Also if one stops @8:13 the door opening up to the engine room clearly has "Engineering Access" on it. Contrast that to Morph's narration about his first expectation of a path leading to the command module. ;) Edit: It's OK I still love you Morph! :)
The Caterpillar does look like it would be right at home in the Star Wars Universe, without looking like a carbon copy of any particular Star Wars ship.
Haha as an MSR owner, I don't disagree with Morphologis. I'd say the MSR is the Millenium Falcon fresh off the lot (or Ebon Hawk), but the Caterpillar has the cockpit and worn feel of the Falcon.
@@themisterh I have owned a Starfarer since Nov 2014, and I never had any problem getting to or from any part of the ship fairly quickly. I will admit several of my friends HAVE gotten lost in her, tho .....
"There are rumors of a pirate squad still wandering the corridors of this Starfarer, trying to navigate their way to an exit. So there's a tradition to leave food and water in different places of the ship. I don't believe that tail since I have seen mummified bodies in one of the lesser used passages. Or was it a different boarding party?"
Bro lol you hit the nail on the head. I swear it takes me 10-15 mins to get from outside this ship to the pilots seat every time. I swear! But tell me why I can find my way out every time in about 5 mins so weird….
4:30 This landing sequence highlights one of the biggest issues hounding Star Citizen - the perception that ships are "too nimble" or "float about" without "weight." Nearly every ship has this problem, too, not just the caterpillar, not just large ships, but even small ones. CIG have gone about tackling this the wrong way, too, in my mind, since _unladen_ ships will _need_ that comparative level of agility and responsiveness to compensate for the mass and inertia that cargo will add. Instead, I feel that the VFX team really needs to step up their game on thruster plumes in terms of density, brightness, length, and environmental effect. If they can make them morph with surrounding atmospheric pressure as well, all the better. If they can make particularly potent landing thrusters, as might be found on the Caterpillar, Hammerhead, and Starfarer, scorch the ground on unimproved surfaces or even pose a serious and lethal hazard to people and equipment on the ground underneath, even better still.
Love this series. Love this series. Love this series. I have a Cat, and I was looking at the view of the ship from the command module with recent comments made by the developers in mind regarding the new telescoping docking feature they're working on for stations. Some of the most enjoyable "moments" in the game come when you see your ship - your pride and joy - from an interesting perspective (chase cams don't count, fight me). The Cat allows for this very nicely from the command module. It gives a slightly elevated view of the full ship from the rear looking forward. A grand perspective. There aren't many ships that offer that perspective, and it does seem like something to be taken advantage of when cockpit or observation deck positions allow.
this is one of the huge reasons why i love the cat. its gotta be my favorite ship in any universe. its perfect size for one person. but not too cramped with 4. its capable of doing pretty much anything. it flies amazingly. not too slow and lumbering, but not fast and nimble. it just feels good all around. its a no BS ship. but it doesnt fail to impress either
Another episode of the beat SC series on UA-cam, thank you Morphologis. I always thought that this ship was more of a millennium falcon, both because of the cockpit on the side and the cargo modules out front because the Corellian YT-1300f light freighter pushes along its cargo in front of itself (like a tugboat). A lot of shots fired at the 600i... Would love to see a "Morphologis fixes the 600i" video.
I think the staircase up from the engine room to the bridge serves a second function. The stairs themselves look like they can be angled which makes me think that you could take a trolley and get some supplies into the bridge or upper floor easier without carrying everything one by one.
The transition to the ad read was f-ing smooth! Only downside that it's for a "security" company that tried to hide that they had a potentially damning data-leak and got hacked for well over a year.. I don't know if I would trust, for example, a home security system that just deactivated itself for a month and then didn't tell me about it for a year until they got forced to.
Using it as a delivery vehicle for modular homesteads would be awesome, you could have a cargo section fitted for passengers, then a standard cargo section for their belongings and supplies, then another one for their light vehicles, then a few sections where the cargo section is replaced with the homestead buildings. That could be a cool way to establish a lucrative and plausible kind of work for players with these big bastard boats, using them to run little colonies out to wherever they want to settle down. They could even have ongoing module, vehicle, supply, and colonist jobs to keep the player engaged with the living world they had a hand in establishing.
Regarding the versatility of the Drake Caterpillar, it was used in the infamous Kesslering Heist where a miner named Emilie Kesslering found some eriesium in some asteroids in the Tohil System. Up until that point his mining efforts didn't lead to much but upon discovery of the deposit it was the largest quantity of eriesium ever found in UEE space. Kesslering bragged about it and word soon spread around the Empire. On 21/06/2903, while in transport of the eriesium with a security detail, a Caterpillar broke out from heavy traffic, and rammed into the transport using the front sensor array as hooks to latch onto the hull. The front cargo door opened and pirates leapt onto the immobilized transport and cut their way inside while the turret engaged the shocked security detail. Within five minutes, the security detail had been destroyed, the transport breached and the eriesium taken. The Command Module detached from the Caterpillar and the pirates disappeared back into the spacelane with their fighter accomplices. By the time authorities arrived, they found an image that permanently seared itself into the public's consciousness, a Drake Caterpillar attached to the vented husk of a transport. Despite an exhaustive search through all the system, authorities never figured out who was behind the heist. The Caterpillar was forever tied with criminal element to the present after the event, which is probably why there's a dedicated pirate variant Caterpillar on the market.
I love how the Cat is the littlest Large ship, and the Carrack is the largest Large ship, and they are both pretty much built in the same spirit. But are few frills, both are modular and versatile, both do a lot more than their roles presume for them.
@@MattyP650 Exactly what I said. Cat is the smallest ship to use a Large hangar and use Large ship components. Carrack barely fits in a Large Hangar and uses large ship components. But are not luxurious, they are built for purpose. Both are meant to be modular, their cargo bays can be swapped out as the mission dictates. Both can do far more than their listed rolls. Cat is much more than a cargo ship. Carrack is much more than an explorer.
Controversial opinion incoming, but I think Morphologis could do with a script editor. He explains things multiple times over and the way he's going through it sounds like a first read or a spontaneous monologue. If he could tighten up the scripts of his videos I think they would be even better.
Ah dude these chill vibes. Am watching your videos now the second or third time, just to relax, watching beautiful ships, listen to your phenomenal architecture knowledge!
A really cool vid would be you discussing the architectural concepts you talk about. Things such as circulation, spatial organization, design strategies or guides, contrast of details, etc. idk much about architecture so these questions may seem stupid or nonsensical but I would love to learn different styles and takes of these kinds of things. How do architects, if given free reign, decide how to plan their floors and where each room goes and when to add hallways and stuff? Are there different styles and principles to that previous question? How do architects properly use contrast without ending up looking tacky? What’s the design strategy in how you pick colors and hues in your interiors? These kinds of things we’d love to hear about from you (or at least I would). Don’t feel you have to indulge this suggestion though In any case, love your videos!
I agree. The Cat has that lived-in feel. A ship that can be used for so many uses such as a mini HQ, trader, great Pirate ship (with especially with the tracker beam) and of course the modularity sections.
I love the utilitarianism of Drake as a whole, which is why they're my favorite ship manufacturer. As for the stairs, I have a feeling they might have issues with player traversal with stairs that are too steep. Which is why you rarely see it in any game.
Drake definitely sits well with me, as bad as the ships are compared to others in their respective classes, I can see them being used as they are cheap, versatile and robust ships. It’s something you’ll see criminals or low levelled players using.
I don't think you get the recognition for such Beautiful videos . From the Sound , to voice , to the shots hand selected to use . From going to different takes and Border selection. The choice of planet for lighting and just to show how tough the ship is . To choosing which places to go first and capture the attention of people before it leaves . Thanks for all the hard work , it looks amazing .
In real estate the four bay warehouse is perhaps the most common and basic form of commercial development. That CIG were able to turn such a thing into an amazingly cool spaceship is testament to their insight and skill.
Fast way to the cockpit: through te crew quarters to the first cargo section, there is a ladder on your left. Up on the ladder, trough the doors, and there you are :)
The Cat really reminds me of a belter ship from The Expanse. Super lived in and looks like you gotta fix something every 10 minutes, it’s perfect. It also has the best engine start sounds
Just bought this a few days ago, it's an impressive ship. It was only today that I found out about the captain's quarters behind the pilots seat and down the ladder, lol. I bought it mainly for the modular design as I'm looking forward to that being implemented.
Fantastic job as always, Mr. Morphologist. The point is fairly made by you regarding the stairs but I'm sure it's due to walking metrics, at least at the time the Cat was designed/ implemented. And the pathing of entry issue you addressed: it WOULD make fighting the way to HIJACK the control module a lot trickier.
Ever since I first learned about Star Citizen, my goal has been to crew a Caterpillar. Loading and unloading cargo, doing maintenance, occasionally gunning a turret. It's not exactly a new ship anymore, but it's aged amazingly well. I'm assuming they're waiting with getting it up to date, till they have all the other systems implemented as well.
My second favorite ship in Star Citizen after the Constellation Aquilla. Just a perfect blend of asymmetry and work-a-day that I love. Thanks for the fantastic walkthrough!
I'm supremely happy that you're continuing this series of videos. My interest in this game could really be graphed out like my heart beat on a relaxed day reading a book by a fire. Large spikes and long breaks. These videos here keep my interest in the game in the back of my mind so I don't forget about it completely as I bounce around with other games. I realize you aren't playing it constantly either as you have videos on EFT and Space Engineers. But, your dedication to this series is admirable and the videos themselves are works of art. Keep at it, Morph! - a forever faithful fan.
Love the Caterpillar, a mate from my organization has one, and we once crammed in as many buggies as possible to then go for a road trip on Delamar, getting to the top of a hill at the perfect time to watch the sunset, amazing and beautiful experience!
I think that the command pod access ladder should come down to the ground for boarding even when attached to the bulk part of the ship, not just when its landed separately. Would help fix some portion of the circulation issues it has without too much rework, at the very least in regards to getting to flying it quicker.
I'd like to point out something you missed as well about the exterior of the cat....If you notice on the top of the hull along the modules there's a ladder system for use in 0G environment that takes you from the turret to the EVA hatch and vice versa in case of an emergency.
One thing I just noticed: The detachable command module of the Caterpillar is actually just a quite small ship with a tractor beam 🤔 This could make it a flying forklift truck that is compact enough to be transported on larger ships like the C2 for quick cargo transfer. I'd estimate the command module to be about 5.5 meters in height which would be equivalent to a nova tank.
Cannons. Yes, I'm talking about 15th to 17th century style cannons, which we can put on each side of the Cats freight modules and surprise attackers with. If they're not damaged, they'll at least be stunned!
When they do finally make it modular and can have the command deck a separate ship, I would like to see another pilot seat on the main section of the ship so both could be piloted if separated
They've updated the cat and added something back to the empty yellow fenced area (quantum/powerplant thingy). That space used to be vacant. The Cat is a great ship, and my second larger ship purchase after the Connie. My only issues with this ship are the stairs from lower to upper deck going through the engineering, and the toilet in the crew quarters/kitchen area.
You can definitely tell that the Caterpillar, as the second "big" ship that SC designed, benefited a ton from the lessons learned building the Starfarer. One thing that I think is the most successful, though, is that Drake's design language benefits massively from the greebling effect of computer level design: Silvarret, who applies a lot of architecture study and analysis to buildings in Planet Coaster, sums it up simply: "add stuff until it looks good". I'm very, VERY glad that you did notice that there actually IS quite a lot of wasted space in the Caterpillar, in terms of stairways and corridors that lack wall shelving or usable access panels, but that don't FEEL as wasted because of ribbing, insulation, cables, and the like, which are missing on other ships (I think you'd also agree, the minimalist kind of design that Origin goes for is far -harder- to achieve, because fundamental flaws can't be disguised as well with other bits & bobs). As for windows, percentagewise I think the main problem I have is that for a ship, particularly one active in space, the windows on Drake's ships are probably the most wasteful aspect, as they represent a massive potential loss of heat and energy, a major decompression danger, AND an extreme cost in both space and materials, when a simple camera and flat screen would do the job far more cheaply and effectively - particularly considering that, with the large size and odd bridge placement of the Cat, it's a ship that's bound to be flown more on instruments than eye visuals far more than normal. But, excessive glass and oversized cockpits are one of the big flaws in SC's ship designs overall, with regard to function, so I can't really say it's a problem that JUST Drake has. Speaking of problems: Do you notice the absence of chairs at workstations on SC ships as much as I do? Shouldn't the Engineer and the Tractor Beam station have them? There's certainly room. Again, not just a problem on the Cat . . .
I think best way to solve quick access to the command module is when you'll be able to access it directtly via a side ladder or something like that. I think there is very little wrong with this ship. Yeah, stairs may be a bit larger on a ship, but still works. Its a very special ship this one.
I love this ship so much. I bought it in-game and I still haven't finished exploring it, I've never been in some of the places you've shown. Yes, it is kinda rough, but if the game let me I would just live in it. As you said, its biggest downfall is the lack of a more direct access to the pilot seat. I think there should be DIRECT ACCESS straight to the command module. Having to go all around the interior, through that engine room, makes trading just a bit more annoying than it should be. You did a tremendous job showing us around, as you always do. Cheers
Seeing the ships makes me want to see what happens if there were to be a "joint project" between two companies. Like for example, Argo and Drake join forces to make the ultimate cargo ship or whoever makes the Nomad works with Drake to actually make it a bit less pretty and a bit more utilitarian (The Nomad Rn is lovely, but it feels more like a luxury RV while it should probably feel like an apocalypse camper or something, it's called Nomad, not Camper after all)
Old video but a very good one! I own a Cat and I totally agree with you, the stair should be shorter and not be accessible from the engine room, it could easily be accessible from the Foyer as well as the turret and keep a single door to the engine room.
The circulation makes a _little_ more sense from the perspective of someone who enters the ship from the command module docking with the rest of the ship. But just a little-it’s still awkward to get to the main crew space from the command deck.
I find I love that Matt Jeffries has become so immortalized that ANY science fiction (and perhaps even real world) access points are now called Jeffries Tubes.
Gotta say I really enjoy the Architect Reviews series and the production on this one was nothing short of fantastic. Excellent job, Morph! But those stairs at 9:59 made my inner engineer shriek. It feels they were designed as a quick escape route for the gunner & engineer to reach the command module without routing through the upper engineer deck + tech room - the steps seem decently sized for two people to walk side by side + no intermediate landing for a quicker ascent - and, in that case, they do that well, IMO. Spacious, sure, but with an important function behind it. What gets me is that there are no handrails whatsoever. What's the crew supposed to hold onto in case of a sudden movement caused by a strong gust of wind or, of course, an explosion? Perhaps the seemingly pressurized pipes or maybe the loosely held electrical wires? Safety hazards a plenty there, man
Drake who? Oh.. junker ships. Yeah.. no thank you. Just kidding.. maybe. I recall how the 'Cat' was supposed to be the Drake version of the Freelancer. This might have been the first ship that came out bigger than intended. Kudo's Morph for keeping this series ongoing and I am looking forward to it's continued success.
Your videos are always so smoothing I love it. and I 100% love the lived-in feeling and looks, while I saw the command's little house under the cockpit I legit wanted to sleep there IRL (sadly it's just a few pixels) Let's hope that I either live long enough to be a space hauler or that I get reincarnated into the full-blown space age.
i remember players placing small fighters in the cargo holds on the caterpillar. so people weren't expecting the thing to open up and launch 5 or 6 fighters. type of shenanigans
The funniest thing about the comparison between the YT-1300 series freighters from Star Wars (Like the Millennium Falcon) and the Caterpillar is that the YT-1300s were supposed to have a bunch of cargo pods that attach to the forked center bit. Much like the Caterpillar's modular cargo boxes. And the entire YT series was all about modularity. Much like Drake ships. Spartan and open, easy to modifying and make a ship your own.....
Great video. I feel there's a missed opportunity for the Caterpillar to have the very foremost ramp angling down to the ground in some way, to allow loading of a vehicle or two. Or maybe that's intentional as it would encroach on other ship designs.
I think the best concept for a potential modular use of the cat Ive ever see has to be the 'railgunpillar' where you just break through the walls of all four modules, transforming the whole thing to one giant, flying railgun. The chances we get this are low, but I just like the thought of it...
I like the Cat, I hope they make the cargo pods modular so you can kit it out for different industries. If they made the gantry above the cargo bay retract into a ceiling recess it would make it easier to fit other vehicles inside.
I'll likely never play Star Citizen because of rechnology constraint on my end but listening this commentary and breakdown is always a pleasant time. Thanks for doing these Morphologis
I think there are a few drake ships, or ships in general, that have a turret right next to engineering. And honesty I feel like this could easily be explained with lore. Engineers are an invaluable asset on a ship. If youre s small time operator on a ship like the caterpillar, and you can only afford to hire one crew member, you're likely gonna go for a an engineer and fly the ship yourself. Ideally, your engineer would spend most of their time in engineering, and if then occasion arises where they need to help man a turret, it's convenient to have one right by engineering. They could explain this in lore as like, a lesson we learned from some war.
I think the engineering philosophy in no direct access to the bridge is a matter of security. It means boarders also don’t have direct access to the ship’s controls. This makes sense for a vessel with a crew.
I like the circulation. It took me a while to figure out how it worked though. Once I figured it out, it seems like a neat trick to be able to navigate it. It's a little mazelike, which can work to your advantage tactically if you're boarded. I don't think it takes too long to run in a large circle up the stairs. Maybe it's not a bad idea to have a ladder closer to crew quarters; crew quarters are kind of awkwardly placed in relation to the command module. However everything is fine!
I love this ship so much, I bought another one in game. The risk to reward element with trading is incredible. Could do a couple of BiG profit runs before the long train journey but currently they're testing some server connected demand info and you cant sell a full load at any major shipping hub! Not played much since this was added but im sure they'll fix it or the hull series is doomed. The Cat Pirate version has all the MFD's with "fake" info on as you walk through the ship which feels so more immersive and I'm sure it's just a damn link to a kin folder thats not letting the standard version show it. Will be interesting to see what components they add to the module when it can separate.
Some of your comments on the ships show a bit of a lack of military understanding. Having the front turret access be segmented from the front open cargo bay, is a very good design to prevent people running in and accessing the turret fast (the side doors could be kept shut in case of hostiles). Since the front is a cargo bay, not an entrance, all your personell are going to come from the rear of the ship, so it wouldnt serve much purpose to keep turret accessible from two directions (harder to prevent intruders). Yes, the side doors of the previous module can open, but this is the best they could do with a bad situation. ONE opening as opposed to TWO. The same applies for the Mercury Starrunner. It may seem as a civilian bad design to only have 1 entry/exit from the ship. But in defensive terms, it is brilliant. A single choke point to defend greatly decreases the odds an invader can make it through. Yes, there is the hidden hatch in the cargo bay, but again its "meant to be hidden", and it still ties in with the cargo bay as a single main defended area. As opposed to having a side-door next to the cockpit for intruders to easily hijack the bridge. Furthermore the elevator/ladder as the bottleneck to access ANY room of the ship, is another brilliant defensive position (especially taking grenades into consideration). Again, yes, intruders could use the hidden hatch, but the "point" of the design is that intruders wouldnt know about it. Love your videos. But it is definetly showing that you're a civilian architect, as opposed to a military designer.
I think you add an interesting perspective to the evaluation but 1 entry to the ship is not a safe idea, despite the advantages it might pose at a glance. Military designers take into account the possibilities of taking enemy fire, not just hijackers (in fact, you will likely encounter a hijacker exponentially less than you would enemies shooting at you). Should a module catch fire, a cabin depressurize, or a hull panel rupture (to name a few of many possible things that can go wrong) and an evacuation of the ship is needed, leaving the ship from one point will have a terrible outcome for ships with more than a one-person crew as you all scramble for 1 exit (discounting the concealed hatch, as if you all go for it its effectiveness as a rapid exit is gone and if you split up between exits hostiles would only be paying attention to the overt exit thus partially nullifying its effectiveness, assuming they are not familiar with MSR's design). Not to mention, should the exits become obstructed by flames, or collapses, or debris, you are effectively trapped. This is something a military designer will take into account and, in the real world, tends prepare for much more than the possibility of 1 person bringing a vessel close enough to enter a ship to hijack it (not to mention with sensors and ship computers, it will be easy to identify points where attackers will make entry, and this will only become easier as you become more familiar with your ship). You add a good bit of perspective to the analysis and I think there is some merit to what you say, but a lot of what Morphologis says is about architecture in general, and no matter what kind of architect you are, it's always going to be important to make sure the users of your design have the tools available to them to avoid disaster (whether that's an extra door for emergency exit or a choke point to stop hijackers!). Big ups :)
GREAT VIDEO! On the flow thing, I'm really REALLY hoping when they go back to do the command module that they provide a ladder from the door on the side that you can enter whether it's docked to the body or not.
I think I have been in the crew quarters like twice. Command deck access is fairly easy. Just go left from elevator doorway and you are in upper hallway, again left and straight on to cockpit. Caterpillar broadside is a great feature..can't wait to mount the soon to be weapons in there and call my cat the black pearl. And DRAKE does pretty much everything right. All their ships feel so much more real than other ships. Besides single seat fighters at least.
Kinda wonder if you can fit the main battle tanks into the cargo holds. I just imagine this ship rolles up on some mining org mid op, thinking it's one of theirs only to open all bay doors to show a wall of main battle tank cannons or AA to just onload salvo after salvo like a ship of the line.
I will miss this ship when the Herc C2 releases and i lose access to the Cat, she's a good cargo hauler with a fast quantum drive that makes hopping between planets a breeze for it's size. Awesome transitions and editing Morph, it's a pleasure to watch!
3:08 "While that might not necessarily be true, at least visually they pull it off." I mean, it's made of polygons, which technically don't weigh anything, so the center of rotation is wherever the designers want it to be. And even if it were to be actually built out of physical materials, ballast is a thing that exists, and the structural mass isn't necessarily going to have uniform density anyway, so the external shape doesn't really dictate the center of mass to begin with.
When I was really into SC, I considered myself a Cat *Captain* vs. a Cat Pilot. I'd work hard and grind up to several 100 thousand UEC. Once I got there I'd literally hire someone or use a guild mate as a pilot. I'd start doing cargo runs all over and pay for the pilots for their assistance. I'd stand in the wing and "Conn" the pilot into landings since he couldn't see the right side of the ship. Commanding "easy forward, easy forward. . . Hold. Easy right. Hold. Easy down. Five. . . Four. . . Three. . . Two... One. Touchdown." In horizontal landing bays I would clear the pilot back since they can't rotate. When landing into vertical bays I would go to the front and open the hatch and walk the pilot as far forward as the antenna array would safely allow before clearing him down, thus ensuring we avoided snagging the main propulsion engines on the back rim of the landing bay. For lateral guidance I would direct my pilots to fly as close to the edge of the left side of the command module as they felt appropriate which typically cleared the Wing. Once clear I'd direct the navigation points to use. Where to go, etc. When we would land, it was so much more efficient having a pilot in the seat for delivery of cargo because I could make my way down to the Foyer without the rigamorol of the seat exit animation each time. Especially when landing to moon surface and planetary surface landing pads where the pilot needs minimal or almost no directional guidance for short final. I would literally wait on the elevator. As soon as we were touch down I'd be exiting the ship to go sell cargo and get our next turn in. This alone saved a minute or two at each landing making the whole flow that much more efficient. I'd calculate a 10% cut of whatever profit I made and pay the pilot through nav beacons. A pilot could make several tens of thousands within the hour using this method. It was very immersive and brought to life the kind of core gameplay I sought and still seek to get out of SC. The Cat is a great ship to accomplish that. . . As well as shenanigans. We landed small Merlin fighters in the bays not only while stationary but we actually managed to both launch and land while moving on several occasions. It was very buggy and probably still is. But sometimes the bugs wouldn't show and we would manage to actually land it. We'd pick a speed and the Cat would maintain. The Merlin has would pull alongside and match speed adjacent to the pod it was landing in. It would then uncouple and rotate to face toward the ship while still flying alongside at the same speed it had been going. Though both craft were moving through space and time, relative to each other they were stationary. The fighter pilot could then, using very small control inputs, start puffing its way into the bay. Many of these attempts ended in disaster for one or both ships. Which was a headache, but as I stated before, several attempts were completed successfully and our elation when these attempts worked were some of my fondest memories of playing. The concept has been proved so now its a matter of cleaning up the bugginess... Haven't played in over a year so I'm curious to see how it's going now. Watching this video makes me want to go hire a crew once again. :)
If you‘ve ever seen how the YT-1300 or the Millenium Falcon is supposed to load its Cargo (as as it is a hauler), you‘ll associate it a lot more with the Caterpillar. If you google "Corellian YT-1300 Cargo" you‘ll find images of it shoving cargo containers in front of the ship.
Well done and I agree with your review. It doesn't require many changes/improvements to be a truly interesting and useful ship. I am hoping the Drake millipede or something comes out and is 50% or more larger with two rows of cargo and two more of everything else. Having a central passage between rows and lots of hidey holes and other neat touches.
![An Architect Reviews the Anvil Carrack [Star Citizen]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ybsu2Af9AI0/mqdefault.jpg)
![An Architect Reviews the Anvil Carrack [Star Citizen]](/img/tr.png)
"it'd be real nice to have a label to tell me what this is" ...you mean like those doors saying "power plant access"?
I was thinking exactly the same. xD
"...actually, this might be the quantum drive" while looking at a door that says "Jump drive access"
No like "Juno Starwerk" for the device from "Juno Starwerk" manufacturing power plants...
Also if one stops @8:13 the door opening up to the engine room clearly has "Engineering Access" on it. Contrast that to Morph's narration about his first expectation of a path leading to the command module. ;)
Edit: It's OK I still love you Morph! :)
He's a bit high off that taiwanese weed. I hope he doesn't overlook things when he's working as an architect 😂
The Caterpillar does look like it would be right at home in the Star Wars Universe, without looking like a carbon copy of any particular Star Wars ship.
There’s a similar ship in the force awakens
@@smixen6590 there is?
@@oscardavidson2139 the one used by kanjiklub if I remember correctly
Like the reliant series
Instablaster
I have owned a caterpillar for almost a year now and I only just realised that gun rack was by that ladder due to this video 😂
How do you make that much money??
there are two gun racks on the ship(s), one in the main hull by the elevator entrance and one in the bridge ship
How do you avoid losing your ships in the wipes
2024 checking in, original backer... How the FUCK have I never noticed the gun rack till now...
Architect Reviews is litteraly the best series 100%
I think his voice really helps to sell it
"The caterpillar is the true millennium falcon."
*Several MSR owners are typing*
Cat is the true Serenity
Several Carrack owners are typing
MSR is 100% the Ebon Hawk
Haha as an MSR owner, I don't disagree with Morphologis. I'd say the MSR is the Millenium Falcon fresh off the lot (or Ebon Hawk), but the Caterpillar has the cockpit and worn feel of the Falcon.
@@hexamirofficial what sells it is all the cables and hoses hanging out and plumbed together in away that says " yeah.. thats not our finest work"
Crusader ships are too clean but Drake ships look straight out of the original star wars trilogy
"I know someone's going to take that out of context"
Me, who skipped 50 sec straight to the line: tf!?
One does not simply skip any duration of a Morphologis ship review
@@jde-jj1lu lol
"At least its not as bad as the Starfarer" This, it took me no joke 10 minutes to get out of that ship, perhaps its a pirate countermeasure :joy:
Ah thank goodness I'm not the only one 🤣
@@themisterh I have owned a Starfarer since Nov 2014, and I never had any problem getting to or from any part of the ship fairly quickly. I will admit several of my friends HAVE gotten lost in her, tho .....
"There are rumors of a pirate squad still wandering the corridors of this Starfarer, trying to navigate their way to an exit. So there's a tradition to leave food and water in different places of the ship. I don't believe that tail since I have seen mummified bodies in one of the lesser used passages. Or was it a different boarding party?"
Bro lol you hit the nail on the head. I swear it takes me 10-15 mins to get from outside this ship to the pilots seat every time. I swear! But tell me why I can find my way out every time in about 5 mins so weird….
4:30 This landing sequence highlights one of the biggest issues hounding Star Citizen - the perception that ships are "too nimble" or "float about" without "weight." Nearly every ship has this problem, too, not just the caterpillar, not just large ships, but even small ones. CIG have gone about tackling this the wrong way, too, in my mind, since _unladen_ ships will _need_ that comparative level of agility and responsiveness to compensate for the mass and inertia that cargo will add.
Instead, I feel that the VFX team really needs to step up their game on thruster plumes in terms of density, brightness, length, and environmental effect. If they can make them morph with surrounding atmospheric pressure as well, all the better. If they can make particularly potent landing thrusters, as might be found on the Caterpillar, Hammerhead, and Starfarer, scorch the ground on unimproved surfaces or even pose a serious and lethal hazard to people and equipment on the ground underneath, even better still.
I can imagine ships with heavy engines like that also shaking or vibrating much more due to the power.
Ok that ad transition is smooth af
Damn that ending shot was easily the best close to an SC video I have ever seen.
Right?
Yeah, I let out an involuntary "NOOOIIICE" at that shot
Glad I saw this comment. Almost missed the view
Yeah that read really well done
truue that was a beauty.. what a vibe
Yes finally another episode of An Architect Reviews and it's my favourite ship yesssssss!
You took the words right out of my mouth. I love the Cat
Omg same this is the best ship
Awesome 🙂🙂
Caterpillar best girl
@@custodianvrael6471 she's a tough cookie
12:12 "Powerplant Access" Labeled on the door. In particular this is the Size 3 Industrial Grade C Powerplant "Ginzel"
Great job Morph. I wonder what the next architect review will be
starlifter?
Maybe one of the smaller ships with walkable space? 300-series, Terrapin, or even the rovers.
@@Restilia_ch he already did the 300 series
@@EvelynRoods Oops, must have missed it. Still, lots of smaller ships that could use a look at.
I can personally vouch for you that he has one ... Its why he has so much time with the cat now.
Love this series. Love this series. Love this series.
I have a Cat, and I was looking at the view of the ship from the command module with recent comments made by the developers in mind regarding the new telescoping docking feature they're working on for stations. Some of the most enjoyable "moments" in the game come when you see your ship - your pride and joy - from an interesting perspective (chase cams don't count, fight me). The Cat allows for this very nicely from the command module. It gives a slightly elevated view of the full ship from the rear looking forward. A grand perspective. There aren't many ships that offer that perspective, and it does seem like something to be taken advantage of when cockpit or observation deck positions allow.
this is one of the huge reasons why i love the cat. its gotta be my favorite ship in any universe. its perfect size for one person. but not too cramped with 4. its capable of doing pretty much anything. it flies amazingly. not too slow and lumbering, but not fast and nimble. it just feels good all around. its a no BS ship. but it doesnt fail to impress either
Just wanted to say: thanks for providing content, keep up the good work, and stay safe and healthy!
Another episode of the beat SC series on UA-cam, thank you Morphologis.
I always thought that this ship was more of a millennium falcon, both because of the cockpit on the side and the cargo modules out front because the Corellian YT-1300f light freighter pushes along its cargo in front of itself (like a tugboat).
A lot of shots fired at the 600i... Would love to see a "Morphologis fixes the 600i" video.
You mean the one right here? ua-cam.com/video/Ws_AlHguB8g/v-deo.html
Me feels this is in preparation for the Hercules line up coming soon, another big cargo ship to look back at it.
Fun fact : the Cat engines actually do look like (irl) Cat engine. Look for the C-175. Coincidence ?
What a stunning video. Your cinamatography is amazing, the commentary is soothing, and your points are awesome! Such a fan!
Morph is the ASMR of Star Citizen.
@@ianmitchell4745 this is sooooo true
I think the staircase up from the engine room to the bridge serves a second function. The stairs themselves look like they can be angled which makes me think that you could take a trolley and get some supplies into the bridge or upper floor easier without carrying everything one by one.
The transition to the ad read was f-ing smooth! Only downside that it's for a "security" company that tried to hide that they had a potentially damning data-leak and got hacked for well over a year..
I don't know if I would trust, for example, a home security system that just deactivated itself for a month and then didn't tell me about it for a year until they got forced to.
Maybe one day we'll get working tractor beam and side door elevators, detachable command module and swappable main modules.
swappable main modules should arrive in 3.14
@@dolrog8910 Wait, really?
@@chiffmonkey Yep ! Check the roadmap
@@dolrog8910 this didn't age well lmao
Just imagine being able to incorporate modules of the caterpillar into player-homesteads
Using it as a delivery vehicle for modular homesteads would be awesome, you could have a cargo section fitted for passengers, then a standard cargo section for their belongings and supplies, then another one for their light vehicles, then a few sections where the cargo section is replaced with the homestead buildings.
That could be a cool way to establish a lucrative and plausible kind of work for players with these big bastard boats, using them to run little colonies out to wherever they want to settle down.
They could even have ongoing module, vehicle, supply, and colonist jobs to keep the player engaged with the living world they had a hand in establishing.
Regarding the versatility of the Drake Caterpillar, it was used in the infamous Kesslering Heist where a miner named Emilie Kesslering found some eriesium in some asteroids in the Tohil System.
Up until that point his mining efforts didn't lead to much but upon discovery of the deposit it was the largest quantity of eriesium ever found in UEE space. Kesslering bragged about it and word soon spread around the Empire. On 21/06/2903, while in transport of the eriesium with a security detail, a Caterpillar broke out from heavy traffic, and rammed into the transport using the front sensor array as hooks to latch onto the hull. The front cargo door opened and pirates leapt onto the immobilized transport and cut their way inside while the turret engaged the shocked security detail.
Within five minutes, the security detail had been destroyed, the transport breached and the eriesium taken. The Command Module detached from the Caterpillar and the pirates disappeared back into the spacelane with their fighter accomplices. By the time authorities arrived, they found an image that permanently seared itself into the public's consciousness, a Drake Caterpillar attached to the vented husk of a transport.
Despite an exhaustive search through all the system, authorities never figured out who was behind the heist. The Caterpillar was forever tied with criminal element to the present after the event, which is probably why there's a dedicated pirate variant Caterpillar on the market.
I love how the Cat is the littlest Large ship, and the Carrack is the largest Large ship, and they are both pretty much built in the same spirit.
But are few frills, both are modular and versatile, both do a lot more than their roles presume for them.
What the hell are you on about?
@@MattyP650 Exactly what I said.
Cat is the smallest ship to use a Large hangar and use Large ship components.
Carrack barely fits in a Large Hangar and uses large ship components.
But are not luxurious, they are built for purpose.
Both are meant to be modular, their cargo bays can be swapped out as the mission dictates.
Both can do far more than their listed rolls.
Cat is much more than a cargo ship.
Carrack is much more than an explorer.
the caterpillar is defenitly a ship that is going to make it's way into my collection at some point
God damn I love Drake ships. Just makes me even more excited for the Corsair haha
Awsome review: Your voice and the way you talk about things make your reviews the best in the star citizen comunity
I agree, nobody comes even close
It’s very calming
No space tomato is better. Look him up. The ranking is 1. Bored. 2. Space Tomato. 3. Mike. Morph is low down on the list
Controversial opinion incoming, but I think Morphologis could do with a script editor. He explains things multiple times over and the way he's going through it sounds like a first read or a spontaneous monologue. If he could tighten up the scripts of his videos I think they would be even better.
Ah dude these chill vibes. Am watching your videos now the second or third time, just to relax, watching beautiful ships, listen to your phenomenal architecture knowledge!
A really cool vid would be you discussing the architectural concepts you talk about. Things such as circulation, spatial organization, design strategies or guides, contrast of details, etc.
idk much about architecture so these questions may seem stupid or nonsensical but I would love to learn different styles and takes of these kinds of things.
How do architects, if given free reign, decide how to plan their floors and where each room goes and when to add hallways and stuff? Are there different styles and principles to that previous question? How do architects properly use contrast without ending up looking tacky? What’s the design strategy in how you pick colors and hues in your interiors?
These kinds of things we’d love to hear about from you (or at least I would). Don’t feel you have to indulge this suggestion though
In any case, love your videos!
I agree. The Cat has that lived-in feel. A ship that can be used for so many uses such as a mini HQ, trader, great Pirate ship (with especially with the tracker beam) and of course the modularity sections.
Once you go Drake you never go back ahah, I can't wait for the Corsair to come
I love the utilitarianism of Drake as a whole, which is why they're my favorite ship manufacturer. As for the stairs, I have a feeling they might have issues with player traversal with stairs that are too steep. Which is why you rarely see it in any game.
Drake definitely sits well with me, as bad as the ships are compared to others in their respective classes, I can see them being used as they are cheap, versatile and robust ships. It’s something you’ll see criminals or low levelled players using.
Both the opening shot with it's audio rumble and the ending shot with its audio were phenomenal! I love my blue cat :)
I've had a Cat for quite a while and this video showed me places I haven't been in it before.
Same... can't see myself ever getting rid of the CAT.
I don't think you get the recognition for such Beautiful videos . From the Sound , to voice , to the shots hand selected to use . From going to different takes and Border selection. The choice of planet for lighting and just to show how tough the ship is . To choosing which places to go first and capture the attention of people before it leaves . Thanks for all the hard work , it looks amazing .
In real estate the four bay warehouse is perhaps the most common and basic form of commercial development. That CIG were able to turn such a thing into an amazingly cool spaceship is testament to their insight and skill.
EXCELLENT VIDEO MORPH. I haven't seen the lower deck of the command module, nor did I know it was detachable till this video. TYVM for the info.
Fast way to the cockpit: through te crew quarters to the first cargo section, there is a ladder on your left. Up on the ladder, trough the doors, and there you are :)
The Cat really reminds me of a belter ship from The Expanse. Super lived in and looks like you gotta fix something every 10 minutes, it’s perfect. It also has the best engine start sounds
Just bought this a few days ago, it's an impressive ship. It was only today that I found out about the captain's quarters behind the pilots seat and down the ladder, lol.
I bought it mainly for the modular design as I'm looking forward to that being implemented.
Fantastic job as always, Mr. Morphologist. The point is fairly made by you regarding the stairs but I'm sure it's due to walking metrics, at least at the time the Cat was designed/ implemented.
And the pathing of entry issue you addressed: it WOULD make fighting the way to HIJACK the control module a lot trickier.
14:24 "I really like the O.D. Greens..." That is not O.D. Green, it is Zinc Chromate anti-corrosion coating as seen on 20th century aircraft.
Excellent Job . Superb ship presentation, I have the caterpillar and the C2 holds nothing against it.
Ever since I first learned about Star Citizen, my goal has been to crew a Caterpillar. Loading and unloading cargo, doing maintenance, occasionally gunning a turret.
It's not exactly a new ship anymore, but it's aged amazingly well.
I'm assuming they're waiting with getting it up to date, till they have all the other systems implemented as well.
My second favorite ship in Star Citizen after the Constellation Aquilla. Just a perfect blend of asymmetry and work-a-day that I love. Thanks for the fantastic walkthrough!
I'm supremely happy that you're continuing this series of videos.
My interest in this game could really be graphed out like my heart beat on a relaxed day reading a book by a fire. Large spikes and long breaks. These videos here keep my interest in the game in the back of my mind so I don't forget about it completely as I bounce around with other games. I realize you aren't playing it constantly either as you have videos on EFT and Space Engineers.
But, your dedication to this series is admirable and the videos themselves are works of art.
Keep at it, Morph!
- a forever faithful fan.
Love the Caterpillar, a mate from my organization has one, and we once crammed in as many buggies as possible to then go for a road trip on Delamar, getting to the top of a hill at the perfect time to watch the sunset, amazing and beautiful experience!
Your “An Architect Reviews” series is one of my favorite series of videos on all of UA-cam. Thanks for this awesome content!
I think that the command pod access ladder should come down to the ground for boarding even when attached to the bulk part of the ship, not just when its landed separately. Would help fix some portion of the circulation issues it has without too much rework, at the very least in regards to getting to flying it quicker.
I'd like to point out something you missed as well about the exterior of the cat....If you notice on the top of the hull along the modules there's a ladder system for use in 0G environment that takes you from the turret to the EVA hatch and vice versa in case of an emergency.
One thing I just noticed: The detachable command module of the Caterpillar is actually just a quite small ship with a tractor beam 🤔
This could make it a flying forklift truck that is compact enough to be transported on larger ships like the C2 for quick cargo transfer. I'd estimate the command module to be about 5.5 meters in height which would be equivalent to a nova tank.
Cannons. Yes, I'm talking about 15th to 17th century style cannons, which we can put on each side of the Cats freight modules and surprise attackers with. If they're not damaged, they'll at least be stunned!
When they do finally make it modular and can have the command deck a separate ship, I would like to see another pilot seat on the main section of the ship so both could be piloted if separated
Good idea, my vote is the starboard tractor beam station for that
They've updated the cat and added something back to the empty yellow fenced area (quantum/powerplant thingy). That space used to be vacant. The Cat is a great ship, and my second larger ship purchase after the Connie. My only issues with this ship are the stairs from lower to upper deck going through the engineering, and the toilet in the crew quarters/kitchen area.
You can definitely tell that the Caterpillar, as the second "big" ship that SC designed, benefited a ton from the lessons learned building the Starfarer. One thing that I think is the most successful, though, is that Drake's design language benefits massively from the greebling effect of computer level design: Silvarret, who applies a lot of architecture study and analysis to buildings in Planet Coaster, sums it up simply: "add stuff until it looks good". I'm very, VERY glad that you did notice that there actually IS quite a lot of wasted space in the Caterpillar, in terms of stairways and corridors that lack wall shelving or usable access panels, but that don't FEEL as wasted because of ribbing, insulation, cables, and the like, which are missing on other ships (I think you'd also agree, the minimalist kind of design that Origin goes for is far -harder- to achieve, because fundamental flaws can't be disguised as well with other bits & bobs).
As for windows, percentagewise I think the main problem I have is that for a ship, particularly one active in space, the windows on Drake's ships are probably the most wasteful aspect, as they represent a massive potential loss of heat and energy, a major decompression danger, AND an extreme cost in both space and materials, when a simple camera and flat screen would do the job far more cheaply and effectively - particularly considering that, with the large size and odd bridge placement of the Cat, it's a ship that's bound to be flown more on instruments than eye visuals far more than normal. But, excessive glass and oversized cockpits are one of the big flaws in SC's ship designs overall, with regard to function, so I can't really say it's a problem that JUST Drake has.
Speaking of problems: Do you notice the absence of chairs at workstations on SC ships as much as I do? Shouldn't the Engineer and the Tractor Beam station have them? There's certainly room. Again, not just a problem on the Cat . . .
I think best way to solve quick access to the command module is when you'll be able to access it directtly via a side ladder or something like that. I think there is very little wrong with this ship. Yeah, stairs may be a bit larger on a ship, but still works. Its a very special ship this one.
I love this ship so much. I bought it in-game and I still haven't finished exploring it, I've never been in some of the places you've shown. Yes, it is kinda rough, but if the game let me I would just live in it. As you said, its biggest downfall is the lack of a more direct access to the pilot seat. I think there should be DIRECT ACCESS straight to the command module. Having to go all around the interior, through that engine room, makes trading just a bit more annoying than it should be.
You did a tremendous job showing us around, as you always do. Cheers
8:53 Dat hair! Like a cross between 1930s sci fi and an extra from Hairspray.
Oh my god someone who uploads in 21:9?? My hero
Seeing the ships makes me want to see what happens if there were to be a "joint project" between two companies.
Like for example, Argo and Drake join forces to make the ultimate cargo ship
or whoever makes the Nomad works with Drake to actually make it a bit less pretty and a bit more utilitarian (The Nomad Rn is lovely, but it feels more like a luxury RV while it should probably feel like an apocalypse camper or something, it's called Nomad, not Camper after all)
It's especially useful when you fit an argo cargo in the forward most module
Drake ships in general make me feel like I am walking around The Serenity from the tv show firefly....
Old video but a very good one! I own a Cat and I totally agree with you, the stair should be shorter and not be accessible from the engine room, it could easily be accessible from the Foyer as well as the turret and keep a single door to the engine room.
The circulation makes a _little_ more sense from the perspective of someone who enters the ship from the command module docking with the rest of the ship. But just a little-it’s still awkward to get to the main crew space from the command deck.
I find I love that Matt Jeffries has become so immortalized that ANY science fiction (and perhaps even real world) access points are now called Jeffries Tubes.
Gotta say I really enjoy the Architect Reviews series and the production on this one was nothing short of fantastic. Excellent job, Morph!
But those stairs at 9:59 made my inner engineer shriek. It feels they were designed as a quick escape route for the gunner & engineer to reach the command module without routing through the upper engineer deck + tech room - the steps seem decently sized for two people to walk side by side + no intermediate landing for a quicker ascent - and, in that case, they do that well, IMO. Spacious, sure, but with an important function behind it.
What gets me is that there are no handrails whatsoever. What's the crew supposed to hold onto in case of a sudden movement caused by a strong gust of wind or, of course, an explosion? Perhaps the seemingly pressurized pipes or maybe the loosely held electrical wires? Safety hazards a plenty there, man
Drake who? Oh.. junker ships. Yeah.. no thank you.
Just kidding.. maybe.
I recall how the 'Cat' was supposed to be the Drake version of the Freelancer. This might have been the first ship that came out bigger than intended.
Kudo's Morph for keeping this series ongoing and I am looking forward to it's continued success.
Your videos are always so smoothing I love it.
and I 100% love the lived-in feeling and looks, while I saw the command's little house under the cockpit I legit wanted to sleep there IRL (sadly it's just a few pixels)
Let's hope that I either live long enough to be a space hauler or that I get reincarnated into the full-blown space age.
i remember players placing small fighters in the cargo holds on the caterpillar.
so people weren't expecting the thing to open up and launch 5 or 6 fighters.
type of shenanigans
The funniest thing about the comparison between the YT-1300 series freighters from Star Wars (Like the Millennium Falcon) and the Caterpillar is that the YT-1300s were supposed to have a bunch of cargo pods that attach to the forked center bit. Much like the Caterpillar's modular cargo boxes. And the entire YT series was all about modularity. Much like Drake ships. Spartan and open, easy to modifying and make a ship your own.....
Great video
Big yellow engines is probably referring to Caterpillar engines in real life too.
Great video. I feel there's a missed opportunity for the Caterpillar to have the very foremost ramp angling down to the ground in some way, to allow loading of a vehicle or two. Or maybe that's intentional as it would encroach on other ship designs.
I believe it's a glitch. That platform is supposed to lower like an elevator just like the port and starboard sides.
Drake Caterpillar: The Better 600i.
I think the best concept for a potential modular use of the cat Ive ever see has to be the 'railgunpillar' where you just break through the walls of all four modules, transforming the whole thing to one giant, flying railgun.
The chances we get this are low, but I just like the thought of it...
This vid popped up the day after I upgraded my Freelancer Max to the Cat. Great timing dood! Couldn't be happier with my upgrade.
I like the Cat, I hope they make the cargo pods modular so you can kit it out for different industries. If they made the gantry above the cargo bay retract into a ceiling recess it would make it easier to fit other vehicles inside.
I now have a new appreciation for the Cat!
Great video. Did the pirate swarm yesterday and bought the pirate cat. ☠ can not wait for this ship to get its modules and separation ability
13:06 this diagram on the door always makes me laugh whenever i walk past it in my ship hahah
15:12 dude this image is fantastic, really represents the natural beauty of the game contrasted with the utilitarian aesthetics of the ship
I'll likely never play Star Citizen because of rechnology constraint on my end but listening this commentary and breakdown is always a pleasant time. Thanks for doing these Morphologis
I find so much peace watching your reviews. Its so relaxing and enjoyable!
I think there are a few drake ships, or ships in general, that have a turret right next to engineering. And honesty I feel like this could easily be explained with lore. Engineers are an invaluable asset on a ship. If youre s small time operator on a ship like the caterpillar, and you can only afford to hire one crew member, you're likely gonna go for a an engineer and fly the ship yourself. Ideally, your engineer would spend most of their time in engineering, and if then occasion arises where they need to help man a turret, it's convenient to have one right by engineering. They could explain this in lore as like, a lesson we learned from some war.
excellent review and you just sold me on getting star citizen, you can't get much better than convincing someone to get the game so well done mate :)
I think the engineering philosophy in no direct access to the bridge is a matter of security. It means boarders also don’t have direct access to the ship’s controls. This makes sense for a vessel with a crew.
I like the circulation. It took me a while to figure out how it worked though. Once I figured it out, it seems like a neat trick to be able to navigate it. It's a little mazelike, which can work to your advantage tactically if you're boarded. I don't think it takes too long to run in a large circle up the stairs. Maybe it's not a bad idea to have a ladder closer to crew quarters; crew quarters are kind of awkwardly placed in relation to the command module. However everything is fine!
I love this ship so much, I bought another one in game. The risk to reward element with trading is incredible. Could do a couple of BiG profit runs before the long train journey but currently they're testing some server connected demand info and you cant sell a full load at any major shipping hub! Not played much since this was added but im sure they'll fix it or the hull series is doomed. The Cat Pirate version has all the MFD's with "fake" info on as you walk through the ship which feels so more immersive and I'm sure it's just a damn link to a kin folder thats not letting the standard version show it. Will be interesting to see what components they add to the module when it can separate.
as for the turret seat, it kinda makes sense to have your resident mechanic run to a gun turret if you get in a fight
Some of your comments on the ships show a bit of a lack of military understanding.
Having the front turret access be segmented from the front open cargo bay, is a very good design to prevent people running in and accessing the turret fast (the side doors could be kept shut in case of hostiles).
Since the front is a cargo bay, not an entrance, all your personell are going to come from the rear of the ship, so it wouldnt serve much purpose to keep turret accessible from two directions (harder to prevent intruders).
Yes, the side doors of the previous module can open, but this is the best they could do with a bad situation. ONE opening as opposed to TWO.
The same applies for the Mercury Starrunner.
It may seem as a civilian bad design to only have 1 entry/exit from the ship.
But in defensive terms, it is brilliant. A single choke point to defend greatly decreases the odds an invader can make it through.
Yes, there is the hidden hatch in the cargo bay, but again its "meant to be hidden", and it still ties in with the cargo bay as a single main defended area. As opposed to having a side-door next to the cockpit for intruders to easily hijack the bridge.
Furthermore the elevator/ladder as the bottleneck to access ANY room of the ship, is another brilliant defensive position (especially taking grenades into consideration).
Again, yes, intruders could use the hidden hatch, but the "point" of the design is that intruders wouldnt know about it.
Love your videos.
But it is definetly showing that you're a civilian architect, as opposed to a military designer.
I think you add an interesting perspective to the evaluation but 1 entry to the ship is not a safe idea, despite the advantages it might pose at a glance. Military designers take into account the possibilities of taking enemy fire, not just hijackers (in fact, you will likely encounter a hijacker exponentially less than you would enemies shooting at you).
Should a module catch fire, a cabin depressurize, or a hull panel rupture (to name a few of many possible things that can go wrong) and an evacuation of the ship is needed, leaving the ship from one point will have a terrible outcome for ships with more than a one-person crew as you all scramble for 1 exit (discounting the concealed hatch, as if you all go for it its effectiveness as a rapid exit is gone and if you split up between exits hostiles would only be paying attention to the overt exit thus partially nullifying its effectiveness, assuming they are not familiar with MSR's design). Not to mention, should the exits become obstructed by flames, or collapses, or debris, you are effectively trapped. This is something a military designer will take into account and, in the real world, tends prepare for much more than the possibility of 1 person bringing a vessel close enough to enter a ship to hijack it (not to mention with sensors and ship computers, it will be easy to identify points where attackers will make entry, and this will only become easier as you become more familiar with your ship).
You add a good bit of perspective to the analysis and I think there is some merit to what you say, but a lot of what Morphologis says is about architecture in general, and no matter what kind of architect you are, it's always going to be important to make sure the users of your design have the tools available to them to avoid disaster (whether that's an extra door for emergency exit or a choke point to stop hijackers!). Big ups :)
Wait... the Cat has crew quarters and not just a pilot seat and turrets?! Who'd have thought :D
Good vid Morph. I enjoyed your perspective.
GREAT VIDEO! On the flow thing, I'm really REALLY hoping when they go back to do the command module that they provide a ladder from the door on the side that you can enter whether it's docked to the body or not.
The Cat is the straight up moneymaker back in the 3.8x patch
I think I have been in the crew quarters like twice. Command deck access is fairly easy. Just go left from elevator doorway and you are in upper hallway, again left and straight on to cockpit.
Caterpillar broadside is a great feature..can't wait to mount the soon to be weapons in there and call my cat the black pearl.
And DRAKE does pretty much everything right. All their ships feel so much more real than other ships. Besides single seat fighters at least.
Kinda wonder if you can fit the main battle tanks into the cargo holds. I just imagine this ship rolles up on some mining org mid op, thinking it's one of theirs only to open all bay doors to show a wall of main battle tank cannons or AA to just onload salvo after salvo like a ship of the line.
I will miss this ship when the Herc C2 releases and i lose access to the Cat, she's a good cargo hauler with a fast quantum drive that makes hopping between planets a breeze for it's size.
Awesome transitions and editing Morph, it's a pleasure to watch!
3:08 "While that might not necessarily be true, at least visually they pull it off."
I mean, it's made of polygons, which technically don't weigh anything, so the center of rotation is wherever the designers want it to be. And even if it were to be actually built out of physical materials, ballast is a thing that exists, and the structural mass isn't necessarily going to have uniform density anyway, so the external shape doesn't really dictate the center of mass to begin with.
When I was really into SC, I considered myself a Cat *Captain* vs. a Cat Pilot.
I'd work hard and grind up to several 100 thousand UEC. Once I got there I'd literally hire someone or use a guild mate as a pilot. I'd start doing cargo runs all over and pay for the pilots for their assistance.
I'd stand in the wing and "Conn" the pilot into landings since he couldn't see the right side of the ship. Commanding "easy forward, easy forward. . . Hold. Easy right. Hold. Easy down. Five. . . Four. . . Three. . . Two... One. Touchdown."
In horizontal landing bays I would clear the pilot back since they can't rotate.
When landing into vertical bays I would go to the front and open the hatch and walk the pilot as far forward as the antenna array would safely allow before clearing him down, thus ensuring we avoided snagging the main propulsion engines on the back rim of the landing bay. For lateral guidance I would direct my pilots to fly as close to the edge of the left side of the command module as they felt appropriate which typically cleared the Wing.
Once clear I'd direct the navigation points to use. Where to go, etc.
When we would land, it was so much more efficient having a pilot in the seat for delivery of cargo because I could make my way down to the Foyer without the rigamorol of the seat exit animation each time. Especially when landing to moon surface and planetary surface landing pads where the pilot needs minimal or almost no directional guidance for short final. I would literally wait on the elevator. As soon as we were touch down I'd be exiting the ship to go sell cargo and get our next turn in. This alone saved a minute or two at each landing making the whole flow that much more efficient.
I'd calculate a 10% cut of whatever profit I made and pay the pilot through nav beacons. A pilot could make several tens of thousands within the hour using this method.
It was very immersive and brought to life the kind of core gameplay I sought and still seek to get out of SC. The Cat is a great ship to accomplish that.
. . As well as shenanigans. We landed small Merlin fighters in the bays not only while stationary but we actually managed to both launch and land while moving on several occasions.
It was very buggy and probably still is. But sometimes the bugs wouldn't show and we would manage to actually land it.
We'd pick a speed and the Cat would maintain. The Merlin has would pull alongside and match speed adjacent to the pod it was landing in. It would then uncouple and rotate to face toward the ship while still flying alongside at the same speed it had been going. Though both craft were moving through space and time, relative to each other they were stationary. The fighter pilot could then, using very small control inputs, start puffing its way into the bay.
Many of these attempts ended in disaster for one or both ships. Which was a headache, but as I stated before, several attempts were completed successfully and our elation when these attempts worked were some of my fondest memories of playing. The concept has been proved so now its a matter of cleaning up the bugginess... Haven't played in over a year so I'm curious to see how it's going now.
Watching this video makes me want to go hire a crew once again. :)
If you‘ve ever seen how the YT-1300 or the Millenium Falcon is supposed to load its Cargo (as as it is a hauler), you‘ll associate it a lot more with the Caterpillar. If you google "Corellian YT-1300 Cargo" you‘ll find images of it shoving cargo containers in front of the ship.
Well done and I agree with your review. It doesn't require many changes/improvements to be a truly interesting and useful ship. I am hoping the Drake millipede or something comes out and is 50% or more larger with two rows of cargo and two more of everything else. Having a central passage between rows and lots of hidey holes and other neat touches.