now that one addresses mostly the players who have access to the AI core ships ( cruiser / drone )
the old ships - while fulfilling their job fairly well - might not be up to the mesh standards anymore ( or maybe they are - actually, i don t know, cause i don t fly them )
so - here are two revisisons ( mesh only so far )
top one is the drone - bottom one is the cruiser. - both models are still based on the "harvester" concepts ( being precursers of the later fully biological nomad ships ) - so their general look - while being organic looking - is still fully mechanical. ( not even really cybernetic )
the green orb in the center of the drone is the propulsion system - as shown in several concept studies before ( by myself and other modellers )
the cruiser does not have such a visible propulsion system - but features two thruster slits ( i don t think you can see them well on the rear view ) - anyway.... the cruiser is based on something like an "organic version of jules verne" - stuff... meaning that its some sort of mechanical automaton. ( gears, pipes and stuff )
the fighter / drone is most sophisticated looking. - with the large energy source / propulsion system and only three shells for protection it features only sensor equipment at the nose and thats about it.
both ships have no real "hold" anymore - so they are MUCH more skeletal looking than now - underlining the idea that there is no life on those ships.
now - because those ships are organic looking - they feature MUCH smoother surfaces than most human ships - hence, they have more polygons ( nahh, don t worry, nothing past the 8k ) - but AI core ships are rather rare anyway - so it doesn t matter much ( and they got no NPCs )
since they originate from gammu ( or around there at least ) - they are also meant to show certain similarities to zoner designs - ( but its actually the other way round ... zoner ships show similarities to those ) - the long tails, the rounded hulls etc.
now - i wouldn t wanne mess with the RP of the AIs - so the question goes to the AI players - are those model replacements appreciated / don t mess with your RP... or would you rather like to keep the old ones. - statwise / hitbox wise / weaponhardpoint wise - there won t be a change anyway - so its PURELY cosmetic.
edit: since i got complaints about the "white" background last time - these images use a transparent background - but i left the shadow for a little more contrast.
I like these designs... they look less like flying bugs than the old ones.
Enjoying a game isn't always taking the easy route, sometimes you have to take chances and trust in luck, sometimes that luck takes a big bite out of your backside.
i am really shocked ( literally ) what some people consider a fallus type of shape. - i mean... i think even whem i m completely pissed, i wouldn t mistake or even associate any of those with a male genitalia. - i suspect that if you believe those are - then you sadly see a penis shapes like all around the world every time, no matter where you turn.
2nd :
associations with the squids from the matrix happen. - for one, those are robotic buggers, too - and they follow the similar concept - a mechanical automat imitating something organic.
edit:
you DO know how a penis looks like, do you? - cause even on the second look, i see like NO similarities.... ( if there were any - i d very very quickly consult a doctor )
in general.... : many a ships share a common shape - which means that they are longer than they are wide / tall. - there are two basic consepts - the arrow shape - which means that it has a pointy front and a wider rear ... which is often associated with a rocket - and the hammerhead shape, which is reversed, thick at the front and slim at the rear ( jellyfish shape )
while i can at least remotely get the idea that the claymore "may" be associated with a penis, even there the comparison is far fetched - but if you WANT to see a penis, you just see it - no matter what. .... those however just follow the jellyfish shape - with a large head and a slim rear ... but maybe, i ll attach some "balls" to the rear - at least the claim that they do look like male genitalia is justified then.
Calm down, I didn't think of that particular comparison by myself. Was just a cheap dig (without any malicious intent) and if that offends You, I'm sorry.
Since I hated how the old AI cruiser handled, and since this one looks a little more agile, I hope they are getting rebalanced.
On the models themselves.
The drone looks as if it's just a shell, no real body so to say at all.
It doesn't look like it can have a cargo hold not to mention enough space for an advanced computer system to house the Artificial Intelligence..
The cruiser...
Something is bugging me.. Oh the whiskers on the side, what the hell is that?
I mean these are advanced Mechanical creations, not.. Biological entities, as you said.
I'd think they'd be more armored, lots of hull or they are just very illogically built, they look as if you shoot a normal missile into under the slight armor, the entire thing will fall apart.
I'd rather have the line become armored and plated, bulky without the tentacle thingies, which just doesn't seam right..
According to This Thread AI ID may become an Open Use ID like any other ID in future, so these ships won't be really 'Rare' IMO - Not that it's going to be a problem, just pointing out - And then, Although I Do like these new models and prefer these new ones to the old ones, something in first post bothers me a bit. I believe AI Drone deserves a complete Re-Hitbox as well... Because the only two times I fought that Ship, to put it simple, was 'Annoying'.
Maybe it's just me or maybe not, but 2 or 3 people that I talked to after that, confirmed my point that AI Drone Hitbox looks a bit... 'Off'.
it doesn t offend me, cause i don t see any similarities - i just ( honestly ) wonder how comes ppl see these things. i mean - if its just a funny bandwaggon to categorize shapes its fine - but it should at least somewhat fit the shape.
its just a little annoying, you know. - cause if ANYTHING that is long is labelled a fallus, we can only really make flying saucers anymore ( which are then labelled cylon raiders ( classic ) ... i guess )
like i said - the gaian GB "may" be associated with a fallus - if you easily fall for such a comparison, but thats about it. ( usually - people would rather think of dragstar racers - but thats just me i guess )
if it happens too often or when it gets too annyoing, i ll just attach wings to every ship ( not like i think its a good idea, but at least ppl don t think of penis all the time )
you re wrong there... - the AI ships are not ships build the way an AI build itself ( which would probably look like something like a borg sphere ) - but they are precursers of the nomad ships... abandoned or outdated experiments. - put it that way... whoever created the nomads practiced with other intelligent guardians first - but abandoned these attempts for more efficient ones ( fully biological )
thats why those ships look that way - or at least ... thats what i gathered from the harvesters concepts. - just cause the harvester faction failed, doesn t mean the ships can be fully redesigned ( in a different look that is ) - cause ppl flying them still apply some sort of RP to it that may be based on the original idea - hence the ships are only enhanced but not altered too much.
they show so many open gaps in the armour, cause they - like the nomads - fly on starlight energy, hence, they require the light / radiation to get to the core.
specificly:
the fighter IS but a shell with a few sensor elements. - cargo hold? - i wouldn t know why it requires cargoholds ( visible ones ) - its a drone.. .its meant to escort the cruiser - its not a mafic or spatial. - and when its an AI, we can assume that whatever flies that ship is as tiny as a small computer chip - so it doesn t need bulky stuff much
cruiser:
antennas - well, its debatable if ships still need those - the point is ... they are symbolic for sensors, cause WE ( the ppl of the 21th century ) associate antennas with sensors. for all we know - the BEST ship in these ages might be a ship the size of a rubix cube that fires small clouds of self replicating nano bots that simply eat away enemy ships... but wouldn t that be boring?
fancy sci-fi ships are usually designs associated with the "future" based on the point of view of the past ( or present ). the "real" future usually looks a lot less exciting. these are sophisticated AI ships that look a way that most probably no ship will ever look no matter what distant future you apply. henceforth they feature retro elements - like antennas, visible "gears", lenses etc.
generally:
yes, i read the notice about the AI ID ( possibly ) becoming free for all - but that doesn t mean everyone can / should use an AI ID. ppl must first understand the difference between an AI contolled ship and an AI ship ( a difference players appear to have major problems with ) - after all, its the difference between playing a playership with alien equipment - or playing an alien... and for that, you need to apply an appropriate roleplay - and also an appropriate justification... or in short - i don t expect the core ships to swarm into liberty to join the daily battles.