Have you thought about using Sub-entities to create extra features on the models?
Yeah, I did think about doing that, but my goal is to make the single object ship look nicer, not to add more objects to it. If I start down that road I'd never get finished. Plus which, I am against adding things like radar dishes, antennae and such because it doesn't fit in with what is essentially my view of the Elite universe - I feel that by the 32nd century antennae and sensors would be integrated into the main hull. Even today most antennae are contained within the skin or aircraft and such.
Besides - the only space vessel that should have a satellite dish is the Millennium Falcon.
As for the Thargoid, I am still having issues with the skin. Whoever it was that showed the plates texture, no, that's not what I was looking for. I'm looking for a kind of scaled texture. I have a few ideas, but making it look half decent is proving to be a pain. No doubt some really simple method will present itself soon, but until then I'll get on with other stuff and hope inspiration strikes!
I agree on the thargoids. I like them most as they are. And actually also of all of Sung's textures the one for the thargoid was the one I really didn't like. It looked like a toy, not a threatening alien ship.
IMO there shouldn't be a lot of texture at all for the thargoids. Perhaps a color scale (glowing red to not-so-glowing red and glowing green to not-so-glowing green respectively), but not more. No neat details, nothing that would look like lots of small plates. In my vision each side of a thargoid ship is one huge plate. If it can be done in a way that it looks believable then there could be the indication of the plates overlapping each other (like the structure that covers a camera lense).
But no small structures. It has been suggested that as they are an insectoid race the ships could be like chitin plating. D'accord, but have a close look at a wasp. It's plates are yellow, black, yellow, black. Plain colors, no tiny bits and pieces. The only effect is a shine, like in a color scale. So IMO that's how thargoids should look like. And the "mother-of-pearl"-effect posted in a skin here isn't it, if you ask me.
Plus which, I am against adding things like radar dishes, antennae and such because it doesn't fit in with what is essentially my view of the Elite universe
i would agree, to a point. one thing i liked about frontier (or was it FFE??) was that you could see how well armed a ship was cos it had external EMC/energy bombs etc, so you could avoid getting into a fight w/ a well-armed trader. i like shooting things off, so it would be cool to actually blow off an ECM antenna, then you'd know you could missile the ship. also it just looks good adds a bit variety and "life" to teh game if you see ships w/ bits missing, or ar$e-kickers loaded up w/ missiles etc.
It's plates are yellow, black, yellow, black. Plain colors, no tiny bits and pieces. The only effect is a shine, like in a color scale. So IMO that's how thargoids should look like. And the "mother-of-pearl"-effect posted in a skin here isn't it, if you ask me.
the beauty of insects is their variety. there's dull black ones, and bright glistening coloured ones. i've nothing against the red and green, just the way it's patterned, looks a bit artificial. doesn't spoil the game or anything, i just fell it should be more organic looking as in beetle casing-esque
i would agree, to a point. one thing i liked about frontier (or was it FFE??) was that you could see how well armed a ship was cos it had external EMC/energy bombs etc, so you could avoid getting into a fight w/ a well-armed trader. i like shooting things off, so it would be cool to actually blow off an ECM antenna, then you'd know you could missile the ship. also it just looks good adds a bit variety and "life" to teh game if you see ships w/ bits missing, or ar$e-kickers loaded up w/ missiles etc.
The big problem I've had when doing these models is deciding whether to model things on there or not, since there's no way to make the look of the model depend on what equipment it has. For instance, if I create a subentity for an ECM emitter, there's no way to tell Oolite that if it's destroyed then the ECM is destroyed too.
I had a big crisis of conscience when I modelled the 'fuel scoop housings' onto the models, since not all ships will have a scoop fitted. However, I've justified that in my head by calling them radiation collectors that provide some power to the infinitely powers standard system drive. A modification to the collectors in some ships can provide hydrogen and cargo scooping abilities, but the ports have to be big enough.
I had a big crisis of conscience when I modelled the 'fuel scoop housings' onto the models, since not all ships will have a scoop fitted. However, I've justified that in my head by calling them radiation collectors that provide some power to the infinitely powers standard system drive. A modification to the collectors in some ships can provide hydrogen and cargo scooping abilities, but the ports have to be big enough.
I like the idea, kind of (a litlle bit) like the Bussard Collectors from a certain sci-fi tv series.
I'd always had issues with the engines in Elite. I understand that the Witchdrives run on Quirium, but what to the normal space engines work on?
Why not Elite? It's plentiful and it's free!! Solar radiation is collected and charges energy coils in the system drive. Yay.
And the 'panels' on the sides of the Seldar Shipyards edition Python are simply backup solar panels. Or the windows for the Captain's hydroponics unit, where he grows his 'herbal remedies'.
Such antique technologies are still used extensively on some agricultural planets, however any ship capable of witchjumps is lightyears ahead of such basic level technology.
Not entirely sure if I like it. The underside texture looks wierd where the red panels slope off to the side. Nice attempt though!
I'm currentlt working on the new Moray, and it's my favourite so far. I had no idea the boat could look so good!! I'll hold off posting pictures until I've finished the surface detail. It might even look better smoothed!
the thinking was those red panels were like wing casings - would open up like a DeLorean in atmosphere, or maybe just for loading/service etc. i can easily change the underside to plain green armour if you want (more green lights?
it does look a bit odd, but like i said, it's sometimes hard to tell when you're not looking at it applied to a model. it seemed canny when i scribbled it on my pad at work
I think it's an interesting take on the Thargoid concept, after all's said and done they are aliens and they may have different ideas as to colour, shape and texture.
Like the pitted grey surfaces! They make the ship appear as if it's been travelling interstellar for a long time.
adds a bit variety and "life" to teh game if you see ships w/ bits missing, or ar$e-kickers loaded up w/ missiles etc.
