Ships New Exploration ship

[Darrack]

So we have a new combat ship and a new trading ship about to be released, they are both variants of existing ships, so what would you like to see if they produced a new vessel for exploration?
I love my Beluga but would love it to have a bit more jump range and a bigger fuel scoop, something along those lines.

Be sensible, they wont make a Cobra into the Starship Enterprise!

O7

 

[SergMx]

So we have a new combat ship and a new trading ship about to be released, they are both variants of existing ships, so what would you like to see if they produced a new vessel for exploration?
I love my Beluga but would love it to have a bit more jump range and a bigger fuel scoop, something along those lines.

Be sensible, they wont make a Cobra into the Starship Enterprise!

O7

Sorry to be off topic, yeah I was thinking about the third ship as an explorer too. But I've always been intimidated by the thought that I can't think of what the fourth ship would be in this case, even just its role.

 

[Aris Tarkus]

Would love to see an exploration ship that looks like either the Discovery from 2001, or one of the ships from Silent Running.

 

[CMDR Daiyus]

Ships remaining that don't have a variant: Adder, Anaconda, Beluga, Dolphin, Federal Corvette, Fer-de-Lance, Hauler, Imperial Clipper, Imperial Courier, Imperial Cutter, Mamba, Orca, Sidewinder & Vulture.

The Hauler is already a nice starter exploration ship, and the Anaconda, well, say no more. The Fer-de-Lance and Mamba are effectively variants of each other. Realistically I can't see the superpower navy affiliations getting a variant given the ARX situation. I'd also say the passenger ships are unlikely to get variants, although that's not to say I wouldn't like to see an Orca with less windows and more exploration utility. That leaves us with: Adder, Sidewinder & Vulture.

The Vulture could make for an interesting exploration variant. It's traditionally a combat ship, most people shun the idea of it doing anything else, so a variant would work in that sense. It's got a decent amount of internal slots that can be re-shuffled to accommodate exploration focused modules. Downsized weapons to upsize the FSD, plus SCO optimisation. The small footprint lends itself to exobiology. It's main rival would be the DBX, which has limited internals to match a fuel scoop to it's FSD. A Vulture with a bit less range, but better module sizing options would be a tempting prospect.

 

[Cmdr. Numa]

Anaconda hull mass fix and then a more graceful and slender Anaconda MK II with many but mostly smaller internals (except the big one for the scoop) without a topside bridge, but rather flown from what is the forward observation deck on the current one.

 

[Fixitman]

Something similar to the DBX (small pad), but SCO optimized. Hunting some biologicals is next to impossible with larger ships. SCO is too big a risk on the current DBX (IMO), but it could be useful from time to time.

 

[Releaux]

IMO, it will be really difficult to beat the Krait Phantom for exploration. The only thing that’s been a problem for me is its size when trying to land in the mountains, but even then I can often find a spot in all but the most extreme ranges.

I suppose they could introduce an SCO-friendly DBX, AspX, or Phantom, but that would mostly just be a small improvement to the ships that really shine in the black.

What would potentially lure me away from the Phantom would be s an SCO Cobra-like ship (so much fun to fly) with a few more opt slots, even 1s or 2s, to allow a small ship to have scoop, shield, vehicle bay, and repair, with room for some nice-to-haves.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

You'll be hard pressed to ever come up with an exploration ship that looks any more like an exploration ship than the AspX.

The Phantom handles a bit better, has negligible more range, but doesn't really look the part.

Plus the view out of the cockpit on the AspX is second to none.

 

[Darrack]

You'll be hard pressed to ever come up with an exploration ship that looks any more like an exploration ship than the AspX.

O'really?

O7

 

[Releaux]

If we’re going on “looks like an exploration ship” alone, I’d probably pick the T-7, T-9, or T-10. Those look a lot more like what I’d consider something capable of self-sufficiency in the galaxy. And some people have gone plenty far in them.

My dream dream explorer would be an Anaconda with that fabled Sidewinder excursion ship. We use fleet carriers in this fashion, but I’d love a less bulky, more mobile alternative. Not the mini-carrier that’s been floated from time to time, but a large ship with a small ship bay.

 

[Darrack]

If we’re going on “looks like an exploration ship” alone, I’d probably pick the T-7, T-9, or T-10. Those look a lot more like what I’d consider something capable of self-sufficiency in the galaxy. And some people have gone plenty far in them.

My dream dream explorer would be an Anaconda with that fabled Sidewinder excursion ship. We use fleet carriers in this fashion, but I’d love a less bulky, more mobile alternative. Not the mini-carrier that’s been floated from time to time, but a large ship with a small ship bay.

I took a T7 to Beagle, its a very capable 50LY+ explorer

O7

 

[SergMx]

If we’re going on “looks like an exploration ship” alone, I’d probably pick the T-7, T-9, or T-10. Those look a lot more like what I’d consider something capable of self-sufficiency in the galaxy. And some people have gone plenty far in them.

My dream dream explorer would be an Anaconda with that fabled Sidewinder excursion ship. We use fleet carriers in this fashion, but I’d love a less bulky, more mobile alternative. Not the mini-carrier that’s been floated from time to time, but a large ship with a small ship bay.

There has long been a suggestion that the fighter hangar could fit not only fighters but small ships for drilling and shuttles for landing.

 

[Esteban]

My dream dream explorer would be an Anaconda with that fabled Sidewinder excursion ship. We use fleet carriers in this fashion, but I’d love a less bulky, more mobile alternative. Not the mini-carrier that’s been floated from time to time, but a large ship with a small ship bay.

As mentioned, this has been suggested before, but I'll second it once more: I really like the idea of being able to carry an excursion ship,* possibly even one that could hold a single SRV.
There are lots of bodies with terrain that prohibit the landing of a large ship and even make it difficult to land a smaller vessel.

*Oh my; perhaps we could introduce another new ship - an excursion ship!

 

[Releaux]

There has long been a suggestion that the fighter hangar could fit not only fighters but small ships for drilling and shuttles for landing.

I’ve seen those suggestions, but I was actually making the comment based on a vague recollection of kickstarter (maybe?) comments from Braben (also maybe?) that the Anaconda would have room for a sidewinder on board.

I probably have the details wrong, I just remember reading the comment or a quote of the comment at some point in the nebulous past.

Wishes and fishes aside, exploration and exobiology have really become my favorite parts of the game. The planet gen in Odyssey is remarkably on point in certain vistas. I recently drove through both the low and high deserts between Arizona and Washington State, and there were times I’d come over a hill and the vista was startlingly like some of the planets I’ve landed on.

I’d welcome a new exploration ship, but with the addition of the SCO drives speeding up exits from planets, I’m not sure what more I need that the Phantom isn’t providing.

 

[Oh Seven Commander]

I too would love to see the Beluga with more range and an appropriate sized scoop. It should have had that from the first day it came out imo.

 

[Nadreck]

Another vote for a Beluga variant with a size 7 internal. Of course Frontier would insist on making it worse in some other respect, but they could do that by downsizing a 6 to a 5, and a 5 to a 4. So, fewer passengers, but the same number of slots.

 

[SergMx]

Another vote for a Beluga variant with a size 7 internal. Of course Frontier would insist on making it worse in some other respect, but they could do that by downsizing a 6 to a 5, and a 5 to a 4. So, fewer passengers, but the same number of slots.

Are we talking about a research ship or a passenger ship?

 

[Nadreck]

Are we talking about a research ship or a passenger ship?

Well, with a decent scoop (and preferably a longer jumprange), it would be good for deep-space exploration or "famous explorer" long-range sightseeing missions.

The Beluga is the only other ship that has as many internal slots as the Anaconda (if we don't count the Annie's military slot), plus good cockpit view and agility for a big ship. And the big fuel tank is another bonus. But it loses out on scooping and jumprange. I took mine to Beagle with DW2, but at least that was a slow pace, I don't like neutron-boosting in it because of the need to take a long time refuelling.

As Frontier isn't going to make existing Belugas obsolete, they'd either have to suddenly redesign it (as they did with the T9, when we all discovered a walled-off size 8 internal after an upgrade), or give us a Beluga variant with (probably) a bit less passenger-cabin space, a "deep space" variant.

 

[Oh Seven Commander]

Well, with a decent scoop (and preferably a longer jumprange), it would be good for deep-space exploration or "famous explorer" long-range sightseeing missions.

The Beluga is the only other ship that has as many internal slots as the Anaconda (if we don't count the Annie's military slot), plus good cockpit view and agility for a big ship. And the big fuel tank is another bonus. But it loses out on scooping and jumprange. I took mine to Beagle with DW2, but at least that was a slow pace, I don't like neutron-boosting in it because of the need to take a long time refuelling.

As Frontier isn't going to make existing Belugas obsolete, they'd either have to suddenly redesign it (as they did with the T9, when we all discovered a walled-off size 8 internal after an upgrade), or give us a Beluga variant with (probably) a bit less passenger-cabin space, a "deep space" variant.

This would be a fantastic ship imo. I like the Beluga's view and the boost is cool. It's unique, and I would probably field it for off-meta stuff if it had a size 7 slot because I could Engineer the plant to handle the 7 prismatic I'm guessing. Of course if it could compete with the Conda more it would be fun to explore in too, but a size 7 would add a lot of opportunities to a ship that honestly needs it.

 

[SergMx]

Well, with a decent scoop (and preferably a longer jumprange), it would be good for deep-space exploration or "famous explorer" long-range sightseeing missions.

The Beluga is the only other ship that has as many internal slots as the Anaconda (if we don't count the Annie's military slot), plus good cockpit view and agility for a big ship. And the big fuel tank is another bonus. But it loses out on scooping and jumprange. I took mine to Beagle with DW2, but at least that was a slow pace, I don't like neutron-boosting in it because of the need to take a long time refuelling.

As Frontier isn't going to make existing Belugas obsolete, they'd either have to suddenly redesign it (as they did with the T9, when we all discovered a walled-off size 8 internal after an upgrade), or give us a Beluga variant with (probably) a bit less passenger-cabin space, a "deep space" variant.

When I was rescuing passengers on the Cutter from the Thargoids, I thought of the Beluga, but after watching its speed I realized it wasn't good for that.