DwD Studios
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FS log - spaceship deck plans
Sat, 06/04/2016 - 3:43pm | 
DwD Studios
Playing with art styles to create deck plans, here is a GTEK runabout, an entry-level character ship for FrontierSpace.
Note there isn't a text block describing the ship, but we'll have one in published adventure. For instance, the drawing below does not indicate hatches where characters would enter the ship, there isn't a cabinet in the bathroom to hold toothbrushes, etc.
Feedback welcome and encouraged.
| Attachment | Size |
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| Runabout1-v2.png | 305.17 KB |
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Looks like FS is coming along nicely. The GTEK is interesting but I do have a few observations...
1) Not sure how the characters are supposed to get in or out other than the ramp into the mini-hangar (which isn't very practical).
2) Might want an airlock in case of the necessity to leave/enter the vessel in space.
3) I don't particularly like the idea of only one seat in the bridge/cockpit - makes much more sense to have a second as well.
4) I'd like to see the three seats in the back facing each other in a more useful configuration - seems rather formal and impractical having them all facing forward.
5) Some extra space for a ship's locker/storage might be useful other than just the mini-hangar.
6) The fresher looks way too cramped - perhaps a combo sink/toilet ala Firefly might be more practical in order to keep the shower unit?
Those are some thoughts that immediately sprang to mind; looking forward to when FS finally gets to print.
Here's another proof-of-concept we did for a slightly larger runabout:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23984269/Runabout.jpg
In that ship I did have an airlock but forgot a fresher! I also didn't show any way to put stuff in the cargo hold! haha
It's all proof-of-concept work at this point. T's aren't crossed and I's aren't quite dotted. But we're working on things!
Some other proof-of-concept work for critique:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23984269/transport.png
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23984269/freemapfriday010.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23984269/cr_poc.png
Here's some feedback and questions:
1). All of your proof-of-concepts use a 'parallel' deckplan, as opposed to the perpendicular-to-the-spine model that's present in Star Frontiers. Is that intended only for smaller, streamlined craft or will larger craft also have decks on the same axis?
2). All of your POCs have single decks, even the transport and the 'freemapfriday'. Will medium-to-large FS craft typically be elongated designs, or will they have some... uh, girth, which will include multiple decks?
3). Man, is that runabout cramped! Is this craft traveling between star systems, or in-system only? Looks a bit like torture for an extended journey.
4). For such a small craft, it seems a waste of space to include vehicle storage. (I'm assuming that's something like a hover bike??). It really eats into the free space available.
5). I love the exterior silhouette of the runabout and the 'cr_poc'. The transport is a little odd and chunky, with it's non-symmetrical look. Reminds me quite a bit of the Millennium Falcon. :)
1). All of your proof-of-concepts use a 'parallel' deckplan, as opposed to the perpendicular-to-the-spine model that's present in Star Frontiers. Is that intended only for smaller, streamlined craft or will larger craft also have decks on the same axis?
Although Larry and I grew up on and really love Star Frontiers, we also grew up on and love a ton of other science fiction. Traveller. Star Wars. Alternity. Star Trek. Galaxy Rangers. Buck Rogers. Battlestar Galactica. Robotech. The list goes on and on. We labored over this fact several times, going back and forth with it. The engineer in me kept leaning on harder science, but the sci fi nerd in me kept going back to the fact that in a setting where they've mastered control of inertial forces enough to have "inertia screens" and inertial compensation technologies allowing insane acceleration in space combat (ever do the math for an ADF of 5?)... why not have artificial gravity too? Also, we want players to have a breadth of resources available for them to play their games, and when I go googling for starship deck plans on the web most of what I find and want to use contains decks parallel to direction of travel, necessitating artificial gravity. So in the end we opted for modern frontier technology to include artificial gravity. That doesn't mean some ships can't have deck plans perpendicular to direction of travel, but it does mean most modern ships won't.
2). All of your POCs have single decks, even the transport and the 'freemapfriday'. Will medium-to-large FS craft typically be elongated designs, or will they have some... uh, girth, which will include multiple decks?
Yep.
3). Man, is that runabout cramped! Is this craft traveling between star systems, or in-system only? Looks a bit like torture for an extended journey.
haha yes it's cramped. It's basically meant to be a short-voyage interstellar space car. A Ford Taurus of the space lanes haha. Statistically it's not meant for voyages exceeding 5LY, and therefore only commonly used for interstellar travel in a few places in the galaxy. The rest of the time it's basically used to ferry out to a freighter or transport and hitch a ride on a faster/longer voyage. It's a glorified shuttle for the well-to-do, which can also take slow long voyages. You think that's cramped? Try flying to Degobah in an X-Wing pilot cockpit with nowhere to pee... lol
4). For such a small craft, it seems a waste of space to include vehicle storage. (I'm assuming that's something like a hover bike??). It really eats into the free space available.
If you were a few adventurous characters who purchased or were issued a runabout from the corporation you worked for, you'd use it to get to a freighter, transport, frigate, or other large vessel and book hangar space. You'd use their amenities during the voyage, and when you got to your destination you could disembark and fly your runabout to a port or station, or adventure site. What you put in your cargo areas is your choice. In the picture Larry drew for a proof-of-concept, he showed a bike of some sort in it. I guess the fellow(s) who fly that one around feel the need to bring a hover bike with them. Who am I to judge? lol
5). I love the exterior silhouette of the runabout and the 'cr_poc'. The transport is a little odd and chunky, with it's non-symmetrical look. Reminds me quite a bit of the Millennium Falcon. :)
Gotcha. It wasn't clear to me how close FS would be modeled after the technology levels and starship-design present in SF.
I'd love to see a POC deckplan of a larger craft. A big freighter/transport/frigate to get an idea of their size in comparison, and what a hanger would look like. (Packed with some runabouts, and other smaller craft).
What craft classification is the 'freemapfriday' POC?
I'd love to see a POC deckplan of a larger craft. A big freighter/transport/frigate to get an idea of their size in comparison, and what a hanger would look like. (Packed with some runabouts, and other smaller craft).
What craft classification is the 'freemapfriday' POC?
Not sure. Was just a drawing :-P
In the core book there will be a dozen or so specific model ships with stat blocks and plenty of lite rules for customization (so far we have: starfighter, runabout, scout, corvette, patrol, transport, passenger liner, frigate, destroyer, freighter, and cruiser). We're planning to release a later supplement for designing ships from scratch, starting with a frame size and slowly building it up and adding features. It's too much for the core book.
I'd place that freemapfriday ship around the size of a transport or passenger liner, but clearly configured for more versatile use than just hauling cargo or passengers. If I were to stat that ship out I might call it a Surveyor, designed for exploring new worlds and carrying all the gear needed to establish long-term survey missions planet-side while a site is explored and cataloged.