Panther clipper? What stats?

[Noobilite]

What would a panther clipper have as far as hardpoint etc?

I was watching this, but I don't know much about the games history.

It said it had 2100 tons or cargo and 400 tons hull mass.. That is basic weight of 2500 if doing full cargo.

I'll assume it's as big as an anaconda:

Utility: 8
Optional Internals: 11; 8xClass8, 1xClass5, 1xClass4, 1xClass2 (256*8=2048+32+16+4=2100)
Weapon Hardpoints: ?
Core Internals:
Armor: Normal selection
Power plant: 6-8?
Thrusters: 8
FSD: 8 (can you have a level 8 fsd?)
Life Support: 6-7
Distributor: 6-7
Sensors: 5-7
Fuel Tanks: 7-8+

I imagine the weapons hardpoints would be the true limiter in firepower. The rest would have to be beastly to fit the given stats. Now sure what level of distributor would be needed minimally based on other equipment needs. Like the FSD potentially.

You can also easily hit 3200 tones with maxed out core internals and full cargo.Which I assume you may need depending on it's speed and abilities. This is not including weapons and utilities. Although it is lacking any shields.

The only way to reduce the amount of Class 8 optional slots is to increase the number of optional internal hardpoints beyond 11. Either way, massive potential.



I wonder how many pink ships we will see after it's released?

Edit: New guestimate from the idea of having more than class 8 slots for cargo:

If it had class 10:
1xClass10 1024
1xClass9 512
1xClass8 256
3xClass6 192(64)2-3*restricted
3xClass5 96(32)2-3*restricted
1xClass4 16
1xClass2 4

This would make it the uber beluga. And probably the best money maker in the game. Might need it if there are bigger more expensive ships in the game.

Links:
http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Panther_Clipper
http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Panther_Clipper

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

It'll have class-9 module spaces wich can hold 512 tonnes of cargo. Or to be really impressive, a limpet controller that controls 5 limpets.

 

[Noobilite]

I wonder if it would have class 9 shields then. That would be fun.

How much you want to bet it will be released after or just before the super large ships at the end of the year. If those open up bigger hardpoint items then it would make sense things like this with bigger potential needs begin to be added.

 

[Suvi Anwar]

That ship is likely going to be 1400 hull, and carry 1400 cargo, and won't be able to fit in the slot of most stations. Think of a ship 2-2.5x bigger than a T9. It will also be the slowest and worst handling ship to date.

The Anaconda is a snowflake ship, it should not have hull mass of 400, it should be about the hull mass of a Corvette.

 

[Noobilite]

The anaconda in the original game had a hull mass of only like 140. The increased it already to match stuff in the game. I think the lore I read said it had a secret advanced building method that make it super light. But was tied to a single place where it was manufactured. But people took it out to remove competition from sales.

I wonder if this ship is what they got the 400t for the anaconda from?!

And if it has class 9 optionals you could do something likeyou would still need 3xclass 9's or more than 11 slots)
3xClass9 512
3xClass7 128
2xClass6 64
1xClass5 32
1xClass4 16
1xClass3 4
Total: 2100t

If it had class 10:
1xClass10 1024
1xClass9 512
1xClass8 256
3xClass6 192(64)2-3*restricted
3xClass5 96(32)2-3*restricted
1xClass4 16
1xClass2 4

 

[krylite]

If it's going by FE2 & FFE standards, it won't be maneuverable at all with probably far worse handling than the T-9 and worse drift than the cutter. Maybe a single C4 forward hardpoint and 4-5 C2 or C3 turrets on the other sides of the rectangular hull.


[video=youtube;HpvuWNb0K3M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpvuWNb0K3M[/video]

 

[Jaffz]

If the ship is too big, FD can make the stations bigger and the mailbox wider surely?

Anyway, I want one - I want insane trade profits

 

[Chris Simon]

I really doubt we will ever get the Panther Clipper. And if we do, I'm afraid it will be rather underwhelming for most people. Frontier overdid it with the T9 and big three and there's not much room for upscaling.

 

[Noob]

If the ship is too big, FD can make the stations bigger and the mailbox wider surely?

Anyway, I want one - I want insane trade profits

Or they can simply say "this one has 2.100 tones cargo, with 20 optional internals". It's their game, you know?

The size? No problems. Make it square, stubby, with hull all around the wings of Beluga. Barely fits the slot, but still fits.

 

[Noobilite]

I snuck this in an earlier post, but if they wait for the end of the year and if the new fleet ships go up to tier 10 parts, similar to what lizard said about needing tier 9, you can get this:


If it had class 10:
1xClass10 1024
1xClass9 512
1xClass8 256
3xClass6 192(64)2-3*restricted
3xClass5 96(32)2-3*restricted
1xClass4 16
1xClass2 4

This would allow it to become the next best thing potentially after the beluga for restricted access. This combo could get it up to 6x restricted slots or similar. Might be an nice all around ship. Not sure what the performance numbers would be. But having a potential 2100 ton cargo capacity would give it a lot of room to be specialized to tasks if you want to. And probably leave a lot of margin for cargo and other tasks even with improved performance values. You might be able to deal with picky passenger requests better if you can keep all expected items in you cargo and just haul them around to have easier high end passenger hauls. Even if it can only go up to Class 8 shields it might work well.

Maybe this would be more appropriate:

If it had class 10:
1xClass10 1024 restricted
1xClass9 512 restricted
1xClass8 256
3xClass6 192(64)1-3*restricted
3xClass5 96(32)1-3*restricted
1xClass4 16
1xClass2 4

This would limit shields if needed. Although having an unrestricted upper end might allow for a very big fuel scoop if they are available meaning very larger fuel amounts or instant fuel refills for smaller tanks. Not sure if unrestricted is better or not. If it has a new level 8 FSD, which it might need. I would think it would be the new jump king unless there would be something different about the higher level drives that lowers efficiency.

Could they just take the size of a Beluga and make it boxier? If it doesn't have those extra wings on top like the beluga it could be wider and still fit in the box.

Don't know why I couldn't find this before...

http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Panther_Clipper


[video=youtube_share;95WoVjx00Uk]https://youtu.be/95WoVjx00Uk[/video]

In fact, I think the thing to do is take the chiefton, make it as big as a beluga, make it widder, then change the internals and call it a panther clipper. And maybe change the surface textures a bit.

Although, It has a cool looking thing where it looks like the output of the front engines go into the back and combine thrust when in the rear facing position. I wonder if that is representing a purposeful functional thing about the vehicle or just a graphics issue. You could hypothetically do that.

I'm forgetting one things. I says it has 2100 cargo mass and fuel scoops. In the original game would that have to translate to 2100 while using a fuel scoop or 2100 and the ability to get a fuel scoop if you sacrifice weight or a slot?! I don't know the numbers, but I wonder if you can determine which fuel scoop it would have and which slot the default ship would use if you translated it to the current game by looking at the fuel tank and fuel fill rate and time to fill.

 

[MK Regular]

The thing that everyone always seems to forget about ship outfitting in FE2 and FFE is that the listed cargo space needed to fit your jump drive, fuel for your jumps, and several other doodads that now come standard in ED. While on paper the Panther Clipper had 2100T of cargo space, 700T of that was used by the jump drive that used up to 81T of fuel from the cargo hold per jump. Effectively, If you wanted to do single hop A-B trading, you would have ~1300T of cargo space. Adding any weapons to your ship reduced the cargo capacity further (the small/large plasma accelerators were 500/800T respectively).

Basically, I don't see the Panther Clipper getting more than 1000-1300 tons of cargo space. It will easily be the slowest and least maneuverable ship in the game. It could potentially get a huge hardpoint, but don't expect to be able to line up a shot with a PA and gimbaled weapons might be a bit difficult to use simply because you just can't turn. As such, I would think that a huge hardpoint on the panther clipper would be a waste of space for the most part. The space would probably be better used for a pair of medium/large turrets so you can actually hit something.

As for hull mass, I would expect it to be around 1400. The hull masses of ships from FE2 and FFE were increased substantially when they were introduced into ED:

• The Anaconda went from 150 to 400 (2.67x)
• The Python went from 100 to 350 (3.5x)
• The AspX went from 30 to 280 (9.33x)
• The Cobra III went from 20 to 180 (9x)
• The Adder went from 15 to 35 (2.33x)
• The Eagle went from 6 to 50 (8.33x)
• The iEagle went from 8 to 50 (6.25x)
• The Sidewinder went from 8 to 35 (4.38x)

Considering that many ships ended up with anywhere up to 9x as much hull mass in ED, I think it would be reasonable to expect the Panther Clipper to go from 400 to 1400 (3.5x)

 

[Vardaugas]

Will it fit through the mail slot, though?

 

[[VR] Goooost]

I think that the panther clipper should be the flagship of multi crew. Perhaps unflyable without at least NPC crew aboard. Ability to have two fighter bays and all three fighters out at once, (4 if you have real player aboard).
I also think that it should only be able to dock at those capital ship dry-docks, just like how large ships cant access outposts. Keeping one up and running won't be a task for just anybody. You need to adopt a slightly different play style.

 

[TheGrimCorsair]

It'll probably be a Squadron ship, along the lines of a carrier or something. A few places to land, requires the guildmaster to tell it where to go, that sort of thing. Seems extremely unlikely it'd actually be an ownable single-player oriented ship along the lines of the Anaconda or Cutter.

 

[Patrick_68000]

The Panther Clipper will be the Diplodocus of the fleet of ships in ED

 

[Noobilite]

My thread is a bit old but I found this video with potential specifics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2BE2MVEvVE

[video=youtube;a2BE2MVEvVE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2BE2MVEvVE[/video]

Internals by class:

7 PP
8 engines
7 FSD
7 LS
7 PD
5 Sensors
7 Fuel

Not sure on armor.

Lightest armor: 0
Lightest PP: 2D? (0.9T)
Lightest engines: 4/5D? (3.6t,4t,4.2t/7.2T), 6d if the size of a clipper(14.4T)
FSD for exploration: 7A 104T (12.8T tank)
lightest LF: 7D (8T)
lightest PD: 1D (0.45T)
Lightest sensors: 5d (1.6T)
Fuel: 2-128 fuel

What does a tier 7fsd do and what kind of jump could this get if this is all true? I wonder what it's base mass will be. It's already better than the cutter by 5tons from the sensors. If it's lighter like the anaconda it could potentially still fit a 4d engine. But it would be bare bones exploration. 4d can go from 509 to 520 max weight depending on the engineering done. Clean 1 with stripped compared to Reinforced 1 with stripped.

This thing would need a tier 8 or higher fuel scoop without question. it would also potentially be less effected by having a basic srv and potentially fighter and basis shields than the anaconda. Depending on base weight. I can get 3d Shields with stripped down that weigh only 1.33T on my anaconda. and around 160 jewels of shielding.

If it has a lighter hull mass this thing will be very nice.

The only thing of weight that needs to be put on is the class 5 fsd booster.

By using the Life Support as a ballast the max jump can go from 52.11-54.09. That is 1.98 LY with a difference of 60 tons. That is 0.033ly per ton. So if it has a hull weight of 400 like the anaconda = 23.1 tons plus 0.3564 for 4d engines(no likely though), and 1.584 for the sensors. That is 25.0404 unless it doesn't scale that simply. That would be approx. 79.1304ly for a maxed out panther clipper explorer. If not this could be more than that.

The problem is that even with 400 hull mass it can only get a max of 9.x tons of fuel at best. So, it could never do max jumps even with those stats. But it could still do very close with 5d engines. At which point it would have endless fuel. So, I'm assuming it won't outdo the anaconda in jump but it might have room to be a slightly worse alternative. Maybe like the krait phantom compared to the asp explorer. And maybe with some equipment you can't as easily afford on an anaconda. But this is all assuming the same hull mass as the anaconda. Anything more and it will be much worse off in the exploration area.

https://s.orbis.zone/23g2
https://s.orbis.zone/23g5

I'm a little bummed. I was hoping for a ship with somewhere near 100-120 jump range. It would have opened up whole new areas for exploration.

I did some of that math wrong but it's about the same. I think absolute max jump range will be 78.006. So, exactly 78ly or 78.01 according to the game. Not bad since the closest competitor is in the high 60's. That is of course assuming it get 400 hull mass.

A guess. If it's max weight is around 2500 tons total. If it is 400 tons hull mass. And the minimum internal weight is...250.15T including a full 128 fuel and max fsd. Will it have enough optional hardpoints for 2500-250-hull mass? 1,850 tons?!

Minimum optionals would be aroundAssuming 11 unrestricted internals

8 256
8 512
8 768
8 1024
7 1152
7 1280
7 1408
7 1536
7 1664
7 1792
6 1856

With the lightest FSD change the last Class 6 to a 7. That is pretty unlikely. So, unless they add class 9's to the mix it may have a higher hull mass.

Although a class 9A Fuel scoop might get around 2250 per second.. 8)

It would be a mix between an anaconda, beluga, and asp/diamondback explorer!

With class 9 optionals:

9 512
9 1024
8 1280
7 1408
7 1536
7 1664
6 1728
6 1794
5 1824
4 1840
3 1848

 

[MK Regular]

My thread is a bit old but I found this video with potential specifics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2BE2MVEvVE



Internals by class:

7 PP
8 engines
7 FSD
7 LS
7 PD
5 Sensors
7 Fuel

Not sure on armor.

Lightest armor: 0
Lightest PP: 2D? (0.9T)
Lightest engines: 4/5D? (3.6-7.2T), 6d if the size of a clipper(14.4T)
FSD for exploration: 7A 104T (12.8T tank)
lightest PD: 1D (0.45T)
Lightest sensors: 5d (1.6T)
Fuel: 2-128 fuel

What does a tier 7fsd do and what kind of jump could this get if this is all true? I wonder what it's base mass will be. It's already better than the cutter by 5tons from the sensors. If it's lighter like the anaconda it could potentially still fit a 4d engine. But it would be bare bones exploration. 4d can go from 509 to 520 max weight depending on the engineering done. Clean 1 with stripped compared to Reinforced 1 with stripped.

This thing would need a tier 8 or higher fuel scoop without question. it would also potentially be less effected by having a basic srv and potentially fighter and basis shields than the anaconda. Depending on base weight. I can get 3d Shields with stripped down that weigh only 1.33T on my anaconda. and around 160 jewels of shielding.

If it has a lighter hull mass this thing will be very nice.

The only thing of weight that needs to be put on is the class 5 fsd booster.

If the video you referenced got the stats from the blog that I think they did, I would take everything that was said about the Panther Clipper with a MASSIVE grain of salt.

That said, let's go on the assumption that everything in the video is true. If it's getting a class 7 FSD, there is absolutely NO WAY that it would get a hull mass of anything lower than about 900 tons. If it did, there is a reasonable chance that it would outjump the Anaconda, which is already kinda broken in this regard. Let's start with a hull mass of 900 tons and work our way up from there to the 1500 tons that was speculated about in the video:

• At 900 tons of hull mass, the Panther Clipper would be incapable of using Size 4 thrusters, although it could potentially manage to use 5A or 5B thrusters if it was stripped down enough. Likewise, at 900 tons of hull mass it would also be incapable of using size 4 shield generators.
• At 1000 tons of hull mass, the Panther Clipper is effectively blocked from using class 5 thrusters on any kind of meaningful build.
• At 1014 tons of hull mass, the Panther Clipper can no longer mount class 5 shield generators.
• At 1351 tons of hull mass, the Panther Clipper can no longer mount class 6 shield generators.

Now, coming back to the versions of the Panther Clipper that were in previous games, you should probably not expect the ship to be an exploration ship with a high jump range. These ships were not known for exceptionally high jump ranges - even though they could mount the largest jump drive in the game - simply because they were extremely heavy. This will probably carry over to the ED version of the Panther Clipper, so don't expect it to have excellent jump range just because it has a class 7 FSD.

I have my own theory as to what the Panther Clipper stats would look like. Thick hull, decent shields, 1400 tons of hull mass (requires class 7/8 shield generator), slow as molasses (something like 100/160 base speed/boost), and easily the least maneuverable ship in the game. For modules:

• Class 8 power plant
• Class 8 thrusters
• Class 7 FSD
• Class 6 life support
• Class 7 power distributor
• Class 6 sensors
• Class 7 fuel tank
• Optional internal layout of 8-8-7-7-6-5-4-3-3 for a total of 896 tons of cargo (unshielded)
• 2 class 5 military slots
• 4 large and 4 medium hardpoints with abysmal convergence for fixed weapons but good fields of fire for turrets
• 8 utility mounts

Effectively, it would make an excellent late-game trade ship, out-hauling the Cutter while still maintaining good levels of protection. It would be slow, it would be sluggish, but not much would be able to significant damage to it. Turrets would be a necessity to be able to take down more maneuverable targets, but the hardpoints are set up in a manner that allows very effective use of turrets.

Two prototype builds I made a while back on coriolis.io, one that is tanked up to the maximum extent possible without HRPs (and still has 640 tons of cargo) and another that has the maximum cargo possible while still having a shield (768 tons of cargo). On both mock-ups, the 8B SCB represents cargo space that I could not model otherwise, the 6A SCB represents the additional 300T of hull mass, the size 6 fuel tank represents the other half of the size 7 fuel tank in the core components, and all the other engineered modules are to correct the various stats that I could not represent otherwise. Oh and the large burst turret in the huge hardpoint actually represents 2 large burst turrets.

 

[Noobilite]

I went over the math.(hopefully correctly) With 400 hull mass and the internals mentioned in that video, it can't get over 78ly jump max! it would be somewhat comparable but inferior to the anaconda for pure jump range. It's feasible at 400t hull mass.

The oddity would be needing class 9 cargo parts to fill out the remaining 1850 out of 2500 tons of total ship mass(assuming you use minimal weight parts and a full 128t fuel tank). If it's 1:1 from the original version mass wise.

The ship with 400 hull mass and the lightest parts equal 400+128(fueltank)+119(internals)=647tons minimum at max fuel. Edit: 519.15t without fuel(redid my math.)

Although If I do the math right it only gets 18ly jump range at a full 1850cargo/2500mass weight. That is with an fsd booster in a slot 5. it may be doable. And that 128 fuel tank will be needed. Cause you aren't going to want a Fuel scoop of any power in that thing for max cargo runs by the looks of it. Or at all as it would waist cargo space or be too small to matter. Although you may want a docking computer. Maybe if they make this ship they will make a docking computer an automatic feature like the ADS and give us an option to toggle auto docking of and on like the lights and night vision.


As I said, with 400 tons hull it still can't use 4d at max jump. the best it can do is 4d and around 9 tons of fuel. So, it's doable but pointless. It would have to practically do 5d minimum for max jump range. Which is kind of interesting. Edit: I think I forgot the LifeSupport. It may be only able to do less than 2 tons of fuel making it impossible. 400+0.9+4.2+104+8+0.45+1.6=400+119.15=519.15. So, yea it can't use 4d with max fsd. Becuase T1 reinforced 4d with Drive Distributor is only 520 max tonage for the whole ship... I keep doing the math wrong.

Although you could make one with less than max jump drive and still use them. Not sure what it's useful for though.

I wonder what the shields would be like from the geometry of the ship. Would it make it the worst sheilds in game as far as volume? It might need a Class 9 slot for combat builds. That or it would be ideal for fast regen and SCB support. My anaconda has around 148 j of shields from a 3d T2 enhanced low power with stripped down. I wonder what it would have on something like the panther?

https://s.orbis.zone/23gn

The other fun part of this will be how many npc's will be taking these into a station at any one time... 8D The hilarity as stuff blows up everywhere. Hopefully they add a docking computer that can also undock and fly away from the station also. That would be a godsent in this thing. Potentially necessity.

Also brings up another odd idea I had. Is it good at ramming. I wanted to build a ship based on humping my enemies to death. You would use turn to repeatedly hit your front and back against the enemy while under their belly or similar and blow them up. Not sure if faster ships or slower ones with good tail fishing would be better for this. You could just fly be and waggle up and down and beat them with the ends of your ship and, KABOOM!! Think of the horror as you fly by, hit boost, and whack it with the front and back of you ship a few times as you pass. What could you do with such a maneuver?! And what determines ramming damage? Speed, mass, both? Not sure what kind of calculations they use.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

Forget the 400t hull. The Anaconda was a mistake that FD aren't going to repeat.

But then they have proved beyond a doubt that they are incapable of learning from past mistakes, so maybe a 400t hull is going to happen.

 

[Noobilite]

It wouldn't be over powered compared to the anaconda(not in jump range). It would fit as an alternative to it with really big cargo. 8)

400t hull would literally be the only way to make it comparable in exploration to the anaconda though. Even 900t hull is only a max of 61.5ly max jump range. Plus any other loss from bigger parts. So, it could only get around 60ish like the orca and similar ships. It would be cool as the 3rd over 70ly ship. And the weirdest one yet!

FLYING TOASTERS!!! IN SPPAAACCCCCEEEEE!!!!111!! It would be the hilarity of exploration! Cargo ships have alway been good potentially for stripping down and making fast. I would imagine it's twice as slow in supercruise as the anaconda though.