GalTech Escort Fighter

GalTech Escort Fighter
Size (W×H×L)	38m×11m×46m
Cargo capacity	2 TC
Cargo bay extension	N/A
Maximum speed	0.355 LM
Manoeuvrability	Roll: 1.8 Pitch: 1.7
Energy banks	4
Energy recharge rate	Medium (3.3)
Gun mounts	Fore and Aft
Missile slots	2
Shield boosters available	Yes
Military shields available	Yes
Hyperspace capable	Yes
OXP or standard	OXP
Available to player	Yes
Base price	148500 Cr

Description

The GalTech Escort Fighter has been developed to provide long range escort and strike capabilities whilst being small enough to be used as a carrier based fighter. The ship’s dogfighting capabilities were therefore paramount to enable it to fulfil this role. As such the designers produced a craft that is both agile and fast but at the same time able to deliver a respectable degree of firepower.

One of the key roles the craft was developed for was to provide an armed escort to solar fuel collection tankers. Therefore a high performance heat protection system has been developed and incorporated in to the design allowing extended periods of exposure to high degrees of heat.

The basic model comes equipped with both forward and aft beam lasers and is able to carry two missiles however due to the ship design allowing for further equipment upgrades cargo carrying capacity is limited to 2T. Demand for this ship has already been high with many commercial shipment companies purchasing vessels to provide armed escort to their freighters. GalCop have also placed orders for a substantial number of higher specification vessels to supplement their fleet of Viper craft.

The GalTech Industries Corporation itself utilizes this ship to defend both their supply and delivery shipments and to protect the shipyard installations in the Ceesxe, Gerete and Edle systems. Also due to the relatively inexpensive retail price and ease of maintenance the ship has quickly become popular with bounty hunters and pirate groups alike.

Standard Equipment

Player ships - Forward and rear beam lasers, fuel scoops, high performance heat shields and 2 missiles.

Escort version - Forward and rear beam lasers, fuel scoops, high performance heat shields and 2 missiles.

Pirate version - Forward and rear beam lasers, fuel scoops, high performance heat shields and 2 missiles.

Hunter version - Forward military and rear beam lasers, fuel scoops, high performance heat shields and 2 missiles.

Police version - Forward and rear military lasers, fuel scoops, high performance heat shields, 2 ECM hardened missiles, fuel injectors, ,military jammer, military scanner filter and shield boosters.

Ship Variants

The ship is available as a player craft and also a NPC escort, pirate, hunter and police vessel. Each role of NPC ship has an individual texture.

The escort version consists of the same standard equipment available to the player but with the chance of a number of equipment upgrades.

The pirate version, like the escort version, may be equipped with as a number of optional upgrades.

The hunter version like the escort and pirate sports a variety of additional equipment features over and above that of the basic player ship. Being bounty hunter craft these ships are more likely to have a variety of upgrades fitted with a limited number known to be equipped with shield enhancers. Hunter versions invariably have the standard forward beam laser replaced with a military laser system.

The police version is an upgraded model produced exclusively for GalCop by The GalTech Industries Corporation. With an upgraded power system police vessels are capable of greater speed (0.360 LM), have an improved recharge rate (3.8), stronger shields and an upgraded laser system. Police craft also have substantially more equipment fitted as standard.

Minimum Requirements

The OXP was designed to work on Oolite 1.76 but should also be compatible with future versions (The shipdata.plist is incompatible with versions prior to v1.75 because of the use of the scan_class key). No additional OXPs are required to be installed in order for this OXP to run.

Installation

Unzip the file, and then move the folder "GalTech_Escort_Fighter_V1.00.oxp" to the AddOns directory of your Oolite installation. Then start the game up and the ships should be added.

History

• 24/11/12 - Version 0.98 – Pre-release test version.
• Version 1.00 - Release date TBC

Credits

V0.98 - Thanks to Tricky for agreeing to look through the pre-release oxp to check for any errors within the code and script.

V1.00 – With thanks to Smivs, cim, Commander McLane and El Viejo for their help and advice regarding different aspects of the scripting and code. Additional thanks go to various members of the Oolite bb for suggestions made regarding NPC messages. Finally thanks to Frontier Developments for the creation of the Elite logo tweaked by myself for use on the texture of the police version of this craft.

Play Testers

Tricky

Download

Download link to be posted after final pre-release checks ahve been carried out.