Hello,

I am suffering from the ultimate first world problem: a bit of decision ship-buying decision paralysis. So, I thought I'd get some additional input.

I have some store credit to spend, as well as the opportunity to CCU to a $250 LTI BMM. The catch is, I'm not super enthused about the "traveling bazaar" theme of that ship because I don't think the Ferengi life is for me.

My existing ships are Carrack, Terrapin, and Cutlass Black. Here are the options I've narrowed down:

1. Get the BMM and upgrade it to a 600i-E. I already have the upgrade from before the flight-ready price hike, so the effective cost would be $335. Doing this would cost an additional $25 in fresh money and burn my CCU token for this quarter. I generally like the 600i - it handles nicely, looks good, excellent views, highly automated, and supports a rover cargo, unlike the Constellation series. However, I am not sure about its utility vs cost in the final game and I worry it will be a big target for piracy. I also worry about redundancy with my other exploration ships, even though that's probably my main interest for now.

2. Get the BMM and do not apply the 600i upgrade. Wait to see what the BMM becomes (when I'm old and gray), or hold on to it in case another ship in the $350 range pops up that I might prefer instead. Use it for the discount. Doing this would cost an additional $25 in fresh money and burn my CCU token for this quarter.

3. Forget the BMM and the 600i - get a Caterpillar instead. Melt all the components to get those back, and buy back the $300 Caterpillar Dragonflies package. This burns the CCU token, as well as my opportunity to get the $250 LTI BMM, but requires no additional cash. I do not have a big cargo ship, and I think it could be fun. I played with the Caterpillar in the PTU when it first came out, and I really liked the ship. However, I am concerned about the crew and escort requirements. This seems like it would limit my play time to when I can get people together since it's a big "lot of eggs in one basket" kind of ship that pirates would just love to get in on.

What do? Alternatively, feel free to suggest other ships that you feel would make a good lineup. I have a lot of stuff in my buyback - I'm just terrible at settling on anything! (CIG hates me, I'm sure).

Thanks!