Alright, I'm supposed to be posting Askan ships now and Eros ships after that. However, I feel a lot of my Askan designs are kinda dull and could definitely use some improvement. I haven't even modeled a single Eros ship yet.
So stay tuned, but be prepared for a long wait before I post any more images. 
Askan Shipyards Switchblade Class Assault Shuttle
Askan is known for it's engineering skill in terms of weapons. In the case of the Switchblade, you'd be hard pressed to find a shuttle design with even more weapons. Its shields and hull are also slightly above par for shuttles making it an excellent choice for boarding parties and landing craft. This has gone unnoticed by the Star Corps, however, who've chosen the Puffin for their landing craft needs, instead. Still, for the independent starship captain with a grudge or a price on his head, the Switchblade is a good choice whether used as a standalone or in a launch bay.
As you can all probably tell, the Switchblade is based on Star Wars' Lambda Class T-4a Shuttle, otherwise known as the Imperial Shuttle. The 'Imperial Shuttle' moniker is actually a misnomer as the ship was used by many factions, even the Rebellion.
Anyway, the Switchblade is extremely heavily armed for a shuttle with several guns including a pair of Chainguns and even mounting points for a pair of cannons. Bay-launched shuttles will also provide players with a boost to their chance of capturing any given ship, varying depending on the class of shuttle. The Switchblade offers the highest percentage boost and, with its powerful weapons lineup, can act as a cheap defensive fighter when needed. It's pretty slow, though, so you'll need to stay close to them or they'll probably be overwhelmed and destroyed.
Askan Shipyards Gladius Class Starfighter
The word Gladius means sword in the ancient Latin language, a fitting name for this weapon of the modern space warrior. Often times a single Gladius will overpower if not outright destroy any three conventional fighter craft in one go before needing to regroup. Larger ships can be more of a challenge, however, and so the duty of tackling them is usually left to other craft. Still, the Gladius remains a popular choice for independent bounty hunters and mercenaries not into the business of taking on warships.
The RZ-1 A-wing interceptor is one of my favorite fighters from Star Wars and so I've modeled the Gladius after it. Just something about a fast ship with no astromech to monitor everything for you excites me. The Gladius is much more capable than most standard fighters with only a few examples standing out in one way or another. It has a crew of one, a small living space for the pilot, and is generally a heavily armed and armoured scoutship with a much improved thruster system. It's also the smallest and fastest of the four starfighter classes in HOTS, albeit the least armed. In regard to the aforementioned living space, this is little more than a fold out cot and food synthesizer in what qualifies as the ship's hold. That said, the hold itself is simply an 8'-8' room between the cockpit and airlock/egress hatch.
Askan Shipyards Sabre Class Starfighter
After the concept of the starfighter class was proven to be a success with the Gladius, Askan Shipyards decided to go further and design a beefier starfighter capable of taking on much larger prey. The Sabre employs powerful shield generators and thick hull armour paired with sophisticated targeting systems ensuring even the dullest pilot will always have his bearings. The quad wing design comes from a predatory wasp native to Cloud 9.
Everyone here should recognize the strong influence the Incom T-65 X-wing had on the Sabre. The main difference, though, is the Sabre's wings are always in the 'x shape', they don't fold like the X'wing's. The Sabre is only slightly larger than the Gladius, 23 meters to the Gladius' 20, an yet packs a surprisingly larger punch. It also includes a more complete and less cramped living space for pilots which is much appreciated by the bounty hunters with the money to buy one. It still won't take on destroyers single-handed, but fighters fall before them by the dozens and even gunships have trouble in combat against a Sabre with an able pilot.
Now, Cloud 9 is a whole other level of hell. It started as a ball of rock shrouded in a methane/helium atmosphere. Since the planet was outside of the Earth Empire, a group of entrepreneurs decided to try and terraform it for use a luxury resort free of Earth taxes. Unfortunately, the entrepreneurs didn't look closely enough at the planet's fauna before beginning. They did notice there was some natural life on the planet (most of it either nearing extinction or incredibly hostile) but they didn't notice that one species in particular was capable of surviving in an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere. These predators, known as Jirogenn (jee•row•gen), not only survived, but flourished with the lack of the other natural predators on the planet, in addition to the livestock the entrepreneurs introduced.
They vaguely resemble wasps the size of an australian shepherd, have hides thick enough to resist a modern artillery shell, are so vicious they won't think twice before attacking another Jirogenn, and can even cut through starship hulls, given enough time. They're also incredibly smart, evidenced by their rationing tactics and their production and use of traps. Any other predator as bloodthirsty as they are would've hunted themselves to extinction by now, but the Jirogenn seem to have realized this. They have even been known to herd livestock of their own to be killed and eaten later or kept alive to birth new livestock. Normally this would be an enormous scientific breakthrough in the search for intelligent life, but the existence of the Onli Conglomerate has toned down that search and the Jirogenn's murderous intent tends to make people think of them as savage predators more than anything else.
QUOTE (DarthKev @ Nov 8 2010, 10:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
They're also incredibly smart, evidenced by their rationing tactics and their production and use of traps. Any other predator as bloodthirsty as they are would've hunted themselves to extinction by now, but the Jirogenn seem to have realized this. They have even been known to herd livestock of their own to be killed and eaten later or kept alive to birth new livestock.
Personally, I think they qualify as primitive sentients. The UGF has a sliding scale for the status of civilizations based mainly on technological achievements (the Brenn-Strelling Scale, which may or may not show up in EVN:UGF: I haven't decided yet), ranging from hunter-gatherers (Class I) to hyperspace-capable spacefarers (Class IX). The Jirogenn would fall under Class II (primitive agriculture).
And the whole thing about the terraforming goof? That falls squarely in the purview of Murphy.
This post has been edited by StarSword : 08 November 2010 - 07:28 PM
The Jirogenn do qualify as primitive sentient beings, but, as I said, most people don't think about them as sentient beings because of their attitude and appearance. Think about it: if a giant bug popped up and started trying to tear you into tiny pieces using a rudimentary trap it built, would you be considering whether or not it could be intelligent alien life or would be trying to kill it and/or get the hell out of there? Sure, you might think about the encounter later (assuming you survived) but would you really think about the Jirogenn's level of intelligence or would you be thinking about how traumatic and horrifying the experience was?
So yes, they are a primitive sentient form of life, but no one is willing to believe that, whether they've survived an encounter with one or only heard stories of such events.
Askan Shipyards Spatha Class Starfighter
The Spatha's namesake was an ancient sword in use throughout the Roman Empire until 600 AD. It was a heavy infantry weapon designed to give soldiers a longer reach in thrusting attacks and was even used by cavalrymen. The Spatha has earned its name well with its effectiveness against large warships as a missile platform. Dogfight ability suffers only slightly from this, but is noticeable enough that a clever fighter pilot could best a Spatha with the right conditions. In the end, the Spatha has found its niche as a giant-killer, not as a dogfighter.
AI Spathas will be deadly even to destroyers, simply because of their speed and firepower. They carry Fusion Missiles, a type of ordnance not normally seen on fighters, and an array of rocket-based weapons. Additionally, at 35 meters long, it's only 5 meters shorter than the HOTS version of the Starbridge. Its size also affords it room for a copilot and is the only starfighter to have one. This is part of why Spathas are a favorite of Merchant Marines; long patrols can get lonely and having someone to talk to helps push that feeling away. In the case of the other 3 starfighters, the onboard computer includes a series of trivia and puzzle games meant to while away the time when not in combat.
Askan Shipyards Scimitar Class Gunship
The Scimitar is a unique design among gunships. Not only is it in use by mercenaries and military interests, but by independent merchants as well. The Scimitar has a decent-sized cargo bay and, in some ways, is an unintentional counter to the Starbridge. It's highly possible this supposed encroachment on Sol Shipyards' 'territory' is the main reason they have a grudge with Askan Shipyards.
The Scimitar not only borrows from the Switchblade's physical appearance, but also from its weapons setup. The stock armaments are almost identical to the Switchblade's, the main difference being the addition of missiles. Unlike the Switchblade, the Scimitar is a speedy craft and even alone can survive many a foe. It's actually quite adept in the role of a customs vessel, or would be if anyone used it as such. MDS' line of ships built specifically for the Merchant Marines includes vessels that fill this role even more completely. As a result most of the Scimitars seen in-game will be in the hands of civilian traders or as escort craft manned by USEC employees when their Kestrel variant can't be brought to bear.
QUOTE (DarthKev @ Nov 16 2010, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Askan Shipyards Scimitar Class Gunship
The Scimitar is a unique design among gunships. Not only is it in use by mercenaries and military interests, but by independent merchants as well. The Scimitar has a decent-sized cargo bay and, in some ways, is an unintentional counter to the Starbridge. It's highly possible this supposed encroachment on Sol Shipyards' 'territory' is the main reason they have a grudge with Askan Shipyards.
The Scimitar not only borrows from the Switchblade's physical appearance, but also from its weapons setup. The stock armaments are almost identical to the Switchblade's, the main difference being the addition of missiles. Unlike the Switchblade, the Scimitar is a speedy craft and even alone can survive many a foe. It's actually quite adept in the role of a customs vessel, or would be if anyone used it as such. MDS' line of ships built specifically for the Merchant Marines includes vessels that fill this role even more completely. As a result most of the Scimitars seen in-game will be in the hands of civilian traders or as escort craft manned by USEC employees when their Kestrel variant can't be brought to bear.
I recognize that one: it's based on the Imperial Sentinel -class landing ship. That ship mostly only showed up in the Expanded Universe (appearances in the video game Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike , for instance), though it also made a very brief appearance in A New Hope (you can see one taking off in the background as Luke, Obi-wan, and the droids pull up to the Mos Eisley Cantina).
This post has been edited by StarSword : 16 November 2010 - 04:11 PM
QUOTE (DarthKev @ Nov 16 2010, 03:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Askan Shipyards Scimitar Class Gunship
This is awesome. The Star Wars influences (some less-informed people might say "rip-offs") remind me of a quote from my dad (who's a graphic artist): "99% of Art is hiding where you got your 'influences' (or what you've ripped off)". Originality is basically impossible when it comes to design, so it's often better to put a fresh spin on an old design. I approve this ship (as if that counts for anything).
QUOTE (StarSword @ Nov 16 2010, 01:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
<demonstration of observation skills and Star Wars knowledge>
Good eye! Yes, the Scimitar is based on the Sentinel in terms of my inspiration for its design, though I wasn't going to mention that, just as I didn't mention the Y-wing's influence on the Spatha. I decided it might be more fun to see who speaks up and recognizes where I got my inspiration for certain ships. What I'm really excited to see is people trying to guess which Estee ships are based on which Star Trek ships. 
QUOTE (Cosmic_Nusiance @ Nov 16 2010, 01:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
<good advice and praise>
Thanks, Cosmic. That's a good quote to live by, now that I think about it. I guess it's a good thing I decided to stop specifying what some ships are based on. And your praise counts for a lot, everyone's does. If it counted for nothing I wouldn't have this status thread.
This seems as good a place as any to explain a bit more on this point:
QUOTE (DarthKev @ Nov 16 2010, 11:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
As a result most of the Scimitars seen in-game will be in the hands of civilian traders or as escort craft manned by USEC employees when their Kestrel variant can't be brought to bear.
Pay attention to the bold section. There will be several versions of the Kestrel in HOTS, and a few different graphic sets for it, too. There's the original, old Kestrel in use by pirates (and ONLY pirates as the newer versions surpass it by so much). Then the modified variant in use by USEC, though it shares the same paint job and is modified solely by internal hardware and software. Then there's EEI's revamped model, a heavy frigate with its own paint job and a distinct hull. The last two variants are the Mk.II and Mk.III in use by Goliath Shipping. The Mk.II shares a similar structure to the original Kestrel but has Goliath's paint scheme. The Mk.III, though, is slightly bigger and has two tail-fins instead of one.
This post has been edited by DarthKev : 17 November 2010 - 05:02 PM
QUOTE (DarthKev @ Nov 16 2010, 05:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Good eye! Yes, the Scimitar is based on the Sentinel in terms of my inspiration for its design, though I wasn't going to mention that, just as I didn't mention the Y-wing's influence on the Spatha. I decided it might be more fun to see who speaks up and recognizes where I got my inspiration for certain ships. What I'm really excited to see is people trying to guess which Estee ships are based on which Star Trek ships.
Well, the Spatha/Y-Wing was fairly obvious. I did look through your gallery, and I noticed twists on the Akira - and Prometheus -class for sure; not certain about the others.
I should be fair and mention the first two ELX ships in the gallery, the Deimos and the Jupiter, aren't strictly based on anything specific in Star Trek. The Deimos started as a rendition of the Delta Flyer, but came out differently and I just decided to keep it that way. The Jupiter is something else entirely.
Askan Shipyards Longsword Class Super Frigate
Askan Shipyards is a group of firsts and uniques. They were the first to design starfighters and are the only firm (besides Eros Mining) to have them. They were the first shipyard firm to begin producing weapons and produced their own unique spin on current weapons. It's only fitting they should produce the first in a new class of warship. The Longsword is by far the most powerful frigate class privately owned that the galaxy has ever known. Powerful cannons, several layers of high-power shields, and droves of Eros fighter craft make the Longsword one absurdly tough nut.
As far as weapons are concerned, there is of course the standard Laser. Then there's the Medium Laser and Heavy Laser produced by Askan Shipyards. Whereas the Laser fires simple pulses of energy at a decent pace and is powered by its own onboard microgenerators, the Medium Laser draws power directly from the parent ship as well as from onboard generators to grant a much stronger pulse with a longer range without a loss in reload time. The Heavy Laser is more like the standard Laser (no energy drain) and mainly adds additional reactors for more firepower and a gain in range at a minor loss of accuracy and reload speed, though with increased weight. Only Askan ships have these standard, though some NPC variants of other ships will be armed with one or both of these.
Eros Mining produces mainly an alternative mining craft of their own to compete with Darkstar City's Ceres Class. They also have their own starfighter (created after they were bought by Askan Shipyards) and three classes of non-flux-capable fighters. There is an upside to the lack of flux ability: they are extremely compact allowing a single bay to hold more of them than any other class of fighter. This is how the Longsword manages to pack so many fighters despite its smaller size compared to ships with similar quantities of fighter craft. You'll learn more about them when I get there. Also, while not mentioned, the Longsword also carries a few Switchblades for miscellaneous duties.
This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 09:14 PM
For some reason, this is my favorite of your designs so far. Kind of reminds me of a seriously pimped out IDA Frigate :p. Keep it up!
QUOTE (Male_Valkyrie @ Nov 17 2010, 10:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
For some reason, this is my favorite of your designs so far. Kind of reminds me of a seriously pimped out IDA Frigate :p. Keep it up!
Sort of, but that's not the real inspiration. I figured I'd give the others a chance before revealing the source, but...
The Longsword is based on the Kuat Drive Yards EF76 Nebulon-B Escort Frigate, from Star Wars. Though Imperial-built, it was more famously used by the Rebellion. It appeared in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in the form of the hospital ship Redemption (where Luke was fitted with a prosthesis after losing his hand to Darth Vader at Cloud City). Sadly, the Redemption was lost with all hands at Endor, a victim of the Second Death Star.
Darthkev didn't stray too far from the roost, I think. The Nebulon-B was intended for use as an escort for convoys, armed to defend ships under its guard from Rebel fighters. Ironically, a great many Nebulon-B's ended up in Rebel hands, so many that Imperial Admiral Hurkk once complained, "Just once, I'd like to destroy a ship that we didn't pay for!"
Now you're just showing off, StarSword.
Indeed, the Longsword is found escorting Askan freight convoys from place to place, but it's also found defending Askan and Eros space, as is its primary role. Like I stated earlier (back on page 2) the Longsword is privately owned within Askan Shipyards; only Askan employees and trusted outsiders are allowed to purchase one.
Askan Shipyards Broadsword Class Light Courier
Couriers have the cargo capacity. Corvettes have the speed and maneuverability. Then there's the Broadsword. The design focuses on cargo capacity, but the semi-circle array of thrusters on the rear make it spin like a top when needed. The odd shape has never really been explained, however. Some theorize it has something to do with conserving energy, others say it's meant to improve sensor ability. Still others believe it's meant to be a work of art. When asked, Askan executives simply smile and walk away.
I originally conceived the Broadsword as an armed freighter, but as I went the Broadsword kept getting smaller. I eventually settled on a length of 60 meters which is smaller than any other courier. Needless to say, I couldn't think of a good reason to keep calling it a freighter. Also, as a courier, it's not very heavily armed. A few guns, a turret system, the usual stuff couriers have in HOTS. Though, thanks to its smaller size, it's the only courier capable of mounting the full range of missiles in HOTS (there are some types that require smaller, nimbler ships to be effective). It also mounts several light rocket pods, making getting in front of it something you may want to think twice about. It still won't win any major fights, it's just a little more capable on combat than other couriers.
This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 09:18 PM
