I wanted to take a moment to address some of the statements and questions raised in the comment above and really try and get people to understand where I'm coming from in my suggestions to modify some large vessels down to medium sized pads. I do this in the hope that people will understand that I am not some raging zealot who wants (nay, DEMANDS!) that the game change to suit him. I'm not that person, but I am aware that some people have misunderstood what I'm asking for in the comments I've made in this thread, so I want to try lay it all out here to give people a better understanding.
I think we can all agree that having more choice is a good thing, and that having hundreds of ships to choose from would be great (see:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threa...naconda-no-nerfs-involved.537536/post-8300474).
I think we also all agree that FDev created different landing pad sizes as a deliberate design decision to force players to make a choice when choosing a ship suitable for the type of task(s) you are performing.
Outposts are the only starports in the game that do not have a large landing pad, and so players are required to use only small or medium sized ships if they want to perform tasks that involve outposts.
I think we all accept that there should not be any one single 'perfect' ship that can do
everything better than all other ships. And I think we all agree that it makes sense that ships designed for a specific role should be better at the role they were designed for than a ship that was not specifically designed for that same role.
Hopefully we are all in agreement so far?
For the remainder of this post, I would like to focus on medium sized ships specifically and echo the OP's sentiment (though not necessarily the OP's specifics) that the Python is maybe a bit too good for it's size.
Don't get me wrong - I love the Python. If I need a medium ship that does most things really well, I'll choose the Python. If I want to take on a variety of different mission types simultaneously, I'll use the Python (or maybe the Krait MKII).
If I need to haul cargo, the Python is peerless as a medium trader having the largest cargo capacity of any medium sized ship in the game.
If I want to do dedicated exploration, then I would use dedicated medium ships that are far better at exploration like the Asp Explorer, or the Krait Phantom.
If I want to do dedicated combat, I have many dedicated medium combat ships to choose from, each with their own respective pros and cons, but all very effective combat vessels - of which the Python is one.
But when it comes to taking on a variety of different tasks without wanting to switch between dedicated ships, I'll choose the Python nearly every time because no other medium sized ship offers that kind of versatility nearly as well as the Python (except maybe the Krait MKII).
I would like to have some more medium sized ship options to choose from that can provide an equivalent level of multi-role performance as the Python (because remember: having more variety is a good thing). I am not asking for these ships to outclass the Python in every field. I am not asking for ships to made homogeneous.
I am simply asking for other medium sized multi-role options that offer fun alternatives to the Python.
I recognise that FDev has limited development capacity, and in my opinion I believe it could be easier to modify some existing large ships to become medium ships than it would to create whole new medium ships from scratch (though I am happy to be proven wrong on this assumption).
I understand some people don't want to see these ships modified - that's fine. But making them fit a medium pad wouldn't stop you from doing anything that you are already doing with them right now, and would open up more options for gameplay.
With that in mind, here are some of the large ships that are very close to being medium ships in terms of raw stats...
The Imperial Clipper
The only thing preventing the Clipper from landing on a medium sized pad is it's width. If the Clipper was adjusted to become a medium sized ship, it would not make the Python obsolete. The Python would still:
- Have a larger internal cargo capacity.
- Have a higher jump range.
- Have more firepower.
- Have a higher MLF.
- Have a lighter hull.
- Have a larger passenger capacity.
The Clipper would give the Python a run for it's money as a medium sized trader and multi-role ship. Even though the Clipper wouldn't be able to carry as much cargo, it can do slightly faster round trips which would make up for having to do more of them. It's price could be adjusted higher to reflect it's versatility as a medium sized ship.
Of course, if FDev chose to release a new medium sized Gutamaya ship altogether, then I would also be fine with that.
The Orca
The only thing preventing the Orca from landing on a medium pad is it's height. If the Orca was adjusted to become a medium sized ship, it would not make the Python obsolete. The Python would still:
- Have a larger internal cargo capacity.
- Have more firepower.
- Be more agile.
- Have more armour.
- Have more shields.
- Have a higher MLF.
- Have a larger passenger capacity(!)
The Orca would be a great alternative to the Krait Phantom as an explorer, and would become a nice multi-role alternative to the Python.
Of course, if FDev chose to release a new medium sized Saud Kruger ship altogether, then I would also be fine with that.
The Type-7
The only thing preventing the Type-7 from landing on a medium pad is it's height. If the Type-7 was adjusted to become a medium sized ship, it would not make the Python obsolete. The Python would still:
- Have more firepower.
- Be more agile.
- Be faster.
- Have more shields.
- Have a higher MLF.
It would make sense to me that a dedicated hauler like the Type-7 would have better cargo capacity than a multi-role ship like the Python. It sacrifices speed, firepower, agility (and, subjectively, looks) to provide that extra cargo space.
Of course, if FDev chose to release a new medium sized Lakon hauler ship altogether, then I would also be fine with that.
I hope this post helps people understand why I was asking for those changes, and maybe agree that it's fine to have differing opinions.
I have been playing Elite since 2014 and I am yet to use either of the two ships mentioned in the OP. I much prefer my Krait II over the Python for many reasons, including the fighter bay and 3 crew members. Also the ship is way cooler. I have not used any of the big 3 yet, Anaconda or not (except possibly the Type 9 back then during the original Beta in 2014). I enjoy more the better maneuverability and landing pad availability (among many other things) of medium and small ships.
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