[Dain]

Thought I'd have a crack at doing something. Still needs more modeled details before I think about UV/texture though.





[attachment stolen by Russian hackers]

[chief1983]

Promising start, but I agree, could probably use a little more detail, expressed on the mesh or the normal map.

[Dain]

Yes, currently deciding what needs modelling and what can go in the normal map. Additionally, I still need to add the asymmetrical windows on top, as well at the docking port.

[chief1983]

I am curious what kind of references you are using for this ship?  What I found online so far is pretty low-detail stuff, likely due to constraints of the mediums in which the ship has been depicted before.  It could be a good candidate for a bit more inventive of a re-imagining, like the E-wing, etc.  We know that it's a CEC ship, but I don't know if its typical appearance brings that across.

Also, do you intend for the engines to be positionable?  They don't seem to match the positioning that is usually off axis.

[Dain]

Bunch of FFG paintings, some high detailed physical models people have made of the ship, the FFG miniature version. I'm pulling together the shapes/interpretations that I like from the different sources:

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/P7FB6IkKHkE/maxresdefault.jpg
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/0/01/TorkilMux-XWM.png/revision/latest?cb=20160929022927
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/d/da/Moldy_Crow_-_X-Wing_Miniatures_Games.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140916055634
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/a/a3/HWK290-Kanan012.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160401120119
http://www.modelermagic.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/KG_RM_MOLDY-CROW_002.jpg

etc.. as you can see a lot of ideas for heavy detailing there. I actually chose it becuse of it's somewhat simple shape/a fondness for the design. My friend was running circles around us with this thing blasting us with twin laser turret in X-wing.

Yes, I've done the wings at a more neutral position with the assumption that they'd be able to pivot a bit.

[chief1983]

Yeah I realized after posting that Google image search has a lot more on it than I thought there was available.  There are some really quality art renditions of it, with a lot more detail than I've seen shown.  But that said, you'd still be welcome to re-invent the wheel where you like with this one.

[CountBuggula]

Yeah I realized after posting that Google image search has a lot more on it than I thought there was available.  There are some really quality art renditions of it, with a lot more detail than I've seen shown.  But that said, you'd still be welcome to re-invent the wheel where you like with this one.

I agree.  I'm fond of the Dark Forces games that spawned this ship, but the basic shape and structure was a result of the extremely limited rendering power of the day and age it came from.  I think it would be a neat piece of history to get the ship in game, but probably with a fair amount of re-imagining compared to the usual depictions of it.

I suggest you take some inspiration from the basic ship and the available paintings/renderings, and then go wild with it and make it your own in the best spirit of our nu- series of EU ships.  Take a look at Brand-X's work for some more ideas on what can be done - the Z-95 and E-Wing are both some of the best examples of this sort of thing.  Try and consider this thing being a real ship and the design consequences of how it is currently and how to improve it.

All that said, I don't want to discourage you.  This is a fantastic start and I'm ecstatic to have you building something for us.  Definitely keep it up - don't take everything I say as hard requirements, but as hopefully helpful suggestions.  Thanks for sharing and I look forward to seeing more of your progress!

[Dain]

Well I'll keep chipping away and see how it goes. Making the thing look like it could actually land would be a start.

[chief1983]

Tucked away landing gear are pretty common so not sure that would be a big design concern, but if you come up with something interesting I'd love to see it.  The engine pylons specifically are something that could benefit from attention.  And the hull could maybe be broken up into more than four planes.  Maybe narrowing between sections like the cockpit and the rest of the hull to give it more of a neck appearance.  And yeah, anything that can be borrowed from the YT series to give it a more consistent feel in the CEC line, maybe some window designs or a much more broken up hull, that still conforms to the general silhouette.  Basically, I wouldn't be afraid to go greeble crazy, there won't ever be more than one on screen at a time.