Introducing a new ship model

[Nikolaus]

Allright, this is my latest brainfart ... erm ... creation.


The Mantis

Top view

Left side view

From below

From behind

Stripped ship hull

Claw structure - the thing that binds various ship modules together

Above and below armor shields and ship's wings

One of its massive thrusters

This is the GTHf M.O.D.S 0.1 - Galactic Terran Heavy Fighter / Massive Ordnance Delivery Ship, codename Mantis

The Mantis is designed to be a heavy fighter, armed with two torpedo slots, two mine layers and one missile slot.
Its colossal thrusters enable it to swoop into the battle in hyperdrive, disengage, launch its deadly payload towards a heavy capital ship and quickly engage hyperdrive to get out of danger.
Even tho in the hands of a skilled pilot can dodge the slow firing turrets of capital ships, and evade some damage from Very Heavy and Heavy fighters, it is no match for a fast Light Fighter. It is best to guide it under the capital ship, as the fighter hull is protected by massive composite armor above and below - the top armor shield being shaped as a mantis - hence its designation.

Keep in mind that i am still working on it, thus feedback will be greatly apreciated.

I plan on releasing a full set of ships including :

- Light Fighter
- Heavy Fighter
- Transport class - (rhino-sized freighter)
- Train Class - (superheavy transport type)
- Destroyer class - with forward firing cannon and
- "HOLY MOTHER OF MERCY, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT" type of battleship - used as a static base/shipyard where these babies will be available for sale.
- Dreadnaught - Modified version of the above, Battleship Class, able to use jump gates.
- More static stuff for the home system of these babies. Like outposts, matchig docking rings and mooring fixture, matching weapon platforms and satellites.
- Matching weapons and turrets. I plan on making at least one cruiser turret, one weapon type, one torpedo launcher type.
- Stuff on request (?)

They will all have similar parts - twin-turbine engines, separated main hull protected by 2 or more shields, agressive angles, claw-like structure clasping all modules together.

HELP WANTED

It would be really good to have someone to texture my ships, so i can focus on releasing a whole fleet, a base and the rest of the stuff. As you can see, my 3D modeling skills are rather decent and improving fast, as I learn.
Sadly I have the texturing skills of a gerbil. A colorblind, retarded, lobotomised gerbil. I could probably release a complete ship but i'd rather work on the fleet while someone else is texturing.

[Treewyrm]

Looks way too "edgy", particulary the "claw structure". Perhaps you should increase amount of polygons and play around with smoothing groups. Overall it has interesting design but requires polishing, IMHO. Texturing it shouldn't be difficult, I can already see patterns for most of the parts that would fit it.

I think thrusters are too huge. Of course it's all up to you but I would shorten them a bit or perhaps even redesign into "slicky" alien-ish deisgn to fit the rest of the hull.

[Nikolaus]

yeah, it's all a matter of making a mesh smooth after i'm done. i'm still working on some details, i'll mesh smooth after that:)

[djmg82]

Cool ship.

IMHO I'd smooth out the "claw structure" a little and maybe make each "claw" broader while cutting the number of them in half... same with the "teeth" on the thrusters. At the moment it just doesn't look like it'd fit in the FL universe, especially not as a ship designed by humans. Too many spikey bits. Function before form is a good rule IMHO, and is something I think most of the vanilla FL ships adhere to.

Still, I like the overall design, and I don't think it will take much to make it fit right in.

---

"KOCKSAUGEN ist "A-OK" in der KRIEGSMARINE!" - [901st] Hessians Credo

[Nikolaus]

You know, you're right. Too edgy for Sirius. That's too bad, i like pointy edgy ships, but they don't fit into freelancer.
And also, its thrusters are WAY too big compared with other FL ships.

Tell you what i'll do.
I have a few more ideas, so i'll go create a few other ships, post them here, and the one you like best, will get a full fleet.

Feel free to post here ideas, no matter how stupid, comment and so on.

*goes to rattle his brain-box and build some flying stuff*