QUOTE (IT 000 @ May 12 2009, 02:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I personally like the Rapier. The Lightning will fall apart in pits and pieces after a couple of torpedoes. The Rapier offers the firepower of a Corvette, but the maneuverability of a fighter.
I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't fond of the good 'ol Rapier, but the fact of the matter is, the Corvette is simply better. Yes, the Rapier has certain advantages over the Corvette, but they're rather off-set by its limitations.
As far as fighters go, the description is apt in saying that its rather clumsy. More maneuverable and smaller than the Corvette, yes, but only by a small margin. The Corvette has a larger cargo bay, more weapon hard-points, and vastly greater expansion space (and believe me, you'll be sorely missing those heavy defense upgrades when trying to outrun torpedoes in a Rapier).
The Rapier makes for a passable stepping-stone to the Corvette, being a slightly cheaper alternative, and they make for good escorts (in the hands of the AI, stock Rapiers beat stock Corvettes most of the time), but I wouldn't recommend it over the Corvette as your own personal ship.
But, yes, it is better than the Lightning, at least when it comes down to attacking "large" ships.