Feedback requested: Starship Illustration format.

[wbnc]

Just playing around looking for a way to show off a vessel from various angles and present some fairly basic info on the layout of the vessel. Any feedback or suggestions? this would be a full page illustration if I used it.

Possible alterations. Small stat block in lower right corner. Tonnage, Hull, Armor,Crew, performance, Typical weapons load.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

The look from an angle with background is prettiest, the look from an angle with a descriptive block is most useful.

The front, side, and down views are not really necessary, unless the design is very complex.

In general I would probably prefer a single large view with the descriptive text block.

 

[Annatar Giftbringer]

(Accidental double-post removed)

 

[Annatar Giftbringer]

Well, if it has to be one I agree that the angled view with info is the most useful, but I've always liked to have three-ways too. How about putting the three next to the angled one, but smaller? Perhaps simpler too, due to the smaller scale (e.g no colour)

Main view from an angle diagonally across the image, descriptions in one corner, three-way view in opposite corner. Perhaps as you say a small stat block with the most important info such as thrust, armour sensor DM.

 

[wbnc]

Okay this is basically what the page would look like. without three view images. Reducing the size of the labeled image to make room for a 3 view panel makes the print very difficult to read at standard page sizes. So I think the three view would be reserved for vessels with a layout that is hard to picture from just one image. Font size and color would be tweaked to be more legible. Stats are just placeholders for illustration purposes.

 

[arcador]

I like the ship

However, the font color is killing me.

Hopefully, this can aid you in selecting a better color for the font https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-font-color-for-text-on-a-grey-background-screen

 

[-Daniel-]

I like the layout quite a bit. The only time I like the top views are when I am making my own chits for use in a map game of ship combat.

I do have to agree with arcador though, the red type on the forum is just too much red. Make it black and tone down the back ground color in the form and it would look much better in my opinion.

 

[Solomani666]

Nice ship.
I think in a 3I setting that 1000 tons would be classified as a frigate.

 

[wbnc]

Nice ship.
I think in a 3I setting that 1000 tons would be classified as a frigate.

thanks.
its a 10k-ton ship I have the 1K little brother to this one around here somewhere.

usually, I classify anything 800 to 1500 as a corvette, with frigates ranging from 1 to 5 K tons.

 

[FreeTrav]

I like the sample page, except that for the stats, you want the text to be black and the grey background to be somewhat lighter. Separately, I'd like to see deck plans, and not isometric ones, either - plain black-and-white line drawings are ideal.

 

[GarethL]

I'd go the other way - white or very light grey for the text, but as long as the contrast is high it should be fine,

For colours I have always found that following the heraldic schema helps - the colours are divided into metals (yellow, white) and colours (blue, red, purple, black, green and orange), to get decent contrast use one from one group and one from the other (so no red on black for example, but white or yellow on black are fine). It is basic, but it does give you a decent starting point.

With that being said...

If you expect your customers to print the stat block out, try to minimise the large areas of block colour - at the moment Mongooses stat blocks for NPCs, ships and creatures are dreadful to print...

 

[phavoc]

I like the summary illustration. Though in some instances you may want to put the numbers or description off to the side and draw a line to where you are referring to. This will help keep the image cleaner so you can see the details better while still allowing you to label that which you feel needs labeling.