Posted this in another thread, and I think the idea has merit - I want to get a sense of feedback, and a response from the Dev Team whether or not this is viable.
' Wrote:I'm one of the few who would like to see Zoner caps gone too.
Really, if I could design the Zoner shipline...here's what it would have.
- Heavy Fighter -
Small, fast, interceptor, designed to trailblaze along the edges of known space - medium armor, medium core, and good agility. The Bayonet is a good example, and I'd be quick to point to it, if it wasn't so clearly Lane Hacker made
In truth, the Kingfisher fills this role
- VHF -
The Osprey - a long range escort, and deep space superiority fighter.
Osprey needs a tweak though.
Four gun slots - 2 Class 9's, 2 Class 10's, and two Class 2 Turret Slots.
Buff the core to 11,400, and the armor to 11,400
- Bomber -
I'm iffy on this, but it's necessary. The Zoners don't need to build there own SNAC's- all they need to build is a platform to launch torpedoes and antimatter cannons from. Unlike other Zoner snubs, this thing would be designed purely for combat - medium core, but lots of armor, and medium agility.
- Gunship
Heavy Space exploration and trailblazer. I'd make this thing akin to the Bottlenose - very agile, but only a couple turret slots, and a low core. I'd also make it very very pretty. It has a function, and it can fight off snubs nicely, but against anything heavier, it becomes less able to do the job. This is the ship you want to take, and explore every known location in sirius with. It will also make a fine escort for Whale's, when an Osprey just wont do it (like against pesky Roc's, or combat freighters)
- Gunboat -
The Conference - maybe some redesigns, but in essence, it would serve the exact function as the Corvo - a deep space exploration platform, research platform, and all environment ship - capable of meeting most any threat. I'd give it a heavy core, heavy armor, and agility proportionate of that - with 7 to 8 turrets. Somewhat similar in function to the HF's "Inquisitor" gunboat. This means it can perform a wide range of combat roles - from razor boat, to chainfire gunship, etc.
- Freighter -
Kinda already have it - the Dromedary. Long range, really rugged, and lotsa guns. As well, this is one of those ships that the zoners freely export to everyone.
- Medium Transport -
While some would say the BWT is the Zoner medium, I wouldn't mind something else to take this role, something that, like the Zoner Whale, is something that is specifically a zoner ship. While I would be tempted to say "Zoner Battle Transport," I wont.
This thing should have around 3200 to 3500 cargo, and a decent number of turrets, but not enough that it can fight off everything - its not as helpless as the whale, but an escort of an osprey, or the above mentioned gunship, would be nice.
- Liner -
This would be a deep omicrons refugee and passenger ship, able to carry both people and cargo. Heavy armor, lotsa guns (battle transport), but only around...2200 cargo, maybe? I can see this thing as being the most used vessel by the Omicroners.
- Zoner Whale -
It is what it is. I'd buff it a bit by adding an extra CM slot, and a CD slot. As well, give it the same CD resistance that Train's have.
You missed a light fighter - light escort/scout, exploration and harrasing stuff hostile to Zoners (let's say Nomad turbosquid or recently Sairs) while being agile enough to evade enemy fire. It would fit better than a VHF. Design could be something along BW (Kingfisher style) or CTE (which could perhaps use some decent alternative in same style) lines.
Hah you forget that our only enemies are Nomads and Wilde. Not some childish humans playing power games. Such threat justifies our current shipline by its own.
Again, the idea is to drop the capital ships completely, and fill the shipline out with ships that would be much more useful to the Zoners as they are.