Newcomer / Intro I love the game BUT...............

[M0rdresh]

Elite Dangerous ship design: dark, gritty and probably something we'd realistically see in 3300.
Star Citizen: Michael Bay type Hollywood design with completely useless aerodynamic components but they look cool.

Yes, I find the Star Citizen more awesome looking too, but the Elite Dangerous ships kind of grow on you and they fit the game's setting perfectly.

 

[Mad Pete Trollo]

Yeah because the space shuttle is a sphere.

Yeah because the space shuttle isn't a space ship - it has to cope with atmosphere hence the wings etc.

 

[Annoluce]

I see your point, even though I have to say ships in ED are pretty good looking. I like the wedge look cause it is the more effective and reasonable structure in space together with spheres and cones. Space vehicles must be blunt, if they have to cope with atmosphere re-entry and launch. If you look to real spaceships such as shuttle and reusable vehicles they all have such tough, blunt looking. The sphere is the perfect structure to deal with pressure stress and strains but when an axis oriented stress is involved (such as main thrust motor) then the cylinder-like comes into play. I like ED "sim" looking cause is more plausible. If someone told you to desing a ship to effectively deal with launch/re-entry, longitudinal main thrust, chock-full of cargo, equipment and weapons, and maneuverable too, you'd probably end up with a Cobra design rather than a fancy slender "fighter looking" ship.

 

[Rhonda]

Wow, i luv the dirty window effect, very realistic and great for immersion...prestine windows after launching from a planet surface thru atmosphere and dust into space..em..no.

When I first noticed this, I chuckled and thought "What a cool idea". Nevertheless it would be nice to have someone clean them once in a while.