The Romulan Starbase in the original BOTF looked like this.



I was thinking of a new design like this.







The new design is not textured so try to look at the lines only. I love the very nicely skinned original but was not personally happy with the shape. Before I put more work into it I wanted to know if the fans mind having a new shape to the Starbase that diverges from the original BOTF. What suggestions do you have for the project?

These are cities in space. The "door" can take in a ship of the line. Oooh, I think I can see one in the door.

I can picture this with a sweet Rom emblem on it. However, Is there a way in the end it will look a bit more. menacing? I know you have no colors on it right now.

I'm not sure how to describe what I mean, but it is just missing that "little" something.

Good point - More teeth, less mushroom.... I will work on it. Dark colors and red lights should help too.

the image in the middle reminds me of the "thingies" from War of the Worlds.
Anyway, I always preferred the romulan outpost: in my opinion it would look better as a starbase and the original starbase would look better as an outpost.
Those tubes in the bottom look good to me, maybe if they were a bit smaller, dunno...

The tubes actually remind me of something that would likely exist in earlier Trek time. Obvious tubes like that seem to be the way of the past. How many things have tubes in them in TNG?

TNG is all about new technology, sleek apperances, etc, etc. As the technology gets better, the apperances are more streamlined, and overall, things are more effecient.

It'd be a great outpost. The top is distinctly Romulan. I'm not sure what the Dominion outpost is supposed to look like, but perhaps the bottom of that could be incorporated in some way as an outpost.

I would not change the top "Mushroom" area. That is fine and when you skin it it will look cool. But like Azh said is it abut streamlining , bt my thought is that focus is more Federation then other Majors. what I was speaking of was adding something with "Teeth" to the lower area. To give it that Menacing aspect. As it stands it looks inviting from a distance, but then when you get closer or close enough to really "see" it you think WHOA Warp 9 +++ to get us outta here!

Here is my thought, I apologize for the mess;



See what I mean?? Hmm this is not all that I was thinking.. but kinda gives a visual.. sorry for messing it up.

The tube things really remind of early Federation Outposts as the other guys said. I personally think you should scrap them, Kenneth. Don't take that badly, just take it as being right visual, wrong Empire.

I think the original Romulan designs were going in the right direction - Outposts and especially Starbases are thriving hubs of activity - they need lots of docking ports - and the "arms" would make perfect docking ports.

They would also be useful for sensor suites, labs, weapon emplacements, and so on.

The Romulans are a secretive, enigmatic race. The prefect station for them would be one that lures you into a false sense of security. From a distance, it should look friendly and inviting...but up close, it should make you want to run crying for mummy!

By the way, I found a site that has the Romulan Outpost textures split into separate sections. It may be useful for reference purposes, kenneth.

Outpost Textures

The site has other models as well - although NOT all from Star Trek. There is a Defiant, Ambassador, Excelsior, and a Phoenix on there.

The Catalogue

All very good points and a lot of help guys - the build of this base - outpost is hitting the upper limits on complexity for a model in this game so streamline to bad looking attitude will make it more video card efficient at the same time. (Update to follow)

Or I will flop the base and post around as you suggest...

Perhaps shorten the tubes then add the "top" to tha bottom like the mes i made.

To me the old botf base looks like a cross between an old coffee pot spout and an oil lantern that was modded lol to make it a base. (Thinking all I need is a wick and a lighter! lol)

OK. I will turn the "Starbase" into the "Outpost." There is also now a docking arm and enhancement to the bottom sensor array as requested. The tanks will signify the low tech level of the early part of the game and the outpost stage. I will post further under the existing outpost thread in the job section. thanks to everyone for assistance.

Outpost One, Romulan

The work in progress Romulan Starbase One.

Now this is interesting. Has the Romulan flow, yet anyone who dares get to close can feel the bite. lol

My sense anyway... Very good.

Looks good mate.

I concur that you're on the right track. I noticed them in the NB forums too and I like how things are turning out.

Excellent, and i love the way you've incorporated the "bird" into the Outpost One design

Another Idea. Just to add to what you have as I love it!.. Take a copy of one of the outrigger/arms and add it to the back center. that would really complete the feel of a Starbase, and as an out post you could leave it as is
so to speak..

What does everyone else think... (Picture what I'm talking about first )

Hmm...to be honest, i'm getting confused with these models now, Kenneth.

For the Starbase, what we would like, (It doesn't HAVE to be this way, but would it be cool) is a station that looks like it has the Outpost as its backbone - the Starbase should look like it started off as the Outpost - which it will - but was then added to and upgraded over time, eventually becoming the gargantuan that it now is.

For this reason, I think you should swap the models round, so the Outpost becomes the Stabase and the Starbase becomes the Outpost. The reason for this is that the Outpost has the bird-like structure at the top of it but has nothing else added to it. The Starbase has the bird at the top AND the big "tanks" underneath it - it looks like it started off with the Outpost and the Tanks were added as it was upgraded. They certainly wouldn't take the tanks away and make the base smaller to ugrade it!

This change wouldn't require any model changes, it would just be a matter of swapping them round.

So this would the the Outpost:


And this would be the Starbase:


Of course, this would cause problems if we decided that all the stations would be different - if we're gonna have different models for the Outpost 1 and Outpost 2, then we would have to make it look like the Starbase 1 "evolved" from the Outpost 1, and the Starbase 2 evolved from the Starbase 2.

This would take more work, but would certainly add that little extra touch to the game(s). The alternative would be to have the same model but different textures for the bases, but more models would be just plain cooler.

Anyways, what do people think?

Good then. I will push forward with all these ideas. In the mean time this thread could be closed and or moved over to jobs / outpost.

Eh, the introduction of visible tanks as an "upgraded" model goes against the visual tendancies of Star Trek. Besides... chances are good that whatever is in those tanks won't exactly be phase/photon friendly. So if the shields go down, they are a VERY obvious target which means the structure would have nearly 0 hull durability. Unless they hold tribbles.

If that's the case, the tubes should be added to the Klingon starbase and it will be renamed "Klingon Prison Outpost". Perfect!

But seriously... I cannot picture any modern Trek era structure or ship with visible tube containers, and the obvious weakeness they present would decrease the durability of the starbase when compared to the previous Outpost. I understand where you are coming from, MoE, and I'd like to see the old inside the new since that is how they are built. But I'd rather see the models appear to be relevant in the era they are available first and not out of place.

Not to mention that the Cardassian starbase would prove to be difficult to find the original outpost in it considering the central part of the starbase is rather small, not nearly large enough to be a hub of travel and other activity that an outpost would demand.

I find this discussion interesting, so I'd prefer it's not locked. But it could be moved somewhere more appropriate if it is deemed so.

I'm okay with moving this. But yes keep it open a bit longer please.

The points have been made.

1,) have a two tier type of outpost/startbase model(s) MOE
2,) Dropping the "Federation Tubes" look AZH
3,) Make a third "wing" on center back of the outpost Hawk

and 1 more. Just a thought. Keep the outpost you have in green! (love it) to make the Starbase add the model (untextured) to the lower area of the post. it would give it that Large feel (still have the outriggers) and everything would be in progression.

but your moddeling is excellent! (And as I am learning) time consuming as well as aggravating!

so I applaud your great works!

I don't have moderator access in these forums otherwise i'd do it myself. Sorry guys.

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I agree with you Azhdeen, the tubes really should go - but I just wanted to focus on what we already had. Swapping the models around is a simple thing to do; removing the tubes would require removal of half the model - and that would just take us back to the Outpost model.

What we really need is ideas for a completely new model. As has been said before, people think it should definitely have "arms", and should look inviting...but evil when you get closer.

Until Azhdeen can incorporate these ideas into a new model, we could always use the original Starbase as a base for our ideas - but remember, IF we use my system, we will need ANOTHER Starbase model!



I found some other Station models that may also help to give us ideas. They are NOT all intended as Starbases!

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ROFLROFL

You're a funny one! I can draw a box. If I put triangles on the sides and color it green, it might look Romulan-like.

I'm like a sports writer. I have enough knowledge to comment on things, but I never made it past junior high recreation leagues. The ability simply isn't there That's why I learned how to program :p

Umm...

Look at the pretty birdie! I like food. Do you like food? Umm...gotta go!

#8 #11 and # 13 all look good to me

And what is wrong with what I said? it takes teh tubes off but your actually gain MORE ... I'll try to copy paste you will see what I mean..




something like this, but way better cause I only copy pasted it.. Sorry for the mess I made. Or turn it to make it match better. But you get the idea.

Not to change the subject but just as a model question:

I have seen mention of using up to three texture files for one model. Are we limited to one texture, .bmp, file?

(Oooh, now I have a gold dot filling in my rank insignia. Does that mean I am an even bigger loser?)

Thanks to every one for all the help support and ideas. MOE, the pictures are great. I can us some of it here and others for say the Cards.

I originally did the mushroom outpost top without the tanks. It seamed thought that the tanks looked retro like early Star Trek universe and the outpost phase of the game. , (as was said above.) The TNG Romulan ships did look sleeker like the wing bird shape of the Starbase idea. You are right about that. We will see. It could be that the tanks are added in as part of the upgrade to outpost two? I need some time to put this all together. Darn day job keeps holding me back.

Perhaps I should turn the sleek bird like Starbase into some as yet unassigned Romulan ship by adding some warp filed coils and use ideas from MOE's pictures for the Base. Bother said Pooh.

Ok the untextured model you showed, keep the top half of it get rid of tubes and bottom, remove the big spike too its weird i think, then u have a nice starbase i think.

Just keep in mind symetrical design as in left looks like right as in mirrored. And keep the basic ideology of romulans in mind as in big and bold and intimitading.

Keep up the good work dude.

Thanks Skeeter. I will do that with the mushroom. What do you think of using the top part, mushroom, for Outpost, and moving the sleeker Starbase idea I built into a Romulan ship? I was thinking medical or science or cruise ship of prostitution or what do you think? What ship could I make this into from the Jobs / Ship list / Romulan list?

Some of MOE's pictures have gotten me thinking that what I am showing as Starbase above is not base-like enough. It looks more like a moving act of war. This has also got me planning a base using some of the shape and skin ideas from his post. I want to build the Starbase from scratch at this point and base it on these ideas. OK?