The KGB Oracle Forums Star Citizen (PUBLIC) KGB Star Citizen Faction Planning CIG Q&A on the Hull series

Day 4 its the Hull D answers

Backer Question and Answer

“Which Hull would better compliment the operation of an RSI Orion mining platform?”

A Hull C or larger would be best for dealing with the amount of ore the Orion produces. If you’re mining in a safe area or have a good escort team, the Hull D would be best. If you’re looking to try and escape from scrapes more easily using just the two ships, a Hull C seems preferable.

“Do the Hull ships come with the containers or we have to buy them separately?”

Containers will be separate; much of the time, they will be loaned to you when you accept a cargo run. You’ll have the option to configure your Hull with different containers for different roles as well.

“How long has MISC produced the Hull Series? Is it a centuries old model like some of the other ships?”

We haven’t issued final lore for this yet, but the assumption in the design was that the Hull series is fairly old, to the point that they (or their similarly-functioned predecessors) have become the standard image of a ‘space truck’ in the Star Citizen world.

“What do the other 4 crew members do, especially the 2 that aren’t on the Hull C?”

The Hull D (and E) can be operated solo. On paper, the four other crew positions are for manning the ship’s defensive turrets. Other important roles for Hull crewmen include co-pilot, loadmaster (running the cargo panel) and engineer.

“Would it be feasible to run a Hull D or E as a solo player or would I need to stick with a C?”

Yes! The captain seat will have access to all crew functions, so you are able to fly solo if you so desire. Manning multiple turrets during a firefight will be a challenge, though! More crew (whether they’re NPCs or players) will always be a benefit.

“Is the modality of the Hull Series largely limited to swapping out cargo pods or is there sufficient room on other parts of the ship to include specialized areas?”

There will be room for internal options, as intended for most of our larger ships. We’re still working on this system, and will release details in the future (expect to see some of the room options on MISC’s Starfarer first.)

“For the Hull D…it mentions a military variant. Would that be a choice we could change our Hull D to in the future?”

Yes! The military variant (and others, such as the Hull C Discreet) will be available in the finished game world. As all of these ships are modular, you will be able to equip them on top of your existing Hull pledge if you so desire.

“Will the Hull D need to refuel after every jump or is it a long-haul cargo vessel capable of making several jumps before refueling?”

The Hull D will be capable of making multiple jumps before refueling; it will also be capable of in-flight refueling from a Starfarer or similar tanker.

“For what reasons might someone choose a HULL D over the more maneuverable HULL C or the much more massive HULL E?”

The simple answer is that the entire lineup is a sliding scale: as more and more cargo space is added, the speed and maneuverability is compromised. The Hull D is for pilots who want to move a lot of cargo, but aren’t willing to go quite as slowly and methodically as the Hull E will require. While it’s tempting to pick the highest number and decide that’s the best, it’s likely that most independent captains would get more bang for their buck with a smaller ship fully laden rather than struggling to afford as much cargo as it would take to stock a Hull E

and its the last one its the Hull E answers

Backer Question and Answer

“Will the Hull-E be able to disable some thrusters when not fully loaded?”

This won’t just be possible, it will be necessary in many cases! In automatic flight, your thrusters will adjust based on the overall load, but you will also have the option to control them more directly yourself.

“Will the Hull E Fit inside any of the hangers, if so what ones? “

We’re making plans for larger hangar expansions to accommodate ships like the Hull E or the Orion. Until then, the Hull E will come with the standard deluxe Hangar.

“How will the perception of problem with the telescoping spine and apparent fragile nature of the spindles be resolved? “

We will take a look at making the spindles look ‘stronger’ during the next art pass, but the long term answer is that they just aren’t going to be fragile. The interiors are reinforced, they telescope out and then lock in place… they’re the same as the skeletons that form the basis of all other ships.

“What kind of options will there be for automated loading if that’s not the kind of task we want to worry about? “

Grabby Hands means that you can load every part of the ship if you so desire… but in all likelihood, you won’t ever want to do that on something as large as a Hull E. Loading can be done automatically via your mobiGlas under normal circumstances (and then the cargo itself can be organized through the console interface.)

“If the Hull E can drop escort fighters does this mean the pilots of said escort fighters need to stay in the fighters for the duration of trip, or will there be a way to enter said escort fighters from inside the Hull E? “

This is going to depend on the fighter! We have been experimenting with a system where you you must ‘construct’ a Hornet from components stored in standard containers. This would be something you do in flight, similar to sub-launched aircraft in the 1940s: unfold the container, put the ship together during an EVA and then take off. In these cases, which involve heavier ships like the Hornet, you would not be able to land on the Hull. We also plan to have smaller midget fighters (such as the Merlin) which could be launched and recovered with tractor beams.

“That Hull E looks big enough to stow away on with no one the wiser. If I fly my Aurora up to the back of a cargo crate and mag-clamp on to it, can I tag along wherever the Hull E is heading?”

Good to see that you’re already imagining the Star Citizen equivalent of Marty’s skateboarding in Back to the Future! The short answer is that yes, anything you can fit in a crate (Aurora included) can be carried by a Hull E. We expect to developed ‘manned’ modules as well, if you’d like to travel on a Hull as a passenger.

“In case I transport ships with the Hull E, what kind of insurance will be necessary? Will it need a hull insurance for the transported ships, do they count as cargo or does it need hull and cargo insurance?”

When a full ship is being transported, you would need the base hull insurance for that ship rather than additional cargo insurance.

“Is there a militarized Hull E version? “

Yes! It’s nowhere near as common as the Hull D, but the UEE military does on occasion utilize the Hull E as a transport. The military designation is R5M Proteus.

“Is only the Hull E capable of transporting, refueling and refitting escort fighters?”

No. Any ship in the series is capable of mounting this equipment where space allows, the Hull E just has more space for it. (That is: the Hull D can likely be modified with refueling equipment or smaller ship attachments, while the Hull A probably can not.)

“How is speed and maneuverability scaling with the load level. E.g. HULL E with no cargo, and non extracted spindle should be like a gigantic ‘racing truck’?”

The Hull is never going to be a speeder, but you will be able to push it quite a bit more without cargo.

“Will there be a reliable source of missions available for Hull E owners to move other people’s cargo, and how would that system work?”

Absolutely; think of the Hull E as being a pure space truck, like those you might see on a cross-country trip. The cabs are owned and operated by a driver (or a corporation) and the cargo is simply picked up and moved on behalf of other parties.

“Will there be some hauling loads that physically cannot be broken down into smaller pieces, and thus must be delivered by a dedicated Hull E?”

Absolutely! The galaxy is full of wonders, some of which are quite large. Whether it’s a Xi’an megapiano or a fully intact stasis unit, there’s always something out there that you won’t want to take apart to ship.

“Will you be able to have more than one midget fighter attachment at a time, and if so, how many will you be able to have?”

This will purely depend on what attach points are available. Someone who trades in a good deal of their cargo space might be able to attach a number of fighters!

“Can the Hull E internal corridor fit a Greycat?”

We’re going to leave that to you to figure out.