Well, yes. That's what I would do. But it still takes a bit of time. Some experimentation is required to make a difference.

I spiced up the Warthog and Vulture in photoshop, but it still took me some time for each one. A few hours per ship, probably. Not enough hours in the day.

Heh, there are never enough hours in the day. Is this (retexturing the Wraith) something perhaps the community could try to do for you? I would guess you are not keen on the idea, but I figured I'd ask.

Looks good inc. I'm for dropping it in.

Yeah, the new one looks tougher, but I think the main complaint is that it's so different. Everyone will get used to it, I like the change, the new one doesn't look like a toy (even though it was a cool retro look).

Just keep the old models of popular ships as antique models of the same thing. Kind of like how cars work today. The old Volkswagen Beetle looks a lot different than the current one, but within the same themes. This will work better in the future, since the big problem here is that it is SO different. I like the idea of calling this one the Revenant, and keeping the old one as an antique ship. This would be cool once the dynamic economy is in place, since supply of antique ships can be kept down. Maybe stations can produce a limited "commemerative" run of the ship, and then never make one again. If we're ever able to salvage stuff, then maybe if there's a ship graveyard, as was suggested, you can go salvage and restore an antique ship. In the future, when this game really takes off, every couple years or so the ship skins could be updated a bit for a new model (Be the envy of all your friends in the new 4436 Axia Revenant, with a 5.7L Hemi V8!). Occaisionally a line of ships can be discontinued and replaced with a new similar ship, like right now with the Wraith line being replaced with the Revenant line of ships. If there's enough nostalgia for an old ship (like there seems to be with the Wraith), then players will keep them up and use them in game, and they will gain value.

No to limited runs and no to continually redone ships. I would much prefer real new ships than yet another model of the same things already in-game (even if the stats are close, I prefer them to be different). No to limited runs that are never made again because I feel that there should always be a reasonable chance for any player to get any item, given time and effort. Perhaps such "limited runs" could either be A) an annual event or B) reverse engineered into a blueprint (or even just a purchaseable blueprint) for production by a player?

the thing is, we have an ample selection of small ships as it is. balancing in new ones is unnecessary and won't add a huge amount to the game.

far better to update the models we have, and add in the new larger ship models as separate.

stick it in, the old wraith looks like its been stepped on by the cast of Figaro.

Aw, UncleDave, that's not quite fair to the current wraith... Also, I am not disputing updating the models we CURRENTLY have (especially the Atlas and Hornet), I am saying I would rather have new ships (preferably faction-specific to help differentiate factions, even if the new models have exactly the same stats as another line of ships) than a continual updating of the models we WILL have. E.G. I think this model is nice and do not want to see it replaced in 2 years just because it has been 2 years.

Also, what would be nice EVENTUALLY [not even Soon(tm)] would be to have a ship designer where each model has a certain amount of space determined by its actual size in-game which can be allocated by the designer to cargo, equipment slots (with a maximum on each model), and engine, etc. These custom designs would then have to be researched by a player to turn it into a blueprint, and then the design could be produced from the blueprint.

Just so long as we don't get EVE-like blueprint scams...

Back in my day the wraith carried an arsenal of deadly weapons!

Ions!
Rockets!
Swarms!
And mines!

All At once!

*Approved*

Darn I'll have to buy another ship for the museum. Not a problem

Woodstock, {EnB}, Commander of the UIT Vessel YellowBird
Proprietor of Woodstocks Museum of Ships
Trader at Large

Yes, Demonen; I would expect any and all blueprints to clearly specify entirely how something would look and present all its statistics, viewable from the player trading window (I assume that we will have some good way for players to interact economically without requiring mutual trust for goods and payment).

[stamp of approval]

Looks nice. I like the idea of calling it the "Revenant" and I also like the idea of keeping Axia's version of the old Wraith in game. The special variants are more likely to be found in the hands of nostalgia-prone vets anyway.

damn i'm sorry i missed this thread earlier on.

i like the name revenant, but, instead of replacing the wraith, could you simply "duplicate" the wraith within the game? thus, we'd end up with both the "classic" wraith and the new "revenant"?

i'm also with lost on this. i think this ship looks more like an atlas than a wraith. in that line of thought, i'd call it "dictionary" :-)

I'm not saying that ships should be regularly replaced all the time. Just occaisionally, when a ship has been in use for a long time (a couple years can be a long time) styles might change and a slightly modified new model of a ship might be released. It would be much rarer, and based on demand, but occaisionally a line of ships would be discontinued, and occaisionally a new line of ships would be introduced, sometimes as a direct replacement, as has ALREADY HAPPENED with the EC-88/89. Obviously, there first need to be at least twice the variety in ships as there is now, which is probably the goal, and it seems they are hard at work diversifying the ships, and doing an amazing job with the graphics. If a line of ships is discontinued, then it actually means something to have an antique, and a collector's market will emerge. Antiques have no value if everyone has one.

I'm totally against limited runs and impossible to get stuff.

Buy an original TPG Atlas X before supplies run out! Perfect for any collector wanting to get a head start and pass their collection down to their gret great great great great great grand children to sell for lots of dough cuz they don't remember your name or who you are, and nor do they care!

I think you should randomly (Around a 1 in 1000th chance) find stations in 'roid sectors. They should randomly pick 1-10 old ships that they sell. They last one hours.

It gives a whole new look at "yard sale"

I like the new ship, it looks good.
Go ahead :)

NO, zamzx zik. That is silly and unneccessary. It is silly because stations are very expensive, permanent structures that should be relatively static features of the universe.

Fine, make a connie that you can dock in, some kind of weak plot about how it floats randomly through space, and how if it gets X amount of money, it will be fixed and moves on, thus it sells it's fighters old fighters off.

You mean like the Space Nomads?!!! :D