X3TC: Rapier Cargo Bay problem for taxi missions

[upturnedcircle]

Ok I am new X3 and it seems like a pretty nice game. But I'm having this frustrating problem:

I'm trying to complete some of those taxi missions so I bought a cargo bay and outfitted my original Rapier that was provided on the Terran plot. I tried to complete one of these missions with Rapier but it would never load the passenger on board. So I looked here through the forum and found where someone said they had the same problem and they just purchased a Rapier with M class cargo bay. I guess passengers are M class cargo. Anyways I go to the shipyard and buy a Rapier M and equip it with a cargo bay. I try to do another taxi mission and the same thing happens. So I info the ship and it still lists it as an S class cargo bay. So maybe I screwed up and bought an S class. So I go back to the shipyard and buy another M class and right after I buy it I info it and it still says S class. I also try buying and L class and still the info on the ship says S class. Anyone have this problem or suggestions? thanks.

[Nanook]

First off, you're confusing cargo class with ship variant. In a shipyard, you have three different levels of each ship you can buy - S, M, L. These designate what equipment comes on the ship, such as shields and weapons. S is basically a stripped down ship, M comes with medium weapons and shields, and L usually comes with maxed shields and a few of the best weapons the ship can carry.

Cargo class is something totally different. You have S, M, L, XL, ST. This designates the size of containers that can be loaded on board a particular ship, and cannot be changed for that ship. Your Rapier, for example, is an M5-class fighter (scout class) and can carry at most S class cargo. So you can't carry passengers at all if they're M class cargo.

Yeah, there's a lot of confusing usage of S, M, L, etc., but you have to keep it in context to understand its meaning.

[upturnedcircle]

Thanks for the reply Nanook.
That makes sense now. So it looks like it's not worth putting cargo life support in a Rapier.

[Nyax]

Don't most passenger transport missions demand a TP class ship (Passenger transport) anyway?

[Nanook]

Thanks for the reply Nanook.
That makes sense now. So it looks like it's not worth putting cargo life support in a Rapier.

You could still pick up the occasional astronaut as a slave, if you have a Cargo Life Support System. If you're into that sort of thing.

[upturnedcircle]

Well, I've seen some missions where they aren't necessarily looking for a transport ship but a fast ship instead. So I figured the Rapier would be good for that. But isn't a S cargo too small to pick an astronaut?

[Thelic]

Don't most passenger transport missions demand a TP class ship (Passenger transport) anyway?

Some do, some do not. It will say in the mission briefing if a TP is required.

[vr01]

Other than a TP you need a ship that can handle 'M' class cargo and the Cargo Life Support system. I think it is 6 cargo space per person / astronaut.

[strude]

The missions that require a fast ship are ok, and transporting military people is ok too as long as you have the required cargo space.

Anyone know if the transport military people missions can be done in multiple trips? I usually avoid any the need more space than my discoverer, but some of the time limits would allow two or even three trips sometimes so I may be able to complete the mission in multiple runs.