Can't decide between transports

[Boldimore]

So I collected enough money to buy me a 5k transport(even the most expensive with all gadgets).
After restarting my character to get the Ageira ID, IFF I went to take a look at the transports on Discovery Wiki and soon narrowed down to 3 possibilities:
1. "Stork" Civilian Advanced Train
2. "Mastodon" Liberty Transport
3. "Bison" Class C5 Liberty Transport

Firepower:
Bison(10 turrets) > Stork(6 turrets) > Mastodon(1 turret)

Cargo size:
Stork(5000) = Mastodon(5000) > Bison(4300)

Turn rate(degrees/s):
Mastodon(11.46) = Bison(11.46) > Stork(8.59)

Individual ship size:
Stork(fairly large, I think the largest of all transports - from nose to butt)
Mastodon(It's not too huge, but its uselessly huge)
Bison(Large, but not too large)

Possibility of getting stuck while entering trade lane(none-few, few-moderate, moderate-often, often-GOD DAMN STUCK AGAIN):
Stork(none-few)
Mastodon(few-moderate)
Bison(none-few)

So I would like to ask you guys to share me your wisdom of these 3 transports so I can decide which to fly.
If you are going to recommend me some other transport, keep in mind that I have an Ageira ID.
I ask nicely not to post useless reply's. (example: "Buy the Mastodon so I can rob you off more easily")

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[DragonRider]

I have flown all three of these. Maybe I can give an advice then.

So, if you want a transport with lots of cargo (5k) - I say go with the Stork. From all my experience its easy to dock with lanes gates. Plus its slim and you can avoid SNAC's if you are good enough. The Mastodon has more armor, but it lacks the weapons. Well, not that the Stork's 5 guns are going to save you from pirates, but It's still something.
Final note for Stork: customizable cargo pods :3

Now, the Bison.
If you want a transport that can defend itself and you dont realy care about the loss of 700 cargo space- get the bison. Slap an armor on it, give it some good guns and you will be giving pirates a hard time. I don't mean that the ship is unkillable, but at least it can defend itself better than the other two.

Personaly, I'd choose the Stork. Looks good. Handles nice. Nice long and thin shape. (+customizable cargo pods :3)
And if you are in a Stork or Mastodon and a pirate attacks you, the chances of survival are pretty much the same (unless you can avoid SNAC's good, then the Stork is for you)

TLDR: GET STORK

[Pancakes]

The guns on Stork hardly matter, unless you know how to trap-shot an odd bomber, but a little awareness on his side and it won't matter much.

However, what does matter are the Cargo Pods. They can often take a few SNAC hits on them, thus giving you more time to flee.

If you don't mind the cargo gap (which is quite large), and you don't count on a convoy/escorts/awareness to avoid piracy, I'd go with Bison, put a HAU 4 on it and you will survive any if not all piracy encounters that doesn't involve caps.

If you want the cargo and survivability I'd go with Stork. Mastadon is only 30m cheaper and that's something you can quickly regain.

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BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD

[Govedo13]

Stork is OP because of the cargo Pods and because its hull/nanobot levels.Unexperienced pirates that does not use subtargeting would loose up to 50% of their DPS vs good Stork pilot.
Cau8 Stork is a way better then Cau4 battletransp. Even if you compare it survivability vs the cau8 Battletransp(using Hribek calc) it survives around 2,4--3k less but the cargo pods and the equal amount of nanobots make up the difference while having 800 more cargo.
Strork should cost at least 300m with the current stats actually or should get 400 nanobots and hull nerf and may be agility nerf that would allow more actual hits in his real hull hitbox that is really really small.

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€œ

Official faction players that are often accused of elitism, never deploy them and have those weird, immersion killing "fair fight/dueling" suicidal hobbies. (yes, i've seen enough of those lolduels, where house military with overwhelming force on the field willingly loses a pilot in a duel. ffs.)

[Boldimore]

Thank you for the replies and votes. I decided on the Bison.
Though for Govedo a little message, I don't see a reason for making the transport 300m and even nerf the agility more, its slower at turning than all of the other transports and I don't see a little bit of problem hitting the ship(if I were a pirate )

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[Thargoid]

I'd go with the stork, most of the time when you fire a Nova at it, it inexplicably does no damage at all.

[Jack_Henderson]

Always Bison. Nice shape. Good cargo. And guns.

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[Govedo13]

It is because the visual part of the ship that takes hull damage is around 30%.
So in general you can consider the Stork actually 3 times smaller then the thing that you see.

As already mentioned twice the cargo containers are external equipment so they serve as some kind of extra hull plates- the attacker hits them and the stork gets no damage, furthermore the "skeleton" that holds the cargo containers and that can take actual damage is quite tiny and easy to mis,also the small cockpit is well protected by turrets that act as well as damage absorbers..

Using certain dodging pattern allows the defender to dodge fire from other ship/transp or gb/ with the same speed at 400m quite efficient while the said pod absorbs snacs/bombers/. Also the ship needs other cross-hair spot because the current one allows the defender to doge more efficient then normal.

Also it should be one of the said actions not both, there are many different approaches how to fix it together with the stupid one - hitbox the whole thing..

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€œ

Official faction players that are often accused of elitism, never deploy them and have those weird, immersion killing "fair fight/dueling" suicidal hobbies. (yes, i've seen enough of those lolduels, where house military with overwhelming force on the field willingly loses a pilot in a duel. ffs.)

[Thargoid]

Maybe we could change the cargo pods, so that they aren't external equipment, but part of the ship, still modifiable with commands, similar to /pimpship

It's absolutely ridiculous that a 5K can lose all of its cargo pods, yet still keep 100% of cargo, we could also put in something were, if you lose a cargo pod, a % of cargo is lost too (this is instead of the previous option).

[Veygaar]

Maybe we could change the cargo pods, so that they aren't external equipment, but part of the ship, still modifiable with commands, similar to /pimpship

It's absolutely ridiculous that a 5K can lose all of its cargo pods, yet still keep 100% of cargo, we could also put in something where, if you lose a cargo pod, a % of cargo is lost too (this is instead of the previous option).

Would be quite interesting...

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Veygaar for Admin Moderator 2013!!!