Newcomer / Intro What are you up to?

[CMDR Timber McWolf]

It looks like a slow cargo ship - easy prey. But with engineering, it boosts to over 575m/s out running most medium combat ships.
I'm not sure this complies with my definition of "honest"

That's the definition of a "sleeper" ship. Unassuming looks, but fast as a bat out of hell...

 

[]M[]

This is interesting. I have used a T-6 for exploration - decent jump, good boost, all the internals you need etc. (EDSY - T-Sixplorer)
However, compared to the Dolphin (EDSY - Ecco Explorer), the T-6 comes a poor second. The T-6 is more expensive, has less jump distance, less jump range, less boost and less agility. In fact the dolphin can land places the T-6 could only dream of . And heat? The T-9 always runs hot while scooping but the dolphin is so cool it can charge the FSD while scooping.
And personally, I think the dolphin is a better looking ship.

I love my Dolphin - it is “too cute to die”

 

[CMDR Timber McWolf]

I think it makes sense to have more than one exploration vessel, especially if you own a fleet carrier.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

I love my Dolphin - it is “too cute to die”

That's another ship I've been meaning to buy but never have. Looks like I'll be paying a lot of transfer fees from Jameson Memorial.

 

[Jack Winter]

I've recently started flying a dolphin and IMO it's an amazing small ship!

 

[SteveWW57]

So many nice ships in the game, especially the smaller ones that do not get the use they deserve.

Even the less "useful" ones can be used in Odyssey as effectively as the acknowledged better ships.

Steve

 

[bugbait42]

Before I got my carrier, I did a fairly lengthy exploration trip in my Dolphin - out to Hawking's Gap then back to the bubble. It's a very nice ship imo, but these days I use my Asp X as it has a longer jump range and I've found it can land in most places on planets for exobiology without too much trouble.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

Before I got my carrier, I did a fairly lengthy exploration trip in my Dolphin - out to Hawking's Gap then back to the bubble.

I remember that. I remembered thinking at the time that you were insane doing it.

 

[]M[]

So many nice ships in the game, especially the smaller ones that do not get the use they deserve.

Even the less "useful" ones can be used in Odyssey as effectively as the acknowledged better ships.

Steve

Yep, Odyssey convinced me to store my Anaconda and dust off the Viper…

…though ultimately, it’s lead to the Vulture being in regular use again :]

 

[bugbait42]

I remember that. I remembered thinking at the time that you were insane doing it.

Blame @Tyres O'Flaherty for that. It was he who first recommended that ship to me.

Just joking - I still think the Dolphin is a very nice ship indeed.

I've also found that the Asp X is very good for exobiology because of the great view it has from the windscreens when skimming along looking for Bacterium or Fungoida or whatever. The view from the Dolphin isn't quite as good for that imo.

 

[Quillmonkey]

I think it makes sense to have more than one exploration vessel, especially if you own a fleet carrier.

Indeed. Seven and counting. All different ships for different exploration methods.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

I've also found that the Asp X is very good for exobiology because of the great view it has from the windscreens when skimming along looking for Bacterium or Fungoida or whatever.

True.

In my humble opinion, it's the best in the game.

 

[varonica]

This is interesting. I have used a T-6 for exploration - decent jump, good boost, all the internals you need etc. (EDSY - T-Sixplorer)
However, compared to the Dolphin (EDSY - Ecco Explorer), the T-6 comes a poor second. The T-6 is more expensive, has less jump distance, less jump range, less boost and less agility. In fact the dolphin can land places the T-6 could only dream of . And heat? The T-9 always runs hot while scooping but the dolphin is so cool it can charge the FSD while scooping.
And personally, I think the dolphin is a better looking ship.

And then you drop down to planet to seach for bio and realise all you can between your legs is floorplates!

 

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

There are a variety of weapons available with the superior* turret mount how about a Long Range Emissive Pulse Laser or maybe if you want to stick with ammunition an Overcharged Thermal Cascade Canon.

*Yes I know purists will say that you shouldn’t use that word for weapons underneath a ship.

Went with the emissive lazor. Interesting stuff. I certainly don't run out of ammo so often!

Now I'm contemplating a full laser build

 

[aRJay]

It looks like a slow cargo ship - easy prey. But with engineering, it boosts to over 575m/s out running most medium combat ships.
I'm not sure this complies with my definition of "honest"

That depends on who is flying the ships it is running away from.

The bottom large and two medium work well with gimballed long range thermal vent beam lasers. At long range the target is straight ahead, so the inability of the bottom large hard point to hit targets above you doesn't matter. Two huge gimballed overcharged mutlicannons with autoloader, a small gimballed high capacity multi cannon with corrosive effect and an efficient turret pulse laser with emissive munitions is my load out. I copied this weapons load out from Down to Earth Astronomy's "Cucumber" build (who names a Corvette Cucumber ).

The sort of journalist that writes headlines, they are prone to aliterate.

All this T6 talk has me thinking of buying one. I've never flown one.

You are missing out big time, the thing is actually one of the nicest ships to fly in the game, even if you don't use it a lot you should still have one!

Although I have one it isn’t a ship I used while progressing up the affordable ships ladder, this bit of the thread is tempting me to refit it and add it to my explorer options.

 

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

Blame @Tyres O'Flaherty for that. It was he who first recommended that ship to me.

Just joking - I still think the Dolphin is a very nice ship indeed.

I've also found that the Asp X is very good for exobiology because of the great view it has from the windscreens when skimming along looking for Bacterium or Fungoida or whatever. The view from the Dolphin isn't quite as good for that imo.

The Dolphin is a great little explorer but, as you say, for bio's the AspX and T6 are better for the through the feet view...

And then you drop down to planet to seach for bio and realise all you can between your legs is floorplates!

As @varonica says!

So many nice ships in the game, especially the smaller ones that do not get the use they deserve.

Even the less "useful" ones can be used in Odyssey as effectively as the acknowledged better ships.

Steve

Although, to be honest, I'm struggling to find a good use for my Adder, Hauler and Sidey

Indeed. Seven and counting. All different ships for different exploration methods.

Seven - nice. I think I have five now - AspX, Anaconda, T6, Dolphin, Phantom. I did use the DBx for exploration for a while but... that ship and I just don't get along.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

I did use the DBx for exploration for a while but... that ship and I just don't get along.

It's the type 4 fuel scoop that kills it for me. Even when I don't need to scoop, just knowing it's there annoys me to no end.

 

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

Oh, pic du jour. Who said something about getting ship interiors?

 

[aRJay]

Went with the emissive lazor. Interesting stuff. I certainly don't run out of ammo so often!

Now I'm contemplating a full laser build

Mine.

Coriolis EDCD Edition

A ship builder, outfitting and comparison tool for Elite Dangerous

coriolis.io

 

[Fnord Velkor]

I've recently started flying a dolphin and IMO it's an amazing small ship!

Until you try to manually scoop things in space - there is an annoying reflection which masks stuff in the "target box" when scooping.