Mutter, grumble...Nope ... I did carefully say "time" and not "day" when referring to the embargo!
Python Mk II & Updates To The Gamestore
- Thread starter Paul_Crowther
- Start date
I don't understand the role of partners.
Shouldn't partners explain how to play Elite? Give the right builds?
Why should partners give access to Python 2 if they can't tell about it before the others?
I saw this video too, strange very strange, shouldn't the partner tell you how to use this build properly ?
Why this build is the way it is and praise it.
OK, let me be more explicit - partners have been given extra early access to the Python Mk II today so they can prepare content they will release/present later tonight in order to give players an idea of what the Python Mk II is like so those that wish to pay for early access to the ship on the 7th can do so with a better understanding of what the ship is actually like (rather than paying for it blind and then discovering they don't like it).
Rootsrat already anounced he will be streaming this evening.
Which is fine as it's after the embargo time.
I thought, and that's not entirely true. After the May 7th release, there will be a lot of videos about it, ttx will be announced as it is. Streamers live for it, they will paint this ship in front of each other. Literally in 1 day we will have a lot of information without any partners.
I don't think partners are under any obligation to tow the party line so to speak. It's like Youtuber reviewers who are given stuff to review and stress they have not been obligated to say nice things and instead give their honest opinion (which I guess the sponsors hope will be good if they have faith in their product). In this case I think what Frontier are doing is quite decent. We all have different opinions about the game. About what makes a ship good, bad or indifferent. There are lots of partners and I dare say we'll see lots of different videos (and opinions) about the Python Mk II as well. I guess each streamer/content creator has their faithful community who will (to a greater or lesser extent) go by what these people say (or ignore them and buy the ship anyway). For the pre-builds, although I haven't watched any opinion pieces, I don't really get anyone who's saying the ships aren't great because the clue is in the name "Jumpstart". They're not meant to be great (deliberately so because that would trigger the "Pay To Win" doom mongers). They're meant to be a starting point so the purchaser can get a feel for the related activity (e.g. mining or AX combat) and then change and adapt the outfitting of that ship once they have a feel for it.
Sorry, I don't quite understand. Who (aside from those in the partner program) is giving out information about the Python Mk II tomorrow?
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I wrote about May 8, Elite this game for years, wait a week, another week means nothing here.
I understand your words, but disagree with the meaning.
OK to berate Python 2, but berate ready-made builds for what ? So people won't take them?
Why release builds that will be scolded by partners ? So that they won't be taken?
And what does P2W mean for these ships? Who cares how many minerals they get or how many Targoids they kill? I don't get it.
They can stream with a P2 on a test server from 18:00 BST (17:00 UTC).
It is not on Live or open
It is not on Live or open
To be honest I guess anyone can go out, recreate the loadout of the pre-built ships, and give their opinion on those builds without the need for any exclusive access.
As far as I know the only thing those in the partner program have been given extra early access to is the Python Mk II.
For that Frontier had three options:
1) don't provide any in-depth coverage of the ship in advance of next week so anyone parting with their money is doing so more or less blind (apart from the sneak peek we've already had of what the ship looks like).
2) do their own more in-depth presentation of the ship ahead of its early access pass going on sale (would be nice but a: is costly in terms of their valuable time and b: we're then only getting the sales pitch)
3) do what they are doing which is to give a number of respected content creators early access so they can each provide their own opinion pieces on the ship
I like 3 personally but I guess opinion may vary on that.
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So based on one of the partner youtube videos (
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TktUZZPqlM
), I made a mock-up of a P2's internals for the sake of power management, using what I consider an average-to-conservative level of power requirements. https://edsy.org/s/v0xqoQC
The thing can't even power a full suite of weapons + shield boosters + shield generator. I stopped there when I saw it couldn't fit any additional power-drawing modules in optional slots.
In fact, it looks like they just took the internals of the FDL/Mamba, bumped the size 5 optional to a 6, and added another large weapon hardpoint for no apparent reason, and then chose to give it the looks and name of a Python, even though it has NONE of the Python's capability in any role.
This thing is going to be dead on arrival without better thought put into the outfitting balance of this ship.
), I made a mock-up of a P2's internals for the sake of power management, using what I consider an average-to-conservative level of power requirements. https://edsy.org/s/v0xqoQC
The thing can't even power a full suite of weapons + shield boosters + shield generator. I stopped there when I saw it couldn't fit any additional power-drawing modules in optional slots.
In fact, it looks like they just took the internals of the FDL/Mamba, bumped the size 5 optional to a 6, and added another large weapon hardpoint for no apparent reason, and then chose to give it the looks and name of a Python, even though it has NONE of the Python's capability in any role.
This thing is going to be dead on arrival without better thought put into the outfitting balance of this ship.
The problem is you are using an armoured power plant when you need to use an overcharged plant. Even with G4 Thermal Spread, you have plenty of power to spare. Here's one with that plant: https://edsy.org/s/vpfbbIw.
Here is also a "Meta PA bomber" variant that us PvPers will be more accustomed to using: https://edsy.org/s/vnTpkqa
OrgyMeyer and I did a breakdown of the Mk II and it is very much an FDL / Mamba killer. It is faster than a FDL, does more burst DPS than a FDL, and has almost as much shields. It's almost as maneuverable as an FDL too, so this is definitely going to shake up the meta in PvP and give us all a welcome break from having to fly either a FDL, Mamba, or Cutter in a PvP wing fight.
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Having to use an Overcharged powerplant is already a "problem." There is no ship in the game that when outfitted for combat requires an OC powerplant to even be halfway adequate, not even the Vulture or ye olde "meta FDL" (much as I know there's a contigent of the PvP community that will swear up and down otherwise that making the minor tradeoffs for the benefit of an Armoured powerplant's heat management & resultant easier WEP pressure management, is a sin and unthinkable, I take the view they are not being objectively correct in their assumptions).
Obviously taking the "drop everything for spare power" blueprint option will get you the spare power you're after, but that's a band-aid solution to a more deep-rooted problem here of balancing the power & distributor draw of so many hardpoints, utility slots, and optional slots (as well as the nominal core internals) together as part of the whole picture.
If it is indeed being purposefully set up solely for PvP burst-DPS ganking utility, where most other considerations go out the window in the name of "alpha-striking" opponents - that is an absolute travesty and disservice to the iconic original Python, and of highly questionable utility in a combat meta heavily weighted towards such excessive attrition that PvP fights are known for regularly exceeding 20-30 minutes at a time (and that is if both members of the engagement follow a gentleman's agreement of behavior, and in the case of wings, don't abuse healy beams the whole time).
I personally could care less about "shaking up the meta in PvP", that should never be the sole thought in balanced ship design - and we already got a "faster than FDL PvP-focused ship", remember? It was the Mamba. Remember how it shook up the PvP meta? Yeah, nobody does, because it didn't actually change a darn thing. Its current existence is as a garage queen and ship for enthusiasts and little else, and that sucks.
I don't want the first ship release in 6 years, the most anticipated addition to the game for a VERY long time, to suck. I want this ship to useful and interesting for all players - PvPers included, but not just them either.
You can still outfit it for PvE: https://edsy.org/s/vQgL8nW
Though I do agree that the power plant is a bit contrained for the amount of firepower it has. A 7A would fix that, but then again if FDEV did give it a 7A plant or, God forbid, a 7A distro too, this ship would be game breakingly powerful and unbalanced. As it is now, I think it forces folks to be judicious of what they actually put on the ship and doesn't render every other medium ship obsolete for PvP and combat-oriented PvE.
Interesting to note, it appears as though in it's current form that it potentially has similar jump range to the AspX (If you downsize the Core Internals in the P2 to match then slightly better).
Unsure if intentional, or whether they'll keep that lol... Would definitely shake things up having a pure combatant ship that can jump though!
But yeah, potentially marginally more shields than a Mamba, same base armour of the Chieftain and similar (but less in size) Optional Internals with the exception of the missing 3x Mil slots, so significantly less potential for a similar hull strength.
Personally a bit let down by the Optional slots, but we can't have anything OP so it's probably understandable as it has high DPS/Shield potential as it is. Maybe a dedicated medium-sized Mil slot would change that but again, won't really know until people get their hands on it.
If they retain the jump range though, that would be pretty damn interesting.
Less hyped than I was for my personal utility for this ship, but I can always plonk 4xAPAs on it and 2xHammers for RES lulz to replace my Chief.
Unsure if intentional, or whether they'll keep that lol... Would definitely shake things up having a pure combatant ship that can jump though!
But yeah, potentially marginally more shields than a Mamba, same base armour of the Chieftain and similar (but less in size) Optional Internals with the exception of the missing 3x Mil slots, so significantly less potential for a similar hull strength.
Personally a bit let down by the Optional slots, but we can't have anything OP so it's probably understandable as it has high DPS/Shield potential as it is. Maybe a dedicated medium-sized Mil slot would change that but again, won't really know until people get their hands on it.
If they retain the jump range though, that would be pretty damn interesting.
Less hyped than I was for my personal utility for this ship, but I can always plonk 4xAPAs on it and 2xHammers for RES lulz to replace my Chief.
The most very interesting thing about the entire pre-built Python Mk2? The 5A SCO, note not a 5C, a 5A! So even if it's no use for anything else, buying it and taking out the 5A SCO for us in other ships makes it a must, that's of course if we don't get access to A class SCO FSD's in the game itself.
It's my understanding that modules that come with a prebuilt ship are only usable in that ship and no other. So no such luck.