So I made a ship concept a while back that I abandoned due to realizing I couldn't edit the OP and I had written the description in such a way (and hadn't fleshed out the concept beforehand) that people had a lot of trouble understanding what I was trying to get across, and just kept saying the ship was a copy of the Mobula. I have since learned more of the game, and believe I can now get the concept across better. While I still won't be able to edit the post due to the illogical limitations placed on the forums by Muse, I can at least ask Mods to do it for me, even if I still feel that's really unfair to put the work on the mods like that. That all said, here's my revamped and expanded concept for the Zenith.
StatisticsI am going to start with a simplistic conceptual version of the stats for the ship, using a 1-5 scale based on the graphic used to display ship stats in the game when modifying a ship.
Speed 2.5 (vertical speed is above average, horizontal speed is just a bit below average)
Maneuverability 3.5 (horizontal acceleration is high, vertical acceleration is below average, turning speed is slightly above average, able to get really good altitude)
Durability 2
Armor 3.5
Firepower 4 (6 guns, but see below)
The ship is broken down into 2 levels, similar to the Mobula, but different. Engines and guns are semi-shielded by the hull from attacks to the sides (and front or back, depending on which level the component is on). Guns are angled either up or down depending on which level the gun is on. Upper guns are protected from the front of the ship, while lower guns are protected from the back.
DetailsThe ship is slightly narrow but long, similar to a skiff in shape. The front of the ship is where the primary ladder down to the lower deck is. The lower deck extends slightly beyond the upper deck, with places near the lower side guns where it is possible to "parkour" up and down to get between decks, although it is tricky. The rear of the top deck has a raised section (like in the picture). The section near the balloon also has "parkour holes", allowing a view straight through the ship to the bottom from the angle where the wheel for the captain sits due to the area around the Medium gun being mostly open.
The top deck has 3 light guns angled 30 degrees up and pointing to the rear, with the "side" guns pointing to the rear at a 30 degree angle to either side. Located at the middle of the top deck is the balloon, with the main engine located dead center to the rear. The pilot wheel is located on the raised section at the rear, with the main engine underneath the raised section. On the rear of the raised section is the rear middle gun, with the side rear guns to either side on the lower section.
The lower deck has 2 light guns and 1 medium gun. The Medium gun is angled straight down (and to the front if it matters), and near the front of the ship. The two light guns are located off to either side of the main section of the lower deck, but angled 45 degrees down and 20 degrees to either side from the front. Along the rest of the lower deck is the Hull compotent location, and to either side is the side engines (located near the "parkour" entrance to the lower deck). Due to their positions, the hull partially covers the guns from attacks from the sides and behind.
In theory this ship has no blind spots, since there are guns that can hit you no matter what side you approach from. However, due to the angles the guns are at, there are blind spots foward and above, as well as behind and below the ship. Immediately to either side may or may not put you in the firing arc of two of the side guns (one top, and one bottom), while forward and below will definitely put you in the firing arc of 2 guns, and 3 guns if you approach from above and behind. Obviously getting immediately below the ship is a death sentence, as there the medium gun can actually hit you.
Update as of 3/13/14This is a remake of a remake of a ship concept now. Originally designed this as a bomber, but now I'm changing to a concept yet again. So here it is, the Zenith Mark II
StatisticsThe ship is broken down into 2 levels, similar to the Mobula, but there the differences end. To start, lets give an overview of the layout.
DetailsThe ship is slightly narrow but long, similar to a skiff in shape. The front of the ship is where the primary ladder down to the lower deck is. The rear of the top deck has a raised section (like in the picture). The section near the balloon also has a massive hole, allowing a view straight through the ship to the bottom from the angle where the wheel for the captain sits due to the area around the Medium gun being mostly open. The balloon is attached via cables to the sides of the ship at the front (like a sail), with the space immediately below it empty, allowing a clear view from the front of the ship to behind the ship.
The top deck has 3 light guns located at the rear of the ship. Located at the front of the top deck is the balloon, with the main engine located dead center to the rear, behind the raised section and partially covered by it. The pilot wheel is located on top of the raised section at the rear. On the rear of the raised section is the rear middle gun, with the side rear guns to either side on the lower section. All three guns point to the rear. Just before the stairs that lead up to the raised section, and the edge of the hole in the deck, is the ladder leading between the decks.
The lower deck has 2 light guns and 1 medium gun. The medium gun points foward. The two light guns are located off to either side of the main section of the lower deck, pointing to their respective sides. Along the rest of the lower deck is the Hull compotent location which is located right next to the ladder, and to either side is the side engines. The rear guns would be to either side of the side engines if they were on the same deck.
In theory this ship has no blind spots, since there are guns that can hit you no matter what side you approach from. However, due to the locations the guns are at, the lower deck guns cannot fire up very easily due to the deck being in the way, while the upper deck guns likewise cannot fire down very easily, and have limited firing arcs due to the hull also being in the way. But here's the twist.
Located next to every gun is an interactable button. By stepping on the button, the gun that corresponds with that button will switch decks and positions as follows:
Middle rear gun (pilot's gun): lower deck facing foward, able to fire through the holes in the deck normally used by the other guns and various empty spaces.
Left and Right upper deck guns: lower deck pointing to either side with same setup as the forward side guns.
Medium gun: upper deck facing back toward the ship (the balloon is directly behind it). It has a clear shot in all directions up.
Left and Right lower deck guns: upper deck pointing forward, limited clearance to the sides due to the hull.
If a player is on a gun that has the button pushed, the gun will move the person using the gun with it. As a possible fix to stop trolls, moving a gun with a gunner in it might require the gunner to right click to confirm the move.
The above is merely a first rough draft. Suggestions on positions for the guns are welcome. I am likely to reduce the number of guns available as well. The end goal is to either make it so it is only possible to cover 3 sides of the ship at any one time, or make it so it is only possible to EFFECIENTLY cover 2-3 sides at a time (this option would require making it possible to get 2 guns pointed to any particular side, while requiring at least 1, maybe as many as 2 different sides only having 1 gun covering it, while perhaps also still having the possibility of no guns covering a side).