Perhaps the specific rules for hangars should be optional, as bonus points. However, I believe that it should be mandatory that all entries have a hangar of some sort. I really want to see ships with hangars. There really were not many ships in the old challenge with hangars and that had me disappointed. Further, it's a whole lot easier to design a ship without a hangar that meets the other requirements. A hangar takes up a lot of volume, which means more weight. And more weight means needing more thrusters, RCS, etc. I think a specific hangar requirement helps to keep everyone on a level playing field, so to speak. (Perhaps a hangar requirement should have a mandatory minimum volume, in blocks?) Sounds like a plan.
This is going to sound corny. Everybody wins just by participating because the community gets more great designs and people often learn new tricks. As for an actual winner my vote is for voting
A voting system where you can pick your top 5 favorites (numerically) would allow for more flexibility than just one vote, and give enough scores to calculate winners for 1st/2nd/3rd place. First pick for a voter gets 5 points, second gets 4, etc. As long as the ships meet all the requirements, a point value per requirement item shouldn't matter. That would be subjective to the voters when they pick their favorites anyway. If any ship deviates from the requirements, either it's disqualified or assigned a penalty (-X votes).
I suppose anyone can start a challenge/competition and what rules to follow. Then up to anyone to participate or comment (maybe). This one is over so not much point in discussing it, rather have your own. But not my thread, so not up to me.
Ah, missed that memo ... Then hopefully it starts with what is the main point in whatever the build rules will be, purpose of the vessel/base. Voting seems often biased against looks, not function. Maybe can add "weight" to the different parameters/requirements. Could also have points for cost and unlock level (and readiness for upgrades/modifications), maneuverability, repair-ability, combat strength, and so on. In 0.8.0 you probably get "repair to blueprint", so those that build complicated can get their vessels easily repaired. Just that in a combat situation that probably cannot be used, so then to (get some distance to) pop out and repair would not be so easy. Also if it is for MP or SP could determine some building decisions too.
Another question, wait for 8.0 to drop before opening? (Because it may change the resource requirements) Or is everyone itching to have a go at it now?
I am itching for something to do while I wait for 0.8. My opinion is wait to see if there is an anouncment by the end of the week and if nothing gets posted then post the challenge. I am starting a single player game and farming resources now. I will build my submission for this ship in survival. Should keep me busy a while Cheers,
FWIW, I agree with having a hangar requirement. I share Thundercraft's pain in wishing more of the previous contest entries had hangars. Since this challenge is targeted a bit larger in ship size, I think it is fair. I think incorporating a big hangar (or a couple smaller ones) in a design while keeping the overall ship size manageable, the costs reasonable, and still making it not ugly is challenging, and good to make the competitors work at it. I don't do it well, so I'm hoping to see some of the experts show off. Maybe I get some new ships to play with... maybe I even learn something?
Part of a hangar can actually consist of grow plots (if airtight), since those plants have no collision (will not break if a HV/SV is parked on them). BTW my submission had a small hangar. I use mostly small HV/SV too. But it was not a "pretty" vessel, very functional and cheap (and easy to build/repair/modify). Take away weight and generator (overload) limitations of the challenge, the performance and outside look would have been different.
True, you can do that... but it's kind of immersion-breaking to be landing on your plants. Not to mention when your ship is parked it might be hard to harvest your crops. And I guess you also see your crops sprouting through the floor of your SV? Will ships actually clamp down on grow plots? I've also abused grow plots in the past (I once converted a whole corridor into grow plots to squeeze them in to a design with no space for them) but I do prefer for aesthetics not to require the player to ever walk through/drive through grow plots just to navigate the ship.
Yeah. Was more like "only" using 1 row (of a farm) on each side (or end) of a hangar floor, depends on the HV/SV shape and size, and CV requirements. Have one CV where the middle is a row of cargo boxes (and a repair bay), with farms on each side (3x6). Then 5-7 block wide CV/HV fits nicely, where the plants can still be picked easily (choose the plants there to match too).
What about height? Given that grow lights have to be the block immediately above the plant, doesn't that mean the bay is only 2 block high? Are most SV/HV's that are 5-7 blocks wide able to fit in 2 blocks high?
1 CV block = 3 SV/HV blocks (3x3x3 as a cube). So you can have 9 blocks wide SV (in my CV). If wings, then they can fit below the 6 block high, with 6 more blocks at each wing tip (if even larger farm with 2 sections of grow pots on each side). Also the middle 9 blocks can be the height you want, just limited by the game max "height". Assumed the grow lights have collision (solid block) ... SV: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1283469403
I am working on a rule compilation but I have a quick question. Would under docking qualify as part of the hanger requirement? What about a flight deck? I will link the Feynman as an example of both.
IMHO, flight decks and under docks shouldn't count the same as real pressurized and covered hangars; they are a lot easier to implement cheaply. But I wouldn't be against them counting somehow, like 50% of the value of a similar size hangar.
Flight decks are a bit to easy in my books. I mean they can fit and look great sometimes but it should not count the same as a real hangar. One could argue that you cannot use a HV in space so why would a HV dock be pressurized. But I would reply that it allows you to transfer the loot, service and repair them while in space. Just my 2 cents worth of course.
Ok, I will leave that out. Side note, the new challenge thread has been posted. https://empyriononline.com/threads/challenge-single-t1-large-generator-cv.36688/
