THE CUTLASS THREAD FFS

[Tom Villder]

Wireframe image of the reworked Cutlass:

[Tom Villder]

More images of the Cutlass rework:

http://imgur.com/a/x4UEK

Its almost Freelancer-sized now, if not bigger

If the cargo capacity is as much as the Freelancer, then this might be a better choice because of the well-placed turret and significantly improved cockpit view, although you might trade off for some armor who knows.

[faquarl25]

CIG is going to have to wok hard to balance the Drake line now. It seems overpowered to the point I don't see the reason for using a freelance or a hornet. (or even the star G, I am sure you can get a fuel module for the Cat). In addition, it has a great aesthetic (the best in my opinion) as it has an industrial feel and the cramped quarters make it feel like a cargo ship or warship, not a cruise ship (I am looking at you idris). 

[Reavern]

1 hour ago, faquarl25 said:

CIG is going to have to wok hard to balance the Drake line now. It seems overpowered to the point I don't see the reason for using a freelance or a hornet. (or even the star G, I am sure you can get a fuel module for the Cat). In addition, it has a great aesthetic (the best in my opinion) as it has an industrial feel and the cramped quarters make it feel like a cargo ship or warship, not a cruise ship (I am looking at you idris). 

It's safe to assume that CIG is going to balance all of the ships between now and release. It may seem like Drake is getting all the love and attention right now, but that's just because CIG finalized the Drake style guide, which has enabled them to finally release the Cat and Herald. Don't forget that the Caterpillar was in concept limbo for ~3 years and it was the last of the Wave 2 ships to be done. The Herald is the smallest of the Wave 3 ships, which is why it's the first flyable Wave 3 ship released. After the Bucc, Dragonfly, and new Cutlass are released, CIG will be (more or less) done with Drake and will focus on a new ship manufacturer. (I think it's going to be Aegis because there are so many Aegis ships and the early Aegis ships don't match the recent ones.)

I don't think it's reasonable to claim the redesigned Cutlass is OP'd compared to the Freelancer or Hornet simply based on the fact that it's larger and has more guns. Larger means more massive and less maneuverable, so it will probably handle more like a Lancer. The new Cutlass will have more guns than the Lancer, but they'll be smaller (S3 hardpoints with gimbals, which means S2 guns) and it will have fewer missiles. Even if Pirates arm the new Cutlass with fixed S3s, the Lancer and Constellation can withstand a lot of punishment from fighters armed with S3s, so the new Cutlass isn't going to be OP'd.

I think the Lancer and new Cutlass will be evenly matched in combat, so pilot skill will determine the victor, as it should be. And the variant models will differentiate and diversify each respective ships' roles.

The Caterpillar isn't going to surpass the Starfarer or Gemini as a fuel tanker, even if the Cat can be equipped with modules for carrying and distributing fuel. And I doubt CIG will even bother creating Fuel modules for the Cat. The Cat is a multi-role ship but that doesn't mean CIG has to make Cat modules for literally every role.

In terms of style, I like Drake's industrial and rugged style, but there are plenty of players who like MISC too, so I don't believe that a significant number of Freelancer and Starfarer owners are going to melt their MISC ships for Drakes.

 

[Tom Villder]

Beautiful new screens of the reworked Cutlass:

Big loading ramp/bay doors and no more angled ceilings, what more can I ask for?

http://imgur.com/a/dtAel

[Devil Khan]

Well actually it is still there. It's just a bigger room and taller, but they added a few light cross beams to obstruct it a bit.

Still It's a 100% better detailed than the current cutlass

[Reavern]

8 hours ago, Tom Villder said:

Beautiful new screens of the reworked Cutlass:

Big loading ramp/bay doors and no more angled ceilings, what more can I ask for?

http://imgur.com/a/dtAel

The reworked Cutlass Black's cargo bay looks huge now. It's kinda hard to judge for scale, but the cargo ramp door looks comparable to the Freelancer's, and the Cutlass' cargo bay bulges out on the sides so it's even wider. I wonder what Cutlass' cargo capacity is going to be. I wouldn't be surprised if it's greater than the Base Freelancer, but less than the MAX.

I wonder what the rigging on the ceiling is? Is it just overhead storage or could it be some kind of crane on rails for hauling in salvage or loot?

I can't wait for the new Cutlass Black to be released.

[Devil Khan]

Don't forget the cargo bay lost a lot of room to fit their beds and weapon seating, the ceiling is structure beam. Also the picture is taken from is just above foot level . The extended bit before rear "ramp" is the newer. Hopefully it will come in 3.0. The current ones have beds alone eithersides and toilet (and shower
).  

[GRIZZ]

5:48 cig_sherman: Ya, Cutlass rework has 2 smaller Tractor Beams on the front to stablize a wreck, and 1 more at the back-ramp to pull things into the ship.

5:49 cig_sherman: And if your target has any self-propulsion available, expect them to break out of the hold.

From Grittspitters Twitch today.

5:48 Starkbrand: you can use the one on the back for towing things as well cant you

 

5:49 cig_sherman: Not implicitly, no. It's not a magic-tug-beam.

[GreyFox_420]

Look's like I made the right choice getting the Cutlass Black. (just got it yesterday)

The rework looks amazing! I can't wait for it!

 

 

[faquarl25]

I love the new cutlass. Not sure I like the incredible focus on salvage though. (It seems like they have given up on ship to ship docking and expect pirates to just blow you up. What about the value of the ship?) I also love Drakes industrial design. Misc gets a little to curvy for me (but I still love both's small/cramped interiors. I just wish they put only a single walkway down the center of the freelancer to maximize that space. Otherwise, this might end up being by screw around ship of choice (can land on planets, small enough to land outside of  designated landing zones, and carries dragonflies!). 

[Reavern]

6 hours ago, faquarl25 said:

I love the new cutlass. Not sure I like the incredible focus on salvage though. (It seems like they have given up on ship to ship docking and expect pirates to just blow you up. What about the value of the ship?) I also love Drakes industrial design. Misc gets a little to curvy for me (but I still love both's small/cramped interiors. I just wish they put only a single walkway down the center of the freelancer to maximize that space. Otherwise, this might end up being by screw around ship of choice (can land on planets, small enough to land outside of  designated landing zones, and carries dragonflies!). 

I bought the Cutlass way back when it was called "The Pirate Pack" and it included a retractable docking collar and cutting rig for boarding actions. It's unclear if CIG has abandoned those items and ship docking/boarding mechanics, or if they won't be included in the default Cutlass Black model, but there will be a limited "Pirate Pack" version.

I suspect that CIG has rethought the ship boarding mechanics and decided EVA boarding is more practical, and probably less technically challenging. Originally, CR said that a target ship would have to be completely disabled (all engines and thrusters), which seemed like it would be very difficult without seriously damaging the whole ship. Next, the boarding ship would have to arrest the disabled ship in a tractor beam to stabilize it, then precisely maneuvered to dock with it, and finally board the ship. After the boarders subdued the crew, they have to offload the stolen cargo through the docking port, which could only accommodate cargo containers of a certain size.

I think CIG determined there were too many steps in-between defeating a target ship and making a clean getaway with its cargo, so they decided to streamline how Piracy will work in Star Citizen's PU. CIG seems to be simplifying it by enabling cargo haulers to dump their cargo into space, thereby surrendering the prize, instead of making Pirates go through motions of taking it by force. Because if a lone Freelancer is cruising through a Lawless star system and is attacked by three Buccaneers and a Cutlass Black, the odds of the Lancer escaping are slim. Rather than put up a fight, the Lancer crew would be better off dumping some of their cargo (which should be insured) in exchange for the Pirates letting them go. At that point, the Cutlass would move in and use its tractor beams to bring the dropped cargo containers aboard. If the Lancer tried to escape or fight back, the Buccs would probably be able to disable its engines without destroying the ship. If the Lancer managed to destroy some of the Buccs, the Pirates would retaliate by killing the Lancer crew and destroying or capturing their ship. It just wouldn't be worthwhile to resist in that scenario. CIG seems to be re-designing the Cutlass Black based on that scenario, which is smart.

In doing so, the re-designed Cutlass Black has a more clearly defined role, which is basically the evil counterpart of the Freelancer -- instead of trying to be both a Pirate Hornet and Pirate Freelancer, which we know didn't work.

I think CIG made the right choices and I look forward to test flying the new Cutlass Black. And I'm especially interested in what CIG does to the Cutlass Blue!

[GRIZZ]

Todays ATV will have some exciting new news if we are to believe the teaser.

http://imgur.com/a/MrwNH

[Tom Villder]

I daresay the rework is almost Freelancer-sized at this point:

More info about the Cutlass is featured in the latest AtV episode.

[Devil Khan]

It's not that much different in length, the only difference is height in silhouette. Anyway, the freelancer is roughly the same price. There was 4 different Freelancer forms, the last one was the major buff and increase in size. 29m cutlass and 32m freelancer, but I am guessing the freelancer isn't newer version.

Anyway it's been like 2 years since they dropped fixing it (the engines). Tbh I like the everything except for the external cockpit, namely the curved glass. Should be straight and angler IE the current one   

[Weehamster]

http://imgur.com/a/0EB6L

[Black-Dahlia]

I am very excited for this to drop for the owners. The new independent pilot/co-pilot pits alone are just amazing. 

[Rodin]

Hey guys, Rodin here. Just joined up and seeking your opinions on how the Black could be purposed for Exploration and Hauling. What say you all? What is it's range, will we be able to acquire Drop tanks? Where do we go from here?

[AstroJak]

@Rodin, good questions...and if i havn't said hi so far...HI, so good to have new blood!!!
Unfortunately we can only theorycraft at this point because we dont have any info on moduals for the cutlass black or if they will even have any. Additionally no word on drop tanks or range.
My hope is that we will have mods for the base model as well as drop tanks and a sufficent range to multi jump from terra to sol with only one refueling.

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk

[Devil Khan]

For Cargo Freelancer is still better than the new cutlass. You can't get drop tanks for the foreseeable future. Medium Range, but the exact stats are un-known. exploring is a vague outline. It does kinda cross with salvage.

It was the jack of all trades, but they (CIG) revised it and while keeping her with in the size she did get very big and plump. Bigger cargo space and/or room for a dragonfly and more room with a wider cockpit. Tbh The Freelancer was the same-ish size yet bigger weapons and more agile. I think that they have better power plants too.

Anyway, Still not sure why I have mine, besides the Endeaver Hope Class landing bay.

Also Why do they need to raise your front cockpit? why not fix it in it's place. There is no reason why it has too go down then up? One of the traits I liked was Budget build, no extras, not even wallpaper!.    

[Reavern]

I think it's obvious by the way CIG talks and writes about the Cutlass Black is that it's intended for Pirates. Drake Interplanetary makes it just ambiguous enough that authorities can't make a legal case for them designing and marketing the Cutlass Black for Pirates.

It's understandable that the Cutlass Black isn't going to be a match for the Freelancer or Freelancer MAX for cargo hauling or range. The Cutlass Black isn't for long hauling. It's for Pirates to haul loot back to their secret bases or to the local port to sell.

Based on the comments, some players simply like the look and style of the reworked Cutlass Black over the Freelancer. If lawful players want to use the Cutlass Black for legit cargo hauling then they'll have to deal with it's range limitations and refuel more often. They also might have to deal with greater scrutiny from authorities because of the Cutlass Black's rep. The possible benefit is that lawful cargo haulers might be able to transit Lawless star systems undetected, thanks to the Cutlass Black's supposed low-sig thrusters and power plant; and even if they're detected by Pirates, they might not attack them on-site because the assume they're one of them. Perhaps there will an unofficial "Pirates Code" in Star Citizen's PU.  (Probably not.)

[Tom Villder]

17 hours ago, Reavern said:

I think it's obvious by the way CIG talks and writes about the Cutlass Black is that it's intended for Pirates. Drake Interplanetary makes it just ambiguous enough that authorities can't make a legal case for them designing and marketing the Cutlass Black for Pirates.

It's understandable that the Cutlass Black isn't going to be a match for the Freelancer or Freelancer MAX for cargo hauling or range. The Cutlass Black isn't for long hauling. It's for Pirates to haul loot back to their secret bases or to the local port to sell.

Based on the comments, some players simply like the look and style of the reworked Cutlass Black over the Freelancer. If lawful players want to use the Cutlass Black for legit cargo hauling then they'll have to deal with it's range limitations and refuel more often. They also might have to deal with greater scrutiny from authorities because of the Cutlass Black's rep. The possible benefit is that lawful cargo haulers might be able to transit Lawless star systems undetected, thanks to the Cutlass Black's supposed low-sig thrusters and power plant; and even if they're detected by Pirates, they might not attack them on-site because the assume they're one of them. Perhaps there will an unofficial "Pirates Code" in Star Citizen's PU.  (Probably not.)

For lawful traders, another advantage of the Cutlass is that its intended to have low maintenance costs like all Drake ships, so if you survive an attack the repair costs are low (or at least lower than Freelancer, Hull etc). 

[Reavern]

3 hours ago, Tom Villder said:

For lawful traders, another advantage of the Cutlass is that its intended to have low maintenance costs like all Drake ships, so if you survive an attack the repair costs are low (or at least lower than Freelancer, Hull etc). 

That's true -- although at this time, we have no idea what the repair costs will be for the Cutlass versus Freelancer. Without hard numbers indicating a distinct affordability advantage of the Cutlass Black over the Freelancer, I'd be surprised if many backers are basing their decision on repair costs.

A more important factor IMO is how tough each ship is. The Cutlass isn't as bad of a glass cannon as it used to be, but the Freelancer is still tougher because of its larger shield gen and stronger hull. The reworked Cutlass will presumably be tougher than the existing version, but I don't think it's going to be as tough as the Freelancer. It wouldn't make sense from a ship balance perspective. There will have to be trade-offs, which probably means that the reworked Cutlass Black will be weaker on defense, but cheaper and easier to repair; whereas the Freelancer will be a tough nut to crack, but more expensive to repair.

If I was a dedicated hauler/trader, I'd opt for the Freelancer over the Cutlass, because I prefer a ship that's resistant to damage. Buying a Cutlass because it's cheaper to repair is kinda like planning for failure.

[Devil Khan]

.

[Amy Babe]

i m gambling on a price increase on this great ship.

 

purchased some gladius -> cutlass black and freelancer -> cutlass red ccus @ $10

 

 

my 2 cts  from my crystal ball