Private matches will no longer count on the leaderboards. You can now dogfight with your friends and not have stats reported. Allowing you to experiment with different strategies and keep them secret!
 
 
We fixed an issue with COMSTAB that seemed to impact the 300i more so than the other ships; 300is should be back to fighting form!

Hey guys! I asked William to go through the thread and pull out all the big questions. You’ll find those below divided by subject, along with the best possible answers we have today. If your question is not here, then I will say… it is his fault. (In all seriousness, just reply with questions we missed and we will get to them.)

Now, please heed the standard warning: we're talking about ships that aren't even dogfight ready yet and we're talking about long-term game mechanics that are on paper and not in the CryEngine yet. Changes to specifications and capabilities WILL happen as we move to Arena Commander V2.0.

Science Turret

1. Can it be removed and replaced with a regular turret from the Andromeda or Phoenix?

Yes, this is the plan. The turret slots are standard and anything can be moved between then.

2. Can it be moved to the bottom turret location?

Yes, as far as the game is concerned these slots will be identical.

3. If #2, is there any advantage to having two science turrets on the ship?

There is no advantage to having two science turrets at this time, although we intend to develop other options that might enhance the ‘science’ aspect of the ship (think specific sensor suits, jump detectors, etc.)

4. Can I buy a Phoenix in the store, then buy all the Aquila gear and slap it into the Phoenix? If not, *why*? Are there hull-specific weapons/sensors?

To a significant degree, this is possible. I believe the Nav-E7 fuel tank expansion will not fit on the Phoenix (and of course the resulting mixed-and-matched ship will handle differently than either the base Aquila or the base Phoenix.) You will also have significantly less cargo!

Customization

1. Can I remove the hottub/kitchen/bar/nonprivate quarters and have a cargo bay?

At present, no. We would like more advanced structural customization to be possible in the future, but it likely will not happen before launch.

2. What exactly are we able to swap out and move around? What is CIG's definition of modular?

A good rule of them is that any ship components listed in the stats can be added/removed/upgraded/swapped. There will also be decorative items that can be added and moved around the ship itself (specifics on this system are TBA, but think more along the lines of hangar flair than cutting out the entire inside of the ship.)

The way we see this evolving is that we will first introduce ‘decorative’ positions that can be changed using the same system as the seat action positions – swap the hot tub for a… uh… space TV... and then down the line ultimately have a system where anything can be put anywhere.

3. The 'expansion station' is different than the original idea of upgrade slots. How does that work? What are its limitations?

These are not the same system. In this case, the expansion system is specifically for adding internal ‘seat actions’ to the ship. A ‘seat action’ is defined as a position on the ship that gives a player an active role in operating a ship; it’s also where the “max crew” statistic comes from.

The expansion station in the Constellation is where you would add your command and control board, an additional science station, a weapons officer, etc. (Specific addon seats are still in development, but think of it as like adding a place for another crewman and giving them something to do.)

4. I'd like to know more about to what extent you plan to allow interior customization, will it include stuff like furniture hardpoints, colours and materials? Or will it be limited to more basic stuff like optional fuzzy dice for the cockpit?

See above for the broad strokes, but the idea is to start with seat customization plus basic decorative customization (put your rubber dinosaurs here) and then move on to the more broad system everyone is dreaming about as we go. (It’s not a matter of our not wanting to do it; it’s just an impressive technical challenge!)

5. Will there be cosmetic customization options for the Phoenix, such as black metal instead of wood?

Yes!

6. Can we replace the bed with an infirmary?

As the ship is set up today, no. But it seems like a pretty reasonable option we’ll discuss. (We’re currently building out our medical system for… ships that have yet to be announced!)

7. The Phoenix has a shielded cargo area. Any idea on how many freight units this will be able to hold? Is that included in the current total on the stats page?

This should cover all of the Phoenix’s (more limited) cargo.

8. Does the chassis of the Andromeda have the capability of being upgraded for exploration to the same extent that the Aquila has or will the Aquila always have an absolute advantage in this area?

Any component that can be placed on the Aquila can also be placed on the Andromeda. The result will not be an identical ship, though: you’ll lose some cargo capacity, handling will be different… and most importantly, you lose the ‘exploration bridge’ window.

Vehicles

1. Could you tell us anything about the difference between the P-52 Merlin and P-72 Archimedes. Will the roles of the two ships be different in any way. Have any decisions been made on how the capabilities may differ. While you may not be able to hard numbers could you provide us with some qualitative differences?

Unfortunately, not yet. We’ll reveal the P-72 and the associated stats once it’s modeled and ready. But in general, think the difference between an Aurora and a 300i, applied to the snub fighters.

2. The Aquila brochure states that it will be the most maneuverable of the constellation variants. Will this be accomplished by adding more maneuvering thrusters or providing the ship with upgraded thrusters? If the latter is the case, will we see the Phoenix (high-quality parts) receive similar upgrades?

This refers to the stock maneuverability; there will be plenty of thrusters available in the finished game that will allow the others to compete! Given an identical set of thrusters, I believe that the Taurus will be the “most maneuverable” because it starts with the lowest mass. But those are all aspects you’ll be playing with yourself in the finished game.

3. Does the Aquila come with a P-52 Merlin?

Yes, we currently plan to include a P-52 Merlin with the Aquila (although it is not mentioned in the brochure.)

4. In terms of armor, a currently unlisted statistic, how would you classify each of the constellation variants durability rating.

The Phoenix would be the most heavily armored, the Aquila and Andromeda are roughly equivalent and the Taurus is the least armored.

5. You mentioned in RTV yesterday (9/26/2014) that the Constellations would be capable of performing some salvage operations. What types of operations would the constellations be capable of? Where would the equipment/salvage stations be located?

The Constellation should be a great platform for EVA salvage: plenty of internally accessible cargo space and a working airlock! Plus, the P-52 can be swapped out for a salvage support vehicle. (Think the platforms deep sea divers use to carry their tools and loot.) What it will not do so well is mass salvage, like the Reclaimer. (You can fill the hold with scrap metal, for sure, but you'll need to install a tractor beam to do it. Or EVA out to collect!)

6. There are some small differences between the combat capabilities between the Constellation Andromeda and Phoenix chassis.

The Andromeda has a smaller power plant and more missiles, although many of them are less powerful (size 1). The Phoenix has a larger power plant, a smaller number missiles (albeit more powerful ones), and a defense turret. Do you or the development team foresee any difference between the combat capabilities of the two ships? What types of combat scenarios would favor the Andromeda and what types would favor the Phoenix?

There’s two things to take into consideration here: the stock specifications and the overall capability. That’s the difference between what’s installed when you buy a ship and the ‘max’ (or hardpoint) stat. As you noted, the Phoenix has a larger potential power plant, which should give it a number of possible combat improvements: more power to shields, more power to weapons and so on. The defensive system works the same way: it can only be equipped on the Phoenix base because only the Phoenix base has a hardpoint for it. The missiles are the opposite situation; the base models have different systems installed, but the hardpoint is identical.

How the ships actually balance in combat will likely change quite a bit once we get them in and dogfighting, but the overall intent is that the Phoenix is a beefier ship (more armor, more defensive potential with the higher rated powerplant and the defensive turret) at a cost of some maneuverability and a significant decrease in cargo.

If we’ve missed your question or concern, please post it below and we’ll have another set of information for you!

(And a postscript for everyone debating Phoenix sales – it has been one of our most successful ships to date, bringing in a significant majority of the funding from the Constellation promotion. Which is all great news for the finished game. I don’t know where the rumor that it was some kind of disaster came from, but we’re very, very happy with it. )