Zoners Tanker Transport

[alance]

I can't let it, so i'm on a transport project to:

The Mammoth aka Blue Whale (:P): 5000 hold size, possibly 4 transport turrets.

Awesome looking ship, although I think we have enough huge transports. I dont' like the trend of bigger transports. What we need is current large transports to be good for civilized trade lanes, and then smaller (2000-3000 cargo hold) transports with better protection for unlawful/high-risk trading. I'd like to see SERIOUS detriments for flying with a bigger cargo hold, and SERIOUS benefits for flying with a smaller hold. Simply having the ship with the largest cargo hold for trading should not be the primary consideration.

Examples: (don't be picky about specific numbers, i'm just demonstrating what I think would be a beneficial trend in how haulers are configured)

An approach like this will not only give people more reasons to fly different ships, but it will give the unlawfuls who are restricted to "Freighters" a much better set of ship choices.

Heavy Transports
Use: Hauls huge cargos under escort or through safe trade routes
Cargo Space: 3500-4500 units
Weapons: 0-8 Transport Turrets but only 4 firing in any one direction
Shields: Freighter Shield (45,000 points)
Hull: 40,000 to 50,000
Agility: 0 (on a scale of 0-5 where 0 is ugly)

Transports
Use: Cheaper/smaller versions of the Heavy Transports
Cargo Space: 2000-3000 units
Weapons: 0-6 Transport Turrets but only 4 firing in any one direction
Shields: Freighter Shield (45,000 points)
Hull: 30,000 - 40,000
Agility: 1

Armored Transports
Use: Hauls large cargos solo through dangerous trade routes
Cargo Space: 1000-2000
Weapons: 4-8 Transport or Fighter Turrets
Shields: Transport Shield (70,000 points)
Hull: 75,000 - 100,000
Agility: 2

Heavy Freighters
Use: Hauls good sized cargos under escort or through safe trade routes
Cargo Space: 750-1000
Weapons: 0-4 Fighter Turrets
Shields: Freighter Shield (45,000 points)
Hull: 10,000 - 15,000
Agility: 2

Freighters
Use: Starter ships meant for safe trade routes
Cargo Space: 250-500
Weapons: 0-4 Fighter Turrets
Shields: Freighter Shield (45,000 points)
Hull: 5,000 - 8,000
Agility: 4

Armored Freighters
Freighters
Use: Starter ships meant for safe trade routes
Cargo Space: 500-1000
Weapons: 4-6 Fighter Turrets, 0-2 guns
Shields: Transport Shield (70,000 points)
Hull: 25,000 - 30,000
Agility: 3

Convoy Raiders/Privateers
Use: Special class of freighter like the Turanic and Kushan
Cargo Space: 600-800
Weapons: 4-6 Fighter Turrets, 2-4 guns
Shields: Transport Shield (70,000 points)
Hull: 5,000 - 8,000
Agility: 4

Combat Supoort Vehicles
(Ships like the Collector and Spatial)
These ships are mentioned only as a point of reference for Agility
Agility: 5

Wow that got long, I should start my own thread I suppose!

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"To gain a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the highest excellence;
to subjugate the enemy's army without doing battle is the highest of excellence."