Design studies, no final renders yet.

By Shawn Hantke (Shantke) on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - 07:16 pm: Edit

Wow, just wow!

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 - 07:49 pm: Edit

Glad you're going with the Adam Turner style from the Andromedan Threat File cover.

However, are those rhomboid shapes that are red on the cover definitely separate from those spines either side? It's hard to say whether they are on the cover.

Personally wonder whether they should be joined together. At present, I'm not sure the engines look right like that, too spindly, almost don't look like engines? Because of that, they don't look like advanced versions of the standard engine nacelles.

The overall advanced style though is great! Nice work SteveZ

By Steven Zamboni (Szamboni) on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - 12:40 am: Edit

I have Turner's 3D renders of this ship from multiple angles. The coffins are definitely not connected to the rest of the ship, which presents challenges when trying to turn this into a gaming mini.

Rebuilding the model for printing means we either ditch the floating engine concept, or add something like a hidden sprue underneath that can't be seen from most angles (painted stealth black). I'm waiting for a test print to see if the illusion can be made to work.

Still working on sketches to give each ship its own style once Shapeways shows it can produce those wings properly.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - 06:04 pm: Edit

For anyone who hasn't seen it, the preview PDF on this page shows Adam Turner's work on the Intruder-X for the cover art of Star Fleet Battles Module C3A.

Given the distinct technology base used by the Andromedans, would it still be necessary to add strakes to these designs, or might it be an option to subsume the "stuff" which an Alpha Octant X-ship must use its strakes for into the changes already being made from the non-X hulls?


In any event, it would be welcome if this proposed range of miniatures might make it more likely for the X-rules and SSDs from Module C3A to be converted to other game systems, such as Federation Commander or A Call to Arms: Star Fleet.

Or, for that matter, if there might be some means of reconsidering their current status as conjectural units. For what it's worth, I was wondering if they could in fact exist back in M31, yet require some sort of "Advanced Trunk Line", or "XTL", to be constructed in order to deploy them from one galaxy to another. So while they wouldn't make it to the Lesser Magellanic Cloud in time to confront the forces of Operation Unity, they might yet leave the door ajar for a renewed invasion to be launched (against the LMC or elsewhere) at some later point in time.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - 08:33 pm: Edit

I am going to assume that andro stuff is andro stuff. Nothing works the same.

By Chris Nasipak (Ecs05norway) on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - 09:25 pm: Edit

I like 'em. Go for it.

By Steven Zamboni (Szamboni) on Friday, May 15, 2020 - 07:16 pm: Edit

Scratch the floating wing parts. There were multiple early versions of this ship model and I've been working off the wrong one. (Most everything else is still on track.)

By wayne douglas power (Wayne) on Friday, May 15, 2020 - 08:26 pm: Edit

Andromedan X ships?, I do not like the look of them.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, May 15, 2020 - 09:52 pm: Edit

Wayne: years too late, the designs were published a decade ago.

By wayne douglas power (Wayne) on Friday, May 15, 2020 - 10:32 pm: Edit

They are conjectural units, I will grow to like them, all good.

By wayne douglas power (Wayne) on Friday, May 29, 2020 - 05:46 am: Edit

I have recently looked at the preview PDF Module C3A. The cover art of the Intruder-X is very nice indeed.

By Mike West (Mjwest) on Friday, May 29, 2020 - 09:10 am: Edit

Since I am usually the "negative nelly", I want to note that I really like these. I know they have been around for a while, but they still look great!

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, May 30, 2020 - 06:16 am: Edit

We should have those for 1 July.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - 04:32 pm: Edit

Latest work in progress report on Andro X-ships. This has been in the file for 10 days while I wasn't up to working.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - 04:51 pm: Edit

Nice design...
Just has the appearance of being a bit fragile...
(not speaking mini wise)

By Lawrence Bergen (Lar) on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - 05:33 pm: Edit

Oooo....Niice. Love the futuristic look and all the nooks and crannies.

Is the flat circle underneath for the stand hole (that seems like the balance point)?

By Steven Zamboni (Szamboni) on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - 05:38 pm: Edit

You see, there are two types of TR beams in this galaxy, those that point outwards to break up enemy ships, and those that point inward to hold this one together.

By Steven Zamboni (Szamboni) on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - 05:51 pm: Edit

The flat circle is the balance point so I can keep track of it. Hollowing out the bottom can cause issues if the stand hole starts cutting through the top surface of the ship. The hangar claws should obscure the boss if it's still needed in the end.

Still adding panels across the wing, plus engine grills and such. This was just the last check on structural elements before starting in on the nitty gritty stuff.

By Gary Carney (Nerroth) on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - 06:08 pm: Edit

To clarify, is the reference SSD being used for the X-Krait the same as that of the X-Python in Module C3A, or is there a separate X-Krait SSD this design is being based on?

It would be interesting to see a set of "tournament X-cruisers" one day, among which an X-Krait might be placed.

By Mark Hutton (Trynda1701) on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - 08:27 pm: Edit

I thought the 'floating wing' design had been nixed?

By Steven Zamboni (Szamboni) on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - 09:51 pm: Edit

This is some sort of Intruder or Conquistador (more likely the latter). This specific model won't print if scaled down to Python size, nor does the Python have a well deck.

I chose Krait as a placeholder name as the tournament Krait used to be a Conquistador before becoming a Python, and I've always wanted a Krait with more presence on a tournament table than the tiny Python model. (I have not discussed with Marketing the urgent yet irrational need for both X-Conquistador and Krait models, so we'll see once I'm out of the booth.)

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - 10:15 pm: Edit

"the urgent yet irrational need for both X-Conquistador and Krait models"

Go for it!