The Drydock Nautilus is an upcoming sub-capital ship in Star Citizen designed to deploy mines and deny access to hostile forces. With its size, defensive capabilities, and unique drone/mine system, the Nautilus offers players a new style of gameplay focused on area denial and escorting smaller ships.
The Nautilus class mine layer is an upcoming sub-capital ship in Star Citizen that is designed to deny access to hostile forces by deploying mines. It was first announced in 2019 and has since garnered a lot of interest from players. The ship is still in development, and there is limited information available about its release date. In the game lore, the Nautilus is an old Aegis Dynamics design inspired by the effectiveness of sappers in the first Tevarin war. It has been involved in numerous battles and has proven its combat capabilities.
In terms of its attributes, the Nautilus is expected to have a length of 125 meters, a width of 72 meters, and a height of 21.6 meters. It will house a large radar, two medium-sized computers, and two large power plants for power. Defensively, it will have three large Shield generators. The ship will be armed with various turrets, including a size 7 manned turret at the front and multiple smaller turrets throughout the ship. Its main feature is a size 7 drone/mine system that can deploy three different types of munitions.
The Nautilus will require a crew of 4 to 8 members, with potential roles for piloting, gunning turrets, operating the mines, and carrying out engineering functions. The ship will also have amenities such as crew quarters, a mess hall, and a cargo bay with 64 SCU of storage. Gameplay-wise, the Nautilus will excel at area denial and escorting smaller ships. It can potentially be used for piracy or trolling other players by laying mines on well-traveled routes. Additionally, it could serve as a minesweeper or engage in smaller scale combat.
However, the Nautilus has limitations due to the relatively small range of its mines and the 3D nature of space. It may be more effective as a preparatory ship deployed before a major engagement rather than as an active part of the action. Overall, the Nautilus offers a unique style of gameplay and adds diversity to the game’s ship roster.