Variety in ship kits

[who?]

Much as I love the ship-kits (spent a small fortune on them already) - does anyone else think they could do with a bit more variety and imagination? Thus far, they're pretty much all winglets and spoilers.

How about:

- Combat ships could have damage kits. (Unless/until we get dynamic damage models), you could have your pirate ship riddled with cannon shell holes, or your bounty-hunter has had a winglet sheared off. Maybe even some patchwork ad-hoc repairs. The end of an undetonated missile poking out the side..

- Trade/haulage ships could have cargo bundles strapped to the outside, for that 'one more tonne'. (Not as looney as it sounds, cargo could protect against cosmic radiation and micro-meteoroid strikes, much better that it hits cargo than it hits you). Fuel storage tanks.. Perhaps mini derricks or cranes too.

- Science/exploration vessels could be brimming with antennae, probes, or have exploration pods docked (for exploring fluid underwater or in the upper reaches of gas giants).

A hunter might have the carcass of some exotic creature strapped to the hull. A pirate lord Conda might have the wreckage of a previous victim mounted as a trophy. etc..etc..

Obviously the size of the hanger bays limits the size quite a bit, and you have to keep the poly count low. But it'd be great to see a bit more variety there.

 

[-VR- Max Factor]

Much as I love the ship-kits (spent a small fortune on them already) - does anyone else think they could do with a bit more variety and imagination? Thus far, they're pretty much all winglets and spoilers.

How about:

- Combat ships could have damage kits. (Unless/until we get dynamic damage models), you could have your pirate ship riddled with cannon shell holes, or your bounty-hunter has had a winglet sheared off. Maybe even some patchwork ad-hoc repairs. The end of an undetonated missile poking out the side..

- Trade/haulage ships could have cargo bundles strapped to the outside, for that 'one more tonne'. (Not as looney as it sounds, cargo could protect against cosmic radiation and micro-meteoroid strikes, much better that it hits cargo than it hits you). Fuel storage tanks.. Perhaps mini derricks or cranes too.

- Science/exploration vessels could be brimming with antennae, probes, or have exploration pods docked (for exploring fluid underwater or in the upper reaches of gas giants).

A hunter might have the carcass of some exotic creature strapped to the hull. A pirate lord Conda might have the wreckage of a previous victim mounted as a trophy. etc..etc..

Obviously the size of the hanger bays limits the size quite a bit, and you have to keep the poly count low. But it'd be great to see a bit more variety there.

Yep, I would like that as well.

 

[M. Grey]

Great ideas!

 

[Alex Brentnall]

Good idea, sadly I have nothing to add

+1

 

[Qohen Leth]

Oh yeah, bull horn ornaments, bring it on baby!

 

[Stealthie]

I guess it's all about "mass market appeal".

Not everybody who owns an Asp is an explorer and not everybody who owns a Vulture is a bounty-hunter.
I guess they just came up with a bunch of generic kits that a lot of people would be "content with" rather than producing stuff that a smaller number of people would love.

Maybe what's needed is a separate set of "greeble" kits that could, once purchased, be added to any ship?
Assuming the models could support such a thing, of course.

 

[Iskariot]

Much as I love the ship-kits (spent a small fortune on them already) - does anyone else think they could do with a bit more variety and imagination? Thus far, they're pretty much all winglets and spoilers.

How about:

- Combat ships could have damage kits. (Unless/until we get dynamic damage models), you could have your pirate ship riddled with cannon shell holes, or your bounty-hunter has had a winglet sheared off. Maybe even some patchwork ad-hoc repairs. The end of an undetonated missile poking out the side..

- Trade/haulage ships could have cargo bundles strapped to the outside, for that 'one more tonne'. (Not as looney as it sounds, cargo could protect against cosmic radiation and micro-meteoroid strikes, much better that it hits cargo than it hits you). Fuel storage tanks.. Perhaps mini derricks or cranes too.

- Science/exploration vessels could be brimming with antennae, probes, or have exploration pods docked (for exploring fluid underwater or in the upper reaches of gas giants).

A hunter might have the carcass of some exotic creature strapped to the hull. A pirate lord Conda might have the wreckage of a previous victim mounted as a trophy. etc..etc..

Obviously the size of the hanger bays limits the size quite a bit, and you have to keep the poly count low. But it'd be great to see a bit more variety there.

I agree I would like to see a bit more creative design on some of the kits.
I do think some of your ideas might be a bit too much though . I mean.. a carcass or wreckage strapped to the outside of the hull?
It sounds a bit too Warhammer 40K orkish too me. I am not sure this would fit in with the Elite universe.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

I want the last Anaconda I killed's wreckage strapped to my Python.

 

[VR tazbert]

I want a meteorite embedded in my hull like Red Dwarf...

 

[who?]

I want the last Anaconda I killed's wreckage strapped to my Python.

Hah, I'd pay to see that.

If I had an Anaconda, I'd paint it stealth black, with a white Sidewinder 'trophy' mounted on top ("It's-A-Trapaconda"). Or maybe have a ship-kit at Christmas time of Santy splattered across the nose of the ship ("Santa-conda"). Or maybe a skip-kit that makes a Conda look like an exotic fish ("A-Fish-Called-Wanda-Conda")

 

[Gunnet]

I'm all for adding greebles to ships, and I'd happily pay for it. They're still one of the best ways to convey a sense of scale.

The Conda has them by default and they look great.

 

[who?]

I agree I would like to see a bit more creative design on some of the kits.
I do think some of your ideas might be a bit too much though . I mean.. a carcass or wreckage strapped to the outside of the hull?
It sounds a bit too Warhammer 40K orkish too me. I am not sure this would fit in with the Elite universe.

I deliberately put them in with tongue-in-cheek; but I don't think they're out of place in ED either. This is a game where you have pirates roaming systems like Sol with impunity, killing security authority ships at will. Often draped in skull 'n' crossbones livery. You have pirate outposts. Even pirate battle-cruisers. And then you have bounty-hunting as one of the main professions in the game.

Certainly for some the game is a very sedate, isolated experience. But for others I think the idea of carrying trophies fits right in* (*into the game, not necessarily into the hangar )

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Nice ideas, but each would add more work to each kit, thereby slowing the release of each kit.... with so many ships without kits, presume its better for FD to keep things simple.

Let's do a quick check. Corvette owners, you ok waiting say 6 months extra for your kits while FD go and add new options to the existing ship kits?

 

[who?]

Nice ideas, but each would add more work to each kit, thereby slowing the release of each kit.... with so many ships without kits, presume its better for FD to keep things simple.

Let's do a quick check. Corvette owners, you ok waiting say 6 months extra for your kits while FD go and add new options to the existing ship kits?

Fine, move the Corvette ship-kits to the front of the line. Boom. Done. FD can even add "I Queue for no one" decals on its rear.

 

[Fishy]

Nice ideas, but each would add more work to each kit, thereby slowing the release of each kit.... with so many ships without kits, presume its better for FD to keep things simple.

Let's do a quick check. Corvette owners, you ok waiting say 6 months extra for your kits while FD go and add new options to the existing ship kits?

Dropship here, so probably even more far behind, but I wouldn't mind it waiting even longer if it means getting a kit that isn't plastic-looking ricer fare and that actually has a collision model.

 

[Lily from anim.o.v.e]

I really hoped kits would change the geometry of soem ship parts instead of just being additions to it. But I guess thats the easy and lazy way not havign to apply the skins on all again. quite sad a bit.

 

[JW667]

I want some Imperial Slaves strapped to my bumper...

To be serious, I would like to see some variation in hull panels: Matte , Glossy, Metallic, Carbon-looking etc.
It would be cool if it would reflect your armour upgrade: military (matte) , Mirror (shiny/glossy), Reactive (reactive armour panels).

 

[Fishy]

And let's not forget surfboards and speakers strapped to the sides. And open doors. Gaaah, I need atmospheric flight already!

 

[who?]

\o/!!!

(Cobra ship kit from the Unknown Teaser, if you're afraid to click..)

 

[Patrick_68000]

I want that one ---- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEQTj8dTOC0