Imperial Clipper should be considered a medium size ship not large

I’m looking at the Clipper and comparing it to the locked Federal ships. I don’t understand why the Imperial Clipper isn’t also a medium ship in terms of the landing pad. Also what reason is there that this ship was made as a large vs medium because I can’t find any.

Its considered large but cant use a fighter hanger, only had 4 hardpoints and by comparison of features seems out of line among other non rank ships.
 
It's to wide for medium pads. There was a thread here about a week ago about it. More of a cargo ship than a fighter, probably why it only has 4 hardpoints. Don't know why they didn't add a SLF, maybe it cannot accommodate one- the fuselage is pretty skinny.

Why is it a large rather than a medium? Dunno. FD designed it as a large ship? :)
 

Robert Maynard

Volunteer Moderator
The Clipper is 18.9m longer than the longest ship that fits on a medium pad (Python) and 44.4m wider than the widest ship that fits on a medium pad (Asp Scout).
 
Logically, and physically, it's too big to use a medium pad.

But gameplay wise, it being a large pad ship, makes it pretty useless.

Python beats it in every way, bar top speed.

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead
 
.... and basking potential.
I actually prefer how the Python looks over the Clipper (and Cutter). :p
So my Python, in fact, has basking potential. :D

They have dramatically different handling profiles, and the Python's size, slowness and module placement makes it very vulnerable to losing modules in combat against a capable opponent.

The Clipper also has a pretty significant "off" switch, plus crosseyed gun placement on the wings.
I mean, the last time I fought a clipper with PAs on the wings, in my Python, all I had to do was roll 90° to avoid them. :D

Plus my Python's 450m/s on boost isn't "slow" it's just not "fast" either. But 450m/s used to be the Cobra MkIIIs top speed....
That "pitch stall" after a boost is troublesome though, and has landed me in a cliff face more than once... lol
But then the entire driftiness of the Clipper is troublesome, and has simply not landed me... :p I usually end up tangled in the toast rack. Lol

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead
 
The Clipper also has a pretty significant "off" switch, plus crosseyed gun placement on the wings.
I mean, the last time I fought a clipper with PAs on the wings, in my Python, all I had to do was roll 90° to avoid them. :D

Plus my Python's 450m/s on boost isn't "slow" it's just not "fast" either. But 450m/s used to be the Cobra MkIIIs top speed....
That "pitch stall" after a boost is troublesome though, and has landed me in a cliff face more than once... lol
But then the entire driftiness of the Clipper is troublesome, and has simply not landed me... :p I usually end up tangled in the toast rack. Lol

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead

It isn't perfect - though you should really know how to use your ship, and putting fixed weapons on the nacelles certainly doesn't help. But given the iClipper costs just under half the Python iirc, I don't think the iClipper is useless at all. I'd rather fight in the clipper than a python, especially using a hybrid build.
 
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It isn't perfect - though you should really know how to use your ship, and putting fixed weapons certainly doesn't help. But given the iClipper costs just under half the Python iirc, I don't think the iClipper is useless at all. I'd rather fight in the clipper than a python, especially using a hybrid build.

Yeah, to be honest, I never gave the Clipper much chance.

I find it ugly (especially the inside), and I don't enjoy the drift on it, it's the same reason I don't fly an Asp. There's no point flying a ship you don't like the feel of.

I've spent probably 500+ hours in the Python, but probably less than two hours in the Clipper. I even went back to try it again after the Engineers and gave it DD3, but I still didn't like it.
My Python just "suits" me and my needs. :)

I have the same issue with my Corvette and Anaconda. I still prefer my Anaconda to the Corvette, in almost every way.

Wandering off topic now though...lol

CMDR Cosmic Spacehead
 
Imperial Clipper should be considered a medium size ship not large

You are free to consider it whatever you like :).
It wont help you.
Fact is it doesn't fit on a medium pad.

I agree that it would be cool if the Clipper had been designed in such a way that it was able to dock at a medium pad.
FD might have made it slightly shorter and wider and perhaps could have made the engine pods retractable.
I am not even sure that would be enough. The Clipper's hull is bigger than it looks.
The ugly oversized canopy makes it look much smaller than it actually is.

But a medium pad Clipper would have resulted in a much more viable Imperial ship in the long run.
Currently people tend to ditch it as soon as they can, because it is an unpractical ship.

Once you have a Python the Imperial Clipper becomes obsolete, even for Imperial minded cmdrs.
The Empire has no useful multipurpose vessels or haulers in the medium category.
I think that is very weird to say the least.
 
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I’m looking at the Clipper and comparing it to the locked Federal ships. I don’t understand why the Imperial Clipper isn’t also a medium ship in terms of the landing pad. Also what reason is there that this ship was made as a large vs medium because I can’t find any.

Its considered large but cant use a fighter hanger, only had 4 hardpoints and by comparison of features seems out of line among other non rank ships.

New week, new time this has come up... The short answer, it's as wide as a Cutter.

Here's something to help with why it can only land on a large pad:

ED_Ship_Chart_White_V2_2.png
 
Once you have a Python the Imperial Clipper becomes obsolete, even for Imperial minded cmdrs.
The Empire has no useful multipurpose vessels or haulers in the medium category.
I think that is very weird to say the least.

This ^^ entirely. I was at a very well upgraded Asp Explorer stage and looked at the next ship up which to me was the Clipper. The Python was looked at as the one to follow on after the Clipper. But to get the Clipper I had to do the Imperial grind and to be allowed to buy the Clipper I needed 22m cr + say 10mCr for modules and the rank of Baron. I started the ranking, I am currently Knight (50%) and still have Lord to go through before Baron and unlocking the Clipper. I have made somewhere in the region of 150m credits doing Imperial missions. I have a very nice Python now and have no need for a Clipper. It's utterly pointless and a totally broken system to me, perhaps geared only towards getting the final ship the Cutter.

(stating the obvious but from my perspective)
 
Even worse, it has no ship kits or good paint jobs. I have an all-purple clipper ... I could change it to an all-yellow ... or all-red, and so on but ..... blah !

The Clipper needs a lot of love. I wonder (hope) if the lack of paint jobs and ship kit is because it is being redesigned ..... I would love for it to have foldable 'wings' to fit a medium pad. Then it would be a real contender with the Python for "must have" ship. ;)
 
Agreed. I know it's not practical to shrink the Clipper to fit a medium pad, but I still want it to.

The Empire lacks a medium ship.

I'd like to know who continues to use the Clipper once they have a Cutter?

If the Clipper was made a medium ship (or an Imperial medium sized ship was made available), it would still be inferior to the Python (for trade), Asp Explorer (for exploration), and the FDL (for combat), but would look so much better than all of them!

I'd fly the heck out of a medium Clipper.

Fire the shrink ray FDev!
 
Folks it’s not a question about how wide it is, it’s the question of WHY WAS iT DESIGNED to only fit a large landing pad.
Considering there’s nothing there that gives reason....I could see f it went super fast and thrust or blasted far

or maybe the two hard points on the ends were size 4’s and or maybe just all size 4
 
Folks it’s not a question about how wide it is, it’s the question of WHY WAS iT DESIGNED to only fit a large landing pad.
Considering there’s nothing there that gives reason....I could see f it went super fast and thrust or blasted far

or maybe the two hard points on the ends were size 4’s and or maybe just all size 4

Someone feel free to correct, but I'm pretty sure it is the fastest large ship in the game? So there is the niche it fills :)
 
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