Ships and Multitools come in four classes - C, B, A, and S. Assuming two items are identical in specification and model, the price will vary according to class, with C being the cheapest, and S being the most expensive.
When NMS first launched, there were notable differences in performance, depending on class. Low class ships had shorter range, lesser firepower, and inferior shields. Higher class items had better performance.
It seems to me now that this difference has gone - or in some cases actually reversed. My class C multitool has considerably better performance than my class S model. I had the opportunity to swap my class B freighter for a class S model with the same number of slots. It would have cost me an eye watering amount of money - and I couldn’t see any difference in the performance figures.
With the exception of frigates, which certainly do improve as their class gets better, does item class actually mean anything any more? Are we just paying extra for bragging rights?
Totally! It’s as if Hello Games decided that any ship could be augmented and upgraded too easily. There seems little need to search for crashed ships, to wait for arriving ships to check out, etc. Except to use as salvage, of course. It doesn’t “feel right.”
It’s possible, I wouldn’t notice. I never look at the stats, only at the slots. NMS is so easy that stats are not something I ever actually had to worry about to survive, even on survival.
I do remember the most signifficant difference for ships being that higher classes consumed less launch fuel, but that’s about the only difference that ever had any imact on my gameplay.
I mean, why would I even care about damage and shield stats of ships if all enemies fall apart after a couple hits and recharge my shields as they do so? Purely mechanically, NMS has always been something of an incoherent mess…
I’ve noted damage output differences between C, A and S multitools fully upgraded that go in the way you would expect. So, I cannot say that I am seeing the same thing.
Ships however, I have not tested this. I know that I often outrun my daughters A class ship with my S-class. However, I don’t think she’s fully upgraded her pulse jet.