ACTA SF

[BFalcon]

[
What that means is that the ridge which someone decided to stick on the back of the Federation Heavy Cruiser is getting removed by Dremel, and I'm not even touching the Romulan War Eagle while it has the three hatches and sculpted bird. If someone can confirm that the Starline 2400 War Eagle has a clean underside then I might get one or two direct from ADB, otherwise no Romulans for me.

The overall plan is to offer two versions of the Romulan ships (well, three, if you include the cloaked ones), one with eagle, one without. However, the initial line up will be a mix of the two and it may be a little while before we get round to the others. They may also be mail order only.

But, they are on the cards.

Matt: Probably the best news yet, to be honest - it looks like one of those things that had some people wowed and others upset... even though I've said I like it, even I'd sooner see a cast up close before deciding whether the engraving is too deep or not... preferably one that was just undercoated (and maybe the hull basecoated) before deciding for sure...

As said about the CC, that was one of my worries when I heard about it (I never got to see the pic) - the CC is really only a refitted Heavy Cruiser - the main upgrade being, if I recall, a Flag Bridge... so I'd just expect that to be a CA (Heavy Cruiser) with a slightly bulged/stretched upper saucer module (look on the bright side - it'd be an easy model to get done...

I think the BC is done, but there's plenty of other designs that, I agree, the rejected designs could be used for (but avoiding the L-shaped nacelles (too TNG) and being careful with any "rollbars" that might fly too close to some of the DS9 and film designs).

 

[AdrianH]

The overall plan is to offer two versions of the Romulan ships (well, three, if you include the cloaked ones), one with eagle, one without. However, the initial line up will be a mix of the two and it may be a little while before we get round to the others. They may also be mail order only.

Thanks, but the sculpted bird is only one of the problems (for me, anyway). The three hatches on the underside should not be present on what, on ADB's page about the Starline 2400 model, is described as "the Classic Romulan Warbird seen on television". In other words, this. If the version without the sculpted eagle is also minus the underside hatches then I'm back in the market for Romulan ships.

 

[BFalcon]

AdrianH: Perhaps if the hatches were really fine lines instead? You'd hardly see them on the mini once painted, but they'd need to be there on the "real" ship since it's supposed to be able to land planetside... just a thought...

 

[BFalcon]

Pictures of the Klingon E4(light frigate) are going up on ADB's page on Facebook. The link the the Starline 2500 album is here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150275699783280.349594.231728653279&l=dc5a412751

Pictures of the ship are up on the BBS: http://www.starfleetgames.com/discus/messages/27411/28081.html?1315953400

Pictures are also up on the Forum: http://www.starfleetgames.com/federation/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=4056

Enjoy!

Jean

Sorry Jean, didn't comment on this - nice ships tbh... one thing - is it just me or would it be an idea for the boom to get thicker as the ship gets smaller (I'm thinking scale requirements - since each would need decking and so on inside it, but also model practicality - the thicker the boom, the less fragile it would be, being resin). Resin does tend to be either floppy or brittle as it gets thinner, depending on the exact type used.

 

[Jean]

BFalcon, your comments have been passed on to SVC.

Jean

 

[AdrianH]

AdrianH: Perhaps if the hatches were really fine lines instead? You'd hardly see them on the mini once painted, but they'd need to be there on the "real" ship since it's supposed to be able to land planetside... just a thought...

That could work. In fact, it would be better even for those who want the undercarriage doors visible. Look at real aircraft - they don't have big bulges, they have doors which fit neatly into the fuselage or wing and are barely visible unless you're close up or are using good binoculars.

Another thought, though - could not the undercarriage doors be disguised within the eagle pattern? Not only does that remove the need for hatches which never appeared on screen, it explains how the ship seen on screen could have had undercarriage doors which are not visible. The undercarriage doors could simply be the legs plus groups of the wing feathers.

 

[Poi]

I wasn't even aware that TOS Roms could land their ships. Is that an ADB addition?

 

[scoutdad]

I wasn't even aware that TOS Roms could land their ships. Is that an ADB addition?

IIRC, the "official" blueprints for hte Romlun ship (i.e. the WarBird) had landing gear indicated, hence the ability to land on planets.

[edit]
Yep. Just checked the original blueprints.
Hatches for landing gear are present on the underside of the ship.

 

[Iain McGhee]

AFAIK all the ADB ships can land on planets. A few of them can even take off again

The Starline 2400 War Eagle has landing gear hatches, although you'd barely make them out on the finished article.

 

[Nerroth]

The way I see the first wave of ships is that the "legacy" hulls from the Franchise are about a half-step removed from the TV versions; since those are set in what the Star Fleet Universe refers to as the Middle Years, while the ones being created here incorporate the kind of refits added in by the time of the General War.

What I would personally like is the idea of there being enough room to later do a few Franz Joseph/TV designs as variants at some later date, if the demand is ever there to go back to the Middle Years... but if not, the ones being worked on are more than fine with me.


Oh, speaking of new designs...

 

[BFalcon]

DNG: LOVE IT!!! Mongoose's designer got it spot on... that's what I think of when I think of a Fed DN, to be honest... but now with more details.

ROM Sparrowhawk: OH MY GOD!!! :shock:

It's nothing like the old mini, but this is a GOOD thing, so much so, I think I'll be putting that one on my shopping list... that is one amazing ship... now if you'll excuse me, I think I need new underwear*...

I have several Hawks from the 2400 scale and wasn't too impressed with the level of detail (a job lot off ebay, before anyone asks why I bought them in that case), but did like the designs... that design's just taken a good design and make it into an all-time classic, I think.


*Kidding, but it was nearly there...

 

[Iron Domokun]

deleted

 

[Jean]

I may be late to the game, but the Romulan SparrowHawk is up/being posted. SVC wrote: I want to warn you that they won't match the existing art perfectly (although they largely will). They ARE a dramatic improvement over the existing 2400 Sparrowhawk model.

I want to go forward with this design unless there is just a total explosion of hate from you guys, so be kind.

The link to the Starline 2500 album is here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150275699783280.349594.231728653279&l=dc5a412751

The link to the BBS is here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/discus/messages/27411/28094.html?1316035395

The link to the FC Forum is here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/federation/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=4060

Enjoy!

Jean

 

[Iain McGhee]

They are a bit nice So much so that I'll be abandoning my original plan of using SFC-style Hawks and picking up some of these instead.

 

[BFalcon]

I may be late to the game, but the Romulan SparrowHawk is up/being posted. SVC wrote: I want to warn you that they won't match the existing art perfectly (although they largely will). They ARE a dramatic improvement over the existing 2400 Sparrowhawk model.

I want to go forward with this design unless there is just a total explosion of hate from you guys, so be kind.

The link to the Starline 2500 album is here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150275699783280.349594.231728653279&l=dc5a412751

The link to the BBS is here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/discus/messages/27411/28094.html?1316035395

The link to the FC Forum is here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/federation/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=4060

Enjoy!

Jean

Jean: If you read my comments, I don't think "dislike" actually came into it...

got a BIIG 2 thumbs up from me...

 

[Jean]

The Federation DNG is up on the BBS and FC Forum. I will add it to ADB's page on Facebook as soon as I can finish the SparrowHawk.

SVC wrote: This new design strikes me as powerful, much like an Iowa-class battleship (the most beautiful warship ever built).

The link to the Starline 2500 album is here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150275699783280.349594.231728653279&l=dc5a412751

The link to the BBS is here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/discus/messages/27411/28095.html?1316036145

The link to the FC Forum is here: http://www.starfleetgames.com/federation/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=4061

Enjoy!

Jean

 

[AdrianH]

I may be late to the game, but the Romulan SparrowHawk is up/being posted. SVC wrote: I want to warn you that they won't match the existing art perfectly (although they largely will). They ARE a dramatic improvement over the existing 2400 Sparrowhawk model.

I want to go forward with this design unless there is just a total explosion of hate from you guys, so be kind.

The front view looks nice, the top view looks nice, the side view looks not so nice. The "neck" section is too thick. Perhaps cut it away so that the underside, instead of coming horizontally out from the wing section and then angling up sharply, goes straight to the nose in a shallower angle? Sort of like this.

 

[Jean]

AdrianH, the comment and link have been sent to SVC. Thanks!

Jean

 

[BFalcon]

I may be late to the game, but the Romulan SparrowHawk is up/being posted. SVC wrote: I want to warn you that they won't match the existing art perfectly (although they largely will). They ARE a dramatic improvement over the existing 2400 Sparrowhawk model.

I want to go forward with this design unless there is just a total explosion of hate from you guys, so be kind.

The front view looks nice, the top view looks nice, the side view looks not so nice. The "neck" section is too thick. Perhaps cut it away so that the underside, instead of coming horizontally out from the wing section and then angling up sharply, goes straight to the nose in a shallower angle? Sort of like this.

True or maybe even a slight concave curve?

 

[Lincolnlog]

So maybe I missed something, will there be the FJD Fed DD and SC in the first release of mini's?