What should a starter ship flight test cover?

[Shadow Reaper]

Star Marine is much, much, much harder than the FPS missions. It's not just the difference in capability between PCs and NPCs, but it is the playstyle. In Star Marine players generally run all the time and often shoot from the hip. If you are not running, they will run up behind you and kill you before you even know they are there. On missions, most NPCs aren't moving when you encounter them so they're easy head shots. Most of the accomplished players in Star Marine wear little or no armor on their legs, and none of them carry a second weapon. They all move FAST, and if you're not doing the same you certainly are going to have a miserable experience.

That's totally opposite of things like the 890J mission, that offers huge reward for 20 minutes really fun playtime. We ought to be training all TESTies how to excel at that, IMHO.

 

[Lordgarrett99]

on the topic of starter ships, the optimal starter ship for me would be the cutty black, does the job in almost all beginner scenarios in my mind and also has a decent armament for defense, AND you can have a friend with you on the turret :D

 

[Richard Bong]

Good thread for the record! I didn't realize the game packages had changed up so much, no Reliant or 300s anymore? Crazy! Anyway, at a slight risk of repeating myself, my opinion is that the important starter ships are the ones that offer really good REASONS to help draw new players into the 'Verse. Someone with a brand new account will invariably start with either an Aurora or a Mustang, but after their 4th or 5th semi-successful PU experience they'll realize they want to upgrade to something 'better,' but without falling into the trap of throwing in a bunch of IRL cash like the rest of us. Hence:

Step 1: Titan. For such a small cost bump ($55 ship value), it's SOO much more ship than the basic starters with a both a ramp AND cockpit ladder, more cargo, great for boxes, MUCH better hardpoints, a real interior (really helps draw a newb into the immersion), and perhaps best of all, such wonderful cockpit visibility for marveling at the 'Verse! Hell, you can even cram a Greycat in the back! Do I like flying a 300 series or Pisces more? You bet, but neither yields that same versatility per cost that the Titan does, and that's what a new player starting out needs most.

Step 2: Cutlass black. This is for the simple reason that it's the cheapest ship that offers 2-player gameplay. Yeah I know you can PUT a copilot in a Reliant, but what's he gonna do? The Black gives you the double beds, turret, copilot seat, gun racks, vehicle space, and all those wonderful doors to jump in and out of when you get somewhere, and it still works just fine when soloed. Hell even today it's one of the best ships for running Xenothreat in. Zoom in, knock out some pirates, grab your gun for the FPS part, load it up through a side door for the cargo-ferrying, and even stick around and try not to get blown up by the Idris! All for $100!

In addition to these two main 'pillar' ships, I'd agree the Pisces, 100er, Nomad, and possibly Freelancer (personally the visibility kills it for me) are also worth consideration.

There's no way I'd ever in good conscience recommend a Hornet/Arrow (too specific, can't take a box), Constellation (I'm a Connie-lover but really takes $ AND 3 to crew), 300er (just an expensive Titan with the added complexity of choosing a variant), or Reliant (forever too buggy!) to a newcomer though.

Once you can load cargo boxes from the ground, the F7C should be able to do box missions.

I, personally, wouldn't recommend a Cutlass Black. It is too much expensive starter, not enough profession ship. It doesn't really do anything well. I felt that way before it became a brick.

I have a Blue, which flies faster than a black, and fits my preferred profession, but it is just sitting in my hangar waiting for a better bounty hunting ship.