ComCardinal's Community Convoy Escort Contest - Spring 2025

THE RESULTS. ARE. IN!

Well, my apologies for the tremendous wait, everyone, but I hope the results are worth it! With the quality and quantity of submissions, I felt I aught to afford each ship review the time, energy, and consideration it deserves, but it can be tricky to find opportunities to do that when life gets busy!



I have gone through each of the 16 submissions carefully and rated each in 10 different categories, each structured as objectively as I can, and formulated with the intent of determining what the best entry was.



It was a tight competition in many ways, and trying to objectively assess so many different styles, especially in matters of looks, is not always easy, but I am pretty happy with how the scoring has resulted, and I feel it reflects my overall assessment of the entries quite well.



Please, do not be disheartened if you did not win, or if your ship did not perform as well as perhaps you might have liked; I intend for my written reviews to include constructive feedback to help you improve. You can take that feedback and incorporate it, or you can disregard it entirely - that's your prerogative! Nevertheless, I hope everyone had fun participating, and I hope everyone enjoys reading my reviews, considering the polling unanimously favored me writing them in full length. Given the process and the system of recording these results, those written reviews should come shortly and relatively easily. I will cover the top five ships first, and then I will do the remainder in no particular order.



Now, with all of that stalling out of the way, I'm sure you are all VERY curious at this point who has won!

We shall start with FIFTH place:
Fire-Storm Escort from Dr. Whammy!


In FOURTH place:
Augur Buzzard from colonel lacu


In THIRD place:
Wizard Class Corvette from MeRobo!


In SECOND place:
Ray-Storm Class from Dr. Whammy!


And last, but certainly not least,
In FIRST place:
Locust-class Convoy Escort (Purple) from DeepspaceMechanic!

Congratulations to you all!

REVIEW #1 - Locust-class Convoy Escort (Purple) from DeepspaceMechanic!


Category 1: Marketing - 4/5
The [Purple] Locust scores a solid 4/5 on marketing; you had quality pictures of interior and exterior, some fun flavor text, and the comparison between variants, which really help "sell" the ship, though you didn't go quite as far with it as some of the other entries.

I'm a big believer in putting some details and interest into the builds outside of just the blueprint, which is why this category exists at all. I remember ~10 years ago when the dock was filled with all kinds of glorious creations, and you could open one up and get some real fun flavor text and pictures and it is a cool experience in and of itself. And being able to see both the inside and outside of the ship really helps encourage downloads!



Category 2: Function (35%)

Subcategory 1: Offense - 4/5
While it may not hit as hard as some entries, it still punched pretty remarkably well, and made use of weapons systems that make sense for an escort ship, and seem well suited against pirates and other convoy raiders. They may not hold up as well if this ship were used in a battle line, but that isn't the point. Overall, they're punchy and they feel good to use.

This subcategory is graded flat, regardless of ship size or scale. Cost is later used to scale this and the next section in accordance with the "quantity" of ships that could be purchased of this type. More on that later!



Subcategory 2: Defense - 4.6/5
Your shield capacity was extremely impressive. Thought the purple did not have quite as high a capacity as the green, it still had more shield capacity than any other entry by several hundred thousand, a feat particularly impressive given it's comparative mass. This is a ship that can take a beating. It has pretty solid armoring for an escort, and point defense turrets to protect itself or other vessels from incoming missiles. There was no stealth on this ship, but it more or less makes up for that with it's other defensive (and offensive) measures. Very impressive!

Like offense, this is graded flat, and scaled later by cost. More details on how I did that at the end!



Subcategory 3: Speed - 4.4/5
This ship largely has a great speed performance and profile in terms of total speed and acceleration. For a ship of this size and mass, that's quite impressive!

Unlike offense and defense, speed is a proportional effect, and thus will not be scaled by cost.



Subcategory 4: Mobility - 4/5
The ship has good acceleration, deceleration, jump drive ability, and can get around.

It's a little tricky to differentiate speed from mobility and mobility from maneuverability, but I tend to look at speed as a flat measure of how fast it can go, mobility as a more abstract measure of the vehicle's ability to get around (including jump drives and boosts), and maneuverability as a measure of how well it can turn and perform precision maneuvers. For this contest in particular, mobility includes a general measure of how well it can do it's job of keeping with a convoy, etc. If there were one thing I'd change about the rating system for this contest if I were to do it over again, I'd probably simplify and flatten these three categories.



Subcategory 5: Maneuverability - 2.5/5
The ship can turn acceptably, especially for its size, but it is not particularly nimble or graceful. You won't see it keeping up in a dogfight.

This, like speed and mobility, is NOT scaled with cost.


Subcategory 5: Other - 4.5/5
The ship has functioning logic elevators and a whole set of all kinds of fun and functional logic and logic-adjacent features, including the speeder bikes! While a ship like Schachtelmännchen goes absolutely above and beyond expectations in terms of logic and "moving parts", as well as other features like cloaking, this ship certainly had an admirable quantity of bonus features!



Category 3: Exterior Aesthetics - 25/30
The ship has a rather unique shape that cuts a striking and distinctive profile from most angles, it has detailing like radiator panels, antennas, etc., and it has some painting. While other entries to the contest certainly pulled ahead in this department, this ship was no visual slouch, and I also appreciate the technical skill that goes into building a ship that is this angled. This ship took a relatively under-explored visual concept, and executed on it marvelously! I'd suggest this to anyone looking to better understand the value of ship profile and macro-shape, as it delivers on both in spades. The shape is instantly iconic, and I can visualize it quite distinctively, even at first glance, even if I can't visualize all of its detailing.

I think my biggest criticism about the build would come down to the detailing. While certainly not bad, I think it could have been a little stronger. Many details feel somewhat disconnected from each other, especially viewed at a distance. While they look good individually, this tends to make the build look a little busy at some angles. I feel like this could be alleviated to an extent by doing a little bit more to connect the details with each other. This is especially true for the grey details, as they stick out more in contrast to the purple and blue hull.

I do also greatly appreciate the turret selection; they pair with the ship's shape and general aesthetic very well; in particular the point defense turrets honestly make a crucial part of the ship's overall shape.

Many would miss the detail that the turrets (and some other details) are at an angle from the rest of the ship, but I didn't. That takes experience and skill to get visually right, and it absolutely suits this build!



Category 4: Interior Aesthetics - 30/30
Bravo! I tip my hat to you! As an avid enjoyer of interiors, this is more or less without flaw that I could identify. Lighting is on point, material usage, pristine, layout, excellent. The ship has all of the interior rooms you'd expect, in believable proportions. It is not cookie cutter to the extreme; the interior conforms to the ship, and feels organic with it (especially the room with the big glass window on top!). Anyone looking to improve their interior game should look closely at your use of materials and lighting.




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That is all of the points categories! This contest did have an added requirement, however - cost. After some consideration, I deemed that cost should primarily influence the value of offense and defense, as those are the two metrics that scale the most directly with mass (which itself scales with cost). Looks are largely independent of size, as is marketing, etc. Therefore, the combined scores of offense and defense are adjusted based on a multiplier derived from the cost. Ships which were within budget were multiplied by 1 - unchanged. Ships that were over budget had a gradual scaling decrease in offense/defense scores. Ships which were so far under budget that more than one could be purchased within budget were scaled up to represent the ability to purchase multiple for the same cost. The math ultimately was messy and I made my spreadsheet do it for me, so I will spare you any further details, but I will list the resulting values:
- Pre-adjustment offense and defense: 8.6
- Post-adjustment offense and defense: 8.6

This brings the points total to 83 / 100 possible


Please let me know if you have any questions or disputes to the scoring; I do on occasion make mistakes!

REVIEW #2 - Ray-Storm Class from Dr. Whammy

Category 1: Marketing - 4.5/5
The Ray-Storm had production lore, quality photos, and more! It was only beaten out in marketing by those who made custom graphics and/or those who made videos to showcase their ships. Good work!



Category 2: Function (35%)

Subcategory 1: Offense - 4/5
The weapons of the Ray-Storm on their own may not have had the same kind of firepower of other entries, especially at range, but they were valuable in other ways. For one, the presence of both a decent missile system AND multiple laser systems helps vary damage type; a useful trait when fighting off pirates potentially solo, where you can't combine and synergize damage types with other ships in a fleet. For another, most of the weapons were semi automatic, and the two big turrets in particular essentially had total coverage of the entire ship. That's very useful when being ambushed (as convoys may very well be) and when fighting more maneuverable ships.



Subcategory 2: Defense - 4/5
The shield capacity of this ship is alright, but not the strongest by any measure. Where this ship might (comparatively) lack in shields, however, it does present plenty of both armor and secondary defenses. It has 4 solid point defense cannons, and a very strong stealth chamber set for added defensive value.



Subcategory 3: Speed - 2.5/5
This ship is not the fastest, nor the slowest; pretty middle of the road on speed.



Subcategory 4: Mobility - 3.5/5
The ship has alright acceleration, deceleration, jump drive ability, and can get around, but could probably be better.



Subcategory 5: Maneuverability - 3/5
The ship can turn decently for its size.



Subcategory 5: Other - 5/5
This ship is FULL of fun features, from the escape pods to the shuttle bay, clearly a lot of attention was given to making this ship "functional" beyond just standard gameplay, and that's great! Other features like the toggling of engines and lights just give the ship so much life!



Category 3: Exterior Aesthetics - 28.5/30
This ship cuts a fantastic profile from every angle. While it doesn't boast the same level of greeble that many other entries did, it is still exceptionally taseful in its detailing, and it absolutley compensates for this in its shaping and profiling. At first glance, it may seem to be another "triangle ship", and it certainly is triangular, but the profile of this ship has so much more going on than that. It has an entire "diamond" or "star" motif going on alongside the traingle, and that gives it a truly unique shape. Combined with details like the glow lighting in the "cracks" between armor plates, and it is a ship that looks iconic, classic, and unique all at once. I also really appreciate how the superstructure and "deflector" area work into the hull and broader shape of the ship; it feels natural, realistic, and armored, while looking fantastic. Other detail work such as the engines and turrets also really make this build come to life.

My biggest complaint would be a few areas of exposed systems. Namely, the plates around the engine bell have some exposed systems blocks, and while not the end of the world, it does feel like it pulls from the aesthetic of the exterior at some angles.

If I were to suggest any changes or improvements, I'd suggest varying the hull material a little more in some places to add texture. Even just mixing advanced with standard would help add that extra little detail, especially up close.



Category 4: Interior Aesthetics - 27/30
While reviews for them have not come out yet, this ship boasts a good level up from the interiors of the other entries to this contest from Dr. Whammy. I particularly like the hallway work; they go a lot further to break up the monotony in shape, color, and texture of ship passageways. I especially like the contrast of the upper deck hallway (which has an almost organic snake to it) which is tight and feels just a touch clausterphobic (in a good way) and the main deck hallway which is broad and basically arched. I like the detail in each of the rooms, especailly for their smaller size, and I appreciate the quantity of rooms that were fit into this ship! My favorite room is a tie between the bridge and the medibay.

My biggest criticism is that some rooms are still somewhat flat/monotonous. The shuttle bay, for example, has some nice detailing, but then the floors and walls are mostly materially the same. The same can also be said for the "main deck" - a floor of grey basic hull, and a decent amount of grey basic hull in the walls. A little bit more material variety would go a long way, as the overall layout and detailing are both very nice on this ship!

I also really apprecaite extra details like the internal pallet jack and the reactor access rooms; they're not necessary by any means, but give the ship a greater feeling of life!




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Cost-related adjustments:
- Pre-adjustment offense and defense: 8
- Post-adjustment offense and defense: 8

This brings the points total to 82 / 100 possible


Please let me know if you have any questions or disputes to the scoring; I do on occasion make mistakes!

REVIEW #3 - Wizard Class Corvette from MeRobo


Category 1: Marketing - 3/5
The Wizard had some good pictures and the likes on its page, but doesn't have much else in the way of lore or anything like that.



Category 2: Function (35%)

Subcategory 1: Offense - 3/5

The weapons of the Wizard Class were sufficient, but not fantastic. The missiles perform much better than the guns, but any decent point defense would really put a damper on that. The cannon/cannon combo feels like it simultaneously lacks the fire rate and potency to really be truly useful. They would suffice against smaller pirates, though.



Subcategory 2: Defense - 4/5
The shields on the Wizard are pretty decent, especially in volume - likely thanks to the related chambers. It possesses a good coverage of point defense, as well, though it doesn't have any added defensive features like stealth.



Subcategory 3: Speed - 5/5

This ship is very fast for its size; it has an exceptional Thrust/Mass Ratio and I believe the maximum top speed, thanks in part to its chamber configuration

Subcategory 4: Mobility - 4/5

The ship has solid acceleration, deceleration, and a nice booster, though lacks any kind of jump drive upgrades.

Subcategory 5: Maneuverability - 2/5

The ship can turn but not very quickly.

Subcategory 5: Other - 2/5

This ship does have some pretty cool airlock logic, though it doesn't seem to be working quite right. I can deduce roughly how it worked by the displays and so on I can find buried in the ship.

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Category 3: Exterior Aesthetics - 27/30

While the Wizard may not have the most iconic of shapes, it does have a half decent side, top, and bottom profile. The profile leaves some to be desired from the front and rear, but profile isn't really where this ship stands out. In detailing, on the other hand, the Wizard is an absolute master class. Slab work, material variation, and greebling connect and flow with zero obvious flaws. Unlike what some may think, it seems to me on direct inspection that this ship does indeed have some broader strokes in the detailing that help it all to flow. They are certainly subtle, and probably could have been emphasized a bit more with coloration, but it really helps take the design from just a rather conventional shape with some detailing to a more comprehensive visual design. I particularly like the portion at the rear of the ship which uses rail turret blocks in combination with the astrotechs in that recessed area; it decidedly "pops" and makes it look like those blocks were absolutely made to go together. I also appreciate that though this ship heavily features LOD blocks quite to its benefit, the detail is not tremendously compromised by moving outside of LOD viewing range; this can be a challenge at times to accomplish in detail-heavy ships.

If I were to make two main suggestions, they'd be to try a more complicated shape and profile with this style, and to do more to add contrast between detail sets much like the aforementioned turret docking area does; having two contrasting sets of detail that paint a broad stroke, combined with that profile adjustment, could make for a visually perfect ship.





Category 4: Interior Aesthetics - 30/30

This ship is somehow not the first perfect interior of the contest, though it is the last. It is rare I am left without much in the way of even minor complaints, but here we are. This ship demonstrates an utter and complete mastery of interiors, from the usage of the materials to the lighting. I could spend all day explaining why each room on this ship is excellent, but none of us have time for that, so I will focus on a couple key rooms that demo the most.

First, the "bridge". The bridge, for its rather small size, takes full advantage of every block it uses. Even the backside of the camera is used as a HUD, something that is pretty rare to do. Consoles are integrated with the shaping (slabs and wedges) of the hulls around them, and are positioned in ways that just FEEL functional. Even the seats have detailing around them on the floor to suggest movement of the seats. No surfaces are needlessly flat or without detail; this is accomplished with wedge work, yes, but also with the subtle variation of floor height; this ensures that the room is never "boring" or too basic. Color is used sparingly, which sometimes can be a flaw, but in this instance, it is a feature. By keeping most things grey scale (but varying material and height), features like the console or the yellow stripes at the back of the room pop all the more. The lighting is well controlled as well; a feat that might be one of the hardest parts of interior building. The light blocks do not look out of place, and they do not overpower or wash out the room. Instead, they complement the depth details and add contrast to the materials, while providing enough light to clearly navigate the room. Even the door frame is more detailed than a simple two-block passage; the door is beveled with slabs.



Second, you may think I'd talk about the control center, or something like that, but no - I want to talk about the crew quarters. The bunks are masterful; especially the use of the light corner as a pillow. I've not seen that done before, and I suspect because it's hard to pull off. Light bars catch light naturally, so even if they are turned off, they can look on, meaning to use them in a decorative way as a different object - such as a pillow - requires extremely strict lighting control for the room. This build completely sells it. The use of grates to visually convey ladders and railings is also fantastic. As with the bridge, this room masterfully utilizes subtle floor height shifts, including the metal grill floors too add even more sense of depth.





Third, the corridors: Fantastic work here! The use of slabs to include a trim in the corners is something far too few people do. Likewise, the pipes running along add some nice asymmetry and really make it feel more like a real ship.



A last note to anyone looking at this kind of interior: Remember that it is BIG. Detailing like this is gorgeous, but it will take up a lot of space relative to the internal volume of the room. Plan for plenty of space when you do this, or you'll find yourself with a gorgeous single room, or details that wind up getting flattened. This ship has a fantastic layout that makes optimal use of this space for this purpose, but that in and of itself is not simple to accomplish.

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Cost-related adjustments:
- Pre-adjustment offense and defense: 7
- Post-adjustment offense and defense: 7

This brings the points total to 80 / 100 possible


Please let me know if you have any questions or disputes to the scoring; I do on occasion make mistakes!

REVIEW #4 - Locust-class Convoy Escort (Green) from DeepspaceMechanic!

This review is a bit unique since it's basically the same as the review above, just some performance tweaks and cost, so I'll just provide the raw numbers and some pics and if you're curious beyond that, let me know and I'll put more info in. For most of it, just assume similar feedback to the first Locust.



Category 1: Marketing - 4/5



Category 2: Function (35%)

Subcategory 1: Offense - 4/5



Subcategory 2: Defense - 5/5



Subcategory 3: Speed - 4.2/5



Subcategory 4: Mobility - 3.8/5



Subcategory 5: Maneuverability - 2.3/5



Subcategory 5: Other - 4.5/5

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Category 3: Exterior Aesthetics - 25/30



Category 4: Interior Aesthetics - 30/30



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Cost-related adjustments:
- Pre-adjustment offense and defense: 9
- Post-adjustment offense and defense: 1.48

This brings the points total to 75.28 / 100 possible


Please let me know if you have any questions or disputes to the scoring; I do on occasion make mistakes!

I want to issue a brief correction:

It would seem the last time I loaded the Foxglove, its shield value I have written down is the shield value without chambers. It is, however, equipped with chambers, which makes this a peculiar note. I've adjusted my scoring spreadsheet accordingly, and the top 3 ordering remains unchanged, but I will be on a closer lookout for any that may not have accounted for chambers. There's a known issue that seems related to servers not always displaying shield values with chambers accounted for; it is possible this is what was happening, as I have no reason to undesignate chambers myself.

This does mean that the note of the locusts having the highest shield capacity aren't totally correct; the green locust still does, however the purple is actually lower than the Foxglove's capacity. I'll be sure to note if I find any more issues as I'm going through writing out these reviews.

Thanks for the fantastic response! I love hearing more about what goes into shipmaking!

Don't feel too bad about the logic, I have several builds which magically lost their key logic features at some point, too. Real bummer but it happens.



Also, update to the update: It turns out my original assessment of shields was NOT incorrect; apparently, a bug in the latest build has over-multiplied the shield chamber, so I'm adjusting my half-finished Foxglove review to re-account for that...