new images

By Nick Samaras (Koogie) on Monday, March 23, 2020 - 09:40 pm: Edit

The strakes look like suction cups.

By AW Cookson (Awcookson) on Monday, March 23, 2020 - 09:45 pm: Edit

This design looks more WYN than Orion. I'd really like to see the sharp angles that define the Orion look used.
I'm not really keen on the port & starboard engines being sunk partly in the hull. If they stay that way then the center engine should also be partly integrated, imo.
And the strakes... Well, they seem large. I think they should match up more with the other empires strakes in design.
I also think the sensor hexes on the wings should be larger.

By Chris Nasipak (Ecs05norway) on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 - 12:07 am: Edit

The curved hull was actually inspired by the Orion characteristic feature -- stealth. I look at the F-117 with its sharply angular features, and the B-2 with its smooth, flowing curves, and I want to progress more towards the latter. Presumably an X-2 Orion would be much more gracefully done than this partial progression.

As for the nacelles embedded in the sides, they've always been like that, it's just more visible because the hull intersects them at a different angle. They're still the same distance from the centerline they were on the original. I can move them out, even add an actual pylon, but that's a very uncharacteristic move.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 - 12:21 pm: Edit

Rather than curving the hull itself, might it be possible to keep the flat surfaces of a non-X CA outline and to curve the corners instead? Rather than the B-2, it could be more like the F-22 or F-35.

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 - 01:16 pm: Edit

Sorry, Chris, but I have to agree with the others. I'd rather it have a faceted look.

Also, I'm not digging the strakes. What if you made them saw-toothed with four or five points??? I think that would fit the Orion look & feel.


Garth L. Getgen

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 - 02:50 pm: Edit

Although the curved hull is different, the main Orion style is still there, no downward engines on pylons like the WYN designs, so I'm ok with this.

Agree the sensor hexagons look like they could be larger. Are they the same size as the CA? It's hard to see in the store image. Also, lower the strakes and don't slope them?

I'm wondering if the engines are distinctive enough over the standard ones. Trying to think of an idea to suggest? Would it be possible to see a comparison image please?

By Chris Nasipak (Ecs05norway) on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 - 03:38 pm: Edit

> Agree the sensor hexagons look like they could be larger. Are they the same size as the CA? It's hard to see in the store image. Also, lower the strakes and don't slope them?

The sensor hexagons are the same size, I've pulled the rear edge of the wings back a bit so there's more wing surface. I could use that to expand the hexes.

I like the suggestion Garth made of making the strake edges sawtoothy.

The engines... forward half or so are identical to the Orion standard, I've extended the rear half with an extra "step-down" and added the narrowed cap on the back.

By Charles Chapel (Ctchapel) on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 - 05:05 pm: Edit

It's nice but a bit confusing. Faceted or Curved, please pick one. Saw tooth strakes like canopy edges, yes please. I prefer faceted Orions.

By Jeremy Gray (Kommodore_Kray) on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 - 07:23 pm: Edit

I like the curves. Distinctive from the Orion ships...only if it is carried through to the other Orion X-ships.

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 - 11:43 pm: Edit

The only curves that one should see on an Orion are .... okay, never mind. Jean will Gibbs me if I say it.


Garth L. Getgen

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 - 02:37 am: Edit

I have never officially endorsed or rejected the curves. I wanted to see your comments.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 - 09:19 am: Edit

Garth,

Are you speaking of the ship "Nell" from "Battle Beyond the Stars"..................

By Lawrence Bergen (Lar) on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 - 10:06 am: Edit

The curves are not offending. We have engineers go from electric to gas or vice versa all the time. To go from m Orion to WYN or vice versa because the pay or benefits are better is not a stretch.

Shouldn’t it have more strakes? I don’t really want them but since their are only 4 and on one side of the ship with 3 warp engines, it begs the question of why the Klingon/Fed needed 8 and only 2 warp?

By AW Cookson (Awcookson) on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 - 07:18 pm: Edit

It's not a question of gas to electric, it's a question of EW profiling (folding in tactical and other non-game sensors to the EW family). It's about Empire design evolution.
If SVC/SPP say that Orion 1X-hulls gained EW advantages because they all turned into WYN caplets then that's what it is but it will need to be that way for all Orion 1X hull classes to maintain intellectual consistency.
I could sort of accept a radical keel up design change for the Cluster Cartel but everyone else suddenly getting it? Maybe for 2X. 1X are supposed to still be keeping some derivation from the GW hulls.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Thursday, March 26, 2020 - 12:56 am: Edit

Lawrence:

We could say it has only four strakes because Orion cruisers are smaller relative to other Empires cruisers?

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Thursday, March 26, 2020 - 02:17 am: Edit

If people aren't sure about the curved hull, what about normal hull with curved engine nacelles?

After all, on the Federation CX, that's the most distinctive change.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, March 26, 2020 - 10:05 am: Edit

I don't think this discussion will resolve in time for April release.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 04:30 pm: Edit

How goes this design then?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 10, 2020 - 03:28 am: Edit

See for yourself. No discussion means the discussion and the ship went nowhere.

I really really really really did not like the curvy hull idea but I let the conversation run. If anyone wants to keep talking go ahead. Otherwise I would say to go do a proper stealth angle design and forget this curvy thing.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Friday, April 10, 2020 - 09:12 am: Edit

Thats a pity, cos I could see ChrisNs' reasoning for the curves.

Obviously, Chris will have his own ideas, but as I said above, if the hull goes back to standard Orion angular, I'm trying to think of an idea where the engine nacelles get a more serious upgrade. Similar to how different the Fed CX nacelles differ from standard ones?

Sorry for creating more work for you, Chris!

Any thoughts from anyone else then, ladies and gentlemen?

By Chris Nasipak (Ecs05norway) on Friday, April 10, 2020 - 01:57 pm: Edit

I've actually just last night submitted a revised, more conventional design.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Friday, April 10, 2020 - 02:53 pm: Edit

Looking forward to seeing what you've come up with.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 10, 2020 - 03:26 pm: Edit

Here is the next version. Slab sides with rounded edges. The engineer in me still thinks true orions are sharp edges but we'll see how this goes. Remember if enough of you tell me I'm a jackass I have to buy a saddle and give you the round one posted last month.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Friday, April 10, 2020 - 04:19 pm: Edit

Ok, I LOVE this!

The engines being turned like that helps distinguish it from standard ships, hope that works with all Orion X-hulls. The larger sensor ended are a nice touch on the larger wings.

One tiny thing, make the top of the strakes horizontal to the top of the hull plane, but still with the saw tooth design?

If people still want the rounded hull (and I still think you could have got away with it, SVC), change the engines on V1 to these V2 engines. But this new V2 is looking cool! Nice work, Chris!