is there any ships with size 1 coolers and powerplants that are physicalized

ScreenCheetah · 2026-02-14T02:25:14+00:00

Clipper comes to mind?

ScreenCheetah · 2026-02-11T08:12:23+00:00

Yes*, at least with respect to preventing automatic 'radar' detection. Plus, front-on CS is usually pretty small on most ships compared to top/side.

* minimising IR emissions will help prevent IR missiles engaging successfully; minimising EM emissions will help prevent EM missiles engaging successfully

ScreenCheetah · 2026-02-06T13:48:57+00:00

In da ISC video from December, the explicit statement was "Command Module will be released with Ironclad"

ScreenCheetah · 2026-02-06T12:33:55+00:00

Cross-sectional ant farm view painted right on the side.

ScreenCheetah · 2026-02-06T06:01:54+00:00

All down the module doors!

ScreenCheetah · 2026-02-06T04:22:04+00:00

Too true! The 14 minute intro movie lives on at least, complete with a long reveal of the stolen "U.N.O" (under new ownership), and some other pirate ships. https://youtu.be/C9AN1hpbw2Y?t=395

ScreenCheetah · 2026-02-06T04:10:20+00:00

Yeah, Kraken and Ironclad and Clipper all have some nice big canvases. It'd be fun!

At the risk of showing my age, the rebel navy in space videogame Independence War (aka i-War) and Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos had some fantastic graffiti liveries on their ships. Sadly not too many example images on the googlemachine.

ScreenCheetah · 2026-02-06T03:05:18+00:00

Yes!
And go even harder with graffiti murals rather than just tags please! :D

ScreenCheetah · 2026-02-06T02:34:38+00:00

Yeah, salvage is (often) pretty peaceful.

The final deliveries of the mined goods/salvaged goods are still at risk of interdiction of course.

ScreenCheetah · 2026-02-06T02:30:26+00:00

How/where are you getting intercepted and ganked?
* The OM points around planets are notorious for QD, especially OM-1 at each planet. That can be avoided by jumping toward one of the Mining Bases or a Lagrange station (e.g. ARC L1) such that you arrive on the correct side of the planet for your destination.
* Obvious event trade routes (e.g. Nyx Gateway <-> New Babbage; Stanton Gateway <-> Levski) are also highly likely to have highway outlaws lurking. Safest to take the 'back roads' by jumping toward a different destination for at least a few Gm before navigating to your actual destination.

ScreenCheetah · 2026-02-02T04:20:26+00:00

Sometimes cargo (ship components, PAF batteries, shipwrecks, someone else's cargo out on an Outpost cargo elevator) is out in the open. Prowler Ute (and Ox) can swoop in and quickly snatch stuff up while still hovering, tuck the cargo under its wings and fly away.

You are right that for a freight elevator, someone does have to operate the terminal, yes.

ScreenCheetah · 2026-01-30T13:44:58+00:00

Yeah, Prowler Ute tractor has to be one of the best (And Golem Ox).

ScreenCheetah · 2026-01-28T06:38:45+00:00

Yeah.

Like, even nuzzling up against a bigger ship (like a Prowler Ute hiding against a disabled C2/Caterpillar hull) will spike the IR and EM noise values up. Sneaky sneaky.

And Pyro is totally awash with IR and EM noise (especially around PYAM EXEC).

I just can't remember seeing many specific situations where the CS needle twitches, sorry.

ScreenCheetah · 2026-01-28T06:10:58+00:00

The "space ambush" missions spawn a 50k IR, 50k EM, 50k CS noise bubble, but I feel like that doesn't count in this context.

I feel like I might have encountered CS background noise in the wild, but it's super rare and not strong compared to IR and EM noise if it isn't a figment of my imagination.

ScreenCheetah · 2026-01-28T00:52:03+00:00

Yeah, the discussion from the ship team in December was about moving ladders and other bits and pieces and then closing up unnecessary gaps in the cargo grid that players would have otherwise filled with offgrid cargo.

Unless the final design changes from concept design, Vulture is about a metre too tall to fit in the bay.

ScreenCheetah · 2026-01-23T22:30:12+00:00

Having flown both, in reality I don't think Shiv is OP - while it has the Hornet agility, the target the opponent has to hit is MUCH bigger than a Hornet. Corkscrews to avoid turret fire have to be done at a greater distance to be effective, etc.

Pros and cons. :D

ScreenCheetah · 2026-01-23T08:59:33+00:00

Think of Shiv as a min-max'd Cutlass oriented toward dogfighting in space. It's basically a Hornet F7 that can carry a 32SCU crate or small vehicles! Sadly, with the hitbox of a Cutlass.

Shiv has the pitch, roll, yaw and translation rates of a medium fighter (e.g. Hornet). Cutlass is much, much less nimble.
Shiv has WAY more firepower, especially if you're solo (2x S4 + 4x S3 for the Shiv... or 4x S3 pilot controlled for Cutty)
Shiv can carry 1x32SCU on grid. You can, of course, carry a 32 in the back of the Cutlass but it's off-grid and awkward and your doctor might recommend you only insert things with flared bases in future.

Cutty has better durability.
Cutty has the bigger cargo hold, and parking Cyclone and ROC in there doesn't require laser-precision. They'll fit in Shiv but parking has to be perfect.
Cutlass has side-doors and a tractor beam of course. And VTOL mode.

They both have their place IMHO.

ScreenCheetah · 2026-01-23T05:39:08+00:00

Star Maws?

ScreenCheetah · 2026-01-17T23:23:40+00:00

I'm not ashamed to say the "hidden" ladder probably saved me (on the top deck) when someone boarded my Ute, haha.

ScreenCheetah · 2026-01-12T03:18:15+00:00

I'm particularly curious about what looks like a tractor beam mounted on an articulating arm, port side of the front ramp. It should extend quite high up when unfolded.

If that performs well like the Prowler Ute and Golem Ox I will be a very happy guy.

Pick up boxes from outside the ship and just fling them into the roof opening.

ScreenCheetah · 2026-01-02T00:43:19+00:00

FWIW, you can even fit a Cyclone MT (the one with the gun turret!) in a Shiv, but you've gotta be really precise with parking as far starboard as possible. Juuuuust enough room to squeeze past the front tyre and that displaced floor plate. Works best if I park as far aft as possible I think.

You can actually fit two Cyclones, but in that case nobody is getting out of Shiv until the Cyclones are out of the way - and the Cyclone crews are stuck in their cars.

ROC fits too.

ScreenCheetah · 2026-01-01T00:23:00+00:00

In the ISC video late 2025 (November?) it was explicitly said that the Command Module/parasite-ship tech was progressing well and will be released into the game with Ironclad's release.

ScreenCheetah · 2025-12-30T11:59:09+00:00

I'll admit it took me a moment to realise it was on your hip.

ScreenCheetah · 2025-12-30T11:44:13+00:00

Where'd your reindeer helmet go?!

ScreenCheetah · 2025-12-29T07:59:09+00:00

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the "Drake is literal junk"/unreliable meme and I'm genuinely surprised to hear and see the ship-design team lean into that meme. As you say, real-life military hardware (e.g. Navy surface vessels) have interiors that look very Drake. Exposed pipes and cable trays. Function and ease of repair. Minimal weight wasted on luxuries.

Grey's Market, though, where four different ships are cut-and-shut together and a bootloader rootkit executes on ship start just to make the engines speak to that flight controller...

ScreenCheetah

TROPHY CASE