realistic for 2200 maybe, not for 3200
SC ships are basically F16s and A10s with makeup
Ship designs
- Thread starter CmdrBond
- Start date
realistic for 2200 maybe, not for 3200
SC ships are basically F16s and A10s with makeup
Wow. Wasn't expecting this to be quite so controversial!
Having read the comments I think the mail was hit squarely on the head when wobbly bird got mentioned. I think it is the fact that everything retracts for deep space flight and isn't permanently exposed that makes the biggest difference.
BTW, I am not hating on SC. I am just not keen on their anime styling.
Having read the comments I think the mail was hit squarely on the head when wobbly bird got mentioned. I think it is the fact that everything retracts for deep space flight and isn't permanently exposed that makes the biggest difference.
BTW, I am not hating on SC. I am just not keen on their anime styling.
nasa's design
Thats a pragmatic concept based upon the mathematics of warping space
When it comes to ship designs I do hear criticism levelled at ED that the ships are all 'wedges' or like 'rhombus'. Whilst I think thats a bit harsh I do hope we see some exciting ship designs moving forward. Problem is there are the heritage models to put in game and whilst I am looking forward to seeing all of them I do think we need some ships, hopefully of Imperial design, that are real lookers.
When it comes to ship design I am not a fan of the courting peacock look but I have high hopes for some of the ships to come. I'm expecting the Imperial Courier to be nothing short of beautiful to look at.
Are you kidding?
If anything, their fantastically detailed physics simulation has revealed just how stupid a lot of their ship designs actually are as functional spacecraft.
Thrusters being out of line and off balance is one of the main causes of the flight model's jankiness at the moment.
Turns out artists don't make good rocket scientists... who knew!
I really like the design of Elite's ships so far. They all look rugged and hard, ready to endure the hardships of space.
Many of the Star Citizen ships look trite and frail, the purpose of them seemingly being matching the colour of their pilot's purse. But I don't see that as a huge problem, as they have some pretty cool ships too, and no one is forcing me to play the less interesting ones.
I think my favourite ship in Elite in terms of looks so far is the Viper Mk II. Would also like to poke somebody's eye out with an Anaconda. In Star Citizen I admit I have a weakness for the Vanduul fighter. It doesn't look so rugged, but deadly in a lean, Bruce Lee, Kung-Fu kind of way. Cutlass, which is more bulky, is not too shabby, either.
Many of the Star Citizen ships look trite and frail, the purpose of them seemingly being matching the colour of their pilot's purse. But I don't see that as a huge problem, as they have some pretty cool ships too, and no one is forcing me to play the less interesting ones.
I think my favourite ship in Elite in terms of looks so far is the Viper Mk II. Would also like to poke somebody's eye out with an Anaconda. In Star Citizen I admit I have a weakness for the Vanduul fighter. It doesn't look so rugged, but deadly in a lean, Bruce Lee, Kung-Fu kind of way. Cutlass, which is more bulky, is not too shabby, either.
Yeah I like that one a lot. Haven't actually seen that before now. That's probably my favourite so far.okay their show winner looks kinda nice though
I am an avid collector of concept art and have been closely following SC's designs from the start. Some are truly ridiculous in my opinion, but there is one or two I sort of like in a moderate way.
How to describe the problem (as I perceive it is)?
Many of their ships look as if some noob got his hands on all kinds of spare parts and stuck them together. Take the Mustang for example. There is potential there, but something has gone terribly wrong during the design process. The same is true for the Aurora and the Constellation. I just can't help asking myself what happened there. The designers seem to like all kinds of flimsy pointy parts sticking out every which way in the most pointless fashion conceivable.
I will be playing SC, but many of the models I just don't want to be seen in. I would feel like a space clown.
Nobody should take that personal. Apparently I just have an entirely different taste in spaceships than Roberts and his crew.
I do like that contest winning '4 horsemen' ship very much. I have been following its design process from the start and it has gotten better and better. I love the detail and the powerful aggressive shape. It will be the best looking ship in SC as far as I am concerned. I will enjoy flying it.
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I just don't get why all the finalist ships looked basically the same: One central, elongated hull with a cockpit on the bow, and two vector engine pods on the sides... all looked like modern gunship helicopters.
Personally, I think that ED has the more realistic designs... the SC ships are cool, no question, but most of them look highly unpractical and fragile.. totally incapable of entering even the thinnest atmosphere or withstand high G forces. EDs ships look like the logical evolution of modern space shuttles... compact, sturdy. I mean, ok, they probably would/will handle like bricks in orbital flight, but almost unlimited energy to operate thrusters will take care of that.
Funny that SC (allegedly) features the more realistic flight model, but the less realistic ships...
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realistic for 2200 maybe, not for 3200
SC ships are basically F16s and A10s with makeup
+1
I think SC has some good designs, but they're firmly placed in the 'fighters in space' category, and then think about functionality in space later. The vibe I get though from ED is that form fits function - I'll take a wedge on planetary re-entry over an F-16 any day
There are two things (other than plain old consistency) regarding realism/verisimilitude in fiction that I will argue to my dying breath:
I like the general shape of pretty much every (human) SC ship, but something went terribly wrong with the details on almost all of them. Weapon mounts tend to look begging to break off, and way too many of them are riddled with itsy-bitsy tiny wing blade thingies that can't possibly serve any function whatsoever. Oh well, the physics engine thankfully forces them to iron out the thruster placements etc., and when in doubt, energy shields can take care of all things atmospheric entry and flight after all...
The Scythe of all things? I haven't really had a long, hard look at its current version yet, but they must have put manweeks into making that ill-shaped thing fly with their physics engine alone.
Anyway, love me some Viper Mk. II as well and keep waiting in vain to see her again. Oh well, the Eagle Mk. II is also nice to look at in a different way, and it's not like I have a PC that can run either game yet, anyway.
And regarding Star Wars: There's many a reason - including believability - why I always liked the A-wing most of all.
- Magic (or its various sci-fi equivalents) existing in a setting does not rewrite the physical properties of mundane material like the human body (and the space needed for its - particularly digestive - organs) or metal, meaning an inward-pointing metal wedge on your chest (a.k.a. "boob plate") will never be anything but a suicidal health hazard, just like a remotely formfitting "ball plate" somehow nobody ever asks for would be a surefire way to get yourself emasculated and most likely bleeding out to death. A universe in which literally anything goes is worth for nothing but jokes - potentially good jokes, but only jokes nonetheless. (This also means that any and all characters can dress (and be as naked, sexy and/or promiscuous) however they want, haughty moralists be damned, but don't expect me to take someone seriously who deliberately enters combat with an exposed midriff etc., and give such "armor" fittingly terrible stats, dammit!)
- While I like the general look of the SC 'verse and can deal with a return to imperialism in the faux future, naming Earth's (largest) colony (simply) Terra is beyond stupid, based on having (and sticking to) a severe misunderstanding of the names of Constantinople in particular (and the naming of colonies throughout history in general) as well as an utter lack of common sense. (Yes, Star Citizen managed to garner itself a special place next to the general rule above, as I have yet to see that particular brand of baffling nonsense anywhere else.)
They certainly all look more robust and for the most part also more powerful than any of Star Citizen's (non-capital) ships, but on the other hand wedges simply are pretty bland shapes, no matter how you spin it.
I like the general shape of pretty much every (human) SC ship, but something went terribly wrong with the details on almost all of them. Weapon mounts tend to look begging to break off, and way too many of them are riddled with itsy-bitsy tiny wing blade thingies that can't possibly serve any function whatsoever. Oh well, the physics engine thankfully forces them to iron out the thruster placements etc., and when in doubt, energy shields can take care of all things atmospheric entry and flight after all...
The Scythe of all things? I haven't really had a long, hard look at its current version yet, but they must have put manweeks into making that ill-shaped thing fly with their physics engine alone.
Anyway, love me some Viper Mk. II as well and keep waiting in vain to see her again.
Oh well, the Eagle Mk. II is also nice to look at in a different way, and it's not like I have a PC that can run either game yet, anyway.If only it weren't for the needlessly complicated entry/exit of the bottom turret (which partly due to that doesn't cover the aft to boot) and especially those beyond ridiculous stapler thrusters...
And regarding Star Wars: There's many a reason - including believability - why I always liked the A-wing most of all.
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I think it's interesting that in Elite radar isn't used, instead the ships use a form of thermal imaging. That actually means the cheese wedges are probably more realistic. Every military force with the money to do so is trying to defeat radar with stealth technology.
The far less complex shape of the ships from the original elite (by accident) would be far less likely to show up on radar than the over complex shapes of SC ships.
The far less complex shape of the ships from the original elite (by accident) would be far less likely to show up on radar than the over complex shapes of SC ships.