The "I have no name for this ship" ship

    Opinions on current ship design

    • Good so far

      Votes: 10 71.4%
    • Ok

      Votes: 2 14.3%
    • It's Alright...

      Votes: 1 7.1%
    • Needs more work

      Votes: 1 7.1%
    • Did you even try?

      Votes: 0 0.0%

    • Total voters
      14
    Joined
    Jun 21, 2013
    Messages
    77
    Reaction score
    24
    • Legacy Citizen 2
    • Legacy Citizen
    Here's a few images from the first proper ship i am making that's not just a conglomeration of ship parts for survival.

    Length: 205
    Height: 27
    Width: 43

    No systems to speak of yet.





     
    Joined
    Mar 3, 2015
    Messages
    457
    Reaction score
    158
    It's a good start. You need to break up the silhouette a bit. Maybe some weapons pylons or something. Even just some extruded and recesssed sections (moreso than what you've done- you're on the right track) would look a lot better. Right now its a bit... Phallic. He'll, maybe just something as simple as lengthening what I'm assuming are the engine pods, up more towards the center of the ship would be all you need to do for the basic shape. Of course. Who am I to say what is and isn't an improvement? Lol, this is a good design so far.

    What's the intended role for this thing?
     
    Joined
    Jun 21, 2013
    Messages
    77
    Reaction score
    24
    • Legacy Citizen 2
    • Legacy Citizen
    It's a good start. You need to break up the silhouette a bit. Maybe some weapons pylons or something. Even just some extruded and recesssed sections (moreso than what you've done- you're on the right track) would look a lot better. Right now its a bit... Phallic. He'll, maybe just something as simple as lengthening what I'm assuming are the engine pods, up more towards the center of the ship would be all you need to do for the basic shape. Of course. Who am I to say what is and isn't an improvement? Lol, this is a good design so far.

    What's the intended role for this thing?
    its role is going to probobly be a small defence ship meant to work in fleets with a few side versions like a miner and cargo hauler

    also im proboly going to replace some of the smaller armor plates with decorations when i get to that point

    and yes those are engine pods with forwards and backwards thrusters
     

    DrTarDIS

    Eldrich Timelord
    Joined
    Jan 16, 2014
    Messages
    1,114
    Reaction score
    310
    Depends on your personal aesthetics and combat doctrine, but I personally dislike the "space dildo" designs I see everyone making. Wide or Tall instead of Long has many gameplay benefits too. Girth over length ;)

    Nice paneling outline though. I like that.
     
    Joined
    Aug 1, 2015
    Messages
    472
    Reaction score
    84
    • Purchased!
    looks good so far,you could add some rotating elements for more action look to hull.Making a pleasing shaped hull is half the battle,i always find it tough to put systems in that I want after hulling,let us know how it turns out.(y)
     
    Joined
    Jun 21, 2013
    Messages
    77
    Reaction score
    24
    • Legacy Citizen 2
    • Legacy Citizen
    Here are some images of the work i did today (got distracted by Gmod) I like how the segmented sections turned out.







    (main engine goes in the middle)


     
    Joined
    Jun 11, 2016
    Messages
    1,170
    Reaction score
    646
    Do you want something special? Allways build a ship with a certain purpose, or some certain goals. The purpose "a military flagship"/"a ship for survival" is not enough, be more precise about what that ship shall have. Be it a hangar of a certain size, or a certain type of turret - but build the ship around this one thing. One thing you want to have on that ship. You can add any clutter around it, but that one thing has to remain on the ship. For example, on my military corvette, I had the one goal, to give it a railgun as you see on the Donnanger in the TV series The Expanse. Another goal example would be a certain hull shape, or a certain theme like some dudes use a purple alien theme.
     
    Joined
    Jun 21, 2013
    Messages
    77
    Reaction score
    24
    • Legacy Citizen 2
    • Legacy Citizen
    Do you want something special? Allways build a ship with a certain purpose, or some certain goals. The purpose "a military flagship"/"a ship for survival" is not enough, be more precise about what that ship shall have. Be it a hangar of a certain size, or a certain type of turret - but build the ship around this one thing. One thing you want to have on that ship. You can add any clutter around it, but that one thing has to remain on the ship. For example, on my military corvette, I had the one goal, to give it a railgun as you see on the Donnanger in the TV series The Expanse. Another goal example would be a certain hull shape, or a certain theme like some dudes use a purple alien theme.
    i kinda wanted it to be based around a "railgun" like halo's mac cannons or at least how i percieve them (one giant gun running the length of the ship)
     
    Joined
    Jun 11, 2016
    Messages
    1,170
    Reaction score
    646
    Ya anything goes, stick to it and be proud when you finished it. =)
     
    Joined
    Mar 3, 2015
    Messages
    457
    Reaction score
    158
    JinM gave some good advice.

    Since its roughly analogous to starmades game mechanics, I look at the types of ships in use during WWI & II (even the stuff that was old and outdated) and I study their roles, and their designs, and even the politics that went into building them. I don't really base my own ships on historical examples, but I do base their origins and roles.

    What you've built would probably be a destroyer escort, or maybe a corvette. Depending on how heavily armed it is, it could even be a destroyer, based on the stated role you have in mind for it. Maybe do a little looking around (i'd suggest looking at "The Battle off Samar" WWII) , and see if you can find anything that pops out at you, to give you an idea on the best offensive and defensive loadouts.

    Or go with the spinal mounted gun. Spinal mounted guns are awesome lol
     
    Joined
    Jun 21, 2013
    Messages
    77
    Reaction score
    24
    • Legacy Citizen 2
    • Legacy Citizen
    JinM gave some good advice.

    Since its roughly analogous to starmades game mechanics, I look at the types of ships in use during WWI & II (even the stuff that was old and outdated) and I study their roles, and their designs, and even the politics that went into building them. I don't really base my own ships on historical examples, but I do base their origins and roles.

    What you've built would probably be a destroyer escort, or maybe a corvette. Depending on how heavily armed it is, it could even be a destroyer, based on the stated role you have in mind for it. Maybe do a little looking around (i'd suggest looking at "The Battle off Samar" WWII) , and see if you can find anything that pops out at you, to give you an idea on the best offensive and defensive loadouts.

    Or go with the spinal mounted gun. Spinal mounted guns are awesome lol
    thats a good idea, i think it would probobly be an escort craft that works in teams of three with each holding a specific loadout, i might go with a weapon something like the ion frigate from homeworld since the front could be decorated in some ways to make it pretty and because i like lasers. i may end up switching to turrets as main weapons since i have an idea but that might just end up being a spinoff build
     
    Joined
    Jun 11, 2016
    Messages
    1,170
    Reaction score
    646
    You don't have to dictate yourself how or what to build. I suggested that you know what you at least want to achieve (aka one certain goal), at the start of the build. As it is your first ship, the goal of building any survival capable ship is ok man. My first bigger one was a fighter of only 40 m length though, and I had no clue what I wanted...I had a blurry image in my head how the hull should look, and nothing else as goal. I think the goals of a ship rise up with each ship you build, settling low for the first one is totally fine.

    Also, as certain design goal, the military role or the later usage was not what I was trying to point out. A certain design goal can even be, that you have a certain thruster shape, or want to build a robot that shoots out lasers from his feet. One thing you want to achieve with the ship, that one thing that keeps you going. And if it is the sole purpose of a survival ready ship it's enough as well - later you might have bigger or more precise goals in mind. It is not helping, if you now pressure yourself to find some certain goals. If you allready and actually want something certain, you know that you don't want to miss it, and will stick to it. But if you have this one goal, take an inner note, and don't add too much other goals around it or you might end up with a ship that looks very cluttered and doesn't feel like a whole. The other goals are optional. This way you might often end up with projects you feel satisfied about, because you get what you came for in the start.

    For my first bigger fighter, it was a certain hull shape. For my first corvette, it was the railgun from the Donnanger. For my first big salvager, I saw a station, that had a cool shape, and I copied it, and I wanted to test out an RP-building style, where each system is accessible from walkways and seperated by walls. My first small salvager had the goal, to being affordable with the starting money, and having open spaces where I can put in upgrade systems (jump drives, more thrust and a slave to the salvage array).

    Here is a video with the content I just talked about. I found it helpful, but I didn't spoil my first building experience with too much theory. I am happy to learn from myself and make up my own mind first, and then seek out for other opinions to see how others do it. I watched it after my 3rd bigger ship. Maybe you want to look into it a little bit later:
     
    Joined
    Jun 21, 2013
    Messages
    77
    Reaction score
    24
    • Legacy Citizen 2
    • Legacy Citizen
    just added the power how does 1071 blocks in 5 groups making 710031 e/s sound?

    I believe it maths out to 663 e/s per block.
     
    Last edited:
    Joined
    Jun 21, 2013
    Messages
    77
    Reaction score
    24
    • Legacy Citizen 2
    • Legacy Citizen
    Here's some images of the progress i made.

    (to much ribbing?)


    (beam focus)


    (two turrets left to do)


    (main engine)
     
    • Like
    Reactions: Scypio
    Joined
    Jun 11, 2016
    Messages
    1,170
    Reaction score
    646
    I should reconsider my building style, some other styles are so much easier to construct and still look good, than what I like to build. :D