Herakles-class Heavy Lifter Redesign

[aa_]

 I am sorry. I wanted to demonstrate a floor layout and go carried away... way too much.

 I am quitting this and letting you continue.

[Rodmar]

If I may give an opinion, I like first icdeadpeople's, and aa_'s, pod shape more because they look closer to modified containers.

Now, the two inner plans we have are:

Symetrical, longer:

XXSSSSSSXX
UUXXXXXXUU
UUXXXXXXUU
XXSSSSSSXX

and asymetrical, shorter:

SSSSSSSS
UUXXXXUU
UUXXXXUU
XXSSSSXX

Perhaps, a short, symetrical one could be:

XXSSSSXX
UUSXXSUU
UUSXXSUU
XXSSSSXX

that is, the four soldiers not spawned against the walls are screened by UGVs (if any), instead of being spawned at the doors.

[icdeadpeople]

aa_, I'm attaching the Model(incase somebody needs it), that i modeled till that time(3ds max file). In the scene there is herakles old and firebird too.(to compare and get the heights).
I'm leaving.
Making , being a part of this, is a heartfelt thing.if you loose your motivation everything comes meanless.
So,you can see threads in the forum that is started but not finished,
that is why, i suggest you to finish the model you started.
thanks for sharing time.
Best Regards.

[Noordung]

I am sorry. I wanted to demonstrate a floor layout and go carried away... way too much.

 I am quitting this and letting you continue.

hope you return. because model you made looked quite interesting.

[ShipIt]

Can't believe I missed this.

The pics in the op are sooo close to what I was always hoping for.

[Namerutan]

I see this thread has been inactive for a while, and I guess nobody is currently working on this.

I would like to show you a new attempt to redesign the Herakles dropship.
I took in consideration all the stuff written in this thread, plus some other details from my own wishes.
- The dropship is composed by a carrier + a pod.
- The overall footprint should be small enough to fit in 2x3 tiles in maps.
- It would be nice if the size allows to use the model in base attacks (inside the hangar), as requested in Feature request #5230  -  Like X-COM should show aircraft in the hangar: http://ufoai.org/bugs/ufoalieninvasion/issues/5230
- The inner space of the pod should have room enough for 12 soldiers + at least 2 big (2x2) units.
- The soldiers should get a fast way to exit, improving performance from current design of the Herakles, but also get some cover.

I will attach several images in following posts (max 4 per post).
In this post you can see:
- 3 views + perspective.
- 3d view in flying configuration (carrier + pod, doors closed, engines in horizontal).
- 3d view in take off configuration (engines under short wings in vertical).
- carrier alone, without the pod.

[Namerutan]

Attached images:
- Detail of engines in tail, podded (could rotate to aid for direction).
- Details of engines under small wings (can rotate for take off / landing).
- Pod with doors open.
- Pod without the ceiling, as it would be in battlescape when level 1 is selected.

[Namerutan]

Attached image:
- All 3 current dropships compared to this new design of the Heracles.
Attached file:
- New design for the Herakles in blender format.

The inner space for the pod is 320 x 128, allowing for 10x4 cells (the layout proposed by aa_ seems good to me).
The 4 doors open in 2 parts, to make shorter ramps.
All the walls (including ceiling and floor) of the pod are sized at least 6 units, to give some cover.
The bounding box of the model (608x256, height=128) allow it to pass through the upper cover of the hangar, and stay in the base with the doors open.
The total amount of triangles (with carrier + pod) is 2450 (Firebird is 778, Raptor is 2458, current Herakles is 1854). The actual amount used anywhere would be lower, as this amount counts for 2 sets of engines under the wings (vertical and horizontal) and 2 sets of doors (open and closed).

If you like it, and before I work in texturing, let me know if there are some modifications needed (for example, is it enough the flat base in both the carrier and the pod, or should I add some "legs"?).

[Norby]

If a new design is arrive into the game then I can imagine it as a new, 4th gen. dropship, which can hold 12 soliders and need 4 advanced ufo engines to build. Maybe slower than a Raptor but much more armored and capable to hold heavy weapons to be able to survive a sudden attack of a Gunship.

[Rodmar]

If a new design is arrive into the game then I can imagine it as a new, 4th gen. dropship, [with] 4 advanced ufo engines to build.

"4th gen" as in "makeshift", like the Dragon then. Heracles carrier could still be of Terran tech (derived from existing craft), with alien tech (engines) implants, rather than of a brand new design.
It's cargo is an armored (and profiled?) container, or at least inspired by what could be an armored, standard container.
Perhaps I read Geever the wrong way.

- It would be nice if the size allows to use the model in base attacks (inside the hangar), as requested in Feature request #5230  -  Like X-COM should show aircraft in the hangar[/url]

Well, on the middle path, the carrier could take off and flee, just as the fighter craft, thus letting the pod on the platform.

This could even be always the case when in current game, any craft can take off and take cover. Now, another base cell would be designed: "large hangar with Heracles at base", and when a base is attacked, the game would check if any Heracles is affected to a given large hangar and has returned to the base. If so, this new cell would be used instead of the default, empty "large hangar" one. Now... should we spawn soldiers in the pod?

[Noordung]

We already have raptor using alien engines and since antimatter is only obtainable through intact UFOs I really don't want another transport using it.
Second option is new technology of a hybrid of earth and alien one with new engines like very advanced jet engines or something similar that would use alien materials or some alien parts like computers. But in this case craft should be more expensive and also better (more armour and weapons).
Keeping all human version is still good. Retractable wings like those on carrier based aircrafts is an option that doesn't need any special technology.
Or as mentioned above separate pod and carrier in hangar too. I don't think size of carrier should really be a priority over making it look good.

[Damyen]

Whatever could improve the Herakles lifter, and its single and unconvenient exit, is welcomed . Like said before, I also prefer that only human tech. is used to build it.