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MEC 'Vespa' Hive Ship (10-Slot)

(UPDATE: 9/20/2018) This ship is now updated to work properly with Combat Update Pt. II.

The Muthos Engineering Consortium proudly presents the 'Vespa' Hive Ship*!

Featuring the latest in hexagonal component technology (including the HEX-E modular capital ship drive system), the 'Vespa' is a cutting-edge carrier design. Performance-wise, the 'Vespa' offers solid capabilities across the board, making it an excellent escort, sector defense carrier, or main ship for hunting down Xsotan artifacts.

Here are some of the key features of the Vespa-class Hive Ship:

-10 upgrade slots
-12 forward-mounted hexagonal hangar bays
-Armored internal compartments
-Good production facilities
-Good hyperspace range (16 sectors baseline)
-Internal frameworks (in armored compartments) for your choice of components
-Good survivability (750k shields, 450k hull)
-Copy machine never runs out of paper

Armament:

-8x size 3 dorsal gun mounts
-12x size 1 weapons hardpoints (8 dorsal, 4 ventral)
-1x size 0.5 minor point defense hardpoint (by the hangars)
-4x forward torpedo launchers


Known issues:

-Because of the strange shape of the hangar bays, certain fighter designs have trouble docking with this carrier and may require multiple passes (this has been improved with later iterations, but not completely eliminated)
-Internals are messy - fully functional, but messy
-Mediocre maneuverability
-Unexplained faint buzzing noise in the bridge area

(Detailed statistics available in screenshots)

For fighters to go with the 'Vespa,' MEC recommends our VF line of fighters, which were specially designed to go with this carrier and should have minimal docking issues:

VF-1 'Simillima' Heavy Fighter

VF-2 'Luctuosa' Bomber

VF-3 'Velutina' Interceptor

VF-4 'Vidua' Missile Fighter

VF-1B 'Xanthoptera' Miner


By default, the 'Vespa' comes equipped with a set of custom turrets. If you'd like to use other MEC turrets with it, check out the MEC Signature Collection!

Above the side docking ports is a hexagonal frame containing the logo of the Muthos Engineering Consortium. Customers are encouraged (though not required) to replace this with their own logo or heraldry of choice. Internal components can be upgraded to Avorion later on, but it is recommended to leave the small peripheral components (nose and wing thrusters and exterior-mounted generators/batteries) Xanion for color.

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This ship was a departure from my usual fare of fighter designs. I decided after doing a few wasp-themed fighter designs, I should really have a carrier to go along with them. The hexagonal hangar bays and engines were something unique that I really wanted to do from the start, and I'm happy with how it looks (even if it has some docking quirks). The 'Vespa' was assembled on and off over the course of three days and then detailed for another two - a couple of the screenshots were taken before the final detail pass, but the shots were so good that I decided to keep them. I don't know how well the ship performs in the core, as I haven't tested it there, but it can easily handle anything outside of it.