[Imperial Clipper] Planning an Exploration Ship

[Daiyus73]

I'm very new to this game but have got the Exploration bug. I'm currently on my way to Colonia in this Diamondback Explorer:

https://coriolis.io/outfit/diamondback_explorer?code=A0pataFflddfsdf5---0202020232v4430i2i2f.Iw18UA%3D%3D.Aw18UA%3D%3D..EweloBhBmSQUwIYHMA28QgIwV0A%3D&bn=ISV%20Aegir


However I already know I want to upgrade to something a little different. Something less obvious for exploration. On my return to the Bubble I'm thinking of ranking up in the Empire, grinding the Engineers and kitting out an Imperial Clipper to take out to Beagle Point. This is what I've got so far:

https://coriolis.io/outfit/imperial_clipper?code=A0pktnFflndnsnf4----020202023hv4f4400i0i2i2f.AwRj4tmlVug%3D.EwBj4yEZRKrEA%3D%3D%3D.H4sIAAAAAAAAA2P%2BJ8XAwPCXFUjw23z7%2F19oiiADg8QRTgYGERVhBob%2FLP8MQfIsIPmKN0B5nqf%2F%2F%2F9n%2B5cA17XlEVD0wIP%2F%2F%2FU8vgCl%2FgPFAC%2Fvm5dVAAAA.EwegLCAMUgzK0CmBDA5gG0SEBGS%2Bg%3D%3D%3D&bn=ISV%20Aegir%20II


Just looking for some feedback from more experience Explorers. Have I missed anything obvious? Engineering options to boost the jump range a little further? Will 16t of fuel be enough or is the extra tank worth it?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Orvidius]

The default fuel tank gives you 3 full distance jumps, which is tight, but completely workable. As long as you filter on scoopable stars, it'll be fine. With the added tank, bringing you to 32 tons, it's the same as a default AspX-- You can do 6 full distance jumps. I find this to be a really nice number for using the Neutron Highway, since you can get 4 neutron boosts in a row, using the new neutron routing.

Another choice would be to split the difference. Add a size-3 tank (8 tons) instead of the size-4. You'll have 24 tons total, which is almost 5 full jumps of fuel. It's a very comfortable number of jumps when filtering for scoopables, and using neutron boosts, etc. The Anaconda is like this by default, with its 32 ton tank and 8-tons per jump. You'll be slightly better off than that.

Some general thoughts:

You can save some more mass if you reduce the vehicle hangar to a 2G, as that will take off 4 tons. Though I totally understand wanting a backup SRV. So far I've never lost an SRV while exploring, so while it took me a while, I finally took my own advice on this recently.

The power plant can be reduced to a 3A or even 2A to save mass. Its a bit of a judgment call... you can squeeze down to the 2A to get as light as possible, or use a 3A and do low emissions engineering on it to run cooler.

Again, a bit of a judgment call, but you could use 5D thrusters instead of 6D, to save mass. With dirty drives engineering, you can compensate for the loss of thruster performance.

Same deal with the distributor. I haven't tried, but you might be able to get it down to a 4D and still boost, with an engine focused mod on it, and after the mass reductions in other components.

When you can, engineering the life support and sensors to be "lightweight" will help. Same with the heatsinks. Speaking of which, you can get away with just one of these and use synthesis to reload it. Personally, I usually load two launchers on my ships. I almost never need the second launcher. But I also understand wanting redundancy for long journeys, so it's entirely up to you.

A 3D shield is probably sufficient, rather than the 3A, and with an "enhanced low power" mod, it'll get a little lighter too.

 

[GunnerBill]

A few things:

• You don't need the extra fuel tank. It just messes up your route plotter and there is no shortage of scoopables.
• At most you'll only need two HSL, one if you get the mats for a reload before you go.
• Run the lightweight mod on the HSL's
• 3D shield w/ Enhanced low power mod, also reduces weight.
• 5D thrusters
• 3A Power Plant, some will say OC a D rated one, but I like the heat efficiency and the intergrity of the A rated version.
• Heavy duty mod on your lightweight bulkheads, doesn't increase weight but adds integrity to your ship.
• AFMU doesn't weigh anything so take a 6A and you can ditch one of the 3A, but take 2 (to repair each other).
• Some may say take a class 1 mining laser in case you get stuck for jumponium mats on the way. You can materialise jumponium stuff from gas giant rings.
• As above 2G Planetary hanger and just make sure you keep up with repairs on your SRV! I took the one to and from BP myself.
• As above, run a 4D Power Dist'. I checked on Coiolis and with the Engine focused mod you will get boost.

You now have 38.5 ly

https://eddp.co/u/XNBAKt3B

 

[marx]

First off: instead of coriolis.io, I recommend using coriolis.edcd.io. The old site is no longer being maintained, and hasn't been up to date with the game for a long while.

Anyway, excellent choice! The Clipper is surprisingly good for exploration, since it has one of the best supercruise handling in the game (the best among the large ships, as it handles like small ones do), and it has the best fuel scoop - fuel usage ratio. So you need no longer brake at stars while traveling.

For another example, you can find my build at https://eddp.co/u/mqSV5YK2. Personally, I don't think the Clipper needs extra fuel at all, what with the route planner now: 16T is perfectly enough, and the ship can make do with even less. You can go with 8T, or if you don't mind the extra internal slot usage, 12T (8T main + 4T extra). Don't forget that both mean a mass saving of 8T/4T.
Also, in my build, you might want to take out one of the racks and put a repair limpet controller there. You don't actually need to take limpets with yourself, you can synthesize them out in the black - but you do need a cargo rack to put the freshly made limpets in.

A tip for flying the Clipper planetside: don't forget that it has rather weak vertical thrusters! You might get into some sticky situations if you do. It might be worth it to make sure your power distributor is up to par with boosting more than once in five minutes. Even in combat, the Clipper has some rather unique handling, but it can be very effective there too. (Something which can't be said of the Asp and Diamondback Explorers.) But don't forget that since the Clipper is fast and heavy, collisions will hurt.

You might also wish to consider using 5A dirty thrusters, if you plan on flying planetside a lot. Why? Because if you're not out exploring, then you could transfer those into a combat Vulture. They'll also make your Clipper pretty damn fast: nearly as fast as 6A thrusters, while weighing half as much. (6A is 40T, 5A is 20T, 6D is 16T.)
Note: as you can see in my build, you can "get away" with using 4D thrusters too. But you won't gain much jump range, and will be slooow.

Another tip: don't forget about the cockpit cameras! The Clipper has some pretty good ones too, and they can be used to make a bit more original screenshots. Here are two examples:

Spoiler

You can use Ctrl+Alt+G to switch off the HUD. (No idea how it's done on consoles, or if it can even be done there.)

That's all that comes to my mind for now. Enjoy your new ship once you do get it, and good luck out there!

 

[Jackie Silver]

I use a 16 ton tank, 5D thrusters (with a dirty drive mod) and a 4D power distributor with an engine mod for boost. I think I ended up with a 5D shield with a nice low-power mod on it.

It's a fun ship to explore with, and can still cover ground reasonably fast if needed. You can't reach some of the more outré stars, but it's still a capable jumper.

As noted above, the Clipper can take a bit of getting used to when flying over planets, and when they hit things, they hit hard.

 

[iain666]

16T tank is fine and I almost never filter the map when plotting a route, a lot of the rest looks overkill for exploration to me.

I've got a 2A power plant and 2A distributor and I can still boost. 40.58ly on fumes, build link for the Anar Kaluva Tielyanna in my sig. I don't bother with heat sinks, never have.

Great ship to fly, SC handling is excellent but it is heavy so if you crash you'll crash hard.

 

[Pirin]

Nice choice, Clipper is my favorite ship. And i did some exploration with my Clipper, it is a good explorer unless you want to go through some areas with really low star density.

As for the fuel tank, unlike most of the posters in this thread I dont recommend going with only 16T. Yes, now we have the option to use filters to jump on scoopables only but i never use it myself. When in filter mode, all the stars appear the same on Galmap. There is no difference between the standard B star and the Supergiant B. Not to mention that Neutron Stars, Black Holes and many others will not be visible at all. So you will miss the most interesting things in the Galaxy, unless you play with Map modes switching a lot between Standard and Filter mode. Which i find annoying. Plus, areas where the NS and BH are most common are exactly the places where there are many unscoopables.
My bottom line is 16T is good when you are in "traveling mode" - i.e when you need to travel fast from point A to point B. It is not good enough for "exploration mode" - when you explore areas with NS, BH, Herbigs, WRs, etc. I feel more comfortable with 24T fuel tank.

 

[marx]

Yeah, the bottom line is: experiment a bit with your fuel tanks, see what you are the most comfortable with. Thankfully, the Clipper has enough internals to be able to fit an extra tank without sacrificing much.

When you're exploring (as opposed to traveling), you'll probably be hand-picking stars to visit (or maybe that's just me?), and then you do want to switch realistic mode on. Also, it's entirely possible to go with a stock (or even smaller) tank and not have a star type filter on, if you pay some attention: when you're spooling up your jump, the game does display what type of star you'll be jumping to at the messages in the top right corner. In any case, if your fuel level is starting to run low, it's always best to double-check your next destination.

 

[Cpt Shadow Wolfe]

I would consider using an Orca over a Clipper for exploration, it can jump further and even with shortened thrusters and PP, can still run quick enough to get away from most kinds of trouble. With downsizing and decent engineering, can get the jump range in the 40's, or just under 40, which is a good range, plus its big enough to carry some extra modules that the smaller exploration ships have to leave behind. The Orca gives you the spacious feeling in the cockpit much like the Clipper, and turns rather quickly in supercruise, so if you overshoot your target, doesn't take forever to loop around. But if yer wanting the ship to double as a possible combat ship, then I would go with the Clipper, I don't like the Orca for combat, the gun placement makes it difficult to keep the guns on target, at least for me, and even though its a good ramming ship, provided you don't miss on the ram hahaha. That's why the Orca is a good mid range explorer, with its speed, even unengineered, can run pretty fast. The ships that can catch you can't hurt you much and the ones that can hurt you can't catch you.

 

[Rudi Raumkraut]

Orca has 40 Ly with 80t passenger cabins
Pure explorer build should get 50+ range
Surely a nice exploration ship, still OT

To get on topic:
https://eddp.co/u/ywq8qTcN

This is mine, still some room for improvment, but like to fly it a lot

16t fuel is fine imo, if you get a scoopable within 3 jumps you are good cause of that big fuel scoop

Why a 2a PD instead of a 3D as suggested?
Do I miss something?!

 

[Deluvian]

(...) Why a 2a PD instead of a 3D as suggested?
Do I miss something?!

I've been reading couple of threads lately and on multiple occasions explorers mentioned, that they use a Power Distributor..

I have a completely different question then, because probably I am missing something.. why to use PD at all?


DEL-77 Rocinante - PD: 1D permanently powered off

 

[marx]

Either for more pips to engines so that you fly faster, turn better and boost more frequently planetside (or to run away from hostiles), or for more pips to system so that your shield resistances are increased, and thus damage is reduced, before taking damage - collisions or hostile fire.
But in supercruise, it doesn't matter.

 

[Deluvian]

Either for more pips to engines so that you fly faster, turn better and boost more frequently planetside (or to run away from hostiles), or for more pips to system so that your shield resistances are increased, and thus damage is reduced, before taking damage - collisions or hostile fire.
But in supercruise, it doesn't matter.

Ok, I thought so.. which is good, because for the reasons you just described it does not really apply to "my style" of exploring.. no shields, no rush, no cargo (no NPC attacks).. and usually far, far away from areas where I could have any encounters.. it's just me and the universe

thanks

 

[Orvidius]

Technically you could get by with a 1D power distributor if all you want are the pips for thrusters and/or shield when landing. However it's a bit of a "safety net" to also have the ability to boost. If you're approaching the surface and are coming in too hot, you can usually boost upward to buy some time. If you're careful enough, and don't care about thruster performance, you can get away with leaving a lot of things off of your ship.

Sometimes it also comes down to what is going to be more fun for you. I could use a smaller PD than I'm using now, but I like having the boost recharge a little more quickly.

Speaking on the fuel capacity a little, the AspX comes with 32 tons standard, and uses the same FSD class as the Clipper. I experimented a little with different tank sizes, and for most standard travel, 16 tons is fine. However, I still choose to use 32 tons, because it lets me cross through non-scoopable regions more easily (and there are some sparse regions where it's mostly non-scoopable), and also the neutron boosting option for the route plotter will give you a higher number of neutron stars. For instance, the Anaconda with a 4-jump tank will usually plot in a pattern of 2x neutrons and 1x scoopable. With a 6-jump tank on the AspX, it will (if it can) give you 4x neutrons and 1x scoopable in a repeating pattern.

So which capacity is better? It depends on where you're going.

 

[Deluvian]

(...) If you're careful enough, and don't care about thruster performance, you can get away with leaving a lot of things off of your ship (...)

I wish we could get rid of some core internals actually.. for the very same reasons.. or at least size it down :|

 

[marx]

no cargo (no NPC attacks)

This is just a minor note, mind you, but having no cargo doesn't make you immune to all NPC attacks. There are very rare cases of encountering "psycho" NPCs, who will immediately attack you (alongside an appropriate message), and some Thargoids will also turn hostile quite easily. Of course, these happen in a very small area (when compared to the galaxy), so it's mostly a theoretical question.

 

[Deluvian]

This is just a minor note, mind you, but having no cargo doesn't make you immune to all NPC attacks. There are very rare cases of encountering "psycho" NPCs, who will immediately attack you (alongside an appropriate message), and some Thargoids will also turn hostile quite easily. Of course, these happen in a very small area (when compared to the galaxy), so it's mostly a theoretical question.

true.. I stay away from those regions.. as mentioned in my New Year's note.. I kind of do not identify myself with this entire xenophobia