StarCitizen:Prowler
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The Prowler is an armored personnel carrier created by Esperia Incorporation. This vehicle represents a modern recreation of the StarCitizen:Tevarin design that gained notoriety during the First and Second Tevarin Wars against the UPE. Esperia's astroengineers were granted unrestricted access to examine original models of the vehicle, which were recently uncovered in the StarCitizen:Kabal system, facilitating a detailed reconstruction process. As a result, the Prowler embodies an ideal blend of two distinct cultures: the sophistication and efficiency of the Tevarin military apparatus merged with the dependability of modern StarCitizen:human technology.<ref name="ProwlerFlyable">Template:Cite RSI</ref><ref name="ProwlerStore">Template:Cite RSI</ref><ref name="Prowlerbrochure">Template:Cite RSI</ref>
Features
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Specifications
Model
Ship profile
Exterior
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In space=
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Landed=
| Isometric | Above | Port-side | Front | Rear |
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Interior
| Lower deck | Upper deck |
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Series variants
Paints
Acquisition
Pledge price history
| Date | Pledge cost (USD) | Insurance | Availability | Sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-11-18 | 425 | LTI | Time-limited | 2016 anniversary sale <ref>RSI Pledge - Esperia Prowler - LTI Archived 2016-11-21.</ref> |
| 2020-05-01 | 440 | 6 months | Time-limited + StarCitizen:Warbond | Alpha 3.9.0 flight-ready promotion sale <ref name="presentation390">Template:Cite RSI</ref> |
Lore
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Discovery of new Tevarin settlements=
In StarCitizen:2941, the StarCitizen:Imperial pathfinders entered the newly discovered StarCitizen:Kabal system and located a series of abandoned Tevarin settlements on StarCitizen:Kabal III. The StarCitizen:UEE Navy insisted that Esperia be included in the group of analysts brought to Kabal to study potentially lost Tevarin technologies at two aerospace bases identified by the initial surveyors.
While much of what was discovered in the Kabal system remains classified today, what is known is that the researchers discovered nine fully equipped squadrons of Prowler-A's safely stored in bunkers. The investigation revealed that none of the Prowlers had flown for almost five centuries and that they had been properly mothballed rather than abandoned at the site.
Esperia's initial survey team reviewed the available spacecraft. In the culmination of the initial study, a single vintage Prowler tested in a 45-minute atmospheric flight that confirm that the spacecraft were as fully functional. The remote stage of the project took 18 months and at its conclusion, the government opted to ferry six of the Prowlers back to Esperia's clean lab at StarCitizen:Kutaram rather than retain the Esperia team on Kabal.<ref name="jpwg">Template:Cite Jump Point</ref> |-|
Modernizing the Prowler=
As the team from Esperia completed their work on the ancient spacecraft, management began recreating the ship with StarCitizen:Human control surfaces and updated modern components. A formal pitch was made to the UEE for access and legal rights to recreate the ship, with the goal of selling it to the military as well as others who might be interested in the historical spacecraft. Much to the surprise of all involved, the government approved the idea almost immediately and formally declassified the recovered Prowlers for Esperia's benefit.
One of the first issues facing the recreation team was that the models found on Kabal predated the wars and thus lacked the dorsal turret. Astroengineers also had trouble recreating the 'plate cockpit', requiring several months to perfect the once-commonplace Tevarin technologies that gave the ship its distinct forward structure.
The company was able to trace every subsystem and component of the original spacecraft and either re-synthesize it using present-day technology or substitute it for an existing modular system. Computer systems in particular were completely reworked, with the original Tevarin software either completely lost to data rot or deemed incompatible with present-day systems.<ref name="jpwg" /> |-|
First public debut=
The new Prowler debuted in 2946 at the annual StarCitizen:Intergalactic Aerospace Expo event. The intent to sell to the UEEN largely fell through, ultimately purchasing only a limited run of the craft for study and potential special operations assignments. However, the design did immediately attract the attention of the civilian sector. Preorders for Prowlers were taken not from historians and preservation groups but instead from mercenary forces and wildcatters seeing a durable, high-tech ship for operations. Generations removed from the stigma of the war, the Prowler had found an unlikely second life serving the descendants of the Humans it had once fought so fiercely against.<ref name="jpwg" /> </tabber>
Gallery
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Official=
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In-game=
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Concept=
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Development
| 2014-11-06 | Won the poll for the $61 million crowdfunding goal as an unnamed boarding/assault ship in the fourth wave ships.<ref name="cl14248">Template:Cite RSI</ref> |
| 2016-11-18 | Concept sale during the 2016 Anniversary Sale/Intergalactic Aerospace Expo, roughly two years after the first reveal.<ref name="cl15601">Template:Cite RSI</ref> |
| 2019-11-22 | Delayed from Alpha 3.8.0 to Alpha 3.8.X patch in later half of March 2020 because of additional polishing needed.<ref>Template:Cite RSI</ref> |
| 2020-01-24 | Delayed from Alpha 3.8.X to Alpha 3.9.0.<ref name="cl17437">Template:Cite RSI</ref> |
| 2020-03 | Prowler was the first Tevarin ship introduced. It was introduced as a Tevarin ship as the developer wanted the Tevarin to be masters of shield tech, so one of the early ideas was that the ship could incorporate air shields to allow the boarding party to quickly exit the ship. The idea of being a Human reproduction of an older Tevarin warship came from the lore that the Tevarin were no longer producing ships themselves.<ref name="jp0803">Template:Cite Jump Point</ref> |
| 2020-04-29 | Flight ready in Alpha 3.9.0. Along with it's release, the ship was put on temporary promotion sale for $440 USD, with an additional StarCitizen:Warbond discount available. Along with the ship, the StarCitizen:Aves helmet was added as an extra, but the helmet was also sold separately for $4 USD.<ref name="presentation390"/> |
| 2025-06-19 | Doubled the number of StarCitizen:shield generators from 2 to 4 in Alpha 4.2.0. |
Credits & Design brief
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Credits=
| Role | Contributors |
|---|---|
| Original concept | StarCitizen:Jan Urschel (first round), StarCitizen:Gary Sanchez (second round), StarCitizen:Gavin Rothery (third round), StarCitizen:Sarah McCulloch, StarCitizen:Stuart Jennett (cockpit interior and interior lighting), StarCitizen:Furio Tedeschi<ref name="jp0412">Template:Cite Jump Point</ref> |
| Art | StarCitizen:Paul Jones,<ref name="jp0412"/> StarCitizen:Byungjin Hyun, StarCitizen:Daniel Kamentsky, StarCitizen:Arthur Guillot, StarCitizen:Elwin Bachiller Jr.<ref name="jp0803"/> |
| Engineering | StarCitizen:Mark Abent<ref name="jp0803"/> |
| System design | StarCitizen:Calix Reneau, StarCitizen:Stephen Hosmer<ref name="jp0803"/> |
| Technical art | StarCitizen:Matthew Intrieri, StarCitizen:Patrick Salerno, StarCitizen:Brian Chen<ref name="jp0803"/> |
| Technical design | StarCitizen:John Crewe<ref name="jp0412"/> |
| Narrative | StarCitizen:Dave Haddock, StarCitizen:Adam Wieser, StarCitizen:Cherie Heiberg, StarCitizen:Mike Kinshella<ref name="jp0803"/> |
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Design brief=
| Aims |
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|---|---|
| Aesthetic |
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| Length | 35m | |
| Width | 22.5m | |
| Height | 8.5m | (approximately two Freelancers side-by-side sans wings) |
| Mass | 60,000 kg | One medium engine which powers four main nozzles, using StarCitizen:Xi'an engine technology. |
| Health | Low | The Prowler generally depends on its usage of shielding and armor to protect itself and its troops from harm |
| Crew | 2 | Pilot, Co-Pilot (can carry 8 troops) |
| Engines | 2 x Medium | The low emissions of the engines help get the Prowler in, and the high durability help get it out again, focusing on personnel safety |
| Thrusters | 20 x Fixed | |
| Power Plants | 2 x Medium | Somewhat underpowered for all the shields and energy weapons, but this is a ship of singular focus, so it isn't as affected by the low power as other ships might be |
| Weapon hardpoints | ||
| 1 x S6 Gimbal | S5 Tevarin Ballistic Cannon | Main tanklike front-facing weapon |
| 2 x S3 Gimbal | S2 Tevarin Laser Cannons | Support fire to protect deploying personnel |
| 8 x Tevarin Deployment Ordinance | DESIGN TBD | Rockets with handles designed to move troops right into battle – the paratroopers of space. |
| Defense hardpoints | ||
| Shield | 1x Large | Can be disabled during approach for even stealthier deployment |
| Phalanx Shield | 1 x Medium | Features the Tevarin Phalanx Shield Emitter, which includes a mode that sacrifices wrap-around defence of the Prowler in favour of a large wall of shield that blocks all projectiles (even from the Prowler itself), allowing groups of Prowlers to protect each other and the fleet |
| Armour | Heavy | Heavy armor protection to absorb direct fire |
| Interior |
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| Animation Templates |
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| Items |
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| New — Atmosphere Shields |
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| New – Phalanx Shield |
Approved design needed. |
| New – Deployment Ordinance |
Approved design needed. |
| Additional references | * The Prowler is very much built around agile use, with players moving easily from inside to outside, walking on the surface of the ship – should feel like an infantry-centric action platform |
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Trivia
- The ship is very similar to the Copperhead, a dropship used by the Deep Eyes soldier squadron in the movie Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Its possible the Prowler was inspired by it, but this has never been officially confirmed.
- Prowler is also the name of a cancelled Gundam style mech game by StarCitizen:Origin Systems at the time StarCitizen:Chris Roberts and others were working there.<ref>Prowler, Sean Murphy, wcnews.com/</ref>
See also
- "Developer Interview: Esperia Prowler". Jump Point. Vol. 8 no. 3. pp. 3–10.
- "Work in Progress: Prowler". Jump Point. Vol. 4 no. 12. pp. 3–40
- Inside Star Citizen: Dropship Delight on YouTube
- Inside Star Citizen: On The Prowl on YouTube
References
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