NickalArms Munitions Light Attack Bomber

Being one of the cheapest arms dealers around, it would only make sense the ships built by NickelArms cut corners and are next to useless. These dilapidated fighters are classed as bombers only by name, lacking the shielding and armour to truly function as assault craft. NickelArms gave them the title 'bomber' solely for sale purposes, hoping it would attract mercenaries and other factions looking for a heavy assault craft. As popular as NickelArms' array of missiles is, the Attack Bomber is just as much in obscurity. It's one redeeming quality is the included software upgrade that cuts the reload time for NickelArms missiles in half, an upgrade not available anywhere for any other ship.

I forgot to mention this one before when listing independent designs. NickelArms isn't a ship firm per se, they built the Attack Bomber purely to showcase the effectiveness of their munitions. In truth, NickelArms missiles are effective and cheap. You don't even need to buy a rack for them as they come in their own little pods that latch onto the hull of the parent ship. When fired, the pod simply falls away. But you can only use them on ships under 100 meters, as anything 100 meters and longer isn't agile enough to use them effectively.

The Attack Bomber also comes in three purchasable variants: first is the standard variant, with basic close-range weaponry, all three types of NickelArms missiles, and light rockets. Second is the heavy variant with thicker armour in exchange for shields, a powerful close-range setup with a trade-off of fewer missiles, and better maneuverability for dogfights. Third is the super-heavy variant, with a special upgrade to its NickelArms software allowing it to fire faster than any other variant of the Attack Bomber and a plethora of missiles. It's extremely dangerous... until it runs out of ammo. It only carries a few guns, making it even worse in a dogfight than the standard variant.

This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 06:19 AM

Was chatting about the Shuriken hadn't even noticed the Harquebus was that close of a design. I think cause it has more thingys attached to it. The Shuriken is relatively simple which is what I liked about it so much.

Eagle Enterprises Condor Class Armed Freighter

The Condor is unique as far as freight vessels go. There are your average freighters, your run-down freighters, and your armoured military freighters. The Condor, however, is the only freighter capable of combat. Using EEI's standard hull design for Aquilas, Bateleurs, and Kestrels, the Condor is sturdy, well armed, and fast. The Merchant Marines sometimes use these as cheap support vessels for their patrol fighters, though the vast majority of Condors in service are owned by corporate and independent merchants plying the more dangerous trade routes.

Now, while the Condor can fight, that really only means it'll take more than a few fighters to take it down. Send in a good gunship and the Condor won't last too long. A small group of Condors, however, can move around with relatively little worry as their combined PD systems will take out most missiles and down light enemies in no time at all. And if worse comes to worst, their engines are more than enough to evade most ships.

This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 06:20 AM

Eagle Enterprises Accipiter Class Fighter

Almost as commonplace as Dragonfly's Wasp, the EEI Accipiter is a basic space-superiority fighter, usually assigned the role of eliminating enemy bombers and gunboats. It employs a special nano-fiber hull allowing it to have the slender shape it does while still being tough. Shields are basic as are weapons, but such is expected on a craft its size. All in all, a good ship for its price.

Now, while it is basic, it does have its uses. The simplicity of its design is mainly to grant it versatility in workload. It mounts Lasers for anti-shield damage, Chainguns for anti-armour, Light Rockets for an extra punch, and RADAR Missiles for long-range kills. It's not exceptionally tough, but it's not weak, either. It's also carried by all EEI ships except the Condor, which carries no fighters at all. Like I said, a good ship for its price.

This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 06:21 AM

All right, EEI ships! I've been eagerly awaiting these. Lookin' good, DK.

The Accipiter reminds me of the Star Wars E-Wing escort fighter. (I don't remember if I linked a photo on this thread or on another one.)

Eagle Enterprises Milvus Class Missile Gunship

What the Milvus lacks in cannons it makes up for in guns and ordnance. Lots of ordnance. The Milvus has even earned the loose nickname of 'baby Bateleur'. It does have one weakness, however; its maneuverability is lacking considerably. In combat situations, a Milvus crew usually requires at least one other craft to distract their target while they get in position for a run. When they have a second Milvus as a wingman, it's not uncommon for both ships to alternate roles.

I'm really proud of this one, mainly for the curves I managed to invoke. At the same time, though, I'm somewhat cautious of it. You see, I feel it looks sort of like something Batman or Dark Wing Duck would fly. I've been assured by others this is not the case, but I still see it in that sort of light.

That being said, I expect the Milvus to be a challenge to players to try and fly. If you're flying solo, I'll be really surprised if you don't die in your first conflict against a ship of equal or greater size. It's pretty much a requirement for a Milvus to fly with a wingman to be effective. In-game, you won't find a single AI Milvus alone. If you do, it wasn't like that when it came into the system, its wingman has simply been killed. You'll only see them flying patrols in flëts with another Milvus or an Accipiter alongside it.

StarSword, on Dec 18 2010, said:

All right, EEI ships! I've been eagerly awaiting these. Lookin' good, DK.

Thanks.

Quote

The Accipiter reminds me of the Star Wars E-Wing escort fighter. (I don't remember if I linked a photo on this thread or on another one.)

You know, you're right about that. I hadn't noticed. I actually based the Accipiter on the general style of EEI warship hulls: a long, narrow hull, slanted wings from the back. I did decide to leave out tail fins, though, which does make it look more like an E-Wing.

As for a picture of an E-Wing, I couldn't find your post linking to that image, but here's a Wookieepedia article on the E-Wing, with multiple pictures and even schematics!

This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 06:05 PM

Eagle Enterprises Aquila Class Light Frigate

The first design the Eagle Project came up with, the Aquila was a capable light frigate, fast enough to keep up with most enemies, and tough enough to weather attacks from most enemies, as well. Now it's absolutely lethal. Ever since EEI upgraded their starship line, Aquila Classes have been flying off the proverbial shelves and giving pirates everywhere a bloody nose among other body parts. Ask anyone, they'll tell you this keel has earned its nickname of 'the cheap Kestrel'.

Fusion Missiles and Heavy Rockets paired with Railguns as a primary weapon give it excellent combat range. Anything it can't reach can be reached by its four Accipiters. Anything that gets too close gets a face-full of Ion Turret bolts. It isn't quite as strong as some military ships, however, and a few of the pirate equivalents are also tougher, but it gets the job done.

This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 06:06 PM

Eagle Enterprises Bateleur Class Missile Frigate

Unlike the Aquila and the Kestrel, the Bateleur is a design built by Eagle Enterprises itself, though based off the other two. It's a bit lacking as far as weapon mounts are concerned, but has plenty of space available for larger missile systems, space it uses well. It's a popular buy and more than once Askan Shipyards as well as Estee Luxury have petitioned to limit sale of Bateleurs to EEI executives only, but without success.

The Bateleur's armaments are fairly similar to the Aquila's. The only differences are a switch from Ion Turrets to Blaster Turrets and the replacement of Heavy Rockets with Jericho Missiles and Torpedoes. Lots of them. It has higher shield and armour ratings than the Aquila, though less energy for jumps and is slightly slower in every way.

This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 06:07 PM

Eagle Enterprises Kestrel Class Heavy Frigate

The (in)famous Kestrel. While the original Kestrel design is still in use by third parties and roaming the spacelanes, Atinoda decided to update on the original. This new Kestrel has a more level wing structure for better stability in flight, and the designers have improved upon the hull plating along the slender gooseneck that was previously a weak point. The new Kestrel Class is a full-fledged heavy frigate and can hold its own against the toughest of ships. It's a popular buy and, fortunately, pirates have yet to get their hands on it.

Pirates still do fly Kestrels, they're just the older, destroyer class ones. When the Eagle Project first drafted designs of the Kestrel and Aquila, they were standard and light destroyers, respectively. When pirates stole the designs and kidnapped the project leader, that's what they got. The Aquila light destroyers soon dropped out of sight in favor of the Kestrel destroyer. USEC also uses these older Kestrels and Goliath Shipping has built their own small fleet of upgraded Kestrels, the Mk.II and Mk.III variants. They're still destroyers, but they're better than the original design.

That said, EEI's heavy frigate class Kestrel blows them all into so much space dust. It's armed to the teeth with Fusion Missiles, Heavy Rockets, Torpedoes, and Railguns. It also carries 8 Accipiters and improves on the Bateleur's Blaster Turret setup.

This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 08:06 PM

Well, it's official. EVWeb has joined the HOTS team as a graphics artist. I will still be modeling ships, but EVWeb will be texturing them, just as he textured the D-Back. So far he's also textured the SD Sabertooth, Navy Anaconda, and Mafia Missile Barge. You can see his work in the gallery.

Eagle Enterprises Megakestrel Class Battleship

The Megakestrel is the pride and joy of Eagle Enterprises. While no vessel has ever been deemed the best in all categories, the Megakestrel is definitely the fastest battleship out there, despite the loads of weapons packed into its hull. Megakestrels have been known to outmaneuver ships half their size with a gifted pilot at the controls. Even so, there is plenty of room for expansion into a veritable super-weapon.

This was a tough one. I wanted it to have the signature EEI look of a bird in flight (anyone notice the face on the Aquila, Bateleur, and Kestrel?) but at the same time have 'arms' or 'claws' reaching forward to grasp its prey. I eventually decided on emulating RoP's Megakestrel, but with my own spin on it. The bridge is on the center 'head' with the 'heads' on the sides acting as the 'talons' with guns and cannons aplenty.

The Megakestrel is the only EEI ship not available to the player right from the start. You need to do a little work for EEI first to unlock it. And I do mean a little (only a few missions) but the missions involved are pretty tough. You almost need a battleship to get through them all.

This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 08:08 PM

QUOTE (DarthKev @ Dec 22 2010, 04:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, it's official. EVWeb has joined the HOTS team as a graphics artist. I will still be modeling ships, but EVWeb will be texturing them, just as he textured the D-Back. So far he's also textured the SD Sabertooth, Navy Anaconda, and Mafia Missile Barge. You can see his work in the gallery.

Very cool stuff, guys.

Hey, any chance I could borrow him to do the big shipyard scenes for EVN:UGF? (Not anytime soon, mind you.)

QUOTE (StarSword @ Dec 22 2010, 06:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very cool stuff, guys.

Hey, any chance I could borrow him to do the big shipyard scenes for EVN:UGF? (Not anytime soon, mind you.)

Unfortunately, I'm already busy with HotS and finding a real job.

Darwin Commercial Design Peregrine Class Courier

Darwin Commercial Design was first bought up by Mosoto Design Studios in 3121 AF. Before that, however, they produced ships for USEC, the oldest existing shipping company in the Milky Way. To transport their own cargo, DCD built the Peregrine Class Courier and painted it in the same color scheme as USEC's ships as was the style then among merchant captains. After obtaining DCD, MDS kept the Peregrine design current by updating it as the years went by. It is now one of the most widely used ships in the galaxy.

USEC styled their paint scheme after Earth Empire ships. The difference is in the lighter color of the hull as opposed to the darker, thicker hulls of Star Navy, Star Corps, and Star Medical ships. As for the new name, I didn't want the Peregrine to be the only DCD ship without one. And you will see it often. In fact, it's rare to jump into a major system and not see at least one Peregrine flying around.

This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 08:09 PM

Very snazzy and stylish. It may be just a basic courier ship, but I like it. I'll probably fly this thing for at least a little while, depending on its range. (I like to fly the smaller courier-type ships; my favorite was probably Heart of Darkness' Saa'rel Surveyor.)

How'd you do the aft "quad-barrel" detail on the nacelles?

QUOTE (StarSword @ Dec 23 2010, 09:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How'd you do the aft "quad-barrel" detail on the nacelles?

I used two engine blocks touching each other's undersides. I then took the same two blocks, copied and pasted, rotated them 90º, and placed them inside the first two. I was originally just aiming for the greeble detail on all four sides of the nacelles. The quad-barrel design was completely accidental.

Darwin Commercial Design Puffin Class Defensive Shuttle

When Moso Mosoto first bought Darwin Commercial Design, his first priority was to protect small-time merchants as they were at the greatest risk having some of the weakest ships. The Puffin is designed to weather much more damage from enemy fire than any other craft its size. It's even won the Imperial Award of Defense for 30 years. It's so durable, in fact, the Star Corps have purchased a small fleet of Puffins for use as shuttles either independently or aboard larger craft.

The Puffin also has somewhat potent weaponry, though not up to the Switchblade's caliber. Most often the Puffin is used to land troops onto pirate outposts within Empire space (they do setup shop sometimes in rural areas on established Empire worlds) and then to bring prisoners back up. The two Star Corps ships capable of mounting launch bays, the Hades Prison Ship and the Ares Heavy Battleship, both carry Puffins.

Some of you have probably figured this out, but the Puffin's basic frame and outer shell are actually the same as the third ship I ever modeled, a now-defunct gunship. I posted it to the Delphi thread back when Delphi first released his parts collection.

This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 08:10 PM

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Darwin Commercial Design Tern Class Heavy Gunship

Darwin Commercial Design recently released the Tern in an attempt to compete with Sol Shipyards' Starbridge Class Cruiser. With that in mind, the Tern Class Heavy Gunship does perform well, gaining a slightly faster top speed than the Starbridge as well as faster acceleration due to the entire back section being mostly engine. There are drawbacks, however. In this case, the cargo bay is rather small and turret hard-points on this vessel are nonexistent. However, the Tern does have a truly prodigious amount of gun emplacements. All in all, the Tern is a decent assault vessel.

This is probably the most detailed model in its size range I've made. Additionally, StarSword once commented on the versatility of the Archon Fin and Plate. The Tern makes heavy use of the fin, but more than that, makes even heavier use of the 'Mmmm, Ribs' piece (yes, it's really called that). It's not a very good piece to make starship hulls from, but it's great for touching up and adding detail, or just covering up a spot you don't want people to see. I use it on almost as many ships as ones I use the Archon pieces on.

This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 08:12 PM

Darwin Commercial Design Swift Class Corvette

Often nicknamed 'The Wind' because of their speed, these nimble craft are unbelievably fast, and for good reason. While Star Medical Freighters are sturdy, they don't have the speed necessary to get injured out of dangerous areas fast enough before they can be overtaken by pirates and looted. Rather than design a new ship themselves, however, Star Medical put out a call for a new transport ship. DCD stepped up with funding from Moso Mosoto and designed the Swift Class Corvette. There is little that can keep up with a Swift, and anything that can is jammed by the Swift's sensors.

I'm sure the dual cockpit looks strange on a ship this size (112 meters) but there's a good reason for it. Part of designing the Swift for operations near nebulae and hostile space involved highly sophisticated sensors. Not only to navigate through heavy interference, but to disguise itself against other ships. In the end the Swift came out as something of a jumbo scoutship, with a cockpit on the port side and a full observation deck and sensor array occupying the starboard side. In-game this means you won't be attacked by anyone while flying a Swift unless you attack first. Unfortunately, this combined with the oversized engines leaves little room for weapons.

Speaking of size, I just realized none of you really know how big things are in HOTS. Here's a scale of reference:

• Small Ships (shuttles, some fighters) = 10-20 meters avg.

• Interdictors = 20-30 meters avg.

• Cruisers = 40 meters avg.

• Gunships = 60-70 meters avg.

• Couriers, Corvettes = 100-170 meters avg.

• Destroyers = 200-400 meters avg.

• Frigates = 500-700 meters avg.

• Battleships = 800-1,200 meters avg.

• Carriers = anywhere from 1,000 meters up to 5,000

• Dreadnoughts = city-sized, approx. 15,000 meters

One note on the Dreadnought Class: they're extremely limited. They don't exist yet when the game starts and you'll almost never see them even after they're first built. Mainly you'll see them on a few specific missions where they'll help you in fights.

This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 08:15 PM

Mosoto Design Studios Attack Fighter

The Attack Fighter was designed to have the performance of a starfighter without the extra mass and size. While it still falls short in some areas, it's definitely the sturdiest fighter to grace a launch bay. It's long wings give it a wide area of fire when needed while its tail fins give it extra accuracy with its guns for dogfights. The Attack Fighter's most intriguing ability, however, is in its collapsable wings. In flight an Attack Fighter's wings are much too long to fit well in most bays, so they collapse and fold away when docking, much like an insect's wings do.

MDS, as mentioned previously, builds ships that are near perfect melds of human and Onli tech, even more so than the Onli's own Requin. You'll see roughly equal amounts of normal pieces and Onli pieces on these ships. That said, they don't have the ability to think like Onli ships do. MDS merely builds hybrids from two kinds of tech, whereas Onli ships are conceived from other Onli ships and augmented with technological implants as they reach maturity.

This post has been edited by DarthKev : 19 January 2011 - 08:22 PM