Player Features and Ideas Discussion

This idea comes from having just used the new EVE Probe tool. While watching one of the scenes in the graphics testing tool, I noticed what appeared to be an Ark (Jump Freighter) firing missiles. I understand that this is just a graphical effect and Jump Freighters don't actually have weapons.... but what if there was a type of freighter that did?

The term 'Merchant Navy' describes a fleet of lightly armed, fast moving commercial vessels. These ships are not designed for combat, but are able to fend off attacks from small ships and take a few hits without going down.

In EVE terms, this would translate into a faction freighter (blueprint available from LP stores) belonging to one of the various NPC hauling corporations e.g. Imperial Shipment.

These freighters would have high slots and Hardpoints/PG/CPU sufficient to fit some weapons

They would not receive any bonuses to their weapons

They would have no mid slots to reflect the fact that they are not intended for combat

Alignment time and warp speed would be superior to regular T1 freighters

Cargo capacity would be similar to Jump Freighters

These ships would provide better utility than regular T1 freighters, but would not have a jump drive, would not require the skill point investment of Jump Freighters and would not have the price tag of Jump Freighters either. It would also add some flavour to an otherwise pretty bland lineup of ships, not to mention the potential for hilarious comedy kill mails :D

Already exists. There are a plethora of Tech 1 industrial ships that can hold their own in combat (and even kill other, much more powerful ships in the right circumstances.

Deep Space Transports have some combat ability... but they are more about outlasting a hostile than running or hitting hard.

Freighters however are the equivalent of "oil tankers." You can slap some guns on them (you can already add armor or reinforce the hull), but the reality is that there would be no point as the ship would still be a big, lumbering beast of burden... unless you completely redesign it for combat... in which case, what is the point of any normal combat or cargo ships?