I would like to see a new medium Imperial ship with a focus on exploration. As far as cosmetics go, I think it should look more like a Clipper and nothing like a Courier (everyone hates the banana boat). Internals should be similar to the Krait Phantom and two medium hardpoints would be ideal. Thoughts?
Medium Imperial Ship
- Thread starter A_Prokopchuk
- Start date
It's been a while since this was suggested, but not a long while 
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/ship-ideas.513331/post-7837947
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/ship-ideas.513331/post-7837947
So Federal should get a small ship, Imperial a medium and Alliance a Small and Large so no one is left out.
I can back this suggestion. i always thought for sure the Clipper would be medium, until i got one.
The clipper became a weaker version of the cutter in my ship roster. it has been collecting dust in the hanger because of it's size.
If i need big i take the cutter, if i need small i take the courier. if i need medium. hum guess im not taking an imperial ship.
I can back this suggestion. i always thought for sure the Clipper would be medium, until i got one.
The clipper became a weaker version of the cutter in my ship roster. it has been collecting dust in the hanger because of it's size.
If i need big i take the cutter, if i need small i take the courier. if i need medium. hum guess im not taking an imperial ship.
Not sure it should look just like the Clipper or Cutter; at a glance those two are already uncannily similar, but I agree Gutemaya could do with a medium ship design.
On the other hand, it's not as if there are specific gameplay needs that REQUIRE a medium ship over all others; it just so happens most medium ships are good at what we might need. I could see a high society manufacturer like Gutemaya passing over the idea if there's no real need for it, rather than jumping into a market "just because we haven't."
On the other hand, it's not as if there are specific gameplay needs that REQUIRE a medium ship over all others; it just so happens most medium ships are good at what we might need. I could see a high society manufacturer like Gutemaya passing over the idea if there's no real need for it, rather than jumping into a market "just because we haven't."
I think the ship manufacturers should get more focus, and be more like the car manufacturers of our days. All of them should have models for almost every kind of usage. Each should compete on the market for every possible size and purpose, and each should have it's distinctive design language and ability focus. For example Gutamaya ships are fast but have weaker shields. Delacy ships are balanced all around. Zorgon Peterson have more or bigger hardpoints but sluggish. Etc etc.
Of course this won't happen, FDev wil not change already released ships this drastically. Maybe in E 2
Of course this won't happen, FDev wil not change already released ships this drastically. Maybe in E
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I just got the Clipper and I'm impressed by its nice supercruise handling and the cockpit view even though there is not much view downwards. It also looks very nice in front of things. These are all good explorer qualities. I cannot really endorse the reuse of assets to create "new" ships, but if one were to take the clipper, put in a class 6 FSD slot, maybe a bigger fuel tank and give some clever folding action for the nacelles to make it fit to the medium pad, that would be a great explorer. If balancing is needed, reduce the distro a little and get rid of one of the smaller optional compartments. Just don't touch the size 7 one.
Alliance has Type-10 for its large - it was rolled out as part of the 'Thargoid Efforts' after the original three mediums.
I've always thought the naval lineups were a bit...odd, although the Alliance 'technically' doesn't have a naval lineup but instead a series of ships named after them by Lakon.
Federal - Core Dynamics
- Each medium ship flies very differently from each other.
- Armor and Raw Power vs. Speed and Agility vs. SLF utility
- Federal Corvette is, due to speed and agility, considered the best all-round combat large ship
Empire - Gutamaya
- Ships follow no discernible pattern beyond speed and typically strong shields
- Some emphasis on cargo capacity represented by larger optionals than comparable ships
- Imperial Cutter is, due to shields and large optionals, considered the best all-round transport ship with strong deefenses
Alliance - Lakon
- No actual reputation system because no formal navy
- Mediums are progressive improvements on each other, rather than uniquely different. Crusader is underpowered as a SLF-capable medium.
- Type-10 was intended to be a strong Thargoid hunter or at least a robust transport platform, but underperforms compared to the original 'Big 3'
I love flying my Federal ships...and I can't say I've lost any love over the Imperial ships. I use my Alliance Challenger a lot for 'goid hunting...but the rest are just collecting dust. I think the missing ingredient isn't mediums for Imperial ships or reputation systems for alliance.
I think Frontier only got the Federal lineup right. It offers a varied selection of ships that aren't progressively better than each other, with a strong 'capstone' Large ship that excels at a specific role within the game - in this case, combat with an emphasis on application of damage through high time on target.
The Imperial lineup is too varied in types of ship, but none of them are particularly strong in their comparable field except the Cutter. And the Cutter isn't strong in a specific field, but in several - it is superior to multiple large ships in multiple areas of the game. At risk of being set on fire by Imperials, I think it needs trimming on its optionals such that it can have massive shields still but has to sacrifice those shields if it wants to be something other than a high-defense combat ship. For the rest of the lineup, speed alone isn't enough - ask the Mamba - they lack a loadout that makes them worthy of attaining. Honestly, the real goof-up here is that the Alliance ships (not aesthetically, but design-ethos wise) should have been Imperial and the haberdashery of Imperial ships should have been Alliance.
The Alliance ships almost fit the Federal mold - they're just not well-balanced with the mandatory three military compartments across all three models. Crusader could really shine with a solid balance pass and be a more nimble, less firepower version of the FGS. Keep the challenger as the superior agile fighter, and rework the chieftain into an agile and less tanky multi-role...like the FDS. Now you've got a lineup similar to Federal, but more agility oriented than armor and firepower oriented.