StarCitizen:Vulture
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The Vulture is a small StarCitizen:salvage StarCitizen:ship manufactured by StarCitizen:Drake Interplanetary. Focusing on long range and self-reliance, the Vulture allows single-operators to engage salvage with Drake's signature emphasis on practicality.<ref>Template:Cite RSI</ref><ref>Template:Cite RSI</ref>
Features
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Specifications
Model
Ship profile
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Landed=
| Isometric | Above | Port-side | Front | Rear |
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Schematic=
| Isometric | Above | Port-side | Front | Rear | Rear Isometric |
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Special editions
| "Teach's Special" |
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Paints
Acquisition
Lore
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The "Empire Slipper"=
On the 9th of August, 2895, the freighter "Empire Slipper", registered under the StarCitizen:Terra flag, experienced critical system malfunctions that led to erroneous navigation displays. This caused the navigation officer to plot a course through a dense asteroid field near a red giant star, resulting in a collision that disabled the ship's shields and exposed the crew to lethal radiation. The ship's location became unknown while it carried valuable metals and rare artworks, drawing significant media attention and prompting an extensive search. After eight months, the wreckage was found by a UEE Navy picket ship in a highly irradiated debris field, dispelling conspiracy theories about hijacking. Unfortunately, the area was nearly inaccessible for conventional salvage vessels.<ref name="whitley"/> |-|
Vertical Landing Test 3=
In response to the challenge, Drake Interplanetary, a new spacecraft manufacturer, offered support. Motivated by potential salvage rights and a ten million credit bounty from StarCitizen:MISC, the ship's original builder, a specialized team gathered on StarCitizen:Borea to devise a solution. They modified an AS-1 Cutlass prototype, the StarCitizen:Vertical Landing Test 3 (VLT-3), by removing its testing equipment and converting it for debris recovery of the "Slipper." The VLT-3 featured enhanced shield generators that reduced cargo capacity but improved shielding and agility for its two-person crew. Its external manipulator arms allowed for salvage operations without extravehicular activity, minimizing risks from hazardous radiation.<ref name="whitley"/> |-|
The salvage=
Fourteen months after the "Empire Slipper" disappeared, Drake's test crew began salvage operations from a modular space station outside the hazardous zone. Over thirty-six missions, the VLT-3 navigated the debris field, retrieving flight recorders and cargo containers. Drake secured salvage rights and transferred the flight recorders to MISC, but the company faced legal issues after duplicating the flight data before submission. Despite the controversy, the mission improved Drake's reputation amid piracy allegations.<ref name="whitley"/> |-|
Piracy attack=
After a successful salvage operation, Drake launched a public relations tour for the VLT-3 at aerospace exhibitions. However, controversy arose over allegations of his support for piracy following a coordinated attack with unmarked Cutlasses and a MISC StarCitizen:Hull-D. In response, the company shifted focus to developing the StarCitizen:Caterpillar command ship, putting the VLT-3 in storage.<ref name="whitley"/> |-|
Early development=
In 2932, the StarCitizen:Aegis Dynamics StarCitizen:Reclaimer "General Dogsbody" had a highly profitable salvage mission, increasing interest in the field. Recognizing this demand, Drake's team evolved the VLT-3 into the Vulture, an independent salvage vessel featuring Rippers, salvage booms, and a Tomium scraper rig, while retaining key aspects of the VLT-3.<ref name="whitley"/> |-|
Launch=
Officially launched in 2938, the Vulture capitalized on public interest in salvage operations, leading to high demand that exceeded production capabilities and the establishment of remote manufacturing facilities. The Vultures successfully recovered high-profile hulls, boosting Drake's reputation and sustaining interest in the spacecraft.<ref name="whitley"/> |-|
Present day=
In 2941, Drake launched a revised Vulture with improved weapon mounts for hazardous environments. In 2949, the civilian variant received an upgrade with a larger cab for increased cargo capacity, and Drake offers upgrade options for earlier models to enhance capacity and add new weapon mounts.<ref name="whitley"/> |-|
Military variant=
By 2943, the UEE Navy had requisitioned 300 units for battlefield support, primarily to clear wrecked spacecraft after StarCitizen:Vanduul conflicts. Drake is developing a government-specific version in anticipation of increased naval confrontations.<ref name="whitley">Template:Cite Jump Point</ref> </tabber>
Gallery
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Official=
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In-game=
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Development
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| 2017-12-01 | Introduced as an option for the next Drake ship to be developed in the vote "YOU Pick the Next Drake Ship" in 2017 Anniversary Special.<ref name="YOU-Pick-The-Next-Drake-Ship">Template:Cite RSI</ref> |
| 2017-12-11 | Voted to be the next Drake ship by backers with 44% of 37,696 voters.<ref name="YOU-Pick-The-Next-Drake-Ship" /> |
| 2018-06-14 | Concept sale.<ref name="presentation">Template:Cite RSI</ref> |
| 2020-05-30 | During the 2950 StarCitizen:Drake Defensecon, the ship was on display at the StarCitizen:Riker Memorial Spaceport in StarCitizen:Area18. It was represented by a downscaled holographic display of the model.<ref>Alpha 3.9.1 in-game survey during StarCitizen:Drake Defensecon</ref> |
| 2021-05-05 | Revealed that the Vulture was in production and to be implemented in game with an allocated work schedule of 18 weeks.<ref name="rr05052021">Template:Cite RSI</ref> |
| 2023-03-10 | Flight ready in Alpha 3.18.0, along with the first implementation of the salvage gameplay.<ref name="patch3180">Template:Cite RSI</ref> |
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Credits=
| Role | Contributors |
|---|---|
| Original concept | StarCitizen:Toby Lewin (first round), StarCitizen:Alex Akstinas (second round)<ref name="wip">Template:Cite Jump Point</ref><ref name="shipshape">Ship Shape: Drake Vulture on YouTube</ref> |
| Art | StarCitizen:Paul Jones<ref name="wip"/><ref name="shipshape"/> |
| Technical design | StarCitizen:John Crewe<ref name="wip"/><ref name="shipshape"/> |
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Design brief=
| Aims |
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| Aesthetic |
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| Length | 33 m |
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| Width | 16 m |
| Height | 9 m |
| Mass | 114,591 kg |
| Speed | 165 m/s |
| Crew | 1 |
| Powerplants | 1x Small |
| Shield | 2x Small |
| Armor | Large |
| Weapons | 2x |
| Thrusters | 2x Small, 2x VTOL |
| Utility items | Scraper Beam, Tractor Beam |
| Cargo capacity | 12 SCU |
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Trivia
- The vessel derives its name from the Vulture, a sizable avian species belonging to the Accipitridae and Cathartidae families. This bird is closely related to hawks, eagles, and falcons, however, it possesses less robust talons and typically features a bare head. Vultures primarily or exclusively feed on carcases, otherwise known as carrion.<ref>https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vulture</ref>
- CIG said that the ship was inspired by both the HXBL-20 made by StarCitizen:Sheng Lam and the StarCitizen:Dragonfly with its two arms.<ref>HXBL-20, 8bitwizard (Sheng Lam), Instagram, 5 September 2019</ref><ref>Star Citizen: Reverse the Verse LIVE - A Wild Vulture Appears!, Star Citizen, Youtube, 15 June 2018</ref><ref>Star Citizen: Around the Verse - Vulture Views and Weapons 2 on YouTube</ref> It is not inspired by the Veldor from Privateer II.<ref>Veldor, Wing Commander Combat Information Center</ref> It has some resemblance to the Venture ship in EVE Online. On 2018-06-14, shortly after the design of the Vulture was revealed, players and fans of EVE Online on reddit pointed out the similarity between the two ships and accused CIG of copying the design.<ref>Behold, the totally not a copy, Drake Vulture on EVE subreddit</ref> The rivalry escalated with redditors brigading both the EVE Online and Star Citizen subreddits, to the point that even EVE developer CCP tweeted about it.<ref>EVE Online tweet on Vulture</ref><ref>Eve Online and Star Citzen fans at war over £112 "copycat" spaceship</ref>
External links
References
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