[Philoshopy] Why do we keep trying to build something pretty ?

[DJ-Col7]

Effectiveness is always important, you'll be the most beautiful thing in the sky when you're the only thing left in the sky.

 

[Winterhome]

The better looking your thickly armored hull is, the better it is against missile impacts.
Decoration can fuck cannons over somewhat as well.

Visuals are a part of effectiveness.

 

[sayerulz]

Yep. It's a 128mm (5-inch naval gun) main gun, yet next to several tons of Maus tank, it looks far too small. The coaxial on the Maus tank is a 75mm (The gun that was standard on most armored vehicles until after the end of the war), yet it looks like a machinegun. Hitler didn't like it, so he demanded a 150mm (6-inch) naval gun be used instead.

Form over function. Had Hitler not demanded so much from his weapons designers, many of Germany's almost-superweapons might have become realities. Instead, the Maus was cancelled after delays gave the Allies time to decimate the air forces that the Maus would've relied on for protection from the air (Moving at 8 mph is not safe for dodging aircraft), the Me 262 was too late to be produced and deployed in large numbers.

The ME262 was actually deployed in enough numbers that it could have had some effect, but Hitler, again being an idiot and messing around with territory he should have left to engineers and generals, would only let them be used as bombers. Eventually, he let them be used as fighters, but by that time it was too late to make much difference.

 

[Madman198237]

No, Me 262 was delayed because Hitler wanted a bomber. In fact, all he said (Supposedly) was "Can it drop bombs", as Hitler was, at that point, desperate for a deep-penetration fast-attack bomber capable of striking Allied ground forces.
The Me 262 was rare, but had the four-month delay Hitler's comment caused never happened, it could have been a significant foe, racking up hundreds of kills against the Allies with its tremendous speed advantage and surprise factor. It would not have won the war due to technical issues (Its jet engines had an average operating life of 10 hours before complete failure) but it could have seriously delayed the end. The Allies' ability to attack from the air with impunity devastated infrastructure and slow-moving or immobile military targets.

 

[sayerulz]

Well, either way, the point is that Hitler was an idiot.

 

[Madman198237]

He was also certifiably insane. But that's off topic.

 

[Master_Artificer]

Yep. It's a 128mm (5-inch naval gun) main gun, yet next to several tons of Maus tank, it looks far too small. The coaxial on the Maus tank is a 75mm (The gun that was standard on most armored vehicles until after the end of the war), yet it looks like a machinegun. Hitler didn't like it, so he demanded a 150mm (6-inch) naval gun be used instead.

Form over function. Had Hitler not demanded so much from his weapons designers, many of Germany's almost-superweapons might have become realities. Instead, the Maus was cancelled after delays gave the Allies time to decimate the air forces that the Maus would've relied on for protection from the air (Moving at 8 mph is not safe for dodging aircraft), the Me 262 was too late to be produced and deployed in large numbers.

And the brits went and put a 57mm and later a 96mm into a plane, crazy stuff!
(I like the fact that the carrier variant of the same plane has four 20mm cannons, eight 60lb rockets, four 500lb bombs, and then a torpedo. I guess you could start your run as a divebomber with rocket and 20mm cannon attacks, then dropping the 4 bombs, and when you level out, do a torpedo attack on an enemy ship, climb, and do more strafing attacks or dogfight enemy fighters. Kinda multirole and scary.

 

[sayerulz]

And the brits went and put a 75 and later a 76mm gun on one of their planes as well. Crazy stuff!

You know, I would have thought that if anyone would think it was a good idea to put an artillery piece on a fighter, it would be Russia, but apparently, it was Brittan that went "screw logic, screw physics, screw practicality, this plane needs moar dakka!"

 

[Master_Artificer]

You know, I would have thought that if anyone would think it was a good idea to put an artillery piece on a fighter, it would be Russia, but apparently, it was Brittan that went "screw logic, screw physics, screw practicality, this plane needs moar dakka!"

not to mention the plane was made out of wood with wood screws and everything, only something like 300 pounds of metal used, it was a plane made by piano and furniture factories

 

[sayerulz]

not to mention the plane was made out of wood with wood screws and everything, only something like 300 pounds of metal used, it was a plane made by piano and furniture factories

Now that is definitely USSR logic. "Who cares if it works? It has a really big gun and looks cool, so it's fine!"

 

[ZektorSK]

Now that is definitely USSR logic. "Who cares if it works? It has a really big gun and looks cool, so it's fine!"

War Thunder...... eh eh

 

[sayerulz]

War Thunder...... eh eh

Sekrit dokuments sey that all russian planes were equipped with 2000 rpm 15o milimeter guns, by order of glorious stalin himself. And they are made from stalinium, most stronk material in universe. can be penetrated by nothing.

 

[ZektorSK]

Sekrit dokuments sey that all russian planes were equipped with 2000 rpm 15o milimeter guns, by order of glorious stalin himself. And they are made from stalinium, most stronk material in universe. can be penetrated by nothing.

 

[MossyStone48]

Now that is definitely USSR logic. "Who cares if it works? It has a really big gun and looks cool, so it's fine!"

Spoiler: Trust me. I'm an engineer.

Why we build pretty things? Ego.

Artist? It better look good.
Engineer? It better look a big engine.
Architect? Make it post modern or else.
Gender Studies? It better not look hetero-normative.
Republican? MOARGUN.
Liberal? Shouldn't you be protesting something?
15 year old male? Better look like a peen.
Raiben? It's NOT a sword!

My method is simple. I keep slapping on systems until it functions exactly how I want. I move some systems around, slap on some hull, slap on more hull. Cut it down here. Nudge it in there. Make this space a bit bigger. Take out the superfluous hull bits. Wedge it. Done. If my ego has a problem with it it can go call a teen abuse hotline and complain about its first world problems to some underpaid moron who used to care.

If I do revisit a ship for aesthetic purposes it purely ego. Others have trouble admitting this. A more attractive ship means more likes, reviews and downloads. What makes it attractive? Easy. It needs really neat-o tail fins. Really, tho: Most of the time if it fulfills a role properly it'll become an underground success. If it has huge guns, functions, and looks pretty inside and out it'll eventually become a classic. If it's a brick covered in a detailed shroud it'll jump in popularity as it gets copied and rebuilt by the PvPers. This dies down after any rebalance to weapons or systems and the race is on for the next best thing. If it's a beautifully sculpted love letter to the space operas of old it'll get buried by kids trying to get that CC badge. We all build our ships to fit the criteria we think will bring us an ounce of celebrity.

Unless you're a smeditor. In that case you just a fanboi with a high threshold for pain in the name of fan-service. That's less ego and more fetish.

But it's ego that drives the ship reviews. It's ego that drives the arms race to build the next PvP monster. It's ego that drives the artist to express themselves in hull, armor... glass and lights, to create something that reflects well on them.

It's not always healthy. But hey; Thanks for playing StarMade.

 

[Nuclear Doughnut]

I like big... Bigger is better... 125 million blocks needs to be the standard... Enough said... Brick is Dead. Long live the Brick.

 

[Tamren Shade]

Because making something easy, ugly, and powerful just isn't fun for me. If the game was just about min/maxing a death cube, I wouldn't be interested in playing.

I like sitting down for a few hours after I get off, turn on some relaxing music, and push some cubes around to see if I can make something cool!

 

[ZektorSK]

Because making something easy, ugly, and powerful just isn't fun for me. If the game was just about min/maxing a death cube, I wouldn't be interested in playing.

I like sitting down for a few hours after I get off, turn on some relaxing music, and push some cubes around to see if I can make something cool!

Few hours ? Building a ship takes days.

 

[sayerulz]

Few hours ? Building a ship takes days.

Depends on how big the ship is and how fast you build. My ships take ages (or end up in 80% finished limbo) because I build for a few hours, do something else, then come back and make a few small changes. Repeat until I am more or less happy with how it looks and functions. Even then, it will still undergo a lot of evolutions after that.

Some other people might just wake up one day with what they think is a cool idea, then burn through executing it one long session of turbo building.

And anyway, he never said it was finished in a few hours, just that he spent a few hours building.

 

[Dire Venom]

It seems that you can't have something original and beatufil, yet still functional and effective

Yeah not quite true.
It comes more easily to some people than it does to others, I remember last year when I met people on a server I would offer to spend a couple of hours building a vessel to their specifications.
With me building and them offering suggestions we were able to create some amazing builds that neither of us would have made alone.

Also just looking at other players designs gives me lots of inspiration!
Even if your not good at building, its not that hard : ) Ive personally helped a number of players go from building boxy rectangles, to sleek, stunning designs that could smash a boxy rectangle any day!

 

[ZektorSK]

Yeah not quite true.
It comes more easily to some people than it does to others, I remember last year when I met people on a server I would offer to spend a couple of hours building a vessel to their specifications.
With me building and them offering suggestions we were able to create some amazing builds that neither of us would have made alone.

Also just looking at other players designs gives me lots of inspiration!
Even if your not good at building, its not that hard : ) Ive personally helped a number of players go from building boxy rectangles, to sleek, stunning designs that could smash a boxy rectangle any day!

That is not true... You see, SkylordLuke does have one of the best looking ships ever, but I have never seen one to fight a battle and win... Does that mean that vizual is more important to him, them actually surviving in that crate ?

No one can make something beatufil, yet still effective and battle worthy.