Now that the Mule from Drake Interplanetary has been added to the 'verse, we posed a few questions to the vehicle team about the new cargo-hauler vehicle. Here are the answers, straight from the designers themselves.
Is the driver’s cabin sealed so that the vehicle can be used in harsh environments? Does it have a life support unit?
It is fully sealed, so while inside the vehicle you are protected from the environment.
Can you wear a heavy environment suit, like the Pembroke armor, while seated in the driver’s compartment?
The Mule will fall in line with other vehicles and ships, so will either offer restricted access or impaired use based on the type of armor worn when this feature comes online in a future patch.
How well-armored is this vehicle compared to other ground vehicles? Does the SCU loaded in the rear receive an armor bonus against incoming damage?
The Mule is not armored as it is not designed to be used in a combat environment; it is essentially a cargo loading and transport vehicle. The cargo in the rear is not protected beyond being inside the vehicle.
Which ships will it fit in?
The Drake Mule should fit inside any vehicle the Greycat ROC fits in.
How maneuverable and fast is it compared to other ground vehicles? Can it turn on the spot (like a forklift) to more easily pick up boxes from the rear with the front mount or maneuver inside ship hangars?
It is our first “skid steer” vehicle and, as such, can rotate on the spot like a forklift to aid in maneuverability. Compared to other ground vehicles, it is on the slower end of the scale as it’s not built for speed or racing.
How capable is it off-road? Will the cargo have a negative impact on its off-road capability?
The Mule, while capable of going off-road, is not designed with significant ground clearance like dedicated offroad vehicles (Ursa/Cyclone) so cannot traverse extreme terrain. Having cargo onboard will impact handling in the future as the mass will increase but, due to its location within the vehicle, will help keep the center of mass low.
Is the vehicle equipped with a rearview camera, which would make it much easier to approach SCU boxes without having to switch to a third-person camera perspective?
All vehicles and ships in the game have a rearview camera. However, this isn’t bound by default - players can enable it from the options menu.
Is the SCU box fed and dispensed into the back of the vehicle via an automated process, or does it have to be physically pushed in and pulled out?
The mechanism at the rear is automated in terms of moving the cargo in and out of the vehicle, but it must be physically attached first by either tractor beam or driving “over” it.
Some mission boxes and cargo are unstable, explosive, or sensitive to impacts. Can the Mule’s chassis compensate for vibrations to keep cargo steady during rougher trips?
As the mission boxes are physically attached to the vehicle, it does dampen impact somewhat but direct hits to the cargo (from either projectiles or rollover collisions) should still cause concern.
Can the six mission boxes be loaded manually, or is the railing so high that they have to be placed via tractor beam?
Players can reach them from the ground. Currently, they can only be loaded manually by hand. In the future, using a tractor beam will allow them to “snap” into place.
Are the mission box slots classed as cargo grids, thus fixing the boxes in place, or are the boxes at risk of being flung out while driving on rough terrain?
Once attached to the side saddles, boxes are locked in place and will not be thrown out during transit.
Can the front SCU mount be moved up to climb steep ramps without touching down?
The front SCU mount raises a little when attached but does not raise up like a traditional forklift.
Can the front SCU holder lift the crates high enough to stack two, three, or even four SCUs on top of each other? Because on ships, the crates are stacked on top of each other.
No, it will only raise them above floor level and does not support stacking. This must be done by either by crane or tractor beam.
Can the Mule be spawned inside hangars we land in, so we can load and unload cargo faster in landing zones?
Once we get persistent hangars and the updated cargo system working, we’d like to give players various ways to load and unload their landed or docked ships. This could be via things like handheld tractor beams and vehicles like the Mule, SRV, and MPUV.
Does the Mule offer personal inventory space or weapon racks?
Yes, the Mule has both.
Do the forklifts lift from the bottom, clamp from the sides, or are they simply magnetic? Are there any mechanics that prevent cargo from falling off the forklifts?
They clamp from the sides. Cargo is kept in place with magnets.
How adjustable is the throttle when handling delicate loading from the front?
The throttle isn’t adjustable, but the overall acceleration is low enough to allow delicate loading.
Does the Mule have a backup beeper sound so as not to crush other players or a horn to warn them that they might be in the way?
No, not at the moment.
Are the lights capable of illuminating in front of the Mule if it’s carrying a cargo box?
As the box is raised up slightly, the lights go around and under it.
Disclaimer
The answers accurately reflect development’s intentions at the time of writing, but the company and development team reserve the right to adapt, improve, or change feature and ship designs in response to feedback, playtesting, design revisions, or other considerations to improve balance or the quality of the game overall.