[MatthTheGeek]

First nothing says it was the the same Lucifer that destroyed the Ancient homeworld, no even that it was a Lucifer-class. All we know is that it was a ship with shields, and shields the Ancients couldn't bypass.

Second, the same thing applies to the Cain. Nothing says it wasn't here back in the time of the Ancient, but nothing says it was either.

[Syder]

Bah, comparing FS2 ships to present day products of aerospace industry is very moot. The surface of airplanes is smooth because it produces predictable laminar flow of air. No need for that on space. The surface textures can be whatever is easiest to make, so if Herc 2 uses some specific armour material that naturally has a grainy surface like that, there's really no need to use too much effort to smooth it away is there?

yep, the only thing you'll have to mind while designing a spacefaring vehicle is a mass to power ratio. So the smoothness and stream lines sometimes may be used to cut unnecessary weight  .

[Kszyhu]

Well, you also have to get center of mass in one line with engines, or there will be some problems with flying straight.

[Solatar]

That could actually explain why the Valkyrie and Perseus have "wings".

Other than because they look cool.

[hundeswehr]

Bah, comparing FS2 ships to present day products of aerospace industry is very moot. The surface of airplanes is smooth because it produces predictable laminar flow of air. No need for that on space. The surface textures can be whatever is easiest to make, so if Herc 2 uses some specific armour material that naturally has a grainy surface like that, there's really no need to use too much effort to smooth it away is there?

wouldn't it be most convenient to produce hull plating that is smooth? i assume the process for producing those hulls involve liquifying metal and then putting them into molds.

also, the ships give the impression of an airplane like surface with a coat of paint over it(hercules mark 2's white nose). i assume they were designed with the mindset that they were simply planes in space, which justify the wings, pointed noses, fins, etc. that imo is the aesthetic they were going for, which i came to like with freespace. the graphics limitation that produced the smudged textures gave the ships a kind of character.

it's as if they were produced from some type of composite material that was smooth and plastic and possibly coated with rubbery ablative substance. hehe.

[Kolgena]

Maybe the texture on the hull is better able to dissipate energy weapons?

[Galemp]

It just looks to me like Ambient Occlusion rendering with too coarse a sample size, that's all.

[Syder]

That could actually explain why the Valkyrie and Perseus have "wings".

Wings and long noses may be used to position manoeuvring thrusters further away from the primary mass centre ensuring better manoeuvrability in combat.

possibly coated with rubbery ablative substance

that will melt instantly after the first hit?  
Fighter hulls must be constructed using multilayer composite armour technology - just like modern tanks.

Outer layer - ablative heat and particle dissipation (possibly carbon based and nanostrengthened) material that will diminish depending on damage rate but insure other layers are intact. Outer layer is also very easy and quick to fix even on the battlefield (to apply small portions of fresh material in a gel form over the diminished one and wait till it hardens. The gel has its own "memory" and will take a different form depending on the part of the hull it was placed on, so you won't have to polish it or anything like that and any extra portions of the gel applied will simply fall of the hull by themselves or after the wash.) or by replacing damaged and diminished sectors of the armour with new ones in the hangar.

Medium layer - thick and tough layer of conventional plating made of, let's say, wolfram-titanium-carbon nanotube composite. Insures protection in case the outer plating has been breached. It is relatively not heavy if to say about the mass, but not as light as the outer layer. Very tough and resilient but all heavy damage to it is permanent, so damaged sectors have to be replaced.

Inner layer - smart fibres coating that protects from radiation and heat in case of massive hull damage  it also has self sealing abilities insuring integrity and protection of the crew and equipment.  

[General Battuta]

Let's please not try to bring realism into this, okay? There's little in FS that makes sense in this respect.

[Snail]

Let's please not try to bring realism into this, okay? There's little in FS that makes sense in this respect.

Subluminal lasers.

[stuart133]

Let's please not try to bring realism into this, okay? There's little in FS that makes sense in this respect.

Apart from the incredibly realistic move.. oh wait no. Oh yeah the lasers.. oh yeah not that either.

[hundeswehr]

That could actually explain why the Valkyrie and Perseus have "wings".

Wings and long noses may be used to position manoeuvring thrusters further away from the primary mass centre ensuring better manoeuvrability in combat.

possibly coated with rubbery ablative substance

that will melt instantly after the first hit?  
Fighter hulls must be constructed using multilayer composite armour technology - just like modern tanks.

Outer layer - ablative heat and particle dissipation (possibly carbon based and nanostrengthened) material that will diminish depending on damage rate but insure other layers are intact. Outer layer is also very easy and quick to fix even on the battlefield (to apply small portions of fresh material in a gel form over the diminished one and wait till it hardens. The gel has its own "memory" and will take a different form depending on the part of the hull it was placed on, so you won't have to polish it or anything like that and any extra portions of the gel applied will simply fall of the hull by themselves or after the wash.) or by replacing damaged and diminished sectors of the armour with new ones in the hangar.

Medium layer - thick and tough layer of conventional plating made of, let's say, wolfram-titanium-carbon nanotube composite. Insures protection in case the outer plating has been breached. It is relatively not heavy if to say about the mass, but not as light as the outer layer. Very tough and resilient but all heavy damage to it is permanent, so damaged sectors have to be replaced.

Inner layer - smart fibres coating that protects from radiation and heat in case of massive hull damage  it also has self sealing abilities insuring integrity and protection of the crew and equipment.  

you can't think of "rubbery" in terms of pure rubber. composite materials are often rubber-like in appearance. either way, i just don't see why ships should look like they performed atmospheric reentry at the wrong angle of attack.

[Herra Tohtori]

either way, i just don't see why ships should look like they performed atmospheric reentry at the wrong angle of attack.

What, you mean like this?




...other than that, I quite agree with your post. Visual appearance of many a material can be deceiving.

[c914]

First nothing says it was the the same Lucifer that destroyed the Ancient homeworld, no even that it was a Lucifer-class. All we know is that it was a ship with shields, and shields the Ancients couldn't bypass.

Second, the same thing applies to the Cain. Nothing says it wasn't here back in the time of the Ancient, but nothing says it was either.

Also nothing says that Cain wasn't there. What I wrote is my opinion that can't be deny by any facts at this moment and it perfect fit why Cain is so dirty

[Syder]

composite materials are often rubber-like in appearance.

yeah, rrright...  

1. composite materials can be made out of different materials including rubber or silicon fibres - that's one of the reasons why they are called "composites". Doubt though that fighters will have rubber based fibres in their hulls but even if they will have, or they by tiny chance will somehow resemble rubber visually, those hulls nevertheless most likely will be painted and covered with scanning absorption layers.  

2. Just like here - that doesn't look very "rubbery" to me:





can you tell where is dural alloy and where is carbon composite on these pictures? Doubtfully.

[terran_emperor]

No i cant.  Which is which?

Subluminal lasers.

I was about to ask about the subliminal lasers...but then i realised and facepalmed for my stupidity. Though personally, i think the Laser Turrets in FS are more akin to the blaster weapons in Star Wars.

And for those who mentioned the look of the Valkyrie and Perseus, I once got into a massive arguement...ahem, debate with several members of the community over Aerodynamics in FS. Indeed afterwords, several people have quoted my comment relating to the Ursa's Aerodynamicity (is that even a word?) in their signiture

[Commander Zane]

(is that even a word?)

According to one commercial "Volcanicity" is a word, so you never know.

[stuart133]

either way, i just don't see why ships should look like they performed atmospheric reentry at the wrong angle of attack.

[Snip]

That is the Columbia right, that wasn't the wrong angle of attack, it was a huge hole in one wings heat shield.

[c914]

Another idea of missile luncher and aft part.

[Commander Zane]

I think that looks pretty damn good.
Glowmaps next!