So I have a friend looking at the game and we sat down to talk about the kinds of styles, roles and capabilities people can choose in their starter ship. She is mostly interested in combat, both pilot and FPS, but wants some small ability to carry cargo. She wants an endurance package with a bed, head and kitchen. She wants something that will give her an edge over the baseline starter ships (Aurora, Mustang, Avenger and Reliant) and is willing to pay a little more to start with some advantages. She wants something that she can learn about dog fighting, missile combat, and stealth dynamics. Sounds like a Mustang but she wants something a step above the standard starter packages that will make learning easier since it's rewarded more often with success, and lets face it, the guns and hull on the Mustang are uninspiring. The Avenger is nice, and what I would recommend save no bed, and is the kind of ship she wants an edge over. So I looked and was surprised to find what I think we could call a Padawan Pilot ship--the Origin 325i.
I seldom take Origin seriously since I'm not a luxury kinda guy, but let me note some significant advantages here. She hasn't bought yet, so this is still a work in progress and if someone here has a suggestion given her criteria, please do share.
Piloting
The 325 is fast and maneuverable, so it offers a serious edge over many other ships, including the Avenger (which is a decent baseline to compare against despite it does not have a bed). It's nice to know you can outrun your opponents, especially for a starting pilot.
Dog Fighting
3 S3 guns is good. I suggested a Mantis on the gimbal and one in each wing, since the very fast projectile speed will help hit more often, and the gimbaled mount can be used to steer the wing mounts onto the same target. Learning to use the gimbal to steer the fixed is a valuable combat skill, IMHO. Additionally, she learns trigger control from the start so won't be schooled into shooting when you should not, and will learn better fighter skills. Additionally, she gets more hull than the starter ships.
Missile Combat
The 325 is able to carry the best of both worlds--a spamload of S1 and a few S3 for long distance engagements. Learn it all from the start.
Stealth
This was a huge surprise for me as I researched. I'm astonished how stealthy this ship is. Especially when equipped with the Slipstream/Snowblind combo I use as a baseline for comparing all small ships in full stealth, this critter is quiet as can be. That means she can learn about sneaking with the best chance of success. For an idea of how stealthy the ship is, you can run it with the Q drive on for security, always ready to jump; and it is still 40% quieter than a Ghost or Tracker with the Q drive off. This is amazing to me.
FPS
The 325 has a gun rack, and room to store guns, grenades, oxy pens, med pens and such in the cargo hold, and empty containers to fill with loot on missions, like guns, ammo and armor picked up along the way. This appears to me an efficient looting machine. The gun rack means she can store things like sniper rifles, rail guns, etc., one would not normally carry, but could find useful on unusual missions.
So what do you think? What would you recommend for a student soldier, who wants to learn how to channel her aggression rather than haul cargo, mine, etc.? What's best ship to learn how to kill things and take their treasure?
I seldom take Origin seriously since I'm not a luxury kinda guy, but let me note some significant advantages here. She hasn't bought yet, so this is still a work in progress and if someone here has a suggestion given her criteria, please do share.
Piloting
The 325 is fast and maneuverable, so it offers a serious edge over many other ships, including the Avenger (which is a decent baseline to compare against despite it does not have a bed). It's nice to know you can outrun your opponents, especially for a starting pilot.
Dog Fighting
3 S3 guns is good. I suggested a Mantis on the gimbal and one in each wing, since the very fast projectile speed will help hit more often, and the gimbaled mount can be used to steer the wing mounts onto the same target. Learning to use the gimbal to steer the fixed is a valuable combat skill, IMHO. Additionally, she learns trigger control from the start so won't be schooled into shooting when you should not, and will learn better fighter skills. Additionally, she gets more hull than the starter ships.
Missile Combat
The 325 is able to carry the best of both worlds--a spamload of S1 and a few S3 for long distance engagements. Learn it all from the start.
Stealth
This was a huge surprise for me as I researched. I'm astonished how stealthy this ship is. Especially when equipped with the Slipstream/Snowblind combo I use as a baseline for comparing all small ships in full stealth, this critter is quiet as can be. That means she can learn about sneaking with the best chance of success. For an idea of how stealthy the ship is, you can run it with the Q drive on for security, always ready to jump; and it is still 40% quieter than a Ghost or Tracker with the Q drive off. This is amazing to me.
FPS
The 325 has a gun rack, and room to store guns, grenades, oxy pens, med pens and such in the cargo hold, and empty containers to fill with loot on missions, like guns, ammo and armor picked up along the way. This appears to me an efficient looting machine. The gun rack means she can store things like sniper rifles, rail guns, etc., one would not normally carry, but could find useful on unusual missions.
So what do you think? What would you recommend for a student soldier, who wants to learn how to channel her aggression rather than haul cargo, mine, etc.? What's best ship to learn how to kill things and take their treasure?
