Rookie question: weapons on exploration ships?

[Nordmarken]

I took a fighter hangar on DW2, I never used it. I also had no weapons after I ditched my mining stuff at EA. I, as an explorer, have no use for either. I can see no use for a fighter while exploring that is any less frivolous or ephemeral than shooting random rocks.

If all you want is a way to shoot stuff for no good reason then a fighter costs more range than a lightweight laser so absent some other want for a fighter you're better off with a tiny gun.

I use the fighter occasionally for photo shoots (pun semi intended). But in the end and most important in this discussion is that weapons are more or less irrelevant and only dead weight for an explorer.

 

[Nordmarken]

Weapons are great for reducing the jump range if you fear you'll be jumping too far. Sadly, the galaxy is devoid of any danger except for landing and white dwarves. Ah, and other players.

I wish there was a reason to take at least somewhat battle worthy ship out.

The only weapon I do take is an SLF, and that is for the fun of flying it dangerously. I never bring the whole.SLF complement back.

I don't agree that white dwarves are dangerous. They're in fact rather harmless (as long as you're careful around them). Gravity however. There's the real danger.

 

[space voyager]

I don't agree that white dwarves are dangerous. They're in fact rather harmless (as long as you're careful around them). Gravity however. There's the real danger.

Sure. EVERYTHING is harmless if you're careful around it. With WDs you need to take some care, with gravity a bit more care and with other players a bit more care. And you'll be perfectly safe.

 

[spacemenow]

Personally, I never take weapons in my hardpoints. Sometimes I'll take a Krait Mk II out with a fighter bay equipped for fun canyon runs etc.

 

[Pisodeuorrior]

To quote the grizzled old explorer Commander Lorn, from the short story "The Outer Limits" in the original Frontier: Elite II short story compilation "Stories of Life on the Frontier", when the shipyard mechanic tried to sell him some new lasers:



There is only one reason why an exploration ship would have weaponry of any kind: if you don't have an SRV with you, and you need to harvest some raw minerals for repairs or jumponium, a mining laser will liberate those ores for you from a convenient asteroid or ring-rock. You don't need the rest of the mining kit (eg a refinery) for the laser to extract raw materials.

Actual weapons, to blow up enemy ships with, are entirely redundant. Ideally, an exploration ship is stripped down, lightweight, all non-essential items removed to extract maximum range; they're basically life support cubes with giant engines attached to them. A ship like that is fragile as anything. An explorer about to dock at a space station after an exploration trip is also jam-packed with exploration data, worth a fortune but it's all lost if you get yourself blown up.

If you meet hostile aliens, you're dead, with or without weapons. If you meet friendly aliens, you don't want to go accidentally shooting them in your excitement. If you meet lost colonies of humans or the ancient remnant of rogue AI, same deal. If you meet other explorers, they're most likely in unarmed ships as well, so no threat. If you meet a psycho player-killer, you're dead no matter how many weapons you fly with.

An explorer has no business starting a fight, or trying to finish one. Be like Lorn. Run Away.

Best response and greate quote, /thread.