StarCitizen:Defender

The StarCitizen:Banu Defender Template:SClang is a small two-seat combat ship utilized by the Banu to provide protection and fly alongside the StarCitizen:Merchantman. Its design features StarCitizen:Xi'an thrusters, StarCitizen:Tevarin shields, and four StarCitizen:Singe tachyon cannons. As a result, with a light-weight hull, it allows the ship to be agile and fast. Though cargo space is limited, the Defender features modest accommodations for its crew and provides easy access to components.<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite RSI</ref><ref>Template:Cite RSI</ref>

Although the shape, hull, and design of the Defender remains consistent across all Defender models, features can be different from different manufacturers. The below features are based on the Human export model manufactured by StarCitizen:Jannue Mon-Li.<ref name="brochure">Template:Cite RSI</ref>

Model

Ship profile

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In-space=

Isometric	Above	Port-side	Front	Rear	Below
File:Defender in Space - Isometric.jpg	File:Defender in Space - Above.jpg	File:Defender in Space - Port.jpg	File:Defender in Space - Front.jpg	File:Defender in Space - Rear.jpg	File:Defender in Space - Below.jpg

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Landed=

Isometric	Above	Port-side	Front	Rear
File:Defender in SelfLand - Isometric.jpg	File:Defender in SelfLand - Above.jpg	File:Defender in SelfLand - Port.jpg	File:Defender in SelfLand - Front.jpg	File:Defender in SelfLand - Rear.jpg

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Paints

"Harmony"	"Ocellus"	"Platinum"	"Polar"	"Stormbringer"	"Wanderer"
File:Defender Harmony in space - Isometric.jpg	File:Defender Ocellus in space - Isometric.jpg	File:Defender Platinum in space - Isometric.jpg	File:Defender Polar in space - Isometric.jpg	File:Defender Strombringer in space - Isometric.jpg	File:Defender Wanderer in space - Isometric.jpg

Pledge price history

Date	Pledge cost (USD)	Insurance	Availability	Sale
2017-04-21	185 (StarCitizen:Warbond - 170)	LTI	Time-limited	Concept sale <ref>Template:Cite RSI</ref>
2020-06-12	220	6 months	Time-limited	2020 Alien Week<ref>Template:Cite RSI</ref>

Tactics

The Defender has an edge in maneuverability over human fighters like the StarCitizen:Super Hornet and StarCitizen:Sabre, which themselves have edges in durability and armament, respectively. Defenders excel in distracting and confounding would-be attackers, giving their charges (like the Merchantman) the chance to slip away to safety. Their speed and mobility make them good for holding the point position, intercepting threats, and reacting quickly to flanking maneuvers. These traits make the Defender a formidable opponent. They present attackers with a dilemma; expend precious time and fuel trying to pin down an agile escort, or try to weather their fire while focusing on the Merchantmen? Since raiders often favor fast, heavily armed, but lightly armored ships, the choice can be a difficult one.<ref name="ReferenceB" />

Lore

While the Merchantman boasts a cavernous cargo area, it lacks the offensive capabilities to ward off large numbers of attackers. The Defender is designed to defend and escort the Merchantman. The ship has been around since Humanity's first contact with Banu in 2438, it has changed since then. Since the Banu have traded heavily with other species for hundreds of years, the Defenders have a patchwork design that incorporates elements of tech from other cultures. In the latest iteration, the shield were originated from the Tevarin's StarCitizen:Phalanx shield, and the previous Human thrusters were abandoned because Xi'an's design has superior performance. This approach highlights one of the key points of Banu engineering, if the technology works better for the overall design, the Banu will use it.<ref name="brochure"/>

The name "Defender" is chosen by individual manufacturers that manufacturers Human variant of Defender in an attempt to appeal to the Human market.<ref name="brochure"/>

Gallery

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Official=

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In-game=

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Original design=

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Development

The concept was designed to introduce an alien interceptor and prototype the look and feel of Banu materials, processes, and controls that will eventually carry over to the larger Merchantman implementation.<ref name="jpvdas">Template:Cite Jump Point</ref>

According to StarCitizen:Ben Lesnick (Director of Ship Concepts), the Defender was originally pitched as the "Banu Minuteman" with the idea that it was intended specifically to protect Merchantmen (and larger trade ships) at a moment's notice. The name had ultimately changed because "Minuteman" is such a specifically American historical reference that it wouldn't really make sense for an alien race.<ref name="jumppoint" />

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Timeline=

2017-04-21	Concept sale.<ref name="presentation">Template:Cite RSI</ref>
2019-03-07	Delayed to be flight ready from Alpha 3.5.0 to Alpha 3.6.0.<ref name="presentation"/>
2019-07-21	Delayed to be flight ready from Alpha 3.6.0 to Alpha 3.7.0.<ref name="patch360">Template:Cite RSI</ref>
2019-10-11	Flight ready in Alpha 3.7.0.<ref name="37presentation">Template:Cite RSI</ref>

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Credits=

Role	Contributors
Original concept	StarCitizen:Jan Urschel<ref name="jumppoint">StarCitizen:Jan Urschel, StarCitizen:David Ladyman and StarCitizen:Ben Lesnick, Work in Progress: Banu Defender, Jump Point, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 3-49, 2017-04-22.</ref>
Art	StarCitizen:Paul Jones<ref name="jumppoint"/>
Technical design	StarCitizen:Jonny Jacevicius, StarCitizen:John Crewe<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
System design	StarCitizen:Stephen Hosmer<ref name="jp0803">Template:Cite Jump Point</ref>

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Design brief=

Aims & Aesthetic

Aims	Banu combat ship, nimble fighter Designed as a multi-crew escort fighter/interceptor for the Banu Merchantman
Aesthetic	Banu design with cobbled-together parts from other alien races. Should be using Tevarin shields, for example

Approximate statistics

Length	28 Meters	Longer than the StarCitizen:Gladius, but sleeker and has to fit two crew and a small interior.
Mass	18,000 kg	Larger than the Gladius (16,000 kg) but lightly armoured.
Crew	2	Seats a dedicated pilot and a support seat. The StarCitizen:Banu specialise in their roles, so one usually takes on the role of firing the weapons or managing power/shields, while the other concentrates on flying.
Engine	1 x Medium	One medium engine which powers four main nozzles, using StarCitizen:Xi'an engine technology.
Thrusters	12 x Fixed Thrusters	4 on top, 4 on the sides and 4 on the bottom to cover all angles of movement. Uses fixed thrusters to improve ship agility.
Power Plants	2 x Small	Enough to power all ship systems. It uses one more than most light fighters as it has an interior, additional seat and a larger StarCitizen:shield.
Weapon Hardpoints	4 x Size 2 Weapons (Gimbal – Nose) 2 x S3 Missile Hardpoint (4 x S2 Missiles)	Gimballed weapons on the nose for the co-pilot to more easily control (if co-pilot is controlling weapons) while the pilot is flying. Weapons on the nose have fixed gimbal mounts, fixed mounts. Weapons of larger sizes cannot be equipped.
Shield	1 x Medium	Large ship for a light fighter. Uses advanced Tevarin shields as a unique feature of the ship, so these need to be powerful.
Armour	Light	Very nimble fighter. More defensive focus is on the advanced Tevarin shields to keep it light and fast.

Metric & Templates

A list of all components, templates and measurements that the concept artist needs to adhere to.
Animation Templates	Seat template: Gladius (low tech, static ejection seat). Enter/exit animation for the seat: New (entering from the rear, might require a new anim to get in and out of the seat). Enter/exit animation for the ship: None, transport-style entrance via ramp.
Ship Components	Components that need to be accessible behind walls or floor panels, or have the interior built around them: Power Plants: 2 Small (0.5m x 0.75m x 0.5m) Shield Generator: 1 Medium (0.5m x 1.5m x 0.5m) Avionics: 1 Small (0.75m x 0.5m x 0.375m) Coolers: 2 Small (0.5m x 0.75m x 0.25m) Gravity Generator: 1 Small (0.5m x 0.5m x 0.5m) Jump Drive: 1 Small (0.5m x 0.75m x 0.75m) Life Support: 1 Small (0.5m x 0.5m x 0.25m) Radar: 1 Small (0.5m x 0.5m x 0.25m) Components that don't need to be accessed but are somewhere on/inside the ship: Fuel Tanks: 2 Medium (1.0m x 2.0m x 1.0m)
Interior Spaces	Basic interior space for a crew of 2 to enter, walk around in, access components and access the cockpits.
Cargo	No cargo requirements

Requirements

Separate Cockpits & Ejection	Cockpits need to be doored off from the rest of the interior, so crew aren't exposed to depressurisation when the ramp is opened. This also prevents the entire interior from depressurising when a crew member ejects from the ship. Keeping the cockpits separate means each crew member may choose when to eject, rather than being ejected when the other crew member is.
Cockpit View – Suggestion	Banu crew work closely together to merge their specialised roles. It would be nice to keep crew members in view of each other from either cockpit
Ejection Capable Cockpit/Seat	Banu seat needs to be capable of ejecting. Cockpit needs quick release/open capability. Clearance for the seat to eject without colliding with the ship.
Support Cockpit & Controls	This cockpit needs to be nearly identical to the pilot's in terms of screen and UI layout. It needs a joystick for controlling ship weapons. No throttle required.

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See also

• Template:Link RSI Template:Transcript
• Template:Link RSI
• YouTube - Star Citizen: Subscriber's Town Hall feat. Banu & Alien Cultures (File:Relay icon.svg Summary by Relay)

References

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