Some one else can come up with backstory, pricing and licensing.
My issue is that the RAPTOR looks slick, it is the iconic ship used for Vendetta Online yet the Raptor and Raptor II just cant compete with the other ships.

- Firstly, they are bigger targets and don't seem as manoeuvrable as vultures even though stats imply they should.
- The storm radar is cool, but generally under used.
- The ship has 4 huge engines, yet the ship is slow with a greedy turbo.

Some features that are awesome in a ship are either light (thing super light) and manoeuvrable,
or ininiturbo with 50/s turbo drain.

Obviously making the ship 75 speed with 50/s drain would make it over powered, I'm sure some one can come up with a nice combo, taking into account the raptor is a bigger target than a vulture so it should benefit some otherway. Then again, you could also do something like the greyhound.

Here is my proposal, using a Serco Guardian as a template. (Basically the same except I switched the weapon ports and changed turbo thrust/drain)
(call it something cooler please)

Raptor Vagabond
Faction: UIT/TPG/Tugunska?, cuz frankly as cool as a marauder is, UIT doesn't have very cool fighters.

Armor: 9000 (Same as Serco Guardian)
Cargo: 2 cu (Same as Serco Guardian)
Weapons: 2L (Give some one a reason not to by a vulture)
Mass: 4200 kg (400kg heavier than Serco Guardian)
Thrust: 230 N (Same as Serco Guardian)
Turbo Thrust: 260 N (Same as original Raptor, less than raptor two and guardian but lower drain )
Spin Torque: 8.5 Nm (Same as Raptor 1 & 2)
Max Speed: 60 m/s (Same as Serco Guardian)
Turbo Speed: 220 m/s (Same as most Vults & the other Raptors)
Turbo Energy: 50 m/s (Yes. Infiniturbo. But less thrust so it takes a while to get upto speed.)

If two 2L is too over powered, I suggest do 4s and kill the storm radar. But so far there are no Large port fighters (wraith, revant...atlas? ) ... Or maybe just 1L and make the weight 3800kg? Please give your opinions. We need a better raptor!

I do like these stats. Could be a nice 2x Megaposi platform.
Not really overpowered, but might give people a way to swarm and run a lot easier.

But that being said, the raptor is long overdue for a fix. Maybe have this as a TPG modified attack variant.

Cool, thanks. I was thinking 2 mega pos. Didnt think about the swarms.....
Made an edit,suggesting maybe just 1L and lower the weight.. kinda like a heavy centurion.
Then the player could choose a megapos, gattling turret... swarm... avalon...

Making it only one large port makes it useless behind the warthog. Keep the two large ports, we've dealt with swarms before. Remember that swarms are very heavy and mounting two on a ship with little thrust to counteract it makes it sluggish.

Ok, sounds good. Please disregard the 1L port... (unless you make it light and nimble like a centurion)

It will be perfectly balanced with dual swarms if the weight of the swarm launchers makes it gatt bait, then using swarms on it would be completely impractical, as it should be.

The only concern here is that fitting out a ship that is only going to be good with dual megaposis makes it sorta boring.

EDIT: oh wait.. dual jack raptor.. yep 1+

I think it would be very useful :) +1

220m/s infiniturbo with 2 L-ports huh?

EDIT: oh wait.. dual jack raptor.. yep 1+ <--- "lulz"

Yes. BUT: "But less thrust so it takes a while to get upto speed"

It would only really be useful for getting across space from wormhole to wormhole in a decent time, wouldn't have the advantage other fighters have of a 'quick' boost to top speed. I feel this would help keep it balanced. Please provide your suggestion.