Ship Talk #13 Ships of Exploration Part 1 of 3

Adiran

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Mar 28, 2015
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This ship talk is a continuation of the same Ship Talks that Black Sunder has been posting and will be presented in 3 parts. The first part is going to focus on the single seat exploration ships that have been labeled as an exploration ship. The second part will be focusing on the 2 seat exploration ships. The third part will focus on muli-crew exploration ships that require 3 or more to pilot them. My write up on the professions forum will have all ships that can be considered or used as an exploration ship as they come stock. In the end any ship can be upgraded to be an exploration ship. These ships are the ones that come right out the box ready to go exploring with.

To begin with we have our single seat exploration ships. This will be the ship you start off in when you begin the game as a new player. I have listed them in an order of where you begin to the best in class for single seat ships. This is going to be your first steps out into a larger universe. Full of mysteries we have yet to solve. Do you have what it takes to go where no man has gone before?

Aurora ES/LX/CL


The aurora is one of the oldest ships in Star Citizen, and the base ship for starting out this game. While only 2 of these variants of the Aurora are listed to be explorers, the CL has equipment that makes it worthy of this list. So without further adu!!



The Aurora ES is the quintessential starting ship. This is the base ship everyone has if they just pay the 45 dollars for a starting package to play Star Citizen and get the Star Citizen download as well as the Squadron 42 download. It seemed only fair I should begin here. This ship comes bare bones, with no bells or whistles. This ship is very much a ship that can be upgraded to do anything. Coming with a small store all container it allows you to get into exploration on the budget of every new player.


The Aurora LX is the luxury version, coming standard with a jump engine and the same store all container of the ES. This version has all the same hard points as the ES and has leather seats to boot. This Aurora is the way to go since it does not require you to buy what you need to move to another system.


The Aurora CL is the one ship that is not listed as an exploration ship. However the AT Jump Scanner screams to me a exploration ship. It does not come stock with a jump drive, but that is a small thing to buy and easily placed on the ship allowing you to go out and start scanning for new jump points.




The handling of these ships is almost identical. They all feel really boaty. Almost like you are in a larger ship than you are in. The cross bars in the cockpit give you a reinforced feel as well, add in the slow speeds and you would say you are flying a ground tank. The nice part of all that is you really are a flying tank. Most of the ship’s mass and area is cargo space, allowing you to take a beating and not be destroyed. Doesn't help your cargo you are carrying, but at least you will make it back alive. The speed of this ship is


The nice part here is no matter what ship you choose between the 3 the combat load out will be exactly the same. Each one sports the ability to mount 2 size 2 fixed guns or 2 gimbal size 1 guns and a missile rack. While it can take a beating, your primary chance of survival will be that missile rack in a one on one fight. This ship is safest when flown with friends.

Continue below...
 

Adiran

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Continued



Mustang Beta


The Mustang Beta is the next level up from the starter ship. This ship’s base model is designed to be the fast sports car of the small single seat ships, and has multiple race variants available. This particular Mustang is the “Space Winnebago” of exploration. This ship has all the comforts of home in a very small package. Coming stock with a jump engine, a highly fuel efficient Power Plant, and the ability to upgrade a size on the power plant means this ship can take you anywhere and not lose the “sports car” feel it is designed to have. The cockpit is wide open glass, which allows you a wide field of view, free of the cross bars a lot of other ships have. Giving you a wild and free feeling when you are out there exploring new frontiers. This with the unique lines and wings make this a very fragile ship overall. With good piloting and how nimble the ship is with the speed it has means you can avoid combat if you wish.

The handling of this ship is amazing in game. Even though it is heavier than all the other mustang variants it doesn’t lose any of its ability to turn on a dime. Quick and nimble, this ship can out maneuver a lot of other ships despite the fact it is a exploration ship with more comforts of home than you can shake a stick at. Just make sure to tie down your keg you keep in the back or they will fall over and spill. The speed of this ship is



The weapon systems on the stock ship consist of a un-manned turret with 2 size 1 guns on it and 2 size 1 slots, one in each wing. Giving it a mix of fixed and turreted size 1 guns, that make it a good ship for either mouse or keyboard for combat but the mix also can be its downfall. Splitting guns with only one person at the controls can split your attention to much and cause you to make more mistakes. With the most recent balance changes the size 1 guns are not doing the same damage as before and as a result it is now harder to kill players using just size 1 guns unless you can bring all 4 to bare at the same time.

315P


The Origin 315P is produced by the luxury ship maker Origin. Think BMW, the ultimate driving machine. That is Origin in a nutshell. They want to design a ship that is the best at what it does, flying. Not only does it look great but it performs as well as a military fighter in combat. With fixed and gimbals guns as well as missiles. A fast ship that can get into or out of where it wants to go quickly. It is also the largest single seat exploration labeled ships, and the most expensive. This ship is designed to look good, fly good, and find jump points. Every one of those it not only can do, but does them better than any other ship in its class. This ship is the pinnacle of single seat exploration ships.

This ship has bells and whistles galore. Size 3 shields and power plant plus a massive TR4 engine with 10 maneuvering thrusters and 2 Omni Precision thrusters. The Origin made jump engine and the Jump scanner keeps it powerful, fuel efficient, and allows you to find and map new jump points with ease. to quote the brochure "Only the 315p’s advanced engine solution makes navigating the furthest reaches of unexplored space as simple as a ride around the Terra system." The tractor beam is a nice touch as well adding the ability to pull in what you find to a safe distance so you don't scratch the paint.




The 315P can handle with the best of them. I would say that the only single seat ship in its class that is more nimble is the Mustang Beta, but take into account that this ship has a faster top speed and nearly the same “turn on a dime” handling as the mustang still puts this ship in a higher class. The speed of this ship is

This is probably the most combat effective of the single seat exploration ships. Capable of mounting 3 fixed size 2 or 3 gimbaled size 1, and 2 missile racks it can pack a punch for any situation. Sporting the largest shield generator and a standard armor package it can take more of a beating than the other single seat ships in the exploration class. By far if you have to fight this is the ship to do it in.
 
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WarrenPeace

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Very much looking forward to exploration, though I'm thinking my Beta might serve more as a mobile crash pad after a night of barhopping. No matter where I fly, I'll always have a safe place to sleep.
 

Sintha

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The first of many Ship Talks not written by me! Looking forward to more.
Thanks i enjoyed the read. I have been considering a single seat explorer to add to my hanger but i want to avoid spending too much.

From your analysis the 315p seems like the best option

Edit fail for me quoting the wrong person
 

Adiran

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Thanks i enjoyed the read. I have been considering a single seat explorer to add to my hanger but i want to avoid spending too much.

From your analysis the 315p seems like the best option

Edit fail for me quoting the wrong person
the 315P is the best option right out the gate with what is on it. Since the game is not fully released and we don't have all the sensors types and modularity of the ship in the game yet. Even with all that tho I would say hands down even uppon release the 315P is going to be your best bet in the end as it is the "High End" single seat ship option.
 
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