I love your solution to armour: "Let's weld massive plates everywhere lads!".
But I think it would actually be better if the whole thing was encased in an armour shield. It makes sense, protect all the delicate gear behind big slabs of steel plating that are seperated from the ship's main hull and therefore can take a significant beating.
Lots of support beams and stuff can be put on the inside of this cylinder, making for a very intering ship to look at. An exoskeleton if you want a technical term.:P
Remove the general cylinder shape inside and make it a seemingly random arrangement of blocks and rectangles. The exoskeleton will form the shape of the ship.
Leave it as three outer "cylinders", one for the front, middle and back. Have them seperated and at different radiuses (as I think you have done already) with small gaps so you can see the insides. Have the side turrets on the outside of this shield with elevated mounts, and have a couple forward-firing turrets along side grabber arms, claws and whatnot inside near the bridge.
Perhaps replace the triangle(?) shaped engines for a single big one, perhaps flogged from a Siege Cruiser found in a Navy disposal yard.
Sorry for hijacking your creation. If I had any skills whatsoever I'd be having a go myself.:sleep:
(Details still missing.)
Constructive suggestions please.
The whole bridge section/front you have there, once again, needs a remake. It doesnt look like a ship that belongs in freelancer - no other vessel in the mod has that kind of bridge/cockpit on it, go with something that fits better IMO.
Which is why I suggested making the 'front' of the ship a forward gun mount, rather than the bridge/cockpit. I would have the bridge coming out of the top of the cylinder, with normal windows and such.
Other than that, the general shape and armor panels make this look similar in design to the junker salvage frigate, which is a good thing.
im tempted to modify the "THATS NO MOON..." line just for this...
srsyly though, it looks like either a giant space cannon still under consctruction, or a compact satellite thats just been launched and hasnt expanded/opened up yet..
The general "bolt it on where ever it will fit and if it don't stick use more cable ties and gaffer tape" thrown together look is in keeping with my overall view of Junker design (not a lot), build (reliable-ish and strong) and function (it works, prettiness be damned).
May be 'squash' it a bit in the vertical plane - the opposite way to the Salvager?
Put the bridge on top somewhere? (but please not just a big box like on some of the other ships).
Arms and loads of general 'stuff' stuck to it in odd places?
And, of course, it should look old, rusty and battered - just like most of it's future owners are.......
I think that within RP the Junkers truly deserve/need their own gun boat.
They have the capabilities of building such a vessel and flying about in a nice, shinny, gorgeous looking Zoner GB just doesn't feel right to me, no matter how much I love the ship.........
For the "but the Salvager is the Junkers GB!!!one!!eleventyone!!!" argument -
a) It isn't a GB for the reasons already given (equipment load out, handling etc. etc.).
b) Why not 'nerf' the Salvager so it's more in line with a well armoured transport/miner/explorer by giving it transport turrets instead of GB ones?
And I will be more than willing to help with the cost of the design/build if needed.......