New Models!

[Martes]

Well, there are two things that may supplement the game greatly, but I won't get there with all the models on my hands in any foreseeable future.

1. Scenario generator (look here for "Battle for Atlantic" or here for how I did it manually)
2. Land mass generator from open geographic data.

Both these things are, of course, a project in itself, but if you ask what I would do with that...

 

[Martes]

Couldn't resist the temptation - and Endymion got a completely new hull, hopefully better this time.

​

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Couldn't resist the temptation - and Endymion got a completely new hull, hopefully better this time.

I think there are worse temptations to have.

 

[Martes]

I could have been painting the 74 instead

 

[Martes]

With two-three-deckers there is always a question of painting.

The usual "Nelson chequer" we are all familiar with was not that far spread as we think, and many ships until the later years of the war wore the older paint scheme, such as Bellona here:

​

Now, I am exremely reluctant to make different paint schemes for same model (except changing stripe colors), but would there be any objections if I paint newer/French ships with stripes, and older, like British 64 and 74's built before 1805 as above for all countries (and, possibly, without white version)?

 

[Martes]

The new and fixed Egyptienne in the meantime:

With Endymion for scale



In motion​

 

[Martes]

​

Work continues on the '74.

 

[Martes]

The sailing 74:

​

2800 triangles, 5 boats instead of 3, and everything still works. Maybe I was a little too paranoic about the engine capabilities, but... nothing beats construction speed.

 

[Martes]

Finished rebuilding the 64 gun ship:

The huge size difference between French design 74 and British 64.
​

So there are four models brought to certain standard at the moment, the 74, 64 gun ships of the line, and 44 and 40 gun frigates. I would say it may constitute a playable set already (you can stage fleet battles with them!).

​

Others will follow. Eventually.

If anybody wondered how it looks under the hood, here are a couple of shots with wireframes:

​

 

[Martes]

An interesting point about these ships - even I can never know what is going to be next. Of course, there is a certain logic behind what is needed most, but even then...

I knew I have to make another 74, a more British alternative to Temeraire, but which? Initially I looked to Slade designs, as the closest to already made Ardent (64), but then stumbled upon the Colossus.

​

What's so curious about this ship? That in fact she is a French ship of pre-revolutionary design in British disguise. So she can be used for both sides and even pass for a Spanish ship at a distance.

 

[Bava]

The Colossus, eh? Good call. A very nice looking ship with quite the history behind her (she sank with Sir Hamilton´s collection of antiquities on board, btw)

And she got a Time Team Special episode:

A bit about her history:
Scillydivers: HMS Colossus

Turner (the Fighting Témèraire painter) made an absolutley amazing painting about the shipwreck of Colossus' sister, Minotaur:

 

[Martes]

Thanks for the links, especially the one with renders - that reminded me of their existence, and that may prove very helpful


...There is just so many of them to make.

I made several small fixes to the ships of the line and redrawn the hull for Java, there is still Indy to razee, and a whole queue of others behind.

 

[Martes]

To conform with ships of the line, I started adding stern rails to frigates as well.

​

 

[Martes]

Preview of Colossus in color (note the Georgian paint):

​

 

[Martes]

I am glad to announce that with the help of @Hylie Pistof and @Pieter Boelen we have opened a page for this project on Moddb.
There is nothing new there, but hopefully it may serve as an entry point.

 

[Martes]

Got rid of the last extreme low-poly tricks, adding volume to the keel, ratline platforms and side/stern rails.
The increase in facecount is non-critical, but that should solve some difficulties, and plainly looks better:

​

 

[Martes]

Another preview of the Colossus - the texture is still unfinished, but most mesh parts are already in place.
Due to adding thickness to the keel, I also had to change the figurehead. And I just hope it will still work in the game.

​

 

[Martes]

The Colossus is complete:

General arrangement


View from behind - Colossus and Temeraire-class 74​

​

And the updated Endymion with new figurehead as well:

​

 

[Martes]

Added lines to stern textures delimiting the transom - I omitted them before for being usually painted in black and rarely visible, but, again, it looks better this way:

​

 

[Martes]

Lately I had been busy trying to reconstruct a cute little frigate of rather surprising nature:

​