Anaconda updates

[Saool]

- No this is not about some unnoticed changes in 3.4
- No this is not about it's mass or jump range

This is about it's design and look. *Dons flame retardant suit*


Today I sadly decommissioned my T9, the Taurus. I love flying the T9, especially in VR, but it is a bit too weak against the endless line of Elite Anacondas that attack it in the low sec cluster I operate it in. Thus today, I also bought a new Anaconda.

It's been a while since I last flew one, way back in my Mahon PP days, before upgrading to a Cutter, which is possibly the most boring ship to fly in the game. I was sweeping around my new 'conda with the external cam and it was plainly obvious how FDEV's ship building skills have improved. Compared to new ships, both the model, and textures on the Anaconda look basic. Everything about it says 'This was the first ship we made' (which may or may not be true). Even the way the gun ports open looks basic. The landing hears seem fussy, and I have never liked the very ugly and blocky lower hull.

Therefore I think it would be great if FDEV did an update to the Anaconda. Neatening the model and giving it a better default skin. I would also love it if the redesigned the lower hull at bit as well. Making it a little more steamlined and angular. More like it was in Frontier. Redesigning the landing gear placement and articulation and doing the same with the how the gun ports open. Lastly I would not complain if the whole ship was just a little wider at the back and less needle like.

Thoughts?

 

[Taller Ghost Walt]

I need to take another look at it ingame, but I can't immediately think of anything I would change on the hull or shape. However, the cockpit looks very basic indeed, especially (and unsurprisingly) when compared to newer ships. I certainly wouldn't mind if the art team could find the time to add some upgrades to the Anaconda's interior (or any other ship that may be in need of it).

 

[Watcher]

I really wouldn't want them to fiddle with it too much to be honest, if it looks a bit clunky that is some of its charm - it is meant to be an older design after all.
Still, not too fussed if they make some changes - as long as they don't change the overall geometry too much, I tend to graze things with it as is - being wider or taller would just make that worse (and becoming a decent pilot is tough).

As Taller Ghost Walt said, maybe some interior work?
If FD have a mind to go further I certainly wouldn't be averse to them experimenting with cabin variations between ships of the same type, internal wear and tear, repair and refit options and general cusomisation - perhaps the Anaconda would be a good place to try that out?

I fear a rather long way down the list though

 

[tolm]

Yeh, but those “basic textures” are reeaaally light ...

 

[DNA-Decay]

I agree that it could use another detail pass- legs, ports, doors, access ways, utility areas etc.

My personal preference is for more “cruft” all those little pipes and ribs and things that film model makers would kit bash on.
As long as there’s a “form follows function” aesthetic. Like Ron Cobb was awesome at figuring out how a spaceship worked and what each thing he added actually “did”.

But realistically I think we will have to wait for space legs for a revision.
Like I desperately want to hang out in the forward observation deck while doing a slow pass over a wreckage strewn battle field looking for survivors.

Spoiler

 

[Iskariot]

- No this is not about some unnoticed changes in 3.4
- No this is not about it's mass or jump range

This is about it's design and look. *Dons flame retardant suit*


Today I sadly decommissioned my T9, the Taurus. I love flying the T9, especially in VR, but it is a bit too weak against the endless line of Elite Anacondas that attack it in the low sec cluster I operate it in. Thus today, I also bought a new Anaconda.

It's been a while since I last flew one, way back in my Mahon PP days, before upgrading to a Cutter, which is possibly the most boring ship to fly in the game. I was sweeping around my new 'conda with the external cam and it was plainly obvious how FDEV's ship building skills have improved. Compared to new ships, both the model, and textures on the Anaconda look basic. Everything about it says 'This was the first ship we made' (which may or may not be true). Even the way the gun ports open looks basic. The landing hears seem fussy, and I have never liked the very ugly and blocky lower hull.

Therefore I think it would be great if FDEV did an update to the Anaconda. Neatening the model and giving it a better default skin. I would also love it if the redesigned the lower hull at bit as well. Making it a little more steamlined and angular. More like it was in Frontier. Redesigning the landing gear placement and articulation and doing the same with the how the gun ports open. Lastly I would not complain if the whole ship was just a little wider at the back and less needle like.

Thoughts?

I agree. Just compare the detail on newer ships with the old Conda.
It would be great to see the looks of the Anaconda updated to fit in with the newer models.
I love this ship.

 

[rhiz]

Yes, agreed. It’s inevitable that the art direction of a project will become more refined over time, but personally I’d want to revisit older assets just to keep things consistent. The Anaconda is particularly austere and bland, especially the interior. Feels like a brutalist concrete car park (the reverb probably adds to that impression).

 

[Bob Lighthouse]

That design has been is use for nearly 450 years...

 

[RevCaoticFox]

- No this is not about some unnoticed changes in 3.4
- No this is not about it's mass or jump range

This is about it's design and look. *Dons flame retardant suit*


Today I sadly decommissioned my T9, the Taurus. I love flying the T9, especially in VR, but it is a bit too weak against the endless line of Elite Anacondas that attack it in the low sec cluster I operate it in. Thus today, I also bought a new Anaconda.

It's been a while since I last flew one, way back in my Mahon PP days, before upgrading to a Cutter, which is possibly the most boring ship to fly in the game. I was sweeping around my new 'conda with the external cam and it was plainly obvious how FDEV's ship building skills have improved. Compared to new ships, both the model, and textures on the Anaconda look basic. Everything about it says 'This was the first ship we made' (which may or may not be true). Even the way the gun ports open looks basic. The landing hears seem fussy, and I have never liked the very ugly and blocky lower hull.

Therefore I think it would be great if FDEV did an update to the Anaconda. Neatening the model and giving it a better default skin. I would also love it if the redesigned the lower hull at bit as well. Making it a little more steamlined and angular. More like it was in Frontier. Redesigning the landing gear placement and articulation and doing the same with the how the gun ports open. Lastly I would not complain if the whole ship was just a little wider at the back and less needle like.

Thoughts?

I wish the Raider ship kit I bought didn't look utterly stupid with spiles on top of my Hardpoints... I love the look and the details added to the ship, not on other ships. its blocky belly is its cargo capacity. However, aside from a bit of tweaking to PAID CONTENT, I like it how it is.

 

[Havvk]

The only thing they need to change is to the homicidal wires trying to hang me every time I get into the cockpit

 

[Thogapotomus]

Did they ever fix it's roll? The roll used to not be on the center of mass.

 

[Ozram]

I think it’s the only ship with persistent damage states. I’d hate to lose that.

 

[Phazon Xenomorph]

If the devs do anything cosmetic to the Conda (which already has a hull that shows damage unlike other ships) other than tuning it down to be more reasonable in line instead of "God of all ships" then I will know FDEV is tone deaf just like Blizzard and EA, unable to listen. The conda does everything too good as a multipurpose ship which is meant to do everything okay-to-good but not best. But it's still the best explorer, one of the best traders, and a top tier combat ship especially in regards to Thargoid content unless you're picking a fight with a Hydra where youll likely need a Cutter or something (unless you're Gluttony Fang).

Hating on the Conda aside I really wish the more specialized ships would be superior in their areas. Honestly I'm just waiting to see a true human-guardian hybrid ship (not ship launched fighter) just to see what the interiors of that would look like (and how it handles). I've been on hiatus from the game for a long time and hope FDEV change things to make the game for more fun but the next patch looks more like a pass at cosmetics (exploration "features") and mining (will still be a snoreville chore) instead of promising actual content and story. I've spent a lot on this game in the past and even bought it for no less than 5 other people back when I was super addicted. But lack of content burned me out and I spend a lot of time here, that said though if the Conda gets any love or buffs or improved interior before smacking it with a nerfbat I'll be furious as it does everything too well and makes the specialized ships look like a joke.

 

[SAB380]

Yeh, but those “basic textures” are reeaaally light ...

 

[CMDR Corlas]

I agree that the Anaconda looks like it's from an older game, compared to the newer ships, but if it gets a graphics update, I'd prefer to see that come to life with an Anaconda Mk II or something, rather than just updating the old model.

 

[Lucifera Danzig]

If the devs do anything cosmetic to the Conda (which already has a hull that shows damage unlike other ships) other than tuning it down to be more reasonable in line instead of "God of all ships" then I will know FDEV is tone deaf just like Blizzard and EA, unable to listen.

If they were anything like EA or Blizzard, the game would be stuffed full of loot boxes with pay-to-win, so that's a false equivalency.

Also, the art team IS NOT the programming team. What one does has no effect on the other. If the art team has time to rework the ship's look, that doesn't mean the programming team has time to do anything other than finish the mindbogglingly massive amount of work involved in the coding of Chapter 4 (and the next expansion, which they confirmed has been underway for some time.)

Did they ever fix it's roll? The roll used to not be on the center of mass.

Yes, I remember seeing a patch note that addressed this not all that long ago.

EDIT: They fixed this in 3.0.

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/401680-3-0-Open-Beta-Patch-Notes

Anaconda

• Fixed some clipping on the Raider Ship Kit
• Fixed the ship not rolling correctly on its centre of mass axis
• Fixed the engine trails rendering incorrectly

 

[Phazon Xenomorph]

If they were anything like EA or Blizzard, the game would be stuffed full of loot boxes with pay-to-win, so that's a false equivalency.

Also, the art team IS NOT the programming team. What one does has no effect on the other. If the art team has time to rework the ship's look, that doesn't mean the programming team has time to do anything other than finish the mindbogglingly massive amount of work involved in the coding of Chapter 4 (and the next expansion, which they confirmed has been underway for some time.)



Yes, I remember seeing a patch note that addressed this not all that long ago.

I'm aware the art team is not the programming team, but teams work based on funding and money allocation. Fact is FDEV has more money and people than most other space game companies and yet now those companies are delivering better. No Man's Sky used to be an utter laughing stock of a failure and now they are somehow delivering and making disgruntled people happy and actually flooding in content, and theres some other open space game I heard coming out (forget the name) and it looked promising. Elite is kinda dropping the ball which is a shame since it has previous games and lore and story to build on, and instead we have a nice pretty galaxy set to 1:1 scale.... with a whole lot of nothing.

 

[Stealthie]

I was sweeping around my new 'conda with the external cam and it was plainly obvious how FDEV's ship building skills have improved. Compared to new ships, both the model, and textures on the Anaconda look basic. Everything about it says 'This was the first ship we made' (which may or may not be true). Even the way the gun ports open looks basic. The landing hears seem fussy, and I have never liked the very ugly and blocky lower hull.

Same here and, frankly, I love it that way!

I always feel like an Annie is at least 100 years old (the actual ships, rather than the design) whereas a Cutter might have come out of a Gutamaya shipyard last week.

If we ever get to walk around our ships, the Annie needs to look like the Nostromo inside while the Cutter should look like the Enterprise D.

 

[rhiz]

Same here and, frankly, I love it that way!

I always feel like an Annie is at least 100 years old (the actual ships, rather than the design) whereas a Cutter might have come out of a Gutamaya shipyard last week.

If we ever get to walk around our ships, the Annie needs to look like the Nostromo inside while the Cutter should look like the Enterprise D.

Yes, but it can look old and detailed. To me it just looks like an early asset which was made to much tighter hardware restrictions, as though it belongs to an older iteration of the game. It's mostly the interior that bothers me - there's noting wrong with the fundamental design (aesthetically speaking ). I've always liked the exterior underbelly, although I've never been keen of the thick segmentation lines on the top.

We can’t expect them to rework every ship in line with new standards, but the gulf just seems particularly wide with the Annie. It feels odd jumping from that into a Krait (or pretty much any other ship really).

 

[rhiz]

I agree that the Anaconda looks like it's from an older game, compared to the newer ships, but if it gets a graphics update, I'd prefer to see that come to life with an Anaconda Mk II or something, rather than just updating the old model.

I don't agree, but I suspect that this would be more likely... with accompanying paint-jobs.