Prowler

The Esperia Prowler is a modernized version of the infamous Tevarin armored personnel carrier. Esperia's astroengineers were given unmitigated access to study original versions of the ship recently discovered in the Kabal system to help meticulously reconstruct the vehicle. Now, the Prowler is the perfect fusion of two cultures: the elegance and effectiveness of the Tevarin war machine combined with the reliability of modern human technology.^[1]

Features

Hardened shell

Both the pilot and co-pilot cockpit shield is constructed of kelsun composite utilizing original Tevarin engineering techniques. A process that created the most resilient transparent shielding of that era, a byproduct of the process gives the exterior an opaque coating while still allowing the operator to see out.^[2]

Ground runners

Another feature of the Prowler is it's focused gravity emitters that are positioned on the underside, which creates a cushion to allow it to navigate precarious and uneven surfaces such as landscapes or even ship hulls, whilst avoiding scans.^[2]

Transforming mechanics

The twin nacelle wings of the Prowler house a pair of low emission thrusters designed to minimize the ship's energy signature profile for a stealthier approach. These wings will also rotate, allowing more maneuvering capabilities in flight, but also double as the ship's landing gear.^[2]

Precision offense

A remote turret is placed along the upper spine of the ship, it can be controlled by either the pilot or co-pilot, offering 360 degree weapon coverage against hostile forces.^[2]

Rapid deployment

For the deployment of combat personnel, the Prowler has four Deployment Portholes along each side of the hull. These portholes are outfitted with an airshield meaning that they can be open during flight in both atmosphere and deep space. Each of these portholes is outfitted with a dedicated power supply to guarantee that the airshields will stay online.^[2] However, losing your airshields while in space would have the same effect as a hull decompression event. The cockpits won't be affected as they are sealed off from the rest of the ship.^[3]

Each station is outfitted with a safety harness to secure soldiers into their positions while in transit.

Specifications

Radar

1x

S2

Epier

Military (C)

Scanner

1x

S1

Scanner

Cooler

2x

S2

HeatSink

Stealth (C)

Life support

1x

S2

Life supportlfsp_tydt_s02_comfortairplus

Power plant

1x

S2

Eclipse

Aegis Dynamics

Self destruct

1x

S1

Self destruct (30s)

5,000 🗡️ · 50 m

Shield generator

2x

S2

Shield generator

Left, Right

Fuel intake

2x

S2

Fuel intakeintk_espr_prowler

0 SCU/s

Fuel port

1x

S1

Fuel portdockingtube_fuel_ports_espr_prowler

Fuel tank

2x

S2

Internal Tank

195 SCU

Quantum drive

1x

S4

Nova

Tumbril Land Systems

Quantum fuel tank

1x

S2

Internal Tank

2.5 SCU

Main thruster

2x

S1

Main thrusterespr_prowler_thruster_main

6.271 MN

Maneuvering thruster

4x

S1

Retro thrusterespr_prowler_thruster_retro_02

0.834 MN

16x

S1

Maneuvering thrusterespr_prowler_thruster_mav_up

1.924 MN

8x

S1

Grav levespr_prowler_thruster_aux

0 MN

Weapons

2x

S5

VariPuck S5 Gimbal Mount

Left, Right

2x

S5

Deadbolt V Cannon

Esperia

2x

S1

Magazinefaux_magazinemagazine

283/283 Ammunition

1x

S5

Esperia Prowler Turret

2x

S3

VariPuck S3 Gimbal Mount

Left, Right

2x

S3

Lightstrike III Cannon

Esperia

2x

S1

Capacitor

145/∞ Ammunition

Defensive devices

1x

S1

Joker Defcon - Noise Launcher

Right

1x

S1

Magazinefaux_magazinemagazine

5/5 Ammunition

1x

S1

Aegis Gladius - Decoy Launcher

Left

1x

S1

Magazinefaux_magazinemagazine

48/48 Ammunition

Weapon rack

16x

S1

Weapon rackweapon_rack_powered_espr_prowler

Armor

1x

S1

Personal armor

Paint

1x

S1

Paint

Vehicle part

1x

S1

Nose

8,500 ❤️

1x

S1

Humerus (right)

2,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Ulna (right)

8,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Phalange shield (right)

700 ❤️

1x

S1

Body

40,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Wing stabilizer right (rear)

4,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Wing stabilizer left (rear)

4,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Humerus base e (right)

1,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Humerus base e (left)

1,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Humerus (left)

2,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Ulna (left)

8,000 ❤️

1x

S1

Phalange shield (left)

700 ❤️

Model

Ship profile

Exterior

Isometric	Above	Port-side	Front	Rear	Below

Isometric	Above	Port-side	Front	Rear

Interior

Lower deck	Upper deck

Paints

"Harmony"	"Ocellus"	"Polar"	"Stormbringer"	"Wanderer"

Acquisition

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Pledge price history

Date	Pledge cost (USD)	Insurance	Availability	Sale
2016-11-18	425	LTI	Time-limited	2016 anniversary sale ^[4]
2020-05-01	440	6 months	Time-limited + Warbond	Alpha 3.9.0 flight-ready promotion sale ^[5]

Lore

In 2941, the Imperial pathfinders entered the newly discovered Kabal system and located a series of abandoned Tevarin settlements on Kabal III. The 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 Kutaram rather than retain the Esperia team on Kabal.^[6]

As the team from Esperia completed their work on the ancient spacecraft, management began recreating the ship with 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.^[6]

The new Prowler debuted in 2946 at the annual 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.^[6]

Gallery

Development

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.^[7]

2014-11-06	Won the poll for the $61 million crowdfunding goal as an unnamed boarding/assault ship in the fourth wave ships.^[8]
2016-11-18	Concept sale during the 2016 Anniversary Sale/Intergalactic Aerospace Expo, roughly two years after the first reveal.^[9]
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.^[10]
2020-01-24	Delayed from Alpha 3.8.X to Alpha 3.9.0.^[11]
2020-04-29	Flight ready in Alpha 3.9. Along with it's release, the ship was put on temporary promotion sale for $440 USD, with an additional Warbond discount available. Along with the ship, the Aves helmet was added as an extra, but the helmet was also sold separately for $4 USD.^[5]

Role	Contributors
Original concept	Jan Urschel (first round), Gary Sanchez (second round), Gavin Rothery (third round), Sarah McCulloch, Stuart Jennett (cockpit interior and interior lighting), Furio Tedeschi^[12]
Art	Paul Jones,^[12] Byungjin Hyun, Daniel Kamentsky, Arthur Guillot, Elwin Bachiller Jr.^[7]
Engineering	Mark Abent^[7]
System design	Calix Reneau, Stephen Hosmer^[7]
Technical art	Matthew Intrieri, Patrick Salerno, Brian Chen^[7]
Technical design	John Crewe^[12]
Narrative	Dave Haddock, Adam Wieser, Cherie Heiberg, Mike Kinshella^[7]

Aims & Aesthetic
Aims	Alien dropship to form the second wave of battle Showcase alien tech focus and offer unique ship roles
Aesthetic	No airlocks — the Tevarin invented atmosphere shields — infantry have direct access to space Highly focused on troop deployment

Statistics
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 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

Metric & Templates
Interior	Interior consists of cockpit and troop bay with armory
Animation Templates	Main seat enter/exit Troop seat enter/exit Cockpit entry (side entry similar to the Freelancer) Troop entry (directly through the side Atmosphere Shields)
Items	Medium Powerplant x2 – 1.0m x 1.5m x 1.0m Large Shield Generator – 1.0m x 3.0m x 1.0m Small Avionics x2 – 0.5m x 0.75m x 0.25m Medium Cooler – 1.0m x 1.5m x 0.5m Small Gravity Generator – 0.5m x 0.5m x 0.5m Small Jump Drive – 0.5m x 0.75m x 0.5m 4 Medium Life Support – 1.0m x 1.0m x 0.5m Small Radar – 0.5m x 0.5m x 0.5m Small Scanner – 0.5m x 0.5m x 0.25m Large Fuel Tank – TBD Small Battery x2 – TBD Small Ammo – 0.5m x 1.0m x 0.5m
New — Atmosphere Shields	The Tevarin invented the Atmosphere Shields, and so had no need for airlocks in their ship designs Each door has a connected battery pack so that power interruptions don't result in instantly venting the ship
New – Phalanx Shield	Activate Phalanx Shield, which disables normal shields, sacrificing full shield coverage of the ship for a large flat wall of shield that friendly ships can hide behind. Approved design needed.
New – Deployment Ordinance	Airborne Paratroopers in space – After firing and hitting targets with a tracker, troops hang on to guided rockets that home in on the tracker. The tracker may optionally be detonated as an EMP remotely. 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

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.

References

↑ The Esperia Prowler - Ship page. Pledge Store
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 Esperia Prowler Manual v2
↑ Esperia Prowler Q&A Part 2. Transmission - Comm-Link
↑ RSI Pledge - Esperia Prowler - LTI Archived 2016-11-21.
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Alpha 3.9.0 Flyable Ships. Transmission - Comm-Link. Retrieved 2020-05-06
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 "Whitley's Guide: Esperia Prowler". Jump Point. Vol. 8 no. 4. pp.25–28. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 ^7.3 ^7.4 ^7.5 "Developer Interview: Esperia Prowler". Jump Point. Vol. 8 no. 3. pp.3–10. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
↑ Letter from the Chairman - $60 Million. Transmission - Comm-Link. Retrieved 2020-04-07
↑ Intergalactic Aerospace Expo, Day One: The Prowler. Transmission - Comm-Link. Retrieved 2020-04-07
↑ Star Citizen Alpha 3.8.0 Ship Updates. Spectrum. Retrieved 2020-04-07
↑ Roadmap Roundup - January 24th, 2020. Spectrum Dispatch - Comm-Link. Retrieved 2020-04-07
↑ ^12.0 ^12.1 ^12.2 ^12.3 David Ladyman, "Work in Progress: Prowler". Jump Point. Vol. 4 no. 12. pp.3–40. Retrieved 2020-04-07.