I feel slightly outclassed ^^ but i know i have some good ideas. The best thing is my ships are themed around particular shapes, but are rather square set, bulky, strong, but that is not a bad thing... i just wish i could implement more thin and wispy disc/ cog shapes in the design without it becoming like the Horatio ship style where they sacrifice its purpose for beauty. Hexagons would suit nicely for the ships texture as its one of the most practical natural shape that stacks efficiently, a general rhombus shape for the ships, top and size, might suit the designs well. I think Automatons are all about purpose... stacked industry just reeks of it, and by God i love it. I am perhaps understating what the "core" should look like however, if i get picked ill leave it to Amplitude to decide how fiddly it should be. Moving parts cause lag i think... wouldn't want too many. :l

Digitalhawk96 wrote:
I feel slightly outclassed ^^ but i know i have some good ideas. The best thing is my ships are themed around particular shapes, but are rather square set, bulky, strong, but that is not a bad thing... i just wish i could implement more thin and wispy disc/ cog shapes in the design without it becoming like the Horatio ship style where they sacrifice its purpose for beauty. Hexagons would suit nicely for the ships texture as its one of the most practical natural shape that stacks efficiently, a general rhombus shape for the ships, top and size, might suit the designs well. I think Automatons are all about purpose... stacked industry just reeks of it, and by God i love it. I am perhaps understating what the "core" should look like however, if i get picked ill leave it to Amplitude to decide how fiddly it should be. Moving parts cause lag i think... wouldn't want too many. :l

Oh I feel ya man, I am beginning to see my chances of victory diminish quicker and quicker.... it's really painful haha

So, just to get some ideas out there, and because I think this is as much a community collaboration as it is a contest, here are a few of my ideas so far. I spread out the type of style I would use heavily, going for long elongated "platforms" as the lore describes, as well as large conglomerations of industrial cubes and machinery, and finally to the more circular and round designs.





Let me know your thoughts guys, as I really will only take one of these to full set of ships with detail

I find your second set of ships similar to jav's, and after seeing his designs doing better of what I wanted to do, I feel the same digital :P



I like the second set more, the first looks just like flying factories, (4th picture seems like it produces too much pollution :P ) while the 2nd looks more like the automatons shown in the cinematic

stasik28 wrote:


A scout ship is a corvette, and the ship after it is a destroyer, not a frigate

I didn't know the exact names, so I used the nearest equivalents.

stasik28 wrote:
I find your second set of ships similar to jav's, and after seeing his designs doing better of what I wanted to do, I feel the same digital :P



I like the second set more, the first looks just like flying factories, (4th picture seems like it produces too much pollution :P ) while the 2nd looks more like the automatons shown in the cinematic

I drew these way before jav posted lol, I'm just posting them now. So you don't like the Platform look?

Eh, to me the second set is too blocky and angular. To me, the automaton ships should be more exposed and have machinery visible, with some curved struts sticking out here and there. Maybe some gyroscopes too. Actually I'd like to use the Dwarven designs of various things from Skyrim as a reference as they look technologically advanced and practical, yet relatively beatuiful and decorative. Well that's my opinion in any case.

Cool ideas Panzer. This may just be for the sake of some variety among the entries, but I like the first pic. When I was doing mine I was struggling to think of how to do flowing lines and spheres without making it look like the Horatio, and that one is definitely different. The first pic looks a little blocky, but I like the idea of maybe long flat platforms with imbedded spheres and gears and things sticking out in places. Also GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE.

The whole point of me posting these roughs, was to get a sense of what people thought was cool, and now that I think about it, the sphere ships would be way too much like Horatio, so I think I'll just modify and expand the first design, which is actually the original ships that I thought up for the Automatons way back. Now all I need to do is dig up the different classes and redraw them with detail Thanks guys and good luck

I agree with you there, Java. The fourth design would be my pick, although I have 3 major things to point out. First, I don't like the exposed tubing. The gears are ok, but the tubes make it look too improvised and jury rigged to me. Second, the design isn't abstract enough. The shape should be relatively symmertical, but with some parts making it more natural and aesymmertical (not just the textures). Lastly, the central sphere isn't exposed enough. Instead of major armor plating and such, smooth curves and empty space kinda like the Horatio would look better, in my opinion.

Javarino wrote:
I have made my first attempt at entering this contest, but seeing as how I don't have a drawing pad and my skills with scanning material are somewhat dubious, I decided to recreate one of my sketches in paint.



Edit: Added a few more/improved my first sketch

In my opinion, these are the winners. I especially liked the relative detatchment of the components, and the double helix for the rear chassis. Now you just need a unique flame element for the thrusters. In terms of big and primitive versus smooth and professional, I'd try to make it look smooth, shaped, glowing, etc. like the automatons knew what they were doing.

Well the scout ship wouldn't work, being as its the corvette and can be used as a war ship... Settler will be used as transport (whatever that will become) and as the colony ships

sssuperguy wrote:
In my opinion, these are the winners. I especially liked the relative detatchment of the components, and the double helix for the rear chassis. Now you just need a unique flame element for the thrusters. In terms of big and primitive versus smooth and professional, I'd try to make it look smooth, shaped, glowing, etc. like the automatons knew what they were doing.

Slow down! This contest still has a while to run, and I'd like to see what everyone gets up to first. Plus I'm still sketching other designs at the same time. Who knows what we'll end up with.

Javarino wrote:
Slow down! This contest still has a while to run, and I'd like to see what everyone gets up to first. Plus I'm still sketching other designs at the same time. Who knows what we'll end up with.

With star destroyers, death stars, borg ships, necron ships, bugger ships, and finally a giant* flying dog in space

Panzer wrote:
So, just to get some ideas out there, and because I think this is as much a community collaboration as it is a contest, here are a few of my ideas so far. I spread out the type of style I would use heavily, going for long elongated "platforms" as the lore describes, as well as large conglomerations of industrial cubes and machinery, and finally to the more circular and round designs.





Let me know your thoughts guys, as I really will only take one of these to full set of ships with detail

Death Orbs... of death. Your first idea has given me the kick for another medium size ship ie Battleship or Cruiser. The general flattened shape will help me design my next ship.

sssuperguy wrote:
In my opinion, these are the winners. I especially liked the relative detatchment of the components, and the double helix for the rear chassis. Now you just need a unique flame element for the thrusters. In terms of big and primitive versus smooth and professional, I'd try to make it look smooth, shaped, glowing, etc. like the automatons knew what they were doing.

The one real issue with this is they look almost exactly like Horatio ships, and that really isn't the point of the competition lol, we need something unique and different from the other factions

Digitalhawk96 wrote:
Death Orbs... of death. Your first idea has given me the kick for another medium size ship ie Battleship or Cruiser. The general flattened shape will help me design my next ship.

Lol I am glad to be of help , I am sticking with the platform ships as well, they are what I included in the original lore after all, so I cant abandon them now . Cant wait to see what your ships will look like !

FINALLY! After several hours and days of work and absolutely neglecting to study for my exams, I have finally finished all my concepts.

I really tried to stick to the Automatons as good as I can and I really hope you will like the concepts. Even though I am no fan of UFOs, I kind of sensed that it would fit rigth into this faction. I didn't see the work of you guys untill page 2 and I hope you don't think I stole any of your ideas. But nevertheless: I have a real big concurrence! Good luck to all of you. lol



You can see my finished work here: /#/endless-space/forum/28-game-design/thread/13112-automaton-ship-design-competition

stasik28 wrote:
Corvette looks like a Star Forge from Star Wars

Yes, as I stated at the beginning of my thread it is almost impossible to come up with a total unique concept. I hope though, that my finished drawings will look diffrent to the SW-Ships. ^^

Tredecim wrote:
hehehe, Veers shows up with Paint, I salute!



& stasik has some really nice concepts already there!





I wish I could participate, but I'm currently not in posession of an 3D Modelling Software



Good luck guys!

Well i downloaded GIMP today, but had no time to start from the beginning with a new programm. So after some practicing it looks better than at the start, right? Thank you friend.

Kareal wrote:
Dreadnaught concept where the engines would be in the exact center...

Yeah, that was my idea, too. In my Version of the Dreadnaught, this Engine provides not just energy, but also additional shielding (by weaving the shield around the ship) and of course functions as the jump-drive.

All the rings and spheres rotating provide gravity and energy - as well as additional defence or plating in some cases.

stasik28 wrote:
I'm sorry I don't understand, you want an oval-ish shaped thing rotating around two balls who each have their own rings?

Yeah, exactly. Just the idea of the ring is that it can produce only round ships, so if we want them to be longer, as other races have, the oval structures are required.

oooo. I am torn between Digitalhawk and Bla's idea.



Nice art everyone!