Won't be able to fly Imperial Fighters/Condors even within a system??

[rain290]

Seriously?

I've bought Horizons, played it, got bored. I've played engineers during beta, tried to beat the roulette and gave up.
I'm beyond 600 hrs in the game so far.
I play with small ships/fighters only. Eagle, iEagle and Courier. I am sure I am not the only one in this situation, aka players who hate/really don't enjoy flying around in a fat brick. Just can't do it, I don't have fun if I don't have maneuverability and I'm just not a fan of CQC mode.

I like to play the standard game in small, non-fat ass cow format ship(s).

I've been aware of the CQC fighters long time and have been wondering since why they were not playable in the standard game, especially since we keep seeing them at RES sites.
Sure, ship launched features are cool. Flying bricks now get to cough smaller ships controlled by AI.

The question is really simple and I am really hoping for a clear, non-political answer.

Why won't we be able to fly the imperial fighter, taipan and condor within the standard game as stand alone ships if we wish too? Even if it was limited to 1 system and/or a really tiny FSD it would still be fine.

I just need to know. Been waiting for new small fighter ships to be added to the game since last year and now that not only one but THREE are coming, we get to watch the AI play them IF you like playing flying brick mode.

Thanks for the reply, if any!

TLDR: Why us no able to fly new fighters as stand alone in 2.2?
If you're here to flame and brand me as a heretic cause I don't fly anacondas/corvettes, please go do that somewhere else

 

[TheDayman]

You're probably not the only one in the situation, but it's still a very small proportion of the player base. Lore-wise, they're simply to small to mount an FSD with the Sidewinder being the smallest ship capable of mounting it. It's like the TIE fighters from Star Wars - a lot of concessions are made to mass produce those ships, such as dedicated life support, shields, and a hyperdrive. The same basically applies here.

 

[Jpotter]

Well you know why (no FSD is on them) - so no supercruise/hyperspace etc.

Isn't your question more of why the decision of no FSD was made? That I think we'd need input from FD unless someone heard something in an interview somewhere.


EDIT: Ninja'd. I didn't know they were too small.... but I didn't think there was a Class 1 FSD.... which would fit perfectly (I'd think) into the smaller ships.

Perhaps the news article that hinted a new FSD was being research will add a small jump ability to these ships? That would be cool.

 

[Bzek]

My wish is kinda peripheral, but not quite. I wish they'd let you dock into outposts with them. That way you could do stuff in outposts even if you are in a large-pad ship.

 

[Bacalao]

My wish is kinda peripheral, but not quite. I wish they'd let you dock into outposts with them. That way you could do stuff in outposts even if you are in a large-pad ship.

Would love this and if they had a class 1 fsd for in system jobs with just 1 or two class 1 internals. It would be fun to go to a CZ or RES in one without having to take your big ship.

 

[rain290]

I could live without FSDs in them at all, I really just want to move freely around a system with one of em.

Are the models just too small for landing pads? Why wouldn't we be able to customize them at all?
I get that like tie fighters they wouldn't have much room for anything at all (2x class 1 hardpoints, 1x utility with chaff locked in it, 1x internal compartment space class 1 and the default CQC load up that we can customize a bit) but still....

 

[Frenotx]

The fighters are far too small for an FSD. The things are tiny. If you look carefully at the model, you'll see that the entire body of the fighter is just the cockpit. It's basically a chair with a bubble on it, glued to some guns and engines. Frankly, I'm not sure where the even find space for the POWERPLANT.

 

[SheepDip82]

The FSD is the thing which allows you to supercruise. No FSD - no inter-system travel...unless you fancy doing it all at 250m/s.

According to the wiki - none of the "fighters" are FSD compatible.

 

[h347h]

2.3 fighters now have FSDs and 60 LY jump ranges.

 

[rain290]

They could make a special FSD for inter-system travel?
I mean, not everything in this game has to be immersive and realistic stuff.

Oh well, guess I'll just wait for some more expansions and hope they release new fighters!

 

[SheepDip82]

Think of them like short range support fighters.

I do hope that once we have multi-crew you'll be able to pilot one in a CZ, providing support for a bloated combat ship (being piloted by a friend).

 

[Martian Successor]

I'm sort of with you on this one OP. I too fly primarily small and the more agile medium sized ships and as such I'll get no use whatsoever out of fighters other than to attack and be attacked by them.

I do like to fly them in CQC though and would love to fly them in the actual game - can you imagine racing the 3 models down a tight canyon? They would be the closest things to feeling like you're in something as agile as X-wings and Tie fighters (remember even the Sidewinder and Eagle are slightly bigger and less agile than a small one man fighter ala the X-wing).

I would very much like to actually partake in the fighters content without being gated to having to buy a big slow ship. If they could make it so that you can rent out a fighter while docked at a station and/or outpost that would add a lot to the update.
Another idea would be to be able to dock with a capital ship in a conflict zone and take control of fighters launched from it - that's more complicated though as it would involve coding in new assets for the docking bays, etc. whereas the rent-a-fighter idea can be implemented pretty much now.

Go #Rent-a-Fighter

 

[CMDR-AD]

Even without any FSD or Super Cruise ability, I think there could be room to include the new fighters in some fun play with them as the primary ship.

1) When allied with a faction that controls a station, have the option to do "Security" duty. Take a fighter outside a station, scan for bounties, join in with system security (and the station itself) in blasting. Easy to return to station for repairs/rearm. Or just respawn there and go again with little/no rebuy.

2) Using the new Capitol Ship yard, serve as Federation/Imperial Naval Reserve defense. Take fighter out and defend the station. Perhaps local skirmishes with opposing power ships dropping in to attack your base and deploy their own fighters. Again, just dock to repair/rearm, or respawn and go again with little/no rebuy.

Almost like CQC vs. NPC, but with tie in to local factions or Naval Rank progress.

 

[Magic Man]

And since you're not really flying them when they are launched from your ship, they really shouldn't be called fighters but drones...

 

[rain290]

Even without any FSD or Super Cruise ability, I think there could be room to include the new fighters in some fun play with them as the primary ship.

1) When allied with a faction that controls a station, have the option to do "Security" duty. Take a fighter outside a station, scan for bounties, join in with system security (and the station itself) in blasting. Easy to return to station for repairs/rearm. Or just respawn there and go again with little/no rebuy.

2) Using the new Capitol Ship yard, serve as Federation/Imperial Naval Reserve defense. Take fighter out and defend the station. Perhaps local skirmishes with opposing power ships dropping in to attack your base and deploy their own fighters. Again, just dock to repair/rearm, or respawn and go again with little/no rebuy.

Almost like CQC vs. NPC, but with tie in to local factions or Naval Rank progress.

I like this. Could be one of the things that opens up only when you fly a small fighter class ships.

I guess the big underlying main point of my post is that small fighters need some Frontier love. Even though I haven't played in months I still read every patch notes in the hope that I'd see anything regarding a new playable fighter or some eagle/ieagle love. ( I still really don't get why the iEagle has to be 7/10 man., always felt it should at least be 8 if not 9 with less top end speed)
I like the 3 small ships I am flying but it's like they all have something the other 2 don't have. It's the point and I get it but I really feel there could be more options added to the game.

Heck, I think I'd be playing this game 24/7 if they decided to release a sleek, gutamaya version of Vulture. I like the vulture but it looks like crap.
And no, the Courier does not feel at all like the Vulture

Anyway.. Patience is key!

 

[Chaz]

If all you do is fly the smaller fighter craft like the Eagle etc, why would you need a smaller fighter to be launched from your small fighter? I suspect most of the folks who launch these fighters from the larger ships will be taking control of them themselves. That makes sense, what doesn't make sense is swapping the seat of one small fighter for an even smaller one. I'm not sure why you would even want to do this if you were flying an Eagle or whatever.

As for giving small fighters some love, go visit an Engineer and get yourself some of the off the peg upgraded thrusters and mod your weapons etc.

 

[YinYin]

The system only micro FSD would be awesome to have these as actual ships rather than drones.

Alternatively it could be awesome to have missions where you sign up as an escort and get carried by an NPC (effectively teleported) into a scenario where you defend them. Then board again and get taken back. Mission accomplished.

Could be a federal gunship/corvette taking you into a combat zone or a keelback/T9 hauling cargo through some anarchy systems.

If all you do is fly the smaller fighter craft like the Eagle etc, why would you need a smaller fighter to be launched from your small fighter? I suspect most of the folks who launch these fighters from the larger ships will be taking control of them themselves. That makes sense, what doesn't make sense is swapping the seat of one small fighter for an even smaller one. I'm not sure why you would even want to do this if you were flying an Eagle or whatever.

Point is actually flying the new small fighters (instead of remote control) without having to pilot something big ever. Not even a Keelback.

 

[rain290]

Point is actually flying the new small fighters (instead of remote control) without having to pilot something big ever. Not even a Keelback.

This guy gets it

 

[Martian Successor]

Point is actually flying the new small fighters (instead of remote control) without having to pilot something big ever. Not even a Keelback.

Yes. +2

 

[Deleted member 94277]

I play with small ships/fighters only. Eagle, iEagle and Courier. I am sure I am not the only one in this situation, aka players who hate/really don't enjoy flying around in a fat brick.

One word, my friend: Vulture. That's the meanest small ship you'll ever get.

Now, on the subject at hand of FSD for small ships, I respectfully disagree ATM, despite being in the "small ships > fat bricks" camp. I simply love flying fighter types, but I love consistency even more and I'd think less of Frontier if they simply added small fighters with FSD capability and that's it. If we have some CGs and stuff that added some background to it, like showcasing someone researching and discovering a way to build micro FSDs, then I'd be on board.

And, in the end, I don't care about anything: when 2.3 hits, if we really will be able to share ships with players, I'll abandon everything and become a taipan merc for some annie/whatever captain and never look back.