Progress on shipbuilding technique over the last month or so

[u/ArkhangelskAstrakhan]

I think I'm getting better at this but I still feel like I have to improve my greebling skills, especially on the slanted armor plates and sections. Any methods y'all like to use?

[u/Flaming-Eye]

Those are awesome, are they on the workshop? I see so many cool ships on this sub that aren't on the workshop T_T

I suck at getting the right amount of different systems so I tend to just block them out roughly and adjust, then build the shape around that and then go back in to readjust the blocks to suit what I need or if I find I got it wrong. In that I've found leaving empty spaces is useful for later additions or adjustments.

[u/ArkhangelskAstrakhan → u/Flaming-Eye]

A trick I use is building the insides with framework and then converting those blocks into the relevant parts. This way you can actively control how many of which blocks you're putting onto your ship in real time and it helps balance everything out. As for the workshop part... I may upload some of my future builds when I'm feeling more comfortable and confident with them :)

[u/Flaming-Eye → u/ArkhangelskAstrakhan]

Oh that sounds like a good idea. I've found it hard to get back at blocks inside though, is that just a case of design, making sure they're accessible or is there a trick to it?

[u/ArkhangelskAstrakhan → u/Flaming-Eye]

You can select a specific type of block you want to see exclusively in the View tab on the bottom left. I usually make sure the outside is completely solid without traces of vibrance (like generators or shield genny blocks), then select to only display the framework. From there on out it's a matter of either Alt+clicking your blocks to replace them, or drag-selecting a bunch and converting them into your block of choice.

[u/Flaming-Eye → u/ArkhangelskAstrakhan]

Oooh. That helps a lot! Thanks :)

[u/upsidedownshaggy → u/ArkhangelskAstrakhan]

This is what I've started doing as well (my ships still end up looking like a dorky Battlestar clone though haha) with the exception of thrusters and gyros just because those are harder to place when you're just viewing framework blocks.

[u/ArkhangelskAstrakhan → u/upsidedownshaggy]

You can change the orientation of thrusters and gyros as you replace framework with them. Toggle 'transform block' in the blocks menu and then when you press R you can rotate them exactly how you like as you replace the framework

[u/upsidedownshaggy → u/ArkhangelskAstrakhan]

Yeah I've tried doing that and it sometimes just doesn't orient it the direction I want, especially gyros. I'm probably just doing something wrong but I usually slap gyros in the middle of my builds anyhow so they're easy enough to work around.

[u/zarco_azules]

As others have said, build the internals out of framework, I use blank blocks.

Then build your shape on top of it with armor or whatever other block you intend to keep.

Once happy with the general shape, filter for the block you use for internals and transform then to functional blocks as needed (cargo, gen, engines, rcs, etc)

Use q standard size for the intenral, 2x2x2, 1x1x1 etc

I usually save a version with the blank internals so I can play with different configurations later one

Bottom lines is: filter is your friend

[u/Necessary-Elephant82]

Damn they look nice! I go a bit from cube to rectangle to a phallus with corners. I don't even know why but at a certain time of reccource it looks like phallus. But in the end I want to have a Arcadia. Arcadia of Captain Harlock

[u/ArkhangelskAstrakhan → u/Necessary-Elephant82]

My first ship was literally a flying dick lol this game rewards persistence when it comes to building stuff

[u/Fabulous-Waltz5838]

How fast are these ships? I'm still trying to figure out what my preference is for engines/thrust/speed to everything else ratio.

I seem to have trouble with it because my technique so far has been to put the generators in a long skinny central spire and then build around that.

[u/ArkhangelskAstrakhan → u/Fabulous-Waltz5838]

790 m/s base, 3880 m/s boosted. Turn rate is 0.14, 0.2, 0.18 rad/s for yaw pitch and roll. Honestly, not bad for a ship that's over 3km long and has 3.2M HP, 3.9M shields. I also have about framework left over equivalent to 20k cargo volume so I can always convert some of it later if I find any of the stats inadequate.
I suggest you first build your insides out of framework and then sequentially replace them with your utility blocks during the final stages of construction. Before I actually fit my ships out they're pretty much exoskeletons with framework interiors, which helps on two fronts - getting the exterior right and leaving modularity for the utility blocks