Re-skin the Paranid capitals ?.

[ZaphodBeeblebrox]

Well I was just stood on the docking area at the back of one of my Zeus carriers. Enjoying the view of the defending ships docked there.

I was just thinking that this is about as good as it gets. I don't care what anybody else thinks. I like the ships in the game.

[jlehtone]

Every time I see the old Boot Ship, I cringe. Ain’t she an ugly bitch.

Then Laugh, as it looks so stupid, and a joke.

If you can distract your foe and make them underestimate your Power, then you are one step closer to victory.

[Raptor34]

Then Laugh, as it looks so stupid, and a joke.

lol, loved your comparisons! so true. Paranid S fighters look dumb as well. Like mosquito-hummingbird hybrids. Of all S fighters, only Split ones look consistently good. Don’t like the new Terran nonsense, bring me my X3 Terran fighter designs back!

X3 Terran fighters were trash though. Like little bugs.
ATF ones were okay.

[chew-ie]

Then Laugh, as it looks so stupid, and a joke.

lol, loved your comparisons! so true. Paranid S fighters look dumb as well. Like mosquito-hummingbird hybrids. Of all S fighters, only Split ones look consistently good. Don’t like the new Terran nonsense, bring me my X3 Terran fighter designs back!

X3 Terran fighters were trash though. Like little bugs.

Wa-waat? Machete was awesome both in design and combat power. I also liked the other UCS fighters - especially the Rapier. It looked like a rocket with all those engines ATF design was okay for being made by the modding community - but it isn't consistent and does have flaws. I like Linos new take in X4 waaay better.

[Raptor34]

lol, loved your comparisons! so true. Paranid S fighters look dumb as well. Like mosquito-hummingbird hybrids. Of all S fighters, only Split ones look consistently good. Don’t like the new Terran nonsense, bring me my X3 Terran fighter designs back!

X3 Terran fighters were trash though. Like little bugs.

Wa-waat? Machete was awesome both in design and combat power. I also liked the other UCS fighters - especially the Rapier. It looked like a rocket with all those engines ATF design was okay for being made by the modding community - but it isn't consistent and does have flaws. I like Linos new take in X4 waaay better.

That's why I don't like it. And Machete? I don't remember that. Translation or mod?
And by the community? I thought they were just evolutions of the fighters in X3R.

[chew-ie]

X3 Terran fighters were trash though. Like little bugs.

Wa-waat? Machete was awesome both in design and combat power. I also liked the other UCS fighters - especially the Rapier. It looked like a rocket with all those engines ATF design was okay for being made by the modding community - but it isn't consistent and does have flaws. I like Linos new take in X4 waaay better.

That's why I don't like it. And Machete? I don't remember that. Translation or mod?
And by the community? I thought they were just evolutions of the fighters in X3R.

Oh ... lost in translation again. I'm talking about the Cutlass.

[Raptor34]

Wa-waat? Machete was awesome both in design and combat power. I also liked the other UCS fighters - especially the Rapier. It looked like a rocket with all those engines ATF design was okay for being made by the modding community - but it isn't consistent and does have flaws. I like Linos new take in X4 waaay better.

That's why I don't like it. And Machete? I don't remember that. Translation or mod?
And by the community? I thought they were just evolutions of the fighters in X3R.

Oh ... lost in translation again. I'm talking about the Cutlass.

Looking at it does remind me why I don't like it. But I think that stick sticking out doesn't help.
Otoh, the AP ships like the Mani and Hayabusa were sexy as ****. The new Baldrick or w/e the current TS is called just doesn't match up imo. And since the Jian uses the same hullform, I don't like it either.
But I think its great how the Katana looks way better now despite being almost completely unchanged. The new hardpoint system helps a lot I think.

[Flippi]

I don't know why people are complaining about the specific design of the Paranids. For the first time, Egosoft actually tried to be somewhat consistent from one new game to the other. In X2, Paranid ships looked completely different than in X3 or X4. Same with Teladi ships, or the Argons. Now they at least look like they used to in X3. That also counts for the Split and Terrans.

The Teladi on the other hand, have a new cap ship design (apparently from the more artistic Teladi of Ianamus Zura, instead of the company lizards from Seizewell). Fighters look still X3-ish though. Argon Design also changed again, even though the Discoverer looks similar to the X-BtF version. And the Argon Nomad looks suspiciously like a Xenon cap ship from X2.

My main problem with ship design in X4 is the lack of capital ship hangars. All ships use the very same landing pads like the stations do, with added storage beneath them. Which leads to the cubic design you can see on the M sized ships with hangars, or the Oddyseus. In my opinion, they should have created a different type of hangar for bigger ships, especially cap ships. Would have solved quite a lot of design issues, like landing pads on top of ship hulls. X3 had quite good hangar bays. Because they were split into launching bays and docking bays each. Also, external docking clamps were a thing on TM's and a few M7 frigates.

The only thing I would have done differently, is using the Deimos or Agamemnon Model for the L sized combat ship. Either with a specific Hangar, or no hangar at all like the Agamemnon used to be. They would have looked a bit more pleasing in my opinion, compared to the bulky Oddy we have now. But then again, they all follow the old X3 design philosophy, and I'm fine with it for the most part.

[Raptor34]

I don't know why people are complaining about the specific design of the Paranids. For the first time, Egosoft actually tried to be somewhat consistent from one new game to the other. In X2, Paranid ships looked completely different than in X3 or X4. Same with Teladi ships, or the Argons. Now they at least look like they used to in X3. That also counts for the Split and Terrans.

The Teladi on the other hand, have a new cap ship design (apparently from the more artistic Teladi of Ianamus Zura, instead of the company lizards from Seizewell). Fighters look still X3-ish though. Argon Design also changed again, even though the Discoverer looks similar to the X-BtF version. And the Argon Nomad looks suspiciously like a Xenon cap ship from X2.

My main problem with ship design in X4 is the lack of capital ship hangars. All ships use the very same landing pads like the stations do, with added storage beneath them. Which leads to the cubic design you can see on the M sized ships with hangars, or the Oddyseus. In my opinion, they should have created a different type of hangar for bigger ships, especially cap ships. Would have solved quite a lot of design issues, like landing pads on top of ship hulls. X3 had quite good hangar bays. Because they were split into launching bays and docking bays each. Also, external docking clamps were a thing on TM's and a few M7 frigates.

The only thing I would have done differently, is using the Deimos or Agamemnon Model for the L sized combat ship. Either with a specific Hangar, or no hangar at all like the Agamemnon used to be. They would have looked a bit more pleasing in my opinion, compared to the bulky Oddy we have now. But then again, they all follow the old X3 design philosophy, and I'm fine with it for the most part.

The problem is that would create even more design issues, quite serious ones actually.
Consider, you need to be able to walk into your ship. How? And different ships have various different designs. The current method deals with all of that.

[Flippi]

The problem is that would create even more design issues, quite serious ones actually.
Consider, you need to be able to walk into your ship. How? And different ships have various different designs. The current method deals with all of that.

That's true, but only for external docking clamps. If Egosoft went with the X3 internal hangar approach, it would be similar to what we have now. Maybe a bit more primitive and simple. But at least it wouldn't butcher ship designs as much as the current solution does.

Also, Egosoft could have given fighters some airlock to climb out of fighters via a ladder. And also make fighter cockpits feel like fighter cockpits, and not Star Trek shuttles with enough space to put a bed down. There are solutiuons for everything, but Egosoft went with it's own approach, and in my opinion, it was a somewhat lazy one.

[Raptor34]

The problem is that would create even more design issues, quite serious ones actually.
Consider, you need to be able to walk into your ship. How? And different ships have various different designs. The current method deals with all of that.

That's true, but only for external docking clamps. If Egosoft went with the X3 internal hangar approach, it would be similar to what we have now. Maybe a bit more primitive and simple. But at least it wouldn't butcher ship designs as much as the current solution does.

Also, Egosoft could have given fighters some airlock to climb out of fighters via a ladder. And also make fighter cockpits feel like fighter cockpits, and not Star Trek shuttles with enough space to put a bed down. There are solutiuons for everything, but Egosoft went with it's own approach, and in my opinion, it was a somewhat lazy one.

I don't see how giving blanket fighter cockpit designs to everyone is any less lazy. Your method would also drastically limit the ship designs available unless you want to design a system that can adapt to all sorts of entry/exit.
Look at S ships and just see how many various designs they have.
Nodan has the exit at the back.
Discoverer has the ladder with the exit also at the back, but much smaller.
Elites and most other fighters have the side exit.
S couriers themselves have the various kinds of entrances.
You are considering just big ships, not considering that your proposal would absolutely kill small ship design.

[Flippi]

I don't see how giving blanket fighter cockpit designs to everyone is any less lazy.

Never wrote anything like that. You can design unique cockpits without wasting too much space or forcing certain hangar designs. I never said anything about blanket designs.

Your method would also drastically limit the ship designs available unless you want to design a system that can adapt to all sorts of entry/exit.
Look at S ships and just see how many various designs they have.

Not really. A simple additional airlock which leads upwards would be already good. If Egosoft wants to keep current huge cockpits, they can put it where the teleporter rooms are. Just with another hatch above to climb out. These things are possible, with a little effort of course. You can even keep the other exits as it is without having to redesign everything too much. The ladder to climb out can then be lowered by the mothership. Aligning both ships might be a bit tricky with asymmetrical designs, but also not impossible to solve.

You are considering just big ships, not considering that your proposal would absolutely kill small ship design.

Small ship designs aren't great either. Also it wouldn't kill anything, as the current designs could still be kept. Although I personally don't like the gigantic fighter cockpits.

Walking on stations isn't exactly a favoured feature since XR. A few of us could have done without that. Then we wouldn't have that problem either.

[Botschafter Von Den Glück]

you know what a paranid is? well then you like the ships.

there are great Carpaints for it in the Colletors edition.

[Dreez]

I'd say it looks like the majority of voters would like re-skins on the paranid capitals, especially the Oddy.
Like stated in a prevous comment, it's pretty bad when players refuses to use 1/3 of all capitals in the base content
because the ships are too ugly.

[Seon]

I know one thing that benefits both SV and CoH in terms of ship design, was the ability to focus on one faction.

The team/Lino didn't have to worry about 4 races and pumping out ships (and station parts to go with them) of every kind for them all quick enough to make sure they can release the game.

With the DLC, with the focus being on one race, I suspect they were able to devote a lot more time into fleshing them out design wise. I know this is why Lino (I believe) said all the construction ships look the same. It was a choice due to time constraints, and having to design and model every other ship. I remember someone saying (maybe Lino) they would have liked to have unique construction ships for all the races. But in the end, it was time that got them.

I personally, and I think others would agree, it'd be nice to see patches devoted to racial ship reworks at some point. Not all 4 base races at the same time, but a patch that'd focus on a race itself. They could even do a poll/survey about which factions people would like to see reworked, and then they can do the patches in order of popularity. That way, each faction would get time devoted to it in a way that the graphics/design team can give to a new DLC faction rather than spreading everything out.

[RoverTX]

I am actually fine with them all but the Odysseus, the carrier, miners, and aux give an X3 vibe that I like. As for the Odysseus the over all shape feels weird, and a lot of the details aren't polished. For instance on the top front a number of places where surfaces come together aren't very smooth.

[Raptor34]

I mean I think the Argon are actually worse off than the Paranid in terms of design.
I also dislike and not use like 70% of cap ships back in X3. But you don't see me whining about it.

[Jeraal]

While I don't like the hair dryer handle, the turrets just look wrong on Paranid capital ships. Their big ships have these nice smooth surfaces, and the turrets look like military hardware that has just been bolted on where they could.

[ubuntufreakdragon]

why not use a airlock on the lower side, there is this ominous tube moving upwards to any docked ship, that could just be your clamp.

[Panos]

I know this is an old open discussion but why not the designers pick the Gorgon design make it bigger and add the same turrets from the Odysseus?
It will be in line with all other Paranid ships style (including the capitals), same amount of guns job done.

If I knew how to design a new ship using the existing interiors would have done so as a proposal or as a mod