Hello VO Community!
With the recent update, the TPG Raptor has become the new starter ship for the tutorial. This crosses every option out of all basic Raptors going UIT exclusive only.
Now if we look at it, the Itani have many useful forms of Valks, the Serco have many useful forms of Proms and the UIT have one ship that only they can buy: The Raptor UDV.
The changes done to the Raptor were significant and great but it is the UIT's "only" useful, exclusive ship (and it's still not that great in combat situations due to its large profile).
To seed some more fairness and make being UIT more worthwhile, here are a few proposals that I would like to present and thereby suggest:

- introduce more special versions of the Raptor. Here are some reasonable examples:

TPG Raptor UDV (Assault Variant)

Armor: 13000
Cargo: 2
Weapons: 2 large ports
Mass: 3900kg
Length: 17m
Thrust: 220N
Turbo Thrust: 320N
Max Speed: 60 m/s
Spin Torque: 8.5 Nm
Turbo Speed: 215 m/s
Turbo energy: 55/s

A significant armor boost at cost of it's chaser qualities. This is a slow Raptor meant for heavy combat situations.

TPG Raptor UDV (Slim Variant)

20% profile reduction
Armor: 11000
Cargo: 3
Weapons: 1 large port, 1 small port
Mass: 3800kg
Length: 17m
Thrust: 220N
Turbo Thrust: 310N
Max Speed: 60 m/s
Spin Torque: 8.5 Nm
Turbo Speed: 220 m/s
Turbo energy: 55/s

A profile reduced Slim fighter with a small and a large port. Not a worthy chaser but good PvP and botting capabilities since it's profile is significantly slimmed.

The current TPG Raptor UDV could be renamed to (Interceptor Variant) and be the chasing model used by most pirates and pirate hunters in combat. All ships would come with a integrated storm radar.

- if no fit is seen for more Raptors (for whatever reason): Make the Warthog Territorial Defender an UIT only ship

- make the UIT Marauder faction exclusive and buff its stats. My proposal:

UIT Marauder

Armor: 10000
Cargo: 48 -----> 70
Weapons: 3 small ports
Mass: 4800kg -----> 4500kg
Length: 12m
Thrust: 210N -----> 220N
Turbo Thrust: 210N --->250N
Max Speed: 65 m/s
Spin Torque: 7.0 Nm ---->8.0 Nm
Turbo Speed: 200 m/s ----->220 m/s
Turbo energy: 50/s

All in all fair increases in most stats.

These are just a few thoughts and ideas. Commentary is welcome aslong as it is constructive.

You don't know what it is about the raptor that makes it a good chaser, do you?

+1 to improve the Marauder. That ship sucks.

"With the recent update, the TPG Raptor has become the new starter ship for the tutorial."

It's the starter ship for the offline, single-player, irrelevant tutorial. Not the training sector. Which means nothing has changed.

You dont understand Rin he's just trying to get his valk or scp access back one way or another.

Yeah, I don't see why my putting the raptor in the single-player tutorial has any bearing on anything. It's more representative of higher-level ship handling, and it looks neat. Those were the goals.

abortretryfail - Apparently I do not then. The increased Thrust was meant for special boosts in PvP situations. I think limitting the max Speed to 215 m/s is a fair decrease of chasing capabilities.
And thanks for your input with the Marauder.

Pizzasgood - Okay thank you, I've not been aware of that.

DeathSpores - Please from useless and non-qualified comments as such. I díd in no way suggest a Valkyrie or Prometheus here. I suggested an individual set of ships that only the UIT would have to look at.

incarnate - I was not aware that it did not affect online gameplay. However, that has the same ffect as it promises newbies of all nations to once fly this ship in a way. And completely aside, my point still stands. It's not about the plain number of ships that Itani/Serco can pick from, it's rather that Raptor UDV types to pick from would be useful and cool.

The UDV is to the WTD as the Valk is to the IBG, as the Prom is to the SVG. Standings and availability are consistent and should be left alone.

+1 to buffing the Maud but fuck no to making it 220m/s infiniturbo. That's too fast for a 70cu ship.

The UDV is to the WTD as the Valk is to the IBG, as the Prom is to the SVG. Standings and availability are consistent and should be left alone.

Actually, I see a value to OP's suggestions for making new UDVs. The numbers can probably be tweaked slightly, but I am in favor of the general idea. There are several variations of valks and proms that only Itani and Secros can fly, respectively. So why shouldn't we have several variations of UDV, as well? Don't tell me that Raptor Mk1 and Mk2 count. They suck. They were designed to be easy-to-access ships for lower level pilots.

The current UDV is a great interceptor, but it still feels slightly lacking when it comes to combat outside of botting. If I am able to beat it with a horribly nerfed hound, something is wrong with the picture. It should be roughly as good as X-1 or SCP, but it's really not. So, there is still a niche here to filled - something for UIT that is somewhat on an equal footing with X-1 and SCP, in its own way of course.

UIT pilots do not need a ship equal in quality to Serco and Itani pilots. Serco and Itani are at war, while UIT is not. It makes sense that Serco and Itani have access to better ships.

Besides, I think the UIT's main focus as far as combat is concerned, is in taking out the hive. Jump in a dual megaposi and go hack at the hive. Its definitely the best ship with a large port for dealing with the hive fighter style and not bomber style.

But it is also right up there with the hound and valk as far as intercepting goes...

UIT pilots do not need a ship equal in quality to Serco and Itani pilots.

and this bullshit has gone on my nerves forever.
it implies that UIT are a lame class of pilots which is completely contra to the story if you think for longer than 2 seconds and have ever made a UIT alt and not played your Serco/Itani elbow game all day. of course the UIT are supposed to have a ship equal in quality as the Serco and Itani. maybe not in military terms but in their very own. they swim in credits and the only real thing about them is that they do not partake in the itani serco conflict actively. nowhere is said that there can't be combative UIT and if we look in game we also see it is not true,

so there is no reason to always deny that UIT cant have combat ships just cause you Itani/Serco pee your pants cause an UIT might come along and get your favorite Valk/Prom below 30% in his nations ship... +1 to OPs ideas of making more raptor class ships.

You obviously didn't read my entire post.

The fact of the matter is that one on one combat really comes down to individual pilot skill, but if we wana just neglect to take that into consideration then that's probably a more productive conversation.

The UDV can't really stand with a prom or valk in one to one. And the point that I am making is that they don't need to as they are not at war with these nations. However, when fighting against NPCs, the UDV is definitely just as good if not better than both the valk and prom. So there you go. They do have a ship that is just as good, but "maybe not in military terms but in their very own."

You make another excellent point though...UIT is far from being a lame class of pilots, and just because they do not have a faction specific ship that can compete with prom and valk one on one does not imply this. I think UIT is the most balanced faction to start playing VO as they offer many things newer players could benefit from. But as you said, UIT makes loads of credits. UIT is majority traders. I don't think that they should be prevented from doing combat but giving them a ship to compete with prom and valk in one on one would be over-kill. By nature, anything the UIT would develop would likely go to the highest bidder, so I don't think that they would keep any of their "nation designed" ships anyways.

You've got to take into consideration the fact that I do not fly proms EVER, and obviously nor do I fly valks. I rarely engage in combat and when I do, it is friendly and I like flying light fighters.

Having said this, I mostly present my opinions from a role-playing stand point, and what would actually provide balance versus imbalance. Nothing personal my friend. And nothing against UIT.

By nature, anything the UIT would develop would likely go to the highest bidder

Obviously not always true, because the UDV is still in their hands and they are not displaying any desire to put it up for bid. They are keeping it for themselves, and not letting anyone use it. Period. More raptor classes can perfectly make sense from a role-playing point of view:

Observing an alarming, increasing level of aggressiveness from Secros blatantly intending to utilize the UIT space to launch an invasion into the Itani nation on the Jallik side, the UIT Senate gathered and passed an act. This act, through grants, launched UIT engineers and ship builders into a frenzy designing and building new military class ships. Those ships' purpose are purely defensive, both to act as a deterrent to the Secro forces attempting to pass through and to guard its borderlines from the occasional bandit skirmishes (Corvus maybe?). This is so that UIT may maintain its integrity and state of peace.

So, UDVs should be at least a credible threat to proms, if not equal or better. Right now SCPs walk over UDVs as if they are welcome mats.

Also, internal security -- don't forget the corporate wars.

I think that everyone is starting to realize that they can complain their way to change...in the words of my Ragin' Cajun friend

I find that this thread is talking about multiple things... so I took one of those things and made it it's own thread (re: UIT being a neutered nation choice).

http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/29436

+1 to better UIT exclusive combat ship choices