Ship Spotlight - The Cutter

Ship Lore

The Maritimus C600 Cutter was a solution to a problem. Strong demand for perishable goods in the colonies was always a lucrative prospect, but the logistical challenges made it too difficult for anyone to capitalize on. Bulk freighters were too slow to deliver to all the colonies in a system in time, and the gate fees incurred by sending smaller ships to each colony and station in a system made the venture cost prohibitive for many destinations.

Kühne Interstellar borrowed a solution from the 18th century, where fast luggers were employed to meet fishing ships at sea, and rush their catch to coastal markets before they spoiled. Kühne's plan was to employ a fleet of cheap, locally based sprinters to rendezvous with their bulk freighters at a point equidistant to their delivery destinations. The cargo from Earth would be transferred to the cutters for final delivery. To this end, Kühne contracted Maritimus Yachts, a luxury void-yacht maker, to develop a fast sprint courier. While it may seem like an odd choice (Maritimus had never built a cargo ship before), Maritimus had one advantage over other bidders: a dedicated racing division.

Maritimus Racing was put in charge of propulsion design, and they took the requirement for speed a little too seriously. The cutter's four oversized, racing-tuned engines housed in two variable-geometry nacelles not only give the cutter its characteristic look, they also make it the fastest commercial ship in the galaxy. To achieve this, though, sacrifices had to be made elsewhere. The Cutter can only carry up to 500 SFU's of cargo, which while adequate for its intended mission, limits its utility for other tasks.

While its crew quarters are praised for their quality, particularly the Captain's quarters (The Yacht division handled the interior design), they are quite cramped, even compared to other vessels of its class. Shuttle pilots also complain about the ship's narrow dorsal shuttle bay, which requires extra attention during landings. Like other ships of its size, it carries a compliment of 16 guns for defense, but a barely adequate amount of armor. Instead, the cutter relies primarily upon its superior speed and maneuverability for defense.

Kühne's success with the Cutter earned it a good repuattion, and soon, orders for the ship were coming in from multiple buyers. The ship's unrivaled speed, low running cost, and small crew size made it a popular choice for independent operators, specialty couriers, survey teams, and smugglers. Some colonial militias even use them in a rapid-response and interception role despite its poor survivability. Several pirates have also gravitated to the Cutter, as it can easily hunt down slower prey.

Gameplay

The cutter is the player's starting ship. It's unmatched speed and maneuverability allow new players to pick their fights, only engaging when they feel comfortable of success, and able to escape if the odds are not in their favor, giving them time to learn the game's mechanics and prepare for their first real fight. It's very small cargo hold, small crew compliment, and paper-thin armor prevent this speed advantage from being overpowered early on, and players will want to upgrade to something better once they can afford it.

Design

The Cutter began life as several concept sketches. Almost immediately we were drawn to the idea of having the engines in nacelles outside the main hull. That specific feature, together with its narrow hull, gave the ship a very "sports car" feel and very distinctive silhouette