Herakles-class Heavy Lifter Redesign

[icdeadpeople]

I'm still waiting.

[DarkRain]

Regarding the need to see the ship itself on the battlescape, the way it's right now most of our maps have only the drop pod on them with only a handful showing the actual ship

Also keep in mind that it will be the mapper who will ultimately place the spawn points according to what seems right for the map, so leave enough space but don't worry too much about where exactly they'll start the mission.

Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression that UGV pods will share the same mount points as weapons?

[Rodmar]

Also, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression that UGV pods will share the same mount points as weapons?

This can't be for the Heracles, which only weapon mount is a light one under the nose, and weapon mounts are rather on the front, or symetrical under the winglets, so that I'd think these pod mounts are special, super heavy mounts beside or behind the main cargo pod, and on top of any usual weapon/fuel tank mount. Heracles carrier would have only one such pod mount.

@icedeadpeople:
Imho, the only facts you really need before working on the pod alone without wasting your time nor skill, are the size of the doors and ramps: 4 or more for the rear one, 1 or 2 for the lateral ones. Ramps as current one or smaller. Overall form is that of a container; depending on wether the carrier encompasses the pod or not, an aerodynamic outframe should be added (see picture below, where it's not needed).
All the other facts are already in the Heracles spec. page, and in the current model:
- inner room for 12 soldiers and 2 UGVs: 20 squares.
- cockpit-like and controls texture on the fore;
- seats, as you wants;

For the rest, you're free. Even the current height above ground is not mandatory.



As for the carrier, Alien tech could be some horizontal thruster embedded the same way the current Dragon's are.

[icdeadpeople]

What do you think? should i do something similiar to this plan?

[anonymissimus]

What do you think? should i do something similiar to this plan?

It should grant a chance of throwing smoke without immediate reaction fire, since not all of the doors will be looked at by some alien, usually. And surely grants quick dropship leaving. So ok for me.

I wonder, will all of the UGV be 2x2 ? I was hoping there would be some kind of reconnaissance drone (small, very fast, unarmed, invulnerable to suffocation and bleeding, cannot carry anything)

[geever]

There are 1x1 UGVs planned too but it does not matter for the floorplan. The 2 + 1 UGV per Herakles capacity will stay. The only extra effort it will need is adding (overlapping) UGV1x1 and UGV2x2 type spawn points by mappers. But UGV support is yet unfinished/not working, you know.

-geever

[icdeadpeople]

Something like this?

[DarkRain]

Yes, that should work

[icdeadpeople]

I'm developing the ship. I added some texture to see with texture.
If it is ok with you , I'll work on texture and add more objects over the ship.

[icdeadpeople]

Updating!

[icdeadpeople]

update!

[icdeadpeople]

For now total polgon count is 372.Low.I tried to minimize.Old ones herakles without pod was 1668 polygon.
I'm doing the texturing but if there is a pro texturer, i can leave this part to him/her.
texture size is 2048x2048.
That's all for now.
Waiting your comments.

[Noordung]

you could easily go to 1000 trits. cargo pod is interesting. seats could be textures only because a bit bigger cargo pod would mean you could do so maneuvering inside cargo pod in case you get injured soliders and to send the right soliders out in front line.

[icdeadpeople]

I did send the plan before, according to it, i did the model. Now you are saying it 's small.
Ok! then i'm waiting for the plan to be finalized.

[Rodmar]

Cargo pod:
Modeled or only textured, there should be 12 seats, but each one may be less wide than a square (as per current Heracles model?). 4 seats could be integrated to the doors, indeed, and not displayed on the Battlescape model).
I guess that the mappers would spwan each inner UGV facing forwards at each front door.
As for the circulation inside the landed pod, it is currently possible with your (thin) model, but only at the rear doors (provided all the UGVs are spawned in the front half of the pod). It's better than with the Firebird anyways, and could be enough? It's true there are plenty of room inside the current in-game Heracles pod, but only one exit severely limits the tactical opportunities.

Carrier:
Last model features a cargo pod beneath the carrier. If possible, I'd have the cargo better embedded under/inside the carrier, perhaps half its height. This would lower the drag during flight (even if alien propulsion provides the required power). What happens if you just shift the pod upwards when it's attached to the carrier? I guess that the carrier's model should then be adjusted to hide those cargo parts that would emerge through it.
Also, the carrier's model could display a kind of VTOL capability, perhaps conventional thrusters? Or should we say that the pod itself hides those thrusters (unlikely)?

By the way:
Additionnal hardpoint for external 2x2 UGV could be featured on the rear of the carrier (or only textured), but the loaded UGV doesn't need to be modeled on the cargo+carrier models (in base, UFOpaedia and Geoscape models), of course.