I loved how you pointed out the issue with lack of single player progression. I play with friends and org a decent amount, but I also often play solo or +1, and I would love more “high end” options for that in a smaller package. I really like the Zeus series. My main driver is the Taurus, but it does get a bit big and unwieldy solo, and would love to have a smaller option that brings a lot of the capability to the table. I think there is a compelling argument for each variant of the Zeus, with the MR and Clipper being standouts but that radar in the ES being a potential sleeper punch. Great review!
@bargaminga1062 You're entitled to your opinion. Fortunately most game devs / publishers disagree with you (CIG devs included). The reality is that without solo players most MMO's would not have particularly good player numbers and would likely die off.
@@Shypa Normally, I'd agree with you, but remember that a lot of people have been freed up now that SQ42 is feature complete. It was already in white box at citizencon when it was announced and they want to have all the RSI ships done this year. It should be done either before or by this years citizencon.
I can't wait for this ship! It'll be my daily driver. It's only eclipsed by the Apollo as my most anticipated :)). Hopefully they both come out by Citcon 2954!
I opted in for the ES. I have the C1 that I'll use for light cargo and bounty scavenging. The ES will be used more for it's intended purpose. Thanks for the vid!
@@LoudGuns I can imagine!: love the work though! Up to date is a tricky thing: so new vid's with updated info can help the new players out: also when the review isn't outdated no need for info ofcourse. : I imagine 2 dates/times that we'll need new info: the implementation of armour and the implementation of the new metrics for components.
by the intro i could tell you know what your talking about. also the pictures and zeus stuff in the background is amazing. im looking forward to this ship as it can be a ship that i can afford and my two friends can join on adventures!
Please do a review on the RSI Polaris. So much of it has changed. Finding the north star video on was awesome and they've changed the design even more when they showed it off at citizen con.
@@tylertiffin9067 You keep it until the ship you bought gets released. So when the Zeus gets released, the C1 gets removed and you get the Zeus instead. Until then, it's as if you bought the ship outright. For example, I have a Banu Merchantman, and I get a Banu Defender, MISC Hull C, and Hercules C2 Starlifter as my loaner ships. Not a bad deal, all things considered. Could be worse.
Added the MR to my Bounty Hunter roster, I see the Cutlass Blue as a Light to Medium target ship as she has the speed and firepower to catch faster targets, now the MR make the leap to Medium to Larger ships where the size 4 weapons are needed against the heavier shields and the EMP will assist in disabling a Larger ship like a Constellation or such sized targets. MR reflects its focus again similar slower ships. So they both serve a great purpose to a Bounty Hunter 😊
You can Solo the Mole and make about double what the prospector can. You can also solo the reclaimer and make about 3-4 times + more than vulture. Since bounty hunting does not really exist yet, its hard to say how to solo it or not.
I definitely love the look of the MR, but I have no interest in bounty hunting, until I see where it goes. I personally favor buying Explorers/touring ships, with a splash of medical and cargo. I have really started to like RSI, so I might purchase a Zeus, after they release! It will be that, or the E1 lol Excellent video, as always!
Already got a CCU (from an LTI token Mule) to the ES … it’s probably going to be my daily driver ‘Millennium Falcon’ and my ONLY ship (besides my Titan starter ship, which I will keep as a backup). Looks beautiful and I love the stats. 🚀
Yeh I picked up a clipper perfect small cargo ship - they look great they have good stats. My 400i is my main daily driver but I think the CL with triple the cargo may take over on launch.
Though I think the MR is great and I own one, getting it crewed up might be difficult. At this size, it looks almost more practical to take two additional dedicated fighters over having two people running the turrets. Hopefully I can get a crew to man it while we run with a larger crew tagging bounties, or pirating... or whatever we decide to do with it. :)
The Zeus ES was the ideal ship I've been waiting for. It's an exploration ship larger than the Dur but smaller than the Connie. I want to like the Dur but it's such an ugly ship inside and out
The solo player can progress to bigger ships in the future with the NPC´s Crew. And with server meshing near that put the NPC´s crew not to far away too.
Looking at the Zeus, it certainty doesn't give the impression to be slower or less manouverable than a freelancer or cutty. Maybe slower than the Spirits, but also not kess manouverable. I agree with your point about progression, and not all ships need to be equal, or at least not artificially nerf them, if anything, start to buff older ships to become equal, that could be that the cutty is the most affordable, the freelancer the thoughest armor wise, the spirit the fastest which fit with Crusader, yet the Spirit isn't exactly super manouverable, I'd say the cutty is better in that regard.
This was the first long break I've taken from SC in a while. I own an F8C and preordered a Zeus Mk II but couldn't stand the loaner (A1 Spirit) and haven't booted the game since preordering the Zeus. When it finally comes out I'll come back but they need to hurry it up lol
Beautiful ship. THough I think it sits above the Cutlass/Freelancer/Spirit in a lineup, but not quite to the lever of stuff like the Connie Taurus (kind of like a Freelancer Max, but above? Its in between the Conni/corsair/MSR and the $110-$125 USD ships both in price, and in capabilities as well. I'm torn between the ES and CL or maybe wanting to have both? WOuld make sense to start with CL and use that to make money to buy ES in game, but am likely to get ES and explore, I think that will be a good ship to have. I do love the Spirit right now, and also the MSR, and feel as though this ship feets between those two ships, or betwen a Freelancer and COnstellation type ship. WOuld've been nice if they made these ships modular (like the Galaxy) and you could buy a base version and then have either the MR, CL or ES modules, but that may have been a bit complex.
These 2 are the most tempting to me. I love the MR and the more I think about it I always have a Freelancer MAX in my in game hangar, which will probably fall off the "to buy" list in favour of a CL when it's in the ship shops.
@@LoudGuns The Freelancer Max was one of my favorite ships for a long time so the Zeus CL is the perfect choice for me. The Cargo is big enough to do some hauling and to transport 2 ROCs and maybe an Ursa.
Problem about making more powerful solo ships to make a rewarding upgrade path is overall balance. Say they release a solo endgame mining ship with a s2 if not even s3 mining laser, large cargo space to haul those minerals and all the stuff an endgame ship needs. When it comes to a group of players what’s the benefit of flying a Mole if you can all fly separately this endgame solo ship? It shifts the balance from multicrew to simple multiplayer, similar to how Elite dangerous does. I’m not saying that’s bad, but SC always seemed designed with multicrew in mind, and the ship philosophy reflects that imo.
I am new to the verse, and maybe my view on this is a bit different. I really like the overall structure and variants of the Zeus, but I absolutely don't like the look. Instead I really love the Crusader ships, so I upgraded my beloved Titan starter for a C1 just recently. I love the look and cargo, but I miss my canopy entrance and the coziness of the Titan. I also bought a vulture, and I appreciate how well it is designed, but again, I can't feel "at home" in it, here because of the industrial look. So, knowing the Zeus is by all means a great ship, I will probably not use it. Maybe I will go for the MSR instead, just for the look...
i still find the andromeda the best overall ship. i did, however buy the zues cl. looking forward to seeing how it stacks up against the connie. love the show, hope you'll be around for a long time.
Feel sorry for the C1 purchasers. The CL has twice the storage. 2x s4 mounts for pilot while also getting the same turret with s3 guns for copilot and a s2 tractor beam. Sure it is supposedly going to be slower. But you get a lot more in less space and it is only 20% more to purchase. I have a Hull B (at $90 price years ago) so I am not in the market for a small to mid sized cargo hauler. I am waiting for CIG to give me a true competitor to the vanguard because I do not like anything about that ship. I want a 2 person heavy with all interior accommodations. Want to get rid of my Ares Inferno which is as effective as Nancy Kerrigan after Tonya Harding. They reduced its maneuverability and made it shoot a shotgun spread. Also it is quite a large ship and has zero interior, not even a bed, yet has an extreme range capability. The Aurora has a bed in a tiny ship and has no range. CIG must be blindly just picking traits from a hat when they are spec'ing ships.
I love the C1 for his Normandy ship vibes from Mass Effect. I bought a CCU for the Zeus but Im curious to wait something about atmospheric flight, the big wing on Spirit should be a big pro for it. The CCU is not applied so I will wait
Crusader ships should be best flyers of their type of ship. It is one of the MFG defining characteristics. Sadly as they nerfed the ares, they made it the worst performing heavy in game. Meanwhile the new "not a meta" currently being marketed is the f8 which is nearly best handling in its class and definitely has the firepower crown of its class with 2x s3 and 6x s2 for the pilot.
Zeus MkII CL will probably replace my Freelancer MAX. First reason I like the Zeus design more, second once they actually have proper atmospheric flight I think this will be a way better choice than the MAX.
Yes I got he CL as the cargo for that ship size is good Ive been using the C1 as the loaner and like it but some landing bays are very tight LOL like the MR it calls to me . all this without adding any cash just changing my hanger around just need a mid size salvage ship now and Im done LOL will if the Arrastra is ok lol
I absolutely agree with you that ships of the same size categories dont need to be balanced between them. The Zeus Mk II looks a lot more aerodinamic and nimble than any of the competition. It SHOULD be better at everything, but costing significantly more (UEC) to buy and operate.
No suggestion that they would be slaved so yeah compared to the 4 pilot guns on things like the cutty or freelancer, the +1 size difference is unlikely to make up for the -2 weapons in terms of raw dps. Should improve your range though, and obviously we don’t have a read on capacitors yet but mag size would probably be higher
while impressive it's a hard call to upgrade from the spirit C1 to the Zeus simply because as a single player taking on the verse, the firepower seems lacking. CCUs have been secured and ill see how they turn out on IAE before taking the dip and hitting that upgrade button
I also got a CL CCU for my C1, but the weapon downgrade and potentially worse handling is making it more questionable. On the other hand I do much prefer the central seating (though the C1 offset isn't terrible, but it sure makes that radar between the seats mostly useless), and multiple entry points (had to abandon my C1 the other day because I didn't see there was a drop from the ramp to the ground and couldn't jump back in or stack boxes to help with jumping...) not to mention docking ability and double cargo.
I disagree about ships being better than others in absolute terms. No ship should be "the best", in my mind, and that includes within a class. Otherwise, why use anything else? But I do agree that more 2-7 person ships (that can be solo crewed in a pinch) is a positive thing. It's one thing I like about the Cutlass and Freelancer series. I can fly them alone, or with a friend, or two. It's a more practical setup for most people than a ship that requires 15+ people. More options is better, imo, as long as they don't step on each others' toes TOO much and that none are objectively simply better than the others. For example, the Zeus Clipper has more cargo and defenses, but the Freelancer MAX is PRETTY close while also being a smaller ship that is likely more maneuverable. This gives players some choice in which they like better or which is better suited to their needs. That, to me, is good design.
I saw this the Zeus ES and I had to have it. I then heired that there may be some hush hush talk about a 4th style? anyone know anything about that rumor?
Waiting on my MR! as noted on the webiste "With a focus on security, the Zeus Mk II MR features an EMP device and quantum dampener to neutralize hostile forces."
The only issue so far with the MR (and i pledged the concept myself) is that the speed of it is slower than any other QD equipped ship in the game. Every QD equipped ship so far be it Mantis, Blue or Antares has a 1300 MS top speed. You need this top speed to stay caught up to whatever you aren't letting QT away. CIG said in their concept FAQ that the Zeuss will be slower than the Spirit series; and that one tops out around 1200 MS i think. so slower ? 1050 maybe ? Yeah , not good for a unit designed to keep stuff. Even a cutty black can outrun you then.
@@NL0Gwenster Thank you for the information even though it sucks to hear. Maybe their idea is that you drop in, let off EMP to disable the ship and dampen the quantum drive. So its "more realistic"? doesn't sound to fun, but I can upgrade to to something else if it does not perform good.
I think this is a point I will likely hammer home in future videos - I think it's really important to start to see this kind of progression as well as "bigger is better" progression.
@@LoudGuns engineering and components and tuning will hopefully bring more ways to upgrade and progress within the same ship as well. But ship progression without needing more people is good.
Great job ,I owned all 4 of the freelancer variants and upgraded to all three of variants of the RSI Zeus MK II,I was upset they did not give me back the Freelancer max until the CL comes out considering the max is the closest to the same cargo hold size of 120.I also Have the Cutlass Blue and Red,which I upgraded from my Avenger stalker and my Pieces Rescue both major upgrades to both ships,yet I kept the Rescue for my fleet for a small medical ship that fits in the cargo hold of large ships like the Hercules and the hanger of my Carrack,I like to have single ships as well as multi crew ships for all around use for myself as well as group play.It's important that everyone understands that the really big ships in the future will have to have a few people on board to help run the ship and you won't really be able to pilot and fly really big ships alone so if you don't want to play with an org or can't get people together to fly the ship it's not a good idea to buy a really large ships and stick to the smaller crew ships or 1 to 4 person crews.I would recommend building a fleet from single player perspective first and only upgrade to larger ships which game play you love to be involved with multi crew events ,whether its FPS or Mining, salvage or trade hauling and so on. Thank you again and see you all out in the verse.
@ 8:30 Instead of saying meat racks and getting folks in an uproar, suggest individual holding compartments with a view, kitchen access, and bathroom facilities but in reality, they are encased and hung up on ceiling hangers with a central line, or central venous catheter, which is much longer than a regular IV. Doctors use them to give medicine, fluids, blood, or nutrition to patients or in this case Bounties. Or if you're a Pirate (Redirected Human Resources). Good Video! I like the RSI Zeus design.
you bring up a really good point of having a capability upgrades only issue is CIG will always sell ships so stronger ships would have to be alot more expensive to repair and maintain.
Was it mentioned in the video which ground vehicles fit? I think this is a big deal, specially for exploration, and if I’m not mistaken the doors are too small for even a cyclone, right? So only bikes and golf carts (or the STV).
Thanks for the vidz. Looking forward to this series, i am huge fan of Spirit Zeries, we can find the RSI touch here and the MR will be great. As mainly a solo player, i totally agree with the need of better solo progression which doesn't mean that a solo player could be able to fly a Javelin on his own but should have a different goal than a full crew team. Let's trust CIG on this.
I went with the ES. If I want more cargo, I'll go with an actual cargo vehicle like a C2. The MR tempted me, but I feel it sacrifices _too_ much cargo. One of the joys of bounty hunting is the treasure. While I expect it to stay around the same level it's currently nerfed to, I would still like the option if I find a hold of Weevil Eggs or Maze, I'll be able to grab enough to make the trip to sell them worth my time. And let's be real. If I go bounty hunting, I would rather have more ships than more people in guns. One extra is the sweet spot I think for most of those situation. Mostly to keep someone from dropping into your 6 while you work on the target.
I think the Zeus looks amazing physically and on paper. Actually kind of erked I got the C1 before knowing about the Zeus. I should've upgraded on the spot but I didn't know what I was getting until the Zeus was no longer on sale. Not a fan of the C1 at all. I'd list everything I don't like about it but it's my problem and I don't feel like arguing with anyone on UA-cam lol. I will be upgrading from it as soon as possible. Hopefully the Zeus will be it.
Other than the already-stated differences, it seems like if/when resource management goes live these ships will be ideal for intro-level multicrew gameplay with 2-3 people whereas the cutlass and spirit seem like they will be much more straightforward to fly solo. I'm waiting for bounty hunting and exploration to come in to be more interested in these, but they look like very neat designs regardless.
Very excited for the ES, as it's the only exploration ship, other than the deeply uncomfortable Freelancer DUR, of a size that's big enough to feel like it can support a long expedition, but small enough that it doesn't feel ludicrous to crew it solo.
Got all Three and will melt and buy in game later. The ES is my favorite due to 4 size 2 shields, can’t wait for the 4th variant that will announce closer to the Zeus flyable release
I currently have the C1 but my general disdain for ramp entry and with the C1 having milimeter clearance for small vertical hangars is really pushing me to upgrade to the CL. At least I'll still have a C1 as a loaner in the meantime.
You could always just pickup a cheap CCU to the CL and wait and see what it's like on release - that way you lock in the current price but don't have to commit to the upgrade.
Yeah lol, if you don't thrust anywhere but straight up, you still clip the hanger. Blows my mind that it makes you land and lift off from those hangers. I actually HATE the c1. I love the starlifters though so I thought I'd love the C1 but not the case. I will be melting it asap.
For a meager 20% increase you can get double the SCU, bigger pilot guns, 2! more shields of same size, and space for 1 more friend if desired. All in a smaller size. I used to like Crusader, but they have become almost as much form over function as Origin and nearly as expensive.
@@Power5 Component sizes and assignment are currently being reworked as part of the engineering gameplay update. Most ships will be getting more slightly-smaller components for better redundancy and flexibility. Therefore we can't directly compare the Zeus loadout to older ships. The Zeus is going to be much slower than the Spirit. Not Hull A/B slow, but toward that end of the scale. So having more cargo capacity doesn't do you as much good if you're easy prey outside high-security systems. This is how CIG does balancing. Every model has pros and cons. There is no best ship.
C1 is a patch old. Are you thinking the spirit will get 2x s1 shields instead of a single s2 like it has now? That is still significantly less shield than the Zeus series. Spirit also has half the power slots. I guess you are thinking that the spirit will downsize and get double or do you think they are just going to double the amount of same size components that ALL ships have?
@@Power5 I have no idea the details of the component refactoring, only that it is happening, and that the Zeus is the first craft spec written under the new metrics. We'll simply have to wait before we can compare the two.
CCU'd to a Zeus ES...would have gotten the MR but I'm waiting on CIG to acknowledge the ST variant. If the ST variant is a thing I believe it will be in the same price point as the MR, and will upgrade my ES to the ST. Either way you cannot go wrong with any variant of the Zeus MkII.
I change my Freelancer Max for the Zeus MkII CL especially for the pilot visibility (awful on Freelancers...), the tractor beam, and the design. The huge cargo (128 scu), weak armement, and the impossibility to access to components when fully loaded will push players to do only trade, and avoid any kind of fights.
I got all 3 ships. Cutty Blue upgraded to Mk 2. Got the CL and have a CCU for the ES. ES will be able to stay out longer and this ship will probably be my smuggling ship when I want to take longer routes and try to avoid any pirates and or law enforcement areas. MR will be my bounty hunter ship when in the mood for those mission types. And possibly combat missions for mercenary contracts. Even bunker missions. This ship is versatile AF The clipper will be my daily driver for cargo. I love the fact that the ship has other exits including a ladder and docking rings. The MK2 is my favorite ship and I am sure to see many out there with this ship. I'm looking forward to seeing these ships in-game. My MSR was a huge disappointment and getting that promise for a second exit years ago kept me hoping. Now I'm just giving up on those dreams. I feel like the MSR is a joke right now. Hopefully, they can turn it around one day... who knows 😢. At least these ships give me hope in playing again.
Yeah it always shows when they release new models how they've learned much more since making some ships - the old joke goes that you should hope "your" ship is the last they ever get around to making!
I currently have my C1 spirit to a ES, and have a upgrade from the ES to a MR, basicly i will be waiting to see which i like better when i can see their actual interiors and just melt the upgrade if the MR dont cut it for me. To me the interior is probably the most important part of a ship as i like felling like my ship is my home.
I have the MK II ES and I upgraded my C1 to the MK II CL. While the C1 is nice, you can easily damage the VTOL engines on a pointy rock and throw off it's stability, like I did on Hurston.
@@deutschhhhh6922 The MK II will be slightly slower, but that's not a problem. I think the ES and CL will be all around better ships because they have better shields, armor and range. The fuel scoops are a plus. It looks like CIG released the C1 to be replaced by the MK II. The MK II has two (three with the docking collar) points of entry and a better habitat. Just a better ship.
I would argue that weight class isn’t the best metric for comparison for the Zeus ES specifically. The armament, shields and scanners put it more in line with the 400i as far as hard stats are concerned. The 400i has some amenities over the Zeus ES like the map table in the crew hab area and the dedicated vehicle bay but other than that it’s closest to a 400i in capability and hard stats.
It’s true that in the current economy bigger = better for trading, but I really hope in the future that we see some more specialist trade runs that cater to the nimble haulers like the CL / Freelancer Max etc
I must of been under a rock when these 1st came out. Not a big fan of the Dur, so during the "In Case You Missed It" option to buy yesterday I picked up the CCU to ES. And then in a moment of weakness picked up a Blue to MR CCU.
I loved how you pointed out the issue with lack of single player progression. I play with friends and org a decent amount, but I also often play solo or +1, and I would love more “high end” options for that in a smaller package.
I really like the Zeus series. My main driver is the Taurus, but it does get a bit big and unwieldy solo, and would love to have a smaller option that brings a lot of the capability to the table. I think there is a compelling argument for each variant of the Zeus, with the MR and Clipper being standouts but that radar in the ES being a potential sleeper punch. Great review!
Yep I think it’s really important that there’s a bit more diversity in terms of progression for fleshing out the solo / small group experience
@bargaminga1062 single player and playing solo or in a small group within an mmo are different things
@bargaminga1062 You're entitled to your opinion. Fortunately most game devs / publishers disagree with you (CIG devs included). The reality is that without solo players most MMO's would not have particularly good player numbers and would likely die off.
Anakin: "Incorrect"
Proud owner of a Zeus MR and patiently awaiting it's release.
Same! Just hoping we get some update on BH gameplay ahead of that!
Yea budy!
Im impatiently waiting
2026 best guess
@@Shypa Normally, I'd agree with you, but remember that a lot of people have been freed up now that SQ42 is feature complete. It was already in white box at citizencon when it was announced and they want to have all the RSI ships done this year. It should be done either before or by this years citizencon.
I am looking forward to these ships. They have a lot of potential for solo and small group game play. Could be my new fav daily drivers.
long range radar and deployment of snipers on bikes. :D
The Zeus Mk2 ES was and is still my favorite ship. Took me a while to be able to acquire it but, we did it. Can't wait for it to be released.
I can't wait for this ship! It'll be my daily driver. It's only eclipsed by the Apollo as my most anticipated :)). Hopefully they both come out by Citcon 2954!
I opted in for the ES. I have the C1 that I'll use for light cargo and bounty scavenging. The ES will be used more for it's intended purpose.
Thanks for the vid!
I'm a sucker for ship reviews: to bad many old ships have outdated reviews, so keep these coming :-)
They can be good fun to make, but much like guides keeping them up to date can be tricky!
@@LoudGuns I can imagine!: love the work though! Up to date is a tricky thing: so new vid's with updated info can help the new players out: also when the review isn't outdated no need for info ofcourse. : I imagine 2 dates/times that we'll need new info: the implementation of armour and the implementation of the new metrics for components.
The Zeus looks great. Like a baby Galaxy.
by the intro i could tell you know what your talking about. also the pictures and zeus stuff in the background is amazing. im looking forward to this ship as it can be a ship that i can afford and my two friends can join on adventures!
You know, every time you say grab a cup of tea... I do...
Good on you! I need to redo the intro and I think I'm going to do a one off joke version with me making a pot of tea in a picture in picture :D
Very good video. Enjoyed the information and how you weighed in. I didn’t even think about redundancy with the components for example.
I'm excited for the ES to be my long-range exploration and expedition ship, but remain disappointed that its been left with the A1 as a loaner.
Same tbh, you'd think it would be the Freelancer Dur or something 🤔
Please do a review on the RSI Polaris. So much of it has changed. Finding the north star video on was awesome and they've changed the design even more when they showed it off at citizen con.
i purchased my concept CL yesterday. Its perfect because you get the C1 as a loaner ship!
How long do you get to keep a loaner ship?
@@tylertiffin9067 You keep it until the ship you bought gets released. So when the Zeus gets released, the C1 gets removed and you get the Zeus instead. Until then, it's as if you bought the ship outright.
For example, I have a Banu Merchantman, and I get a Banu Defender, MISC Hull C, and Hercules C2 Starlifter as my loaner ships.
Not a bad deal, all things considered. Could be worse.
Love the ES. CL has crazy cargo. Have no need for MR, don't plan to bring back anyone alive.
This is one of those ships when I absolutely love all 3 variants and can't decide which one to use more. :)
Awesome ship that seems to be ahead of schedule and only a short ways away.
Can’t wait for my ES
Added the MR to my Bounty Hunter roster, I see the Cutlass Blue as a Light to Medium target ship as she has the speed and firepower to catch faster targets, now the MR make the leap to Medium to Larger ships where the size 4 weapons are needed against the heavier shields and the EMP will assist in disabling a Larger ship like a Constellation or such sized targets. MR reflects its focus again similar slower ships. So they both serve a great purpose to a Bounty Hunter 😊
You can Solo the Mole and make about double what the prospector can. You can also solo the reclaimer and make about 3-4 times + more than vulture. Since bounty hunting does not really exist yet, its hard to say how to solo it or not.
My 315p turned into a Zeus MR. So I am with you.
I like the look of these ships. I bought a CCU for each of them (Razor -> CL/ES; Super Hornet -> MR), but I'll definitely wait with applying them.
Zues ES is best buy in price for a well rounded vehicle. Im getting one for sure.
Thx for the nice summary. Makes the waiting much more bearable. Bought the CL version but maybe sometime I will get the bounty hunter version too.
I definitely love the look of the MR, but I have no interest in bounty hunting, until I see where it goes. I personally favor buying Explorers/touring ships, with a splash of medical and cargo. I have really started to like RSI, so I might purchase a Zeus, after they release! It will be that, or the E1 lol
Excellent video, as always!
Already got a CCU (from an LTI token Mule) to the ES … it’s probably going to be my daily driver ‘Millennium Falcon’ and my ONLY ship (besides my Titan starter ship, which I will keep as a backup).
Looks beautiful and I love the stats.
🚀
To my eyes best looking ship theyve made it look like a space lambo im gonna purchase 1 as soon as as possible and hop in gameplay around 4.0
Yeh I picked up a clipper perfect small cargo ship - they look great they have good stats. My 400i is my main daily driver but I think the CL with triple the cargo may take over on launch.
I'm wondering what CIG has with having all these ships with those protruding things along the side of the cockpit.
That said. Im excited for this ship
Though I think the MR is great and I own one, getting it crewed up might be difficult. At this size, it looks almost more practical to take two additional dedicated fighters over having two people running the turrets.
Hopefully I can get a crew to man it while we run with a larger crew tagging bounties, or pirating... or whatever we decide to do with it. :)
The Zeus ES was the ideal ship I've been waiting for. It's an exploration ship larger than the Dur but smaller than the Connie. I want to like the Dur but it's such an ugly ship inside and out
The solo player can progress to bigger ships in the future with the NPC´s Crew. And with server meshing near that put the NPC´s crew not to far away too.
Looking at the Zeus, it certainty doesn't give the impression to be slower or less manouverable than a freelancer or cutty. Maybe slower than the Spirits, but also not kess manouverable. I agree with your point about progression, and not all ships need to be equal, or at least not artificially nerf them, if anything, start to buff older ships to become equal, that could be that the cutty is the most affordable, the freelancer the thoughest armor wise, the spirit the fastest which fit with Crusader, yet the Spirit isn't exactly super manouverable, I'd say the cutty is better in that regard.
The MR is so cool. Cant wait to have working prisoner pods in the verse.
Once my new P.C is finally finished, the cargo variant will be my starter.
This was the first long break I've taken from SC in a while. I own an F8C and preordered a Zeus Mk II but couldn't stand the loaner (A1 Spirit) and haven't booted the game since preordering the Zeus. When it finally comes out I'll come back but they need to hurry it up lol
dude what the c1 is unironically like THE most useful ship
It is younger, sexier, but my first dedicated cargo holder is going to stay the MAX :)
Beautiful ship. THough I think it sits above the Cutlass/Freelancer/Spirit in a lineup, but not quite to the lever of stuff like the Connie Taurus (kind of like a Freelancer Max, but above? Its in between the Conni/corsair/MSR and the $110-$125 USD ships both in price, and in capabilities as well.
I'm torn between the ES and CL or maybe wanting to have both? WOuld make sense to start with CL and use that to make money to buy ES in game, but am likely to get ES and explore, I think that will be a good ship to have. I do love the Spirit right now, and also the MSR, and feel as though this ship feets between those two ships, or betwen a Freelancer and COnstellation type ship. WOuld've been nice if they made these ships modular (like the Galaxy) and you could buy a base version and then have either the MR, CL or ES modules, but that may have been a bit complex.
Definitely gettin a CL and MR.
These 2 are the most tempting to me. I love the MR and the more I think about it I always have a Freelancer MAX in my in game hangar, which will probably fall off the "to buy" list in favour of a CL when it's in the ship shops.
@@LoudGuns The Freelancer Max was one of my favorite ships for a long time so the Zeus CL is the perfect choice for me.
The Cargo is big enough to do some hauling and to transport 2 ROCs and maybe an Ursa.
I upgraded my aurora starter pack to the ES, gonna be my daily!
I purchased the Zeus pack, I'm super looking forward to it's release. I really wish they'd just make the Apollo the Zeus medical variant
I hope the solo play issues are solved out when they introduce the hirable Ai crew members. That is still a thing in the works, right?
Hopefully, I would like the option of playing without having to have an org or relying on strangers for everything.
Problem about making more powerful solo ships to make a rewarding upgrade path is overall balance. Say they release a solo endgame mining ship with a s2 if not even s3 mining laser, large cargo space to haul those minerals and all the stuff an endgame ship needs. When it comes to a group of players what’s the benefit of flying a Mole if you can all fly separately this endgame solo ship? It shifts the balance from multicrew to simple multiplayer, similar to how Elite dangerous does. I’m not saying that’s bad, but SC always seemed designed with multicrew in mind, and the ship philosophy reflects that imo.
I am new to the verse, and maybe my view on this is a bit different. I really like the overall structure and variants of the Zeus, but I absolutely don't like the look. Instead I really love the Crusader ships, so I upgraded my beloved Titan starter for a C1 just recently. I love the look and cargo, but I miss my canopy entrance and the coziness of the Titan. I also bought a vulture, and I appreciate how well it is designed, but again, I can't feel "at home" in it, here because of the industrial look.
So, knowing the Zeus is by all means a great ship, I will probably not use it. Maybe I will go for the MSR instead, just for the look...
I bought the Zeus CL cant wait
i still find the andromeda the best overall ship. i did, however buy the zues cl. looking forward to seeing how it stacks up against the connie. love the show, hope you'll be around for a long time.
Feel sorry for the C1 purchasers. The CL has twice the storage. 2x s4 mounts for pilot while also getting the same turret with s3 guns for copilot and a s2 tractor beam. Sure it is supposedly going to be slower. But you get a lot more in less space and it is only 20% more to purchase. I have a Hull B (at $90 price years ago) so I am not in the market for a small to mid sized cargo hauler. I am waiting for CIG to give me a true competitor to the vanguard because I do not like anything about that ship. I want a 2 person heavy with all interior accommodations. Want to get rid of my Ares Inferno which is as effective as Nancy Kerrigan after Tonya Harding. They reduced its maneuverability and made it shoot a shotgun spread. Also it is quite a large ship and has zero interior, not even a bed, yet has an extreme range capability. The Aurora has a bed in a tiny ship and has no range. CIG must be blindly just picking traits from a hat when they are spec'ing ships.
I love the C1 for his Normandy ship vibes from Mass Effect. I bought a CCU for the Zeus but Im curious to wait something about atmospheric flight, the big wing on Spirit should be a big pro for it.
The CCU is not applied so I will wait
Crusader ships should be best flyers of their type of ship. It is one of the MFG defining characteristics. Sadly as they nerfed the ares, they made it the worst performing heavy in game. Meanwhile the new "not a meta" currently being marketed is the f8 which is nearly best handling in its class and definitely has the firepower crown of its class with 2x s3 and 6x s2 for the pilot.
Could you make a video like this about the Polaris? Would really love the things you review put on the Polaris!
Considering it’s one of the big ships I’ve treated myself to personally I may well consider it 👍
Zeus MkII CL will probably replace my Freelancer MAX. First reason I like the Zeus design more, second once they actually have proper atmospheric flight I think this will be a way better choice than the MAX.
Love the Zeus but trying to see if I can justify the es while owning a Corsair
I wonder if I should melt my c1 for this ship. I love my c1 a lot though.
I'm really interested in upgrading my Freelancer MIS to one of these, but I really need to see more as time goes on.
Yeah I’d very much advise a good old wait and see approach!
Yes I got he CL as the cargo for that ship size is good Ive been using the C1 as the loaner and like it but some landing bays are very tight LOL like the MR it calls to me . all this without adding any cash just changing my hanger around just need a mid size salvage ship now and Im done LOL will if the Arrastra is ok lol
I absolutely agree with you that ships of the same size categories dont need to be balanced between them. The Zeus Mk II looks a lot more aerodinamic and nimble than any of the competition. It SHOULD be better at everything, but costing significantly more (UEC) to buy and operate.
Are any of the turrets slaved btw?
The Zeus seems to have quite measly firepower otherwise when soloing
No suggestion that they would be slaved so yeah compared to the 4 pilot guns on things like the cutty or freelancer, the +1 size difference is unlikely to make up for the -2 weapons in terms of raw dps. Should improve your range though, and obviously we don’t have a read on capacitors yet but mag size would probably be higher
while impressive it's a hard call to upgrade from the spirit C1 to the Zeus simply because as a single player taking on the verse, the firepower seems lacking. CCUs have been secured and ill see how they turn out on IAE before taking the dip and hitting that upgrade button
I also got a CL CCU for my C1, but the weapon downgrade and potentially worse handling is making it more questionable. On the other hand I do much prefer the central seating (though the C1 offset isn't terrible, but it sure makes that radar between the seats mostly useless), and multiple entry points (had to abandon my C1 the other day because I didn't see there was a drop from the ramp to the ground and couldn't jump back in or stack boxes to help with jumping...) not to mention docking ability and double cargo.
Allegedly, it will be out Q3 2024 with 4.0.
I disagree about ships being better than others in absolute terms. No ship should be "the best", in my mind, and that includes within a class. Otherwise, why use anything else?
But I do agree that more 2-7 person ships (that can be solo crewed in a pinch) is a positive thing. It's one thing I like about the Cutlass and Freelancer series. I can fly them alone, or with a friend, or two. It's a more practical setup for most people than a ship that requires 15+ people. More options is better, imo, as long as they don't step on each others' toes TOO much and that none are objectively simply better than the others. For example, the Zeus Clipper has more cargo and defenses, but the Freelancer MAX is PRETTY close while also being a smaller ship that is likely more maneuverable. This gives players some choice in which they like better or which is better suited to their needs.
That, to me, is good design.
So is this just a bigger version of the intel ship? Reminds me with the hull and the so called fuel intakes
The Sabre Raven has 2x EMP's I think, but its just a fighter - you won't be able to capture bounties with it.
its so beautiful
reminds of my fav ship ED the Python
what is the loaner they give you for this one
my slight irk since CitCon. the white box interior vid shows 64scu inside ES
I saw this the Zeus ES and I had to have it. I then heired that there may be some hush hush talk about a 4th style? anyone know anything about that rumor?
Not true that the other variants don't have anything under utility.
MR has a QD and an EMP, ES got a radar scanner turret.
Brought the cargo ver yesterday
Melted my MAX for one yesterday :)
Waiting on my MR! as noted on the webiste "With a focus on security, the Zeus Mk II MR features an EMP device and quantum dampener to neutralize hostile forces."
The only issue so far with the MR (and i pledged the concept myself) is that the speed of it is slower than any other QD equipped ship in the game. Every QD equipped ship so far be it Mantis, Blue or Antares has a 1300 MS top speed. You need this top speed to stay caught up to whatever you aren't letting QT away. CIG said in their concept FAQ that the Zeuss will be slower than the Spirit series; and that one tops out around 1200 MS i think. so slower ? 1050 maybe ? Yeah , not good for a unit designed to keep stuff. Even a cutty black can outrun you then.
@@NL0Gwenster Thank you for the information even though it sucks to hear. Maybe their idea is that you drop in, let off EMP to disable the ship and dampen the quantum drive. So its "more realistic"? doesn't sound to fun, but I can upgrade to to something else if it does not perform good.
This is exactly why I got it.
I like the point on ship progression but not necessarily size growth.
I think this is a point I will likely hammer home in future videos - I think it's really important to start to see this kind of progression as well as "bigger is better" progression.
@@LoudGuns engineering and components and tuning will hopefully bring more ways to upgrade and progress within the same ship as well. But ship progression without needing more people is good.
@@centermassgamer323 great point 👍
Great job ,I owned all 4 of the freelancer variants and upgraded to all three of variants of the RSI Zeus MK II,I was upset they did not give me back the Freelancer max until the CL comes out considering the max is the closest to the same cargo hold size of 120.I also Have the Cutlass Blue and Red,which I upgraded from my Avenger stalker and my Pieces Rescue both major upgrades to both ships,yet I kept the Rescue for my fleet for a small medical ship that fits in the cargo hold of large ships like the Hercules and the hanger of my Carrack,I like to have single ships as well as multi crew ships for all around use for myself as well as group play.It's important that everyone understands that the really big ships in the future will have to have a few people on board to help run the ship and you won't really be able to pilot and fly really big ships alone so if you don't want to play with an org or can't get people together to fly the ship it's not a good idea to buy a really large ships and stick to the smaller crew ships or 1 to 4 person crews.I would recommend building a fleet from single player perspective first and only upgrade to larger ships which game play you love to be involved with multi crew events ,whether its FPS or Mining, salvage or trade hauling and so on. Thank you again and see you all out in the verse.
Awesome content!
@ 8:30 Instead of saying meat racks and getting folks in an uproar, suggest individual holding compartments with a view, kitchen access, and bathroom facilities but in reality, they are encased and hung up on ceiling hangers with a central line, or central venous catheter, which is much longer than a regular IV. Doctors use them to give medicine, fluids, blood, or nutrition to patients or in this case Bounties. Or if you're a Pirate (Redirected Human Resources). Good Video! I like the RSI Zeus design.
you bring up a really good point of having a capability upgrades only issue is CIG will always sell ships so stronger ships would have to be alot more expensive to repair and maintain.
I traded in my cutlass blue for the MR as soon as i saw it last Citizencon
bought all of them 🤗
Was it mentioned in the video which ground vehicles fit?
I think this is a big deal, specially for exploration, and if I’m not mistaken the doors are too small for even a cyclone, right? So only bikes and golf carts (or the STV).
Thanks for the vidz. Looking forward to this series, i am huge fan of Spirit Zeries, we can find the RSI touch here and the MR will be great. As mainly a solo player, i totally agree with the need of better solo progression which doesn't mean that a solo player could be able to fly a Javelin on his own but should have a different goal than a full crew team. Let's trust CIG on this.
I went with the ES. If I want more cargo, I'll go with an actual cargo vehicle like a C2. The MR tempted me, but I feel it sacrifices _too_ much cargo. One of the joys of bounty hunting is the treasure. While I expect it to stay around the same level it's currently nerfed to, I would still like the option if I find a hold of Weevil Eggs or Maze, I'll be able to grab enough to make the trip to sell them worth my time. And let's be real. If I go bounty hunting, I would rather have more ships than more people in guns. One extra is the sweet spot I think for most of those situation. Mostly to keep someone from dropping into your 6 while you work on the target.
I think the Zeus looks amazing physically and on paper. Actually kind of erked I got the C1 before knowing about the Zeus. I should've upgraded on the spot but I didn't know what I was getting until the Zeus was no longer on sale. Not a fan of the C1 at all. I'd list everything I don't like about it but it's my problem and I don't feel like arguing with anyone on UA-cam lol. I will be upgrading from it as soon as possible. Hopefully the Zeus will be it.
you can now get an upgrade. Zeuses are on sale
@Sacred421, check out the ICYMI sale.
@@mediocre_etrnl for sure. Ty
@@Sacred421 no problem. enjoy the game 07
Reminds of my ED corvette
Other than the already-stated differences, it seems like if/when resource management goes live these ships will be ideal for intro-level multicrew gameplay with 2-3 people whereas the cutlass and spirit seem like they will be much more straightforward to fly solo. I'm waiting for bounty hunting and exploration to come in to be more interested in these, but they look like very neat designs regardless.
Very excited for the ES, as it's the only exploration ship, other than the deeply uncomfortable Freelancer DUR, of a size that's big enough to feel like it can support a long expedition, but small enough that it doesn't feel ludicrous to crew it solo.
The MR for me, will be my new main habitat :)
Hopefully in the pilot seat rather than one of the "meat rack" prisoner pods!
Haha, indeed😅
Got all Three and will melt and buy in game later. The ES is my favorite due to 4 size 2 shields, can’t wait for the 4th variant that will announce closer to the Zeus flyable release
I currently have the C1 but my general disdain for ramp entry and with the C1 having milimeter clearance for small vertical hangars is really pushing me to upgrade to the CL. At least I'll still have a C1 as a loaner in the meantime.
You could always just pickup a cheap CCU to the CL and wait and see what it's like on release - that way you lock in the current price but don't have to commit to the upgrade.
Yeah lol, if you don't thrust anywhere but straight up, you still clip the hanger. Blows my mind that it makes you land and lift off from those hangers. I actually HATE the c1. I love the starlifters though so I thought I'd love the C1 but not the case. I will be melting it asap.
That's actually a great idea. Lol it never occurred to me not to activate the CCU right away.
You know that the hanger assignment with the spirit series is a bug that CIG will address right ? They already spoken aout about it.
Make sure to ALT K when coming in otherwise it sucks.
Thanx for another great vid! I jumped on the MR soon as I saw that big armory. Be my dedicated bunker runner/looter. 🫡
I'm 90% sure none of the Zeus are for me, but I can see the appeal. And perhaps I'm just in love with my Spirit C1.
I love my C1 too
For a meager 20% increase you can get double the SCU, bigger pilot guns, 2! more shields of same size, and space for 1 more friend if desired. All in a smaller size. I used to like Crusader, but they have become almost as much form over function as Origin and nearly as expensive.
@@Power5 Component sizes and assignment are currently being reworked as part of the engineering gameplay update. Most ships will be getting more slightly-smaller components for better redundancy and flexibility. Therefore we can't directly compare the Zeus loadout to older ships.
The Zeus is going to be much slower than the Spirit. Not Hull A/B slow, but toward that end of the scale. So having more cargo capacity doesn't do you as much good if you're easy prey outside high-security systems.
This is how CIG does balancing. Every model has pros and cons. There is no best ship.
C1 is a patch old. Are you thinking the spirit will get 2x s1 shields instead of a single s2 like it has now? That is still significantly less shield than the Zeus series. Spirit also has half the power slots. I guess you are thinking that the spirit will downsize and get double or do you think they are just going to double the amount of same size components that ALL ships have?
@@Power5 I have no idea the details of the component refactoring, only that it is happening, and that the Zeus is the first craft spec written under the new metrics. We'll simply have to wait before we can compare the two.
CCU'd to a Zeus ES...would have gotten the MR but I'm waiting on CIG to acknowledge the ST variant. If the ST variant is a thing I believe it will be in the same price point as the MR, and will upgrade my ES to the ST. Either way you cannot go wrong with any variant of the Zeus MkII.
I picked up the ES last night with store credit. I’m hoping I can then retire my MSR (maybe)
However it does seem to have as many doors…
I change my Freelancer Max for the Zeus MkII CL especially for the pilot visibility (awful on Freelancers...), the tractor beam, and the design.
The huge cargo (128 scu), weak armement, and the impossibility to access to components when fully loaded will push players to do only trade, and avoid any kind of fights.
I got all 3 ships. Cutty Blue upgraded to Mk 2. Got the CL and have a CCU for the ES.
ES will be able to stay out longer and this ship will probably be my smuggling ship when I want to take longer routes and try to avoid any pirates and or law enforcement areas.
MR will be my bounty hunter ship when in the mood for those mission types. And possibly combat missions for mercenary contracts. Even bunker missions. This ship is versatile AF
The clipper will be my daily driver for cargo.
I love the fact that the ship has other exits including a ladder and docking rings. The MK2 is my favorite ship and I am sure to see many out there with this ship. I'm looking forward to seeing these ships in-game.
My MSR was a huge disappointment and getting that promise for a second exit years ago kept me hoping. Now I'm just giving up on those dreams.
I feel like the MSR is a joke right now. Hopefully, they can turn it around one day... who knows 😢. At least these ships give me hope in playing again.
Yeah it always shows when they release new models how they've learned much more since making some ships - the old joke goes that you should hope "your" ship is the last they ever get around to making!
I currently have my C1 spirit to a ES, and have a upgrade from the ES to a MR, basicly i will be waiting to see which i like better when i can see their actual interiors and just melt the upgrade if the MR dont cut it for me.
To me the interior is probably the most important part of a ship as i like felling like my ship is my home.
I have the MK II ES and I upgraded my C1 to the MK II CL. While the C1 is nice, you can easily damage the VTOL engines on a pointy rock and throw off it's stability, like I did on Hurston.
How do you like the MK II compared to the C1?
@@deutschhhhh6922 The MK II will be slightly slower, but that's not a problem. I think the ES and CL will be all around better ships because they have better shields, armor and range. The fuel scoops are a plus. It looks like CIG released the C1 to be replaced by the MK II. The MK II has two (three with the docking collar) points of entry and a better habitat. Just a better ship.
@@nehemiahwashingtoniii748thank you for your insight and break of the two! Looks like I’ll be moving to the MKii
I would argue that weight class isn’t the best metric for comparison for the Zeus ES specifically. The armament, shields and scanners put it more in line with the 400i as far as hard stats are concerned.
The 400i has some amenities over the Zeus ES like the map table in the crew hab area and the dedicated vehicle bay but other than that it’s closest to a 400i in capability and hard stats.
Currently own both the MR and CL of the Zeus so can't wait to see how they turn out.
Im sure they mentioned that both gunners on the MR will be able to control the EMP and Q-Dampener
I own a CL, but I bet anything that the cargo capacity gets nerfed. It just does not make sense for that designated area to hold that much cargo.
Got all 3 on ccu chains.
What's your CCu chain for the CL?
@velouriumcamper0753 right now. Just the last ccu. I have a Fury lx 6 pack I'm ccu. 3 Zeus variant ships and 3 tokens for future
It is tempting, but I stopped at the MR. Will probably pick one of each up to test but long term they're likely to be quite easily achievable in game.
Green or Black, Mate?
Only choices for me is ES or MR, When I want to deal with cargo I have better options by sheer SCU amount.
It’s true that in the current economy bigger = better for trading, but I really hope in the future that we see some more specialist trade runs that cater to the nimble haulers like the CL / Freelancer Max etc
I have no idea why I’m so excited for this ship. I think I like these mid size ships. Thanks for the vid.
I must of been under a rock when these 1st came out. Not a big fan of the Dur, so during the "In Case You Missed It" option to buy yesterday I picked up the CCU to ES. And then in a moment of weakness picked up a Blue to MR CCU.