Externer Inhalt robertsspaceindustries.comInhalte von externen Seiten werden ohne Ihre Zustimmung nicht automatisch geladen und angezeigt.Perseus
A fabled and formidable gunship equipped with astounding weaponry, the Perseus casts its heroic shadow over an ever-tumultuous universe.
We asked the Vehicle and Gameplay teams a few questions about this long-awaited RSI Heavy Gunship. Here are the answers, straight from the devs themselves.
What are the most notable changes made since the original concept design?
The biggest changes we’ve made revolve around the weapons loadout and interior layout. The two main turrets have been upgraded from S7 to S8 guns, while both turrets have gained a pair of S3 hardpoints to help with anti-fighter defense. The ship has also gained six PDTs located around the hull to automatically defend against threats.
Internally, the cargo bay was adjusted by removing the central walkway, allowing the SCU capacity to increase from 50 to 96 SCU. Directly connected to the cargo bay are two new rooms, co-located with the torpedo launcher, capable of storing an additional 20 S5 torpedoes. While these need to be manually loaded onto the adjacent launchers, they increase the total S5 torpedo capacity to 40.
In addition, we also swapped the engineering area and captain’s quarters, as engineering required more space than the original concept. Lastly, a third exit/entrance was added behind the bridge for easier crew EVA. This is protected by three separate doors to prevent hostile parties from boarding easily.
When the Perseus was first revealed, its visual design was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback. Did the team take that response into account when considering any exterior updates, and were any changes ultimately made?
We worked very hard to keep the exterior as close as possible to the original concept. The biggest changes were increasing the landing gear’s bulk, the top floor exterior (adding windows and bulking it up), and the addition of two S3 Gatlings to the manned turrets.
The vehicle definition for the Perseus is "Heavy Gunship." Can you tell us why this unique classification was given?
For the release of the Perseus, we changed its classification to Heavy Gunship so that it’s clearly placed alongside other comparable ships. The Perseus definitely fits that categorization, bristling with a total of four S8 cannons, eight S3 Gatling guns, two S5 torpedo launchers, and six PDTs.
Externer Inhalt robertsspaceindustries.comInhalte von externen Seiten werden ohne Ihre Zustimmung nicht automatisch geladen und angezeigt.Based on the role and the advantages it brings, how does it distinguish itself from ships like the Hammerhead and Polaris?
The Hammerhead is primarily an anti-fighter ship, with many small-yet-fast turrets. The Perseus, while not being completely defenseless against fighters, is designed to attack larger, slower targets.
The Polaris is a much bigger ship than the Perseus, nearly twice the size in fact. As such, they have different roles. The Polaris has a hangar, more guns, and more missiles (including the devastating S10 torpedoes). The Perseus is faster and more maneuverable, but would have a harder time taking on larger capital ships than the Polaris can..
Does the Perseus have any pilot-controlled weapons, and how are the ship’s combat stations assigned?
The pilot can fire the torpedoes (there is also a dedicated torpedo console in the forward part of the ship) and has slaved control of the top remote turret. Rounding out the bridge, the copilot has control of the top remote turret when in their seat, and the gunner controls the bottom remote turret. The top and bottom large turrets are manned turrets, so they each need a player seated within them by default.
How do the Perseus’ main turrets perform against larger targets compared to other ships, such as the Polaris with its torpedoes or the Idris and its Size 10 cannon?
While built as a sub-capital killer, that doesn’t mean it’s entirely toothless against larger prey. Compared to the Polaris’ torpedoes, the Perseus’ cannons do not have a minimum range requirement, nor can they be intercepted by point defense. The Perseus can fly right down the throat of an enemy capital ship and unload four S8s on it at close range. The Idris’ size 10 cannon is not gimbaled, so the entire ship has to be turned to bear the gun down on an enemy. By contrast, the Perseus’ turrets can point any which way, so they are not dependent on the ship’s position or direction.
The Perseus would obviously be outmatched by a well-crewed Polaris or an Idris in head-to-head battle, but its small size and (relative) maneuverability would allow it to give these ships a run for their money, especially if there were two or three working together.
