Please add a modern equivalent of the old Imperial Courier

[ReaperAlex]

So we've got the new Imperial Courier just around the corner, but name aside it doesn't remind me of the old Courier. The new ship looks like a nippy run about with some decent fire power, a good alternative to the Viper with more imperial flair, not a bad ship by any standard, but also not my beloved ship from Frontier and First Encounters.

I once landed my courier next to a house, the house was about the height of my engine nacelle. It had a 20MW beam laser on and enough shields to swat any pesky pirate with the hull that dared to stand in it's path. It was big, it was exuberant and it looked fantastic.

I was really happy to see the Cobra transition all the years and still look the same, even with all the flack FD got for making such a retro looking ship. I hoped FD would do the same for my courier, keep it's basic shape and give it a modern makeover. It's clear that has not happened, but there are still other ships to be released, so maybe one of them can take on the spirit of the courier? Maybe the Cutter or the Interdictor?

For a visual reference to the general shape and size of the old courier in a modern rendering take a look at this fantastic thread from beta:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=25874

Cobra MKIII vs Imperial Courier size comparison

Spoiler

See how she dwarfs the Cobra, see how she retains her iconic shape.

Please frontier, give me the spirit of the old Imperial Courier to aim for.

 

[Starender]

the clipper ?

the cutter and interdictor are giant ships (minimum anaconda size)

 

[Axelsson]

It's a lost cause I think, but I agree with you 100%. This is not the Imperial Courier we all know. It is a shame to use that name, even if the new ship is nice.

 

[ReaperAlex]

i've updated the post with a pic from the artist that gave us a fantastic re-imagining of the courier

i guess the clipper might be about the right size, so there might be room for a similar sized ship with guns mounted on the hull not the nacelles.

we are talking about the old imperial flagship here, the one that used to form the frontline in battle and the one any imperial dignitary worth their salt would arrive in.

 

[Alex Brentnall]

The flagship, you mean the imperial cutter thats planned to be the rough equivalent of the federal corvette? (Judging by forum posts, it may all be lies but I think its planned)

 

[Defacto]

Isn't the Clipper a worthy successor to the FE2/FFE Courier? It's even similar-looking.

The Interdictor is the Imperial capital ship, and the Imperial Cutter is currently only words as far as we know in the community, but as I understand it, it's going to be a more mobile and flexible counterpart to the Federal Corvette.

One ship I personally am hoping for in the far future is the Imperial Trader. I think that this ship would be the only large-size trader I would ever consider getting. AFAIK however, it has not been mentioned by FD.

 

[Bootsock]

The issue is that I don't want a 'worthy successor', I want something like the original ship.

If FDEV can create close, updated versions of the classic ships like the Sidewinder, Eagle and Cobra, why should we have to settle for the lore book going out the window.

It's not like the Courier isn't a key ship when it's one of the three ships on the introduction of Elite 2.

What FDEV have done with some of the updated classic ships is brilliant, but the courier is just tragic.

 

[Ancipital]

If we can create close, updated versions of the classic ships like the Sidewinder and Cobra, why shpul

Because we like shipul! (guessing you hit post by accident there )

I think early on, what is now the Clipper was shown off in concept art as the Courier. Everything seems to have become rather jumbled after that. Full disclosure- I loved my Courier to death in Frontier. I didn't really enjoy my Clipper much in ED (due to the driftyness, hardpoint placement, and awful Tron bling cockpit which gets in your face in VR)- but I have to say that it's a lot more Courier-like than anything else you're likely to get.

My Clipper was certainly not tiny. Carrying more than a T7 and still going like snot off a hot buttered shovel indicates that rather than it being puny, maybe some folks' sense of scale is off, mebbe.

Edit: Oh, and remember- the "classic" ships in ED are mostly deep canon, from Elite rather than Frontier, so far. Yes, the Moray Starboat is still AWOL..

 

[Captain N]

Do we actually have screenshots of the new Courier next to a Cobra?

I'm not certain I buy that there is a radical size difference between the new and the old. If the comparison image you posted is accurate it doesn't seem the old Courier was even a huge ship by ED standards. About Asp size. The Clipper is a much bigger ship than that.

 

[Ben Salient]

Difficult Decisions ..
as someone who grew up with Elite as a teenager , Enjoyed Frontier/Encounters in my Early/Mid 20's .. I find myself somewhat Torn on the use of the Old Familiar ship names that are so Evocative.
on ships that share no resemblance or characteristics with their Predecessors.
in the end I just smile & tell myself that E.D is a new beginning & it's going to be fun being here to Enjoy the ride.

 

[Ancipital]

Difficult Decisions ..
as someone who grew up with Elite as a teenager , Enjoyed Frontier/Encounters in my Early/Mid 20's .. I find myself somewhat Torn on the use of the Old Familiar ship names that are so Evocative.
on ships that share no resemblance or characteristics with their Predecessors.
in the end I just smile & tell myself that E.D is a new beginning & it's going to be fun being here to Enjoy the ride.

The flipside is that when you finally got the fly a Python in ED, it was every bit as fun as it looked in Elite

 

[ReaperAlex]

The flagship, you mean the imperial cutter thats planned to be the rough equivalent of the federal corvette? (Judging by forum posts, it may all be lies but I think its planned)

no, when the courier was in its prime it was the flagship. yes that's quite a long time ago now, back before the viper mk 2 was a modern ship (we're on the viper mk 3 now). we're talking about an old ship from the old games that won the hearts of many commander back in the day, just as the cobra did

- - - Updated - - -

Isn't the Clipper a worthy successor to the FE2/FFE Courier? It's even similar-looking.

The Interdictor is the Imperial capital ship, and the Imperial Cutter is currently only words as far as we know in the community, but as I understand it, it's going to be a more mobile and flexible counterpart to the Federal Corvette.

One ship I personally am hoping for in the far future is the Imperial Trader. I think that this ship would be the only large-size trader I would ever consider getting. AFAIK however, it has not been mentioned by FD.

i think the clipper is a lot closer to the old courier than the new courier is.

i doubt the trader would fit through the letter box though with that 3rd engine up on top

 

[ReaperAlex]

The issue is that I don't want a 'worthy successor', I want something like the original ship.

If FDEV can create close, updated versions of the classic ships like the Sidewinder, Eagle and Cobra, why should we have to settle for the lore book going out the window.

It's not like the Courier isn't a key ship when it's one of the three ships on the introduction of Elite 2.

What FDEV have done with some of the updated classic ships is brilliant, but the courier is just tragic.

yup, this is why i'm quite disappointed. the boxy wire frame cobra made it through the update and kept it's general look. the courier however, other than the sticky out side bits which is less pronounced than the clipper, just doesn't make me think of the courier in the slightest. the new clipper and new courier are nice looking ships, but none of them stir the same fascination in me that the old courier did. something about it just made me think of a bird of prey. these ships lok very sleek, but they dont look predatory in any way.

 

[ReaperAlex]

Do we actually have screenshots of the new Courier next to a Cobra?

I'm not certain I buy that there is a radical size difference between the new and the old. If the comparison image you posted is accurate it doesn't seem the old Courier was even a huge ship by ED standards. About Asp size. The Clipper is a much bigger ship than that.

this seems to be a good source for the sizes

Spoiler

the fan that did the rework seems to have stuck to those sizes too. the stats say the cobra is a 20t hull and the courier is a 130t hull

you can get a rough sense of scale when looking at the cockpit. the new courier looks to be on a similar scale size to the eagle as the cockpit is a one man affair.

it wasn't the biggest ship (panther clipper or imperial explorer would take that prize) but it like the asp it was a good size compared to the smaller ships

 

[Jukelo]

I would pay for a modern remake of the original courier in ED. The new one, though nice looking, just isn't the same, and it's a real shame considering FD managed to make so many old ships look both absolutely stunning while staying true to the originals.

And no, the imperial goose can't really compare to the sexy beast that was the courier in Frontier.

 

[bossbrigand]

I was crossing my fingers for spinning nacelles but it never happened.

 

[TerrorTrooper]

I too like many cmdr's have been eagerly anticipating the imperial courier as it was my choice of ship in frontier:elite II

Although I am very dissapointed with the current ship masquerading is the courier, it's not a bad ship, but should have a different name. Although many classics have come to ED, Im still waiting on the icon of elite II, the courier or trader.

(It may be worth noting however, that In Reality, the courier from elite II was very unbalanced, it was the best hull in the game by a mile! So perhaps trying to re-create our vision of its capabilities would harm current balance in ED)

 

[Bazorlag]

I was crossing my fingers for spinning nacelles but it never happened.

I have to agree that the old design looks pretty cool. Maybe, just maybe there will be a ship that looks like that in the future. I don´t hate the new courier, but it´s pretty tame when compared to that picture.

 

[metatheurgist]

The downswept nacelles was what made that ship. I don't think they work anymore with proper landing requirements - unless they folded like an imperial shuttle.

 

[bossbrigand]

I have to agree that the old design looks pretty cool. Maybe, just maybe there will be a ship that looks like that in the future. I don´t hate the new courier, but it´s pretty tame when compared to that picture.

I love the new Courier. I'll probably buy one to complement my Clipper. I just liked the rotating nacelles on the old design and I was really hoping FD wouldn't forget them.