Theorycrafting - Python MK II

[SAB380]

If they do make one, I hope it looks like the one on the left. Yum.

View attachment 109667

Never flew it pre-nerf, but have as a miner/trader. I wouldn't mind just a smidgen more agility, even if it gave something up to compensate.

Damn that one on the left looks great.
- Maybe reduce a large and have 2 L total (and 2 med)
- reduce the size of a couple of internals, maybe delete one entirely.

Reducing the guns and internals would mean jump range would increase a little and you could up speed and agility as well.

That would balance things ok and clearly leave room for both of them.
Standard Python would be the beefier version.
This new one would be the sportier, lighter one.

 

[DaveB]

Damn that one on the left looks great.
- Maybe reduce a large and have 2 L total (and 2 med)
- reduce the size of a couple of internals, maybe delete one entirely.

Reducing the guns and internals would mean jump range would increase a little and you could up speed and agility as well.

That would balance things ok and clearly leave room for both of them.
Standard Python would be the beefier version.
This new one would be the sportier, lighter one.

Makes sense to me - to get that kind of an increase in speed and agility back you're basically looking at pushing a 17% lighter hull with the same thrusters so internal compartment downsize and deleting one large hardpoint (maybe compensate for that with an extra utility mount where it used to be?) would make sense. You'd seriously nerf its cargo carrying capacity in the process of course, which isn't an ideal thing for a multirole hull but if you're fitting a Python as an armed trader you probably want the Mk1 anyway.

 

[DragoonKnight]

I'd say the python is pretty balanced. They are so useful, I have two of them (one combat, one trade fit). They are good for pvp as well, you just have to be skilled to make it work. You can't take a python into a pvp encounter expecting it to perform like a medium ship, you have to know how to pilot it.

If anything, I'd say give it one more utility slot. That's really the most glaring weakness of the python is the lack of utility slots.

Well consider a more combat oriented model, that is similar to the original but would give up something for enhanced combat ability.
The Python is already pretty well armed so maybe it would take a penalty on the sizes of all its internals compartments or just have less internal components. Maybe a higher price too. The Python, in Elite lore, is a pretty old design so it would not be unreasonable to theorize about an updated more combat capable version.

 

[Hevy]

To make more combat orientated version of python I would start loosing internals, atleast 1 class 6 and maybe 1 class 3 (either of those should do it).

Loadout should stay same or then modify 1 class 3 in nose to class 2.

Non boosted speed is quite fine at this moment, all it might need would be slight buff in top boost speed so it would hit 370 (that would keep it slower than FDL and FAS).
Accelerations to all directions are already quite good so wouldn't do anything for them.
Maneuverability might need very small buff in "blue zone" but huge improvement would be need to 0 and top speed rotations which at this moment are big drawbacks for current python.

 

[kofeyh]

I would love a better python. Please. But..

I look at the current FDL & frankly I don't think I can trust frontier to not take the same road and go to the extreme again. We've had enough of that I think. Python back near where it was, however, is probably the counter to current FDL. So there's that..

Yes, but no (as much as I would love to own python again). It would end up being too good; and frankly I'd rather see folks looking for a complete, ship wide review at this point.

A lot has changed, more is coming and a roll through all ships to make sure they are at least partly cohesive and have some sort of progression would be great.

 

[Viking84]

Lets talk about the Python. No, not the Python we have today.
Let us go back to the days of old when Dinosaurs flew spaceships and we had the Legendary Pre-Nerf Python.
Just for reference, the Python was nerfed by having its top speed, turn rate, and acceleration reduced by 17%. Shields were reduced by 33%
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=102717&page=3&p=1592391&viewfull=1#post1592391

No way - this must have happened before I had a chance to own one (pre Horizons). A Python with a boost of over 400 m/s would have been an insanely good smuggling ship! *sheds a tear*

 

[Dakron Nova]

Why dont we go back to the really old days in the original Elite where the python had the turn rate of a planet and the hull to match. Something you could stay behind forever and blast away at for infinity.

Trading ship wast it?

 

[Malkevin]

The Python is the best medium pad cargo ship in the game. Somehow, it has equal or better cargo space than much larger ships and can eradicate any pesky pirates that want a peek under her skirt.

Its less that it has more cargo space than bigger cargo ships and more that Lakon are terrible ship designers (aside from the Asp) - compare the Keelback to the Cobra IV, the T7 SHOULD be a medium ship but its slightly too tall to fit in a medium bay.