I posted this on Reddit, but this is the suggestion forum, so I'll post this here, too...
In early 3305, the war against the Thargoids has taken a heavy toll against the humanity. The Federation, Empire, and Alliance have fortified the lines, but strikes on both sides have common and destructive.
Faulcon DeLacy shipyards were hit, all but wiping out the manufacture of the Cobra MkIII. In response, the Cobra MkV was developed, building on the legacy of this storied ship and learning from the lessons of both the MkIII and MkIV. Retaining the agility and speed of the Mk III, the Mk V managed to have the internal storage of the Mk IV, albeit at a slight loss in jump range. Still with only four hardpoints, like the Mk III, they were relocated (to help internal storage) resulting in better convergence, like the Mk IV. Improved manufacturing processes allow this ship to be purchased for the same price as the Mk III before it.
The destruction of the Lakon Spaceways Type-7 shipyards led to the opportunity for Lakon to develop the Type-8 Blockade Runner. Similar to the Type-7, the Type-8 was designed as slightly shorter than the Type-7, allowing it to dock at, and resupply, the many outposts of human space. Hardpoints were moved around, so that a medium hardpoint faced forward, and two small hardpoints were mounted midship facing outward - perfect for turrets. Otherwise, stats remained the same as the Type-7 before it.
The facilities that produced Lakon Spaceways' Asp Scout, which suffered only minor damage from an attack, siezed the opportunity to push design improvements long sought-after for this ship.
The Imperial Navy, seeing a hole in their ability to resupply and reinforce their outposts, commissioned Gutamaya with the construction of the Imperial Quartermaster. This medium-sized ship retained the beauty and grace that defined the ships of the Imperial Navy, while having enough internal capacity to make a solid mid-sized trader and, with a single large hardpoint and three small hardpoints, had the firepower to defend the far-flung orbital stations of the Empire. This ship was made available to those who have achieved the rank of Knight (or better) in the Imperial Naval Reserve.
Zorgon Peterson shipyards were hit particularly hard, resulting in the complete obliteration of the manufacturing capabilities of both the Hauler and the Adder. In their stead, the Adder MkII was designed, which, due to manufacturing process improvements, came in as slightly more expensive than the previous Hauler but less than the Adder. It had the functionality of the Adder, while the loss of a small hardpoint allowed for a slightly longer jump range.
Also, after securing a loan from the Federation, Zorgon Peterson designed the all-new Boa. The largest and most expensive new ship released to the spaceways in years, this medium-sized ship was seen as the first true competitor to the always-popular Python, matching it in internal capacity, and having comparable firepower while sporting the elegance known to the Zorgon Peterson line.
Of course, the galactic supply chain is long and complicated, and, from time to time, ships thought previously unavailable would still be spotted in limited numbers at stations across the stars. These were usually snapped up immediately by collectors, mostly interested in their nostalgic value than their actual usefulness.
So my thinking here, which I didn't expand on in my Reddit thread, is the idea of addressing some shortcomings in existing ships or holes in the lineups. I'm not looking for a major buff to any existing ship or to shake up the gameplay too much, but there are some issues which these changes could address:
In early 3305, the war against the Thargoids has taken a heavy toll against the humanity. The Federation, Empire, and Alliance have fortified the lines, but strikes on both sides have common and destructive.
Faulcon DeLacy shipyards were hit, all but wiping out the manufacture of the Cobra MkIII. In response, the Cobra MkV was developed, building on the legacy of this storied ship and learning from the lessons of both the MkIII and MkIV. Retaining the agility and speed of the Mk III, the Mk V managed to have the internal storage of the Mk IV, albeit at a slight loss in jump range. Still with only four hardpoints, like the Mk III, they were relocated (to help internal storage) resulting in better convergence, like the Mk IV. Improved manufacturing processes allow this ship to be purchased for the same price as the Mk III before it.
The destruction of the Lakon Spaceways Type-7 shipyards led to the opportunity for Lakon to develop the Type-8 Blockade Runner. Similar to the Type-7, the Type-8 was designed as slightly shorter than the Type-7, allowing it to dock at, and resupply, the many outposts of human space. Hardpoints were moved around, so that a medium hardpoint faced forward, and two small hardpoints were mounted midship facing outward - perfect for turrets. Otherwise, stats remained the same as the Type-7 before it.
The facilities that produced Lakon Spaceways' Asp Scout, which suffered only minor damage from an attack, siezed the opportunity to push design improvements long sought-after for this ship.
The Imperial Navy, seeing a hole in their ability to resupply and reinforce their outposts, commissioned Gutamaya with the construction of the Imperial Quartermaster. This medium-sized ship retained the beauty and grace that defined the ships of the Imperial Navy, while having enough internal capacity to make a solid mid-sized trader and, with a single large hardpoint and three small hardpoints, had the firepower to defend the far-flung orbital stations of the Empire. This ship was made available to those who have achieved the rank of Knight (or better) in the Imperial Naval Reserve.
Zorgon Peterson shipyards were hit particularly hard, resulting in the complete obliteration of the manufacturing capabilities of both the Hauler and the Adder. In their stead, the Adder MkII was designed, which, due to manufacturing process improvements, came in as slightly more expensive than the previous Hauler but less than the Adder. It had the functionality of the Adder, while the loss of a small hardpoint allowed for a slightly longer jump range.
Also, after securing a loan from the Federation, Zorgon Peterson designed the all-new Boa. The largest and most expensive new ship released to the spaceways in years, this medium-sized ship was seen as the first true competitor to the always-popular Python, matching it in internal capacity, and having comparable firepower while sporting the elegance known to the Zorgon Peterson line.
Of course, the galactic supply chain is long and complicated, and, from time to time, ships thought previously unavailable would still be spotted in limited numbers at stations across the stars. These were usually snapped up immediately by collectors, mostly interested in their nostalgic value than their actual usefulness.
So my thinking here, which I didn't expand on in my Reddit thread, is the idea of addressing some shortcomings in existing ships or holes in the lineups. I'm not looking for a major buff to any existing ship or to shake up the gameplay too much, but there are some issues which these changes could address:
- First, while I love my Python, there's nothing out there that really compares to it in terms of multipurpose flexibility on a medium pad. This leads to the Boa (or some other snake name) where there's a reasonable alternative to the ship.
- For the Adder/Hauler, the Adder is a clear upgrade in everything except jump range, I believe. Combining them at a lower price point simplifies the beginning choices and makes a potential upgrade path clearer.
- The Imperial Navy is lacking a mid-sized ship that can fit on a mid-sized pad, and also something available at the comparable Federal rank. The Quartermaster would fill all these gaps.
- The Type-7 upgrade to a Type-8 would fix the biggest issue with the Type-7, which is that it's a medium ship restricted to a large pad. This redesign would remedy that.
- Finally, the Cobra upgrade, which might be controversial. Giving it a chance to be what the MkIV never was (and available to more pilots) makes it a clearer upgrade as well.
I adore the handling, I don't think it pitches or turns poorly at all really (and that's with D-grade thrusters with only a G3 dirty drives).