Hard Light Productions Forums

General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: Raptor on November 30, 2002, 12:28:40 pm

Title: Problems with the Hecate
Post by: Raptor on November 30, 2002, 12:28:40 pm

Has anyone else noticed how badly designed the GTD Hecate is?  I mean, not only is the ship a mass of 'thinner' connections, but that the internal volume of that hull should not be able to hold everything V said it would?

Quote from V ship.tbl:

"More heavily armed than the Orion, the Hecate also carries over 150 combat spacecraft and a crew of 10,000."

Now, 150 fighters will take a heck lot of room, not only for storage, but spare parts, launch systems, manourving room etc.

Equally, 10,000 crewmen will need a large amount of room to live.  Assuming that the crew are not hardwired to their stations, they will all need crew quarters, mess halls, R&R facilities, corridors to connect all of these, and their stations.

Factor in the support needed for 10,000 people, such all the amount of food that all those mouths will need, the kitchens to prepare it, the meeting rooms, the briefing rooms, sick-bay, the bridge, the brig, and all the systems to power the ship, and sustain the crew, such as life-support, and the weapons and armour, and the Hecate could not possibly work.  Unless it had ships fly in food every day.

The current design could work, if it was increased in size by about 1.5......

Title: Problems with the Hecate
Post by: LtNarol on November 30, 2002, 02:56:59 pm

...It's a game, and while I'm sure the Hecate could reasonably do all that you say it can't if the thing were analyzed section by section, it isn't meant to be the peak of realism.  Playability and coolness are more important in gaming than realism my friend. ;)

Just look at the fighters, the Herc2 is 25 meters long when judging by its cockpit it should be 12, 15 at the most.

Title: Problems with the Hecate
Post by: aldo_14 on November 30, 2002, 03:11:57 pm

:rolleyes:

'xactly.  It's a game........

Title: Problems with the Hecate
Post by: Knight Templar on November 30, 2002, 07:58:57 pm

I never liked the crew count of the FS ships, but like said, its a game.. And they only need to have quarters for half of the crew, as the other half will be on duty at any given time, if that helps any.

Title: Problems with the Hecate
Post by: CP5670 on November 30, 2002, 08:50:27 pm

Actually, it seems that the crew spaces on one of those destroyers account for maybe 20% of the total volume. (see Colossus movie, for example) So maybe things are just spread out differently and/or more efficiently.

Title: Problems with the Hecate
Post by: Raptor on December 01, 2002, 04:01:28 am

You know, you guys are right.  Maybe it could handle it.

Since I can't get any of my own models into the game, I end up nit-picking at the existing ones....

And with nearly everyone else being able to get a model in gane (it seems), it can make some people.....bitter.

BTW, if anyone wants a challenge to model something, just yell, me got a dozen diffrent ideas;7 !

Title: Problems with the Hecate
Post by: diamondgeezer on December 01, 2002, 05:22:59 am

Go and look at an aircraft carrier, if you really want to try and judge what you can fit into a large millitary vessel


And if you ask nicely, one of the guards might even tell you the exact crew compliment, aircraft complimnet and displacement of the ship ;7

Title: Problems with the Hecate
Post by: Kazashi on December 01, 2002, 06:16:46 am

Hmmm, this thread is crying out for one of my scale setups. This one shows the Hecate, 10,000 humans (foreground) and 150 Erinyes class fighters, which should give you an idea of how other ships will fit.

(http://www.users.on.net/kazashi/images/other/hecate_scale.jpg)

I really should've used the lower LOD's, this scene is 132K polys.


And if you're interested, here's one with 150 Ursa bombers (http://www.users.on.net/kazashi/images/other/hecate_scale_2.jpg) :D

Title: Problems with the Hecate
Post by: Raptor on December 01, 2002, 11:29:14 am

First, Kazashi, OUCH!:eek2:

Second, I have just realised something: since I've been doing weapon editing, weapon loadouts and textures for so long, I had forgotten just HOW big those ships REALLY are (dumb, I know, result of not REALLY playing game for ages).

Must get round to replaying main campain again, with all my little changes (;7 ), it's just I can't stop tweaking..............

Title: Problems with the Hecate
Post by: Galemp on December 01, 2002, 11:03:37 pm

Interface and textures for what, may I ask? :wink:

Title: Problems with the Hecate
Post by: Raptor on December 02, 2002, 04:24:35 am

quote
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posted by GE
Interface and textures for what, may I ask?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me do:

tweak maps of fighters, bombers capital ships, missiles
editing weapons stats (range, damages, ROF etc)
default ship loadout (turret loadouts on warships mainly)
editing firepoints, subsystem sizes and locations, engine glows, and even shield vertexes:eek: on POF files

Not much interface stuff, mainly 2 frame ani showing new craft.:D