Zipping Through the Cosmos: Star Citizen's Speed Demons
Ever dreamt of soaring through the vast expanse of space, leaving other ships in your wake? Star Citizen, with its immersive universe, lets you do just that. But which ships can really zip around faster? Let's dive in to the fastest!
Unveiling the Speed Demons
Source: scfocus.org
Picking the absolute fastest ship isn't always clear cut. Different situations demand different tactics, right? What's super fast in a straight-line race might be clumsy in a dogfight.
Source: starcitizen.tools
Defining "Fastest"
Speed is a subjective thing. Is it raw top speed? Maneuverability? Acceleration? (Think how fast can you accelerate!) What are we talking about? We gotta decide. For example, a super-fast but small fighter might lose a chase to a hulking capital ship due to superior maneuverability, so top speed isn't everything. We'll explore it from various angles, too.
Categories of Speed
Let's divide these space speedsters.
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Hypersonic: Ships that break through the sound barrier (it has a different sound in space)
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Superluminal: Ships breaking the speed of light!
Player Perspective (Important Considerations)
One pilot's perception of the speed of another could change depending on several factors (Like the actual distance and if you have good acceleration.). How it feels, how long it took to reach, all this can impact their feelings about "fast". Consider this when deciding for yourself.
Fastest Fighter Ships
Speed, especially in a dogfight, needs both speed and maneuvering power. (Maneuvering might feel different to a pilot with good control experience versus others)
Top Contenders (with review)
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[Fighter X]: "Handles like a dream!" one pilot says, "great acceleration." High agility and fantastic top speed but vulnerable at certain angles and ranges (meaning at some range/spots your maneuverability/accuracy isn't good).
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[Fighter Y]: Some people compare this one to their real-world racing sports car. Super speedy and really, really agile. Excellent in most types of spaces but can be expensive, like a fast car, and also quite small for fighting other powerful types (big spaceships). Good if you know how to do fast maneuvers.
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[Fighter Z]: Known for its sharp acceleration and nimble handling. "An absolute joy to fly" many players exclaim. Very responsive, even in close quarters fighting. (Not the strongest, you can find weaker parts if someone decides to shoot there, some people find this good, and also can feel clumsy to another person)
Critical Comparison
Comparing fighter ship speeds relies on testing under various scenarios and factors. In terms of maneuvers, what is the optimal and shortest path for any type of maneuver (different spaces have different features so be prepared for that! and keep this in mind)? Some ships might be more suited to longer races, whereas others would be best suited for high-intensity aerial duels, and this really comes down to the ship, skill, and your crew mates too.
Heavy Cruisers and Dreadnoughts (Massive Spaceships)
Massive ships like this bring enormous firepower, but sometimes sacrifice speed for this (a great tank, strong against everything!). Even in terms of their immense size and capability. (Heavyweights).
Giant Space Beasts (Reviews and Experiences)
Source: redd.it
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[Heavy Cruiser Alpha]: The "Leviathan" of the skies! While impressive, its acceleration isn't on par with faster fighters, (It is like a truck versus a sports car.). Think long-range targeting/defense over sudden speed boosts for battles. One pilot comments on the exceptional targeting but slow handling.
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[Dreadnought Beta]: A battleship at the vanguard, its power might match but maneuverability isn't for the nimble of heart, its speed (especially maneuvers) comes as a disadvantage in aerial battles, great to deal great damage. It's hard to use in air space unless its doing close quarter combat to an opponent as this will provide greater speed. Think sustained power, great for destroying other huge objects (buildings etc.). A lot of power at the price of its maneuvers. A pilot might find its slower maneuverability hard.
What Matters in High-Speed Space Travel?
Source: robertsspaceindustries.com
Consider these factors when evaluating ship speed:
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Situational awareness: Are there spaces with many things and is your view obscured? Knowing the space around you gives you tactical advantages
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Power capabilities and power strength: Weapons can get destroyed (or not!). Powerful shields or special abilities might offer strategic advantages
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Maneuverability: You need both to quickly go to where you want, especially to go for targets that appear out of nowhere! Your opponent can be hiding anywhere in your visibility field too!
Space Pilots – Tips and Experiences (How Pilots View Matters!)
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Train hard! Every type of space has dangers, whether it is to avoid lasers, asteroids or obstacles! Practice, practice and train and get a feel for a different types of speeds and acceleration (train in smaller vessels and get to the bigger ones!), every moment is new learning
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Think out the fight! (Predict how long each fight/travel time will be) Understand the spaces (you may see the targets/ships that are near but they'll need their own time). Understanding this may prevent problems when flying from one place to another if its faster or slower. Learn what other people may find easier or faster in combat/in their journey (especially at high speed). This matters for a variety of things.
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Keep practicing: This is really key! With each fight, time you do or don't manage.
Source: star-hangar.com
Conclusion
Star Citizen's diversity makes speed evaluation highly complex. Different ships shine in different areas (not only just in combat!). Each of these choices leads you on different and great adventures as pilots. What do you think of the above?
