Wave Variant Mod

[Tichy]

The second version is much better that the whale-wave. :)
I think that the Wave should look sleek even with some fat. It's a fashon ship. The buyer accepts it to be uncomfortable, only to be watched piloting a Wave. :D
I imagine the Wave as a sport car, and the Wave-e could be some kind of SUV (all-terrain-wannabe, sligthly bigger capacity. a status symbol, more than a utility car).

[FluffyFreak]

I think you're all underestimating how big something needs to be to accomodate people.
I sailed across the Atlantic a couple of years ago in a 40ft boat, that was two of us but ideally it would have been 4 - for a whole month.
The wave looks substantially larger than that.

[baobobafet]

I think the space needed for crew is not so much as what is needed for individual crew cabins.
So where it says crew cabins (I tend also to read crew stations)
These 'station' E-Z chairs could be comfortable enough to not demand complete crew quarters
Also hot bunking is not a new concept if cabins are limited for ship's crew.

Another question might be, how much travel time will be spent by crew in tiny
stasis pods (aka stardreamer) until they are thawed out for when needed ;)

Here's a bottom view mock-up of the larger Wave-e showing better the location of the side nacelles.

[baobobafet]

Instead of the Wave's characteristic recessed exhaust nozzles, another option could be to make two engine exhausts more externally visible.

[bszlrd]

As far as I know, time acceleration is time acceleration, no stasis or anything.

I'd say, the characteristic recessed engine exhaust should stay to be more in line with the Wave, even if it's a SUV variant as Tichy suggested (I like the idea).
When I was thumbnailing to expand the Auronox's line of ships (Wave's manufacturer), I'v imagined something similary to what Tichy said. These ships are akin to choppers and fashion cars. More to looks then comfortability. My idea was, that Auronox was a combat and stealth craft manufacturer who had to change profile after the large scale wars to stay afloat, so it used it's existing airframes and made them into fashion combat craft because combat crafts are generally pretty, and this is what defines the yard these days. a SUV would fit in there nicely.

These little sketches are a bit of playing around with the basic form of the Wave.

The current Wave is quite small and cramped for sure, I've rescaled it to around the smallest size it can get while accommodating a pilot in a sitting position or some kind of motorcycling position. Standing upright shouldn't be much of a problem, since there's no artificial gravity apart from what the engines make and the 30G thrust would make sure you stay in your seat (as meat soup if we don't handwave some kind of G supressing method, either mediac/genetical/cybernetic boost for the pilot or some kind of machine/field/something, but in my opinion we should avoid the later).
With the re-balance floating around in this forum, it's about 7G if I'm correct which is a bit more tolerable.

[robn]

As far as I know, time acceleration is time acceleration, no stasis or anything.

You are correct. Time acceleration is a convenience for the player, it doesn't exist in-game.

[baobobafet]

As far as I know, time acceleration is time acceleration, no stasis or anything.

You are correct. Time acceleration is a convenience for the player, it doesn't exist in-game.

Interesting game sidestep to reality. I suppose a certain amount of pretzel logic is unavoidable in game universes.
Guess I'll just have to reserve that un-featured level of game realism to my imagination ;)

Regarding the externalized main thrusters, my reasoning behind this was, aside from a style choice it also increases
internal space. Although this could easily be outweighed by the overall scale of the ship.

To limit enlarging the ship to an SUV sort of deal is why I opted to move the air intakes and engine infrastructure to the
sides as much as possible to enlarge the central area of the ship. This more easily allows for extra cargo, crew and a
facility to accommodate a cargo/fuel scoop at the fore.

The front of the ship would be sloped downwards more dramatically increasing the over all available volume at the
forward area of the ship.

The fuel/Cargo scoop area (aka forward hatch) might also double (perhaps an an alternative to scoop option) as a
entrance/exit ramp for a small manned or unmanned vehicle (when/if there becomes support for such) Using the SUV
analogy, commonly used to carry motor bikes, or all terrain vehicles to and from locations.

My original objective was to create an larger Wave variant that would be distinguished by the same top skin of the Wave.
Although much bulkier and with resulting less wing area due to the enlarged under-wing mass, it would retain similar
characteristics to the Wave although with diminished lift.

Another aspect to retaining similar features to the original Wave is that it can work as a disincentive to potentially
attacking ships if it has the look of something more threatening. (although enemy A.I. ships would need some code to
make them do a double take (or delay) about attacking such a ship until they could get a more positive ID)

[baobobafet]

I did a quick scale comparison between the existing Wave and the Wave-e.

[baobobafet]

A Heads up,
Not sure why but the last version [pioneer-20140107-win32] broke the random pattern selection of this mod.
It will now pick ONLY the very first pattern.

Limited interim fix.
Rename whatever pattern you wish to use in the models\ships\wave_e folder in the HiRes2048x2048_Wave-E-scratched-w-patterns.bao-pioneer20131012-baoV1.zip mod to - pattern01.png. then re-zip the mod.

[baobobafet]

Updated to version3 (includes updated config and different pattern01)
Available here: https://www.mediafire.com/?fj31zcogaocf3bz