After some well deserved time in the Public Test Universe the P-52 Merlin went on sale today.
Originally the small onboard fighter for the Constellation-variants Andromeda and Aquila the snub fighter is now on sale as a stand alone ship.
Since this is not a concept sale -although it has been reworked a LOT until it arrived at todays visuals- it comes without LTI and is also not intended as a starter ship.
The Merlin is small, fast and agile while not being a dedicated fighter.
Though sporting a centerline Gatling cannon and a formidable maneuverability the role is more to delay the enemy until the cavalry arrives and mops the floor.
The low price of only $20 comes from three things as far as I can tell:
- not much in versatility or upgrade options (small power plant)
- no jump drive since it's intended to ride piggy back (though there IS a slot for "additional equipment")
- no cargo space and single pilot only
It's sold as just that: small, maneuverable fighter which is intended for reconnaissance and light skirmishes with a leg in racing thanks to both speed and maneuverability.
A pleasant turn in my opinion from the "this ship is meant for X but sure it can do Y, Z and a good deal of A to W!" which was the sales pitch for the last (concept) sales.