The video offers a comprehensive overview and initial combat testing of the RSI Meteor, a fast and maneuverable one-seater fighter in Star Citizen Alpha 4.2.1, highlighting its compact design, unique weaponry, and some issues with missile reliability and fragile hull durability. While its slow-firing ballistic cannons and limited survivability hinder its dogfighting effectiveness, the Meteor shows promise as a scouting vessel, with further testing planned to explore its capabilities.
The video provides an in-depth overview and first combat testing of the RSI Meteor, a new medium-sized, one-seater fighter ship introduced in Star Citizen Alpha 4.2.1. The ship measures 30 meters long, 17 meters wide, and 8 meters high, with a decent speed profile including a standard speed of 229 m/s and a boosted speed of 570 m/s. Maneuverability stats are solid, with pitch, yaw, and roll rates improving significantly when boosted. The ship features a total health of 30,150, but the vital body section has only 2,750 hit points, making it somewhat fragile. It lacks cargo capacity but has small hydrogen and quantum fuel stores, and all its components—shield generators, coolers, power plant, radar, and quantum drive—are size one.
The RSI Meteor shares some design elements with its base model, the Mantis, but with notable differences such as the elevator entry and interior lighting details. The interior is compact, featuring a small kitchenette, a simple bathroom, and limited personal storage space. The cockpit offers a great pilot view and two multifunction displays, enhancing the flying experience. However, paint schemes are not interchangeable between the Meteor and the Mantis, indicating distinct customization options for each variant.
Weaponry on the Meteor includes four gimballed size three hardpoints equipped with FL33 laser cannons by default, and two bespoke size five dual-barrel Leonid ballistic cannons that cannot be swapped out. Missile armament consists of two size three racks with size two missiles, which are locked, and four size four missile racks that allow for flexible missile loadouts. However, the video highlights some issues with missile firing, possibly due to bugs, as missiles occasionally fire unexpectedly or fail to launch properly during testing.
Component and weapon detachment is straightforward, with most ship parts being removable and reattachable except for the bespoke ballistic cannons and some missile racks. This flexibility allows for customization and repairs. The video also provides a detailed analysis of the Leonid ballistic cannons, which have a slow firing rate of 50 rounds per minute, moderate alpha damage of 1600 per shot (dual barrels combined), and a limited ammo count. The semi-automatic nature of these guns and their slow projectile speed make them less effective in fast-paced combat scenarios.
Combat testing reveals that while the Meteor is fast and maneuverable, its fragile hull and slow ballistic cannons limit its effectiveness in dogfighting. The pilot struggles to survive against other ships with more robust shields and higher damage output. The missile system also shows reliability issues during combat. Overall, the ship might serve better as a scouting vessel rather than a frontline fighter. The creator plans to conduct further testing with different loadouts to explore the Meteor’s full potential and invites viewers to share their thoughts and comparison requests for future videos.