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Drake Vulture


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Drake Vulture

Drake Vulture Concept Art

 
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https://i.imgur.com/WmNDsLG.gifv

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From Concierge e-mail

YOUR SHIP, YOUR SKY

There's an unmistakable grace to watching a sunrise on a remote desert moon, knowing that you're the only living soul for hundreds of thousands of kilometers... 

From its inception, Drake has always supported the spirit of freedom. That willingness to push the limits and defy the odds, and the belief that anyone and everyone deserves a shot at reaching the stars. As we look to a bright new future for our company, and a return to those core values, we also look to you, the pilots - the real backbone of the aerospace industry. 

We asked you what you wanted. And you know what we heard? The true voice of Drake. The hard-working men and women of the UEE. Folks who just want to make an honest living, and maybe make a difference in their own unique way.

We here at Drake proudly salute this spirit as we unveil the Vulture, a light industrial salvage vessel that lets you do you. Rip wrecks apart like a pro without the cumbersome hardware and multi-crew rigmarole of a larger ship. Answer to no one, cut out the middleman, and throw caution to the wind. In a Vulture, you can pick up the lucrative scraps of larger operations, run the regular trade circuits fast and light, or hit the open sky and carve out your own place in the great big empty. 

There's a certain beauty to the silent serenity of a ship graveyard, a calm comfort to a wreck suspended in the most secluded corner of the void. Sure it can get lonesome out there, but sometimes all you need is you. Well, you and your Drake Vulture.

Just DO YOU

Dare to throw caution to the wind and tame the open sky in the Vulture - YOUR Drake ship.

Vulture_mechanic.jpg
DRAKE VULTURE- Standalone Ship
$140.00 USD
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Vulture_mechanic.jpg
DRAKE VULTURE WARBOND- Standalone Ship
$120.00 USD
IN STOCKMORE INFOADD TO CART
DRAK_Vulture_Promo_JunkYard_AA01_Grade01-Squashed.jpg
DRAKE CARRION PACK- Add-Ons
$550.00 USD
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DRAK_Vulture_Promo_JunkYard_AA01_Grade01-Squashed.jpg
DRAKE CARRION PACK WARBOND- Add-Ons
$495.00 USD
IN STOCKMORE INFOADD TO CART

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I'll update this post as new info comes out on the concept. 

Below is pre-concept speculation - but also based on new teased images (in spoiler)

Spoiler

 

Since it did win the player Vote in the December Vote vs the Drake Corsair and Drake Kraken (and these images really don't fit these other potential concepts).... we can say with almost certainty that the next Drake Ship that will be revealed on 6/14/18 will be the Drake Vulture.

The images clearly show an industrial ship and the Vulture is suppose to be a Starter Salvage ship.   It was also revealed (though this could change) that this would be a Salvage ship that would rely on EVA operations to bring salvage into the ship and / or use EVA operations to cut large chunks off in the field.   I am really excited about this per below....

  • It doesn't step on the Reclaimer as the Penultimate Salvage Ships (remember only NPC corporations are allowed to own and operate the "ultimate" ships).... since it doesn't have a large Claw, doesn't have Drones, and doesn't have a Cutter Snub (though we are not sure if this is to be still developed for the Reclaimer)
  • However - The Vulture based on these images does look like it can refine scrap and ONLY the Penultimate Large ships were suppose to refine the goods they collect (example the Prospector can't refine ore but the Orion can).   Normally this would make me really upset if this is the case - however - I would be perfectly fine with it = why..... because.... I have said for a long time that we don't need any other Salvage ships otherwise.   Any ship with a tractor beam and a cargo hold can be a fine salvage ship - like the Cutlass Black and the Caterpillar (just to name a couple) would work just fine as a salvage ship.   So CIG really didn't have an option..........  They really need to give a dedicated salvage ship the option to refine (or compact) the salvage and from the images (as easter eggs) it looks like this will indeed be the case.
  • I am also very happy that the ship will be another Medium size ship..... Since Star Citizen has many small (and even tiny - with all the snubs).... and many large ships but not many medium ships.   People get confused when they hear the word "starter ship"..... and think it must mean a small.... cheap ship...... well I am very happy that CIG turned this on its head.   Look at the "Starter" refuel / re-arm / repair ship.....The Vulcan. CIG has defined this ship as a Starter ship for these professions and it is indeed a medium ship - also not at typical starter "game" ship prices. 
  •  I am looking forward to this concept and hope that it doesn't step on the Reclaimer's toes but instead could be a multi-profession starter ship (like the Vulcan is - but I was disappointed a bit in the Vulcan and thought it was one of the few ships that actually needs a "buff" right out of the gates - for instance the cargo hold and refuel tank is way too small.  There has been speculation by some others that it could be a Salvage / Mining ship..... and I could go for this - except it can't step on the Prospector's toes = to solve this I think it would be awesome if it were a dedicated Ice Mining (collecting comets or digging up ice planets / moons / asteroids) along with being a Salvage ship.  If you look at the image that shows the right arm of the ship (the overall shape looks like it is similar in shape with the Banu Defender - but with only one cockpit)..... then you will see what appears to be tanks which could be tanks to store water (after melting the ice).  The tubes could also be for storing chemicals to assist in the salvage process (maybe acids) or they could be batteries...

Again this is all speculation at this point and we'll find out more next week.

 
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For now - post your speculations on the ship based on the images posted above :)

 

 

 

 

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Nymera on spectrum also speculated about the Vulture having Grav Levs similar to the Dragonfly and this would mean the Vulture can have the same "difference" to the Reclaimer as the Prospector has to the Orion = The smaller ship can operate planetside and the larger ships are primarily space based ships....

This theory goes along with the idea that CIG has (currently) been focused on Planet side game-play (since it is easier for them to flush out content with a proceedural planet than it is new star systems = which will still happen eventually)

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I'm indifferent to a "Salvage Starter Ship" because I think that basic salvaging and scrapping is something that multi-role ships should be able to do. Players should be able to board a derelict ship, extract some of its components, carry them back to their ship, and drop them in their cargo hold. That's salvaging. Or, they can use their handheld multi-tool to cut up pieces of the hull for scrap. It should be as simple as that. Even a Reliant or 300i should be able to do that.

The Drake Vulture doesn't seem like it's a "Starter" ship. It seems like it's an entry-level dedicated salvage ship, similar to how the $140 Prospector is an entry-level dedicated mining ship. Based on the size of the ladder rungs and what appears to be a docking port, I guestimate that the Drake Vulture is somewhere between a Freelancer and Constellation in size. The Vulture should be priced similar to a Prospector, but based on the bullshit CIG has been doing lately, I predict it'll be $175 warbond LTI, $200 store credit 6M. That's not a Starter Ship.

I already own a Reclaimer so the Drake Vulture doesn't interest me.

I imagine that the Vulture will be well suited for "loot & scoot" salvage ops, because it can get into places that a Reclaimer can't. Regardless, I'd much rather have a Reclaimer, which can probably swallow a Vulture whole. :P

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I am with you 100% and think any ship with a tractor beam and cargo hold can be a great EVA salvage ship (so while a 300i could salvage as well a 315p would be better).... however.... I think this mindset that we share is going to force CIG to allow the Vulture to compact the salvage and it maybe better at this than straight up  - cut off the component and store it since it probably won't have the cargo space to do so effectively (without being a larger ship).  I agree with you on size and price as well but I think this is not a "game starter ship" .... but rather a "profession starter ship" (two different things).    Some professions lend themselves to cheaper game starter ships - like exploration - but some professions do not (which is really better since this is more realistic).

What do you think of the Vulture being a multi-profession starter ship like the Vulcan?

Here is another thought based on the image - maybe the arms produce a holding tractor beam area that allows you to hold your salvage in place as you cut it up.   Wreckage in space will tend to wander away on you - drift away - and even rotate.   These arms may not only hold the salvage in place but also allow selective tractor beams into the processing area of the ship.?

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Playing up on the Grav. Lev. idea with the extended arms (per the teaser images) idea plus the selective tractor beams (holding salvage in place)....

 
What if the Vulture also served as a ship that can function like a person with a metal detector (with scanners that can scan underground + ground penetrating radar) then maybe selective tractor beams ... it can safely extract objects / relics / crashed ships on planets - moons - asteroids - that are buried underground or partially buried.   This would give it use that wouldn't step on the Reclaimer but work planet-side better than the Reclaimer (kind of like how the Prospector works better planet-side than the Orion).
 
Of course the Vulture would still be able to Salvage ships in space as well but this would give it another specialty function and would also function as an archaeology ship for explorers.

Please also specifically comment on this idea that I posted on Spectrum - and maybe CIG will see it :)

https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/65294/thread/drake-vulture-a-planet-side-excavator-that-an-extr

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@minionsoldier came up with the concept of the Vulture also serving as a Tug ship or being able to rip off larger pieces of a larger ship by getting it between its arms and using a tractor beam to hold it while it is ripped off. I fully support this idea and think it would be a cool / different type of salvage vessel than the Reclaimer ++++ it also fits my Idea of being a Planet-Side Salvage ship ....or Excavator.... being able to pull ships partially buried into the ground (crashed ships) = which would also work good for Archaeology work 
 
NOTE - the Crucible will Likely get a Tug Ship Variant as was always planned in the Issue of Jump Point Magazine that covers the Crucible.
 
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Just to be clear it is the entry level IE the very bottom. Size kinda doesn't matter as we were told ages ago that it could only take the smaller ships IE small fighter/and generic ships like the Aurora, mustang or avenger./

I'd said the ship very little internal ship, with the most being cargo-hold. It will be like the prospector in internal size plus cargo space

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24 minutes ago, Devil Khan said:

Just to be clear it is the entry level IE the very bottom. Size kinda doesn't matter as we were told ages ago that it could only take the smaller ships IE small fighter/and generic ships like the Aurora, mustang or avenger./

I'd said the ship very little internal ship, with the most being cargo-hold. It will be like the prospector in internal size plus cargo space

Correct it is an "Entry Level - Profession Ship" - like the Vulcan......... it was never pitched as an "Entry Level - Game Ship" - or a game starter ship

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It is what I had hoped for ..... Not just a ship with a cargo space and tractor beam but one that can also Process Salvage (like the Reclaimer) - before we would told that only the Penultimate ships would refine.... but the Vulture needed it to make it different from other ships that can also EVA salvage.
 
Also looks like we have 2 Levels which many speculated on........ including myself......
 
+++ there is an image of it Planet-side so obviously it can work Planet-side :)
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15 minutes ago, VoA said:
It is what I had hoped for ..... Not just a ship with a cargo space and tractor beam but one that can also Process Salvage (like the Reclaimer) - before we would told that only the Penultimate ships would refine.... but the Vulture needed it to make it different from other ships that can also EVA salvage.
 
Also looks like we have 2 Levels which many speculated on........ including myself......
 
+++ there is an image of it Planet-side so obviously it can work Planet-side :)

Cool thanks for posting- New Ship is at end (21:30)

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More from my Concierge e-mail (that was delayed - LOL)

Just DO YOU

Dare to throw caution to the wind and tame the open sky in the Vulture - YOUR Drake ship.

Vulture_mechanic.jpg
DRAKE VULTURE- Standalone Ship
$140.00 USD
IN STOCKMORE INFOADD TO CART
Vulture_mechanic.jpg
DRAKE VULTURE WARBOND- Standalone Ship
$120.00 USD
IN STOCKMORE INFOADD TO CART
DRAK_Vulture_Promo_JunkYard_AA01_Grade01-Squashed.jpg
DRAKE CARRION PACK- Add-Ons
$550.00 USD
IN STOCKMORE INFOADD TO CART
DRAK_Vulture_Promo_JunkYard_AA01_Grade01-Squashed.jpg
DRAKE CARRION PACK WARBOND- Add-Ons
$495.00 USD
IN STOCKMORE INFOADD TO CART
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