[Aesaar]

It's got a bigger blind spot below it.  Not that much of an issue, since the Diomedes turns very quickly for a ship of its size.  Twice as fast as a Karuna or a Deimos.  Faster than a Sanctus, even.


Screenshots for Black Wolf and others who can't access p3d:

http://imageshack.us/a/img688/7972/bellerophon01.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img17/561/bellerophon02.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img52/6497/bellerophon03.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img705/6853/bellerophon04.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img854/4010/bellerophon05.png

The model has not changed from the p3d link.

[SaltyWaffles]

It's got a bigger blind spot below it.  Not that much of an issue, since the Diomedes turns very quickly for a ship of its size.  Twice as fast as a Karuna or a Deimos.  Faster than a Sanctus, even.


Screenshots for Black Wolf and others who can't access p3d:

http://imageshack.us/a/img688/7972/bellerophon01.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img17/561/bellerophon02.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img52/6497/bellerophon03.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img705/6853/bellerophon04.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img854/4010/bellerophon05.png

The model has not changed from the p3d link.

Looks amazing! Very crisp, a great level of detail, and a 'practical beauty' feel to it.

Only two questions to air:
1) The bean cannon emitters (at the front); is them sticking out ahead of their armored 'holes' intentional? It kind of seems like an unnecessarily risky placement.

2) The rear protrusions near the engines...it just feels a bit jarring. They look more like flaps, and for that kind of scale, design, and aesthetic, it just feels all kinds of off. Especially for the Bellerophon, which was always a bit beefier in stature than the Chimera. 


EDIT: Just noticed my 'bean cannon' typo, but I was so amused at the fail that I decided to leave it in for ****s and giggles.

[Aesaar]

1) Yes, it's intentional.  Maybe they're more vulnerable, but they look better that way, I think.

2) They're for visual interest.  A simple square cutoff for the engines wouldn't look good.  In keeping with my ongoing "lets add Homeworld visual style to everything" theme, the flaps are inspired by the Taiidan Heavy Cruiser and Carrier.  And like I said to Hades, because the Bellerophon and Chimera are so closely related, I don't like changing design elements they share on one without changing the other as well.

[crizza]

Three words: Rule of cool

[Scotty]

I can actually see how the flaps would be helpful.  They'll make slinging things like paveways into the engines significantly more difficult from anywhere that isn't directly aft.

[Light]

I have a question. Can all five of those dorsal and ventral turrets hit a target approaching from the angle shown below?



The reason I am asking is that a lot of in game multi-part turrets I have seen, while capable of elevating to 90 degrees, are unable to depress below 0 degrees. To me that seems like a significant disadvantage in a three dimensional combat environment. In contrast many real world naval gun mounts and turrets were or are capable of depressing below 0 degrees elevation for engaging close range surface targets and low flying aircraft and missiles.

Here are some real examples listed by size largest to smallest. Gun:6"/47DP (15.2 cm) Mark 16 Elevation:   -5 / +78 degrees Gun: 130 mm/70 (5.1") AK-130 Elevation: -12 / +80 degrees Gun: 5"/54 (12.7 cm) Mark 42 Elevation: -15 / +85 degrees Gun: 5"/38 (12.7 cm) Mark 12 Elevation: -15 / +85 degrees Gun:100 mm/70 (3.9") AK-100 Elevation: -10 / +85 degrees Gun: 100 mm/55 (3.9") Model 1968-II Elevation:-5 / +80 degrees Gun: 76 mm/62 (3") Compact Elevation: -15 / +85 degrees Gun: 57 mm/70 (2.25") SAK Marks 1, 2 and 3 Elevation: Mark 1:  -10 / +78 degrees, Mark 2:  -10 / +75 degrees, Mark 3:  -10 / +77 degrees Gun: Bofors 40 mm/70 Elevation: Model 1948:  -5 / +90 degrees, Sea Trinity and Mark 3: -20 / +80 degrees Gun: 30 mm/54 (1.2") AO-18 Gun Elevation: AK-630:  -12 / +88 degrees, AK-306:  -12 / +85 degrees, AK-630M1-2:  -25 / +90 degrees Gun: 30 mm/77 (1.2") Goalkeeper SGE-30 Elevation: -25 / +85 degrees Gun: 20 mm Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) Elevation: Block 0:  -10 / +80 degrees, Block 1:  -20 / +80 degrees, Block 1B:  -25 / +85 degrees

[MatthTheGeek]

That's because real-world naval ships can't roll. Or at least, it is strongly unadvised

Those multipart are LTerPulse, mainly intended for engaging bombs and fighters. It is more important to have wide coverage than to be able to point them all on a single target.

[Aesaar]

Because they won't have the fire down normals flag, probably yes.  Without that flag, the weapon can fire off the barrel centerline.

In addition, at that angle, you'd also come under fire from two AAAfs and 3 TT2s.  Directly above is probably the only more suicidal approach.

[bfobar]

I figured that the most suicidal would be head on with the Bellerophon firing at a target directly behind you...

[QuakeIV]

I figured that the most suicidal would be head on with the Bellerophon firing at a target directly behind you...

I'd agree with that being the most suicidal.

[Droid803]

Naw, it's not suicidal you'd just have to avoid the beams to not get hit.

[headdie]

Naw, it's not suicidal you'd just have to avoid the beams to not get hit.

just had a flashback to the early nebula mission with the Actium

[QuakeIV]

Naw, it's not suicidal you'd just have to avoid the beams to not get hit.

 

[Dragon]

In fact, front is the best approach angle for a fighter or bomber going against the Bellerophon. Those beams aren't slashers, so you're pretty safe in dead center between those beams.

[Crybertrance]

...so you're pretty safe in dead center between those beams.

It'd make for one hell of a bombing run though

[crizza]

Are they like mjolnir beams? Just shooting at where the ship faces?
If not...good luck.

[Phantom Hoover]

They're anti-capship beams. They can't target fighters.

[Klaustrophobia]

his point was they aren't always (rarely in fact) going to be shooting directly down the boresight, which would be the only case where getting in the middle of them is safe.

[Aesaar]

Beam cannons tend to have a FOV of 60 or 90 unless they're anti-fighter or slash beams, which usually get 180.

[Mars]

This might be way too late to mention, but now that I've upgraded to the new Diomedes, the Valarie now reliably creams the Indus during Darkest Hour. Literally the only way I've found of preventing this is by cheating the Indus to be invulnerable.