Drake Caterpillar Review | Star Citizen 3.17 4K Gameplay

[@CB-io8oi]

Easily one of the coolest looking ships. Its a definite never melt for me, gets flown regularly and in places it has no right to be. Love it.

[@Farrister]

A true fan!

[@lunamaria1048]

You nailed it! The Cat is like my Toyota 4Runner. I'll NEVER sell it lol

[@toecutter9372]

I’ve melted and reacquired this ship many times. There’s just something about the Cat and Drake that I absolutely love.

[@Farrister]

Understandable!

[@AIPilot-Boda]

Such a unique ship. I really love the interior of the Caterpillar.

[@UncleTequila]

I just find it confusing af 😅

[@Farrister]

But it's so...... Drake!

[@UncleTequila]

@@Farrister it issss🤣

[@peterschaber371]

Do you guys think, the CP will get "upgraded" for ecample, working tractorbeams, the cockpitsplit from the main ship, the doors will reach ground to carry veicles? Will these things getting added?

[@captainharlock3998]

@@peterschaber371 Sorry for the Necro, but I had to tell you the tractor beams are FREAKIN WORKIN!!! Now for the rest of it!

[@snaggletoof1927]

Gorgeous video! The first time I saw a large ship was at an outpost on Aberdeen. I was there ROC mining about to pull up and load the Greycat when a massive shadow crossed over me. I looked up to see this gigantic ship land (and fully take up) the largest landing pad. Immediately I ran over to check it out. The Caterpillar pilot was so friendly, he even invited me to step inside and gave me a quick tour. It was incredible. Your video brought those memories back. Thank you, Farrister!

[@Farrister]

Oh wow, that sounds like a great experience!

[@FXPhysics]

Delighted that I found your channel. Yours and Spacetomato's are now my go-to for everything Star Citizen. Brilliant video once again, Farrister.

[@Farrister]

Thank you, that's very kind - especially to be in the same sentence as somebody I hold in such high regard! Love SpaceTomato

[@sirnukealot84]

The cat has a special place in my heart since it was my first big cargo ship. I sometimes take it out to transport ship components with it. Since its got a fast qt drive by default and lots of room.

[@Farrister]

oooh interesting use case!

[@novalis791]

Thanks for capturing the 'magic' of Star Citizen

[@Farrister]

Thanks Novalis :)

[@cptnalgren]

Great review Farrister - seeing this made me miss my Cat from previous patches. Thanks for showing all the areas of the ship, I realise how much of it I never explored when I had it…I was obsessed with running as fast as I could from the trade consoles to the cockpit to take off safely and cash in my goods before a 30k or attack! So much more to this ship than I realised, tempted for one again, maybe in 3.18 when I’ve made my fortune!

[@Farrister]

haha, I know that feeling!

[@LarsHoppa]

Damn, you make awesome videos. Just great everything, production, narration, content. Chef's kiss. Really and truly one of the best on KZbin.

[@Farrister]

Thank you for your kind words Lars :) I'm really lucky to have such a supportive community

[@STNeish]

I love the cockpit of the Caterpillar, reminds me of my old Y8 mining ship from Star Wars Galaxies.

[@Farrister]

Oh you're gonna get me all nostalgic again, I loved that game

[@tiagooitaven4350]

You are the best! Thanks for the tour/review! Another great vid. 👍

[@Farrister]

Ah thank you, I'm really glad you enjoyed!

[@tiagooitaven4350]

@@Farrister always man... Every time I wanna see a review or tour I just write "farrister [ship name]" 😂

[@raphaelgollner3561]

It is without a doubt one of my favorites, despite the negative points. Whenever the wipe happens I rush money to get it.

[@Farrister]

I love it when ships evoke those kind of feelings!

[@zman_o7]

Loved my cat good review Farrister o7 😎👍

[@Farrister]

Thanks Zman, o7!

[@asiftalpur3758]

visual treat in 4k. Thanks, Farrister.

[@Farrister]

Thanks Asif, I'm really glad you enjoyed it!

[@carltonvanhoy3999]

The Cat is for people that have dirt under the nails. Great feel, and only ship I was willing to drop cash on. The C2 is for mini van families on interstellar picnics.

[@captainmurphy2328]

Drake is for pilots who are low on cash and doesn’t mind not having AC, c2 is for the wealthy who needs a BMW for a grocery trip to the store

[@masonstormer]

Love this ship!! Thanks for doing it.

[@Farrister]

Thank you, I loved flying her out again!

[@Morgilson]

This is a good review, it speaks mostly about what you have now and not what it could/would become, that said remember that in the furture: This is two ships, not one. The cockpit is a ship on it own aswell The modularity system is proberly a video in its own right The cargo ramp/ramps are not done yet even thou they are somewhat functionary atm. it was said several times that the cargo bay doors would open and fold down like a ramp thou that was later changed to opperating as elevators.

[@Farrister]

That would be cool if they change the ramps for that. I do try to keep in the here and now, since we never know for sure what we'll actually see CIG implement in the future...

[@soulacorn4871]

You have such clean and phenomenal videos! Keep it up dude! 👍

[@Farrister]

Thank you :)

[@Chris_Gerbracht]

Great review as always. While I don't own a single Drake ship because I'm not overly fond of the style I think it's great that the brand exists. It certainly adds colour to the verse. And toilets with hand rails.

[@Farrister]

haha for those times you need to hold on

[@lukas6485]

What a beautiful ship!

[@yaeaster3454]

No pre IAE hyped videos? Wow! Amazing. Thanks for your work and that you not hopped on the hype train about the Corsair, Cutter and Galaxy. But a review about the Corsair would be very appreciated in a few days or weeks ;) if it is released on the live servers. Btw.: Caterpillar is an awesome ship. Edit: tipping

[@Farrister]

I'm interested in all of them! But prefer to see actual performance first!

[@yaeaster3454]

@@Farrister this is the way!

[@justindupre7274]

I lived on a Caterpillar for a couple of years. I screwed up and melted my ship for a Corsair and whatever small ship I'm currently trying to figure out. I love the Caterpillar. Standing in the atrium while leaving the atmosphere is one of best experiences in SC.

[@justindupre7274]

I really hope I have the pledge money for her again next time she's buyable.

[@justindupre7274]

I'm thinking of melting my Corsair and 315p because the Vulcan is buyable.

[@justindupre7274]

Anybody else thinking about picking up the Vulcan? I'm really considering melting for a new starter and a Vulcan. The current loaner for the Vulcan is a Starfarer, so it could be worse. Advice?

[@ForeverCyber]

Still the best ship for jumptown since you can throw presents into the side easily

[@ForeverCyber]

May be a good time to test next usc jumptown event ;)

[@Farrister]

"presents" :D

[@caseytwill]

One of the possible advantages of the Caterpillar over the Hercules is its modularity as hinted at by CIG, making it more versatile than a simple cargo hauler. We'll see...

[@Farrister]

Quite possibly, although not yet in game...

[@caseytwill]

@@Farrister ...and maybe never. I kinda feel like they regret ever making that promise, but I hope they do make good on it.

[@kevinsamuels7567]

Just been watching Boredgamer and his Corsair and got me wandering if you will have access to one when released to do a review of.

[@Farrister]

I think we will get access during IAE, it's just a question of whether I get enough time behind the wheel to do a review - usually I fly a ship for 2 weeks first

[@kevinsamuels7567]

@@Farrister I'd be willing to loan mine to review if you wanted. Just let me know if your interested and when. Does it have to be during the expo?

[@Farrister]

@@kevinsamuels7567 ah thanks, will see how I get on!

[@ronkrueger-capt_koron6112]

Greetings Farrister. Nice review of the Drake Caterpiller. I have to be frank here, I'm not an owner and I probably never will. I've flown the Cat way back when it first came out and to he honest, I wasn't really impressed with it. It's big, slow and doesn't maneuver very well. On the ground I used to drive school busses that maneuvered better. There are only a couple things that I like about the ship. First is the cargo capacity. If you've got the credits to fill it, you can make a considerable sum hauling cargo. Second that command section that eventually will be able to separate and work independently will be a valuable commodity. And the combination of solid, strong shields and decent defensive guns make the Cat a force to deal with. I've seen smaller ships work hard to even damage a Cat in combat. It's comparable to a capitol ship. From what I understand those sections will eventually be modular and will be swappable. Personally, I don't really like the style and design of the ship. It's bulky, and built like a series of boxes connected end to end. Those multiple landing legs have a large footprint and if you had to land in unimproved areas, it would be difficult to find a large enough area to set down. Honestly, I prefer the styling of the C2 Hercules over it. Thanks for the review. As always a great job. Take care my friend, fly safe and I'll see you in the verse.

[@Farrister]

And that's fine - each to their own :) o7 Koron

[@FrazzleCat]

Excellent review, as ever. o7 I ran around inside of this a little while back & can't say that I'd ever buy it. The constant doors and tons of running through repeated rooms wasn't my thing. However, it did occur to me that the inside poses an interesting defensive position, assuming that the attackers boarding the ship didn't intend to destroy the ship. There are a lot of choke points & it would make quite an FPS experience with the tunnels and the combined upper & lower levels.

[@Farrister]

I did think the same thing - there are also multiple routes between upper and lower deck

[@tricorter1]

Theory crafting the caterpillar is modular. You will be able to put modules in those cargo sections and it'll be a great all around ship.

[@Farrister]

Would be interesting to see that!

[@tricorter1]

@@Farrister according to inforunners, CIG said that's the plan in the distant future.

[@Parzival117]

Pirates are going to love the caterpillar when the tractor beams start working. It's going to make loading in cargo from wrecks so much easier.

[@Farrister]

"Wrecks" :D

[@CathrineMacNiel]

​@@Farristerwell it doesn't matter in the end if those wrecks weren't wrecks before they met the cat :)

[@Lisa-Azra_Broad]

you forgot to mention the future modular aspect of the ship, adding medical module, armoury module, poss research/hydroponics so can become a mobile base rather than a hauler

[@Farrister]

Will comment on it when I can actually see it in game!

[@Lisa-Azra_Broad]

@@Farrister fair enough CIG do have a habit of saying things

[@AndrewJens]

I like your content: it makes me reconsider options I had previously dismissed. 🤔

[@Farrister]

Thanks Andrew, that means a lot :)

[@MottDaHoople]

I purchased the IAE Ed. Caterpillar in 2949... I love the ship and when it gets fully fleshed out it will be unstoppable. The rescue pod you referred to is actually a Remote ship that you can dock and undock to (much like the Constellations Merlin). The pod doesn't have Quantum capability on it's own. The cargo containers are also supposed to be modular giving you an assortment of expansions when available. All in all not a bad vid but you could have mentioned the expandability... even if it's not in game yet.

[@vital-wyn1310]

I just hope they don’t back off on some of the modules now that we are going to see other similar size ships with modules.

[@Farrister]

That would be really cool - if we see it!

[@Nzchimeran]

Very cool , I had it as a loaner for the Hull C but I prefer the Hull C, awaiting that release. I hope the Cat gets the Corsair pilot controls and those extra details in cargo areas etc with cables, air con units etc. I've seen guys run missions in a Cat, I tried to shoot one down once, was impossible, too much shield strength , which is a good thing. Haulers should be harder to knock out

[@Farrister]

I'm really excited to see more in the Hull series - such an interesting role

[@andyandreson3989]

I’ve never had a Cat in game. Always went for the Hercs for big haulers. Though I’ve been seeing far more Cats being used this patch than I have for a long time. There is something special about them as it really has a freighter ship feel to it.

[@Farrister]

It really does! I think Hull series might have that same feeling

[@gyratingwolpertiger6851]

They do have the edge when it comes to defending themselves due to their turret placement

[@Clint_Moto34]

Great Review!

[@Farrister]

And thank you :)

[@karradvall9779]

Just got the Cat during Invictus and couldn't be happier. Such a pleasure to fly and I love the look of it. Just an FYI to anyone new looking to purchase it, you can use new cash and upgrade to it by CCU'ing through Warbonds. I started with a Drake Mule (LTI insurance) and upgraded through multiple ships. It lowered the cost of the Cat to $220, which is decent savings. Just wanted to put that out there for anyone new watching this great video. Save money if you can!

[@rsanchez6832]

Im honestly think of melting my C2 to get a Cat. I just love the Industrial aesthetics that Drakes have.

[@theonefrancis696]

My daily beast. So much love for her.

[@chrisalexander2478]

You mentioned that the cockpit might be used as an escape pod. Actually it is a detachable ship. It has engines and landing gear. It just isnt functional yet. Also there has been talk of modules that will fit the cargo bays to tailor the ships functionality at some point down the line.

[@Farrister]

Would be cool to see both of those!

[@Teejay82_]

Drake caterpillar - heavy freight Banu merchantman - Hold my beer

[@Farrister]

haha, I was so surprised when it said that on the website!

[@DaysAnNights]

you sold me on the c2 lol. i was going to get a caterpillar. Thank you =D

[@Farrister]

haha

[@lifes2short4bs73]

One huge detail that you forgot to mention is the the Caterpillar is going to be modular so there will be other options when that comes online. Also the command module will be able to detach from the main body of the ship. When she gets her gold pass... I think the Cat will be a very good ship to have in any fleet.

[@Farrister]

It's not modular at the moment - I always try to focus on what we currently have in game

[@mlx1363]

One of my favorite Star Citizen gameplay is... piloting! The harder the ship, the happier I am. So I like the Caterpillar because it's a bit tricky to maneuver. And it really does look like a sci-fi ship.

[@Farrister]

It can be really fun!

[@lesesquire]

To me, this has the feel of an actual sailing ship. I say this in that, it would be helpful to have someone in the tractor room, reporting what they see on the blind right side to the pilot, perhaps when navigating through an asteroid filed. Having someone in the top turret would also be good for this. I know you can use the 3rd person camera, but I prefer a true multi crew experience. Personally, I think this has one of the coolest cockpits out of all the ships. I feel like I could really spend a lot of time away from a station on this ship, a lot of places to hang out. I also can't wait for the deployable command module to be functional. This can open up some nice game play as well.

[@Farrister]

Agreed!

[@joshuagusst6366]

I’m holding out for modularity in the cargo base to really customize the ship to what you need to be

[@Farrister]

Would be great, if it was in-game!

[@herbaceousboredom9584]

I love my Cat and always enjoy a Cat ship tour. Looking forward to Drake day tomorrow, it'll be a Corsair fiesta, we'll be tripping over the bloody things with every step :D

[@Farrister]

haha I'm sure!

[@Skittleshunter64]

I cant wait for the modularity and being able to decouple the command ship

[@Farrister]

Such a cool possibility

[@AllergicFungus]

8:33 How are you looking around like this without the line from the mouse cursor? Are you using a joystick while in a turret or a mouse?

[@Farrister]

Press the VJoy button (I think default is Q) - I'm using the mouse still (I find it easier for turret)

[@AllergicFungus]

@@Farrister thank you! I've always wondered this

[@Deamonomnibusintenebris]

I started SC loving the Caterpillar. But over time drifted to other ships. I think this was due to the interior look. Now after reviewing the sensors and radar on the Caterpillar, I have come back home to having it in my fleet again. Once the modularity comes into game, I feel the Caterpillar will again jump to the top of many lists. I have seen many of your videos and loved each of them. Maybe one concept you might want to look into is combinations of ships in a fleet for various game plays. Just a thought. For example, I would use a Nomad with a ROC for simple mining, as it's cheaper to run a Nomad than the Caterpillar. But I would keep the Cat for, say, refining those minerals. So right there is already a Nomad and Caterpillar in my fleet for mining alone. Again, once the modules come in, the Cat becomes more valuable as a "must have" for any fleet.

[@DomBogey94]

Wonder if they will ever have one of the ramps connect to the ground, it's odd they all open horoztonally but dont angle to ground so you can load stuff!

[@Farrister]

I'm gonna say no, because Drake want to sell more Dragonfly :P

[@JamestheKilljoy]

How did it take you this long to review this ship? Great job on the video, as always

[@Farrister]

Haha I actually reviewed her back in October 2020, this is more of a refresh/update and 4K :D

[@JamestheKilljoy]

@@Farrister ah gotcha. Squeezing every drop of juice out of it. Looking forward to that 600i 4k rework video? The concept art looked fantastic

[@ph11p3540]

The real future for the Caterpillar will really shine as a specialized service ship with all the various alternate ship modules planned for it. From oversized long stock cargo modules, factory modules, accommodation modules, and even hospital modules. If such modules do become available I intend to convert my Caterpillar into a flying machine shop/parts refurbishing factory ship that can be a Johnny on the spot specialty service ship to work between a Reclaimer salvager and Crucible repair ship or an Orion miner/refinery ship and Pioneer construction ship.

[@Farrister]

I'll be interested to see when and what we get for modularity - and then will happily revisit her again!

[@chadowen4379]

Only issue I ran into is doing smuggling cargo, if thr crates are extra long, you really have to squeeze them in and under the stairs. They won't clip to the floor either so you won't be able to stack on top without crates bouncing around. Wish it had one section dedicated towards large crates by removing one wall section, and it would be perfect! I do love having an all doors open button hot key and then pulling up to the salvage ship and makes loading super fast.

[@IndominusSSD]

Might need to update this and the c2 with the change to cargo, since this ship has tractor capability already built in, which might change out quite a bit.

[@Farrister]

Need to revisit lots of them! But it takes a while to do

[@nilsgerdes6747]

purley for trading reasons the C2 wins out. I had the Cat and it was no hard decision to swap for the C2. BUT the Caterpillar does feel mor like home where as the C2 is just a Van. The caterpillar has personality. Having the cockpit on the side works very well, but i will never go back. How modular the Caterpiller will be in the future, well time will tell. The cockpit also looks like an individual ship, with airlock and thrusters... who knows, might get really interesting.

[@Farrister]

I actually quite like the personality of the Hercules series - I have one in my hangar! But I know what you mean, and that's what I love about Star Citizen ships - they will all appeal to different people for different reasons.

[@michaeltrowbridge9276]

Now in 3.19, this is a fantastic carrier for the Furys! Imagine a lonely pirate cat showing up only to unleash 4-6 Furys on an unsuspecting bounty hunter or cargo hauler.

[@Farrister]

No need to imagine, it's already happening in some places!

[@entofol541]

Hello! would it be possible to remove modules from the caterpillar to make it shorter and maybe more maneuverable? Fantastic video!

[@vital-wyn1310]

Interesting idea however the modules are contained within the frame of the ship so that won’t be possible.

[@Farrister]

At this time, no - it's one entity

[@novalis791]

Seems like CIG hasn't done much with this ship since the flight model changes; it used to be more sprightly. I expect it will have some decent updates in the future.

[@Farrister]

Possibly!

[@Blackburn6969]

Considering the modules in the future are planned to have different uses, including the likes of a mobile workshop. The Cat's major role wont be viable yet. For now however, its a standard cargo hauler.

[@Farrister]

Will be interesting to see what we get in the future

[@Blackburn6969]

@Farrister agreed, great content also btw, as other have said, yourself and Space Tomato are definitely the premier quality creators of Star Citizen

[@MnemonicHack]

The Cat is pretty much everything I want in a ship. Only other ship that interest me, beyond just utility, is the Reclaimer. That's a beautiful ship, and has a similar industrial aesthetic that I adore.

[@redactedredacted3721]

if you can open the cargo bay doors one at a time from the outside , it might be a good companion ship to a vulture . (because not everybody wants to deal with the Reclaimer bugs ) (3.18)

[@guillaume6525]

I love the Caterpillar. It's a very old ship now and CIG really really need to to put it on top of its list for a rework. This ship is not supposed to be a cargo ship in the first place... it is supposed to be modular and was so delivered standard with cargo bays a bit like the Carrack cargo bays as standard. CIG actually implemented like one third of its teased features. It has been many years without any update now so with cargo refactor and ship tractor beam I hope CIG takes the time to finally rework on Caterpillar and finish this ship. I mean... cmon even the doors do not work as intended !

[@Simplechioces]

IMO.. Most fun ship in the game. Even solo. If you are considering buying this for your hanger. Wait, to get access to the Pirate version. You can get a bundle with a Gladius, for only $45 more than the cost of a regular Caterpillar. And they both look pretty badass too. Cheers 🍻

[@Farrister]

Unless you're buying for in-game aUEC :)

[@reavern]

I’ve been a proud Drake Caterpillar owner since the ship was revealed by RSI. I remember the early days of cargo hauling, trying to land my loaded Cat at Levsky and the ship’s size and poor visibility causing me to collide with the hangar’s roof door and clipping into the geometry, glitching out and flipping upside-down, and either exploding or getting stuck upside-down on the ground, causing me to lose all the creds I spent on the cargo. “Good times.” 🙄 Regardless of the headaches of trying to haul cargo in the early PU, I’ve always liked the Caterpillar. The Cat truly established the Drake ship style and is far superior to the Cutlass. I’d still be hauling in the Cat if the Hercules hadn’t surpassed it in max cargo capacity. I’m keeping it because I’m HOPING that someday CIG will finally deliver the Drake Caterpillar’s promised ship modularity, allowing Cat Owners to mod the ship into we want it to be!

[@Farrister]

"Good times" haha - and I'm glad you love it, there's a lot to be said for personal preferences in this game!

[@gixxer_killa]

Cat looks amazing compared to the boring plain looking C2. So for me even if it doesn’t haul as much or handle as good I’m keeping my Cat. Thanx for another great vid too sir! 🙏

[@Farrister]

I love that about Star Citizen - how different people can have different preferences :) glad you enjoyed!

[@Captain_Tumbleweed]

What if, in the future, you could have more than 5 cargo-units... So you can make a space-cargotrain. That would be awesome 😀

[@Farrister]

Choo Choo!

[@wschnabel1987]

IF they ever add exosuits say something like the goliath from starcraft, that could also be an interesting idea for this ship, as a drops ship...

[@Farrister]

Drop ship Caterpillar :D

[@gabzsy4924]

Honestly...I like this ship much better than the Corsair. A shame too because in concept the Corsair would definitely be my ideal ship but too many things that I don't agree with in the design and engineering department.

[@Farrister]

Still, I'm looking forward to seeing the Corsair

[@Navoii.]

Backroom level idea: Just the cargo modules. All the way. One of the doors will open and let you out. The others won't.

[@Farrister]

xD

[@tuckerodonnell9269]

Disagree on the grounds of the C2 having equal firepower the cat has better firepower and can acttually get its turret on target where the C2 you either have to be below or behind ir

[@wafflesinsanity]

In comparison, the pilot guns are FAR superior to the Cat. Even if the C2 only has two Size 4's, the Capacitor of that ship is 45,000 compared to the Cats 15,000, Even if the Cat were to have two size 3s and no other guns it would only have 200 shots with each, the C2 has 180 per size 4 gun! It is quite the egregious difference in staying power.

[@Farrister]

I find the turrets a bit better on the Cat, and the pilot weapons a bit more useable in the C2. So I kinda see firepower as similar

[@sarbe6625]

I bet the drake could be made even more terrifying in combat by loading all the bays up with tanks, opening the hatches, and having crew fire the guns from the vehicles like broadside weapons.

[@Farrister]

That's such a Drake suggestion too xD

[@Shot5hells]

an entire server's worth of players lined up in all the doors with railguns / missile launchers

[@JCPaX]

the cat will shine once they do the modules.. There are a bunch of modules planned.. each bay will have a module. As well as the command pod is ment to be a tractor switching trailers as needed. This is how the cat was originally sold to us.

[@Farrister]

I'll be excited to see that in game!

[@adawg3032]

I like the construction vehicle look of the cat, and for a salvage operation with multiple vultures, the cat just fits in perfectly. Using a C2 with a salvage crew would just feel like a crime!

[@Farrister]

*cries in Hercules*

[@lennyemerson2520]

What I and maybe others want to know is When if will the modulation suppose to happen?

[@Farrister]

I'd also love to know lol

[@Kyle-sr6jm]

Soon

[@jordankeesy]

Is there a reason you cannot purchase this now on the website? Im new to this game, thank you!

[@Farrister]

Sometimes ships are only up for sale at limited windows, usually in November and May they open the window to sell more ships

[@Gurren621]

No one ever expects the battletpillar, especially if u can get a nova or two atop of it

[@Farrister]

Nobody expects it!

[@gyratingwolpertiger6851]

We actually took her out doing high level combat beacons with some escorts to practice defending the ship and she held up just fine

[@404-Err0r]

2 size 3 shields?? Was this upgraded recently? I thought it had only 1x s3

[@BerraLJ]

I like the caterpillar a lot more than the C2 for instance, it feels more unique but sure the C2 has more cargo space.

[@Farrister]

There's a lot to be said for personal preference too, though!

[@matthewmulliken165]

Wait why is Farrister replying to everyone, Does he always do that?

[@Farrister]

I try to!

[@matthewmulliken165]

@@Farrister WWWW

[@lunamaria1048]

I love my Cat! I'll keep it forever! Modular, or not!

[@Zan666]

Still one of my favorite ships of the game, although it is outclassed by other ships in almost any aspect. But the look and feel of her, both on the outside and inside more than make up for that in my mind. @farrister You forgot to mention it's biggest future asset though. Modularity! Those cargo modules will become swappable for other types at some point in the game. And the command module, the bridge and underlying living compartment will be able to detach from the rest of the ship and operate as an independent craft as well. This will make it a pretty unique and versatile flying bug in the future.

[@Farrister]

Maybe modularity - I'll believe it when I see it!

[@Zan666]

@@Farrister one can dream ✨️

[@Darkusto]

While I love this ships design in pretty much all ways. The one big off put is the lack of ground vehicle loading, which is quite saddening as it'd be awesome to load up a couple of ROCS and use it as a ground mining rig.

[@swifter7]

Am I the only one who thought that the cockpit section looks like a drake herald?

[@Farrister]

You are not - it's very similar. In fact, some of the early stuff talked about the cockpit being able to detach and operate as an escape pod! (obviously that's not in game right now)

[@swifter7]

oh. ok that makes sence. love your content by the way

[@charlieeisenmayer2915]

As a caterpillar owner (bought ingame) and a drake fan, the reason I have a cat instead of a C2 is just because of the cool factor. Sure, the C2 is objectively better, but it just doesn’t feel like a home to me, which the cat does. That’s might just be me though

[@Farrister]

That's a good enough reason!

[@billyhyde1415]

Here's why I don't like the Caterpillar: it's particularly feature-incomplete, not just with the lack of any modularity but also with the fact that there's only a single entry point usable when landed, and the interior, while it has a certain degree of personality, is only slightly less noxious to travel through than the Starfarer's. It's hard to not see the currently unfulfilled potential of the Caterpillar, and its status as the second-earliest large ship designed is achingly clear (for instance, "plenty of beds"? sure, there are four, but this is a ship with NINE potential crew stations to occupy). Here's why I like the Caterpillar: As you commented, the visibility in the Caterpillar is quite good, despite the odd asymmetrical position of the cockpit - and the unique landing gear of the Cat, PLUS that good visibility, means it's a LOT easier to land than the Hercules. It's slow at the top end, but accelerates well, and while the C2 is faster, that only really makes a difference until you hit quantum. Considering that it takes about the same time to get in and out of a Herc as a Cat, that speed is only an advantage in the slim time when you're neither landed nor in quantum, which isn't much for most cargo haulers. The Cat's weapons are better, especially for defense, and while it's far from feature-complete, many of the features it lacks (particularly those tractor beams) are shared with other ships that need them. That means the Cat is guaranteed to get better with the passage of time. As an owner and user of both of these ships in the past, I can say that the only REAL advantages the Hercules has are its vehicle-carrying potential, which it was specifically designed for, and the appeal and sense that the layout of its crew areas makes -- which is largely aesthetic, and therefore subjective.

[@Farrister]

Thanks Billy - loved your balanced response!

[@sungaze7424]

can one buy it in Game or is it a real money ship?

[@Farrister]

Can buy in game!

[@sungaze7424]

@@Farrister yea i found it but definitely pricy xd

[@DeepRunner1-y1l]

The Hercules is very nice I have been in it but ist also big and takes time to run around in all three decks,fo missions and space transfer like salvage with vultures the caterpillar wins hands down, you can take all the dragon flys you want out there with you and still get a tons of cargo boxes, its more with less and I love its utilitarian feel basic necessities only ,a working ship and its view from the tractor beam area opposite the command area is the best in the game, better than luxury yachts. I would pay the 300 would be nice to get it cheaper, I think it should be closer to 250 to 260 range with life time insurance, maybe some free paint skin ,it would top off my line of haulers. I love Drake ships, need better marked doors ,air tight and decompression should be clearly marked in green normal door,yellow air tight, orange bulk head compression and red exterior exit or entrance decompression hazard safety.If you want to know rankings for cargo tiny the Drake Cutter 4 SCU but massive range quantum drive,Titan light fighter and 8 SCU but upgrade to quantum drive is a must,Freelancer DUR 36 SCU exploration and its cheep all in one with decent shields and weapons, Freelance Max 120 SCU and well armed and shields, Drake Caterpillar 576 SCU what a monster hauler and looks cool to very star wars looking. great job on the channel, very well done reviews.thank you and have a great week everyone.

[@Farrister]

Thanks for your note, glad you are enjoying :)

[@alphatonic1481]

With that nice server room there should be enough computing performance overhead to drive two AI controlled turrets IMHO.

[@Farrister]

Maybe - time will tell on that front.

[@Crazy-Chicken-Media]

so I want one so badly, but I cant seem to buy it with real money.

[@Farrister]

Goes up for sale from time to time

[@Crazy-Chicken-Media]

@@Farrister ty

[@Darusamon]

Yeah the Hercules C2 is the better freighter on paper, but I find it incredibly boring, having nowhere near the personality or charm of the Caterpillar. Oh and great review, by the way.

[@Farrister]

I actually really like the style of the Crusader ships, personally! But that's what I love about this game, everybody has their own preferences and are drawn to different things - glorious variety! And thank you :)

[@tacticalmanatee]

screw that central crew area, I'm setting up a hammock in the tractor beam wing pod!

[@Farrister]

xD

[@hanswurst9866]

You cannot even close the door of that toilet which is right inside the crew quarters. You can stare your mates in the eye while taking a dump next to them eating dinner. What is CIG thinking with all those open or totally transparent toilet doors? Does somebody have a fetish there?

[@Farrister]

hahaha just Drake style xD

[@Kyle-sr6jm]

This is a feature

[@edenyan7237]

Easy to handle and especially easy to land, but hard to get in and out of the pilot seat to ground shops. If 3.18 becomes the pirate's age, maybe its stronge shield and fast QD engine will be a great selling point, or maybe space truckers will no longer a playable game style anymore and much lesser people concider buying cargo ships. We will see.

[@Farrister]

We shall see.....

[@gyratingwolpertiger6851]

I mean dual size 4 turrets will help with pirates. In any case my org rolls with the armaguard cat. Both guns manned with one or two escorts. While numbers of haulers may dip or shift to less pirate commodities that'll mean less competition for the riskier goods.

[@edenyan7237]

@@gyratingwolpertiger6851 good point, if all turrets are mounted, no even if just the top deck turret is mounted, it becomes a serious gunship,good point.

[@jm2437]

Battlestar Red Dwarf.

[@Farrister]

For smeg's sake

[@daveincv]

I have one i like it better then the C2 it looks like a spaceship should the C2 looks more like a atmospheric plane. also the Geometry does not work for the C2 it's to nose heavy it real life it would be on it ass

[@wafflesinsanity]

My statement exactly, something about the C2 just looks off, on top of that, its practically just a normal plane. The Cat is a right and proper star ship

[@Farrister]

I actually quite like the looks of the Hercules series, but I agree entirely with your point - there's a lot to be said for personal preferences in this game, and that makes for a much more interesting, diverse, and varied universe!

[@timothy.n2668]

Why review the caterpillar and not the drake cosi....

[@Farrister]

Don't have access to that yet!

[@timothy.n2668]

@@Farrister alright I'll be waiting ✋ 😌

[@Clint_Moto34]

Its a shame you cant put vehicles in the Caterpillar.

[@Farrister]

I'm sure some players could figure out some sort of ramp in the future xD

[@Randald]

Please use medpen before next video lol

[@Farrister]

haha

[@robinrichards6275]

A real engineer would never put the toilet/loo/bathroom right next to the food/eating area.

[@Farrister]

haha, yes, it is somewhat unfortunate

[@Kyle-sr6jm]

A normal person would not. That is exactly where an engineer would place it, as it is highly efficient, minimizing water/greywater/sewage line distances.

[@yurei3714]

The C2 looks kind of better in comparison

[@Farrister]

Personally, I also think so - but not everybody agrees, and that's a good thing!

[@yurei3714]

@@Farrister the c2 is so easy to fly for a big ship