UFO Carrier

[RaXaR]

Hi Guys, I'm no good at 3D modeling but here's what I've come up with so far for the carrier. In the top view to the left of the carrier you can see a small 'spec' that's the UFO Fighter for scale comparison.  I thought the carrier should be able to hold a couple of hundred ships at least.  Let me know what you guys think.

 Laters .

[BTAxis]

I'm not sure about the "belly" (because its curve breaks with the overall angular design) and the "head" (because it looks far too big to be just a bridge), but those shield things to the side look nice. The "feelers" are okay too, and I like the engines. All in all, it's not a bad design at all.

A hundred ships, though? We'll not be unleashing that many UFOs on Earth at any one time during ANY stage of the campaign.

[Wanderer]

BT had mentioned in the other thread about holding 8-12 ships.  What if it was designed differently... and reasonably sized in a new way.

Instead of the idea of a 'protective carrier', why not an oversized FTL sled.  The fighers/scouts would be attached in docking collars or perhaps something more flush to the ship, and the 'carrier' portion of the carrier would be rather small, and mostly just a giant engine to move these ships from point A to point B.

Something like this...



Yeah yeah, make fun of my drawing all you like I'm still trying to figure out the GIMP ... like dealing with it after putting in some text.

[BTAxis]

BT had mentioned in the other thread about holding 8-12 ships.  What if it was designed differently... and reasonably sized in a new way.

Instead of the idea of a 'protective carrier', why not an oversized FTL sled.  The fighers/scouts would be attached in docking collars or perhaps something more flush to the ship, and the 'carrier' portion of the carrier would be rather small, and mostly just a giant engine to move these ships from point A to point B.

There's nothing wrong with the concept. It'd make for a boring ship, though.

[Mattn]

whatever our storywriters tell - i want this model - and even if we can't include it into the single player campaign because it wouldn't fit to the story, please submit it. Even if it is untextured. There are also multiplayer campaigns and a lot of other things where i would like to see some other ufos.

to sum up: looks good imo

[Wanderer]

There's nothing wrong with the concept. It'd make for a boring ship, though.

Well, just trying to get outside the box.  One of the things I remember about the old XCom games was the 'scout' was what, a 3x3 square with a seat, and the harvester was about 12x12.  A 'battleship' was 4 levels, and about what, 25x25 walking boxes or so (maybe 30x30)?  It's been so damned long.

Our scouts here take up a about 8x5 walking square.  Increment equivalently and the the battleships will be around the size of Australia.

This ship you could reasonably have a single map for (long and narrow, I grant you).  It'd be like running a gauntlet with your troops.  It'd either be a cakewalk... or very, very ugly.  

It could still be staged, like Winter had planned for his other carrier, with a fight in the front and then a brawl in the engine room.  I just think we *might* be able to get this on a map.  I'm not a big fan of multi-map fights, but hey, that was the original plan...

Trying to think between map limitations on memory usage, and what would 'look' cool.  I'm sure Raxar or Sitters could come up with a really neat looking model.

[BTAxis]

Hmm, I don't believe it'd be that narrow. This is a carrier we're talking about. Its structure must be sturdy enough to support 8-12 other UFOs while manoeuvering, and the FTL drive must really be a bulky piece of equipment (it must really warrant the carrier as opposed to outfitting any other UFO with a FTL drive). So no matter what, the ship is going to be VERY large.

[Wanderer]

Hmm, I don't believe it'd be that narrow. This is a carrier we're talking about. Its structure must be sturdy enough to support 8-12 other UFOs while manouvering, and the FTL drive must really be a bulky piece of equipment (it must really warrant the carrier as opposed to outfitting any other UFO with a FTL drive). So no matter what, the ship is going to be VERY large.

Hm, I see your point.  I was thinking that the engine wouldn't really be the 'playable' area, and that most of the ship would be hull, refueling lines, stuff like that... basically, where you *wouldn't* be having the firefight because you'd have to crawl through it.  The actual 'living' quarters and whatnot would probably only be 2-3 tiles wide, and a few levels.  

I would see it needing enough firmpoints to secure the ships outside, a tube moving into the 'living area' for the 6-12 beings per ship that it would require.  A fighter being about two tiles across, figure the carrier would have 3 down each of the four 'sides' of the cylindar.  The hull would be about 5 tiles wide, and a tile on each side for 'support equipment' and the like.

The 'living area' would be in 5 levels, 1 tile wide top and bottom, 2 tiles wide offset 2 and 4, and 3 tiles wide in middle.  But because of the lengths, you'd go for about 14-15 tiles in length.  That's where my 'gauntlet' thinking was coming from.  At one far end would be the door to the FTL engine room, the other would incorporate the command and control facility.

[RaXaR]

I replaced the head and the hull with less organic models. as usual I'll await feedback. If this ship is no good, then I'll use the game's already made carrier for the backdrop instead.  The way I saw this is that the lower half can detach, and will contain crew quarters and aircraft hangers. The upper part houses the long term life support systems, fuel, research laboratories and Command center. once the lower half is detached the upper part can retreat to a safe distance from the battle/invasion. While the lower half which is heavily armored can breach the battle lines and deploy it's fighters.

whatever our storywriters tell - i want this model - and even if we can't include it into the single player campaign because it wouldn't fit to the story, please submit it. Even if it is untextured. There are also multiplayer campaigns and a lot of other things where i would like to see some other ufos.

to sum up: looks good imo

Thanks Mattn, I'll upload the majority of the sources (3D/2D stuff) once the GUI is ready and capable for alpha-transparency. Um, see it as a kind of 'trade'  (which would only really benefit the UFO:AI project anyway)

[Wanderer]

For my $0.02, I like the second model better.  It looks more concentrated, the design is better balanced to the engines for mass distribution, and the front looks more menacing.

[BTAxis]

Yeah, this adequately deals with the gripes I had. Really nice ship, and I'd love to have this as the carrier. Once it is textured.

Incidentally, what you decribe (detachable components, laboratories, etc) makes is sound more like a mothership than a carrier. The carrier's ONLY role is to FTL UFO's from the mothership to the combat theater and back, so that stuff will not be included in the craft's description. It could have its own wing of fighter UFOs or even attack drones or something, though. Something to provide minimal protection in space, just enough to allow it to fulfill its role as a carrier.

[RaXaR]

Incidentally, what you decribe (detachable components, laboratories, etc) makes is sound more like a mothership than a carrier. The carrier's ONLY role is to FTL UFO's from the mothership to the combat theater and back, so that stuff will not be included in the craft's description. It could have its own wing of fighter UFOs or even attack drones or something, though. Something to provide minimal protection in space, just enough to allow it to fulfill its role as a carrier.

Cool, no detachments then .. I'll let you guys decide what (if anything) to do with it.     Mothership ... hmm, has one been made yet? Or can I try for that as well?

[BTAxis]

Mothership ... hmm, has one been made yet? Or can I try for that as well?

You're more than welcome to. Here's a little info:
The mothership is very, very big. About as big as a small planet. It wasn't made that big in one go, rather it expanded as it traveled through the galaxy. All the aliens live on the mothership; it has no place to call home because it *is* home.
While the mothership is mobile, it travels extremely slowly. It mainly achieves displacement by FTL jumps. So while it is mobile, it is not designed for mobility (so engines aren't featured too heavily).
At the time UFO:AI takes place, the mothership is equipped with a for-all-means-and-purposes impenetrable energy shield.

Oh by the way. About those side panels on your carrier model, I personally consider them a part of the FTL drive system (something along the lines of focusing or stabilizing the wormhole). I haven't discussed this with anyone yet (read: with Winter), so that's just an idea I'm throwing up here, nothing definitive. But perhaps you could include variants of them on the mothership.

[Mattn]

wait wait - the mothership should not be available as a model - but as a map

[RaXaR]

wait wait - the mothership should not be available as a model - but as a map

would it be okay if I made a mothership that would never be used in the game at all, maybe only for a pic in the ending? ... it would effectively then be a mother-less-ship