This ship, and the FAS to a lesser extent, are massive bugbears of mine.
I just cannot like the look of the FGS. In particular, all the lumpy "intake" looking bolt-on sections all over it's nose, and the odd little canards up high between the forward canards and the big main wing.
This thing got a fighterbay added, but that turned the back end into an ugly box shape. The side guns are also moved from the perfectly serviceable side-mounts, to little boxes on the nose. This thing is described as a "turret-ship" in the newsletter that introduced it, but moving those side guns actually decreases their effectiveness as turrets. The two guns on the roof, I hope that arrangement is a stand-in for a twin-weapon system in future.
The FAS I like the look of, and happily accept it as the combat model of the (in my mind civilian-spec) multirole of the FDS. Only thing that bothers me is that I always felt there needs to be a Fed-rank fighter, like the older concept art for the Vulture, and armed with something like 2C1,2C2,1C3. A little less than the FAS, but more than civilian Vulture. FAS is so good as a dogfighter, it sort of crowds out this conceptual fighter design.
If I could change these two:
FAS would get a little slower in turns, but tankier. 2 5ths of it's internal space just disappeared, but it's physical dimensions are about the same. Shouldn't it have something to make up that space?
I'd propose adjusting it's internals, making one of it's 5s a 6, so it can use a bigger shield, as well as at least 2 more utility mounts. It would get more out of fitting the upper C3 weapon with a turret, and could soak a lot more damage to the shields. This would let it act as heavy support to the aforementioned fighter concept.
FGS, I'd make it a long-body modification of the dropship. Keeping the fighterbay, but extending the frame out behind the bay in the classic dropship shape. It would get the rear two landing legs back, and it's engines rotated to be wider than tall. rear wing would be replaced with an "X" of small winglets, to tie in with other federal designs.
It'd keep the big lower wing, and the small wingroot engines attached would become a little bigger, with reverse thrusters built in the front face. Wing would also contain roll thrusters that were on upper wing.
Front end would be the same as regular dropship and side C2 weapons returned to the same location as on FDS.
Because of it's larger frame, Internal space would gain an extra C5 internal. It would also receive another 2 utility hardpoints.
FDS would be made available without rank requirement, and renamed something civilian.
What are your thoughts on the FGS, and the proposal I've shown here?
I just cannot like the look of the FGS. In particular, all the lumpy "intake" looking bolt-on sections all over it's nose, and the odd little canards up high between the forward canards and the big main wing.
This thing got a fighterbay added, but that turned the back end into an ugly box shape. The side guns are also moved from the perfectly serviceable side-mounts, to little boxes on the nose. This thing is described as a "turret-ship" in the newsletter that introduced it, but moving those side guns actually decreases their effectiveness as turrets. The two guns on the roof, I hope that arrangement is a stand-in for a twin-weapon system in future.
The FAS I like the look of, and happily accept it as the combat model of the (in my mind civilian-spec) multirole of the FDS. Only thing that bothers me is that I always felt there needs to be a Fed-rank fighter, like the older concept art for the Vulture, and armed with something like 2C1,2C2,1C3. A little less than the FAS, but more than civilian Vulture. FAS is so good as a dogfighter, it sort of crowds out this conceptual fighter design.
If I could change these two:
FAS would get a little slower in turns, but tankier. 2 5ths of it's internal space just disappeared, but it's physical dimensions are about the same. Shouldn't it have something to make up that space?
I'd propose adjusting it's internals, making one of it's 5s a 6, so it can use a bigger shield, as well as at least 2 more utility mounts. It would get more out of fitting the upper C3 weapon with a turret, and could soak a lot more damage to the shields. This would let it act as heavy support to the aforementioned fighter concept.
FGS, I'd make it a long-body modification of the dropship. Keeping the fighterbay, but extending the frame out behind the bay in the classic dropship shape. It would get the rear two landing legs back, and it's engines rotated to be wider than tall. rear wing would be replaced with an "X" of small winglets, to tie in with other federal designs.
It'd keep the big lower wing, and the small wingroot engines attached would become a little bigger, with reverse thrusters built in the front face. Wing would also contain roll thrusters that were on upper wing.
Front end would be the same as regular dropship and side C2 weapons returned to the same location as on FDS.
Because of it's larger frame, Internal space would gain an extra C5 internal. It would also receive another 2 utility hardpoints.
FDS would be made available without rank requirement, and renamed something civilian.
What are your thoughts on the FGS, and the proposal I've shown here?
