subdivide regular traders into light, medium and heavy

[cbr]

when looking at the different roles available, the traders are just one size but pirate-freighters are subdivided,
a request to add these roles
trader-light ( <50 ton ) cobra mk III
trader-medium ( 50 ton < > 200 ton ) boa mk2
trader-heavy ( >200 ton ) anaconda

...

[Hajimoto]

Hmm, good idea, but I think the medium traders should be between 100 and 200 tons.

[Disembodied]

I think something like this would have to be based on the core ships only, which would mean either leaving the Anaconda out on its own as the only Heavy trader, or defining Heavy as e.g. 150 tonnes and over - which would also class the Boa 2 as Heavy.

Arguably, for core ships, Medium could start with the Cobra III … or maybe it could straddle the divide, if Medium was 30 tonnes and up. Light would include the Adder, the Cobra I and the Moray.

[Norby]

I suggest to do not create a new trader-medium role but keep the current trader name for the medium sized freighters (Boas, Python).
I think in core ships only the Anaconda is heavy.

[cbr]

to me the anaconda seems a bigger and slower trader than the boa/pythons hence the split there,

as the cobra mk iii is such a versatile ship ( trader or hunter or ...) i wanted it in the light ( split light/medium anywhere between 30 ton - 50 ton ).

I look at this list for helpfull info http://wiki.alioth.net/index.php/Largest_Ships_(Oolite)

I would keep the universal role trader but add the trader-light, trader-medium, trader-heavy.

N.B. i saw somewhere also the bigtrader? role being used...

[Norby]

the bigtrader? role being used...

In Bigships, not related to the core game.

[Disembodied]

to me the anaconda seems a bigger and slower trader than the boa/pythons hence the split there

Although the Anaconda is definitely bigger and slower than the rest, it's worth remembering that the Anaconda's freakishly large cargo capacity of 750 tonnes is apparently a typo in the original Elite manual … I've always assumed it should have been 250.

[Cody]

A coffee-stained typo? <chortles>

The largest cargo space of a ship which can be bought is 250 tonnes, for the Anaconda.

[cbr]

hm...

The largest cargo space of a ship which can be bought is 250 tonnes, for the Anaconda.

another freight trader dream dissapates

[Smivs]

<Smivs remembers the time he had the temerity to suggest that this anomaly might be corrected - not a popular suggestion at all >

[Cody]

<grins> Yep, I was in favour of keeping it as is - mainly for the benefit of Annie drivers.

[Disembodied]

A coffee-stained typo? <chortles>

The largest cargo space of a ship which can be bought is 250 tonnes, for the Anaconda.

Ah, interesting! That's from the manual for Elite-A, Andrew Duggan's extended version for the BBC Micro … the original manual has this:



The 750-tonne capacity is also quoted in the "Observer's Guide to Ships in Service", on p. 53 …

It's so hugely out of scale with the other ships, though, that I still think it was a mistake. It might have been a misreading of the designers' notes, caused by coffee-stains, poor handwriting, or both!

<Smivs remembers the time he had the temerity to suggest that this anomaly might be corrected - not a popular suggestion at all >

Actually, bringing the Anaconda's capacity down did get the most votes … although reading over the thread again I see that in the end I was convinced by an idea of DaddyHoggy's to leave it alone:

So how about this - bulk carriers (possibly including the Anaconda) can take a certain number of physical TC cannisters BUT can take very large, bulky items, intact. So, you could limit the Anaconda to, for example, 250TCs for actual trading in TC cannisters - but its equivalent ACTUAL capacity is 750TCs, so contracts could also include genuinely bulky items that only Anacondas (core ship) and Bulk haulers (OXP ships) can carry. This way BULK Hauler would mean something. You would buy an Anaconda (core game) because you wanted to haul actual large items - with the ability to carry large but not silly amounts of TC cannisters for normal trading when no bulk items are available.

It never went anywhere, but it's still a good idea … ultimately, since I don't (and don't intend to) fly an Anaconda, it doesn't matter to me what the cargo capacity says!

[Cody]

Aye, 'twas a good idea.

[cbr]

Food for thought, the anaconda-L and anaconda 2

[Hajimoto]

Food for thought, the anaconda-L and anaconda 2

Pretty cool, thanks for sharing this:)