1. Embrace the Blind Spots:
The Camel has more blind spots than a bribed government inspector during a high stakes safety audit. If you cannot see the monster on your sonar, it is likely because it is hugging the undefended belly of the ship. This is a clear violation of your personal space and hull integrity. Prepare your welding tools in advance, as "out of sight" quickly becomes "adverse possession of the lower decks."2. The Cargo King Mentality:
You have 60 crate slots at your disposal, and failing to fill them is essentially a breach of contract with your own bank account. If you are not carrying enough cargo to completely destabilize the local moon’s economy, you are fundamentally failing your mission as a space trucker. Maximize every square inch of that hold or risk being labeled an inefficient asset in a corporate liquidation event.3. Speed is a Mere Suggestion:
This submarine moves through the water with the grace and velocity of a brick submerged in chilled molasses. Do not attempt to outrun a Bone Thresher, as doing so is a violation of the laws of physics and your own common sense. Slow and steady wins the race, provided "winning" involves not being held liable for a total hull collapse.4. The Bottom Airlock Trap:
The airlock is positioned on the bottom of the hull, which is legally defined as "inviting an attractive nuisance" to any passing monster. In gamer terms, it serves as a convenient funnel that feeds Mudraptors directly into your sensitive ballast systems like a biological subpoena. Always keep a shotgun or a harpoon near the inner hatch, just in case the "guests" forget to sign the visitor log.5. Ballast Flora Paranoia:
Your ballast tanks are cavernous, providing a luxury resort for invasive Ballast Flora to take root and claim squatter's rights. Check these rooms regularly during your rounds, or you will find your ship being piloted by a sentient weed with no regard for maritime law. If the water starts looking suspiciously pink or green, apply a plasma cutter immediately to evict the intruder with extreme prejudice.6. The Fabrication Suite Advantage:
Unlike the basic Dugong, the Camel comes equipped with a full suite of crafting stations for all your manufacturing needs. Use the long, agonizing travel time between stations to deconstruct every piece of trash you find into useful materials. A productive crew is a crew that is too busy making railgun shells to notice the hull is currently held together by a questionable out of court settlement.7. The "Hump" Maneuver:
When being attacked from above, you must aggressively reposition the submarine to provide your turrets a clear line of sight over the structural humps. The guns are mounted on the ridges, meaning the "valleys" between them are a safe haven for any creature looking to avoid a lawful execution. Think of your ship as a giant, awkward teeter totter where the prize for balance is not being eaten.8. Extreme Storage Organization:
With great storage comes great responsibility to not lose the master key in a pile of empty fuel rods and litigation paperwork. Organize your cabinets by category and color, or finding a simple welding tool will require a 20 minute search warrant through fifteen different lockers. Chaos in the cargo bay leads directly to a declaration of bankruptcy in the abyss.9. Hull Upgrades are Mandatory:
Spend your first 1,500 marks on hull reinforcement at the nearest research outpost to mitigate your liability. The Camel’s factory standard shell is roughly as thick as a wet paper bag and offers zero protection against aggressive litigation from the local wildlife. Without upgrades, a light breeze or a particularly angry fish will turn your transport into a very large, sinking colander.10. Aggressive Battery Management:
Your battery array is decent, but the Camel drinks power like a frat boy who just discovered his parents' credit card has no limit. Do not leave the fabricators running at full blast if your reactor is struggling to keep the lights on and the life support active. Managing the grid is the difference between a successful haul and a dark, silent grave with no hope of an appeal.11. Mineral Scanner Priority:
Upgrade your navigation terminal with a mineral scanner as soon as humanly possible to identify untapped assets. Since you have the storage space of a small warehouse, you might as well strip mine Europa while you are out on a routine delivery. Leaving rare minerals behind is a crime against your wallet and a betrayal of the trucker’s fiduciary duty to the crew.12. Watch the Ceiling Valleys:
Large creatures like Molochs love to land in the dip between the two humps where they cannot be poked or served with a restraining order. If you hear a heavy thumping on the roof, it is not Santa Claus coming to deliver presents to the good boys and girls. It is a biological wrecking ball attempting to introduce itself to your command room in a very physical way.13. The Medic Requires a Scooter:
On a ship this large, it takes a literal eternity to reach a bleeding teammate on the other side of the hull. Ensure your Medic has a handheld sonar and an underwater scooter for rapid response to avoid any claims of medical negligence. If the Medic has to run the length of the Camel, the patient will likely have bled out or filed a malpractice suit by the time they arrive.14. Early Engine Upgrades:
The stock engine is "legally sufficient," which is corporate speak for "it barely works under ideal conditions and is prone to failure." You need to upgrade your propulsion immediately if you ever want to see a docking port again before your contract expires. Without more thrust, you are not navigating the ocean. You are just drifting toward a total loss of assets.15. Forget Stealth Entirely:
You are a giant, noisy metal box with the acoustic profile of a rock concert in a tin can, which is essentially a public nuisance. Stealth is not an option in the Camel, so stop trying to sneak past the Abyss creatures like you are hiding from a process server. Embrace your role as the loudest thing in the water and keep your finger on the "fire" button to defend your interests.Trivia
The Name Game: The Camel is named after the desert animal not just for its physical humps, but because it is a "beast of burden" designed for long, grueling treks across desolate environments where water is the only thing you have too much of.
Design Evolution: The Camel was originally a community contributed design that was so well balanced and popular that the developers officially added it to the "Vanilla" roster, effectively granting it tenure.
Economic Impact: Statistically, players who start with the Camel tend to reach Tier 2 ships significantly faster than those who start with the Dugong. This is simply due to the massive mission payouts from high volume cargo runs that would make any accountant weep with joy.
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