The Tick...
08 Apr 2019McGyverCP
The itch finally got to me yesterday...I had been trying to hold off, but I finally broke down and bought a new ship. A Kellback. Based on the Type 6 bodyframe it's supposed to be a combat capable hauler. In other words, it can supposedly defend itself if it gets jumped. But with only 2 small and 2 medium hardpoints, I see that as more of something to make the pilot feel better than being able to actually fight off a determined attack. Weapon-wize, it can carry the same as my Cobra Mk III with half the maneuverability. So I don't see me using it to pick fights with the local tough guys in the system.Still got a few things to "A" out...power plant, thrusters, shields, and fuel scoop. One problem I have with the ship is that you can only stick a 3-class power distributor in it. I mean, you can go 4A with the power plant, but only a 3A distributor. Seems a waste that all that power is being shoved through a tiny pipe. They should have gone to a 4A distributor.
Sounds like stories from 20th century Earth where there was a group of people who would race four-wheel, internal combustion engine vehicles. They would tune these things for top speed and performance. But the governing body made them add restrictor plates to the engines to slow them down and make the races more entertaining...by entertaining they meant a group of vehicles doing over 300 km/h in very close proximity to each other. The results could be crashes involving several vehicles at once. The drivers tried to get the plates ruling removed, but the governing body was adamant...This was exciting and the fans love it! Easy for them to say, they didn't have to find a way to replace a 200K credit racing vehicle that got wiped out in a multi-car accident.
But I love the ability to double the cargo capacity that I had in the Cobra. I have 64 tons set up, and was able to make back the credits for the ship and the upgrades I had put into it in about 10 missions. It is nice to be able to stuff a 750K mission into the hold and get it to the end point in one run.
Interdictions are an other thing that seems easier to deal with...There is a saying that Fat People are harder to kidnap. That seems to be true with this ship. Where as in the Cobra I was able to break interdiction with no problems, I was still chasing the little blue ball back and forth across the sky in a pretty large arc. In the Kellback, I can almost drink a cup of tea while breaking interdiction hold. I am guessing that the larger mass of the Keel is the reason. Harder for a lesser mass ship to pull a larger one out of Supercruise, at least that is what i think. I could be wrong though.
As for the name, I got that from a picture I saw of an insect that is native to Earth. A tick is a small arachnid that lives off the blood of other mammals and it carries a disease called Lyme's Disease. This disease was spread by bacteria that the tick carried and would transfer it to the host during feeding. While it was curable, it could cause some serious problems if not treated...Anyway, I named my Ship 'The Tick' because to me it sort of resembles a tick after it has fed and engorged itself with blood...Little head (the cockpit) and a huge body.
Yeah, when you are in space, you have a lot of time on your hands...I spend my studying ancient Earth History.
Carry on Commanders o7
McGyver of Clan Plaid, signing off.