Topic: FASA V-4 TMP version now up as well as TOS

[red_green]

I'll just post updates on my FASA Rommies in here instead of having 9 threads. I started on the V-4. Thats why the rest are not done. Keep starting new ones. I got the wing done. Its at 400 polies. I could have done it with 200. I used an extra 200 just to bevel the edges. That helps make it so it isnt just a rectangle from the edge on angle. I hate flying 2 by 4's.

I tried 2 other ships but there headed for the recycle bin.    I think I got a better idea how to go about one of them, but this is starting to feel like work. So I'll finish up what I have so far.

The newest pics are always furtherest right on the bottom row. Only 1 pic of the V-4 wing is up, Kinda unremarkable by itself.  When I release the ships, this will be specced as a DN. I got all crusiers and scouts so I thought this one could be bumped to DN.
My reasoning is its the 1st design with the trademark Rommie wings and thus makes the best representation for a ship making the bridge from late TOS to TMP.  

 wip thread


 Wing of Vengeanse  V-4 refernce site

[ModelsPlease]

Good idea then we won't have to drool all over the entire forum,just in here.
Ok get the mop
 
-MP  

[Klingon Fanatic]

I will revise my FASA to SFC collection release schedule. Since you are working on a V-4 and Anduril's/Scott Hunters has been missing in action for, almost three years, when YOUR V-4 is done and in my possession  I will make arrangements to get the entire collection that I have out to somebody who can arrange for hosting.

My current thoughts are to streamline the collection by removing ALL canon TMP ships from the collection (not starbases or shuttles though).

KF

[red_green]

Quote:
I will revise my FASA to SFC collection release schedule. Since you are working on a V-4 and Anduril's/Scott Hunters has been missing in action for, almost three years, when YOUR V-4 is done and in my possession  I will make arrangements to get the entire collection that I have out to somebody who can arrange for hosting.

My current thoughts are to streamline the collection by removing ALL canon TMP ships from the collection (not starbases or shuttles though).

KF  

I wouldn't change your release date on my account. I may be a month away from releasing any of these. Soon I will have a lot less time to work on them. Then I like to go over them and fine tune. When they are released they will be in SFC3 format.

Small update. Finished the guns and impulse engines. The edge of the wings will eventually get mapped seperate so the textures wont be stretched like they are now.

 wip pics  

[red_green]

Bigger update. Mesh is complete and 90% mapped. Textures are almost done also. Just need to finish up the guns and the wing edges. Then scale and convert.  I build meshes by eyeballing them so now would be the time to check it out to see if you think the proportions are off. Comments welcome.   The V-4 will be my 1st Romulan released. Still not setting a date though. These Rommies are being put in production in response to Lord Sctupps TOS Fed fleet, which the Romulans percieve as a threat, so are increasing their ship production.  


 updated V-4 pics  

[Azel]

Red-Green
All I can say is WOW!!!
I really enjoy your work
Thank you
   

[Mariner]

Well, my first suggestion is to replace the center warp engines with some the box modules on the schematic, or something resembling them (perhaps giant assault disruptors?   ). You don't really need visible warp engines IMO, since this looks like the Romulan version of the Klink BoP. Perhaps a glowing impulse engine put at the end of the main fuselage would suffice for a warp/impulse engine?


Great work BTW.

[ModelsPlease]

Quote:
Well, my first suggestion is to replace the center warp engines with some the box modules on the schematic, or something resembling them (perhaps giant assault disruptors?   ). You don't really need visible warp engines IMO, since this looks like the Romulan version of the Klink BoP. Perhaps a glowing impulse engine put at the end of the main fuselage would suffice for a warp/impulse engine?


Great work BTW.  

I'd place the narcells on the wing tips and move the disruptors into the main hull under the saucer area there seems to be enough space. My $.02.  

[red_green]

Quote:
Well, my first suggestion is to replace the center warp engines with some the box modules on the schematic, or something resembling them (perhaps giant assault disruptors?   ). You don't really need visible warp engines IMO, since this looks like the Romulan version of the Klink BoP. Perhaps a glowing impulse engine put at the end of the main fuselage would suffice for a warp/impulse engine?


Great work BTW.  

I am glad you brought up the Klingon BOP.  Because this ship should in no way be thought of as a BOP for a number of reasons.

1: The BOP was a TMP design and this is TOS as far as I can determine.  The V-4 and V-6 both preceed the V-8 which is the only canon Romulan ship.

2: This ship is classified as a cruiser. However I am specing it as a DN becaues half of FASA's designs are cruisers and
     TOS does not have a DN design available.

3: The BOP was designed by a Star Wars designer, thats the only reason it has no warp engines. So the design should
     be tossed out the window in my opinion. The Bop should have been a fighter.

4.  This is the 1st Rommie design with the trademark wingspan. Thus, I think of it as  the TOS equivelant of the  Warbird.
     (much more so than a BOP)  

5. If you look at the wings of a BOP, they are very thin.  The V-4 has beefy thick wings that appear several decks high towards the middle.  So surly it would outclass a BOP.

As far as the warp engines. The shematics do not show them at all. We only get a forwad view. It is difficult to make out where the engines end and the struts begin. I included some new perspective shots to show that my struts are shaped close to the schematic. Giving the appearance that they are the claws of a bird.  I believe tha FASA scematics are a guide.
I have found at least 2 examples where the bottom view contradicts the side view anyway.

It does appear that the engines may be simlilar to those on the V-9. These would be TMP style. Since the V-4 preceeds the TOS V-8. That wouldn't make any sense. Unless it was refitted later. My thinking is this is part of a fleet of 7 TOS ships I am building. So I want to keep all the engines TOS just like all the Feds use the same basic TOS engine.  I have 3 varients though. The Q-1 has a bit of a unique engine cause of the  design.  The engines on the V-4 actually are the ones from the V-6 I made.

There is no way that this ship could be powered without warp engines because of its heavy wings. I am going to reposiition how its mapped so its on 2 maps instead of three and will be easier to retexture. Then folks can kitbash away, but I kringe of the thought of it being a BOP as it really is the beginning influence of modern Romulan design. Since it preceeded the Klingon BOP, its more likely that the KLingons copied this design and made the wings wafer thing so they could drop the warp engines.

 

[Klingon Fanatic]

Red_Green,

Your last post was a wonderful read and yet another excellent example of how FASA designs are improved by the SFC community. I strongly believe that if FASA Trek were made today it would be a VAST improvement over the original game thanks to model makers throughout the ST: computer gaming community.

In regards to Klink BOPs I think you are dead on about them! My favorite KBOP variant is WZ45's W'ked class followed by Terradyne's version of the Insurrection and I use them both as fighters.

As far as  the V-4 goes,  I really am hoping you will consider a TMP version.  

KF

 

[red_green]

KF I have seen you have done some retexturing. Perhaps you could convert it to TMP.  I have lots more meshes collecting dust so any TMP version would be a year or 2 away.     I was eyeing up another Rommie ship to do. So I'd rather just keep doing TOS versions until there all done.  Once there released it would be easy for someone to import Terradyne's V-9 engines and put them on the V-4.  As long as he gives his permission of course.

I have been comparing the stats on the V-4 to other ships. The V-8 weighs in at 67,000 tons. The V-4  at 65,000  and the Klingon k-22 (BOP) at 45,000.  A bigger difference is cargo capacity. With the K-22 at 250 tons. The V-8 at 2,400 and the V-4 at a whopping 4000.  Because of the V-4's large cargo hold it could be converted into a light carrier I believe.  The back end is a perfect shape for a carrier. So I thought I would try meshing open shuttle bays with 1 or 2 P-12 cutters inside.  Hopefully I can do that in a couple hours. If it takes longer or looks sucky then I'll just texture the bays in.

Thanks for the comments everyone. I never thought of this carrier potential until the comparison to the BOP was mentioned.

[red_green]

I meshed in a shuttle bay. I crammed 3 shuttles in there. Looks crowded. I could go with 2 or even 1 rotated looked about the best. I'll have to see what size these shuttles would actually be as compared to the V-4.  This well look so much better when the bay and back are textured. Thats one reason I am just focusing on TOS. I want to keep the quality up. I could just release as is now and get more ships out, but if I spend a few more days on it, the little details will really polish it off.

Regarding the bays. I still have other options. I could make it 2 levels or add in partitions.  Perhaps 2 levels with 2 shuttles on the bottom and 1 on top.  btw the shuttles are 600 polies each but I believe for the purposes here I could get them down to 350.  Now if only I could model in a Romulan shuttle pilot.  

[James Formo]

Yea my sig is too big. Fixing it later.  

I am a pig in mud.    I got the shuttle bays how I want. Four total. 2 open and 2 closed. Was going to put more stuff in there but you won't see it anyway cause I can't zoom in any closer.  I redid the windows for the 3rd time and now there are some markings along the wing edge but they seem blurry so rework number 4  

I textured in some nice weathering on the wing top and bottoms, only when I apply the lightmap parts of the wing glow due to the varience in the textures. I think I can fix that by using a lightmap from before I weathered the wings. Basically I am just messing around trying to pick up a few things but not making any significant progress    The bad news for some of you is this is going to be around 4,500 polies when I am done.

   

[Klingon Fanatic]

One tiny suggestion... please use some Romulan numbers on the hangar bays, LOL!

Nice job so far!

KF

[red_green]

Quote:
One tiny suggestion... please use some Romulan numbers on the hangar bays, LOL!

Nice job so far!

KF  

Those are Romulan fonts.     Here is a link that has four types of Romulan. Note that they all still use regular numbers and letters. If you have some others please send em too me or post a link thanks.   Did you notice that its numbers are backwards. If the 2 and 3 were closed. From left to right, top to bottom it would read 2,1,4,3.       When you look at a model in Milk its mirrored backwards for some reason. Perhaps I'll use that last row of symbols instead from that link.  I may see about making the nacels square. It might use less polies actually. Then I might add more polies to the struts. I could lop about 500 polies if I redid the guns using less. But Nah

Maybe Romulans didn't develope ther own alphabet until TMP. Kinda like the lack of Klingon ridges in TOS.

[yeaterk]

i  love it except for the open hanger bays doors( not a critisism ) just my opion, i whould leave the engines where they are and the weopens on the wings like the pic in fasa book( once again just me ) in what era you could do differnt textures for the differnt eras that should make every happy i would think. keep up the good work.  

[red_green]

Quote:
i  love it except for the open hanger bays doors( not a critisism ) just my opion, i whould leave the engines where they are and the weopens on the wings like the pic in fasa book( once again just me ) in what era you could do differnt textures for the differnt eras that should make every happy i would think. keep up the good work.  

My image host is maxed out so latest pics not up    I kinda agree on the open bays. But if there closed then you can;t see the shuttles. I am thinking perhaps I could have one halfway open.  I have the texturing done. Only I am still not happy with the windows. They would look better if I had them mapped to a larger area. However I have 2 maps full and it seems silly to put just windows on a 3rd map.  The nacels were redone. Look better and lopped of 900 polygons as well  
I may include 2 versions. One with the bays closed.  As far as two sets of textures. Really this could fit into TOS or early TMP as it is I believe. The Rommies were still silver in TMP for the most part. Also some Rom ships were giving unique paint schemes(kind of a unique registry method I guess) With the new nacels it has a late TOS feel to it.  I'll get final pics up tommorow. Eager to get this finished and take a vacation from modeling  Hope KF finds some unique Rom fonts, other wise I am using symbols on the bays.  I really weathered the textures. So much so that it looks like its ready for a refit.
I'd include the unweathered ones as well but I will be uploading to Yahoo and the file size is limited so perhaps I will have a seperate texture pack.  I think you will like the trim I put on the guns and strut supports. Course its all personal preference.

[MajorRacal]

That V-4 is certainly coming along nicely.  I actually like the open shuttlebay door, though perhaps the Comilius looks a little too big - but then again, the specs said she should only have a load out of 2, so what would i know?

MajorRacal  

[red_green]

Quote:
That V-4 is certainly coming along nicely.  I actually like the open shuttlebay door, though perhaps the Comilius looks a little too big - but then again, the specs said she should only have a load out of 2, so what would i know?

MajorRacal  

Yup your right specs say 2 shuttle craft. I was thinking though that its 4000 ton capacity cargo bays could be converted to carry 4.  I reached a compromise. I now have 3 doors closed and 1 open. Though the door is still visible. Its 90% open.
Then the numbers will be redone with Rom symbols which I have no idea what they mean. Thus you can think of the top  bays as shuttle bays and the bottom 2 as cargo holds. Or 4 shuttle bays. See all bases are covered this way  

The open Bay now has interior lighting    I tested in game for a few hours and fine tuned lots of little stuff.  The shuttle has newer looking nacels as well. Polies down to 3150. That should be the final count. I'll have damage textures tomorrow. It might be up for d/l tomorrow or Tuesday.


EDIT-Uploaded 17 new pics and removed all WIP pics. So all photos are the final version. There SFC3 in game screenies. A couple pics show damage. 24 hours from release date.     You can hollar and scream but I am not making any revisions.
    Thanks to all for your input and suggestions. Helped shape the final model quite a bit. Here is the photo album link below.


 V-4 Finished Pics

[Azel]

Man ...I have to tell you...I was not at all a big fan of this design...BUT DAMN!!!
Your's is stunning!!!
thank you man
I love sove of the shots you put her in....So Gorgeous!!