Hard Light Productions Forums

Community Projects => The FreeSpace Upgrade Project => Topic started by: Nyctaeus on January 26, 2020, 03:04:00 pm

Title: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on January 26, 2020, 03:04:00 pm
Nyctaeus was derived from latin noctis, that means "nocturnal". Night = darkness, so it makes Hecate my... Patron ship? If yes, time to give her a spin, and breathe new life into this design :]. I took over the development from Hades and included his progress in my version. Comments and feedback are welcome.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: fightermedic on January 26, 2020, 03:07:39 pm
i like it a lot so far
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on January 26, 2020, 03:20:11 pm
Nyctaeus was derived from latin noctis, that means "nocturnal". Night = darkness, so it makes Hecate my... Patron ship?

No it has to be mine. Hecate is better than Orion, that's why.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on January 26, 2020, 03:33:40 pm
Nyctaeus was derived from latin noctis, that means "nocturnal". Night = darkness, so it makes Hecate my... Patron ship?

No it has to be mine. Hecate is better than Orion, that's why.
Install Blender and make one. Then she will be yours :P
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on January 26, 2020, 03:38:09 pm
That's mean! :hopping:
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Mito [PL] on January 26, 2020, 03:42:47 pm
Hecate is better than Orion, that's why.
Me right now:
Hidden Text: Show
(https://media2.giphy.com/media/NnyqfcowpXZOU/giphy.gif)
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on January 26, 2020, 03:52:30 pm
Hecate is better than Orion, that's why.
Me right now:
Hidden Text: Show
(https://media2.giphy.com/media/NnyqfcowpXZOU/giphy.gif)

For a long time I followed the wrong idea that the Orion was better somehow (even though I never really liked it) just because of beams and stuff like that. All that was simply because my simple mind could not grasp the true beauty of the Hecates design that puts the Orion to shame so badly. But then I realized how every single poly was perfect (well, for a retail model atleast), and so I found a way to happyness.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on January 26, 2020, 04:33:50 pm
Ehhh... Guys?
(https://i.imgur.com/QuGc1Nu.jpg)
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on January 26, 2020, 05:11:33 pm
Oh yeah there was still one missing thing :D
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Gregster2k on January 27, 2020, 11:47:32 am
How did it take me this long to realize that the Hecate's shape vaguely resembles the Hades?

EDIT: Imagine a stubbier, shorter Hades with "ears". I can't unsee it now.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: General Battuta on January 27, 2020, 11:51:16 am
I always thought the Hecate was best shown off in the nebula missions, where all the protruding fins and towers give a sense of ungrasped size and complexity.

I think the Hecate design is quite good, actually. The trick is to think of it kind of like Inferno’s Lindos. It’s not a streamlined/nautical design like the  Orion, it’s a collection of vertical shapes. It’s a flying city. I hope any new model really digs into that aspect.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on January 27, 2020, 12:20:07 pm
When I examined the mesh I thought: This thing is probably just reworked Hades. It's shape and actually even topology suggests so. Volition is known from kitbashing their own models. Artemis and couple other ships are actually reworked Herc I. The wings we start from in "Mystery of the Trinity" are also not original parts of the design. Concept art and mesh structure clearly shows, that they were added later. Probably to difference it further from Hades.

I decided to take crossover of Deimos and flying city as creative direction, with large parts of armored hull contrasting with heavily detailed greeble areas. I don't think about Hecate as pure warship, but more of a support destroyer/fleetcarrier/auxiliary unit/command ship/logistics. The mesh will reflect it.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on January 27, 2020, 12:55:16 pm
Speaking of development history, :v-old: suggested at one point that there would be ships with designated roles like carriers, anti-cap frigates etc. My guess is that there was supposed to be a fleet of Deimos (anti-fighter), Iceni (anti-cap) and the Hecate (carrier), just that the Iceni ended up as NTF ship and left the Hecate as a seemingly weak replacement for the Orion.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Mito [PL] on January 27, 2020, 01:07:03 pm
Oh yeah, the Iceni is basically an Orion in a Deimos box. It's nuts. I wonder how would groups made out of mixed ships like that fare.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Su-tehp on January 27, 2020, 01:20:21 pm
[The Hecate] is not a streamlined/nautical design like the Orion

Wait wait wait. The Orion? Streamlined? That flying brick?  :ick: :P

Say what you will about the Orion, but it is not "streamlined." :nono: :nono: :nono:

Oh yeah, the Iceni is basically an Orion in a Deimos box. It's nuts. I wonder how would groups made out of mixed ships like that fare.

Damn, I'd like to see that sort of mixed force as well. I wonder how versatile it would be.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Ulala on January 27, 2020, 01:39:40 pm
Looking stellar so far!
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: General Battuta on January 27, 2020, 01:42:26 pm
[The Hecate] is not a streamlined/nautical design like the Orion

Wait wait wait. The Orion? Streamlined? That flying brick?  :ick: :P

Say what you will about the Orion, but it is not "streamlined." :nono: :nono: :nono:

It's a fore-to-aft structure, as opposed to a vertical one. The Orion looks like a combatant, the Hecate looks like a mobile base.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Su-tehp on January 27, 2020, 02:16:07 pm
[The Hecate] is not a streamlined/nautical design like the Orion

Wait wait wait. The Orion? Streamlined? That flying brick?  :ick: :P

Say what you will about the Orion, but it is not "streamlined." :nono: :nono: :nono:

It's a fore-to-aft structure, as opposed to a vertical one. The Orion looks like a combatant, the Hecate looks like a mobile base.

The Hecate is still longer on its length than its height, so, no, it's not taller than it is long. Ergo, it's not a vertical structure by definition. As as for the Hecate "looking like a mobile base," that's completely subjective. It looks like a spaceship to me. A really boxy spaceship, but a spaceship nonetheless. What makes the difference between a mobile "space base" and a spacefaring command ship? Both move, both send commands to the rest of its fleet, and both function in space. They way the two "look" has nothing to do with all that. Isn't the difference between the two academic?

Hell, just take a look at the Tohoku-class Alliance cruiser (https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/firefly/images/4/41/Alliance_cruiser.png/revision/latest?cb=20081008210548) from Firefly. Now that is a ship that is not only taller than it is long (by a significant margin) but it even looks like a city block. From a subjective viewpoint (namely mine), that looks to me like a mobile command base precisely because it looks like a bunch of city skyrise buildings in space. But in universe, it's never referred to as anything but a navy cruiser, namely a ship rather than a mobile base.

As for the Orion being "streamlined," let us properly examine the definition of the word "streamlined":
Quote
design or provide with a form that presents very little resistance to a flow of air or water, increasing speed and ease of movement. Similar:
aerodynamic
smooth
sleek
trim
elegant
graceful

Say what you will, but the words "smooth" or "sleek" or especially "aerodynamic" objectively do not apply to a design filled with hard right-angles like the Orion.

(The fact that spaceships objectively don't need to be aerodynamic in the airless void of space is irrelevant. Some spaceships like the GTF Herc II and the GTF Perseus have smoother lines because they look cooler that way, but they don't need to be that way to move faster because of the simple fact that space is not a medium, it's literally nothing. Streamlining doesn't help you move faster through the void of space. In fiction, it's purely for Rule of Cool (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfCool).)
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: General Battuta on January 27, 2020, 02:28:19 pm
Jesus christ
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: The E on January 27, 2020, 02:36:17 pm
The Hecate is still longer on its length than its height, so, no, it's not taller than it is long. Ergo, it's not a vertical structure by definition. As as for the Hecate "looking like a mobile base," that's completely subjective. It looks like a spaceship to me. A really boxy spaceship, but a spaceship nonetheless. What makes the difference between a mobile "space base" and a spacefaring command ship? Both move, both send commands to the rest of its fleet, and both function in space. They way the two "look" has nothing to do with all that. Isn't the difference between the two academic?

The Orion is a very compact vessel. It fits neatly in a pretty small box; its a simple shape that is easy to understand. With its pronounced bow and carrier deck, it has elements familiar to us; it's not directly inspired by actual naval vessels, but it definitely is a product of that lineage.

The Hecate, on the other hand, has a verticality to it that the Orion lacks. It has a hangar deck that opens downward, out of the "head" area; it has long fins along the side of the head and wings on the engine and little towers on top of those. Where the Orion is a highly efficient shape, the Hecate is fanciful: You can kinda see a function for most forms on the Orion, but there is nothing in the Hecate design that clues us in to why it is shaped the way it is. Flying through and around it is difficult and requires memorization; it's a better shape for a game (in that it provides nooks and crannies to rest and recharge for a player) but it doesn't make sense the way the Orion does.


Quote
As for the Orion being "streamlined," let us properly examine the definition of the word "streamlined":
Quote
design or provide with a form that presents very little resistance to a flow of air or water, increasing speed and ease of movement. Similar:
aerodynamic
smooth
sleek
trim
elegant
graceful

You forgot that "streamlined" is an engineering term as well, where it is synonymous with efficient. The Orion is streamlined in that sense. The Hecate is not.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on January 27, 2020, 02:39:36 pm
Actually aside from "Rule of Cool", there are two very important artistic reasons: Visual identification and creative direction. Hecate is certainly not utilitarian design, but she is hella memorable by her unique design. As for creative direction: There are several different schools of asset design. Some designers want realism, focus on technical aspects etc. so their ships will look believable as space warships, but design in this case is secondary. FS is actually very close to second pole of this scale, and it's: creativity. FS is almost completely focused on unique style of warships and artistic aspect of asset design.

It is a matter of taste and general direction of overall mood of the game. FS is certainly not focused on realism in general, both in physics, lore and visual aspect. For this reason, I don't feel an urgent need to justify the "elephant ears" of Hecate or other non-utilitarian elements, because they all contribute to the design and artistic direction in general. For the same reason, smoothness or blockyness of ships is completely irrelevant, but overanalyzing is not always a bad thing :].
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on January 27, 2020, 04:02:37 pm
Oh yeah, the Iceni is basically an Orion in a Deimos box. It's nuts. I wonder how would groups made out of mixed ships like that fare.

If they're deployed properly they certainly could deal tons of damage. But with the Iceni missing everything breaks down to the Hecates bombers to take down large stuff but the bombs in FS2 arent powerful enough to damage anything larger than destroyers, so it kinda collapses.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Mito [PL] on January 27, 2020, 07:43:09 pm
"Everything within destroyer size" is still a lot. I've always wondered how much would Hecate's direct engagement force be if the bombers were something more realistically threatening, like UEF ones.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on January 27, 2020, 08:48:13 pm
"Everything within destroyer size" is still a lot. I've always wondered how much would Hecate's direct engagement force be if the bombers were something more realistically threatening, like UEF ones.

There were 2 FS2 missions where you fight against the NTF in Gamma Draconis; even without the Mjolnirs the Orion and a bunch of Corvettes would've been blown up by Artemis wings, in the next mission another Orion is killed within mins so it's actually not a hypothetical scenario; it doesn't matter at the end because 80 Saths is just too much.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on January 27, 2020, 10:48:24 pm
I believe a single Hecate is enough to kill an Orion mostly because her fighter and bomber compliment. Orion has only 16 turrets, 5 are beams and 4 are useless Terran Huge Turret. It's barely capable of defending itself and has to rely on fighter compliment, but Hecate outmatches the Orion is this regard. When strikecraft from Hecate deal with Orion's escort and kill main beams, Hecate may jump for the finishing blow.

But actually FS2 never truly shows the full potential of Hecate. Unless our fighters counts. If Alpha 1 and all of our squadrons counts, Aquitaine has the best kill record in whole GTVA. That's what I liked in the last version of Warzone. One of fan-made missions that really shows that Hecate can shine.

In fact Hecate was direct inspiration for GTCa Hera we released with Col.Hornet few weeks ago. This thing can kill Saths with her superbombers. Hecate can kill any target of similar tonnage on the same principle.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: 0rph3u5 on January 28, 2020, 06:18:56 am
The Hecate is good centrepiece for a dogfight arena.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Colonol Dekker on January 28, 2020, 06:35:03 am
All this talk makes me miss rebel intercept  :sigh:
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Mito [PL] on January 28, 2020, 11:21:40 am
Well looks like the Hecate won't be a good dogfight arena centerpiece anymore, as every pilot will just float around and look at the textures and details :P
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on January 28, 2020, 12:04:53 pm
Well looks like the Hecate won't be a good dogfight arena centerpiece anymore, as every pilot will just float around and look at the textures and details :P

Pretty much this. Demon is nice to dogfight around, albeit for how long..
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Commander Zane on January 28, 2020, 03:58:45 pm
This is going to look even more beautiful when textured. The Hecate is on the top of my favorite capital ship models from the days of FS2's initial release.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on January 29, 2020, 04:03:19 pm
P3D link in first post updated with 98%-ready mesh.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on January 29, 2020, 04:58:40 pm
Such a lovely thing <3

Yet here's 1 thing I just don't like: The antennas on the Hecate ears might be small but they change the feeling of the whole model and look entirely non-FS to me. They certainly fit on a UEF/UEF-GTVA hybrid, but not on a "Vasudanized" Terran ship.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: niffiwan on January 30, 2020, 01:59:48 am
looks awesome!  :yes:
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Colonol Dekker on January 30, 2020, 03:12:27 am
Nice hangar 👌👌👍👍
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on January 30, 2020, 08:03:23 am
Nice hangar 👌👌👍👍

That's nice too, haven't even noticed that :nervous:
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on January 30, 2020, 09:37:58 am
Nice hangar 👌👌👍👍

That's nice too, haven't even noticed that :nervous:
Nemesis-style. I was never a fan of modelled hangarbays finding them as clusters of polygons that contributes almost nothing to overall look, so I decided to implement just entrance. Large door leads to elevator to second floor, while smaller, front-facing one is entrance to actual hangar space.

The space inside front part is surprisingly limited, while Hecate is known from large hangars. Making the hangar storeyed seems to be the only explanation for me.

As for antennae, we decided with Hades to add some functionality to "elephant ears". I think about them as large, armored sensor arrays. They are literally Hecate's "ears".
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on January 30, 2020, 11:17:56 am
Isn't it possible to have these antenna stuff around the ears as seperate submodel like the spikes on the Moloch?

Besides that I suppose the the main hangar isn't the only one, as the player launches from the "side-ears", not the main hangar.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on January 30, 2020, 12:00:47 pm
Both will be separate detailboxes, so you can remove them if you want so badly but weathering and texture finish will remain. No, I won't make separate texture variant just because your taste is bad :P
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on January 30, 2020, 12:19:10 pm
Well if it's a seperate detailbox I'm OK with that. :D
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on February 01, 2020, 10:52:32 pm
(https://i.imgur.com/AVQqCeh.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/5fW9tJI.png)
A WiP? Or two :D?
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Colt on February 01, 2020, 11:08:31 pm
I've just noticed the Comms and Nav towers don't look the same, making it easier to differentiate between the two (Comms looks like the bridge for the Hecate).

Also the ship looks bigger. Maybe its the antennas on the ears?

Very excited. ;)
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on February 01, 2020, 11:16:54 pm
Small lights + lots of plating lines + antennae + small windows. Couple tricks to make ship looking bigger. She's 2km-long warship at least :].
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Mito [PL] on February 02, 2020, 04:44:24 am
The windows are probably the size of a house anyway :D
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on February 02, 2020, 06:40:56 am
There's nothing better than watching Shivan bombers firing at you from behind house sized windows!
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on February 02, 2020, 08:15:48 am
If I could, I would make them even smaller just like rest of the details. I always wanted to paint details of quasi-realistic scale, but a very nature of the UV is unfortunately severely limiting me in this regard. She uses 4 unique textures, so UV isles are very tightly packed to keep performance at reasonable rate. If I make windows and details any smaller, they will just appear extremely blurry.

Modelling big-ass capships is an art of compromises :P
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on February 02, 2020, 10:48:41 am
Compromise = Compromised

It's supposed to be the ultimate, final Hecate eva; it deserves to have a million polies! :D
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Mito [PL] on February 02, 2020, 01:08:09 pm
Also the windows "to scale" would be stupidly small and lacking in the department of Rule Of Cool. Also who puts windows on a warship anyway, especially in large sightseeing deck configuration?
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on February 02, 2020, 02:08:34 pm
Also the windows "to scale" would be stupidly small and lacking in the department of Rule Of Cool. Also who puts windows on a warship anyway, especially in large sightseeing deck configuration?
Volition. Tons of them :]. Unfortunately I have to consider every example of :v:'s supidity, laziness etc.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on February 02, 2020, 02:09:23 pm
Also the windows "to scale" would be stupidly small and lacking in the department of Rule Of Cool. Also who puts windows on a warship anyway, especially in large sightseeing deck configuration?

I would~ :D
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: 0rph3u5 on February 04, 2020, 03:17:31 am
Also who puts windows on a warship anyway, especially in large sightseeing deck configuration?

People overly concerned with making use of the most reliable back-up navigation system known to humankind, which is, of course, enlisted crew.

EDIT: I realize there is hardly anyone here who gets "navy humor" - the joke is that "there is no other use for the enlisted crew on a ship but busy work".
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Colonol Dekker on February 04, 2020, 06:49:00 am
I get that reference, Army equivalent being "**** jobs", "time appreciation", "block jobs", "you're in your own time now" and my favourite, "see that tree, run around it".
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nyctaeus on February 04, 2020, 12:30:03 pm
O mighty Hecate, the Goddess of Darkness! By the laws of ship forging, texture shaping and beer drinking...
(https://i.imgur.com/NtRHUMt.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/8i8yvtk.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/HZ7gKvS.png)
I forge you a new body... And summon you to this world :]
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Nightmare on February 04, 2020, 12:41:19 pm
Awww, such a lovely thing~
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Mito [PL] on February 04, 2020, 01:34:43 pm
Christ, man. You're churning out such outstanding ships in such short periods of time. I can barely believe the things I'm seeing...
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Colonol Dekker on February 04, 2020, 02:00:14 pm
Can't wait to be inside her.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Rampage on February 04, 2020, 02:01:14 pm
Nyx is launching the Community into a Renaissance.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Colonol Dekker on February 04, 2020, 02:02:45 pm
He uses blender doesn't he... Tool of gods.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: DefCynodont119 on February 04, 2020, 02:05:57 pm
That looks incredibility awesome.

Interesting with the "wings" on the side being ramps now.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Trivial Psychic on February 04, 2020, 02:58:24 pm
Too bad about how the engine plumes are partially visible through the hull though... but at least that's an engine problem, not a model problem.
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Su-tehp on February 04, 2020, 03:07:31 pm
O mighty Hecate, the Goddess of Darkness! By the laws of ship forging, texture shaping and beer drinking...
I forge you a new body... And summon you to this world :]

The diabolical creepiness of this statement is totally overshadowed by the awesomeness of these pics. :cool:

Too bad about how the engine plumes are partially visible through the hull though... but at least that's an engine problem, not a model problem.

Yeah, I'd like to see that fixed too. I expect it will be. ;7 :nod:
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: CapellaGoBoom on February 04, 2020, 06:59:22 pm
NuHecate is prettier than I imagined!!! I look forward to NuOrion :)
Title: Re: [WIP] The Goddess of Darkness
Post by: Ulala on February 23, 2020, 04:14:44 pm
She looks sexy as hell. Fantastic work!