Possible fan submitted ships implemented

[CMDR Phoenix]

It would be cool to see some fan submitted ships to see happening where you could design/name a ship and then submit it, going on the basic premise of landing pads (S,M,L) along with hard points etc. For example the “Crimson Light” from final space would be pretty cool (I’m aware that’s not a fan submitted one but still gives you an idea, it’s just to have a bit of difference within the game and the devs come up with price

what you think? Good or bad

 

[Whyy]

I personally want an Eagle style transporter. Or a Anderson U.F.O. maybe the UFO from the old TV show The Invaders.

Maybe just seeing something different fly past would be enough.
Would love to see a different skin on my boat even if it looked the same to everyone else.

 

[Tikanderoga]

I think, the variety of ships that'd be submitted would be massive, like firefly/Serenity, or ships from other movies like Star Wars.
In all fairness, I'm all for it.
Some lore lovers would be massively against it, because how can Star Wars and Thargoid exist in the same universe, as well as "Mah Immersiun!", but variety is the spice of life I say.
I'd love to fly a firefly class ship or a corellian corvette, hop into a tie fighter because why not.
Then again, I can do that in X3 and soon X4 too.

 

[M00ka]

I think, the variety of ships that'd be submitted would be massive, like firefly/Serenity, or ships from other movies like Star Wars.
In all fairness, I'm all for it.
Some lore lovers would be massively against it, because how can Star Wars and Thargoid exist in the same universe, as well as "Mah Immersiun!", but variety is the spice of life I say.
I'd love to fly a firefly class ship or a corellian corvette, hop into a tie fighter because why not.
Then again, I can do that in X3 and soon X4 too.

As much as I am a dedicated Brown Coat and have been since Fox performed one of the worst acts of TV murder ever known, Serenity would just not work in the ED universe. Sure we would all like to be Capt Mal 'Fancy Pants' Reynolds, in fact I have taken a lot of his traits for my Commander, but the valiant crew of the Serenity wouldn't last an hour in our version of the galaxy. And why you may ask - well it is an unarmed and unshielded freighter, it would be ganked out of existence before Wash got a chance to kick it out of first gear. Secondly, we all know what the NPCs look like, where the hell will we find a Companion as good as Inara (sigh). Lastly, there is no engineer in the 'verse that could hold a spanner against the delightful Kaylee (double sigh …)

 

[Tikanderoga]

well it is an unarmed and unshielded freighter,

Looking at some of the ships flying II/CGs, some cutters and other big ones, skipping the shield generator to add some extra cargo racks... Would kinda fit right in.

 

[fu9ar]

I think this is a bad idea on many levels. I would say it was half baked, but it is more like you totally forgot to even turn on the oven before passing out in a pool of your own excretions.

 

[CMDR Phoenix]

I personally want an Eagle style transporter. Or a Anderson U.F.O. maybe the UFO from the old TV show The Invaders.

Maybe just seeing something different fly past would be enough.
Would love to see a different skin on my boat even if it looked the same to everyone else.

That sounds pretty cool just being able to see something else flying past in the background

I think this is a bad idea on many levels. I would say it was half baked, but it is more like you totally forgot to even turn on the oven before passing out in a pool of your own excretions.

but wouldn’t it add a bit of colour( for the lack of better words) and see different type of ships flying around NPC or piloted by a CMDR?

 

[Rubbernuke]

A competition to design one yes.

 

[Sylow]

Hmm. I am always already amused when people suggest "make a ship called XY". Then give a very rough outline what it would be, usually along the line of "and make sure it'll be awesome" and think they have done the hard work here. I mean yes, it's insanely hard to come up with a random name, while all the other stuff, like modeling and texturing the ship and cockpit, creating the sound, adding animations, fine tuning the stats and all these things are of course trivial.

This suggestion is one step further: it now basically wants to establish a process, where people do the hard work of coming up with names, so the developers can fully focus on the "trivial" things. I kind of think that the developers might also like to do the challenging part of naming the ships, though.

 

[Schembri]

FWIW i think ED stuck with symettric ships I think it should stick by it. I would hate to see assymetric ships*, and playable ships with rotating parts (except FC or mega ships).

I understand it is possible with computer controlled trust it should be manageable to fly them in control and can be nice but since it started without assymetric ships, any new ship like that would be out of place IMO.

 

[Rayne-Tiger]

I actually would like to see the ships ported over from previous Elite games to be implemented into game, kinda like an old model style car (insert your fav here) sitting next to the newest version, and they can have pros and cons to both, like hull resistances and such. I've seen the old style Anaconda from a previous Elite game and it actually looks nice, has a very "old model" look to it in comparison to the one in Elite: Dangerous.

 

[metatheurgist]

Immersion isn't the issue. Copyright is. And as for fan designed, check out the SImpsons episode with "The Canyonero".

 

[Sylow]

I actually would like to see the ships ported over from previous Elite games to be implemented into game, kinda like an old model style car (insert your fav here) sitting next to the newest version, and they can have pros and cons to both, like hull resistances and such. I've seen the old style Anaconda from a previous Elite game and it actually looks nice, has a very "old model" look to it in comparison to the one in Elite: Dangerous.

This might be true, but i can also tell you what will happen within the first hours after the first screenshot of this "old style" ship was published: people will demand it to be reworked to have more detail, to stand up to the quality of the rest of the game. (Which honestly would make a lot of sense. ) And adding all that detail will eliminate a lot of the "old model" flair.

Not to forget: what would be the effective difference between the ships? You suggest them to have different stats, so they would be completely different ships. So in the best case, we'd have something like Viper MK III vs Viper MK IV. But i think that in many cases this would rather result in the Asp Scout not being alone any more.

For most of the ships it would boil down to "it's old, it's inferior, it's actual advantage is that it is cheaper than the new model". In a game where most of the community doesn't know what to do with their credits any more, adding cheaper ships would be merely more stepping stones for new players, without benefiting the game at large.

The more cost effecitve way to have this would probably be some "classical look" ship kits instead. Instead of implementing everything new for a ship which probably won't see much use, this method would only require some work modeling and skinning work, which would save manpower required to do it. Especially considering that for many ships it would be comparatively easy to do. For example just put flat metal plates over some parts of EDs Anacondas more detailed structure and you're already much closer to the classical look. Which means all the work can be put into model and texture details instead. (And that's all before mentioning that FD could make money from selling these kits. )

So i think that if we ever get the "classical look" for many models, having them as ship kits might actually be the way to go. What i a uncertain of is how many people would actually buy this, though. I mean, while i for a few ships like the old look, i wouldn't spend money on that. And that's from somebody who owns several ship kits and paintjobs.

Immersion isn't the issue. Copyright is. And as for fan designed, check out the SImpsons episode with "The Canyonero".

Also very much true for this thread. Just copying ships from other places without buying the rights for them (in the unlikely case that they can be bought) is a surefire way that some lawyers come for you and bleed you out.

 

[Vyrose]

UUUH! If they say yes, I'll start modelling right away! Firefly style! Need to have space for the cows!

 

[Rayne-Tiger]

Okay, if anyone hasn't noticed, ships in Elite dangerous are "constructed in likeness" of their 1984 Elite counterpart, for instance the Anaconda is a kite shape. I'm pretty sure Fdev wants to keep their "ship is a shape" program.

 

[Iskariot]

It would be cool to see some fan submitted ships to see happening where you could design/name a ship and then submit it, going on the basic premise of landing pads (S,M,L) along with hard points etc. For example the “Crimson Light” from final space would be pretty cool (I’m aware that’s not a fan submitted one but still gives you an idea, it’s just to have a bit of difference within the game and the devs come up with price

what you think? Good or bad

Could be nice.

I have a very easy suggestion: I would like a Viper 4XL:
A medium (or perhaps large) sized hull that resembles the Viper Mk 4 design. I think it is one of the best looking hulls in the game and I am sad it does not come in a size I would want to use more. In a medium size the ship could be a cool competitor for the Python. In a large size it could just be the best looking big ship in the game . Don't just scale it up though. I do expect a bit more creativity than that.
FDev is free to add their own specs. The only thing I would ask for is a respectable jump range. I don't want another short range dud like the Corvette.

Another idea:
Imperial Python version. Someone made a very good looking design for that. Just Google for it, or have a look here. The only things that design is missing are the cool Imperial pylons and spoiler.
It is time the Empire gets a good medium freighter. Gutamaya is not very competitive. Someone should wake them up from their slumber.

 

[Bloodsign]

I think this is a bad idea on many levels. I would say it was half baked, but it is more like you totally forgot to even turn on the oven before passing out in a pool of your own excretions.

Hahahaha! You get a +1 for your post, made me giggle like a naughty school girl.

So, OP, I think your idea could work with some modifications to the process:

-FDev puts out requisite modeling formats and specs
-CMDR uses tools (industry or FDev specific, if FDev develops a ship builder) to create ship
-CMDR generates suggested specs for ship
-CMDR submits ship package to FDev
-FDev either approves or denies submission.
-FDev gives ship a lore-friendly name, balances stats, makes it available at a limited number of stations (maybe CMDR can request potential locations)
-Ship description credits creating CMDR.

This system...
...is curated by FDev, nothing too crazy gets into the game.
...takes a lot of the work out of FDev's hands.
...prevents too many variants of one ship from appearing.
...allows control over number of auxiliary ships being offered at stations, so maybe only 2 or 3 special ships would show (max) at a station.
...gives CMDRs the #1 thing we crave: more ships!