| By Soeren Klein (Ogdrklein) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 08:24 am: Edit |
I might be stupid, but the line art I see in my version of the Federation MSSB doesn‘t show any strakes on the CX.
Is there another line art anywhere?
Kinda looks like a dragster than an advanced technology ship.
I liked Adam Turners version better.
Much sleeker and more elegant forms.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Sören Klein
| By Mike West (Mjwest) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 10:03 am: Edit |
Here is my fundamental problem with the strakes: Whenever I see a design with incongruous and anomalous features like the strakes, it means that someone screwed up. The bigger the anomaly, the bigger the screwup. These things are huge. That means someone make a massive mistake along the way.
So, when I look at this ship, I immediately think, "Ooo. Someone screwed up big time!" Now, if that's the intention and part of the in-game history of these designs, then fine, go for it. But when I think of X-ships, I think sleek, fancy, elegant. These strakes are the opposite of those things. And that can be OK depending on the supporting story. But they are not positive; they represent a problem that couldn't be fixed in an elegant way.
(And by "someone screwed up", I mean in-game, not out-of-game. They are not a mistake by Will. They are an inelegant solution from the in-game designers.)
Putting this another way: These huge inelegant projections look like something you would see on a prototype or partial conversion. In those cases, they could easily be forced into a position where they have to fit something too large for its location, which forces an ugly project outside the hull. But, by the time main production is reached, those kinds of unfortunate compromises and inelegant solutions are supposed to be worked out so it all stays under the hull.
| By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 10:17 am: Edit |
Quote:But when I think of X-ships, I think sleek, fancy, elegant. These strakes are the opposite of those things.
| By Nick Samaras (Koogie) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 11:59 am: Edit |
The majority don't like the strakes or want to see them modified in some way. I don't understand this strict adherence to the line art when the majority of the ship doesn't match the line art any way.
Many things don't match the line art or have been changed (aft shuttle bays on Fed dreadnoughts, the Orions, Klingons with aztec, Gorns with scales, aztec Hydrans and Lyrans, the neo-Tholians, Kzinti frigates, the race-specific bases and freighters, the proposed Britanians and Hispanolains...).
Just give me the best looking model you can, whether that includes strakes or no strakes.
But please don't settle for less because of line art.
| By Will McCammon (Djdood) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 12:23 pm: Edit |
By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, January 29, 2020 - 05:41 pm
"Here is the first X-ship. It displays the definitive "strakes" which are part of X-technology and are showing in the later MSSBs. "
By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, January 30, 2020 - 01:39 am
The starship sailed on the strakes years ago. For good or ill, they are there to stay. That arguably needed more discussion at the time, but the time has passed. We need to have SOMETHING that instantly says "I am an X-ship" and back at the time strakes were selected nobody came up with anything else. Too late now. So work with me and Will to make something workable of them. I would say they are a combination of cooling, shield generators, and sensors.
It is not "strict adherence to the line art".
The strakes are not on the 3D model because of the line-art. The strakes are on the line-art and also on the 3D model because of a design decision that they are part of X-technology.
| By John Williams (Johndw) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 02:43 pm: Edit |
I do in general like the look of the ship. Not familiar enough with X-ships or what Strakes are to say if it could be represented any better.
But maybe... If the Strakes on the saucer followed some kind of circular curve. I kinda like the Strakes on the second hull.
| By A David Merritt (Adm) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 03:21 pm: Edit |
I think the engineering hull and the engines look very good. I do not care for how the saucer section strakes look right now.
Perhaps the could be slid back more inline with the impulse decks, and made the same height as their front ends are now?
| By Mike West (Mjwest) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 03:23 pm: Edit |
As I have said already, if that is the intent of X-ships, then fine. Go for it. Especially for conversions and prototypes. But, when setting up the production line with ships built from the keel-up, they should have fixed the problem by then. While the initial set of X-ships were conversions, I thought many of them were new construction. And for any new construction that's the kind of thing you are supposed to have fixed.
Quote:X-Ships are Frankensteins, why shouldn't they have things sticking out....
They didn't design a new ship, they put additional items on already overloaded frames....
Again, that is a retrofit of an existing ship. And, even then, did they make structures that stood taller than the command superstructure? Those strakes are absolutely massive (they are each about as large as the entire impulse engine structure). I am reasonably sure that if they were to build a new BB from the ground up, even if based on the Iowa design, they would make sure to put it in a more proper spot.
Quote:ie Iowa Class BB, they plopped down the Tomahawk/Harpoon boxes in the few open spaces they had left on deck...
| By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 04:37 pm: Edit |
Quote:Again, that is a retrofit of an existing ship.
| By Nick Samaras (Koogie) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 06:54 pm: Edit |
"The strakes in the art are all straight fore-and-aft. So, no curves or angles."
"The line art are top views so they could be half or twice this high."
Will, if that's not a strict adherence I don't know what is.
| By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 10:16 pm: Edit |
And Wil did what I asked.
| By wayne douglas power (Wayne) on Friday, January 31, 2020 - 10:56 pm: Edit |
As noted, I am fine with the Federation CX "strakes", the ship is recognisable on the tabletop. (and the detail is small enough to print)
All good
| By Jay Gustafson (Jay13) on Saturday, February 01, 2020 - 01:04 pm: Edit |
Stupid question was the CX new construction
| By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Saturday, February 01, 2020 - 01:10 pm: Edit |
Quote:Stupid question was the CX new construction
| By Nick Samaras (Koogie) on Saturday, February 01, 2020 - 01:23 pm: Edit |
Maybe seeing another empires X-ship with strakes for comparison will help. This ship is based on an iconic shape so its harder to look at it objectively.
| By Eddie E Crutchfield (Librarian101) on Saturday, February 01, 2020 - 04:19 pm: Edit |
Just a little note on the Iowa modifications. They were just not "plopped" on open spaces on the deck. Before both the Tomahawks and Harpoons were mounted, 4 5"/38 turrets had to be removed and both the forward and after magazines were modified. The Tomahawk and the Harpoons were mounted amidships to prevent blast damage during the firing of both the main and secondary weapons. the canisters for both also were hardened for the same reasons. Two other considerations at the same time were where the 4 Phalanx systems were located and if there were any weight restrictions.
| By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, February 01, 2020 - 11:14 pm: Edit |
Will, would you send the strake dimensions to your cohorts, please? And feel free to do a D7X.
| By Jay Gustafson (Jay13) on Sunday, February 02, 2020 - 12:01 am: Edit |
I really don’t have a problem with i5.
| By Will McCammon (Djdood) on Sunday, February 02, 2020 - 01:12 am: Edit |
i5?
| By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, February 02, 2020 - 01:27 am: Edit |
i5?
| By Jay Gustafson (Jay13) on Sunday, February 02, 2020 - 08:29 am: Edit |
Typo
| By Jay Gustafson (Jay13) on Sunday, February 02, 2020 - 05:14 pm: Edit |
I wanted to say I don’t have a problem with the CX go ahead print away
| By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Monday, February 03, 2020 - 10:46 am: Edit |
Wonder if the CX saucer strakes could be moved aft, like A David Merritt said above. This might help balance the overall look. I'm ok with the positioning of the secondary/engineering hull ones. Was going to suggest making both sets half the height they currently are. Perhaps the saucer ones only, make them look like the final intercooler greebles on the CA nacelles?
However I understand both the printing tolerance issue, plus the whole idea they need to make the X-cruisers look distictive at tabletop playing distances.
| By wayne douglas power (Wayne) on Monday, February 03, 2020 - 03:55 pm: Edit |
If that can be done, could we see what that would look like on the Federation CX?
| By Jay Gustafson (Jay13) on Monday, February 03, 2020 - 04:36 pm: Edit |
I’m excited first x ship
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