Dull ship design challenge: the box van

[SandJ]

I do not see why ships that never enter an atmosphere need any aerodynamics. Instead, they should be optimised for cargo-carrying capacity.

The ultimate example is the Workers' Commuter in Commies.OXP which is a rectangle. Others are the L-Crate Hauler, the Ixian Freighter and the Imperial Freighter.

On Earth, packages are delivered by Ford Transits, Mercedes box vans, Renault vans and so on, all of which are basically boxes that are designed to fit within a certain loading bay, width restriction, height restriction or parking space - but with maximum capacity.

I would expect to see, within the Oolite Ooniverse, lots of box-shaped ships carting cargo around, not sleek, pointy, dart-shaped affairs.

My request is for some simple boxy ships:
- that a proud individual owner-trader would buy to deliver stuff;
- a sensible fleet transport that couriers would have;
- the sort of boxy practical vehicle that a jobbing dip-with-a-ship would own.

Basically, a ship that is rectangular in cross-section which can dock in any dockable station or vessel, that has tolerable performance, good capacity, minimal offensive measures and possibly good speed but low turning rate.


What have we got that matches such a boxy-and-boring-but-practical description? Or is the Oolite Ooniverse too "Wild West" for such statability, security and comfort?

[Smivs]

What have we got that matches such a boxy-and-boring-but-practical description? Or is the Oolite Ooniverse too "Wild West" for such statability, security and comfort?

Well, there's the Transporter and the Worm, and the Shuttle ain't exactly a thing of beauty.

[SandJ]

Well, there's the Transporter and the Worm, and the Shuttle ain't exactly a thing of beauty.

Hmm. I hardly see them any more. I shall adjust my Ooniverse accordingly in their favour.

Thank you for reminding me how Elite was!

[Fatleaf]

On Earth, packages are delivered by Ford Transits, Mercedes box vans, Renault vans and so on, all of which are basically boxes that are designed to fit within a certain loading bay, width restriction, height restriction or parking space - but with maximum capacity.

The Mark 3 transit van was designed specifically to fit two standard pallets for fork lift trucks. So a transporter for Oolite would be specifically designed around the standard cargo pod.

[Smivs]

Hmm. I hardly see them any more.

You must be hanging around the wrong type of systems
Try lurking near the station in a Rich Industrial for a while.

[Commander McLane]

Hmm. I hardly see them any more.

You must be hanging around the wrong type of systems
Try lurking near the station in a Rich Industrial for a while.

Yep. The shuttle and its cousins only travel from the main station to the planet surface and back. Thus you'll never encounter them on any space lane.

[Cody]

I think you see Mining Transporters and Worms around asteroid swarms/rock hermits too.

[Thargoid]

That's exactly the design thinking behind the Tembo in WildShips.

[SandJ]

That's exactly the design thinking behind the Tembo in WildShips.

Sadly, the warning is a total turn-off for me:

Warning!

Oolite might become unstable when using this oxp - use at your own risk!

[Thargoid]

It doesn't really apply any more - some adjustments are done in both 1.76.1 and the OXP itself to stabilise things.

I should really remove it probably.

[Staer9]

So is this actually a competition?

or is it just a thread conteplating the uselessness of beautiful ships?

if it's a competition I may just have a suitible entry

[Fatleaf]

if it's a competition I may just have a suitible entry

>Fatleaf looks up<

[Staer9]

well, heres a basic example with no texture (apart from the AO map)



and it's exactly the right size to make it near immposible to dock

[Fatleaf]

and it's exactly the right size to make it near immposible to dock

Well that is just perfect then. As it will soon look just like White van man after a few "parking" manoeuvres. Could he be of the same clan as this guy?

[SandJ]

So is this actually a competition?

No, it was just:

My request is for some simple boxy ships.

if it's a competition I may just have a suitable entry

Well, there's no prize other than kudos.

I just fancied seeing some not-very-big ships that look cheap to construct in large numbers. No engine nacelles, no triple-hull, no wings, no pointed nose, no streamlining. Just a metal box with space for a bunch of cargopods, possibly a mattress in the back, quite likely painted plain white. Possibly with rounded front corners so that meeting the leading edge of a docking port doesn't rip the roof off, or possibly not. Possibly - and I don't think I've ever seen this on a space ship - bumpers.