Tiger Trader MK2

[psuamier]

Since the Tiger Trader of FFE was one of my most favourite ships I looked for an Oolite version of it and was disappointed by the result (the unbalanced and rare version is not really fitted what I hoped for).

So here is my suggestion for the Tiger Trader MK2, created by Joist Industries:

The Tiger Trader Mk2 is a trader ship more versatile but smaller than the python. It fills in the gap of a modern trading (and bounty) ship that can be good defended and have more equipment on-board as well. Joint Industries started it by winning a design contest. It also features a special "Tiger HUD". Meanwhile there is also a combat variant available called Tiger Fighter MK2. As quite some parts of it are classified rumors go that the Navy uses a more powerful variant of the ship.

Draft of a background story in the Wiki

So here are the known Specs so far for the playable ships. I'd also like to have NPC-variants and Navy-variants of the ships (that can be included in missions of course).

Tiger Trade MK2
Cargo capacity: 50 TC
Cargo bay: To be announced
Maximum speed: 0.32 LM
Roll: 1.5
Pitch: 0.8
Energy banks: 5
Energy recharge rate: To be announced
Gun Mount: All (4)
Missile Slots: 3
Shield boosters: Yes
Military Shields: No
Hyperspace Capable: Yes
Available to player: Yes
Base price: To be announced

Tiger Fight MK2
Cargo capacity: CLASSIFIED
Cargo bay: N/A
Maximum speed: 0.34 LM
Roll: 1.8
Pitch: 0.9
Energy banks: CLASSIFIED
Energy recharge rate: CLASSIFIED
Gun Mount: All (4)
Missile Slots: 5
Shield boosters: CLASSIFIED
Military Shields: CLASSIFIED
Hyperspace Capable: Yes
Available to player: Yes
Base price: To be announced

It should be a common ship for tech worlds Level 11 and onwards. I have thought about a base price of 450000 (the fighter variant should be more expensive - it is a newer and modernized Tiger after all).

One interesting feature I'd like to include is some kind of invisible equipment, mainly for the Trader Fighter. This will influence ship computer or ship equipment parts. Most easily this could be (partial) functions from other OXPs (they could influence way to recharge energy). Though not being listed they'd also be part of the ship repair program (with all consequences).

A big plus would be a Griffin-based texture for the ship.

I'd welcome any other suggestions, especially concerning the balance (taking the available ships from about 45 TC until about 60 TC into account).

[Selezen]

There's never been much of a drive for FFE ships in Oolite. I accept this stance because Oolite is set 100 years before FFE, with Frontier slap bang in between them, therefore ships that don't appear in Frontier are generally considered not to have been invented yet in the Oolite timeframe.

Still, OXPs being what they are, if you want to create a Tiger, GO FOR IT!!

[psuamier]

Definitively, I've been working on the concept quite a it and want to look into how I work with Blender and being able to use it with one of the existing models.

The Tiger OXP has no real similarity to the FE2/3 Tiger Trader, I certainly won't make a ship with that shape as a base. Some ships like the Griffs Wolf MK2 might be a nice base to try out some shapes. Also the Tiger Fighter will have shape modifications at least in a way that it's harder to hit.

I consider to have a streamlined shape that would allow planetary flight. But that's a bit dependent on the question if Oolite ever will have some kind of (probably generated) planets (haven't looked for that up to now). Nowadays many ships would need a kind of anti-gravity aggregate in addition to the planetary landing module (the first just for landing, the latter for overcome of the atmosphere (of course not necessary for planets without it).

Apart from that it will contain some modern built-in equipment making it as expensive as it is which I hope to disclose soon.

Thanks for the feedback.