I would like to learn more about the Defiler Crystallids, and why they open portals to certain sectors. Could the so called “Defiler” simply be an armed mining ship sent to harvest iridium? The Defiler appears to be armed, but not nearly to the extent of the Destroyer. Instead, the Defiler’s main defense comes from its Crystallid escorts. I believe that “Matter Inverters” are actually mining devices constructed by the Defiler for extracting or destroying Iridium. Perhaps the Defiler is the same class of Crystallid that split the surface of the Bion in the quarantined Imperial Iridium Mine?
The weaponry, equipment, and abilities of a Defiler do not suit it for a combat role. To compare it to the Destroyer’s weaponry:
Destroyer:
- Heavy Emitters
- Medium Laser Emitters
- Heavy Laser “Dissector” Emitters
- Heavy Torpedos for use against dreadnoughts or stationary objects
- Medium Missiles
- Two Gravitational Anomalies
- Proximity Defense System
- Surface Shielding
- Shielded Cores with Regenerative Shells
Most importantly of all, however, the Destroyer is invulnerable to direct attacks on its hull. This means that it has been reinforced specifically for heavy combat.
The Defiler, however:
- Light Emitters
- Medium Emitters
- Heavy Missiles
- Matter Inverters
- Crystallid and Biomorph Escorts
Again, most importantly is the hull. The Defiler takes direct hull damage from projectiles, compared to the Destroyer, which can only be damaged by the destruction of its emitters and core components. The Defiler’s hull is composed of standard Crystallid plating similar to that of Predators.
The Defiler’s lack of weapon variety, unremarkable hull strength, ability to deploy strange constructions, and the presence of escorting Crystallid ships leads me to believe that the Defiler’s main purpose is the extraction/destruction of Iridium.
I have submitted this to the devs as part of the Lore Survey, hope they see it.
Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Apparently the original idea behind the defiler was actually spreading some sort of infection I thought. There was a whole story about it ages ago.
Added for review, lets hope we got more lore like this.
I think, the destroyer is the mining and defiler the carrier/transporter ship.
Defiler is fine. It fulfill it’s role : Cruiser.
Cruisers are smaller dreadnoughts, and you can send them alone or with an escort on long travel missions such as recon (This is why you see Defiler in Open Space).
The problem is the Destroyer.
You never send a destroyer alone on a mission because they simply can’t survive alone.
The Destroyer is clearly oversized.
4 hours ago, Lord_Xenon said:
I think, the destroyer is the mining and defiler the carrier/transporter ship.
The Destroyer has WAY too many combat facilities to be a mining ship, Additionally, it boasts a thin with little room for anything but weapons and essential systems, nevertheless cargo. The Defiler, however, is built with a lot of interior space, with plenty of room for possible cargo storage and mining applications. Its only weapons are visible from the outside.
24 minutes ago, Swifter43021 said:
Defiler is fine. It fulfill it’s role : Cruiser.
Cruisers are smaller dreadnoughts, and you can send them alone or with an escort on long travel missions such as recon (This is why you see Defiler in Open Space).
The Defiler is much too small to even be a miniature cruiser. Regarding open space, I believe that the sectors that Defilers appear in are simply stops in a route to an unknown destination, such as a mining site. Each Defiler is actually a different ship than the last, they are simply passing through on their way to their destination. Since we can’t pass through the Alien Rifts the way Defilers can, we might never know for sure.
Defiler too small ? The hell, it’s as big as Humans dreadnoughts !
It’s the Destroyer that is extremely over-sized. Hunters, Predators, and Scouts represents their Frigate/Frighters/Inties. So why should their destroyer be thousands times bigger then their frigates ? That doesn’t even make sense.
Destroyers are supposed to be sent within a fleet as escort for the flagship, not to be the main ship themselves.
The Alien Destroyer isn’t a real Destroyer.
It’s closer to a, I don’t know, “Doom bringer” ?
Crystalids may have their ship rules. But a destroyer is a destroyer.
A destroyer is a mass produced medium sized ship and with not so much firepower.
“Destroyer” fulfill none of these.
It may be called destroyer, but it’s not one. It’s much closer to a cruiser then a destroyer.
My theory is that the Deatroyer is a big alien ship that has big guns and is tough, and that the Defiler is a more big ship and has less big weapons but also backup.
2 minutes ago, TheDarkRedFox said:
My theory is that the Deatroyer is a big alien ship that has big guns and is tough, and that the Defiler is a more big ship and has less big weapons but also backup.
God has spoken, this thread is now obsolete.
>>The Destroyer has WAY too many combat facilities to be a mining ship, Additionally, it boasts a thin with little room for anything but weapons and essential systems, nevertheless cargo. The Defiler, however, is built with a lot of interior space, with plenty of room for possible cargo storage and mining applications. Its only weapons are visible from the outside.<<
Maybe just my crazy thoughts, but destroyer as mining ship would fit.
The purple laser cut through even the biggest asteroids/planetoids to make them smaller. The green ones can cut them even into smaller pieces. The green bubbles could be acid? or something familiar to it, to ‘soften’ the surface/metalics/whatever for easier reprocessing. The big bubbles could be ‘probe sensors’ to check various reactions of the asteroids/planetoids to check different things(strength, elements etc.). The gravitational generators could be made to pull bigger objects to it to avoid unnecessary travels.
The cores would fit as the energy generators for the lasers and generators.
That it’s so extrem reinforced to not get damaged by conventional means could be something familiar as the knight’s armor. At one point being so strong to even avoid the biggest hit. Just instead of bullets/swords it’s asteroid/planetoids hits(maybe due jump/flight or the pull). And that the ‘acid thrower’ damage it would make sense(as in weaken this superstructure).
But yeah my crazy thoughts. 
And after the destroyer did its work, the defiler jump in with all of its drones to collect the now handy pieces for processing.
5 hours ago, Lord_Xenon said:
>>The Destroyer has WAY too many combat facilities to be a mining ship, Additionally, it boasts a thin with little room for anything but weapons and essential systems, nevertheless cargo. …
Your post remind me that I would like to see large destroyers builds to be[mining ships](< base_url >/index.php?/topic/32999-ships-mining-looting-open-space-exploration/) … I guess some other players would love it, too…