Planning the logistics and selecting vessels.
Planning the logistics and selecting vessels.
I’m trying to figure out the best way to start strong in this game. Looking back at my past online experiences, the biggest challenge is dealing with griefers who just want to ruin others’ experiences. While I understand the threat from pirates, I’m more concerned about having enough resilience and the ability to fight back. That thought makes me think about getting a powerful ship like the Redeemer. Right now I own a Cutlass blue and a Karthu-al—this last one for fun rather than serious combat. It looks cool, but it’s slow and can’t handle tough fights or multiple enemies well. I appreciate its design, but performance is a big issue. I’m considering switching to Wave 4 ships for better concepts, though I’ll need a good package to make them work. My aim in-game is to be a merc who follows the rules, handles various tasks, and supports fleets in areas like medical care, repairs, salvage, or scouting. The Wave 4 lineup includes: 1) Science/Hospital Ship (Endeavor), 2) Repair Ship (Crucible), 3) Deep-space Fighter (Bulldog Vanguard), 4) Boarding Ship (Prowler), 5) Passenger Liner (Starliner), 6) Third Starter (Reliant)—the last one is still pending. Other options are Recon Craft, Search and Rescue, Minelayer, and Salvage Tug. I’m a bit cautious about the Reliant’s survival stats since many videos show it getting destroyed easily. I’d like to keep an eye on upcoming updates—Orion is set for release Friday, and Wave 4 should follow soon.
The Cutlass is still in development and not fully finished yet. You can't use the turret or benefit from a gunner; it has a weak power plant, engine, and shield. Right now you can only fix the shield. For a civilian version instead of a military one, you'd prefer to use it. It's actually designed for a multi-person crew—needs a turret gunner, a secondary pilot, and upgrades. Although you're currently flying the black model (not the blue), they're still under construction like the red and black ships. If you're interested in the concept before it enters Arena Commander, keep it. It will be improved. Also, the current FPS content overlooks some mechanics, so I'd skip them until we have an actual FPS update.
It seems the design is being revised significantly. Speed and agility should improve given the powerful thrusters and engine size. The current performance feels sluggish in the hold, moving like a heavy creature on sedatives. Adjustments to the specifications are essential. Payload and damage remain manageable if everything is properly balanced, but repeated direct attacks at wave 11 are unrealistic. The turning speed in AC is poor despite having dual mini engines and maneuverable rear thrusters. If they achieve solid results, the base concept and layout still hold value. I’m open to ideas for future designs. What are your thoughts on the Redeemer and the carrack? I’d love to have seen the reclaimer concept when it was presented.
Redeemer and Carrack are expert vessels suited for their specific purposes, though details about crew operations remain limited until more information becomes available. The wave 4 ships appear intriguing but are all specialized types, with the third starter being the only exception. Overall, we still lack sufficient knowledge to comment extensively at this stage.
Don't stress too much about greifers after the final release. CR discussed the instancing system in the town hall talk, which aims to securely store greifers in separate instances so they can interact with each other. This reduces the chance of encountering a greifer in busy environments, though pirates might still appear. The success depends on how effectively it functions, especially distinguishing between pirates and greifers. Beta testing is expected to be challenging. For multi-crew vessels, all ships will likely undergo AC 2.0 updates, so we should wait until summer to assess the changes. That’s probably when you’ll finally see your Cutlass Blue Personally in action—I’m excited about the Vanguard concept!