Cargo Cult - Ship Talk #4

[Black Sunder]

Cargo Cult - Ship Talk #4

"We were on our last legs fightin ya know. We had run out of beer the week before and our enemies were well supplied with water and soda. We didn't give up though but I think a few of the members started to get.....unsettled. At first dawn the next day a miracle happened. A Beerfarer came down from the heavens and showered us with the glorious. The other org was defeated a few minutes afterward" - TEST Combat Log Echo 1G, Nyx System

Welcome to another edition of Ship Talk. Ship Talk is me taking the current on paper stats for a group of ships similar in either role or hull, analyzing them, and giving my own thoughts on how they compare to each other. Below you can find links to previous Ship Talks and Ship Talk Commentary:

Ship Talk #1 - Exploring the Unknown: The top 4 Exploration Ships
Ship Talk #2 - Aurora Rain: All about the MVP of TEST, the Aurora + Variants
Ship Talk #3 - Squadron Reporting - Ship Talk #3 'Fighters' Part 1
Ship Talk #3 - Squadron Reporting - Ship Talk #3 'Fighters' Part 2

The Aegis Vanguard - Ship Talk Commentary #1

I brought the whiskey!

Soon I'll have to get an index thread stickied if this keeps up. This 4th edition is aimed at the current large haulers we have information for. From small to large and in between this Talk will be about those ships. I would like to say now that this will NOT include the Hull series(A-E) due to that line in the concept phase now and as such the information for the Hull C is hopelessly outdated right now. Expect a separate Talk focusing on the Hull Series when it arrives.

I like to have these Ship Talk titles mean something and today is no different. Cargo Cult of course is when a group of people worship an object as a god or deity. SO how does this fit in today? Its because on the fringes and everywhere we go we will need a good logistical backbone to maintain ourselves in space. Good logistics is hard to come by as any Eve Online player knows. And how else will we resupply the beer on ships?

DISCLAIMER - The listed ships below are not the all and end all of cargo ships but simply the listed ones whose primary function is cargo transport. Most ships with the exception of the truly dedicated fighters can carry some cargo to some capacity. I will touch on some of these in the Talk.

It was brought to my attention by AntiSqueaker yesterday that the listed cargo capacities are...off to say the least. Check out this video to see for yourself. The video is a few months old and things may have changed between now and then but gives a good indication that things may not be what they seem. Nevertheless I will continue on with the currently listed numbers. Again keep in mind that all these numbers are subject to change to something that may or may not be much lower or higher than what is listed currently.

My Thoughts on the ships(Aurora CL, Freelancer MAX, Starfarer, Constellation Taurus, Caterpillar, Banu MM)

General Thoughts on Stats

First let me acknowledge that these stats and listed equipment are all subject to change. However, unless something drastic occurs in testing I would expect these stats to still give a good general direction and capability for each ship. Below is a link to a composite picture I made with all the stats listed from the RSI site and ordered by crew size:

All Cargo Ship Stats

Descriptions and Roles

First of all, all of these have a Role as either Mercantile, Transport or Trade but it's all about hauling goods from one place to another. Lets start though with a familiar ship, the Aurora CL or Clipper. It features a much larger cargo capacity over any other Aurora model and even some ships larger than it but apparently at the cost of smaller power plant and reduced weaponry which could be a problem against pirates. The MAX is a variant of the Freelancer that gives itself more cargo but again at the expense of weaponry. Not terribly bad but you can start seeing a distinctive pattern here.

Next we have everyone's favorite Starfarer. The Starfarer bills itself as the galaxy's primary fuel transport while also being able to collect that same fuel for transport and refinement. You might think of this like gas mining from Eve Online in some respect. The constellation Taurus is next. The Taurus is essentially a stripped down budget Constellation Andromeda. It is a fully dedicated freighter without any bells-and-whistles and a good way to get some training for multi-crew ships if you're just starting out on them.

The often neglected Caterpillar. The caterpillar according to the description is maintained by Drake as a legitimate cargo transport that is also outfitted for extended search and rescue missions. I think we all know better than that. The ship is also highly modular which means it can fulfill a variety of roles outside its normal every day job.

Finally we come to the Banu Merchantman. If you're really serious about a cargo ship this is the one. The description says that the MM is a durable ship and prized above all other transports. This could mean that acquiring one will be....difficult. If you have one, make sure to hold on to it as this is the most 'pure' trading ship on this list.

Structural and Propulsion

First things first, ship size. From small to large these ships are made to haul the goods. While you would expect the MM to be the largest ship listed(until the Hull Series that is) the Starfarer is 2nd longest at 90 meters and from there the Cat, Taurus, MAX and finally the CL. This can be an important consideration because a large ship is a larger target for those that wish to steal your cargo. Think carefully before deciding what you will be transporting and pick the appropriate ship.

Since we're talking about cargo ships we should talk about cargo capacities. Now as I mentioned earlier, most ships but the most dedicated fighters have cargo space in some capacity and these ships of this Talk are just the ones that focus primarily on cargo transport and that is what will be talked about. Starting from the left we have the Aurora CL coming in at 36 units. This is more than even some larger ships such as the 300I or Avenger that come in at 32 units. From here there is something akin to exponential growth in the listed capacities of these ships.

Next we have the MAX which can carry 280 units. A significant increase over the CL but also in ship cost. After this we have the Starfarer clocking in at 900 units for the main cargo hold. This does NOT include the fuel tanks whose capacity is not listed. Afterward we see the Taurus has a capacity of 1900, a full 1K increase over the Starfarer in raw material cargo capacity. The caterpillar boasts nearly double this at 3200 units and the Banu MM bests them all at a cool 9K units.

A large part of logistics is manpower which is how this list has been ordered. From the CL that only needs 1 person to the MM that needs 8 to operate you have to keep in mind your available manpower. Although NPCs are available for hire you may not want to risk your cargo on their skill. The Taurus seems to be a good middle of the road ship here needing only 4 but still carrying a respectable amount of cargo. Again choose your ship for the job carefully. If you can't get 5 people on to run the Caterpillar you may want to look at a different ship for that mission.

Nothing much to talk about on Power Plants as most of the ships have a maximum size 6 that can be installed with the Cat having a 5 and the CL a 2. Main engines are a different matter though and range across the board. From the CL we get a single TR3 but the MAX we get something nice: 4 TR5 engines. To put this in perspective the normal Freelancer has only 2 and the Constellation has 4. Keep this in the back of your mind for later.

The Starfarer has a couple TR5s and a single TR6 engine to help it along. It needs it though being 90 meters in length and a null mass of 143,520 kg. That's very heavy compared to the other ships with the exception of the MM. The Taurus mounts the same engines as the MAX, 4 TR5s but has much greater mass to move. The Caterpillar comes in with 2 TR5s but has even more null mass than the Taurus. More on these later. The MM comes in last with the same configuration was the Starfarer but at 6x the null mass it seems like a whale of a ship, literally.

Continued below....

 

[Black Sunder]

Further down on maneuvering thrusters we see the standard 8 for most of the ships with the CL sacrificing 2 to make it 6 and the MM getting 12 TR3s. In fact the MAX and Starfarer and Caterpillar both get TR2s while the Taurus gets TR3 thrusters. I'll get to this later but some of these seem choices seem odd and I'll expand on that when I do the summaries.

On the subject of shield protection, the Starfarer and Banu MM both get a very impressive class 7 shield. This is followed by the size 5 of the Caterpillar and Taurus. This actually makes sense to me that the largest ships have the best shields and so on. The MAX has a size 4(same as the Super Hornet) and the CL gets a measly class 2 but it is also the smallest ship of the list.

Weapons

These transports aren't defenseless by any stretch. Starting with the Aurora CL it gets 2 forward fixed guns with a missile rack. The Freelancer MAX is somewhat unusual in that it has no fixed or gimbaled weapons but everything is either a missile(2x Size 3) or on a turret(2x unmanned Size 4 and 1x manned Size 1) of some kind. This isn't a bad thing and I think gives it a lot of flexibility in a combat situation which I'll get to in the summary. This is a good thing full stop.

The Starfarer, gets a single missile rack and a manned turret. Its primary weapons though are the 4 gimbaled size 5 guns which is certainly a welcome addition. The Taurus is essentially a stripped down Andromeda but still has good weaponry. Like the Starfarer it has 4 gimbaled Size 4 guns. It retains 2 of the missile racks but loses a gun on the manned turret. Overall it is still very werll defended compared to some other ships.

After that we get to 2 ships that really disappoint in the weapons category. The Caterpillar while having the 4 Size 4 gimbals gets only 1 unknown size missile rack and 1 unknown size unmanned turret. I think its safe to believe that seeing as how the Cat's unofficial purpose as a boarding ship it would be given what it needs but we'll have to wait and see after the Caterpillar stops being on the back burner. Finally the Banu MM.....has 3 weapons. Yep a whole 3. A gimbal, a missile and a manned turret all of unknown size. Fly with an escort?

Equipment

At long last we come to Equipment. Aside from the jump scanner and Big Box of the Aurora CL there isn't much going on here but I think this is an oversight on the other ships. As we've seen in the past not all equipment is listed so I would feel safe believing that all of the ships from the MAX and up come stock with a jump engine of some kind do to their roles if nothing else. If you had to install a jump engine on say the Taurus right after buying it it would defeat its purpose as a budget freighter to say the least so while they are not all listed I would think they are there.

The Caterpillar gets a tractor beam which according to its description as search and rescue would be used to bring in a damaged ship or an escape pod without having to fly right up to it. I give this 1 point.

The Long and Short

Aurora CL - You can find most of this in the Aurora Talk so I'll just hit the high notes here. Cheap and expendable is the Aurora CL. If you don't need to carry much or just need to go a short distance the CL may be for you. If you feel you need more protection for your cargo this isn't your ship. Overall it doesn't seem bad but even with the TR3 engine and low mass it will be a slow ship if the Aurora LN is any indication.

Freelancer MAX - Remember back when I said to keep the 4 TR5 engines in the back of your mind? I believe this thing will be FAST. It has more than 2x less null mass than the Taurus, which also has 4 TR5 engines. The lack of fixed or even just gimbaled weapons is also a giant plus. If you're trying to speed away and keep your cargo safe the last thing you want is to be turning around to bring your weapons to bear on the enemy. Not only this but it gets Size 3 missiles which is very good at fending off fighters. Would it make a good smuggling ship? Maybe if you could shield it somehow. Like the Freelancer you only need 1 other person to help you fly it which means it can also be a good solo ship. Racing? We'll have to play with that one. Maybe the TEST Squadron Asteroid Field Premier Cup with Freelancer MAX? The point in all this is on paper at least it looks very fast, maneuverable, and very defensible. It has a much lower cargo capacity than the ships after it but that's ok.

Starfarer - Ok its the Beerfarer. This will be the backbone of any of our logistical operations as all ships need fuel of some kind. It has a good cargo capacity and I would think the unlisted fuel tank capacity would also be just as good or better for its mission. You won't win races with it or be able to outrun fighters but if you can get them in front of you then there is a chance to salvo them down. The Starfarer presents a large target, like the Hindenburg so there is a good chance you will explode in a blaze of glorious fire while TEST drops a Javelin on your killers to avenge our lost beer. The lack of TR3 thrusters are a bit concerning because of its size and hopefully that will change. The engines seem ok with the TR6 taking center stage on that but I don't expect this to maneuver well. Like the Max it only needs 2 people keeping operational costs down and letting people solo fly it for the most part.

Constellation Taurus - The Taurus out of all these ships seems to be the most standard 'freighter' design. It requires a crew of 4 to get the most out of it which may put it out of range of most people that wish to solo fly their cargo or hire a couple NPCs because you know how you lose your cargo? All NPCS, that's how. I'm joking of course because that's how Richard lost his solo Idris. 1900 units of cargo is a solid number for what may be the majority of transport missions with the higher end ones requiring something of the Banu MM capacity. It may be a maneuverable ship. 8 TR3 thrusters with 4 TR5 engines puts it in a good place. The weapons are handy and suitable but require the enemy to be in front of you to work best, and this is where you can run into trouble if you have to fight it out. This may make a good low risk multi-crew trainer ship as cargo duty isn't as important as putting a noob at a console of a Javelin and hoping he knows what he should do. Overall I believe this is a solid mid level hauler with many good points in its favor for general purpose cargo hauling.

Caterpillar - Oh you were expecting it to be in the hangar already? Yeah........Anyway the Caterpillar. The description for this ship is total bullshit with a sliver of truth. Its described as the evil twin of the Freelancer, a ship that is half its size. Not really a twin. Maybe big evil brother? The Cat while certainly useful for transport needs a crew of 5 which puts it a step up form the Taurus in manpower costs. 3200 units of cargo is certainly attractive but this won't be a ship you can just go out to joyride in solo. It features a tractor beam for S&R operations and is highly modular with the front section able to swap modules out to suit the task. The darker side of the ship though its it's use as a probable raiding and boarding vessel. Not only that but since its a Drake design you're likely to be pulled over and searched regardless of your intent. Like the Taurus it features a good set of weapons but you need to be facing the target to get the most out of them. It has a good shield though so it can take a few hits and keep going. I see this ship able to be outfitted for a variety of missions it wasn't originally meant for because of its highly modular nature. Also looks cool but doesn't come in Yellow.....yet.

Banu Merchantman - We come to the last ship on the list. Possibly the one of the most anticipated ships in the game the Banu MM is supposed to be a flying trading bizarre going from planet to planet buying and selling goods. It features an in-ship conference room for making trade deals and allowing the person to look out and see their intended purchase. The ship itself is nearly twice the length of the Taurus and carries far more cargo. I call this a whale because of its null cargo mass of over 800K Kg but only having 2 TR5s and a TR6 engine. It has 12 TR3 thrusters which is VERY nice but again, mass. Don't expect to tap dance in it. If you see yourself collecting items or doing serious hauling then this may be your ship. Aside from the rather poor number of weapons I don't see many downsides to this. If you need to take a lot of valuable cargo to another place though do yourself a favor and hire an NPC escort or go to Mumble and organize a fleet to help you. Generally you WILL be a target for NPC and player pirates due to the ship's availability. I fully expect them to be semi-rare due to their nature and the description whereas something like the Hull series may be more common.

I want to reiterate that the listed cargo capacity values ARE out of whack and should be taken with a grain of salt. Thank you AntiSqueaker for showing me that video. I highly encourage all of you to watch some of GrayheadedGamer's other videos on cargo capacity as they show several things. Take for instance this video showing the Taurus' cargo capacity. It looks right while the MAX now looks completely wrong and these videos were done a day apart from each other. We just don't know yet how big a visual freight unit is. Expect weirdness as numbers are revised later to fit the ships as they are correctly doing with the Hull series now as it is being concepted.

Continued below.....

 

[Black Sunder]

Closing Thoughts

Wow this has been a LONG one to write but I enjoyed it a lot. If you're looking for a good hauler you have other choices beyond what I have picked out for this Talk. Ships such as the Constellation Andromeda feature over 1K units of capacity and are better armed than the Taurus. Something like the Carrack can swap its 3 modulars for cargo units giving it over 4K units. The point I'm trying to make here is aside from the dedicated haulers there are other options that may suit you more and are better defended from attack. If you are really desperate to make sure your cargo arrives you can even take a Javelin Destroyer but that may attract more attention and not less. As I said at the beginning, Logistics are going to be our lifeblood and a potential money maker for transport missions. Pick your ship for the mission and cargo and you can't go wrong. HIRE AN ESCORT if you feel you may need one. Don't chance it if you're carrying valuable beer!

The next Talk will be about the Cutlass and its 2 variants the Red and Blue. I expect it to be a rather short Talk compared to some of the others. After that I have some ideas, the Freelancers, the Mustangs, the Constellations. All of these are ripe for talking but I may change it up to something else.

Thank you all for reading this and if this has helped anyone make any kind of decision in SC or ship purchases then I've done something good. When I started this it was just something to do for fun because I felt I had something to write about. Now here we are at Ship Talk #4, ok I guess its number 6 because 3 was split and I did that STC, but anyway officially #4 and still going strong. Again thank you guys for reading. Any ideas or suggestions for Ship Talk I want to hear them either in this thread or the ST Future Discussions and Update thread!

 

[Schmunkel]

I currently own a Cutlass Black, but want to CCU to a Freelancer Max when I can. It seems like the perfect solo or small team hauler for the early to mid game.

 

[honcho12]

From greheadedgamers update on the taurus capacity, the MAX looks like a very attractive smuggler, ~800 cargo units and huge engines! I can imagine it being a pretty sweet blockade runner.

 

[Shar Treuse]

Starfarer for now, probably join the cult of Banu MM or maybe Hull C at some point.

 

[WarrenPeace]

I own a Banu MM. Disembodied Screaming of Wallets eagerly awaits the opportunity to part fools from their money provide quality products at bargain prices with impeccable service. That said, I think you may have sold RSI another MAX. If possible, I may try to CCU a Reliant into a MAX once it becomes available.

 

[Black Sunder]

Hull series is well in the lead. I had considered not putting it as an option because this Talk isn't about it. WHAT HAVE I DONE?!!?!?!?!

That said I really really enjoyed writing this one after the Fighters Talk. Still working out kinks as I go but I think this is one of the best ones I've done so far.

 

[Halligan]

Currently I have a Constellation Taurus package. I know flying large ships solo will come with an NPC expense and reduced efficiency. The theoretical info on the Hull C right now would have a crew size difference of just one and cargo capacity increased of over 370%. If you had to choose between melting a Constellation Taurus with 6 months insurance for a Hull C with LTI, which would you go for?

 

[WarrenPeace]

Currently I have a Constellation Taurus package. I know flying large ships solo will come with an NPC expense and reduced efficiency. The theoretical info on the Hull C right now would have a crew size difference of just one and cargo capacity increased of over 370%. If you had to choose between melting a Constellation Taurus with 6 months insurance for a Hull C with LTI, which would you go for?

I can't make a call on that, the info on the Hull C is just too nonexistent right now. I am very eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Hull C (and the Hull series in general) to see what it brings to the table.

 

[Black Sunder]

Currently I have a Constellation Taurus package. I know flying large ships solo will come with an NPC expense and reduced efficiency. The theoretical info on the Hull C right now would have a crew size difference of just one and cargo capacity increased of over 370%. If you had to choose between melting a Constellation Taurus with 6 months insurance for a Hull C with LTI, which would you go for?

I would wait for the Hull series to be released for a concept sale before making that call. As I said I intend to do a Talk on the Hull series when it is released.

 

[Feral Oxide]

These articles are the bomb diggity. I want a Freelancer Maxxxxx even Moooore.

 

[SeungRyul]

@Black Sunder Need help compiling this into a mini ebook when your series is done? Im pretty sure this will net you an MVP on Around the Verse :P

 

[JBWill]

I've been trying to figure out what cargo hauling ship I want to add to my fleet. I've got all the fun and combat ships I need, I just need to get a ship I can use to make some cash. Freelancer is what I've been thinking so far, but I'm waiting until it's CCUable. I'm also interested in seeing the Hull variant of equivalent size (B?) before I make a decision.

 

[Black Sunder]

@Black Sunder Need help compiling this into a mini ebook when your series is done? Im pretty sure this will net you an MVP on Around the Verse :p

That would be pretty cool. Not done yet by a long shot!

Is it wrong that as I write these I'm trying really hard to not buy the ships I talk about after reviewing them? Because I want a Freelancer MAX now.

 

[Liquor_and_ores]

As always, a very good write up and read Black Sunder

I love the look of the freelancer max, but the Tarsus has that big ol drop down cargo hold.

I am hoping the Hull series of ships will give me a ship that i can dump a whole Orion ore load into at once so I am not making multiple trips :D

 

[Black Sunder]

As always, a very good write up and read Black Sunder

These articles are the bomb diggity. I want a Freelancer Maxxxxx even Moooore.

Thanks guys. :)

The Hull series is something I'm really looking forward to when it comes out and apparently so are a lot of other people if my poll here is any indication.

 

[GrammarGestapo]

Banu MM is my ship of choice. I'm hoping it's something interesting to live in more than just a hauler. The Hull C sounds like a boring old cargo tanker, banu looks much more exciting and still has similar capabilities.

 

[WarrenPeace]

One speculation I remember hearing about for the Banu MM was blockade runner. It does mount a decent armament, and people were speculating that it might be tough enough to be able to punch a hole in a blockade if it finds a smaller ship to tangle with.

 

[Black Sunder]

One speculation I remember hearing about for the Banu MM was blockade runner. It does mount a decent armament, and people were speculating that it might be tough enough to be able to punch a hole in a blockade if it finds a smaller ship to tangle with.

Eh, with that mass being so high(not even loaded!) and the engines being what they are I'm skeptical. Not disagreeing as I haven't heard these speculations but I'm not buying it atm unless a TR6 engine is like 3-4 TR5s worth.

I'm 'hoping' that you'll be able to buy things on a planet and open the ship up as a shop for people to visit to buy and sell things before moving on to another planet.