Modular Ships (Now with dreadnought action!)

Droid · Post by **Droid** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:16 am

Well, the core module does fit almost perfectly.

Kazuael · Post by **Kazuael** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:01 pm

Here's a support variant, which, well...supports. It has an array of nanomatrices and a second array of impeders as well as a pair of grav beams for towing stuff. It's pretty bland but I figured something had to fill the support vessel role. I've got a couple more interesting ones that'll round out the set, which I'll get to soon.

natan_j · Post by **natan_j** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:15 pm

Maybe, to make things easier, make all the modules and the core all in one file. If you make new modules or edit the core/other modules, you do it in that one file. When you make a ship, you save it as a different file, then delete the unused modules and put together the ones you'll use. It might turn out as a really big file, but it would be a lot easier to mix and match parts then.
So far, these are looking awesome, keep up the great work!

Kazuael · Post by **Kazuael** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:24 pm

That's a good idea, I might do it later, but I've already gotten three of the modules done, and I don't really feel like remaking all of them. I'll probably do that on the next set of modular ships I make though.

jwa8402 · Post by **jwa8402** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:26 pm

I tried this type of thing, having engine modules and such. Only problem was that I was trying to outfit a fleet with them so while components would work for equal or greater sized ships, they looked ridiculous on smaller ships. Too bad sections aren't listed in the ship summary like modules and weapons. I know it wouldnt work but it would be sweet to just copy the descriptive text of a ship in part or whole and add it on in notepad.
good executions, I can see a carrier variety and perhaps a siege class.

Post by **Arcalane** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:41 pm

You've had the title for ages.

That said, this is like a bigger, sexier, main-gun-less version of the Orthus/Cerberus. Very nice.

BlkRdgPharmPRSTAFF · Post by **BlkRdgPharmPRSTAFF** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:20 pm

This is a great idea, and it looks very nice too. It's a real shame we can't copy paste the modular pieces from file to file.

Kazuael · Post by **Kazuael** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:33 pm

I totally did not notice that title being there.

Here's the heavy fire support variant. Not too fond of it really as it lags horribly when it fires. You can actually see the frame rate drop a couple fps with every missile salvo. It also looks very cluttered compared to the other ones, but I tried to make it somewhat realistic.

One or two more variants should wrap up the battlecruiser class, at which point I'll stick 'em in a pack and upload them, and get to work on the other classes.

BoVinE · Post by **BoVinE** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:44 pm

Nice, I'd been thinking about something like this, but I don't think the connector would have come out nearly as good.

Need long range freeeeeeeeeems!

Empty · Post by **Empty** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 2:06 am

The connectors are great, it's an awesome idea. Fits together beautifully. Anywoot, if you've got a parenting image of one of them for curiosities sake?

Post by **Aralonia** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:54 am

I am experiencing heavy, heavy approval of the modular design.

Missile spam FTW.

Kazuael · Post by **Kazuael** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 5:50 am

Sure, here's the next variant in line along with the parenting.

Without parenting:

With parenting:

Sorry I didn't separate the modules this time, but it looks way more badass assembled for this one.

So, I don't really have a name for this one yet. It's temporarily dubbed the "heavy assault" variant, but it needs a better name, which I will get to at some point. This is the only version of the ship to mount beam weaponry, thus the addition of two extra reactor cores crammed into the formerly empty center of the module core. The boosters powering the particle beams actually represent the heat dissipation of the beams, and as such are parented to the glowing red/orange heat sinks. Each beam has two boosters powering, which should in theory bring its reload time down to 8 seconds, otherwise each beam has a standard reload time of 32 seconds, as they are pretty damn powerful compared to the rest of the ship's weapons. The exception is the forward beams only have one booster each, and thus have a boosted reload time of 16 seconds. Destroying the heat sinks significantly increases reload time for the beams, which is why they are in a sort of protected location.

I believe boosters cut reload in half, but I'm not sure if two boosters quarters reload time. That's pretty easy to fix though, so I'll get to that after some testing.

I have one more variant planned, but I'm not sure whether or not I should also do a carrier variant. Doing so would make it a sort of hybrid battleship/carrier, which in my mind would be a sort of strike carrier with strike craft as well as the ability to engage larger vessels on its own for quick raids and the like. However, I'm not really sure how to execute it, and I'm not really fond of demeters, so this one's a bit questionable.

What do you guys think?

EDIT: Noticed a parenting error, fixing, will reupload picture in a bit.
EDIT 2: Fixed, picture's up again.

BlkRdgPharmPRSTAFF · Post by **BlkRdgPharmPRSTAFF** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:14 am

Well shit, these just get sexier and sexier.

lightstriker · Post by **lightstriker** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:16 am

preeetttyyy... besides that i got nothing, sorry

Koross · Post by **Koross** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 11:03 am

Wow this is an awesome idea. Kinda reminds me of Gundam (I think I saw it first from this) where the Gundam could change armour and weapon modules on the fly.

Anyway, this is way cool. Can't wait to see all the modules.