Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Here is a scene including 4 of the Yu Hing Pe Class super dreadnoughts of the Icaran Royal Navy.

Please let me know what you think http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Make sure you don't uses BMPs when posting it like this they are just to large.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Sorry here's the jpeg version

Anyway what do you guys think of the ships?

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

I look at them and I think, "What are those flat tops doing with guns on their flight decks?"

In other words, when I look at them I actually think of a WW2 aircraft carrier. Their surface needs some miscellaneous protrusions, or something, instead of being a long flat plane with guns set on top of it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

On a closer look I notice that the second turret back seems to have a platform under it. Making this bigger would help alleviate the flat-top look. If you -want- to do that, I mean.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Pretty. However, the two ships in the middle looked like one ship to me at first glance.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

If you make another shot like this, more starfield. I mean, the moon/planet crescent in the background is beautiful, but some stars would be nice. Also, make it more pronounced, so that more people see it.

As for the ships, they look very cool. I can see you're going for the Bismarck look... at first glance I thought the eagle on the bow/stern of the frontmost ship was actually standing on a swastika. Perhaps you should give this some work. Especially in the actual portraits, people will think it's a nazi shipset, and I don't think you want that.

And I agree with Sivran you should add more relief (I've seen this word being used in English before. It's meant as the Dutch word "reliëf" as being small "altitude" differences, i.e. 3d protrusions and such.) like walkways to the turrets, a larger superstructure, perhaps even railings, especially if you're going for the "wet navy" look as you said before.

(Railings would be there so that astronauts would be able to grab hold of them to prevent flying away from the ship during EVA. You didn't think I was stupid enough to think the Icarans are a spaceborne species, living in vacuum, did you?)

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

(Railings would be there so that astronauts would be able to grab hold of them to prevent flying away from the ship during EVA. You didn't think I was stupid enough to think the Icarans are a spaceborne species, living in vacuum, did you?)

ya never know http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

They look like naval ships without top decks flying in space. If that's what look you're going for, it looks really good http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

I'm not saying it doesn't look good, I'm saying it could look even better. I don't really like those flat tops either. I would love to see some detail as to what is on them. And if there is nothing on them, well, I'd love to see you place something on them http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Maybe add more guns? Guns are always good. Maybe some piping.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Or as I said before, walkways to the larger turrets or a larger superstructure. Make a superstructure that looks like the Bismarck's superstructure. That looks cool. And I suggest you leave the strings between masts, it would look SO cool... imagine, a super-advanced Super Dreadnought with a Bismarckian superstructure! Complete with lifeboat davits and primitive antennae... If anything, that will only improve the fear effect!

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Closed walkways might be good.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

If possbile, create an animation showing a flyby of these beauties. Perhaps you could also create one where the turrets rotate to one side and start firing volleys.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Purple volleys of hot antiproton death http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

No, the main guns, make it look like actual large-caliber battleship guns. Make it look like a WWII Battleship is pounding away at an enemy. I don't really like the purple APB animation, especially from these massive gun turrets. From these, I simply want WWII-style firing.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Well as far as that starfield Idea goes, it's a really good idea but with the size and resolution I used to make that pic big for some reason eliminated the starfield http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif I'll try again on that.

Re: The Eagle, well to be honest that is a Nazi eagle, but I erased the swatstika and replaced it with a British Empire style line in attack repose because to tell the truth the Nazi eagle (I.E. a modified German Imperial eagle, which has been used by "Germany" for centuries) is such a cool looking design, and once you get rid of that dang swatstika it's just a bird http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Hmmm, walk ways to the turrets, I considered that at first but then thought about the fact that you'd probobly have access to the turrets from inside the ship since if you suffered casualties it would be much easier to get folks in there from inside the ship rather then via Spacewalk.

Railing might be a good idea, I'll check into how I can do that.

The Superstructure sort of requires that blue thing on top as it is the GFG (Gravity Focusing Generator) that is required for a warp point jump so on a "bismarck" styled superstructre it'll still be there....but I will check on making a more imposing super structure http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif


Oh as for the emblems and all that I have attached a closeup picture of the ship so you can get an easier look at things.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/eek.gif weeb...

And I didn't mean getting rid of the glowing blue protrusions. Perhaps what you could do with the Bismarck superstructure, find a 3d image of the Bismarck (such as in Empire Earth, though I think that it will be tiny when compared to your image) and take the superstructure from there. On the other hand, EE isn't such a good idea, as you have no details... Try to find another Bismarck pic then. Use the exact superstructure, modify it to adjust it to the color/texture of the rest of the ship, and then place the GFG in place of the chimney.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

I like them, good work Starhawk.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Here's a view of it with a superstructure

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Nice shot. Man I do really like where your going with this concept, however your current model still needs a lot of TLC. I cannot wait to see your final version. I bet it will blow people away. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Mucho mucho MUCHO cool. Can't wait for the full version!

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Thanks and your right that is not yet the final version I already have a second version with the super structure still under construction.

I plan to add a great deal of detail to ALL the Icaran ships and am glad to say that all of the capital ship hulls are complete, except for the final touches that will go into making them a truely impressive ship set.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Alright here it is the second version of the Superstructure and the one I am so far most satisfied with, please let me know what ya'll think http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Nice. However, are you sure the cannons aren't going to shoot each other?

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Awesome ship man..... LOVE the secondary/tertiary cannons on the superstructure.

And Narf, ever seen footage of WWII battleships? Those babies had to fire upwards for a ballistic trajectory for the shell to avoid having it plunge into the water after 200 meters. I think that it would look something like that when these ships start firing - only to make an energy beam arc towards a target and not shoot straight, I think you would need to use the gravitational generators on top to create a directed gravitational curve-field that would "pull" the beam into a ballistic trajectory.

On the other hand, they could just fire the inner cannons broadside and the outer cannons in line, or fly lower than the rest of the ships.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

The second part is right, the Icaran fighting style dictates mainly broadside fire due to the way their shields work, the foward cannons can in fact fire foward but the inner cannons are meant to fire broadside only.

The secondary batteries on the superstructure are designed for fighter/missile interception as well as the third series of guns firing against capital ship targets.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Here's hoping SEV allows firing arcs and ship animations during combat... I can't WAIT to see one of these babies in combat, maneuvering broadside and firing its guns like a true WWII battleship... drools

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

What about bottom turrets? Space is 3D as opposed to 2D of Earths seas. It will have much stronger broadside.
Also, why do you need Superstructure? Its not where you place the bridge is it? Because that would be insane, everybody will shoot at the command center first. The bridge should be as deep inside the hall as you can possibly put it for protection.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Amos, there is really a limit to how many heavy energy weapons you can place on a starship without draining it's reactor to a point where it would just become unreasonable.
Since in SEIV the space ships don't whiiz and zoom around like Star Trek ships they will not likely require a "top down" sort of firing arc. And because of their "broadside" tactics the Icarans chose to centralize their firing arc to where all guns can be focused on a ship of roughly the same size. While a bottum mounted turret would not be able to focus on the same target as the top and center turrets because of the sheer "height" of the warships.

Regarding the Superstructure, no that is not where the Primary C&C is however it does house many systems required for the proper operation of the warship, much like a modern warship has a command tower, but the primary command and control center is deep within the hull.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

And the GFG... perhaps it emits gravitonic disturbances that can cause ill effects on people not wearing protective suits, and that's the reason why it's mounted on a superstructure.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

This new version is looking much better. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Starhawk, the command tower on modern warships is mounted on top because modern weapons are not that precise, i.e. they hit the ship and not a specific structure on it. Also, the navy is so bound by tradition that even though they have radars, air cover and satellite surveilance they put the C&C on a tower for greater visibility (this is a pet peev for me).
Anyhow the ship looks good.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Okay for any who would like to read my story for greater details on what's up with the design philosphy (and just for kicks) read go Here

As to what the GFG is, and what it does, the Gravity Focusing Generator produces a gravity field around the ship which enables it to travel through a warp point, if the GFG were not there then the crew would be turned into a substance with the consistancy of chunky salsa unless they got extremely lucky.

The part you see on the superstructure is only one of three (3) parts of the system, there is a focusing generator for and aft of the main super structure element, an invisible energy "stream" connects the three generators to establish the gravity bubble around the ship, however because of the fact the larger the ship the larger the central GFG required, by time you get up to anything bigger then a cruiser the GFG can no longer be mounted in a small unit atop the superstructure and instead requires a much larger support structure.


As to why Icarans fight broadside, shields in the Icaran universe do not work like those of "star trek" or other science fiction, in that the energy barrier that makes up the shield works both ways, basically you can't shoot out through your own shields as you'd just be causing damage to your own shield when the energy weapon and shield barrier interacted.

Thus when a starship fires it's weapons the shields to that whole section must be dropped, the Icaran naval doctrine decided to maximizing firepower and armor to the unshielded section they would have a broadside arrangement for their main firepower, having "chase mounts" with significant firepower foward and aft so that they can sustain fire upon the enemy even while they are approaching for a broadside engagement.
Being that no starship can truely fortify it's for or aft sections with any great deal of success firing chase mounts is done with great care.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

If you use gravity shields, all you have to do is adjust for the velocity imparted by going out of the shields.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

They don't use gravity shields actually, when I get the mod started up the Icarans will have "null force" shields.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Starhawk:
I haven't read this thread, I just looked at the pretty pic you posted in the first message.
I really like the ships, but where did the swastika go?! Hehehe...
Great work.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

The swastika went where it belongs, right up Hitler's A## hehe. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Actually I just erased it and replaced it with a British style Fighting Lion which looks cool imho with the German eagle...gives it that imposing feeling to me.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Null force fields would probally collapse the warppoint.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

SH, the eagle does look GREAT, but I suggest you enlarge the section under the eagle with the lion. At first glance it looks like a swastika you're getting a distorted view of, and people with low brightness setting or whatever might think it WAS a swastika.

As for the rest, keep the eagle and lion combination. It looks GREAT.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

To go through a warppoint, keeping a bubble of gravity around you for the ride would 'push open' the warppoint, allowing it to go through http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

Their shields do not work in warp or coming out of the Warp, even in my story so read up on that story http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif It's a good read anyway from what I hear, and it's not done yet.

RE: The Lion and the Eagle, don't worry in the shipset I will include a closeup picture of the Imperial Eagle so that you can see it's not a swastika.

Re: Icaran Super Dreadnought (Beauty Shot)
 

I KNOW it's not a swastika..... I just meant it looks like a distorted swastika at first glance. Perhaps you could enlarge the lion or the entire emblem, so people won't go around calling you a nazi.