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Author Topic: Merian-Class and Mogai-Type Warbird  (Read 17118 times)

Offline aaron067

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Re: Prometheus Class 2.0 nearing completing
« Reply #120 on: April 24, 2011, 09:27:59 PM »
So, it's been almost a month since I last posted in this thread.  In that time I've been able to complete my pack of textures for the Vesta class, which includes the Vesta, Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal, and the Viminal.  I'm waiting for Filefront to get their crap together and fix the picture issue before I release that pack, though.
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Offline Shadowknight1

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Re: Prometheus Class 2.0 Mesh Complete
« Reply #121 on: May 27, 2011, 10:14:19 PM »
I like it! :D
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Offline aaron067

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #122 on: July 15, 2011, 01:09:19 AM »
Long story made short: I didn't like what I had for the Prometheus redesign.  

I've now redesigned most of this ship at least twice, but I'm looking for some advice on the spine area of the engineering hull because I'm still no happy with it.

Also, as I read through Rick Sternbach's original concepts for the Prometheus (and looked at his sketches) I was surprised to find out he had originally planned for the ship to split into five separate parts.  The producers felt that it would be difficult to effectively use/feature all five parts at once on screen, so they cut it down to three.  The 4th and 5th vessels were merely going to be drones or attack fighters, which is something I've been thinking about exploring.  My current thought is to somehow utilize the captain's yacht area as a small, automated drone in order to achieve the trinity that was the heart of the original Prometheus concept.  

Here are some updated images, too.
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Offline MarkyD

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #123 on: July 15, 2011, 07:32:37 AM »
Nice stuff  :thumbsup:
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Offline WileyCoyote

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #124 on: July 15, 2011, 08:45:41 AM »
I'm starting to like this.
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Offline FarShot

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #125 on: July 15, 2011, 10:36:51 AM »
It's nice to see a person with comparatively little posts doing so much for the community. :thumbsup:  Your modeling quality sure is top notch, with elegant curves and few smoothing errors.  Regarding this design in particular, I like and/or love pretty much all of it.  The loves are the overall shape, the nacelles, the Vesta-class-like bridge area, the Argonaut-class-like upper saucer, and the new, more traditional deflector. :)

There are a couple areas that I think could do with a bit of improvement though, namely the impulse engines and the bussard collectors.  With the impulse engines, I'd suggest you differentiate the fore and aft set a bit.  They look very much copy/pasted.  Also, the holes look sort of simply drilled into the bulges, kind of like Flash Gordon-sytle sci-fi.  Lastly, regarding the bussard collectors, I think that in the top view they look too pointy.  Perhaps broaden them out a little.

I attached a sketch that includes a couple of ideas regarding the impulse engines and the bussards.  Personally, I think you could extend the Vesta class influence to the impulse engines, both fore and aft.
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Offline TheConstable6

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #126 on: July 15, 2011, 11:08:03 AM »
Love it, brother! Your mesh work is very good!

I've always wished I could sketch like FarShot :D
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Offline moed

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #127 on: July 15, 2011, 05:24:15 PM »
Very nice, clean work.

But... I think the back ends of those nacelles are a bit too pointy. The ship feels a bit like if I were doing an inspection of it in a shuttle I'd be afraid of a hull puncture if I got too close  :D

Very good work!

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Offline aaron067

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #128 on: July 15, 2011, 06:00:57 PM »
Thanks for the comments! 

I completely agree regarding the pointy-ness of the nacelles.  I haven't touched those in so long that I forgot it was something I wanted to fix.  I've been thinking of redesigning the nacelles slightly anyway, so I'll just add that to the list of reminders.

Farshot:  I can't believe I didn't think more along the lines of the Vesta class regarding the impulse engines!  You hit it on the head when you said the saucer engines look like a copy/paste.   Though, to be fair, I did want them to resemble the saucer impulse engines on the Prometheus, and I think they are close in that respect.  The exhaust vents are definitely just drilled into the main structure, too, which is something I was thinking about detailing further just yesterday.  I'm not sure if you visited the thread when I first started this project, but the impulse engines as they currently stand are an exact replica of what was on the Avenger (the inspiration).  Be that as it may, most of the design has strayed from the original mesh, so I don't have a problem changing the engines to resemble Mark's Vesta-class design.

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Offline TheConstable6

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #129 on: July 15, 2011, 07:50:20 PM »
I really like the nacelles how they are it adds to the feeling the ship is a pointy sharp object of war :D
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Though much is taken, much abides; and though
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 To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Offline FarShot

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #130 on: July 15, 2011, 08:29:32 PM »
Ah yes, I remember the version with the warp fins.  And I do sympathesize with the whole Prommie-like pods, though on the original Prommie I still think they looked tacked-on.  :P
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Offline aaron067

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #131 on: July 15, 2011, 08:59:39 PM »
Farshot:  Touche!  You're right, of course.  I'll see what I can do about fusing a bit of the original Prometheus design with Vesta engines.

Constable:  I agree.  I love the general shape of the nacelles, particularly the alternating depth between the Z and X axis.  The way the end tapers from the top view, but expands from the side view gives the entire mesh a balance I wasn't able to achieve any other way.  If I do change something, it'll be on the detail level, such as redoing the grills or adding some more greeble-type stuff ala the Vesta nacelles.
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Offline Shadowknight1

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #132 on: July 15, 2011, 09:09:26 PM »
I was about to say, the nacelles look fine to me too.
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Offline aaron067

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #133 on: July 17, 2011, 01:41:57 AM »
Preliminary WIP shots of the new saucer impulse engines.  I'm just looking for thoughts on the direction I'm headed in, though I can already say I'm unsatisfied with how they're integrated into the back part of the saucer at the moment.  I'm just exploring options before I redesign that piece of the mesh.
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Offline aaron067

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #134 on: July 17, 2011, 02:33:09 PM »
Images of a slightly less obtrusive cutout in the aft saucer.  I also inverted the curve of the aft drive section because concave hull lines made it much easier to create an aesthetically pleasing cutout.  The shape of that indention isn't quite right, but I think it's much better than what I posted last night. 
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Offline Darkthunder

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #135 on: July 17, 2011, 04:12:59 PM »
Looks much better. Now for something similar on the nacelle pylons.
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Offline Phoenix Bondi

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #136 on: July 17, 2011, 04:13:07 PM »
Wow thats a sexy beast, now i can't wait for this :D
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Offline Captain_D

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #137 on: July 17, 2011, 04:25:01 PM »
Quote from: Darkthunder on July 17, 2011, 04:12:59 PM
Looks much better. Now for something similar on the nacelle pylons.

Agreed. I sort of liked what Farshot came up with in his sketches for the pylons. I would suggest instead of laying the impulse engine on top of the pylons, that you would do something that would cover both sides of the pylon and have the ribbing you came up with from the saucer on it.

I like the second pics of the revised saucer impulse by the way.

She is an awesome looking ship. :thumbsup:

A well deserved cookie too.
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Offline aaron067

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #138 on: July 17, 2011, 04:41:10 PM »
Thanks!  While FarShot didn't actually draw the underside of the pylons, the Vesta's aft impulse structures do wrap all the way around.  If you go back a page or two in the thread you can see some renders of my Vesta class U.S.S. Palatine, which displays the engine design Farshot and I are inspired by.  I'll be sticking with that when I get to the pylons, so no worries there.  
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Offline FarShot

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Re: 25th Century Long-Range Tactical Cruiser
« Reply #139 on: July 17, 2011, 11:01:22 PM »
Sorry I haven't replied earlier.  I've been on a little road trip with my family over the weekend and didn't get a chance to access the interwebs. :P

That being said, I really like the new direction you've gone with the saucer impulse engines.  If there's one thing I would change, it would be to take the part that's colored black on the Vesta class and take it back a little.  Right now you have it going like:
______________
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I would suggest:
______________
| _  _  _  _  _  |
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|| || || || || ||

Also, I'm happy with the news of the aft impulse engines. :thumbsup:

Cookie time!
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