Heavy lifter

[dr lameos]

Take a look at this size comparison, what do you notice?

Do you notice that the Heavy Lifter is more than four times the size of the Armoured Transport,? Do you notice that it is the same size as the firefly?

Now take a look at these statistics, what do you notice?

Code:

Armored Transport
Armour=60,000
Cargo=801
B/B=240
Guns/Turrets=2/8

Heavy Lifter
Armour=40,000
Cargo=751
B/B=150
Guns/Turrets=0/5

Firefly
Armour=100,000
Cargo=3,501
B/B=450
Guns/Turrets=0/8

Do you notice that the Armoured transport, despite being four times smaller, has more cargo, weaponry, and armour? Furthermore, it has a higher turn rate.

So, what incentive is there to use the Heavy Lifter? I myself have one for a few events I would like to do, and I like the ship's looks, and handling. However, it's huge for its cargo size, and unarmoured. What practical use does it have?

Note that the Heavy Lifter did have more cargo than the Armoured Transport until recently, it had 750, and the AT only had 500. The AT got buffed, the HL didn't.

What I propose is that the HL gets at least something over the AT, and the easiest answer would be armour. If I suggested 120k+, I don't see how that would be unreasonable, it is four times the size, still has less weaponry, less cargo, and a slower turn rate. It is the same size as the firefly, which has 4/5 times more cargo, 3 more turrets, and 100,000 armour (although a slower thrusting speed).

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[dr lameos]

Am I the only one who has a Heavy Lifter/cares about it?

I guess that would kinda prove my point that it needs something to make it special...

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[Weedalot]

hmm never used it but it seems you have more than valid point here. i must agree that something must be changed

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♠ Because we can ♠

[darthbeck]

make it the new firefly?

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<span style="font-family:Century Gothic">Violence is Golden</span>

[tazuras]

I dunno Lameos. Personally I dont really want to see the Heavy lifter have very good stats. If it does opeople will start using it as a trade ship, which it should not function as. What might be cool is if it got a bonus to mining scrap, as I could see it being used as a salvage vessel. But I think you are correct that as of right now the vessel does not really seem to have a purpose.

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[Cellulanus]

The problem is it's impossible to make it capable of doing what it was meant to do, which was moving things, mostly transferring cargo pods from transports to stations.

Unless anyone has some good ideas as to how one could implement an ability to move stationary objects such as a player ship, this thing will be nothing more then an RP ship.

[Benjamin]

Being able to grab other ships would be terrible, but also fantastic. All fleets rolling out with a heavy lifter trying to grab the opposition in its jaws.

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Join Cryer Pharmaceuticals

[dr lameos]

I dunno Lameos. Personally I dont really want to see the Heavy lifter have very good stats. If it does opeople will start using it as a trade ship, which it should not function as. What might be cool is if it got a bonus to mining scrap, as I could see it being used as a salvage vessel. But I think you are correct that as of right now the vessel does not really seem to have a purpose.

I completely agree, which is why I didn't suggest it gets a cargo increase. With only armour and B/B increased it would increase it's survivability, though it's still a massive target. It only has 2 forward facing turrets so being offensive still isn't a big option. With increased survivability it may have more practical use for RP events, or against attacks. Your mining bonus idea makes some sense too.

I'm fine with it just being an RP vessel, but I'd like it some practical stats to back up it's size.

Being able to move others' ships could be quite interesting, though may be unfair on the 'towee' if possible. I'd like to be able to tow big chunks of debris/large asteroids/wrecks (temporarily), but I doubt that's possible.

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[ugliestmoose]

I was actually screwing around with a Heavy Lifter in OpenSP the other day and was gonna ask the same questions about it. First of all, where exactly does it say what it does? I get nothing from its ridiculously vague infocard and I'm guessing that from its name, yeah, it's supposed to move things. In singleplayer there's heavy lifters EVERYWHERE, too, so they must be pretty important.

So I'd say, either buff the crap out of its armor, like make it 150k - which would explain its huge size due to the armor.

Or, give it a LOT more cargo space, something reasonable like 1500-1800, and make it more expensive. As long as it's more expensive and more vulnerable than the equivalent mid-level transports (Bumblebee, Percheron, etc.) I doubt people will bother using it for trading.

Also, the one odd thing it's got going for it right now is 200 thruster speed. That's a pretty big advantage for running from pirates, but I get the feeling that a) nobody flies the damn thing, so it's not exactly rampant and b) it can be fixed easily.

[Leadcrows]

In my opinion there is no need for perfection.
That Heavy Lifter might have a very big and old engine, one possibility for such small cargo hold in its size and slow turn rate.
Smaller vessels with new technology should be able to have more cargo hold than the big ones, there is nothing wrong with it.
I like it to have more variety than everything in order.

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The Explorador The Terrorist The Zoner
Omega Pirates Guild ~ Leadcrows

Do not waste my time by refilling your nanos or inciting an army