Right now the TPG Raptor is still rather useless, it has no niche and I don't see anyone flying them. I propose that the Raptor be fitted with an integrated small port type storm warning radar. This would leave it with the exact same stats as today and still have two free small ports for weapons, but have 1000m storm radar.

For ion storm combat at least, the clumsy underpowered raptor might then come into its own as a viable, perhaps even prefered, choice. (lol mispelled Fighter in title - great!)

I'd think this would be a very minor change to implement, and the few people I've talked to about it found it interesting. What do you all think?

PS: Many pardons if this has been suggested before - I reviewed the posting guidlines and ran a search but didn't find it.

This hasn't been suggested before, to my knowledge. Seems like a decent idea...

Seems like it'd need an even larger range. Perhaps 3,000m in storms? It'd be the perfect ship to storm camp.

-Nautargos

If they were to implement this, I would suggest a new variant of hive bot as well. One that had a similar built in storm radar that looked for or appeared in storms to hunt those caught in them.

Then every convoy would want to have at least one of these in its escort group in the case they ran into a storm with the storm rider hives.

[stamp of approval]™

Although I still prefer my suggestion of giving it massive forwards thrust and minimal strafing thrust...

Unless things changed, I think the bots "ignore" all restrictions when it comes to radar anyway.

Interesting idea for the Raptor, but it doesn't really make it any more desirable overall. It's still going to have to work harder than most other ships to bring its quarry down in a storm, or to defend itself and a convoy from attack. Outside of a storm, it's still a magnet for incoming fire.

@roguelazer: I remember seeing that. Also an interesting idea, though I wonder how usable that would be in practice. Only one way to find out, I suppose.

But if there were missions along the line of "Somethings going on in the storm in sector XY. Do this or that there!" that thing could be really useful. I mean it's a fast ship and most lights can't equip the heavy radar thingy (or you'd be left with one s port in case of the hog).

Well yes, Spuck is right. Due to the fact that only valks and mauds have three ports usually, a fighter-class ship with the storm extension taken care of, preventing a loss of firepower, would be the ship to use in storms.

I love the idea.
Could lead to some AMAZING runs.
YES!
*stamp of YAY*

PsyRa, the current hive bots "cheat". Aka, they're not affected by the storm's radar crippling effect. For prof of this, warp in any direction for any number of meters and then just make a dead stop. Sit and wait.

The chance that two frickin Orne guardian find you at the same time is remotely impossible and yet, they manage that most of the time.

VO cheats! :-)

Edit: nice suggestion BTW. Probably the only real new one in months.

Edit 2: actually it sucks. There would be no way for any other ship to escape a rail-weilding long-range radar Raptor.

Edit 3: *crashes*

[stamp of approval]™

I like the idea. Will take under advisement.

Implementedzor!

Holy crap. That's, like, the third directly-implemented suggestion in all 4.5 years I've been a subscriber.

[Stamp of implemented]

It's like I said way back when:

"The tools that would have been built for a production-level game are being built right now. As they are completed, things that used to take weeks of development will soon take days - or less "

This sort of thing is going to be more commonplace.

Awesome.

Now since the Raptor has a 1000m increase in radar range during storms, now would be a perfect time to take it a bit further. Everyone is in almost unanimous consent that the Raptor is a sub-par combat vessel, so why not increase it's radar range from 5km to 10km? It would be the universe's first true AWAC (Advanced Warning Aircraft Controller).

It would keep the same stats, except perhaps a higher acceleration rate for leaving the area when the going gets tough, since it wouldn't be a quite a fighter anymore, but a logistical support ship. It could work well for group missions and escorts, just think of the possibilities.

AWACS tend to be... slow, unwieldy and not armored (armor nor weapons). >.>

I still support Erik's idea to bring back old Raptor's weapon layout (ie, put ports far from each other again). Or give this layout to another ship (another variant of Raptor?)

And UIT NEEDS DECENT LOW-LEVEL (LIGHT) FIGHTER!

The raptor is not UIT. It is TPG. So if TPG counts, why doesn't Orion, and Orion has the RevC which is quite acceptable.