Help me decide what ship to take :)

[Cosmographer]

I am unsure on what ship to take out, the way I see it I have several options at the moment, with each having their pros and cons. Also I possess grade 5 engineered frame shift drives in the sizes 4A, 5A and 6A, so regardless of the option I take I wouldn't need to play the engineer game for jump range (I can live without engineered thrusters, powerplant, shield and so on and frankly I am tired of collecting materials and data for now)

So without further ado:

1. My trusty Cobra Mk3
pros:
- this actually has every thing engineered which can be engineered for some kind of benefit I find useful for exploration (engine focused capacitors, low power shields, clean drives....), obviously I won't hang around after 2.2 for low weight heat sinks or something because, yeah, I want to get out of the bubble asap
- looks awesome in screenshots
- is fun to fly
- can leave now!!! (well tomorrow actually)
cons:
- canopy hasn't got the best visibility
- the offset pilot's chair may increase space madness
- is fun to fly -> what I mean is that boosting around recklessly with this thing on a planets surface kicked me back into the bubble in the first place, because I pancaked it really hard.... I just can't help myself, flying low to the ground and boosting all the time is just too much fun

2. The classic: Asp Explorer
pros:
- great jumprange
- super sweet canopy
- can leave now!!! (again tomorrow)
cons:
- looks meh (in my opinion anyways) in screenshots

3. The ferrari: Anaconda
pros:
- super great jumprange
- can take a fighter along for my boosting around on planet needs
- looks cool
- more internals than I could ever want
cons:
- I don't like its handling that much (though I am sure I would get used to it)
- canopy is even worse than the cobras
- to fit it with a 7A fuel scoop I would need to go get ~20 million credits more thanI have (but could be easily accomplished by flying to Ceos and back once)

4. The flying brick: T-9 Heavy
pros:
- canopy is just as good as the asp's... only bigger
- the idea of piloting this massive chunk of metal through the galaxy somehow appeals to me
- can also take a fighter along for boosting around on planets
cons:
- well, it handles even worse than the anaconda, would definitively take some getting used to
- it not only flys like a brick, it looks like a brick, too
- no way in hell will I grind out the credits for a 8a fuel scoop, though I did a short 1500ly test drive with it and the 8b fuel scoop is both affordable and good enough
- worst jumprange of the lot - but the engineered FSD still gives me about 27 ly


That is more or less it. Of course there are some lesser options (basically anything which isn't rank-locked) but since I have no idea when I will return to civilisation I like to have the comfort of at least 6 internals. Oh well, anyways, I have narrowed it down to those four and I honestly need some outside input to make up my mind. Overall I'd say the anaconda is the most convenient option and the cobra is the option with the most style points but maybe I should overcome my irrational dislike of the Asp's fins [noob] and just take that boat. Or the flying brick, because bricks are cool.

So what do you all think?

 

[marx]

Personally, I'd say "Courier", but that's not an option and even though it can be unlocked quite quickly, it's still rank-locked. So I voted for Anaconda instead. The best jump ranges, it can carry a fighter - and I think you don't need a 7A fuel scoop, a 7B is more than enough.
My second choice from the poll would be the Cobra, then the T-9, then the Asp.

 

[Aura Lorell]

My vote goes to AspE, which is my great love. I fly with minimal shields and no boost but with a sweet range of 52.56 Ly, which is perfect for my needs (I always go in jumponium-navigation areas). Having said that, my second account has a 35 Ly range Cobra Mk III, the second big love as ships go.

Tried the Conda and drove me crazy on SC because of the rubbish turn rate. After 1600 Ly test run it sucked every fun out of exploration and I parked it. Went back to the Asp and never looked back.

 

[CMDR AKIRA MASAKARI]

If you just look at the numbers the ASPX is the best explorer. It might jump few light year less than the Conda, but it manuevers that fast in SC and has a way better fuel consuption ratio = for more jumps you can hit FSD the very second it cools down. When you go over 50Ly jumprange there's no difference between 52 and 57 in the real world: for how the route plotter works in 90% of cases anything over 50Ly jumprange will give you the same number of jumps to cover 1000 Ly. And the canopy wiev is top notch, not considering it has all the internals to fit anything needed.

This beeing said, if you plan a long trip, flying a ship you like is very important to give you motivations to log back in. In fact if you stay out for months, that ship is the only thing you are going to see. So it's important you like the looks, the sensations it gives you while flying, and why not, the sound of the engines when you do a planetary landing. For many months I flied an ASP, I even crossed the galaxy with it, but it's an year or so I'm fed with that ship. I never liked the looks, and since when there's planetary landing i hate the way it flyes over surfaces and I completly hate the sound of engines, that in my opinion is similar to farting.

So even if it manuevers like a beached whale and it's sligtly slower, I felt in love with the Anaconda. First I like to predict how it will move and anticipate the imputs becouse you cannot correct if it took too much momentum. It's alaways challenging and for me it's fun. Then landing on a planet is always a serious matter with so many tons and subpar thrusters. You can't really pretend to canyon fly, but getting down there is always a challange. And lastly it gives me the sensation of a big mothership, properly equipped to be self sufficient for months. And I love the canopy wiev with the big nose in front of you.

So long story short: it is wise to seek a decent jumprange, but flying a ship you love is very important for long range expeditions you are not completing in a couple of days.

Ah, edit: you don't absolutly need class A fuel scoops. Biggest possible is better, but B class is completly viable, especially for the Anaconda. i mean, if you can afford it the A class is better and you will notice a small difference in the long run, but the B class is completly viable. Second: after the FSD Mod there are other mods that benefits exploration, but if you are already over 50Ly jumprange they are almost cosmetic. Even if they give a couple fo extra Ly, there's absolutly no need for them if you are fed with the engineers.

 

[Zenith]

Of the 4 options provided, I chose Asp.

However, as Akira said, there is piloting a ship that you enjoy flying. I really like the Clipper for exploration because it has all the module space you could need, handles like a dream in SC, engines that sound great, a shape that looks great and a huge canopy without any struts in the way. All it needs is a little FSD Range engineering to make it comparable to a standard Asp or Anaconda.

 

[iain666]

1. My trusty Cobra Mk3
pros:
- is fun to fly

nuff said

 

[Aura Lorell]

If you just look at the numbers the ASPX is the best explorer. It might jump few light year less than the Conda, but it manuevers that fast in SC and has a way better fuel consuption ratio = for more jumps you can hit FSD the very second it cools down. When you go over 50Ly jumprange there's no difference between 52 and 57 in the real world: for how the route plotter works in 90% of cases anything over 50Ly jumprange will give you the same number of jumps to cover 1000 Ly. And the canopy wiev is top notch, not considering it has all the internals to fit anything needed.

This beeing said, if you plan a long trip, flying a ship you like is very important to give you motivations to log back in. In fact if you stay out for months, that ship is the only thing you are going to see. So it's important you like the looks, the sensations it gives you while flying, and why not, the sound of the engines when you do a planetary landing. For many months I flied an ASP, I even crossed the galaxy with it, but it's an year or so I'm fed with that ship. I never liked the looks, and since when there's planetary landing i hate the way it flyes over surfaces and I completly hate the sound of engines, that in my opinion is similar to farting.

So even if it manuevers like a beached whale and it's sligtly slower, I felt in love with the Anaconda. First I like to predict how it will move and anticipate the imputs becouse you cannot correct if it took too much momentum. It's alaways challenging and for me it's fun. Then landing on a planet is always a serious matter with so many tons and subpar thrusters. You can't really pretend to canyon fly, but getting down there is always a challange. And lastly it gives me the sensation of a big mothership, properly equipped to be self sufficient for months. And I love the canopy wiev with the big nose in front of you.

So long story short: it is wise to seek a decent jumprange, but flying a ship you love is very important for long range expeditions you are not completing in a couple of days.

Ah, edit: you don't absolutly need class A fuel scoops. Biggest possible is better, but B class is completly viable, especially for the Anaconda. i mean, if you can afford it the A class is better and you will notice a small difference in the long run, but the B class is completly viable. Second: after the FSD Mod there are other mods that benefits exploration, but if you are already over 50Ly jumprange they are almost cosmetic. Even if they give a couple fo extra Ly, there's absolutly no need for them if you are fed with the engineers.

This, so much this. Fly the ship you love flying. Try them all on a longish test run. Especially if you are going to spend a very long time in it.

 

[Lordfrith]

hmm, normally i'd have gone for the asp x but if you take the 'conda then you get a fighter, i reckon the fun you could have exploring with that might outweigh the sluggishness of the mothership.

 

[Chrystoph]

If you are just looking to play photographer, take the beasty you most enjoy.

If you are looking to get to the hard to reach places, go with what will get you there.

In any case, I am with Iain, the object is to enjoy it.

 

[ForeverN00b]

If you take the Anaconda, just buy a 7B fuel scoop if you are strapped for cash. It's almost as good and way less expensive.

I personally dislike the Asp due to it's ugly Lakon uninspired cockpit and the turboprop thruster noise. I'd take the Cobra or Anaconda, but that's my personal preference.

I have no idea why you would want to take a Type 9 exploring. None whatsoever.

 

[Cosmographer]

Thanks for all the advice so far!

After another test flight I think the T-9 is out. I'll trade it in and do another test drive with the anaconda out to HD 148937 where I will attempt to land on that planet with over 9 G there, just to see if I can. Provided I don't pancake I'll then fly back to the bubble, wait for the update and try out the fighters on that canyony moon in Pomeche (3C I think) and then make up my mind if the fighters are worth it or not.

If I don't absolutely must have them after that I'm leaning towards the cobra because that is frankly the one ship I find myself always going back to, whenever I'm not bounty hunting in my totally overengineered viper mk3

The Asp is really nice on paper, but just sitting in it I feel that I'll regret not having a fighter if they prove to be real fun or regretting not having taken the cobra instead.

At the moment I'm not terribly concerned with going to hard to reach places where I'd absolutely need the greatest jumprange I can squeeze out of a ship, so its 34ly would serve nicely.

Well, one way or another I'm really looking forward to tuesday.

 

[osser]

I voted Asp. It's just better all across the board.
2nd place would be the cobra. it's a fine little ship.

 

[Tunksy]

I vote the Conda.
It has that star destroyer nose, plus the ridiculous jump range which when engineered will offset extras like fighter and srv bays.
having a fighter would give me comfort in some canyon racing, knowing I won't be sent straight back to the bubble if I pan in.

o7

 

[CMDR AKIRA MASAKARI]

I'll trade it in and do another test drive with the anaconda out to HD 148937 where I will attempt to land on that planet with over 9 G there, just to see if I can. Provided I don't pancake I'll then fly back to the bubble, wait for the update and try out the fighters on that canyony moon in Pomeche (3C I think) and then make up my mind if the fighters are worth it or not.

Achenar has a 6.something G planet and if you splatter on the surface you are still in the bubble. BTW, it's doable, i've personally landed several times on high G Planets with an Anaconda with subpar thrusters, no boost, and 3D shields. It takes a while (up to 15 minutes) to touch down, it's not fun, at slighest mistake you are dead meat. You can develop a strategy that grants you success 100% of times if you don't mess anything (basically land like an airplane at ridicolous slow speed untill you are 3-4m from the ground, then all pips to shields and FAOFF).

But you should ask to yourself: would you take such a risk 50KLY from closest base? An ASP or a Cobra have easier life landing on high G, but a mistake there and they transmute to dust too. So basically I wouldn't attempt an high G landing when I have several millions exploration data and hundreds of tags to sell.

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

I'd offer advice but considering my own deliberations and counter deliberations pre DW I am not sure if it counts

Personally from DWE experience and after thrashing out 'I miss my Asp' demons thoroughly out on return I would say that despite the Conda's clearly lesser manoeuvrable flight dynamics it is the quintessential explorer vessel.

Plus you get a BRIDGE.

On the subject of T9 as an explorer, one went to and returned from Beagles point pre engineered FSD's, so it's doable, I have a T9 with a 6A modified FSD which gives me this:



But I wouldn't explorer in her, the Conda dances compared to the T9, would drive me nuts.

So go go Conda. GO!

 

[Aura Lorell]

Achenar has a 6.something G planet and if you splatter on the surface you are still in the bubble. BTW, it's doable, i've personally landed several times on high G Planets with an Anaconda with subpar thrusters, no boost, and 3D shields. It takes a while (up to 15 minutes) to touch down, it's not fun, at slighest mistake you are dead meat. You can develop a strategy that grants you success 100% of times if you don't mess anything (basically land like an airplane at ridicolous slow speed untill you are 3-4m from the ground, then all pips to shields and FAOFF).

But you should ask to yourself: would you take such a risk 50KLY from closest base? An ASP or a Cobra have easier life landing on high G, but a mistake there and they transmute to dust too. So basically I wouldn't attempt an high G landing when I have several millions exploration data and hundreds of tags to sell.

I have a rule to never land on anything over 3G when out in the black. Even below that sometimes things go wrong when recalling the ship (horrified I saw my Asp splatting on the ground when recalled on a 1.42G planet a couple of weeks ago - the shields took the damage but lost 2 rings and any higher G I may have taken hull damage or worse). Always 4 pips to shields until I'm back and ready to fly up. Also many explorers have said to never dismiss the ship on anything over 6G as the danger of destruction is real. There are not many high G planets and when I carry tonnes of scanned data I don't even entertain the idea. Luckily most planets are sensible Gs.

 

[Cdr Voorheez]

Totally agree. 2g in a Conda gives me the Heebee Jeebees I avoid all 3G plus planets when exploring as well.

 

[Edelgard von Rhein]

I voted Cobra because it can do everything you want, you seem to really enjoy it and because it is very survivable on the return journey due to its speed - especially when modded.
But : have you considered a Python? The modded jump range can be close to that of the Cobra Mk3 and it has plenty of internals, is more manoeuvrable in supercruise and normal flight than the bigger ships (the Asp Explorer has the edge on it but it's not frustratingly slow) and very survivable against interdiction, especially when modded.
As others have said, though, fly what you most enjoy that can get you where you want to go. Enjoy the journey!

 

[Cosmographer]

Achenar has a 6.something G planet and if you splatter on the surface you are still in the bubble. [...]

But you should ask to yourself: would you take such a risk 50KLY from closest base? An ASP or a Cobra have easier life landing on high G, but a mistake there and they transmute to dust too. So basically I wouldn't attempt an high G landing when I have several millions exploration data and hundreds of tags to sell.

Don't have the permit unfortunately. I'm allied with a few independent minor factions, but with none of the major powers (RP and all that). Anyways, I did it and made it no problems, came down a little to fast but it only took out one ring of my shields - I put 6D shields on my Anaconda because even with those it still goes further than 50ly (lol) and the give a little more time to high wake if interdicted on the way back to civilisation.

My process for landing on high g planets is the following: set throttle to zero during the glide and level the craft to 0° as soon as the glide is over. You will continue to lose altitude for a bit, so don't touch any controls, till you have lost all momentum. Once you stand still just pitch down a bit (I went for -5° to -7°) despite leaving the throttle at zero, your craft will pick up speed quickly and you continue to 'glide' down. Keep an eye on your momentum, because it is pretty easy to pick up to much speed, which will make the descent uncontrollable and probably fatal - I level out the craft at a speed of 250m/s and wait till standstill before repeating the process.
Ideally you end this process between 10 and 20 m above the ground where you can then go really slowly forward till you find a landing spot. For the love of god don't roll, the side thrusters are not strong enough to keep the ship in the air, also never touch your vertical thrusters or you will pancake hard from as far up as 15 km.
Once you find a spot to land ease your ship gently down with your preferred method.

Taking off is pretty hard, too. I use the vertical thrusters to take off but you should never let go off them, because as soon as you cut the thrust your ship will rapidly gain downward momentum before FA is able to compensate (I did a test really high up: my 6d thrusters lost about 16km altitude till they where able to catch my ship).
Anyways: vertical thrust till 20km just to be save and then pitch up 90 degress with full forward throttle and 4 pips to engines (at this point it is safe to let go off your vertical thrusters), hit boost and low wake

Here's some pictures:

HD 148937 is about 1500ly away from the bubble so if someone fancies a little challenge the trip can be made in an evening if you don't hang around in the systems you pass to get there

Overall a nice little diversion. But yeah, I think with month of data on board I wouldn't risk something like that, either. Or maybe I would - because I am stupid like that XD

But : have you considered a Python?

Actually never crossed my mind for some reason even though I piloted one for a bit while smuggling narcotics... how dare you to confuse the issue further??? XD

 

[Jazzy]

I am unsure on what ship to take out, the way I see it I have several options at the moment, with each having their pros and cons. Also I possess grade 5 engineered frame shift drives in the sizes 4A, 5A and 6A, so regardless of the option I take I wouldn't need to play the engineer game for jump range (I can live without engineered thrusters, powerplant, shield and so on and frankly I am tired of collecting materials and data for now)

So without further ado:

<SNIPPED>

4. The flying brick: T-9 Heavy
pros:
- canopy is just as good as the asp's... only bigger
- the idea of piloting this massive chunk of metal through the galaxy somehow appeals to me
- can also take a fighter along for boosting around on planets
cons:
- well, it handles even worse than the anaconda, would definitively take some getting used to
- it not only flys like a brick, it looks like a brick, too
- no way in hell will I grind out the credits for a 8a fuel scoop, though I did a short 1500ly test drive with it and the 8b fuel scoop is both affordable and good enough
- worst jumprange of the lot - but the engineered FSD still gives me about 27 ly


That is more or less it. Of course there are some lesser options (basically anything which isn't rank-locked) but since I have no idea when I will return to civilisation I like to have the comfort of at least 6 internals. Oh well, anyways, I have narrowed it down to those four and I honestly need some outside input to make up my mind. Overall I'd say the anaconda is the most convenient option and the cobra is the option with the most style points but maybe I should overcome my irrational dislike of the Asp's fins [noob] and just take that boat. Or the flying brick, because bricks are cool.

So what do you all think?

Take the Brick, Took a Type 9 to Jaques and back, was actually quite fun (Some would say insane). So I recommend taking the Space Cow