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VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:45 am
by STARSTRUCK
I know some of you are strongly predisposed against aegis shielding and bright colors. I'd suggest you take a chill pill or die or something.

...With in mind, I present my ship and its backstory.

Fabulous DreadnoughtDouble Rainbow CruiserHMS Optical Fusillade
Fold Guardian Eden
Image
Spoiler!
Though faith in faster-than-light travel is firm in the present era, it is best to bear in mind that very much remains unknown about the Fold, the medium by which vast interstellar distances can be crossed in mere days. Due to the high-energy nature of fold physics, the distressing occurrences that strike the Fold Network every few years cannot be thoroughly investigated without permission and funding from the local governments. As a result, most of these incidents go unexplained.

Recently, however, one particular fold accident has incurred consequences far too large to be ignored: that which befell the Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Eden several days ago. The ship had moored itself in orbit over the planet Focalor in the Tarthanac system, aiming to provide medical care to the crews of falling satellites following the planet's devastating polar inversion crisis.

Through a series of events that remain poorly understood, the USNS Eden engaged its Fold Drive prematurely while still in orbit. On-the-fly triangulation of its fold trail revealed that it had plotted a course for the neighboring Cezar system.

No arrival signal was detected by Cezar's fold control. The ship had vanished, along with 230 crew, 551 patients, and a sizeable section of the mooring fixture. Investigators assumed that the torn mooring shaft had caused the ship to veer off course and tumble into deep space.

However, six days later, something entirely bizarre occurred. A freighter called the S/N Schulz entered the Cezar-Tarthanac fold from the Cezar side, but what emerged on the other end was none other the USNS Eden. Strange things, however, had happened to it.

Security scans from the few satellites remaining in orbit around Focalor had absorbed several facts about the altered Eden.
1. No passengers were alive on board.
2. The mooring fixture had remained attached to the ship, but it had been duplicated symmetrically to the ship's opposite side.
3. The interior of the ship had been filled entirely with a growth of crystals. They were believed to be protein crystals and... something else.
4. Large, luminescent outgrowths of entirely unknown crystals had occurred on the ship's exterior. Some are believed to act as propulsion, while others act as armor.
5. The Eden was now a Mercy-class ship only in name, for immediately following its arrival in the system, it opened fire on surrounding trade vessels. One would presume that some of these crystals serve as armament.
6. Return fire is ineffective against the ship. Armor is entirely ineffective against its weapons. Subduing the Eden will require drastic measures.
Hopefully the combination of a corny ship and a cliché backstory from hell will coax you into leaving a comment or two.

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:54 am
by ArcaneDude
BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Silliness aside, that is some cool shit. Very good shape and section usage, and the glows work like a charm. The only nitpick I have is the flat V-shaped section in the center that kinda sticks out.

EDIT

@Doogie: Fuck you. It does.

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:58 am
by Doogie12
Psh, no it doesn't AD.
Starstruck, its flawless. For all I know you've taken a screenshot of some other game.

Edit* not to me

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:01 am
by BoVinE
Merely nitpicking, but shouldn't these glows be about the same color as the nearest lighting element?
Image

All in all, it's awesome. What doodads got used for the shine?

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:18 am
by Squishy
I'm quite interested in how you pulled off the reflective shines on the solid sections.

As for the backstory, I can only imagine what fate has befallen the crew and patients. Knowing that the crystals are PROTEIN, I have reason to believe that this fate was not very pleasant.

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 3:33 am
by Corporal Jomn
I'm guessing its that fraxy section used for glowy cores. Cool ship.

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 4:09 am
by Doogie12
Would it be alright I used this ship for a game? PLZ PLZ PLZ?

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 4:26 am
by Kiltric
Please explain how you did the reflections; we're all wondering.

Frankly, this thing is gorgeous. I'm a tad iffy on the rainbows, but you have beautifully combined the sleek and jagged aesthetics. I'm particularly impressed by the construction of the tail and the way you combined sections there.

I hope I speak for everyone when I say, more please.

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 5:27 am
by Anna
Kiltric wrote:Please explain how you did the reflections; we're all wondering.
Low-alpha doodads with additive blending. Really people, it's not hard to figure this stuff out. The way he used it is very clever, but it's not difficult to look at it and figure out how it was done.

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:32 am
by InsaneCat
Sweet holy Jesus on a bull.
THIS IS AWESOME.

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:41 am
by BoVinE
Anna wrote:
Kiltric wrote:Please explain how you did the reflections; we're all wondering.
Low-alpha doodads with additive blending. Really people, it's not hard to figure this stuff out. The way he used it is very clever, but it's not difficult to look at it and figure out how it was done.
I carefully worded my response to avoid being the target of just such a remark!

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:21 am
by Anna
BoVinE wrote:I carefully worded my response to avoid being the target of just such a remark!
You've been gone for a fair while and missed out on all the fun Custom Sprite usage and the evolution of certain techniques, so I wouldn't blame you for not figuring out how it was done immediately. But really, Kiltric should know better.

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:33 am
by Bad Boy
I have no idea if kae's still alive but this is bloody beautiful and should probably find its way into the holy ship section sometime soon.

The v in the centre and the left end bits are a little bit flat, but it's not a big problem.
Everything else is pretty flawless, the body curves, the use of doodads to pull off a convincing (and very nice looking) cylinder for the bulge, the plates on the right (near the core), the integration of docking clamp wings and the different but very effective style they're in, and the neat glows are all spectacular. Good job and thanks for all the ship.

That said, its original name is rather more fitting.

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:20 am
by Kiltric
Anna wrote:really, Kiltric should know better.
I was asking to find out, because I didn't know. I'm sorry that I've been a bit distracted and not able to stay up to snuff on the finer points of ship-building, but that's why I asked, so I could learn.

Back to the ship, I had another thought. Do you have any intention of adding movement triggers in? I only ask because this seems like an extension of the work you started here, and it may be a very nice touch.

Re: VERY LARGE SHIP LOOKIE

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:29 am
by BoVinE
It's clear a petition needs to be started to take possession of your doodads.