Concept Art - The MISC Hull A Hull A Blueprint Greetings Citizens,
We thought we’d try something a little different with the Hull series: we’re focusing on a different model each day, collecting all the existing art and fiction and answering some of your questions wherever possible! Tomorrow, we’ll highlight the Hull B, Wednesday the Hull C, Thursday the Hull D and Friday the Hull E. Let us know in the comments below if this is helpful, and we’ll look at similar posts for future concept sales.
About the MISC Hull A “I bought my first [Hull] A used, when I was first starting out… her previous owner had named her SNUGBUG and try as I might to come up with something else, the name stuck. Snugbug and I had some good times. I got my start flying short runs; ground to starside, starside to ground to pick up crates off the bulk freighters over and over to make a name for myself. Spent more on fuel than I ever did flying duration missions! By the time I was worth a journeyman hauler rating, Snugbug was outfitted well enough to fend off the occasional pirate and I started moving whatever I could cross-system to make a ‘cred. Weirdest thing I ever shipped? It was livestock, grown on Terra… these weird cube-shaped chickens. Looked like meaty rectangles. Had to have a special transport module so they could breathe vacuum in-flight. I kid you not. Never saw anything like it, but the Banu ate them up. Literally.”
- Captain Ike Chamner, Free Trader
Want to think big? Start small, with the MISC Hull A. With classic, streamlined lines and a single-nodule transport spindle, the MISC Hull A is the ideal spacecraft for everything from short-haul transport runs to multi-system trade routes. With the most speed and maneuverability of the Hull series, the Hull A is the perfect platform upon which to build your mercantile dreams. Featuring powerful engines, a defensive nose battery, and an industry-standard backbone capable of mounting any mid-sized cargo attachment, the Hull A is a ship that works as hard as you do.
- MISC Cavalcade of Transports! brochure, 2945
Backer Question and Answer Attention Citizens! We’re taking questions and answers on individual MISC Hulls that will appear in this space over the next week. Today’s questions focus on the Hull A; if you’re interested in learning more about the B, C, D or E, please post to this thread.
“Can containers loaded into a ship’s hull be used as external containers on other ships?” – Spacehobo Yes! Containers in Star Citizen’s universe are fully standardized, meaning that the attach points found on the Hull series are also present on everything from the Aurora Clipper to the Bengal carrier!
“Instead of having many small containers in one section, will there be a possibility to attach one large container which fits into the same said section?” – Joevar Yes! While smaller cargo boxes are pictured throughout the promotional images, the Hull series will be able to carry any type of container that ‘fits’ in the space allotted.
“Will the Hulls (or at least the Hull A) be flying in AC before CCUs or whatever they’re turning into in the future goes away forever?” – Valensiakol Yes, the CCU process will apply to the Hull A once it is available in-engine. If you pick up a Hull A today and would prefer to upgrade to a Hull B, C, D or even E you’ll have that option in the future!
“Will all or some of the Hull Series come with a jump drive as standard equipment?” – queetz Jump drives are standard equipment for all Hull series ships, from the A to the E.
“Can the hull ships carry smaller starfighters (packed or configured as cargo) such as the Super Hornet?” – queetz Yes! Spacecraft can be broken down into their component parts for transport, or carried in their completed forms aboard larger Hulls. There is also a ‘midget fighter attachment’ being developed for the Hull E which will allow it to drop and recover escort fighters in exchange for cargo space.
“How large are the manned cabs? Are there multiple rooms/areas such as a bathroom, food prep, and sleeping quarters?” – The Bevrwolf The manned cabs differ significantly depending on the ship, although all of them have some form of the ‘standard luxuries.’ The Hull A is more like a tractor trailer, with a small sleeper area, while the Hull D or E are large enough to have multiple decks.
“Why is the aesthetic for A and B, namely colours, different to the others? It looks like it could be two separate MISC ships.” – Icematt12 From a design standpoint, we wanted the ‘B’ and ‘E’ to feel like upgrades you might earn of the ‘A’ and ‘D’ respectively, with the ‘C’ as a unique central design. Expect to see this design concept expressed more as the ship enters the engine.
“After the unveiling of the hull series I’ve seen some players claim they got a Hull A/B so they can ferry goods from orbit to surface. Will players be allowed to do that or will this be automated (maybe using AI drones or npcs) without any player involvement?” – WalBao Players will be able to perform this type of mission; our thought is that it would be a good ‘first step into the ‘verse’ scenario for new players. It won’t be REQUIRED for players with larger ships, though: there’ll always be automated NPCs available to unload the Hull C, D and E on-orbit.
“I also would appreciate to know whether you are planning to release an in-game APP for Merchants to nicely organize their loadings and unloadings of cargo containers along the various many Ports which they will hit on their business trip.” – Captain B’tak Yes! Zane Bien has begun development of the ‘cargo control’ screens which will allow merchant captains full control over the contents of their cargo. This will be available on all transport ships, although it should be especially useful for the Hull series.
“If you shoot the cargo containers do they spew cargo into space when they rupture? If you target the racks can you detach them from the ship as it’s moving?” – Marcus Murphy We’re aware that the ‘spindle’ looks like the weak point of the Hull series, but do not intend for this to carry over into the game mechanics. The cargo containers will be fully shielded and will themselves have an armor value; those that wish for additional protection can use containers that trade armor for space. (But hey, what kind of pirate risks destroying their loot in the first place?)