The Hull Series’ promise
In short, the MISC Hull series of ships is how cargo gets from place to place. An inter-connected system of ships designed around the same principles and intended to share the same equipment and maintenance processes, MISC has created the Hull A through E to provide countless options for every type of merchant. From the single-person Hull A to the super-massive Hull E bulk freighter, there’s a Hull for every job. Each ship includes a manned cab, a drive unit and a telescoping cargo spindle. When laden, the spindle expands to accept cargo pallets; while unloaded, the spindle retracts for faster, more maneuverable travel.
The Hull A
The smallest, most affordable Hull. The Hull A is great for those just striking out in the galaxy on their own. The Hull A is most similar to the Aurora and Mustang, but lacks the ‘jack of all trades’ nature. Where the others trade cargo capacity for firepower or speed, the Hull A is 100% on-mission transport! Additionally, Hull A (and B) are often used as station-to-orbit ferries.
Hull A- Ship Details The Hull B
The Hull B is a more rugged option most often compared to MISC’s own Freelancer. But where the Freelancer is equipped for long range exploration and other roles, the Hull B is a pure cargo transport. Hull B are often used as corporate support ships, and it is not uncommon to spot several in different liveries during a single flight.
Hull B - Ship Details The Hull C
Often called the most common ship in the galaxy, the Hull C is the most-produced of the range and is considered by many to be the most versatile. Intended to hit the ‘sweet spot’ between the smaller single-person transports and the massive superfreighters that make up the rest of the range, the Hull C offers the expansive modularity of the larger ships while still retaining a modicum of the maneuverability allowed the low end of the range.
Hull C - Ship Details The Hull D
The Hull D kicks off the larger end of the spectrum with a massive ship build around a rugged frame. The Hull D is affordable enough to be operated by mid-sized organizations and companies. Hull D are often used as flagships for mercantile operations, but their bulk means that they should be operated with escort fighters while not in safe space. The UEE military uses modified Hull D as part of their supply chain, arming and refueling the soldiers on the front line.
Hull D - Ship Details The Hull E
The largest specialized freighter available on the market today, the Hull E is generally owned by major corporations and operated with a high degree of planning.
The lack of maneuverability inherent in such a large ship means that anyone planning to operate them should be careful about equipping turrets and providing escort. Their potential load (and modularity) is unparalleled, however: no other ship allows as much room to store goods or to modify towards another role!
WARNING: While the Hull E has a massive cargo capacity on paper, it is also a major target for pirates and raiders. Hull E are typically used in safe sector trade routes and are operated as part of a larger fleet. Additionally, getting ‘geared up’ to operate a Hull E at full capacity will require a significant investment in terms of credits: a single load of cargo typically has more value than the ship itself. In short, Hull E operation is not for the faint of heart! Hull E - Ship Details Modularity: Options Upon Options
The standardized ‘spindle’ found on all five members of the Hull series is capable of securely attaching many types of cargo containers. These range from standard Stor*All “Big Box” containers to specialized freight units equipped for liquids, perishable goods, dispatch parcels, livestock and more. Owing to the ubiquity of the cargo pallet system, many manufacturers have created third party addons capable of taking advantage of the Hull superstructure. These range from additional ship upgrades (shield generators, sensor suites and the like) to ‘stealth’ cargo pods to gimbaled turrets and other weapons which can take the place of some cargo pallets on larger ships (with a corresponding reduction in cargo capacity.) As a result of these “expansion ports,” the Hull series is one of the most modular starships available; many view it as a platform upon which to build as much as the bulk hauler it was designed as.
But How Does It Land?
Every ship in the Hull series is capable of making a planetary landing while contracted. Additionally, the Hull A and B may land while fully laden. The Hull C, D and E typically deposit their cargo at automated orbital yards before landing to dock (though they are equipped for the water landings favored on low gravity worlds.)
PLEASE NOTE: The Hull series measures carrying capacity in Standard Cargo Units, or SCU. The SCU value for previously released ships can be determined by dividing the total capacity by four. The stats page will be updated with proper SCU data shortly. For more information in cargo interaction in Star Citizen, check out today’s design post !
We are offering these pledge ships to help fund Star Citizen’s development. All of these ships will be available for in-game credits in the final universe, and they are not required to start the game. Additionally, all decorative ‘flare’ items will also be available to acquire in the finished game world. The goal is to make additional ships available that give players a different experience rather than a particular advantage when the persistent universe launches.
The Hull series is being offered for the first time as a limited concept sale. This means that the ships design meets our specifications, but it is not yet ready to display in your Hangar or to fight in Arena Commander. The sale includes Lifetime Insurance on the ship hull and a pair of decorative items for your Hangar. A future patch will add a Hull poster and then once the in-game models are finished you will also be given an in-game Hull mini ship model! Each of the five ships will have its own model and poster. In the future, the ship price will increase and the offer will not include Life Time Insurance or these extras.
If you’d like to add one to your fleet, they’re available in the pledge store until Monday May 4th. You can also view a detail of the ship in the Tech Overview of the ship page!
Remember: we are offering this pledge ship to help fund Star Citizen’s development. All of these ships will be available for in-game credits in the final universe, and they are not required to start the game. Additionally, all decorative ‘flare’ items will also be available to acquire in the finished game world. The goal is to make additional ships available that give players a different experience rather than a particular advantage when the persistent universe launches.