Small update. I still haven't started the treads or any part of the drive train yet, and will probably put that off for a while. I made a few small changes/additions and cleaned up a few things, which you can't really see but help the model maintain a smaller size, which is always nice. I took off the smaller turrets for now until I can get the final versions completed. I'm still trying to get the armor (composite plates & reactive tiles) to look right; i'm just not happy with how the tiles look yet.
Those are rocket pods attached to the sides of the turret and the main is a 140 mm rail gun. The final version of Titan will be loaded for bear and represent a version of the tank that has seen several upgrades, refits, and modifications, much in the way that a current Abrams tanks stands apart from its original incarnation.
Update....The Titan now has a sibling, intended for infantry escort, light/medium armor engagements and urban areas where the Titan's 140mm rail gun may be a bit of overkill. With the addition of twin rocket pods capable of firing both smart and dumb munitions, this new vehicle (it stills needs a cool military designation) can provide protection against targets in the air as well.
Because it doesn't carry the same level of armor and armament as its older brother, this new vehicle is faster and somewhat more maneuverable; however it must rely on the firepower of the Titan or assistance from UCAV's when facing heavy armor.
I've decreased the width of the main body for each vehicle and angled the sides to provide a bit more deflection from incoming rounds. The previous version fit inside the cargo hold of the Salva Landing Craft (which can carry three-four of these puppies) but it was a pretty tight fit, so the new slimmer body provides better working space on the Slava's cargo deck, without compromising the protection of the tracks and the main crew/engine compartment of each vehicle.
And the variant. The twin guns fire 40 mm light/medium AP rounds. The smaller turret, which I'm not happy with yet, is a 20 mm auto cannon and should be able to chew through infantry quite nicely. The rocket/missile pods (which need to be rebuilt since they're scaled up versions of the Titans's pods) are now on full turrets.
Here's the rest of what I've been working on this week.
First up, I've made a few updates to tanks. I redid the rocket/missile pods for the anti-infantry version (the Centurion) and started work on the forward 'plow' though didn't get far. Here are there weapon stats as they stand right now.
MA-25 Titan Aâ Main Battle Tank
140mm rail gun
Twin 40mm rocket pods (36 rockets each)
Two ROWS platform mounts, capable of mounting a variety of weapons.
MA-26 Centurion Aâ Infantry Interdiction Unit
1 20 mm autocannon
2 40 mm autocannon
24 60 mm guided missiles
80 40mm rockets
Next up is the new vehicle...four new vehicles really. The idea is to use a basic vehicle platform which can accept modular combat components.
From left to right:
M-22a1 Jaguar Light Utility Vehicle (this would be something like those canvas covered military transport trucks...I just don't know how to make the canvas yet.)
M-21b Puma Armored Personnel Carrier
Can carry eight marines fully loaded, including the driver and a ROWS operator.
M-20c3 Hammer Mobile Artillery
It uses a modified version of the Titan's main gun. Extended support booms in the rear provide support when the gun fires.
M-19a2 Cougar Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Similar in design and function to the Puma, however the Cougar replaces the ROWS platform with a larger dedicated turreted gun, reducing the number of marines it can carry to six. The Cougar will also carry heavier armor
There might be some other versions (like dedicated weapon platforms for anti-infantry & anti-aircraft operations) and the design itself needs a bit of refinement and it's still very much a preliminary work in progress at this point.
Lastly, I spent some time rethinking the layout of FOB Thunder, which may very well serve as the typical layout for FOB's in New Haven...specifically how the UN handles the inclusion of multiple units types within a combined air & ground fighting force. I'm going with the idea that this particular base is built upon rapid insertion by air, in this case the Slava delivering mounted platoons (Titans, Bushmasters, Centurions, Puma's and Cougars) into battle. Each Main hangar services a single Slava, which can carry up to four Titans....each smaller hangar serves as a place to work and maintain the vehicles, (with points of access allowing a platoon to drive off the base), and thirdly the housing for each platoon is right there near your vehicles so you don't have to travel far to get to them when the shooting starts.
I still have to include a location for UAV's & UCAV's, at least a place to park them. The actual operators need not actually be stationed on the base.
This is my first pass on the United Nations Headquarters Complex. The complex holds the offices for the entire General Assembly, the Security Council, the United Nations Solar Command Authority, the Office of Naval Intelligence, as well as the majority of the smaller secondary sub-components. The complex also operates and maintains the semi-permanent residence for some hundred thousand employees and their families, ranging from military personnel to Secretary General Alvaro Masai at the top of the main tower.
The tower itself stands nearly 2000 meters tall and at the time of its completion was the tallest man made structure on earth.
Now sure where the complex will be located yet or if it will be an artificial island like New Haven. IAâm leaning away from the island idea however, simply because I donAât want to take away anything from New Haven.
Some new shots of the Essex. Still not sure about the lower 'tower' yet. I like it, but it doesn't look quite right. Also the front end is 'heavy' and the engine section needs to be beefed up a bit I think.
Nice update, Jimi. I'm liking how the Ticonderoga is turning out. I may have missed it in an earlier post, but is that a hangar bay in the underside akin to a star destroyer?
Thanks. The hangar is sort of a drop bay, though the landing surfaces are on slanted walls, requiring the deck gangs to work on what would be the ceiling from our perspective.
Here are some earlier shots of the bay, showing four landed Slava Class transports.
If you look carefully, you can see a person standing on the ledge of the bay, which should help to give an idea of scale as well as the perspective of each shot.
I've been working on the turret for the Titan MBT for the past few days.
I still need to work on the Tank Commander's hatch, making it a little bigger and probably moving it back a bit. I like where it is currently, but internally, the CO would be sitting right in the middle of the autoloader for the main gun.
Additionally, I'm thinking about a crew of 4
Commander
Main Gunner
Driver
Secondary Weapons (ROWS turret and tank defense systems)
I thought about including a dedicated engineer, particularly in the case of aiding the main gun should it break down or the auto loader malfunction, but I've decided instead that all crew members will be required to know how to perform such duties and repairs. And realistically, the main gunner should be able to fix his weapon in some cases
Plus five people inside the Titan would probably be pushing it. The turret is large, but a lot of that is taken up armor, the auto loader for the main gun and various sensor packages and life support systems so that the crew can realistically fight completely from within the tank during operations in hazardous environments. All the hatches can be sealed up and the main compartments pressurized to create an internal environment for up to four days.
I've taken a bit of a break over the holidays, but I did manage to start work on the Kirov class, a heavy guided missile cruiser. This pic shows the Kirov docked with the Essex. Both are still very much WIP's.
I've started working on the Mine Plow & Upgraded Armor Kit, for the Titan MBT. And because both the Centurion Tank Support Fighting Vehicle and the Gladiator Infantry Support Vehicle both use the main body of the Titan as their base, the Kit will fit those vehicles as well.
I'm still working out exactly how the plow is going to work, so it's a bit rough at the moment.
Some new WIP's.
The Type 19 freighter in it's many variants, is the most widely used cargo transport by both the UN and the Allied Corporations. The most recent version, the H-III variant features a larger radiation shield to help protect the cargo containers and the crew, from the newly upgraded engines while operating in extended over drive. While the Over Drive function is terrible fuel inefficient, the increased performance allows for significantly shorter travel times.
First draft WIP, for a dry-dock.
I started working on a corridor this evening, and included some temp lighting. I'm going for a rather simple framed box, exposed piping, and equipment lockers.
I only rendered a cross section to make it easier to see.
Nice work, Jimi. My only thing is the massive amount of materials it would take to build that drydock. I just think it would be more feasible to make something less material intensive.
That's a good point, but at the same time we're talking about the upward trend of large scale construction projects in space. At this time, there are space stations, orbital habitats, various refineries, and a growing number of ships, most of which are all constructed entirely in space and many of which are far more material intensive structures.
The benefit of a large scale structure like this is that it not only serves as the site for any number of large construction projects, but it can also service a variety of vessels in a resupply/refueling capacity. So rather then thinking of this as something like one of those thin frame docks we see in Star Trek, instead compare it to a small station like the upscaled Regulus station we saw frequently in DS9.
I intended this to be a UN dock, but I'm thinking now that it's too advanced, so I may make it a Corporate dock; which means it needs to be vertical.
Thanks. I've been trying to move away from some of the more obvious Halo references in my designs, but if people are still seeing it, then I guess I need to try a bit harder.
I've started work on a standard Solar Positioning System & Data-Communications satellite. The idea being that there is one large general wireless service in use by almost everyone on both sides of the conflict, which is maintained by decent sized, relatively unmanned (can support engineers and maintenance crews for short times, but doesn't need a dedicated crew to operate) satellites. By allowing everyone to use one the same system, each faction doesn't have to maintain it's own system of communications satellites, but also because everyone uses the same satellites, they have to be able to handle a lot of traffic. Also, if they were faction specific, they would be clear and open targets but since everyone uses the same system, no one will dare risk taking them out because then you lose them as well.
So I'm going for a more modular look, with a definite mechanical feel, with every major component having a purpose and an actual specific function.
I've included a few sensor spikes, one main sensor dome, and a series of RCS thrusters. I'll be adding a set of solar panels in addition to the main communications antenna. I'll probably some storage tanks as well. I thought about including a small fusion reactor for power but decided the solar panels should be enough to handle the power requirements.
Three of the variants listed below....all still WIP's, though the Titan MBT is pretty close to done. From left to right, Centurion, Paladin, Titan:
It may be difficult to see, but the licsence plate on all three reads; 74205-A.
The MA-25 Titian Vehicle Platform
MA-25A4: Titan Main Battle Tank
Medium-Heavy Anti-Armor
The centerpiece of the UNEF armor corps, the Titan MBT carries a respectable armor coverage, while offering it's crew an NBC sealed environmentally.
Crew 4 (driver, commander, main gunner, secondary gunner)
Main Gun: 140mm rail gun
2x ROWS Platform
MA-25B Bridge Layer
Six have been built, but have seen little action.
MA-25C: Centurion Tank Support Vehicle
Medium-Heavy anti-armor weapons, tank hunter
2x 90mm anti-armor cannons
2x anti-armor rocket pods
1x ROWS platform
MA-25D Dedicated Mine & Improvised Explosive Device Detection Vehicle – Canceled
The MA-21f was canceled once the Mine Kit and upgraded armor package became available.
MA24F: Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle
Carry Ammunition Tracked
Carries ammunition for the Paladin Mobile Artillery vehicle.
Upgraded to the MA-24F2 which can carry ammunition for any of the Titan vehicles. A heavy armor vehicle, intended to carry and deliver ammunition and assorted supplies to front line units. Received the full Titan MA-25A4 power train upgrade to allow the addition of heavy armor and greater speed.
MA-25G: Gladiator Infantry Support Vehicle
Light-Medium anti-armor weapons, infantry suppression
1 30 mm auto-cannon
2 40 mm rocket pods
2 ROWS platforms
MA-25P: Paladin Heavy Mobile Artillery
The Paladin uses a longer barrel version of the Titan's main gun. The increased gun length allows for greater range and accuracy over longer distances.
Smaller crew
Dedicated crew, larger ammo capacity compared to the Titan.
MA-25A4 Power Train Upgrade:
Increased engine performance, suspension, and internal environment conditioning, to help better accommodate heavy armor, longer range, and a slight speed increase.
After a year of service, all new Titan vehicles were built with the upgrade as standard equipment.
Operational range: 479.24 km
With NBC system: 567.24 km)
Speed
Road: 90km/h (Governed)
Off-road: 70 km/h (Governed)
Mine Plow & Armor Upgrade Kit:
the majority of the package consists of bolt on accessories, however the undercarriage upgrade requires each vehicle be taken off-line rack lifted in order to bolt on the required belly armor.
The current production run of Titan's are no longer considered to be 'Up-Armored' since they come from the factory with the Armor Kit already installed.
Thanks. Hopefully, if I can get some more work done on the Essex class, I'll be able to actually show the Ticonderoga sporting all three turrets, as well as its offensive capabilities, the Viper Missile System.
Thanks everyone. As for the Elco, yeah there are some resemblances to the Warlock, particularly the older versions of the Elco, but the new version has some pretty significant differences I think. At any rate, the Warlock is awesome, and there are definitely worse ships to take influences from. lol
A new laser turret I made this evening. This will replace the Bulwark laser turret I posted previously as part of the defensive package installed aboard Essex Class ships. Basically, I decided to go with something a lot simpler, particularly considering the job it's doing and how similar laser based missile defense systems are already being tested. So since it's not a weapon designed to cut though a ships armored hull, it doesn't need to be a large intimidating looking weapon. Plus I like the idea of basing it on something that actually exists, which is a major theme behind the UN design style.
Posts
Those are rocket pods attached to the sides of the turret and the main is a 140 mm rail gun. The final version of Titan will be loaded for bear and represent a version of the tank that has seen several upgrades, refits, and modifications, much in the way that a current Abrams tanks stands apart from its original incarnation.
Because it doesn't carry the same level of armor and armament as its older brother, this new vehicle is faster and somewhat more maneuverable; however it must rely on the firepower of the Titan or assistance from UCAV's when facing heavy armor.
I've decreased the width of the main body for each vehicle and angled the sides to provide a bit more deflection from incoming rounds. The previous version fit inside the cargo hold of the Salva Landing Craft (which can carry three-four of these puppies) but it was a pretty tight fit, so the new slimmer body provides better working space on the Slava's cargo deck, without compromising the protection of the tracks and the main crew/engine compartment of each vehicle.
And the variant. The twin guns fire 40 mm light/medium AP rounds. The smaller turret, which I'm not happy with yet, is a 20 mm auto cannon and should be able to chew through infantry quite nicely. The rocket/missile pods (which need to be rebuilt since they're scaled up versions of the Titans's pods) are now on full turrets.
First up, I've made a few updates to tanks. I redid the rocket/missile pods for the anti-infantry version (the Centurion) and started work on the forward 'plow' though didn't get far. Here are there weapon stats as they stand right now.
MA-25 Titan Aâ Main Battle Tank
140mm rail gun
Twin 40mm rocket pods (36 rockets each)
Two ROWS platform mounts, capable of mounting a variety of weapons.
MA-26 Centurion Aâ Infantry Interdiction Unit
1 20 mm autocannon
2 40 mm autocannon
24 60 mm guided missiles
80 40mm rockets
Next up is the new vehicle...four new vehicles really. The idea is to use a basic vehicle platform which can accept modular combat components.
From left to right:
M-22a1 Jaguar Light Utility Vehicle (this would be something like those canvas covered military transport trucks...I just don't know how to make the canvas yet.)
M-21b Puma Armored Personnel Carrier
Can carry eight marines fully loaded, including the driver and a ROWS operator.
M-20c3 Hammer Mobile Artillery
It uses a modified version of the Titan's main gun. Extended support booms in the rear provide support when the gun fires.
M-19a2 Cougar Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Similar in design and function to the Puma, however the Cougar replaces the ROWS platform with a larger dedicated turreted gun, reducing the number of marines it can carry to six. The Cougar will also carry heavier armor
There might be some other versions (like dedicated weapon platforms for anti-infantry & anti-aircraft operations) and the design itself needs a bit of refinement and it's still very much a preliminary work in progress at this point.
Lastly, I spent some time rethinking the layout of FOB Thunder, which may very well serve as the typical layout for FOB's in New Haven...specifically how the UN handles the inclusion of multiple units types within a combined air & ground fighting force. I'm going with the idea that this particular base is built upon rapid insertion by air, in this case the Slava delivering mounted platoons (Titans, Bushmasters, Centurions, Puma's and Cougars) into battle. Each Main hangar services a single Slava, which can carry up to four Titans....each smaller hangar serves as a place to work and maintain the vehicles, (with points of access allowing a platoon to drive off the base), and thirdly the housing for each platoon is right there near your vehicles so you don't have to travel far to get to them when the shooting starts.
I still have to include a location for UAV's & UCAV's, at least a place to park them. The actual operators need not actually be stationed on the base.
The tower itself stands nearly 2000 meters tall and at the time of its completion was the tallest man made structure on earth.
Now sure where the complex will be located yet or if it will be an artificial island like New Haven. IAâm leaning away from the island idea however, simply because I donAât want to take away anything from New Haven.
Here are some earlier shots of the bay, showing four landed Slava Class transports.
If you look carefully, you can see a person standing on the ledge of the bay, which should help to give an idea of scale as well as the perspective of each shot.
I've been working on the turret for the Titan MBT for the past few days.
I still need to work on the Tank Commander's hatch, making it a little bigger and probably moving it back a bit. I like where it is currently, but internally, the CO would be sitting right in the middle of the autoloader for the main gun.
Additionally, I'm thinking about a crew of 4
Commander
Main Gunner
Driver
Secondary Weapons (ROWS turret and tank defense systems)
I thought about including a dedicated engineer, particularly in the case of aiding the main gun should it break down or the auto loader malfunction, but I've decided instead that all crew members will be required to know how to perform such duties and repairs. And realistically, the main gunner should be able to fix his weapon in some cases
Plus five people inside the Titan would probably be pushing it. The turret is large, but a lot of that is taken up armor, the auto loader for the main gun and various sensor packages and life support systems so that the crew can realistically fight completely from within the tank during operations in hazardous environments. All the hatches can be sealed up and the main compartments pressurized to create an internal environment for up to four days.
I'm still working out exactly how the plow is going to work, so it's a bit rough at the moment.
The Type 19 freighter in it's many variants, is the most widely used cargo transport by both the UN and the Allied Corporations. The most recent version, the H-III variant features a larger radiation shield to help protect the cargo containers and the crew, from the newly upgraded engines while operating in extended over drive. While the Over Drive function is terrible fuel inefficient, the increased performance allows for significantly shorter travel times.
First draft WIP, for a dry-dock.
I started working on a corridor this evening, and included some temp lighting. I'm going for a rather simple framed box, exposed piping, and equipment lockers.
I only rendered a cross section to make it easier to see.
The benefit of a large scale structure like this is that it not only serves as the site for any number of large construction projects, but it can also service a variety of vessels in a resupply/refueling capacity. So rather then thinking of this as something like one of those thin frame docks we see in Star Trek, instead compare it to a small station like the upscaled Regulus station we saw frequently in DS9.
I intended this to be a UN dock, but I'm thinking now that it's too advanced, so I may make it a Corporate dock; which means it needs to be vertical.
Old version, of which there were a few different versions.
The New Version
There are some scaling issues with the AeroRam that I haven't fixed yet.
So I'm going for a more modular look, with a definite mechanical feel, with every major component having a purpose and an actual specific function.
I've included a few sensor spikes, one main sensor dome, and a series of RCS thrusters. I'll be adding a set of solar panels in addition to the main communications antenna. I'll probably some storage tanks as well. I thought about including a small fusion reactor for power but decided the solar panels should be enough to handle the power requirements.
It may be difficult to see, but the licsence plate on all three reads; 74205-A.
MA-25A4: Titan Main Battle Tank
Medium-Heavy Anti-Armor
The centerpiece of the UNEF armor corps, the Titan MBT carries a respectable armor coverage, while offering it's crew an NBC sealed environmentally.
Crew 4 (driver, commander, main gunner, secondary gunner)
Main Gun: 140mm rail gun
2x ROWS Platform
MA-25B Bridge Layer
Six have been built, but have seen little action.
MA-25C: Centurion Tank Support Vehicle
Medium-Heavy anti-armor weapons, tank hunter
2x 90mm anti-armor cannons
2x anti-armor rocket pods
1x ROWS platform
MA-25D Dedicated Mine & Improvised Explosive Device Detection Vehicle – Canceled
The MA-21f was canceled once the Mine Kit and upgraded armor package became available.
MA24F: Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle
Carry Ammunition Tracked
Carries ammunition for the Paladin Mobile Artillery vehicle.
Upgraded to the MA-24F2 which can carry ammunition for any of the Titan vehicles. A heavy armor vehicle, intended to carry and deliver ammunition and assorted supplies to front line units. Received the full Titan MA-25A4 power train upgrade to allow the addition of heavy armor and greater speed.
MA-25G: Gladiator Infantry Support Vehicle
Light-Medium anti-armor weapons, infantry suppression
1 30 mm auto-cannon
2 40 mm rocket pods
2 ROWS platforms
MA-25P: Paladin Heavy Mobile Artillery
The Paladin uses a longer barrel version of the Titan's main gun. The increased gun length allows for greater range and accuracy over longer distances.
Smaller crew
Dedicated crew, larger ammo capacity compared to the Titan.
Range dumb rounds:
25 Kilometers
Smart Rounds (m17 Copperhead)
75 kilometers
1x ROWS platform or 1x Rocket Pod
MA-25A4 Power Train Upgrade:
Increased engine performance, suspension, and internal environment conditioning, to help better accommodate heavy armor, longer range, and a slight speed increase.
After a year of service, all new Titan vehicles were built with the upgrade as standard equipment.
Operational range: 479.24 km
With NBC system: 567.24 km)
Speed
Road: 90km/h (Governed)
Off-road: 70 km/h (Governed)
Mine Plow & Armor Upgrade Kit:
the majority of the package consists of bolt on accessories, however the undercarriage upgrade requires each vehicle be taken off-line rack lifted in order to bolt on the required belly armor.
The current production run of Titan's are no longer considered to be 'Up-Armored' since they come from the factory with the Armor Kit already installed.
From left to right
The Bulwark Long Range Missile Interception Laser Turret
The Aeroram Medium Range Missile Interception System
The Type 73 Short Range Railgun Turret
I especially like the satellite.
Also, that's very sensible of your two factions. If say, China and the US went to war, I doubt they'd be so gentle with the internet