than a T7 for mining, no wasted space.
 

Frenotx

Frenotx
Joshuarulez said:
I've been looking at the Dropship as a potential mining ship, So more hard points would make it more defendable in that case. While it's internals are not great, they are better than a T7 for mining, no wasted space.
Click to expand...


I suppose it could make a decent mining ship, so long as you're planning on using collection drones instead of scooping. The dropship's acceleration is... not great. There's a reason people refer to it as the federal "driftship".
 

Karakhian

K
I've used a Federal Dropship as a mining vessel. It isn't too bad. The drift is kind of crazy, but can be helpful if you want to slide around a rotating asteroid to get to the non-moving centre-of-spin-axis. One medium hardpoint dedicated to a class 2 mining laser, the rest to half-decent weapons. It was definitely better than a Type 7, because you don't have to run from most pirates.

Obviously a Python is better. But then a Python costs a lot more. And there are probably many people who would kill you for degrading the elegant beauty of a Python with mining. :)
 

DextersIndignation

D
Frenotx said:
So I opened up the outfitting screen at a station to ogle at my federal dropship, when I noticed something I had not noticed before- there are two small hardpoint bays on the nose. They've got working doors and everything, that look just like the ones on the side-mounted medium hardpoints, but smaller. Observe:
Open:
View attachment 47235
Closed:
View attachment 47234
Compared to the side-mounted medium:
View attachment 47233

I don't know about you guys, but I would absolutely love it if the federal dropship got to additional small hardpoints on the nose. It wouldn't be adding a huge amount of firepower, but they'd be in a very handy position, and be a welcome boon to an otherwise... awkward ship. Has this been here for a while, and I just didn't notice it? Did the dropship used to have +2 small hardpoints in a bygone era, and has since been nerfed? (Dropship? Nerfed? Come on now.) Are these new, and step one to buffing my favorite vessel? Discuss.
Click to expand...



If you think any Fed stuff will ever be useful, I refer you to the great philosopher Nelson P. Multz
[video=youtube_share;RM6Dywb4ux4]https://youtu.be/RM6Dywb4ux4[/video]
[video=youtube;RM6Dywb4ux4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM6Dywb4ux4[/video]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom