GOD KILLER... WHAT KILLS THE ZEUS? MEDIUM SHIP COMPARISON | STAR CITIZEN

Algared and Execute compare medium ships to show you all their role and place in the game.
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[@g8trdone]

"All the shields will be addressed" for each of the ships. The Zeus isn't the only ship that's getting a big ol shield pool.

[@osumunbro]

as much as we need bigger shield pools, i wonder how this will impact ballistics. we know that ammo count will be increased, but will it be enough to combat higher shield health, or will it end up being effectively the same as it is now?

[@valhallasashes4354]

Small Correction to note: The Zeus MR only has x3 S2 shields. Not 4. The only Zeus variant with x4 S2 shields is the ES (explorer) variant. Both the CL and MR have x3 S2 Shields.

[@menzac8892]

I believe ST will have 4x shields as well

[@valhallasashes4354]

@@menzac8892 To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised. Especially since a Touring variant of the Zeus would put it in direct competition with the 400i.

[@Knightstruth]

I WISH they'd make a Bounty Hunting Spirit variant. The ship just LOOKS like something Police should be flying.

[@ichito2316]

This^

[@project.jericho]

How about just letting us equip the ship to suit our needs rather than watch as CIG imposes one fucked up ship after the next.

[@Knightstruth]

@@project.jericho Pretty sure CIG already explained that some ship variants are simply too specialized for them to be modular.

[@project.jericho]

@@Knightstruth Pretty sure that wasn't my point, nor is arguing outliers relevant to the greater consideration; no ship is too specialized to be customized, they're not real, they can be anything you want... It is only CIG's need to micromanage your playstyle that prevents it.

[@Knightstruth]

@@project.jericho Well the company gets to choose where they draw the line in realism. Apparently they decided that certain variant modifications are too extensive as to realistically make them swappable. And it does make sense. After all, ships such as the Cutlass Blue and Cutlass black have entirely different layouts including entrances and features such as docking hatches and airlocks.

[@Capt_Shaun_Solo]

Update: The Q&A that just released says all Zeus variants get a fuel scoop

[@Eztoonz]

The zeus MR will need to have its speed adjusted as it cannot dampen ships than can outrun it. just like the blue and the antares, they are faster than their variants for this reason.

[@JizzyNinja]

Personally, I love ships this size and find myself switching between them a bunch. Really like they have pros and cons to each.

[@rodneytillmon9616]

Weird that when comparing the MR's and Blue's offensive capabilities, the EMP was completely absent from the conversation. It's actually a pretty big deal.

[@conasca]

I could see Crusader making a medical Spirit. Internally smaller than an Apollo, but faster than everything else.

[@franzheger2871]

Some people may buy a ship, because they like the shape / style and not only based on stats. If a ship does not look good for me, i dont fly it, even it would be the best ship in the game ... :) And the cool is, u can own different ships :).

[@inforunners]

Indeed it is why i acquired the Zeus before even looking at what they offered. I like the RSI styling. I was, pleasantly surprised overall once i checked out the stats. -Al

[@franzheger2871]

@@inforunners I only looked a bit on the role they have ... but hey, they look cool and i had no ship with EMP device and quantum dampener (the others werent my design). Picked all three :).

[@devilman6326]

Do you mind sharing your fleet? I also want my fleet to look nice.

[@carter6895]

I'm right there with ya. I only get ships that really speak to me. I have to like the design a lot. It could be a god ship, if I don't like the way it looks I'm not flying it either.

[@th3orist]

same, i only bought ships where i loved the look. and because of this i melted the MSR as soon as saw what it ended up looking ingame. xD

[@itviking1651]

Some summary points from the Q & A... Spirit line is faster than the Zeus MkII. While the ES has more shields, the MR has more armor. Dampener & EMP may be pilot controlled if all goes well. MR does have an armor-and-suit locker room opposite the weapons armory.

[@pugjob4612]

I feel like it's hard to say. Zeus isn't out, no solid numbers out. With things rolling now, I'm betting the cutlass and lancer are going to grow and have a lot of component and loadout updates as they're brought into the modern game. I do enjoy your two speculating as always though. Another thing is they may sort of be creating another sort of class of ship. I've always wanted something a little more capable and larger than the cutty/lancer, but not as big and bulky and clunky as the connie/corsair type ships. The zeus seems to slot into this space and may be the intention.

[@Dorm_]

Please fix my Freelancers! it`s long overdue, please Chris Roberts you need to make my ship great again!

[@birdmonster4586]

I'm really interested to see the Freelancer update right now. It seems weird for it to not have a tractor beam, given MISCs commercial focus.

[@Glathgrundel]

Max should be bigger up front, base should be two crew, MIS and DUR should loose the face boobs and all of them should have a bigger windshield. … tractor beams should be interchangeable with the rear guns … which are remote.

[@birdmonster4586]

@@GlathgrundelIf they ever bring back the main engines VTOL then Maneuverability should go up a little too.

[@Verinia]

I'm mainly a solo player. I feel like a real underrated spec is the speed of a ship. If you are attacked as solo guy in a non-combat ship like a C1 or Zeus CL, you aren't going to win any fights in either ship. But if the C1 can fly away faster than attackers it has a chance to survive, while a CL has no chance of survival unless it can win in a dogfight, which is almost certainly not going to happen against dedicated PvP ships.

[@Zayackanibal]

Almost all interception ships have higher speed.

[@lordsheogorath3377]

@@Zayackanibal Interceptors also have less armament and fuel. Once armor is in the game and the Flight model and weapons are balanced 4x S2, 3x S3, or 2x S3 + 2x S1 aren't going to be the end all be all. Secondly adding in Master Modes means that the interceptor will have to enter NAV mode to keep up and be unable to fire except in the short time the enemy is in range before they either run out of boost or have to enter NAV mode again. TBH the main threat to these mid-size freight ships will be heavier ships with bigger guns or Missiles/torpedoes that can both deal enough damage and have enough fuel to keep up long enough to disable them before they get out of range in NAV mode. Interceptors will be mostly useful against other fighters and lighter bombers.

[@CapnSnackbeard]

With a low profile, an anti fighter turret, a decent roll, and 3 or 4x S2 shields, I don't see why not. It isn't ideal, but I will take it over the alternatives. Sad about the 2x S4's though. Hopefully they will find something to do about S4 guns, because they suck.

[@jde-jj1lu]

@@CapnSnackbeardyeah mr should have a size up

[@gruller65offroad96]

I think even trying to do this vid after they specifically said everything is going to change to another metric as far as components is kinda silly , especially when the Zeus is already in that metric and everything else isn’t , atleast wait for the retaliator to get its update so we can get an accurate expectation That being said I’d love to see a before and after vid along the same lines a year from now :)

[@cyberpunk97]

I'd like to see a big brother to the Pisces, or maybe a smaller Carrack, but something more utilitarian in the middle size range from Anvil

[@pugjob4612]

This is what I've always wanted. An Anvil competitor to the Cutlass. Valk without all the dropship stuff and all that space used for things useful as an all arounder or like you said, baby Carrack type ship around the size of a cutlass with some cargo or the ability of something in this class able to actually load an ursa or something

[@johnboyd9713]

As for what I want to see for medium ships, I'd like to see the Anvil medium ship that beat out the Cutlass for the military contract. I want to see more attempts at military first, multirole second medium ships. Aside from the Vanguard and Cutlass, all of our medium ships were civilian multirole first with combat variants stapled on. I want to see a gunship that is distinctly not a fighter, but either A) an anti-large with a few big guns (think connie) or one REALLY big gun OR B) one covered with turrets as a light fighter screen. I think the Tana could be redesigned to do either. I want to see the Reliant series turned into medium ships. Upsize the shields and HP and back section to up the SCU or living space because they simply don't work as competitors for the Avenger and 325a and can't be reworked to not be a liability at that shield/tank level, especially with engineering coming. Mostly though, I want to see more competition at the Avenger level. I think, with rebalancing, we have a good selection of medium ships at the moment.

[@MysteicVoltronus]

I think it should be the other way around. I think the Zeus should have a medical variant and the Spirit should have a racing variant. I also think racing variants should diverge from core ship more than a paint job and a few component changes. Think of a Spirit R1X that is narrower, faster, higher top speed, larger fuel tanks, extra powerplant and cooler were those extra take up most of the cargo area. It would mirror the differences of actual race cars compared to their civilian counterparts. Everything from the neck up and stay the same and in lore guns, suit locker, etc. is just there for survival if the ship crashes during the race to wait for rescue. The you could have a Medical variant of the Zeus and lean into its nature. The Apollo and Cutlass Medical are about triage and speed. Get the person out and to a hospital while being about to stabilize them like current EMR vans. Then the Zeus MD could be the frontier medical office. Give it the 3 shields, heavy armor, only 1 turret, and a better scanner. Then use some of the cargo space for a medical office with 1 or 2 Tier 1 beds. Crew of 4 (1 pilot, 1 support, and 2 doctors) and set it up as such. 4 beds, but only 2 suit lockers and gun racks.

[@Mike-zx7lq]

The Cutlass Blue beats the MR in all of these cases: 1) You only have 1 or maybe 2 players for each ship, 2) The target requires more speed to chase down and stay on top, or 3) The game remains in its current state of ship balance (it won't), where multi-crewing a ship offers a lame force multiplier that looks like "1 + 1 = 1.5", instead of "1 + 1 = 3" as we hope it will later. In other words, 2 players are more powerful in 2 ships instead of crewing a bigger ship together. The MR offers a lot more for extended bounty hunting journeys and missions, with a bit more variety. Blue is like a police cruiser, operating in a shorter area, chasing targets down and applying lots of fire quickly.

[@Pope_Shizzle]

Would be so nice to see the MR version with bigger weapons and/or better shields designed for more solo Bounty Hunter roleplay. Either the 4x S2's or a single S3. It already has the reduced cargo space, limiting its flexibility.

[@DakkaDakka12]

Zeus bounty hunter is designed for a group of 3. With both turrets it is crazy good firepower for its size.

[@f3nixfire]

It has 2 size 4 fixed guns and 4 size 3 guns on two turrets covering the bottom and top of the ship. It has a ton of firepower, more than any other ship in this class. It currently also has the best shields in its class having 3 size 2s and 4 size 2s for the ES.

[@schlagzahne6741]

I have a feeling the Cutlass Blues advantage would be chase capability. The Blue is FAST, though sucks through fuel right now. Armor is awesome until your target doesn't want to fight and rather, runs. If your ship is too fat and slow to chase, all that armor and such is meaningless, if you can't chase, what kind of bounty hunting can you actually do?

[@mo2gotchas419]

. Read the just released QnA. When you compare Freelancer DUR vs Zues ES, you say ES has no fuel scoop. It indeed does!

[@inforunners]

Thank you for the update. -Al

[@Craggon]

I'm not a huge fan of racing with small ships, but if the medium racers could do races that are similar to the Loop of Kon Garat from Stargate SG-1 episode "Space Race" (S07E08) that would be sweet. Doing a race with multiple stages that test defenses against turrets, plotting a course through an area that screws with the scanners/map, flying through an asteroid field, then flat out speed for the end would be awesome.

[@ZerekMasters]

A missed comparison I think is worth discussing Although its a "large" I think the 400i is more of a direct competitor to the Zeus ES, having the same weapon hardpoints and interior space. Also if you put them next to each other in Starjump Fleetviewer they are very similar.

[@hutitch2647]

Q&A correction with the Dur comparison, all Zeus Variants will have fuel intakes capable of generating hydrogen fuel

[@wheelz79]

An important thing to take into account in this discussion is whether you are usually a solo player or if you have friends. If you are a solo player having more pilot controlled weapons is invaluable. The Zeus series is NOT made to be a solo operator ship whereas the other three ships will likely work much better in this configuration. This is an important configuration as we dont know how good AI turret gunners will be in the future.

[@randlebrowne2048]

This will likely change to some extent once we get to hire NPC crew. At that point, being able to hire NPC gunners *might* put the bigger ships ahead, even for the solo players.

[@beavschannel5217]

People also forget there is a LOT of wasted space in the Cuttys between the pilot seats and the turret/bed area, which all the other ships better utilise the space they have, which is why I don't think the Zeus will grow, it's already physically larger than all the rest internally.

[@randlebrowne2048]

The Cutlass series is, eventually, going to get at least *some* redesign work. If nothing else, they still need component bays for things like life support. Once that happens, I'd assume that they'd likely have the manned turret replaced with a co-pilot controlled remote turret and the space where the gunner's seat was will likely have hygiene facilities installed in it's place. Personally, I'd like the Cutlass Blue to get the same sort of cargo bay and jumpseat configuration as the Cutlass Black, with the prisoner pod carousel being a removable component.

[@tektrixter]

@@randlebrowne2048 Adding hygiene facilities to the cutty would ruin its esthetic :)

[@randlebrowne2048]

@tektrixter The original Cutlass Black literally had a bucket and a hose! the original Cutlass Blue had a toilet in each of it's 6 prisoner cells (enough that people nicknamed it the Cutlass Brown!

[@tektrixter]

@@randlebrowne2048 Exactly! bring back the Cutty buckets!

[@jmabee]

I am kind of hoping the unannounced St variant of the Zeus is a torp boat. Would be nice to see RSI put a ship like that out in that size class.

[@Alucard15423]

Doubt it. The ST stands for "Status" according the one picture we got. And together with the skylight windows in the back of the Zeus in that picture I would confidently guess its a Luxury/VIP transport variant.

[@hallker]

@@Alucard15423 As far as I know, the sale website had a version of it showing as Racing. What does that mean I have no clue... but I would like to see a Data Running variant.

[@RicoZaid_]

Size 5 Torps maybe.

[@mustrumridcully3853]

More likely that it could be a 400i competitor - a semi luxury tourer.

[@shadow7037932]

@@Alucard15423 A budget Phoenix basically then.

[@uddek]

The Zeus not having a base model so it's DOA, is an unfair critique. It could just as easily (and IMO more reasonably) be said it has two base models; one with cargo space, one with crew space. The ES and CL remind me of the Connie base-model (Taurus) and the Aurora base-model (Essential "ES"). The Zeus CL is the Connie Taurus, but instead of trading a snub for extra cargo capacity and a tractor beam it traded away some interior volume and some fuel capacity for more cargo capacity. The Zeus ES is the Aurora ES that has a little more focus on exploration (not expedition like the Aquila), so it dedicated more interior space to crew space and a larger fuel tank. Zeus has two base models, for now. One has more space, the other has more range and crew space. Neither of these are specialized enough to consider giving them a "variant" luxury tax, so CIG didn't.

[@stuarth317]

Looking at the MR vs the CL, i find myself wondering about power load. An additional turret, plus an EMP and a QED must put strain on the power plant. I wouldn't be too surprised if not everything could be fully powered at once, and the second gunner having to choose whether they want to power the EMP or the second turret but can't do both.

[@Freidenker01]

I have to say, I wasn't specifically captivated by the exterior design of the Zeus, nor am I a bespoke fan of the RSI design in general but when I saw the interior concept for the Zeuses layout my interest immediately was risen. It seems much more like a home in space than all the other medium ships to me.

[@jvoodoochild2755]

When it comes to comparing the bounty hunter ships, imho the dampeners are the key factor and for that speed>tank. How much does the Zeus’s EMP makes up for the letting more bounties escape? That’s the fun of SC, having compelling options to choose from

[@simonm7590]

Interesting chat as always gents, thank you. Fascinating conjecture about medium sized racing ships doing endurance runs, I loved that thinking. I also think that these ships will really start to show their characters once atmospheric flight comes in. The C1 is a giant wing as is the Zeus and suspect these will have more benefits in Atmo. Oh and Execute, please let Algerad finish what he’s saying when he’s on a roll or we might lose some of his insights 😂

[@inforunners]

The CL has extra thrusters for in atmo so I think you maybe correct for the Zeus. Exe

[@simonm7590]

@@inforunners ah thank you, I don’t know that but makes sense. I really want the ship manufacturers character to start shining through with their advantages; Drake - cheap, usable and can be repaired anywhere; RSI high quality with market leading thrusters power and agility etc etc so every ship can offer similar service such as cargo but with ship attributes you can choose that you prefer

[@jodomo-eq8oy]

Its a tricky subject to look at when the Zeus has the latest shield balance compared to the old shield systems on the others i do not think we will really have an understanding until armor and gold standard on shielding is in the game I have the Zeus MR on a CCU as a possible replacement for my cutlass Blue I think the ships will get a serious price hike when they are launched so will wait and see also the Misc range will eventually have to be reworked as they are pretty dated now compared to new opposition... Their are 4 Cutlass, Freelancer and potentially Zeus Variants so do you think we will get a fourth Crusader Variant and what do you think it will be?

[@njasicko]

Good stuff guys, thank you. I my personal account I upgraded a Blue to an MR and on my daughters account I got a CCU from a C1 to an ES. She can fly the C1 in a few more weeks when it goes to the PU and see how she likes it well in advance of the ES getting next year.

[@CapnSnackbeard]

I think CIG said the explorer variant is the "base" variant.

[@Socktupus]

The thing I still don’t understand about the freelancer max is the area past the main cargo bay and right before the beds. I think this area is supposed to be the shielded cargo area (which I believe doesn’t protect from scans yet) how is one supposed to even load this area? The doors are too small to load a box through I think, do we have to try and yeet the boxes through the docking port above? Man the freelancer needs love…

[@inforunners]

It is suppossed to be a more secure cargo storage, my understanding is it will provide similar shielding to what the Taurus offers, and possibly the Phoenix or Kraken Privateer's secure stall. The current dorsal docking port is located, which I understand will eventually be removed due to the issues it raises for NPC traversal. CIG did indicate a long-long time ago that docking ports were configured to ensure boxes would be able to fit. How much of that remains or has been superceded Is yet to be clearly seen. You could also tranfer boxes from the main hold to the more secure hold. I suppose if it takes more time to get cargo into the secure hold, it would also take more time to remove it from the secure hold. This may make it harder fro Pirates to steal the valuables stored there in a timely fashion. That said, as you rightly stated the Freelancers really do need a lotta lovin to bring them up to speed. -Al

[@ericwollaston5654]

What about the future of flight? The Spirit series should be superior in atmospheric flight, and Crusader equips most ships with some aerodynamic ability along with VTOL - a unique combo not common with any other manufacturer.

[@mo2gotchas419]

I think Zeus ST is a stealth/combat variant. The sleekness of ST = Stealth to me, though I can see racer thoughts. Sure there is lore for a racer, but also stealth...

[@DomBogey94]

Sadly the ST is not for stealth. It is for "status". They had a video talking about it before and you can see the name in the background. It seems like it will be a luxury transporter:/ Not stealth like I originally thought myself

[@robopenguin5501]

It does have an extra turret though and the paint job screams stealth not luxury... so maybe combat focused?@@DomBogey94

[@DismayingHades6]

good video to do, haven't thought so much about getting a good medium ships till the Crusader a1 came out and the Zeuz was announced, its been pretty hard cause there's so much competition. (edit) a note to add is even tho i have a capital ship and other large ships i still feel the need for one of these ships cause at the very least i need a reasonable ship to get from point A to point B without needing to wait to earn one, or asking for rides lol, but this can always change

[@revilixjohnsen9496]

Heads up. I like this differienten a lot. That's why I last commented: C1 to Zeus is like the Caterpillar vs the C2 in flight performance. It's exceturated... But like it will probably be more like the Constellation

[@beaglebbcbox]

personal / racing and data running are very close together, cool comparison :)

[@MrBam-gq2su]

We need more medium and medium to large carho ships

[@paratrooperz1]

any ship thats faster and more agile like the cutlass will likely be able maintain optimal position out of zeus front arc and maintain biggest cross section and if the cutlas gets hurt it can run from the fight

[@jde-jj1lu]

The blue I see as more a bounty Hunter covering a system whereas the mr multiple long range after high target bounty Hunter. The blue also double as a prisoner transport with the amount of pods.

[@f3nixfire]

I love the look of the Zeus. Im absolutely going to have a Zeus MR for bounty hunting. Im hoping its the most maneuverable of the medium class ships. Given its shape it should also handle well in atmo.

[@gyratingwolpertiger6851]

Going by the Q and A she'll be armour tank being slower and less agile than the C1 as an example.

[@f3nixfire]

@@gyratingwolpertiger6851 They released the Q&A? I'm gonna have to go check it out

[@DomBogey94]

I wish it was faster. Looks like its build for pure speed but they said it will he slower than the spirit.

[@gyratingwolpertiger6851]

And handle worse@@DomBogey94

[@asum7786]

yea, it's a bit strange that the sleekest of the ships will apparently be the slowest and clunkiest to fly. The Zeus' profile screams speed and agility to me.

[@bmc8246]

Why does everyone forget to mention the search and rescue radar on the cutlass red?

[@Darktiger01]

Cutlass Steel so hated it didint even get mentioned xD. Had to look up all the ships being called medium since it's the topic and if we exclude fighters we also have the reliant series, RAFT, Expanse, Vulcan and Hull-B which for those familiar with the ships will quicly realise there are quite a specialised ones in this category doing their focus things better or atleast for now being the exclusive ships for their profession.

[@inforunners]

We said we werent looking at the Industry ships in this size and were looking at the ships that fit more general roles rather than those that consisted of only 1 ship with a specialist focus. This was a comparison of the medium ships which have variants. I thought we evened mentioned the more specialist ships we werent discussing. As for the Steal, it is a Steal at it's price point. In game it cost less than the Cutlass Black but for Cash or Credits i could own several Cutlass Black for less versatility and a coffin suitable for almost half of the current server cap. If we are talking value there is no way anyone in their right mind could consider the Steal a worthwhile cash or store credit purchase. -Al

[@Darktiger01]

@@inforunners Oh yeah totally agree on the point with the Steel. Can't say i see the point in it at all with the cutty black already having 6 drop seats.

[@Texas240]

Do you guys listen to what CIG says about the ship? According to CIG, only the cargo variant of the Zues has extra armor. The 3 Zues ships are all very different from each other. As you mentioned, there's no "base" model. ES gets more shielding and the scanning suite and middle of the line cargo (possibly more fuel). MR has the bounty hunting kit (EMP, snare, armory, bounty cubbies) and extra turret but less cargo, less living space, and middle of the line fuel. The CL has increased cargo, increased armor, extra thrusters, but less living space, and middle of the line fuel. Edit, apparently the MR does get extra armor, per the QnA. Previously, it had only been stated that the CL had it. Now, that makes me wonder if the CL still does or the devs previously misspoke.

[@Ri4Fu]

i think one of the freelancer things will also be that its alot cheaper to own and to run than a zeuss or c1

[@Casey093]

The next super-ship, when the Zeus gets its post-sale nerf. :D

[@SushDaddy]

C1 also isnt a “base variant” by your definition its just the cheapest. C1 is the cargo variant, just like the Zeus CL is the cargo variant in that line, so all the comparisons are as valid as any.

[@thegamingtribunal]

exactly.....both are cargo versions... the only thing going for the C1 over the Zeus CL is possible maneuverability

[@caballarius503]

@@thegamingtribunal the price gap is also huge, it's maybe just a premium version as c1 is 110 dollars and that zeus will certainly be in the 190 dollars range at it's release

[@thegamingtribunal]

@@caballarius503 possibly...

[@SushDaddy]

@@thegamingtribunal hopefully they fix the C1. As it stands, its slower than a cutlass and maneuvers like a wet paper bag in the wind

[@danhoffman9242]

This is what I have to keep telling people, each ship will have its place and usable. Nothing is getting "killed"

[@Lambonights]

Well, according to the Zeus Q&A, the C1 is getting a much-needed buff to its cargo capacity. Up from 48 to 64 SCU. Hopefully it gets some components upgrades too. Then it makes the choice that bit more difficult.

[@SamatWar]

Lol Algared's news impersonation was spot on 😂

[@987BlackCat]

If the Nomad is the premium starter, what if the Zeus is just the premium midsize ship?

[@15enric15]

As a pirate and a bounty Hunter, I can say that your assessment on the Blue vs Mk Mk is incorrect. For this task, speed is critical to be able to close in the gap an put the enemy in the area of the QED Device Effect. I can see the MK MK being ineffective in the role because it will not be able to QED the Enemy, and it will be able to scape.

[@vicsid9606]

Pretty sure the Cutlass is the only one that will fit on a Liberator because of the width and the rear engine height.

[@MaticTheProto]

Technically the extra thrust of the c1 could also come in handy for landing on higher gravity planets in the future

[@wrextheblind3787]

This video is so interesting… I have always wondered how the constellation series isn’t apart of this group like andromeda the guns, Taurus for cargo,

[@inforunners]

Because the Connie is actually a large ship. -Al

[@MK84]

Due of the large wings, the Spirit will probably have better maneuverability in atmo compared to the others once we get atmospheric flight model ingame.

[@BillyReed68]

The Spirit inside the atmosphere it's S-L-O-W.

[@olegtryniak7528]

During the Citizencon it was mentioned that Zeus CL gets more armor and additional thrusters to compensate for that. Also as a hauler you don't necessarily need full cargo as most of the time you'll be doing cargo missions or delivering materials to your base. Plus if you're going into a dangerous area or plan a long travel route, you should leave sides clear for maintenance. As for the tractor beam, the one on C1 is located way too close to the door. Larger containers obscure the view so that you can't see what you're doing. On Zeus tractor beam is displayed on a retractable seflie stick. I think Spirit and Cutlass should have that too.

[@The_Opinion_of_Matt]

Pretty sure the Cutlass Black's tractor beam turret will be in the same spot as the rear remote turret on the Cutlass Steel. I think the Blue should also get the Steel's rear remote turret.

[@b.cuvelier7117]

My only question for know is "Where do you think the Aegis Retaliator fit into this line up once it is released into game?"

[@longestyawn]

i think the price of the Zeus currently is at a discount when it comes out it is going to be sold as a mini Connie and prob at the same price or more its advantage is its small profile kinda like the 12oz price compared to the liter

[@Sarsour_]

Always awesome content!

[@N0V-A42]

Ive been looking forward to this!

[@bezdownunder5481]

15 now not at release for blue to Mr II

[@TheSaju90]

Is Mr version have 4 total guns that can be used by pilot...or only 2 by pilot and turrets only by gunners?

[@DomBogey94]

2 gunner, 1 turret copilot and other turret 3rd seat copilot They said on their wbesite that as of right now, all 3 seats can operate EMP and quantum dampener aand they will see how that will go. Apparently many people have an issue with pilot being able to use EMP and quantum Dampener Which doesnt make sense to me That's the literal selling point of this ship lmao

[@jde-jj1lu]

@@DomBogey94Yeah arbitrary nerfs are always a bad idea

[@nuclearsimian3281]

In my view, all the ships that are above fighter class need a bit of an HP buff. Especially corvettes like the Hammerhead, Perseus and Polaris, they all need a significant buff, so does the Connie, and Zeus should be the baseline for the medium classes. Taking the question literally: Any half decent Redeemer and its crew can annihilate one.

[@rallen3122]

Love you guys. Great work as always. See you in the verse!

[@Rgraceful1]

Sometimes you make me wonder if I was wrong to buy 6 Zeus but not often .

[@XDfunnyguy]

Why would you need or want 6?

[@seeker_rodan3113]

I suppose if you have a group of dedicated friends I can see why

[@withershadow3904]

@@XDfunnyguyI have the CL and MR on my list. I think he’s kidding about 6.

[@vanlaar2655]

Only 6? You need a minimum of 9! Back up, back up for each variant obviously! 🤣

[@Rgraceful1]

@@seeker_rodan3113 We have upgraded many of our ships to Large or Caps .Thinking use these for smaller jump points where a Carrack , BMM , or Polaris can't go in a hurry .Besides one of each makes a great ship .

[@grast5150]

The freelancer needs a buff to shields and the rear guns needs to be upped one size. The shield idea only works if it gives the rear turret time to deter a pursuer because the Freelancer is so slow.

[@addgamer4545]

I bought a zeus CL entirely for where the pilot seat is. It sits partially over the glass. Landing the zeus will be easy.

[@benmoi3390]

the Spirit like the MSR and most crusader ship are Tank ship... they have twice the HP of other more fuel and faster often... they are often less gunner... Crusader are like Tanks...

[@Wh1terider]

For me Zeus ES is my choice. With that said, the freelancer series extra person on board is great. I think what people are forgetting. Their is value is a well complimented crew. I wouldn't sleep on it.

[@valhallasashes4354]

For me, the MR is by far the most interesting of the 3 variants. But I am very interested in the ES as well. Mainly because it seems this ship is advertised using the incoming new component rework and it has it's scanner listed in the matrix of lies as a Large size scanner. Which would make it a S3 and if we're led to believe the new component rework is to only have 3 sizes and then move to capital class, that would make the ES's scanner the largest non-capital class scanner you can have in a ship. Although the other odd thing is they describe scanner as a scanning "turret" which would put it in the same vein as the Aquila. Yet the renders and Zeus brochure only show one turret which we know is the gun turret with x2 S3s (from the matrix of lies). Soooo, where's the second turret? Is it going to be manned? A dedicated rotating seat like the Terrapin and MSR? Or is it going to be more like a remote utility accessed from a console in the cockpit. I'm really interested to see what form this supposed "turret" is supposed to take. I also wonder if there's any possibility the ES can be fitted with a tractor beam like the 315p for exploration and moving finds from space into the cargo hold similar to how one image for the clipper illustrates, or if that tractor beam is exclusive to the CL.

[@RavingNut]

Well, I never thought the Spirit was that wide (and over all large for a 2-crew ship). along with the Zues looks smaller than I expected. 11:45 'Zeus meets and exceeds safety in all areas'... but the CL can't do crap for repairs if you have a load. HAHAHA faults marketing. Time to Reword that sales pitch CIG.

[@stevenh9474]

As you guys have mentioned many times over the years of covering ships and speculating, I think it's also important to mention the crew size for these comparisons. Spirit and Cutlass max is 2, and the gameplay capabilities reflect that for those ships. Zeus is max 3, so more capability, but more required vs more risk if you try to under-crew those ships. Freelancers are max 4, which tbh doesn't really make sense and I hope they dial that back or maybe grow the ships to reflect that crew size. Regardless, crew is something few people talk about when they just look at the stats and say things like "Zeus CL makes Spirit C1 pointless." Well, not to someone who wants to solo or just have one buddy along for most of their time playing the game.

[@inforunners]

we have often stated the freelancer Crew/passenger allotment feels off and that the Freelancer is really a 2 crew ship and could loose two seat and two beds allowing for an expansion at a minimum of the living area or allowing more room for components, suit lockers and weapons racks. -Al

[@stevenh9474]

@@inforunners It will be interesting to see what they do with the entire line when they come around to modernizing those ships. Everything is so drastically different from when they were first concepted and released. If done correctly, I think the Freelancers could be some of the most compelling ships at that size/role, but right now they just don't compete with CIG's newer ships and new standards. I'm always glad when you guys mention stuff like this because there are many people who don't know that "Ship A has more X than Ship B, so Ship A is better" really depends on more than just the numbers on paper.

[@gyratingwolpertiger6851]

Also got to keep in mind crew. All three of the Zeus ships are built around 3 crew vs 1 for the C1 and 2 for the Cutlasses/Free lancers.

[@RobinHartJones]

C1 has 2 crew and only the co-pilot can operate the tractor beam. Why do you classify it as being designed for one?

[@Volf1916]

Zeus CL is a direct competitor with the Spirit C1. How is it not? No access to components is not an issue in game and does not look like it will be for quit a while. 4 times the number of shields, carry twice the cargo and smaller in size. Zeus is not losing out.

[@benmoi3390]

you forgot the RAFT... S3 weapons on turret... more cargo... slow but alot of health and shield

[@Splincir]

Yes, the medium line-up needs a big boost. The biggest focus on the ship side of things should be on finishing existing ships first obviously, but when it comes to additional ships I think the medium ship space is sorely lacking. They need that first step up from your starter ship, the ship that will be you main and daily flier to be the most filled out of the line-ups. So single to two to four crew ships of medium size. With the Zeus getting the most up to date component layouts and ship design its hard to judge all the others, even the spirit. But hopefully all the mediums are brought into some semblance of balance with the Zeus when it is released. Additionally CIG can design and implement far more of these medium ships over a shorter amount of time. They could in the next 2 to 3 years line out most the manufacturers with a new medium ship line-up, if all they did was build medium ships. Unfortunately with the rebuilding of the ship teams we will have to wait and see how effective they are at work flow and building the design languages and standards for the ships moving forwards. I would like to see them have individual teams capable of releasing a ship like the Zeus every 6 months or less, and building out 5+ teams able to work on at least as many ships simultaneously across the teams. That way they can continue to work on ships and when larger ships come into the pipeline they can pull talent and co-opt teams together to finish the larger ships faster and more cohesively. Maybe that can be a reality with SQ42 finally coming to a close in the next year or 2.

[@morningTCG]

my ares inferno can scan caves on moons, my mercury star runner that should be able to hack data from KM's away cant read cargo boxes over a few hundreds meters. Make it make sense.

[@marinesusmc]

Where in the Q&A did it say you will not be able to access components when fully laden with cargo?

[@haze.x3342]

Well done guys

[@th3orist]

To me i always go for looks first and everything else second. And sticking to this approach, the Spirit is hands down the ship to go for me from these four. Hence why i got a C1.

[@Alex7ati]

He said exactly what i was thinking, i don't believe the current Zeus dimension are correct, the ship will have the gorw to accommodate all the rooms and components.

[@inforunners]

It is my fear. although CIG have gotten better at working out sizes because they know the sizes of the components and other fixtures now. -Al

[@mattp1337]

Decent job at condensing down a very complex discussion with incomplete information. That the Zeus will grow is probably the most interesting speculation from this. The Montreal team being new makes this quite possible. But any of these make a great choice of advanced starter for an average player. The usual "earn down" suggestion isn't relevant except for the specialist ships (E1, A1, Cutlass Red) because those who already have a big ship have little reason to get a medium generalist.

[@Thekobibryant]

We loveeee RSI❤ ⚠️Doritos inbound⚠️

[@keysersozeh3576]

All the Zeus variants have fuel scopes.

[@BillyReed68]

I know someone has said it before, but isn't there a medium category dedicated to industry and mining yet? ...and why can't we upgrade them after purchase and make them faster? Seems like some cool Engineering roll play action so why not? I mean, they are going for specialization character rolls when you create a character, right? A chosen profession maybe? That way a corp/group will naturally form up around medical professionals, engineers, pilots, mercs, etc..

[@anothergoogleuser]

Tractor beams are a valuable resource. Extra fuel tanks are also a consideration.

[@stoves5877]

I'm sorry.. no comparison for the E1?? Uhh the cutlass Steel is a direct completion for it.

[@jde-jj1lu]

You joking right?

[@triacs6030]

i think it is important to note that you assume three persons that man the Zeus vs two in the cutlass. I think overall the Zeus is more aiming towards multicrew than the Freelancer/Cutlass

[@randlebrowne2048]

I'm hoping that the eventual rework (to add components like life support) of the Cutlass series will replace the manned turret with a co-pilot controlled remote one and add in hygiene facilities and a suit locker. I'd also like to see modularity added, giving the Blue the same cargo area/ jumpseats as the Black; but, making the prisoner pod carousel a removeable option. The cargo bay also looks like a good spot for an armory.

[@christeraspen7766]

Upgraded to the Zeus es , reason, it looks good👍

[@ZuilzonDTD]

Considering it's origins, it's be interesting if the Zeus does have a 'base' variant that happens to be just a personnel ship similar to the E1 but more 'economy class'. It would be a bit unexpected and it's a shame the ship wasn't a medium modular ship because that would've made future modules interesting to see but alas. The difference of 1 size 2 shield and 3 size 1 shields will be a big decider for the utility as the Zeus being a combat ship concerning the MR. I imagine it will be very comparable with some advantages to the 3 size 1s (if only because of the component quantity) but it will likely carry a greater signature. The Zeus may have an armor advantage but it likely won't be very nimble, which none of these are but the Cutlass is listed as a 'Medium Fighter' which likely means once Master Modes is online they'll perform better. It is hard to say of course and on paper it's certainly very close. I feel like the Zeus will be better against medium to large targets, while the Cutlass with fare better against medium or light targets since the Zeus will want to be using it's EMP which will be hard to hit against anything more nimble that itself. It's interesting that the Crusader ship didn't lean into more turrets like the Zeus though. RSI does do well with actually outfitting their ships with defensive turrets, but the MSR similarly has some pretty solid turret coverage. With the reoccurring theme of 'runner' ships from Crusader it would've made a fair bit of sense. The ones that do have offensive turrets aren't even particularly strong turrets either, which I do understand as the E1 and A1 aren't 'intended' for combat but still, the turrets probably should've been one size up.

[@spectralfox4265]

Is your earn down philosophy ever gonna take into count that these bigger ships could be very cumbersome to downright un flyable with solo and small crew teams. Npcs can only do so much with the complexity of systems they want to implement.

[@Minishimirukaze]

Is there a list of what makes each brand unique? e.g. "drakes are up gunned and under armored"

[@johnboyd9713]

I agree with most of what was said here, taste is the deciding factor. Fly what you love. But I think weighing these ships against each other is premature. The Spirit is gonna have to have its flight model buffed because it has got nothing but looks for it at the moment. The Freelancer is getting overhauled for components. I expect a lot of wiggling around of these values even before balancing kicks in. They said ALL the medium ships are getting overhauled to be in line with the Zeus in the Q&A as far as components are concerned, especially in context of the Spirit. The Clipper has increased armor AND upgraded engines. If the Zeus is slow, the MR variant is gonna lose its fleet role to the Cutty Blue or Mantis, and will only be a small gang ship or pirate. Speed is the number one factor for a tackler in SC. The Cutlass is faster and better armed than all of these ships especially for the crew size, but is also the squishiest. However, in current PvP, speed and agility are king over tankyness. The Cutlass has a turret with 2xs3, possibly up to three tractors, and tons of missiles. IDK. I just see the Cutlass as king still on paper, but the Spirit is sexier and the Zeus has SO much inside.

[@johnboyd9713]

I'd be more favorable to the Spirit if it performed more in line with Banu Defender as far as flight is concerned. It is just a HUGE target without the guns, speed, tank, or maneuverability to balance it out. It's like the whole line was balanced around preventing the A1 from being oppressive, and all the other variants suffered as a result.

[@Xaxxus]

Wish they would make some medium alien ships.