OK, let's settle this. What is THE best paintjob?

[DemiserofD]

I like the look of the darker ones like the Stygian paintjobs, but the conditions to actually SEE those in regular gameplay are so specific it feels like a waste of ARX to me. 90% of the time you just look black, and not even a cool matte black.

It's for that reason I really like the 'industrial' look, especially on workhorse ships like the T10. Looks like what a ship like a t10 might ACTUALLY look like, if you took a construction vessel and slapped 200 tons of armor on top.

 

[Frankymole]

I like the look of the darker ones like the Stygian paintjobs, but the conditions to actually SEE those in regular gameplay are so specific it feels like a waste of ARX to me. 90% of the time you just look black, and not even a cool matte black.

That's probably why they work better on the curved ships like the FDL and the Cutter, rather than ones with flat surfaces / planes / angles. You always get some shine somewhere. They look good on streams, though I don't own any, I always miss the sales window.

 

[Fizzatron]

I'm actually a fan of the Squadron Red PJ, and the Squadron set overall, they have a similar visual style to the rebel ships in Star Wars IMO.

Here's the blue;

 

[Untilting]

I'm actually a fan of the Squadron Red PJ, and the Squadron set overall, they have a similar visual style to the rebel ships in Star Wars IMO.

Echoes of BSG too

 

[Fizzatron]

Echoes of BSG too

Nice! I guess it's that cool 70s/80s sci-fi aesthetic overall

 

[HRDiagram]

Pick ONE paintjob you consider to be the best of any ship's paintjob.

It's really hard for me, because I cannot abstract a paintjob from a ship: my favourite paintjob on a Cutter looks crap on a Cobra, and vice versa.
Picking one would mean choosing the best combination (to me).

That being said, this thread already shows two of my favourites (that I have been using for a number of years):

Cobra - Anniversary
Cutter - Stygian Red

 

[Felix DiCestria]

I'm actually a fan of the Squadron Red PJ, and the Squadron set overall, they have a similar visual style to the rebel ships in Star Wars IMO.

View attachment 380055View attachment 380056View attachment 380057

Here's the blue;

View attachment 380058

Echoes of BSG too

Nice! I guess it's that cool 70s/80s sci-fi aesthetic overall

A bit of Buck Rogers as well.

 

[S0rkvild]

My favorites
1. Crossfire
2. Chromed / Azure
3. Tactical White

 

[Red Anders]

It's not even a contest.

 

[O'Roarke]

The Bestest Paintjob EVER is the Stygian Red on a Courier; obviously!

As can be seen on the 28-NOV-2023 forum post that they were available again for last year's holiday season.
In that post, however, the paintjob looks especially sexy due to that tantalizing deployed hardpoint action going on!

Don't seem to recognize it, so I feel the need to acquire it the moment it's available.

 

[The Lawful]

Out of competition, but this one must be one of the most exclusive ones, even though it is still on sale. Never saw this ingame. It's named 'Flash'.

IIRC it was a Community paintjob contest winner, just like the Cobra III Medusa one.

O7,

 

[Willyum-71]

I purchased a crap-ton of Fleet Carrier paint's, pad markers, and thruster colors so when I'm laid up burning off notoriety or I have company coming over, I switch up the FC to always match and look good... (j/k, I only had notoriety once and that was completely by accident).

 

[tolm]

I still think it has to be this.

What’s this one? Looks very cool but doesn’t appear to be available …

 

[metatheurgist]

What’s this one? Looks very cool but doesn’t appear to be available …

There were some you got for turning up at events that some of us living at the opposite side of the world never got a chance to get. Not bitter or anything.

 

[Alien]

What’s this one? Looks very cool but doesn’t appear to be available …

It's an exclusive paint job only issued by Frontier normally to content creators. I've seen Malic_VR use it.

EDIT: I don't know for certain how it was obtained.

 

[Darwin]

What’s this one? Looks very cool but doesn’t appear to be available …

It’s the Frontier themed Mamba

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/giveaway-community-prize-packs-and-paint-jobs.510874/

 

[Darwin]

I always thought the Chrome or Stygians really suited the smooth lines of the Imperial ships.

I think Chrome and Chromed works on most ships they are available for. There is a slight difference between the 2017 Chrome (no longer available) and the 2018+ Chromed (periodically available). Similar to the difference of Gold and Golden.
I like how they take on the colours of their surroundings. Odyssey thin atmospheres make them zing.

Spoiler: Some examples of Chrome

Asp Scout (Chrome)

Federal Corvette (Chrome)

Imperial Cutter (Chrome)

Spoiler: Some examples of Chromed

Chieftain (Chromed)

Krait Phantom (Chromed)

Imperial Eagle (Chromed)

 

[Darwin]

I think one of the best paintjobs was a member of canon (Xbox I believe ) who had a dragon either on cutter on clipper . I think it was won in a raffle where they could design a paintjob . I would have paid a lot of money to get that .

Not Xbox. I was fortunate to be the winning auction bidder. A little introduction is sometimes required.

It was Christmas 3302... the ‘Special Effect’ charity auction in the Sol system, as part of the 'Festive Fun and Charity Livestreams' events that year.

"a custom, one of a kind, special unique paint job. You will be able to work with our paint job designer to create something custom and unique for you”

The initial concept was 'St. George & the Dragon' and was for my favourite ship, the Imperial Cutter.
Tjaart Kruger and the Frontier team did an awsome job.

Spoiler: “Idris”

 

[metatheurgist]

I think Chrome and Chromed works on most ships they are available for. There is a slight difference between the 2017 Chrome (no longer available) and the 2018+ Chromed (periodically available). Similar to the difference of Gold and Golden.
I like how they take on the colours of their surroundings. Odyssey thin atmospheres make them zing.

Spoiler: Some examples of Chrome

Asp Scout (Chrome)

Federal Corvette (Chrome)

Imperial Cutter (Chrome)

Spoiler: Some examples of Chromed

Chieftain (Chromed)

Krait Phantom (Chromed)

Imperial Eagle (Chromed)

The funny thing about this is the Chromed/Golden were introduced because initially the Chrome/Gold looked a bit naff. Especially the Gold, it used to look like the gold painted furniture you see sometimes. Lo and behold, some visual reworks later and the original ones look amazing and the imposters look a bit dull. As it should be I guess, though now the originals are rare prizes.

 

[Imo]