A Question about Starter Ships

Phileosophos · Post by **Phileosophos** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 5:03 am

EM's new feature to let you choose a career path at start is interesting, so I've tried the different options and have a question or two. First, it seems to me like maybe the combat pilot gets surprisingly good stuff at the outset compared to the others. I chose that role, jumped to Sapphire, and was able to build quite a nice cargo-carrying scout at the shipyard and still end up with a net $2.2 million in cash after selling the Ferret-framed starter ship. That seemed like a crazy good way to start to me, but maybe others could comment more conclusively?

Second, when I realized I couldn't just switch back to the Ferret frame at the Sapphire station (I was smart enough to save it as a template before I did the initial switch), I headed back to the carrier from which I originally launched, the Phantom, figuring it would have the frame. Sure enough it had the Ferret frame, but I couldn't buy it because my rank wasn't high enough. So here's the question: doesn't that seem a bit odd that I can start with a ship I can't subsequently build? That just struck me as weird.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Post by **Marvin** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 5:51 am

Think of it as having been "loaned" the use of a military fighter. And, by selling it, you're tearing up your contract with the military. In any case, the downside to starting off in a military ship is you aren't offered IMG contracts ... until you resign and grab a civvy ship.

Phileosophos · Post by **Phileosophos** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 4:55 pm

Oh really? So if I hang onto the military ship I get to keep the military rank? Also, what are "IMG contracts"? That's probably a stupid question, but I haven't seen that phrase before.

Ravenfeeder · Post by **Ravenfeeder** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 5:01 pm

You could have stored your military ship in the hangar. Mind, that wouldn't have given you the cash boost!

Swings and roundabouts.

Phileosophos · Post by **Phileosophos** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 6:49 pm

Yeah, I couldn't afford any ship mods if I just stored it. But two things remain: (1) if I hang onto the military ship do I get to keep the military rank? and (2) what are "IMG contracts"?

Post by **Vice** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 7:03 pm

You keep your military and civilian ranks no matter what ship you fly. IMG contracts are for the quest.

Phileosophos · Post by **Phileosophos** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 8:02 pm

Thanks for the reply, but I'm still confused on one point. If I keep my rank, and if my rank is insufficient for the starter ship as a combat pilot, then how can I have that as a starter ship? I fear I'm missing something.

Post by **Vice** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 8:20 pm

Which rank is insufficient for the starter ship? The initial combat pilot trainee rank should be sufficient for the Ferret you're given.

RobDog · Post by **RobDog** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 8:31 pm

Originally posted by Phileosophos
Thanks for the reply, but I'm still confused on one point. If I keep my rank, and if my rank is insufficient for the starter ship as a combat pilot, then how can I have that as a starter ship? I fear I'm missing something.

I was a bit confused by the whole "being loaned a military ship" concept so I just started a new pilot on the combat track to try and answer your questions. The thing is, I went to a station, sold my ferret and got a civilian ship, and I got the img quest message. So that part seems to be in order. But then I went back to the carrier and was able to buy the Ferret back no problem.

This entire time I had no military rank -- I think there was some confusion about starting with a rank when you choose to begin as a combat pilot, but I don't think you do. It seems to me that the ferret model is always available. **EDIT: Confirmed by Vice's previous post which I had not seen*** I'm not sure why it wouldn't let you buy it back..

So if my understanding is correct, why would anyone want to start as anything other than a combat pilot? You can easily go to a station, get a starter civilian ship, start the img contracts, and have a cool 3 mil in your pocket.

[Edited on 9-21-2010 by RobDog]

Phileosophos · Post by **Phileosophos** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:35 pm

Sorry for the unclarity, Vice, and thanks for the experiment, RobDog, but I get a completely different result. If I start a combat pilot, I can go to a civilian station and swap out for a civilian ship no problem. I'm still unclear what a "IMG quest" is--is that the main quest line, maybe, as opposed to all the little odd jobs (cleaning arrays, racing, destroying asteroids, mining, etc.) that I'm doing?--but I think I'm with you that far.

But when I go back to the original carrier I can't use a Ferret frame; I get a message saying that I don't have the rank to use it. That's why I was confused earlier: I don't understand how I can't "buy back" the Ferret frame due to lack of rank when I clearly started the game with one.

Post by **Marvin** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:42 pm

When you first start out in a civilian ship, the chat box displays a message from the Independent Merchants (er, I mean Mercenaries) Guild. It congratulates you for getting your mercenary license (or something like that) and offers you a deal. You are directed to dock at a specific station, where a specific contract (titled "I.M.G.") will be among all the other contracts.

That starts you on your quest.

Edit: This will all be made a bit clearer if I ever get back home to upload a series of screen shots to Photobucket.

[Edited on 9-21-2010 by Marvin]

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:59 pm

LOL....you guys are giving to much secrets away.....that is part of the fun finding ways to progress and increase rank and find the most profitable ways.........I think you can buy any ship available at any Station that includes military ships. But when you go to a Carier to get a military ship your bassicaly joining the navy and is almost like a contract. I guess to get military ships from a Carrier is different then buying it from a Station.

When you buy it from a Station your not joining the military. You are doing combat on your own terms for whom ever you want to do combat for.....I think to increase your military rank though to get access to carrier ships you need to to combat missions for the navy or in warzones....I do not know if there are warzones in EM like in Legends. But the Military is not going to give you a ship if their intelligence information tells them your traded your combat ship for a civillian to get credits.....LOL....

:P:P:P:P

VaderShana · Post by **VaderShana** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 11:35 pm

This is sooo great.. heck maybe i should restart my game and sell my ship and get that 2.2 million

I been mining like a dog ! xD

:P

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 11:39 pm

LOL........

:P:P:P:P:P

VaderShana · Post by **VaderShana** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 11:54 pm

next version should have a lottery system for players when lucky spacefares can go play lottery and win big to buy epic ships and frames.

i cant believe like one new frame level 2 cost me like 500,000 plus...

faint.....

RobDog · Post by **RobDog** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:06 am

Don't worry, once you get into the game a bit and figuring stuff out you'll have that kinda money in no time.

Phileosophos · Post by **Phileosophos** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 7:21 am

So far I've found the most lucrative job in the early game to be mining. I look for a contract to mine platinum or metal or diamonds, then switch to a ship with 3 cargo bays and go mining. I find if I target the highest value stuff, I can bring in $100K+ on a single run, which beats the heck out of the $10K max I typically get for other stuff. Thanks for explaining IMG; I haven't even started the main quest yet, so that was news to me.

But I have to say to Maarschalk that I don't think I'm playing the same game you are. Civilian stations I visit do NOT have military equipment available. And when I go back to the original carrier where I started the game, they won't sell anything to me either because they say my rank isn't high enough. I don't see any option to join the navy or anything like that.

Blackthorne · Post by **Blackthorne** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:11 pm

But I have to say to Maarschalk that I don't think I'm playing the same game you are. Civilian stations I visit do NOT have military equipment available. And when I go back to the original carrier where I started the game, they won't sell anything to me either because they say my rank isn't high enough. I don't see any option to join the navy or anything like that.

Mh, the only "military" equipment available on the carriers are the fighter frames. The Ferret should be available right from the start, IIRC.

To gain military ranks, you need to fly missions in one of the warzones (Cerulean, Talison or Sierra, with a gate in the main system leading to the respective warzone). As you advance through the ranks, more frames become available from the carriers throughout Evochron.

A note, however...military ships have no crew space, no cargo bay and a fixed amount of equipment slots (5). On the plus side, they're fast (even the slowest has in excess of 700+ speed), well shielded (class 10), highly maneuverable and have rather large fuel tanks.

They're sleek and fun to fly, but I prefer the extra equipment slots of the civilian ships.

-Blackthorne

Phileosophos · Post by **Phileosophos** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:51 pm

Sorry, Blackthorne, but try it for yourself. Start a new game with a combat pilot, go sell/swap your Ferret frame for something you can afford at the nearest civilian station, then return to the carrier: you'll be told you don't have sufficient rank to equip the Ferret frame. That's what I still find odd: that I don't have the rank to use what I had at the beginning of the game.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 10:49 pm

Originally posted by Blackthorne
But I have to say to Maarschalk that I don't think I'm playing the same game you are. Civilian stations I visit do NOT have military equipment available. And when I go back to the original carrier where I started the game, they won't sell anything to me either because they say my rank isn't high enough. I don't see any option to join the navy or anything like that.
Mh, the only "military" equipment available on the carriers are the fighter frames. The Ferret should be available right from the start, IIRC.

To gain military ranks, you need to fly missions in one of the warzones (Cerulean, Talison or Sierra, with a gate in the main system leading to the respective warzone). As you advance through the ranks, more frames become available from the carriers throughout Evochron.

A note, however...military ships have no crew space, no cargo bay and a fixed amount of equipment slots (5). On the plus side, they're fast (even the slowest has in excess of 700+ speed), well shielded (class 10), highly maneuverable and have rather large fuel tanks.

They're sleek and fun to fly, but I prefer the extra equipment slots of the civilian ships.

-Blackthorne

I thought I saw mitlitary frames available at some Stations in EM....but I could be mistaken I have not been paying much attention to military combat yet and just exploring and discovering the new stuff.....