For that matter, they could make one of the trident variants specifically a cargo hauler. Raise it's cargo hold to 800cu and find someway to limit the amount of space a docked ship takes up to 100cu. Now you can have your transport trident without creating magic tridents that can fill every role imaginable.

Having several types of Tridents is a great idea as long as those of us who have already built one get to choose a different type than what we already have and get our ship updated. It would be totally unfair after all the work we put into them to all of a sudden create more types with different "missions" and ours in not the "best fit" for the way we normally use them.

No, that would be perfectly fair. You'll still have the advantage of your current trident in the race to build a new variant.

In all fairness, Dr. Lecter, it would be fair to give all initial adopters a one-time chance to exchange their existing trident for a new variant. However, I would recommend that this one-time exchange not be available until more than two varieties are available. Incarnate hasn't told us what his plans are for trident variants, but if the big picture is for there to be 5 variants, then this shouldn't be available until all 5 variants are in-game.

Until such a time, in the interest of beta testing it all, allow unlimited swapping.

Vo is a beta test ;)

"It would be totally unfair after all the work we put into them to all of a sudden create more types with different "missions" and ours in not the "best fit" for the way we normally use them."

Bullshit. Everybody knew from the very beginning that the Type M was just one of several versions, and that it was unfinished with all aspects subject to change. So no, it wouldn't be unfair at all. Anybody who didn't want to take that risk should have waited until it was finalized instead of jumping on the prototype.

We really need the "pilot launch" feature in place before we go too many rounds with this.

For tridents, I would love to see the underside of the nose (the rectangular cargo-container looking section) detach as a jumpless barge that can just fit in a station dock. if that could happen then moths should simply not be allowed to dock with a trident, period. Moths would need a connie :)

if not, My instinct is there needs to be 2 spaces: hangar space and cargo space. Hangar space COULD be used as over-flow cargo space, but not the reverse, but I bet that complicates implementation. Anyway, decide how many cu each "Hangar bay assembly" is worth, and multiply by 4 for the type M. (oh and make the Rose x6, as well as the Rocinante, as they were made before the hangar reqs were reduced ;)

As for what model fills which role, you may as well call the type M the hauler, since so many people built her thinking that was it's best use. Up The type M cargo to 800 (remember it can carry no moths in this scenario), make the Type S 400, the type P 600.

the underside of the nose (the rectangular cargo-container looking section)

I've always figured this was crew living quarters and other working areas. Tridents are supposedly staffed by around 80(?) crew members.

20 "souls", according to the Skirmish missions.

Seriously though, that nose part does look like a cargo hold.

I maintain these alleged crew are a fiction. At most, 'dents are "crewed" by "skuttlers" a la Red Dwarf...

They sure as hell can't man a turret...

Two thoughts:
We built our tridents knowing there would be variants later and with no promise of getting the ship changed....

However if a swap is decided upon then it should only be offered as a replacement when the current vessal is destroyed ie as an insurance replacement.

/me starts wanting actual trident crews