textures do give a model the final touch - but if a model doesn t look like it belongs to a faction un-skinned... it won t be convincing with a texture either.
about the gunboat not being pretty. - that might be so.... ( all the models are made by AoM, fighters and GB ) - but ppl should sometimes appreciate the ugly, too.
ugly can be nice - and a good thing in terms of roleplay.
about the current battleship model:
- i can see where ppl say it looks strikingly like the Mako.... i consider that a moderate problem that ought to be addressed.
- there is plenty of detail on the ship - very nicely done.
- proportions are good - in other words, it looks good.
- scaling is a little off. - or .... too small. best you get out of it is a Mako-style battleship. ( small core, limited arcs, few guns, low armour )