o7
With the recent deployment of new Supercruise Overcharge (SCOFSD) capable ship frames and the fact that these frames are also just a “tiny bit better” at the roles they are intended for I feel that a there is a clear divide growing between the “old gen” and “new gen” ships.
A current example is to ask why anyone would buy a T9 Heavy when a PCMkII exists. And while there is an argument to make for either ship (preferred handling, aesthetics, hardpoint convergence); the general consensus in this scenario is that “bigger cargo = better ship”.
Whilst I do not disagree in principle with that notion there is a lot of nuances that ships have that I feel are getting overshadowed by SCO ships being introduced into the playing field. It also dismantles every previous effort made by the players in the game. The hauling debate was often described as “use the T9H when you do not have the imp rank, use the Cutter if you do; as you can squeeze out a bit more cargo on the latter ship”. Well, with the PC Mk II you do not need to concern yourself with rank any more, it is the biggest hauling ship available.
And we see this divide with many other roles as well: Mandalay is extremely well equipped for long range exploration and general use. Cobra Mk V is considered the better choice over several multi-role ships in the small frame category. The Python Mk 2 is overshadowing the FDL in PvE combat (and I believe in PvP combat as well but I do not fly in Open so I will leave that discussion alone).
There are some frames In the “old gen” category that did encroach on each other’s roles before SCO was introduced, but with very subtle differences that makes them unique and stand out. For example the Python and Krait Mk II are very similar in Hardpoints and Optional Internals. However the Krait Mk II does have the option to deploy a SLF. That is something you can use or ignore if you want. However when comparing that to a similar SCO native ship like the Corsair there is no contest as the Corsair also has both more hardpoint slots and more optional internal slots compared to both older ships mentioned.
This brings me to the crux of the problem that I see. The SCO native ships are more powerful in addition to the faster cruise speeds possible. And if this trend continues we will end up with a game that has 80 different ships of which 40 of them are completely useless.
Thus I want to suggest a new feature that I call “Ship Metamorphosis” or “Ship Moulting” to stick with the snake theme. “Ship Ecdysis” perhaps? Regardless. In essence “Moulting” is a permanent alteration of a ships internal structure with the explicit goal of adding better SCO control at the minimum or when being a bit more ambitious, changing the internal layout in such a way that it can confidently lean into a niche role.
As mentioned this is intended to be a permanent modification, it will therefore cost either a lot of credits (creating a way to spend credits for the cmdr that has everything) and/or in some cases even engineering materials to encourage it to be a deliberate choice. When going with the more ambitious option I can imagine a system where ships can be taken to a manufacturer’s shipyard and change the ship to accept the brand new Mk II Cargo Racks and thus reinvigorating a Type-7 to truly be a Large classed Hauler instead of being overshadowed by a medium Type-8.
Certain specialised customiser companies can pop up to focus on very specific things, xeno-combat or long range exploration for example. A unique overcharged fuel scoop slot, or ‘rescue restricted’ internals for the vigilant Fuel Rat. Bring it to Core Dynamics and you can convert some internal slots into Military Restricted slots (and these should really give a small bonus to the hull reinforcement packages when used like this I think). The possibilities can be endless, except that it is a one time per ship action. Most of the ship manufacturers have constructed a SCO native ship by now so they have the knowledge, we are lacking a Saud Kruger and Core Dynamics ship but I am sure those are in the pipeline somewhere.
The outside of the frame should be left alone so that any ship kits or paint jobs will not loose their value. Either because they were bought or earned; or they hold some sort of significance to the cmdr: “I flew to Sagitarius A* in my Mechanist Pink Diamondback Explorer and thus my ‘Pink Comet’ it is dear to my heart” as an example. It will also avoid any confusion when fighting in PvP. If it looks like an FDL it is an FDL but it could be using “the Core Dynamics ecdysis” so it will have tougher armour.
In conclusion: with the current introduction of SCO capable ships; the legacy ships are being overshadowed and they might still hold some (sentimental) value to the cmdr. Instead of leaving these ships to rot in a hanger somewhere and end up in a game where half the ships are significantly worse because of these new ships coming to the market, I would suggest a feature that would change the internal structure to support SCO drive stabilisation or even let the ship lean into a more competitive albeit niche role. This change is permanent to each ship and reverting to a “stock” variant will not be possible. The choice to change should be deliberate and feature a hefty price-tag to drain some of the dragon wealth certain veteran cmdrs posses. In-game customisation shops and manufacturers can offer specific packages tailored to certain roles. Some suggestions what a changed ship could end up like are: xeno-combat optimisations, modifying the ship to accept the new Mk2 Cargo Racks. A Lakon hauler upgrade for the Adder/Hauler. A racer kit for the Asp Scout made by Zorgon Peterson for those canyon racing enthusiasts. On the outside the ship is left as they are so there is not much extra work to be done on the models/assets side of things and those efforts can be put into new ships or kits instead.
With the recent deployment of new Supercruise Overcharge (SCOFSD) capable ship frames and the fact that these frames are also just a “tiny bit better” at the roles they are intended for I feel that a there is a clear divide growing between the “old gen” and “new gen” ships.
A current example is to ask why anyone would buy a T9 Heavy when a PCMkII exists. And while there is an argument to make for either ship (preferred handling, aesthetics, hardpoint convergence); the general consensus in this scenario is that “bigger cargo = better ship”.
Whilst I do not disagree in principle with that notion there is a lot of nuances that ships have that I feel are getting overshadowed by SCO ships being introduced into the playing field. It also dismantles every previous effort made by the players in the game. The hauling debate was often described as “use the T9H when you do not have the imp rank, use the Cutter if you do; as you can squeeze out a bit more cargo on the latter ship”. Well, with the PC Mk II you do not need to concern yourself with rank any more, it is the biggest hauling ship available.
And we see this divide with many other roles as well: Mandalay is extremely well equipped for long range exploration and general use. Cobra Mk V is considered the better choice over several multi-role ships in the small frame category. The Python Mk 2 is overshadowing the FDL in PvE combat (and I believe in PvP combat as well but I do not fly in Open so I will leave that discussion alone).
There are some frames In the “old gen” category that did encroach on each other’s roles before SCO was introduced, but with very subtle differences that makes them unique and stand out. For example the Python and Krait Mk II are very similar in Hardpoints and Optional Internals. However the Krait Mk II does have the option to deploy a SLF. That is something you can use or ignore if you want. However when comparing that to a similar SCO native ship like the Corsair there is no contest as the Corsair also has both more hardpoint slots and more optional internal slots compared to both older ships mentioned.
This brings me to the crux of the problem that I see. The SCO native ships are more powerful in addition to the faster cruise speeds possible. And if this trend continues we will end up with a game that has 80 different ships of which 40 of them are completely useless.
Thus I want to suggest a new feature that I call “Ship Metamorphosis” or “Ship Moulting” to stick with the snake theme. “Ship Ecdysis” perhaps? Regardless. In essence “Moulting” is a permanent alteration of a ships internal structure with the explicit goal of adding better SCO control at the minimum or when being a bit more ambitious, changing the internal layout in such a way that it can confidently lean into a niche role.
As mentioned this is intended to be a permanent modification, it will therefore cost either a lot of credits (creating a way to spend credits for the cmdr that has everything) and/or in some cases even engineering materials to encourage it to be a deliberate choice. When going with the more ambitious option I can imagine a system where ships can be taken to a manufacturer’s shipyard and change the ship to accept the brand new Mk II Cargo Racks and thus reinvigorating a Type-7 to truly be a Large classed Hauler instead of being overshadowed by a medium Type-8.
Certain specialised customiser companies can pop up to focus on very specific things, xeno-combat or long range exploration for example. A unique overcharged fuel scoop slot, or ‘rescue restricted’ internals for the vigilant Fuel Rat. Bring it to Core Dynamics and you can convert some internal slots into Military Restricted slots (and these should really give a small bonus to the hull reinforcement packages when used like this I think). The possibilities can be endless, except that it is a one time per ship action. Most of the ship manufacturers have constructed a SCO native ship by now so they have the knowledge, we are lacking a Saud Kruger and Core Dynamics ship but I am sure those are in the pipeline somewhere.
The outside of the frame should be left alone so that any ship kits or paint jobs will not loose their value. Either because they were bought or earned; or they hold some sort of significance to the cmdr: “I flew to Sagitarius A* in my Mechanist Pink Diamondback Explorer and thus my ‘Pink Comet’ it is dear to my heart” as an example. It will also avoid any confusion when fighting in PvP. If it looks like an FDL it is an FDL but it could be using “the Core Dynamics ecdysis” so it will have tougher armour.
In conclusion: with the current introduction of SCO capable ships; the legacy ships are being overshadowed and they might still hold some (sentimental) value to the cmdr. Instead of leaving these ships to rot in a hanger somewhere and end up in a game where half the ships are significantly worse because of these new ships coming to the market, I would suggest a feature that would change the internal structure to support SCO drive stabilisation or even let the ship lean into a more competitive albeit niche role. This change is permanent to each ship and reverting to a “stock” variant will not be possible. The choice to change should be deliberate and feature a hefty price-tag to drain some of the dragon wealth certain veteran cmdrs posses. In-game customisation shops and manufacturers can offer specific packages tailored to certain roles. Some suggestions what a changed ship could end up like are: xeno-combat optimisations, modifying the ship to accept the new Mk2 Cargo Racks. A Lakon hauler upgrade for the Adder/Hauler. A racer kit for the Asp Scout made by Zorgon Peterson for those canyon racing enthusiasts. On the outside the ship is left as they are so there is not much extra work to be done on the models/assets side of things and those efforts can be put into new ships or kits instead.