' Wrote:Ok, let's get this straight... The Whale, as well as every other ship that can mount a transport shield (be that civilian or otherwise), is a D[arn] TRANSPORT!! Regardless of what the info card may say.
That doesn't always fit, as there are level 7 freighter shields and a number of freghters that can mount said shields. For Example, the Kushan Freighter and the Rheinland Humpback can both technically mount the Transport shields, but they are clearly freighters.
Edit: Didn't notice Korrd had already made a ruling on the whale, so you can pretty much ignore most of what is below.
--------------------------------------
Other factors are involved, and I have listed these in the Infocard Errors thread, but here they are again.
Please keep in mind, these are my opinion on the matter and are open for discussion.
First, is the amount of cargo the ship can carry. I think 750 (the amount the Heavy Lifter can carry) is a reasonable limit here. Anything less than that, with the exception of the Armored Transport, should be considered a freighter. The Whale clearly carries more than that.
Second, if the ship can mount Transport class turrets, then it is a transport. This is why the Armored Transport fits in this category, despite only being able to carry 480 units and not fitting my third category below.
Third, if the ship cannot use a docking ring, then it should be a transport. Obviously the Armored Transport can still use the docking rings, but is a transport for other obvious reasons.
For what it's worth, I can see the appeal of trying to use the Whale with the Neutral ID. I can also see why it shouldn't be allowed to happen.
