Competition #13 - Z-trooper

[Tom]

Sources of inspiration: (some greater than others of cause)

- Homeworld
- Alien movies
- Star Wars
- Starship Troopers
- Ogame

Main lines of desing:

- Industrial, chuncky look.
- Straight lines/stealth/military design - with some asymetrical stuff*.
- Human engineered fleet.
- Steel/metal materials (with references to WW2-Modern navies), with lights and lasers.

*There are two reasons I make some asymetrical stuff on there - one is that I can mirror my ship (look at cruiser renders) and make it look like there are two types of ships - if I chose to. The second reason is the standard: break some straight lines to create interest.

Concept drawings:
(I am an idiot at drawing so if you can see what is going on - great, if not - so be it )

**** Fighter design still under heavy development - but I'm going for a 90 degree tipped design.



I have an idea in store for the reactors for both fighters and cruisers that will make them stand more out.
Final choice of ship types:

Heavy battle Cruiser/Carrier & Heavy fighters.

Renders of cruiser design [HEAVY WIP]:
EDIT: updated render with non-transparent background for better contrast

[myles]

Hey Trooper,
Not much to crit, you seem to know what your doing. All I'll say is if your going to go for a big ass mothership, remember that with the model detail spread out over a big model you will need to have extra fantastic textures.

All I can really suggest is to add more modules/pieces onto the sides of the ship to add a little more difference and take away the streamlined. Your concepts are easy enough to follow, think I need a white board now :P My only real problem is your gun turrets, while they look great the ship whill have to be pointing at its target. Your fins could do with some sort of mechanism to allow it to rotate.

But really nice job and good luck!

[Tom]

Originally Posted by myles

Hey Trooper,
Not much to crit, you seem to know what your doing. All I'll say is if your going to go for a big ass mothership, remember that with the model detail spread out over a big model you will need to have extra fantastic textures.

All I can really suggest is to add more modules/pieces onto the sides of the ship to add a little more difference and take away the streamlined. Your concepts are easy enough to follow, think I need a white board now :P My only real problem is your gun turrets, while they look great the ship whill have to be pointing at its target. Your fins could do with some sort of mechanism to allow it to rotate.

But really nice job and good luck!

I follow a lot of what you say, and thanks

I am planning to make a lot more modules (to break the stream lined look), I have a picture of what its suppoed to look like in my head, but I cant draw it accurtly, I can only model it the way I want ot :|
The gun turret is (in my head) only supposed to be able to rotate like 45 degrees up and down - but now it looks like its intended to move all the way around. I have a few more plans for the gun right there, but I guess I can make a extruding module of the hull which also will block the angle the turret can rotate.
I might redo the entire turret since it didnt turn out the way I wanted it. I may have to sit down and design a laser cannon, cause these types I dont like that much after I've played around with it.

I plan on making a lot of small glowing/dark windows along the sides of the ship (where there are compartments) I hope that will help give to illusion of it being massive.

[requiem2d]

I really like the design, definitely pretty slick. I think your weapons make the ship seem smaller than it will be compared to whatever sistership you planned. Whilst modeling, I really suggest you to try work off the symmetry so that when it comes to texturing you'll be able to increase your resolution. What seems to a wing is also just at 90 degrees from the body, might be more intesting if it had a downward angle.

Keep it up!

Edit: I'd also make a couple of mini-[objects?] within the hangar to designate the "parking" spots or take-off mechanism.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by requiem2d

I really like the design, definitely pretty slick. I think your weapons make the ship seem smaller than it will be compared to whatever sistership you planned. Whilst modeling, I really suggest you to try work off the symmetry so that when it comes to texturing you'll be able to increase your resolution. What seems to a wing is also just at 90 degrees from the body, might be more intesting if it had a downward angle.

Keep it up!

Edit: I'd also make a couple of mini-[objects?] within the hangar to designate the "parking" spots or take-off mechanism.

I think you are right. Bringing the wings down would look pretty nice, but I had the idea that they would act as scoops for the intakes when gliding in low orbit around planets - scooping in valuable gasses or something, but just an idea.

The big turret on the side is really killing the size - I know. I think I'll go play some Homeworld - where some have some crazy big weapons, but still gives the illusion of massive size.
But then again, I think I'll completely redesign the guns - but they'll stay as tri placeholders.

Mini objects in the hanger is the best idea I have heard regarding this project - it will definitly give a better idea of size. All I have thought about was making that glow so you couldnt see anything in there, but this is way better. Then again I could do a lot with texturing by having "landing strips" (small lights) there.

I'll play around with it - but very good feedback. I still have to design the engines and I've decided to make some more external sensors at the front of the ship like the USS Sulaco

But not too many since I already have a shape the is close to the Sulaco.

[Tom]

Time for an update.

As I mentioned in another thread, I'll probably make another mothership in a different style, and the fighter design wont be completed after I've chosen the mothership design.
Anyways, here is a update on the cruiser I've been playing around with (still sort of conceptual)

Changelist:
- Downsized main cannon
- Added command bridge
- Adjusted shapes and overall length of the ship
- Changed angle of wings
- Added sensors to the front (hard to see on this clay render)
- Added small objects to the hanger area (on the final model they will be swaped out with fighters, cause a lot of small objects (even boxes as on the render takes up a lot of tris compared to what they contribute)



Remaining to do list:
- Design engines
- Add more modules to break the TOO streamlined design
- Design new weapons (the current ones are placeholders)
- CRAZY optimization (which is pretty easy, but I wont do it till the model is complete - who know what you might need :P)
- Add more sensors
- Add tubes/connecting bridges

- I might make the whole ship a bit wider (so it matches the reactor cylinder more)

EDIT:

A quick dirty fix that helps with the size of the ship - I made the top gun a lot smaller (but it is still placeholder)

[nikuskwas]

Z-trooper,

I love your organization!!! I think it is great to have a Changelist and a To-Do list!!! Really saves time and helps everyone understand your workflow... mind if I do the same?

I also agree with designing the whole mothership and later doing the fighter. It's better if you have something to follow than creating small bits and not having a unified theme between both.

Keep it up!

[Tom]

Originally Posted by nikuskwas

Z-trooper,

I love your organization!!! I think it is great to have a Changelist and a To-Do list!!! Really saves time and helps everyone understand your workflow... mind if I do the same?

I also agree with designing the whole mothership and later doing the fighter. It's better if you have something to follow than creating small bits and not having a unified theme between both.

Keep it up!

Sure, go ahead and organize it like me if you want

I have made a lot of small changes since the last render a few minutes ago Just a lot of small objects that really help emphasize the size of the ship, but also helps define the shape and style of the space craft.

[Tom]

Small update again
Reason: The ship is one chunck without any holes - Easier to get overview of the concept now.

Change list:
- Added small wings/fins to the back to give variation from the standard changes in height of the hull.
- Added engine area and made some pretty standard thrusters - it fits the theme/style good, but it isnt very original.
- Overall clean up




To do list:
- Redesign weaponery (and add more weapons to weapon platforms)
- (Maybe add more modules)
- Add antennas/sensors/whatever to give detail to help with illusion of size
- Add tubes/bridges/restrictors
- Optimize

Now that the concept is more or less shown I would like some C&C to help find out what works and what dosnt work.

Meanwhile I'll start focusing on a fighter design. Or maybe do some covettes or frigates instead, cause fighters (even large/heavy fighters) will be VERY small compared to the cruiser so the difference in texture maps will be crazy and I wont be able to show it fully.
I have even considered doing a destroyer.
Also it seems like everyone is doing carrier/fighter so doing something different like two medium/big ships would be different.

If I stick to corvette/frigate I can still dock them in the cruiser which will be rather cool.

[nistrum]

the only thing i would say about it is it looks a bit like a gun rather than a whole ship.. it lacks a little complexity... i thinkthats mopstly due to the fac tthat you didnt really draw a deep concept.. so dont let that put you off. if you remember you want things like windows and that.. just to remind people this is BIG.