Hi All,
After writing the below thread on more ideas on how Aquila can be made more exploration oriented, I've got a few ideas on Aquila being a bounty hunting ship, and it looks like it actually can be a pretty good one.
>>> https://testsquadron.com/threads/constellation-aquila-more-exploration-focus-proposal-thoughts.13986/
With Aquila being an exploration ship with powerful scanning abilities, and with it sharing the Andromeda's Space Superiority capabilities, it can find an interesting alternative role.
Maybe you could change the scanners from planetary scanners to something more specialised in ship tracking. In this case, the top manned scanning station may work well. Imagine Aquila lurking in asteroid field, scanning around itself for the prey. Or maybe you could hide on a large asteroid, only leaving the top scanning station sticking out, waiting for the bounty to appear.
Also, with its significant cargo hold, Aquila could possibly get some portable detention cells (like on the Avenger). It may actually be more "user friendly", as you can transfer the cells form your cargo hold to the authorities, without the need to get the bounty out of the cell and risking it to run away.
Using the exploration features, you could possibly get some scanning probes, like in ICC missions, carry those in your cargo hold, and deploy them where you expect the target to appear. The probes could actively scan the area and send a message to you when the target appears. Maybe the probes are only able to send the message to explorer-class ships by default. Or the probes could passively collect the data, which you could later consume and see if the bounty showed up, or what is the travel pattern. The transmissions of cause could be intercepted, hacked or altered (e.g. Herald) to tell you the bounty never appeared, or send wrong location. Someone could also detect the probes and manually hack into them to steal and re-purpose, or find their own use, or just destroy them. This may be easier in locations like Port Olisar when it's just space around you. But think of planting a passive data collection probe around Levski with it's rocks, etc. - a very challenging task to find the hidden probe.
You also may carry some interdiction sphere generators and EMP bombs in your cargo hold, so that you could use the two in a combo to kick the bounty out of Quantum Travel and disable them.
You could also use some EMP missiles, rather than an EMP generator (like on the Hawk) to disable the target's ship, and maybe in this case you don't need to power down your ship, as the missiles do their work in the distance.
Being a multi-crew ship, Aquila carries enough people (or you with NPCs) to board the disabled ship.
The Rover and Snub Fighter can be used to pursue the target on foot. You could disable the bounty, throw them in the Rover, deliver to ship and leave them tied and locked up in the Rover, until you deliver to the mission giver.
If you don't need to get your bounty alive, Aquila has sufficient firepower to take down many foes. Also, the ship is fast and nimble for its size,, so It may also be very effective against large, but less agile and less armed ships. It could, for example, take down a Caterpillar with a light convoy, and then not only claim the bounty, but keep the cargo.
It's like binoculars - can be used for looking what's out there when you go hiking, but that's not the only use.
What do you think?
I've also posted this on Spectrum, if anyone is reading it.
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/65300/thread/aquila-bounty-hunting-ship
After writing the below thread on more ideas on how Aquila can be made more exploration oriented, I've got a few ideas on Aquila being a bounty hunting ship, and it looks like it actually can be a pretty good one.
>>> https://testsquadron.com/threads/constellation-aquila-more-exploration-focus-proposal-thoughts.13986/
With Aquila being an exploration ship with powerful scanning abilities, and with it sharing the Andromeda's Space Superiority capabilities, it can find an interesting alternative role.
Maybe you could change the scanners from planetary scanners to something more specialised in ship tracking. In this case, the top manned scanning station may work well. Imagine Aquila lurking in asteroid field, scanning around itself for the prey. Or maybe you could hide on a large asteroid, only leaving the top scanning station sticking out, waiting for the bounty to appear.
Also, with its significant cargo hold, Aquila could possibly get some portable detention cells (like on the Avenger). It may actually be more "user friendly", as you can transfer the cells form your cargo hold to the authorities, without the need to get the bounty out of the cell and risking it to run away.
Using the exploration features, you could possibly get some scanning probes, like in ICC missions, carry those in your cargo hold, and deploy them where you expect the target to appear. The probes could actively scan the area and send a message to you when the target appears. Maybe the probes are only able to send the message to explorer-class ships by default. Or the probes could passively collect the data, which you could later consume and see if the bounty showed up, or what is the travel pattern. The transmissions of cause could be intercepted, hacked or altered (e.g. Herald) to tell you the bounty never appeared, or send wrong location. Someone could also detect the probes and manually hack into them to steal and re-purpose, or find their own use, or just destroy them. This may be easier in locations like Port Olisar when it's just space around you. But think of planting a passive data collection probe around Levski with it's rocks, etc. - a very challenging task to find the hidden probe.
You also may carry some interdiction sphere generators and EMP bombs in your cargo hold, so that you could use the two in a combo to kick the bounty out of Quantum Travel and disable them.
You could also use some EMP missiles, rather than an EMP generator (like on the Hawk) to disable the target's ship, and maybe in this case you don't need to power down your ship, as the missiles do their work in the distance.
Being a multi-crew ship, Aquila carries enough people (or you with NPCs) to board the disabled ship.
The Rover and Snub Fighter can be used to pursue the target on foot. You could disable the bounty, throw them in the Rover, deliver to ship and leave them tied and locked up in the Rover, until you deliver to the mission giver.
If you don't need to get your bounty alive, Aquila has sufficient firepower to take down many foes. Also, the ship is fast and nimble for its size,, so It may also be very effective against large, but less agile and less armed ships. It could, for example, take down a Caterpillar with a light convoy, and then not only claim the bounty, but keep the cargo.
It's like binoculars - can be used for looking what's out there when you go hiking, but that's not the only use.
What do you think?
I've also posted this on Spectrum, if anyone is reading it.
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/65300/thread/aquila-bounty-hunting-ship
