Ships Ship Design is Getting Old?

Trotsky2112

T
Apart from my usual raving about the lack of ships in this game (federal and alliance triplets) and the lack of variety in ship role design and niche-filling. I was thinking about the cosmetic aspect of ship construction. Paint jobs and ship kits aside, all the ships have total bilateral symmetry. I defy anyone to name one ship whose shape is not reflected along the center axis. It just seems tired. I think that an asymmetrical ship would not only be a breath of fresh air for ship construction options and ship kits, but also an experiment in assymetrical hardpoint placement and flight mechanics.
Any thoughts?
 

Crimson Echo

Crimson Echo
The ship in elite are supposed to be sort of rooted in 'sane' design concepts. This typically means at a min sym. (from an out of game standpoint many of the graphics optimizations are based on sym. Having non-sym ships would mean either a texture res hit, or a performance hit. This is based on the Krait Discovery scanner. The video should still be findable on youtube.)
 

Trotsky2112

T
Crimson Echo said:
The ship in elite are supposed to be sort of rooted in 'sane' design concepts. This typically means at a min sym. (from an out of game standpoint many of the graphics optimizations are based on sym. Having non-sym ships would mean either a texture res hit, or a performance hit. This is based on the Krait Discovery scanner. The video should still be findable on youtube.)
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I suppose so...
Bit of a dissapointment, but still, what can you do?
Millenium Falcon and B-wings are a no-no.
 

Siobhan

Siobhan
Even in rl, most (not all) high performance vehicles are symmetrical too. It helps with thrust balance.
I wouldn't even want to consider trying to fly FA Off with an asym ship. and spin...
 

Rubbernuke

Rubbernuke
The spiky ship kits are asymmetrical, and some details are the same too (T-10 chunky boy has non-mirrored detail).
 

Trotsky2112

T
Rubbernuke said:
The spiky ship kits are asymmetrical, and some details are the same too (T-10 chunky boy has non-mirrored detail).
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That's a tiny difference on the T-10 (love the nickname "chunky boy"). I meant a ship with an asymmetrical chassis, not just a pilot seat on one side and an extra antenna.
 

Rubbernuke

Rubbernuke
Trotsky2112 said:
That's a tiny difference on the T-10 (love the nickname "chunky boy"). I meant a ship with an asymmetrical chassis, not just a pilot seat on one side and an extra antenna.
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To be honest I don't think you'll ever see asymmetrical ships in ED, the art style is consistently symmetrical in various ways. Guardian and Thargoid stuff is radial and human tech is mirrored. It would be neat though to see a really wild ship like a Kilrathi design.
 

everstream

E
I vote against asymmetrical ships. I don't know, how many of us use multicrew, but even if I ever would fly in multicrew - I'm the pilot and the "center of the ship". The other crew members would have to take care about SCBs, scanner, etc. , probably steer some turrets. But nobody except me steers this machine and I want it to be equal wide to both sides, like an extension of my body. Even approaching a landing pad I naturally want to match the centerline of it. Probably I'm too biased of normal military jets, but that's how I feel.

I really love Python, but I get mad because of it's offset, same for the Cutter, FDL ... . Viper, AspX, DBX, Annie, Corvette - perfect. Even Krait MK II, although never flown it. Small cosmetic mistake on the Annie - there is a small display on the right side of the pilot seat - therefore the cockpit isn't totally symmetrical. But I've noticed it only shortly and it doesn't disturb me too much. And AspX is the perfect solution, how to place two pilots in almost the same position regarding, what each of them sees and sharing the tasks.

That's why I'm totally happy about the Corvette atm: feels like a bigger Python with the "correct" cockpit + argo volume of 256T + jump Range of ca. 25 LY (extended by the guardian booster).
 

Factabulous

Factabulous
Hmm, asymmetrical ships look modern eh 🤔 Most popular one was first seen in 1977, and was 'Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away'. They were probably looking forward to the days they could have the symmetrical ships we have :)
 

Sethiest

Sethiest
Don't. Just please dont.

I already have to build up the energy to fly the FDL. It really triggers my OCD to sit in a cockpit that's as asymmetrical as that. I'm not kidding I have to sit in the hanger for a while getting used to it. That damn canopy framing. It's not too bad in other ships that have asymmetrical cockpits because the view from the canopy is still clear.

For example, the Python has you sitting to one side, not in the center, whilst still having clear unobstructed viewing.

When I say OCD, I mean OCD. I have diagnosed OCDs. I'm not trying to make a point out of it, just people use the term lightly.
 

MK Regular

M
Trotsky2112 said:
The human body is asymmetrical. ;)
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Internally, yes. Externally, not so much. You can say the same thing about our ships, like how the Cobra III is externally symmetrical but has its power plant on the left side of the ship instead of having it on the centerline or having a mirrored power plant or the right side of the ship.
 

Trotsky2112

T
Sethiest said:
Don't. Just please dont.

I already have to build up the energy to fly the FDL. It really triggers my OCD to sit in a cockpit that's as asymmetrical as that. I'm not kidding I have to sit in the hanger for a while getting used to it. That damn canopy framing. It's not too bad in other ships that have asymmetrical cockpits because the view from the canopy is still clear.

For example, the Python has you sitting to one side, not in the center, whilst still having clear unobstructed viewing.

When I say OCD, I mean OCD. I have diagnosed OCDs. I'm not trying to make a point out of it, just people use the term lightly.
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I agree the asymmetrical cockpit view can be annoying, cobra 3 especially.
I meant an asymmetrical hull, as mentioned many times above.

MK_Regular said:
Internally, yes. Externally, not so much. You can say the same thing about our ships, like how the Cobra III is externally symmetrical but has its power plant on the left side of the ship instead of having it on the centerline or having a mirrored power plant or the right side of the ship.
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I know, but nature is not exactly symmetrical, our bodies, like some of our ships, have slight differences on each side. Externally, I mean.
 

metatheurgist

metatheurgist
I can't think of any ships on earth that are asymmetrical except for catamarans. Does that mean ship design on earth is old too? I suppose we could try and convince the imps to put all their nacelles on one side?
 

Screemonster

Screemonster
The thing about asymmetrical designs is that the centre of mass tends to end up somewhere other than the centre of the object, and good luck flying in a straight line when your thrust vector doesn't align with the CoM.

Edit: that's a thing that bothers me about the T7 actually, its main engines are well above the centreline so that thing should be nosing down every time you apply full thrust.
 

Siobhan

Siobhan
Factabulous said:
Hmm, asymmetrical ships look modern eh 🤔 Most popular one was first seen in 1977, and was 'Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away'. They were probably looking forward to the days they could have the symmetrical ships we have :)
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They've been in service since WW2 tbh, so 1940s. Nothing even remotely modern about that, it was more than half way to the beginning of powered flight.
 
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