What ship to buy?

[AndySlater]

I've reached 'Competant' and have about 450,000 credits to my name if I trade in my fully fitted out Python. I want to obtain Elite status in the basic game i.e. without installing any OXPs.

I swapped the Cobra for a Python so I could earn money quicker and I could now switch back to a Cobra an fit it out with everything including military shields.

I also considered saving up a bit more for a Boa so I could do some serious haulage but to be honest I'm getting a bit bored with trading. I even fitted a couple of passenger berths into the Python (although I'd previously promised that I wouldn't try that again) to give myself an excuse to travel around a bit more.

Then, while I was thinking about it, I spotted an Asp and realised that it's faster than a Cobra and that I could afford to kit it out with everything!

As I was not entirely sure that this was a good idea I took a backup of my status file, bought the Asp and kitted it out. I haven't got military sheilds on it yet as I need to go to a higher tech system to get them, but the money is in the bank.

So, I whizz off to the nearest Anarchic system looking for things to shoot but I think they must have known I was looking for trouble and decided to stay clear because I spent 2 hours flying around the space lanes and was spending more time waiting to get out of range of honest traders than I was spending kicking butt.

The down side of the Asp is that it can't carry cargo. I can take Gold, Platinum, and Gems but that's not a particulatly reliable way to earn money and as there are no fuel scoops I have to buy fuel. The only 'realistic' way to earn money is as a bounty hunter - if you can find things to hunt. It strikes me that rather than being fun, trying to be a bounty hunter in an Asp could turn out to be a case of flying from system to system and praying that you run into bad guys so you can earn the money for fuel to get away from honest traders.

Switching to a Cobra would allow me to trade but the extra speed of the Asp does mean that I can get away from the honest guys a bit quicker.

Thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.

[LittleBear]

If you can afford it, the Boa Class Crusier (native) is probabley the best all round ship in the Native game. Quite fast and nippy for such a large ship, good shields and a very big (175t) cargo bay. I think you've probabley reached the point where you might want to install the OXP ships though. Generally the Super Cobra and the Imperial Courier are regarded as too powerfull (I disagree though!), but other than these two the OXP ships are pretty balanced and give you a good variety of ships to pick from, particularly ones the have the Cobra IIIs advantages (reasonable trading but good in combat).

EDIT : Your Elite rating is nearing the point where you'll also start to qualify for some interesting Missions. Put the OXPs in, make some dangerous trade runs to build kills and money a little more then get yourself a fighting ship and do some missions! I stopped trading pretty much after completing the first mission, as by this time I had enough cash for a good ship and could make a living from Missions.

[johnsmith]

The Asp is great when you know you'll have to fight. I used through Assassins, and it was the perfect ship for it - fast, good shields, not too twitchy. Lack of missile pods and fuel scoops, but you can't have everything. I've traded it in now and gone back to a Cobra. There's something about them that just keep making me come back to them.

[lolwhites]

On a related note, what will happen to the Naval Energy Unit I got for completing Thargoid Plans if I change ship? Will it move with me, will I have the option to buy another one, or will I just lose it?

[LittleBear]

Once the mission is complete, you can buy another one at very high tech planets. The Cloaking Device and the Mark Transponder Scanner will change ships with you.

[TGHC]

Once you've installed some of the OXP's you won't want to go back to classic elite eg custom sounds, halsis, Tionisla etc, you don't have to install ships or missions, it's your choice, but they do add a hell of a lot more variety and it's a long way to elite even if you q-mine and energy bomb eveything in sight!

Switching to a Cobra would allow me to trade but the extra speed of the Asp does mean that I can get away from the honest guys a bit quicker.

You don't need the Asp, px for a Cobra, if you want to get to elite without installing OXP,'s you can get the extra speed using fuel injectors, in fact they will speed up the game immensely for you. If you are travelling 6.8LY then sunskim for fuel, it only takes a minute or so and is well worth it rather than waiting to clear mass lock.

The fastest way to earn money without OXP's is probably a combination of trading furs and computers combined with scooping (leave space for about 15-20tons of scooping), you can always trade platinum, gold and gemstones, but scooping can give very high rewards and is more fun.

[Ulli]

Andy, I did just about the same as you did. At some point, I upgraded my Python to a Boa (smaller, faster, stronger, carries a bit more). Simply great ship.

From some datasheet I've seen, I wouldn't buy a Boa class cruiser, though, as it seems quite big (i.e. very easy target).

The Boa is great as it can pack about 100 cargo, plus you still got 25 left for stuff you pick up from killed pirates

If you're thinking about hunting, though, I HIGHLY recommend you the Fer-de-lance. I just bought one, and it's really fast too, has all in terms of comfort and luxury, and some space as well (either passenger berths, or cargo if you throw the berths out).

I usually pack about 5-7 of furs or computers when trading would be worth it, and pick up everything that looks like gems, gold, platinum, espace pods ...

It costs a bit more, though. About 500k for the ship + military lasers + basic equipment, and 50k more for military shields (it already comes with shield boosters and some smaller equipment).

[LittleBear]

Agree the Boa is also good, but I think the Cruiser is just that bit faster and has a slightly better shield.

As TGHC says its an awful long way to Elite (about a years playing I guess) and the OXPs are a feature of Oolite. They don't make the game easier, in fact most make the game harder.

What they do is draw features from all the different versions of Elite togther and add a hugh variety of ships. Remember new ships cut both ways. Everthing the player has, the pirates have too. Many of the OXPs were written by Giles and the Native features (such as the Native missions) are just OXPs that Giles wrote and included in the basic download package.

Desginers are carfull to remain faithful to the basic spirit of Elite and even with all the OXPs in there are few ships that rivial the Asp for Combat performance or the Python or Boa for Trade performance.

Uber Ships are NOT made available to the player, so these OXPs make the game much more challenging. You though pirates in Fer-de-lances were tough, try taking on a Bandasnatch!

You're missing at lot of very good Graphics, features and missions, just playing the basic game. Many OXP just provide better and more interesting ships and Space Stations wink:

Stalking a Marked Commander in a muti-planeted system:-



A passing a touring Zero-G Hocky Team:-

[TGHC]

Hey LB is that the dajt mod to give textured planets, I wasn't able to get it to work so haven't bothered with it. It looks awesome so if it is I'll have another go.

[LittleBear]

Yep, works fine with the new version.

Mars and Earth-Sytle worlds are added. Each World is unique (differnet continates & coast-line), even have deserts and mountain ranges visable from orbit.

Lave running under the branch:-