The Arkon

[AgentZero]

Don't worry, I haven't given up on the Terrans yet, I'm just tinkering with the various ships I have left. While awaiting inspiration, I've been working on a shipset for the Terrans long-time allies, the Arkon. Attached is an Arkon Enforcer (read: Escort). This was the first ship the Arkon constructed after meeting with the Terrans, and was indeed their first serviceable warship, their previous attempts all being hopeless failures.
I'm still playing with the whole look of the set, so any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Combat Wombat]

Good work so far http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Arkcon]

If you need a race portrait, I could email you a photo.

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Looks good.

[NullAshton]

Ooo... Pretty...

It could use some more detail though. Windows would be simple, and would look good http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

If those big nacelles are meant to be engines, you could add some sort of engine glow or exhaust "flame".

In the two "slots" at the fore underside of the ship, not the green ones on top, you could place some sort of helicopter-autocannon-looking weapon. I don't mean a Gatling gun looking thing, I mean like the Apache's 30mm autocannon, just a single barrel.

[NullAshton]

I think this is done in DoGa, so windows and engine glow would be hard I think...

[TerranC]

NullAshton said:
I think this is done in DoGa, so windows and engine glow would be hard I think...



He's doing it in Bryce, so they shouldn't be a problem at all.

[NullAshton]

Oh. Well then, ADD MORE DETAIL! Detail is good...

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Detail junkie.

No, but seriously AZ, it looks good already. And how are you coming with the Terrans, btw?

[AgentZero]

Arkcon: Crap. I knew I ripped the name off from somewhere. Just didn't think it was here. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

NullAshton: Thank you, this is the sort of comments I'm looking for. Not just 'Add more detail' but specifics as to what kind of detail. Much appreciated.

I originally did have engine glow in there, but some strange property of the texture I'm using caused it to 'bleed' out all over the place. I think I've found a way to fix it so I'm including an updated pic.

Oh, and Strategia, the Terrans are coming along fine, thanks. Although we suffered a serious setback last night when I was putting the finishing touches on the Heavy Carrier. Accidentally hit 'Randomize Size, Rotation & Position.' Twice, so I couldn't Undo. Never model drunk.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Ooh..... lookin' very good! I'm sure to DL this set when it's finished!

edit: oh and I already thought I knew where Arkcon got his name when you first posted about the GoF BBS and the Terran-Tauran War with "our" Arkon allies.

[AgentZero]

Well, due to a lack of inspiration, the above Arkon ships have been scrapped. I'm now going with something completely different. Artistic license is great, huh?

[NullAshton]

Mind if I use that design for a shipset? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif The old arkon design.

[David E. Gervais]

hmmm, nice ship, now where have I seen that before?

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[AgentZero]

NullAshton, it's all your. The old one. The new one is so mine. Almost. Forgot I should be adding in a big thanks to David for all the help with the texture.

[NullAshton]

Could you give me the textures for it please?

[AgentZero]

That might be a bit tricky unless you're using Byce... PM me your email address & I'll see what I can do. All it is, is a reflective grey texture with a bit of blue specularity and a bump map thrown on top. I can always send you the picture I used for the bump map but it's in .jpg format...

[NullAshton]

Ah... You did't use an image map?

[AgentZero]

Now, for a little racial history...

The Arkon are a race of fully sentient androids. They were constructed by a race they refer only to as the Builders, and whom they claim are Terrans, which would explain why the Arkon seem externally identical to a human. Observant commentators have picked up the the rather inconsistent fact that the Arkon were exploring the galaxy while humans were still huddling in caves. For most of it's history, the Arkon Empire was regarded as something as a joke. Their warships were barely able to defend themselves from a menacing asteroid, and invading empires found the Arkon all too willing to pack up and leave a planet if so demanded, leaving all facilities intact, and unbelieveably would apologize for having caused any inconvenience.
Those who traded with the Arkon found it easy to get what they wanted due to the Arkon's apparent inability to lie. The Arkon would even tolerate the destruction of their ships at the hand of other empire with good-humour. It was rumored that the Arkon had only been programmed with 'nice' emotions, and were incapable of feeling the darker side of the emotional spectrum. The truth was, Arkon programming was highly adaptive and they could learn anything. The problem was, no one was willing to teach them.

Then, one fateful day, they encountered Humanity.

In a matter of days, the Arkon had learned passionate love, lust, envy, anger, hate, jealously, and most frighteningly -aggression. With new eyes, the Arkon gazed out into a galaxy that had mocked them, cheated them, and murdered them. And for the first time, they struck back with vengeful fury. At first, the citizens, and indeed leaders of other empires laughed at the delcarations of war that were simultaneously transmited to all of the Arkon's neighbours. This laughter was quickly silenced at the battle of Venduusa Six, the Venduu's nearest colony to the Arkon and the Venduu's most important ship building centre. The Terrans had been trying to take the system for nearly six months, and agreed to let their new allies make an attempt. In six bloody hours, a massive Arkon fleet ripped through the system's defences, tearing defenders apart with weapons several generations more advanced than anything anyone had seen before, and shrugging off damage thanks to their new shield system.

While the rest of the galaxy was still reeling from the implications of this battle, the systems surrounding the Arkon Empire exploded into vengeful fire as the Arkon systematically reclaimed all that had been taken from them. Such was their fury that only frantic mediation on the part of the Terrans saved the Venduu from total anihilation.

Having proven that they were no longer a race to be taken lightly, the Arkon signed treaties with all their neighbours, bringing an end to hosilities. At least, until the Tauran War...

[AgentZero]

NullAshton said:
Ah... You did't use an image map?



No, Bryce is a bit funny about the way it does textures. I think I started with an image map (ie: a grey .jpg with black used to define the hull plates), but after loading it into Bryce there was quite a bit more work involved to get it looking right.

[NullAshton]

Interesting. I'll probally just use procederals.

[AgentZero]

Well give us a look when you've got something. It's always interesting when two artists try to do the same thing because you usually end up with that 'similar but radically different' syndrome. In the mean time, since we started with a Cruiser, here's the good ole reliable Arkon Escort!

[NullAshton]

I'll probally keep the general theme, but change it a bit, in order to make it more sleek. I kinda like the engines http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

On another note, I like those arkon ships http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[AgentZero]

NullAshton said:
I'll probally keep the general theme, but change it a bit, in order to make it more sleek. I kinda like the engines http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

On another note, I like those arkon ships http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif



The engines were about the only thing about that ship I did like. And I'm really pretty pleased about the new Arkon ships too. I was a bit worried I'd burnt out all my inspiration on the Terrans. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/fear.gif

[NullAshton]

Lol... Those Terran ships are cool http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif By the way, the name Arkon might not last out http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[AgentZero]

NullAshton said:
Lol... Those Terran ships are cool http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif By the way, the name Arkon might not last out http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif



Why? Don't tell me someone's copyrighted Arkon. While we ponder that, I decided to do a few more Arkon ships after a productive run of SE5 work, and as a result, the Arkon Cruiser got a bit of a revamp. Improvement, no?

edit: Replaced that hideous low quality .jpg with a much prettier one.

[David E. Gervais]

Now this is a very interesting design. I like it alot. Keep up the great work and keep having fun.

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[David E. Gervais]

Addendum: I hope you don't mind. I needed to see if your ships were actually space worthy. (It's a safety issue you understand?) http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/341922-TimsShip1.jpg

Cheers! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

P.S. When I see someone else having fun I simply can't resist having a little fun of my own. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[AgentZero]

That is just really bloody cool. Finally, one of my ships makes it into a DEG Original. I'm honoured. I'm also quite surprised by this shipset in that I'll probably have the rest of the warships done in a few hours. The Terrans took me months to get that far and the Arkon haven't existed in their current form for more that a week.

[AgentZero]

To rescue my thread from the dredges of Page 3, I present you with the Arkon Battleship, designed and manufactured by ArkWeapons Inc.
Their motto: "ArkWeapons Inc.: For when you need to seriously f&*$! someone's day."

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/343228-ArkonBattleship.jpg

[NullAshton]

Can you make the race pic be a flag, instead of a creature?

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Oooooh....

[NullAshton]

Yes, narf, its very pretty. If he uses flags instead of having a creature as the pop, that can be home to millions of white lab mice with hammers.

[Captain Kwok]

Nice render!

[AgentZero]

Thanks folks! Just got the Dreadnought done. I'm not sure I went in the right direction with this one, but I'll leave you to be the judges.


http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/343672-ArkonDreadnought.jpg

[NullAshton]

It's too green. Make it less green and it'll be perfect.

[AgentZero]

The green is merely a result of the lighting used in the scene. Watch this space for a pic without all the fancy lighting. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[El_Phil]

Ohhhh sparkly. Particularly the battleship.

I want one, no in fact I want several. Pitch black but with kills marked in blood red down the side. Not sure why I just do.

[AgentZero]

As promised, here is the Arkon Dreadnought sans lighting.


http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/344078-ArkonDreadnought2.jpg

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Ooh Ooh Ooh get me a fleet of those hammering down a puny mass of several thousand pitiful LCs with ease.....DEG?

[AgentZero]

I don't think you'd need a whole fleet of Dreadnoughts if all you were going up against was Light Cruisers. During the Terran/Arkon-Tauran War, the Arkon Dreadnought Artemis fought off an assault force consisting of 230 Light Cruisers and 120 Destroyers and Frigates. Although, she was so heavily damaged after the battle that she had to be scrapped, and 90% of her crew were killed, but the point is that she did it!
For reference's sake, here's a pic of the Arkon DN with a LC flying alongside.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

.....are you sure it's not too big, that LC?

[AgentZero]

Well, an Arkon Dreadnought's main guns have been described as being "a tad bigger than a Light Cruiser, so you're right, the LC is a little too big. Chalk it up to artistic license. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

[AgentZero]

Been willing away the hours waiting for the beta test and got the Arkon carriers done. Here's the Arkon Heavy Carrier.


http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads/uploads/347049-Arkon_HeavyCarrier.jpg

[ZeroAdunn]

I like it.

[AgentZero]

Well, here it is, over a year later, but the Arkon are finally done! Enjoy!

EditFor those of you who want to know what you're getting into, here's a sample pic (http://img59.imageshack.us/my.php?image=arkonstarbasescene5fh.jpg) of what the finished shipset looks like.

[sachmo]

that's really good work.

[Black_Knyght]

Very nicely done.

[Atrocities]

Ok, I want it. Just sign me up right now for this ship set.

[Ed Kolis]

Ooh, looks like an SE5-ified version of the Praetorian, almost...

[Ragnarok]

Holy awesome shipset, Batman... That is fantastic! Excellent work!

[gregebowman]

Looks great. where can I go to d/l it?

[Ed Kolis]

Try the "attachment" link in the header of AZ's post.

[AgentZero]

Yup, sorry, should have mentioned that. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif

The attachment link in my above post contains the full shipset.

[gregebowman]

Ed Kolis said:
Try the "attachment" link in the header of AZ's post.



Thanks. I finally found it. A lot of these "attachments" were just pictures. I wanted the set.