StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Something I threw together this afternoon. Still lots of chamfering to do, I know, but I'm not really that worried about it at this point (since there's probably very little chance this will ever be finished ). In my usual haphazard fashion, some parts are nearly completed modelling-wise, while some are still very very early.

I know someone is going to say "lose the green spikes", I'm about at that point myself. I like them, but they don't really fit.

The whole thing is scaled to about 200m at this point, leaving room for four TIEs and a boarding craft in the upper hanger.

Image the first

Image the second

Image the fifth
Third sir!
Third

Image the fourth - docking clamps extended

Image the fifth - orthographic

It looks nice though the green texture is annoying.

I like the design, but I hate the colour scheme.

Nice design.

The colour scheme though is a tad off-putting.

It looks like a B5 Hyperion.

It looks a bit Fiver-ish, which is kewl.

I'll forgive the colors because I think they help in diffrentiating the elements the ship is made from.

Nice work by now.

For crying out loud, it's not textured! They're just random colors assigned by 3dsmax!

If you want it all flat gray for now so you can't make out details, I can do that too...

I really like the bow and the stern, the massive engine block is cool. Hell, I even like the weapon wings. Some of the secondary weapons have some really shitty arc's though.

I was thinking about superimposing some of them, but decided against it. Really, the arcs aren't that bad.

It looks kinda like the GTC Fenris design, actually.

I would've liked a nice dagger frigate in the 600 metre range or so.

It doesn't look very Starwars-ish, but the design is neat.

Key issues with looking SW-ish:
The slant on the engines, and their exposed length. Also, their number, regularity and arrangement altogether make for a look that isn't really SW, but would not require major changes, and you might get away with.
The use of globular scanners on a ship that size is unusual, but not necessarily a fault. Maybe if they were a tad smaller.
Leave at least some of the green spikes, actually, just thin the group out a little. Look at the Nebulon as an example.
The tiny little dish scanners don't look right. One or none would be better, and it should be bigger.
The dorsal surface would be better if it was all one level, and the thin part with the comm/scanning gear was the same width as the engine section.
There needs to not be such a width change between the 'head' and the rest of the ship. Probably widening that part of the body as well would be good.

Illuminatus Primus wrote:
I would've liked a nice dagger frigate in the 600 metre range or so.

I've tried small daggers in the 500m range before and they just didn't work out for me.

Alan Bolte wrote:Key issues with looking SW-ish:
[1] The slant on the engines, and their exposed length. Also, their number, regularity and arrangement altogether make for a look that isn't really SW, but would not require major changes, and you might get away with.
[2] The use of globular scanners on a ship that size is unusual, but not necessarily a fault. Maybe if they were a tad smaller.
[3] Leave at least some of the green spikes, actually, just thin the group out a little. Look at the Nebulon as an example.
[4] The tiny little dish scanners don't look right. One or none would be better, and it should be bigger.
[5] The dorsal surface would be better if it was all one level, and the thin part with the comm/scanning gear was the same width as the engine section.
[6] There needs to not be such a width change between the 'head' and the rest of the ship. Probably widening that part of the body as well would be good.

1. They were the first bit, and I really had no direction for the ship at that point. They may well change.
2. I like them. They stay.
3. Yeah, I was mostly aiming for the "forest-of-antennas" approach. They're by no means set in stone.
4. I was thinking more comm equipment as opposed to sensors. They will probably grow, but I think they'll both stay.
5. Now we're getting into stuff i'm not really willing to change. I wanted a big grouping of engines and a big head with shit on it. This has precident in the SW-universe: in fact, all non-dagger Imperial ships I can think of (Carrack, Lancer, Dreadnaught) share these characteristics.
6. I might, I might not. We'll see.

I do appreciate the actual comments as opposed to "Looks good", though.

Not that there's anything wrong with saying "Looks good".

Small update. Some panels growing on the back, engine bells made flat (though you can't see from this angle), bridge redone, some turrets moved about a little.
ARRRR!

Absolutely Gravy with the update. I'm liking it.

Howedar wrote:For crying out loud, it's not textured! They're just random colors assigned by 3dsmax!

If you want it all flat gray for now so you can't make out details, I can do that too...

LOL! I coulda told y'all it was untextured...

I like it, especially the retractable landing clamps!

Someone over at SFM wanted some raytrace shots to show detail differently.

I just think the entire world is a conspiracy to increase my render times.

Raytrace 1
Raytrace 2

Howedar wrote:Someone over at SFM wanted some raytrace shots to show detail differently.

I just think the entire world is a conspiracy to increase my render times.

Raytrace 1
Raytrace 2

I think it looks a bit bulky.

Actually, I think it looks MUCH better with the raytracing... more "Imperial-ish". That shade of gray on it is just about right...

Incidentally, correct me if I'm wrong, but is there a hangar entrance in the side of the spine?

Also, an idea-- perhaps you could have some more guns on the shelf below the hangar? I'm not talking about the "wings" that the main guns are on; I'm thinking a little farther back... I think it's the top of the engine block, but I'm not sure.

Also, maybe stretching it out a bit, but retaining the same width/depth, would work... it'd have more of a Nebulon-B look while being stronger.

Other than these observations, it looks great. Keep up the good work!

The raytraced image looks pretty good.
I can't say I have any suggestions about the armament, I really like it. The medium turbolasers on the wings are perfect.
The domes - I must admit, I kinda like them, but would you prefer them as they are, or changing them to look more like ISD2 domes?
Are you planning on putting TIE racks into that hangar?
My suggestions about the general shape were mostly directed at making a more simplified, prism-shaped body. The Carrack and Lancer were exactly what I had in mind.

Elheru Aran wrote:Incidentally, correct me if I'm wrong, but is there a hangar entrance in the side of the spine?

There is.

Also, an idea-- perhaps you could have some more guns on the shelf below the hangar? I'm not talking about the "wings" that the main guns are on; I'm thinking a little farther back... I think it's the top of the engine block, but I'm not sure.

Though I'm certainly a big fan of cramming on weapons till the cows come home, I'm not really sure what extra guns would do there. Besides, I'm trying to keep the weapons loadout somewhat reasonable.

Also, maybe stretching it out a bit, but retaining the same width/depth, would work... it'd have more of a Nebulon-B look while being stronger.

I will consider that.

Alan Bolte wrote:The domes - I must admit, I kinda like them, but would you prefer them as they are, or changing them to look more like ISD2 domes?

They're placeholders at some level right now. Since they are to serve the same function as the ISD domes, they may well end up looking more like them.

Are you planning on putting TIE racks into that hangar?

Yep. Four TIE/ln or interceptor or something (haven't considered what the extra length will do to packing) and one boarding craft.

My suggestions about the general shape were mostly directed at making a more simplified, prism-shaped body. The Carrack and Lancer were exactly what I had in mind.

Eh, we'll see. I kinda like it how it is. I started without the big block on the ass, but realized that this is going to need a large reactor for the engine bank and the oversized (for the ship class) turbolasers.
The wings, of course, are to provide better fields of fire to the turbolasers (at this point they can fire up to 22 degrees "in" from center, when facing foreward).
The larger head and smaller waist are because I wanted lots of head space for docking shit and I saw no real reason to have extra bulk in the middle.

Howedar wrote:

Elheru Aran wrote:Also, an idea-- perhaps you could have some more guns on the shelf below the hangar? I'm not talking about the "wings" that the main guns are on; I'm thinking a little farther back... I think it's the top of the engine block, but I'm not sure.

Though I'm certainly a big fan of cramming on weapons till the cows come home, I'm not really sure what extra guns would do there. Besides, I'm trying to keep the weapons loadout somewhat reasonable.

What my idea was, guns in that position could possibly act to repel boarders trying to get in the hangar bay; also, if you're tractoring a ship in, you could disable it with a few quick shots.

Also, that position has the advantage of being close in to the engine-- a more direct feed to the guns, and therefore more power. This would make sense-- it'd allow it to have a really strong broadside, especially combined with the smaller guns. As it is now, unless your guns can elevate 90 degrees, you only have the spine guns capable of firing sideways. Guns in the position I suggested, as I gather from your orthographic projection, would have nearly 180-degree fields of fire.

Just my idea... the ship is good like it is. What's the mission profile, incidentally? System patrol/light escort/what? I think that'd impact the weaponry; after all, we've got different configurations of ships in the US Navy, with the same hull but different loadouts for different missions. You could easily have a light and a heavy cruiser, using this very same model; just different weapons loadouts.

Great work... keep it comin' along!

Elheru Aran wrote:What my idea was, guns in that position could possibly act to repel boarders trying to get in the hangar bay; also, if you're tractoring a ship in, you could disable it with a few quick shots.

That is a damned good point. I may do that. They'll be small guns only though, anything more is unnecessary to repel what will fit in that bay. It's only sized for TIEs, remember.

Also, that position has the advantage of being close in to the engine-- a more direct feed to the guns, and therefore more power. This would make sense-- it'd allow it to have a really strong broadside, especially combined with the smaller guns. As it is now, unless your guns can elevate 90 degrees, you only have the spine guns capable of firing sideways. Guns in the position I suggested, as I gather from your orthographic projection, would have nearly 180-degree fields of fire.

All guns can elevate 90 degrees.

Just my idea... the ship is good like it is. What's the mission profile, incidentally? System patrol/light escort/what? I think that'd impact the weaponry; after all, we've got different configurations of ships in the US Navy, with the same hull but different loadouts for different missions. You could easily have a light and a heavy cruiser, using this very same model; just different weapons loadouts.

To be honest, I'm not really sure. Probably analagous to a USN destroyer, albeit downsized somewhat compared to typical Imperial warships. Fly the flag, be able to engage in low-intensity operations against pirates and the like. It ought to be able to take on the equivilant of two or three Corellian corvettes, or a couple of dozen fighters. A few TIEs are thrown in (along with the boarding craft) to allow it to conduct shipping inspections and such.

So really, it's a lot like a US Navy DDG, only for work against smaller targets. Perhaps something like a Perry FFG with a bit better anti-air capability.