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Freelancer DUR?


BMichaelG

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They have stated a number of small crew ships can be soloed at less efficiency.  That reduction is either from the NPC taking the crewmember's place or because the human has to keep switching back and forth between tasks.  So, the main tasks I see a DUR having going on are piloting and scanning.  You may have issues scanning an asteroid field while zipping through it.  You might need to stop more often in the process.

The reality is that this is all theory until some of the mechanics are in play.  Personally, I have just made plans of where I am thinking of going at a particular point and make sure my fleet gives me flexibility to change as I feel the need in the future.  What you could do is pick up a MAX to Prospector CCU for free and then wait and see how the mechanics work out over time.  The DUR and MAX are always on sale.  If you want to go with the DUR, you CCU to that.  If you want to do the Prospector, you CCU to a MAX and then use your purchased CCU from MAX to Prospector.  This would give you the flexibility to do either one but also wait until we see more mechanics for both exploration and mining actually become playable.  Until then, all we have to base things on are theory crafting based on developer stated intent.  

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Freelancer DUR is definitely solo-able. I bought my Freelancer as a solo ship.

As @VoA said just use an NPC as your Gunner. You can do all the scanning, flying & cargo management yourself. No probs.

Also remember there are going to be a lot more ships coming out. They have said  that they will keep producing new concept ships once the game goes live. They want it to be a very busy universe with many different ship types. There are a lot more ships still to be seen in each of the main disciplines.

Max to Prospector CCU (link) cost $0

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10 hours ago, Yekko said:

Hi Gab! 
I basically did that. As of what I heard is that you will be able to actually solo and do some scanning while in the pilot seat, but this is yet to be hard-confirmed.

I swamped my 315P for a Reliant Sen, though, as I will use my Freelancer DUR.

Now in any case that the Freelancer DUR is not solo-able (anymore), may I recommend you this philosophy: Because the 315p is a "tiny" ship: it will be easy to obtain/afford, maintain and insure on PU live, you will probably sacrifice a bit of your time in doing something else than exploring until you hit the quantity to purchase and insure a 315p. This is what I will do and this is also the reason why I'm currently investing in more expensive and economical-strong ships. :-)

 

Like @VoA  said, the ideal would be 2 persons, and when NPCs can do these secondary tasks well enough, it'll be a more effective solo-able ship. But as said before: if I recall correctly I thought I had heard that the Freelancer will be completely solo-able when it comes to scanning and flying, but I cannot find any hard proof at this point because the statement was a while back ago.

I  really am trying to juggle a way to grab a Prospector with a wallet still recovering from a "Fukushima-Style" Meltdown last Autumn's Sale.

If I melt down an Aurora + P72 Archimedes + 315P, and add that $5 coupon Sandi gave us, I can get away with only paying $15 for the ship.

My only fear is that the Origin 315P will be able to do things that the DUR won't.

 

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31 minutes ago, Gabriel Theodoulos said:

I  really am trying to juggle a way to grab a Prospector with a wallet still recovering from a "Fukushima-Style" Meltdown last Autumn's Sale.

If I melt down an Aurora + P72 Archimedes + 315P, and add that $5 coupon Sandi gave us, I can get away with only paying $15 for the ship.

My only fear is that the Origin 315P will be able to do things that the DUR won't.

 

I currently have the 315P (with the Carrack) but without the DUR - ...........  but the DUR overall is a better exploration ship than the 315P (and both can fit through small Jump Points - as of what we know to date - but this wasn't always the case)

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12 hours ago, Squirrel said:

They have stated a number of small crew ships can be soloed at less efficiency.  That reduction is either from the NPC taking the crewmember's place or because the human has to keep switching back and forth between tasks.  So, the main tasks I see a DUR having going on are piloting and scanning.  You may have issues scanning an asteroid field while zipping through it.  You might need to stop more often in the process.

The reality is that this is all theory until some of the mechanics are in play.  Personally, I have just made plans of where I am thinking of going at a particular point and make sure my fleet gives me flexibility to change as I feel the need in the future.  What you could do is pick up a MAX to Prospector CCU for free and then wait and see how the mechanics work out over time.  The DUR and MAX are always on sale.  If you want to go with the DUR, you CCU to that.  If you want to do the Prospector, you CCU to a MAX and then use your purchased CCU from MAX to Prospector.  This would give you the flexibility to do either one but also wait until we see more mechanics for both exploration and mining actually become playable.  Until then, all we have to base things on are theory crafting based on developer stated intent.  

Awe Squirrel, You da' man! ... errr. .... I mean You da' Squirrel!  YOU DA' SQUIRREL!

cb1.jpg

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6 hours ago, VoA said:

I currently have the 315P (with the Carrack) but without the DUR - ...........  but the DUR overall is a better exploration ship than the 315P (and both can fit through small Jump Points - as of what we know to date - but this wasn't always the case)

@Gabriel Theodoulos With that being said, I can't quite come up with things that the Freelancer cannot do that the 315p can. But Like @Squirrel said, until there are more mechanics in place it will be easier to judge because based on assumption: I think the 315p might have a smaller range and just be specialised in jump points and standard planet/asteroid scanning. While the Freelancer might have a deeper scanning system to know more about the planet/asteroid. (which would make sense)

Even though I hope they actually make the DUR cockpit visibility bigger, since it is actually the only explorer ship with a kind of reduced visibility.

13 hours ago, leonn said:

Freelancer DUR is definitely solo-able. I bought my Freelancer as a solo ship.

As @VoA said just use an NPC as your Gunner. You can do all the scanning, flying & cargo management yourself. No probs.

Also remember there are going to be a lot more ships coming out. They have said  that they will keep producing new concept ships once the game goes live. They want it to be a very busy universe with many different ship types. There are a lot more ships still to be seen in each of the main disciplines.

Max to Prospector CCU (link) cost $0

The thing is if they want diversity they should make different style of ship with kinda the same functions/armement, especially the military ships. The utility ships is another thing :) 

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One of the things I feel a 315p can not do that a DUR might is essentially Prospector recon.  I think there will be a high demand for specialized minerals for overclocking and repairs as well as just sales to NPCs.  I think those minerals are really where a Prospector is targeted.  But, you don't just randomly go out and find those.  They will also, probably, be tussled over and so you want to roll in, grab the goods and roll out quickly.  That means information about exactly where to go will be vital to success.  I want an explorer that can help me find those mineral rich areas so I can go grab my Prospector (or a squadron of them) and get the goods.  I also think an explorer able to gather that info could sell it for a decent sum.  However, this might be something more like a science ship function.  These are the mechanics I'm waiting on to make a decision about.  Until then, I hang on to my Carrack and keep an eye out to trade down to something as capable for this role but cheaper to operate, like a DUR.

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  • 2 months later...

I feel that without going through the small JP's, the freelancer is oftentimes overshadowed by the 315. The primary reason being the FL's abysmal speed. The 315p is fast and maneuverable. The FL is *rather* slow only being slightly faster than the connie. The only compelling reason to pick an FL over a connie is being a loner. Before anyone starts up about "cost-effectiveness" think about how much it will cost when you can't outrun or outgun a small pirate brigade. Time is valuable. The FL Dur is going to be the worst medium JP exploration ship in the game by quite a long shot.

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2 minutes ago, Dragon-Knight said:

It's going to be very economical tho, its fuel efficient. ^_^

But economics don't count if your ship is endlessly being hunted down by pirates. AI or human. It flies at the speed of mud traveling down a hill good luck running from pirates or out maneuvering them. You will effectively need an escort if you are going into deep space. For the operational time cost of an escort you may as well fly a connie.

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You're forgetting one thing-Quantum Speed.  Why would you try to run away from them at SCM or Cruise speed?  The FL will most likely have better sensors than the 315 which means you likely won't get jumped.  That and the reduced crew size to operate the majority of the guns (in a Connie 4/8 guns are locked away from pilot control, so is the Merlin, whereas in a FL you get 4/6 guns) means to me that a FL is a much better option than both the 315 AND the Connie.

Oh yeah.  Fuel range.  Good luck getting through multiple systems in a 315 without refueling.

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26 minutes ago, Ixindra said:

Where was it stated that the Freelancer cannot go through small JP's? I know CR said it a long time ago, but i don't recall anything inside the last 6 months to definitively answer it either way, any other source?

About 2 years ago, CR said it when he wasn't paying attention. At a Bar Citizen around a year later, CR confirmed that the FL will go through small JPs. Gossip after that suggested it'll require decent piloting to do so undamaged.

 

honesrly, if the FL doesn't do it, mines getting the melt hammer.

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Indeed, it would be nice to know one way or the other. Personally i don't feel the Freelancer is that big, so if it can't go through a small JP they must be tiny. But considering we don't even know that much about JP's, i guess it's only natural we don't know either way. 

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Part of the problem is we don't even know what determines a jump point's size yet.  Is it based on volume?  mass? beam?  some ratio?  We just don't know yet and I think the devs are still figuring it out as well.  As for which makes a better exploration ship, that will probably depend on what you are exploring but we also don't know what kinds of scanner options there will be.  But, exploring a jump point is probably very different from exploring an asteroid field for minerals or anomalies somewhere else in the system.  Until them, all the exploration ships are pretty much as good or bad as the others.  It's like asking what is the best fighter?  The answer to that depends on a series of follow up questions.  It's the dynamic of there being no 'always best' or 'always worst' that makes this game so interesting and I suspect they know that will try to carry it over to exploration as well.

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I bought my DUR specifically for flying solo, but with the option of inviting a friend or two. Being a "lone wolf", carving one's own path in the verse sounds very appealing to me. Eventually, perhaps, I'll buy a Carrack... Which all depends on the exploration mechanics.

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58 minutes ago, Fizzlefuse said:

I bought my DUR specifically for flying solo, but with the option of inviting a friend or two. Being a "lone wolf", carving one's own path in the verse sounds very appealing to me. Eventually, perhaps, I'll buy a Carrack... Which all depends on the exploration mechanics.

Me too - except I got the MIS, which I'll outfit like a DUR with the quieter, more efficient engines and the long range nose nubbins (rather than the fast-targetting MIS nubs)..

.. but if it doesn't do small jump points then I'll stick with my connie. Heck, maybe go a MAX for pure speed.

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9 minutes ago, NewzyOne said:

Me too - except I got the MIS, which I'll outfit like a DUR with the quieter, more efficient engines and the long range nose nubbins (rather than the fast-targetting MIS nubs)..

.. but if it doesn't do small jump points then I'll stick with my connie. Heck, maybe go a MAX for pure speed.

I wonder how much of the parts of the variants are interchangable and which are just part of the chassis though. Taking off the long-range scanning array is one thing, but if you're able to take off the extended fueltanks and more efficient engines..

I don't see the benefit of owning a variant in the first place. You'd effectively have both ships in one, a MISDUR, which would defeat the entire purpose of having variants, would'nt it?

Last thing I heard, the Freelancer is still planned to be able to fit though small wormholes/jumppoints.

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28 minutes ago, Fizzlefuse said:

You'd effectively have both ships in one, a MISDUR, which would defeat the entire purpose of having variants, would'nt it?

Years ago when I was deciding on my first ship and reading everything under the sun, the general conensus from CIG was that all Freelancers would have interchangeable parts so long as the size was right and that it wasn't part of the chassis. The MIS missile delivery system can't be changed to another hull, nor can the MAX's 4 engines, but the engines themselves are just components so you could change them to more efficient/quieter ones.. you'd just still need to have 4 on a MAX. The DUR's engines are the same size as the other FL's, so in theory you should be able to use them on any FL. At the time it was said that you could buy a MIS and equip it with DUR components you'd have a "statistically better" DUR (from memory, I believe that was the wording CIG used) due to the MIS having an extra hardpoint. 

So I think a MISDUR is about the best possible combination of components from the FL range - all the long range scanniness and distance and quiet efficiency mixed with a tonne of extra available firepower in case of emergency. Sure all those missile weight you down and reduce efficiency, but I reckon they'd be extremely useful in a pinch. Give'n'take. Better to have the extra options than not. 

In my eyes, a MISDUR doesn't defeat the purpose of variants, it maximises it. But things change from when I researched all this - just look at the Khartu.

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1 hour ago, NewzyOne said:

Years ago when I was deciding on my first ship and reading everything under the sun, the general conensus from CIG was that all Freelancers would have interchangeable parts so long as the size was right and that it wasn't part of the chassis. The MIS missile delivery system can't be changed to another hull, nor can the MAX's 4 engines, but the engines themselves are just components so you could change them to more efficient/quieter ones.. you'd just still need to have 4 on a MAX. The DUR's engines are the same size as the other FL's, so in theory you should be able to use them on any FL. At the time it was said that you could buy a MIS and equip it with DUR components you'd have a "statistically better" DUR (from memory, I believe that was the wording CIG used) due to the MIS having an extra hardpoint. 

So I think a MISDUR is about the best possible combination of components from the FL range - all the long range scanniness and distance and quiet efficiency mixed with a tonne of extra available firepower in case of emergency. Sure all those missile weight you down and reduce efficiency, but I reckon they'd be extremely useful in a pinch. Give'n'take. Better to have the extra options than not. 

In my eyes, a MISDUR doesn't defeat the purpose of variants, it maximises it. But things change from when I researched all this - just look at the Khartu.

If what you say is true, then what is the benefit of owning a DUR, if you can take the parts off the DUR that make it unique different and slap them on a MIS?

I am still hoping the cockpit, primarily the view, will be changed for the DUR. They have already shown that MISC does make ships with wider/higher canopy cockpits, just look at the designs for the Prospector or the Hull A/B.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 1 year later...

I recently picked up a Freelancer DUR again as a CCU from some small entry level ship still lurking in my fleet.

I'm thinking that the fuel refining mechanics recently described will appear in the DUR (not other Freelancer models) and may be important for exploration. 

But I have a MAX and MIS and dont really want three Freelancers.  So what to do.

 

 

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Hi @Sky Captain

 

Don't worry too much right now even though you have 3 similar ships, they are for different roles.

I'm sure some of the more knowledgeable guys will advise you what the options are, I think there are a few upgrades you can do .e.g Freelancer Max to a Prospector for £14.40 GBP (inc 20% vat)

 

Are they individual ships or game packages?

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