Work continues on the bomber and refining the interceptor, but nothing worth showing here yet. For the curious, a few incremental updates can be seen in screenshots here:
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Looking good! With that much bulk to the side carriage, that extra engine is really looking like it fits! Cockpit looks good too!
And incomparably better cockpit there.
The attack bomber is starting to take shape:
Trying to get the team and stripe coverage to something I’m happy with, then its the details!
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Yummy! Those vent textures are very well fitted; you’re really getting the hang of making the texture details match the geometry details!
I can show you some progress on the bomber, although the textures are still a bit sparse. I am having second thoughts about the bomber concept (its just so ugly!), so I may stop work on it for a while and revisit it later… Anyway, here are some screenshots (spot the shameless self-promotion in the textures!)
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Try taking the rear of the 2 pods and merging them into one. Keep the front Asymmetry but merge the back together into a single engine exhaust. See if you like it more… just a thought.
You may want to stretch the length a bit to accommodate this.
Careful not to get into Kushan territory.
If anything, what I would recommend if you want to add some sleekness or whatever to the ship, to scoop the bottom, giving it a bit more of an arched appearance. The bomb side pod really looks pretty tasty, so I would hate to see this thing get changed a WHOLE lot in the geometry department.
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I do have a completely new concept in the back of my mind, but I’m going to let it stew for a while. Perhaps this ship will grow on me over time 
Man, it’s much better to figure out your model before you start even UV mapping.
Anyway the feedback: It doesn’t look bad at all, the whole body is nice, the weapon pod is nice. It’s just that the cockpit gives it a bit too harmless face. (Even thought it’s much much better than your first one, that was just a bevelled box)
Maybe a little less of this:
http://www.museumofflight.org/files/GrummanA6-E-Intruder_P2.jpg
And a little more of this?:
There’s nothing wrong with the whole bomber in my opinion, its overall shape, that’s good.
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I think you are right, but I am still very much in a learning phase, so its all good experience! However, on that basis, let me try to get this model right before I UV map it…
Taiidan Republic Assault Corvette, inspired by another @Talros sketch:
I have wanted to see a decent triple-engined corvette for a long time, and I think this one has mileage…
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Each new ship is a class above the previous one. You’re getting progressively better and better.
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Oh, I like that! Oh, how I like do that! Many, many thumbs up!
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Oh yes, progress. That looks pretty much promising. Don’t stop, keep practicing and one day you’ll be one the best.
Best luck, comrade.
It is time to share some of the conceptual/storyline thinking behind the Taiidan Republic mod. The original mod had an extensive storyline, which was in my view slightly convoluted (there was even talk of involving the Kadeshi at one stage!), so here is my attempt to re-tell the original back story in a simplified way. The aim was to create a Taiidan Republic story that is simple and engaging but also dovetails well with the existing canon…
###From the Cataclysm manual:
[color=#00CCFF]Even after the death of the Emperor, the new Taiidan Republic has had anything but a smooth ride from tyranny to democracy. What was supposed to be a quick and relatively painless coup flared into a full blown civil war after the battle of Hiigara. Various factions tried to seize control of the Empire, while entire sectors fought for independence. After 5 years of skirmishes and all-out battles, the Taiidan Republic finally stabilized and established an uneasy peace within itself…but by the time the shooting stopped, only 60 out of a 150 star systems were willing to call themselves Taiidani. Most of these loyal worlds are centered in the Galactic Core, while the spiral regions of the old Empire have splintered into a variety of small kingdoms, duchies and independent democratic states.
The Republic is still struggling to restore order both internally and externally and has met with some success. In year 6 AL (9516 GSY), the Republic signed a formal non-aggression and co-operation pact with the Exiles, which recognized their ancient claim to Hiigara. A 5-light-year sphere of influence was also granted the new Hiigarans, in recognition of their aid to the Republic during the dark days of the Coup. Currently, the Republic and Hiigara share excellent relations, which has only been helped by the Republic’s willingness to extradite war criminals who took part in the Kharakian Genocide. The Republic also re-established trade relations with the enigmatic Bentusi, and it is rumored that the Bentusi have been crucial in supplying the new Republic with the technology, infrastructure and information it needs. Despite these advances, the Republic continues to splinter away system after system as local leaders decide they are better off on their own, than to be drawn into any Taiidani conflict to come.
While most analysts are still debating whether the worst is over for the Taiidan Republic, all agree that stability needs to be based on military security for the former Empire. With a few years of planning time, the Republic has stopped trying to match the Imperialist factions on a gun-to-gun basis, and are now trying to seize the high ground by using advanced technologies. The Taiidani military invested vast amounts of their financial reserves in manpower, for a few crucial fleet Research Stations. Their hope was of making ship design and weapon breakthroughs that would allow them to defend the Republic’s borders with a vastly reduced fleet. All the progress made by the Republic could be destroyed overnight, should the surviving Imperialists find a way to overthrow the Republic, and return a new Emperor to the ancient Throne of Worlds.[/color]
###Taiidan Republic Mod story:
[color=#FCE922]In the years following the failure of the Nomad Project, the Taiidan Republic fleet succeeded in stabilising the borders of the Republic and consolidating control over its territory. Attracted by the promise of stability and security, some of the systems that had previously declared independance from the Republic sought to rejoin it. In 9547 GSY the Republic began a program of fleet renewal, with new ship designs tailored to the needs of the fleet. Technologies and fleet doctrine were developed in collaboration with the Republic’s closest ally - Hiigara. By 9550 GSY the Republic had entered a period of peace and relative prosperity. Clashes with Imperial and Turanic Raider forces were largely limited to the rimward border regions and enemy ships rarely penetrated beyond the En Gedi belt. In the years that followed the Republic fleet’s main activities were patrolling the frontier and protecting the ever-expanding trade routes as commerce flourished.
The Imperial fleets, which once threatened the existance of the Republic, were now regarded merely as a nuissance on the frontier. Even the proclamation of the “New Empire” in 9597 GSY did little to disturb the confident atmosphere that filled the courts of the senate on the planet Taiidan. However in 9609 GSY came the first rumours of vast fleets moving through the Vaygr reaches, conquering all who stood in their way. It was some years befores the Vaygr threat was understood in the Taiidan Republic, but in 9619 GSY the news came of the first confirmed attack on a Republic mining outpost by Vaygr ships, marking the start of an undeclared war. Since that time Vaygr raids have increased steadily and analysts note that the raids have stepped up in frequency and scale recently. More recently there have been unconfirmed reports of small combined Imperial-Vaygr fleets operating sercretly near Thaddis Sabbah…[/color]
###Timeline (GSY dates)
9510 - Exiles return, Republic founded
9516 - non-aggression pact signed with Hiigara
9525 - Nomad Project & Beast War
9547 - Start of fleet reform program
9550 - Start of the “Golden Age” of the Taiidan Republic
9597 - New Taiidan Empire declared, Taiidan Imperials united under an Emperor who is supported by the Vaygr
9609 - Rumours of new Vaygr crusades
9619 - First confirmed act of Vaygr aggression against Republic - attack on a mining outpost
9625 - Vaygr War - Taiidan Imperial fleet invades the Republic in overwhelming force
9628 - The Taiidan Republic is finally fully liberated from Vaygr/Imperial forces
###Fleet Plan
And now for the ships! Below is a list of the planned ships for the Taiidan Republic fleet. As you will see, the current plan has some interesting platforms, no mobile refinery and only three frigates. The hope is to create a balanced fleet that will complement the vanilla HW2 factions but will also give the player some interesting new options.
- Fighters
- Scout - unarmed
- Interceptor (latest screenshots)
- Bomber (latest screenshots)
- Corvettes
- Assault Corvette (latest screenshots)
- Minelayer Corvette
- EMP Corvette
- Platforms
- Light Platform
- Heavy Platform
- Utility Platform - resoucre drop off, can build collectors
- Hangar Platform - for docking strike craft
- Frigates
- Assault Frigate
- Capture Frigate
- Ion Cannon Frigate
- Capital Ships
- Destroyer
- Carrier
- Light cruiser
- Heavy cruiser
- Shipyard
- Flagship
- Utility Ships
- Collector
- Proximity sensor
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Hangar platform, that’s original.
I’m intrigued by both the hangar and utility platform. I do fear this roster might be a little too tiny, but no way of knowing for sure at present. In any case one of these ships will probably have to be a dedicated corvette killer to be in keeping with HW2’s tendency toward having hard counters for everything.
Mate, 21 units isn’t tiny. 
Let him stick with that, it’s better to set a goal and build on it ‘after’ you finish it, than paralize yourself with feature creep.
21 ships to model, set up, texture and balance is more than plenty enough.
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Well, lol, when you put it that way…
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