Moonbase revisited

[Playbahnosh]

I would like to see where in the X lore says that the craft are VTOL?

This is not about X lore, but if it were, it would make sense. You never seen X ships line up at gas stations, have you? I assume their reactors are powerful enough to generate enough energy not to need any "fuel". It also goes well with other space universe lore, since the great majority of space ships in different sci-fi universes are VTOL, and for good reason. Runways take up a LOT of precious real-estate, not to mention resources. Also, it's one thing to use them in an Earth-like atmosphere, but what about totally different ones? A ships mass is the same everywhere you go, and if it has engines capable of accelerating it to untold speeds and and changing directions in such sort timeframes in space, it's safe to say they are able to lift the ship up vertically. But if the gravity is so strong that it can't, it won't be able to using a runway either.

The X-302s use a runway because they are basically atmospheric fighters modified for space travel, and they still use fossil fuels where your own fuel rule applies. On the other hand, take the Jumpers from SG:A, they are VTOLs, since they've been designed as space craft first and atmospherics second.
The Vipers from BSG use runways because they are small (M5-like) fighters witch were never designed to enter atmospheres and they don't have really powerful thrusters save for their main engines. They need the friction of the flight deck to slow them down on emergency docking. They do launch from a catapult though. On the other hand, the Raptors ARE designed to include atmospherics, and they ARE VTOLs
Going on this line, there are the ships from Star Wars, Star Trek or indeed Firefly.

Also, today's space shuttles don't count. We are nowhere near technologically advanced to start thinking about building spaceships. The shuttles of today are still glorified aircrafts with life support and some heat shielding stapled on them. They are not space ships first.

I'm an insufferable smartass, sorry bout that

[Observe]

This is not about X lore...

That's true, it's more about Transcend mod lore.

As the story goes, the Moonbase came out of that wormhole you see in the background. This is the same wormhole that sucked the Transcend II mod Fleet into another Galaxy.

No one knows who constructed the Moonbase, how they managed to slice a moonlet, create an atmosphere, and Terraform the "top" of it. Likewise, it's not clear why they needed an airstrip.

Observe Space Research discovered the Tree of Life sector which has the Moonbase in it, and claimed the sector as center for their research and commercial operations.

Consequently, archeologists studying the Moonbase, found a tunnel leading to the center. Inside, is a "Templegate" leading to 12 "lost" sectors inhabited by the fearsome Mech's and other strange anomalies.

All this will be present in Transcend I mod for TC/AP (if released).

Thanks.

[Sam L.R. Griffiths]

[OT]

But if the gravity is so strong that it can't, it won't be able to using a runway either.

Not necessarily true, taking your assumption that fuel/energy consumption is not an issue (which could be arguable - fuel/energy can be gathered in-flight with certain technologies). Providing a ship can build up sufficient speed/lift at lower altitude they can slingshot themselves (this could be the purpose of runways in a given environment - perhaps augmented with energy fields to facilitate safe capture and/or launch).

That being said, my point was not that X theory or Y theory is correct but rather that either *could be* and pointing out the counter point(s) to your argument.[/OT]

In any case, this is Observe's mod and his mod's lore (not ours).

[Observe]

Well, the other thing is, ships in X3 already use "runways" for the most part. It's just that the runways are in space instead of an actual airstrip.

All (almost) X ships find the landing nav-guide, and then proceed to move forward to the docking point. Seems much like an "airstrip" to me.

[Observe]

Images updated to reflect new surface texturing, colorful clouds, shader adjustments, and frozen lakes.

It's getting close to being done. I may add some light fog for added effect.

[Nicoman35]

Hi Observe,
how much would it take for a noob (me) to make a model of a station with internal docking bays? I mean stations like the ones in x2, where you could fly inside of a station and dock there.
I know, in x2 a small level was loaded when passing the entrance doors. But that sould be no handicap. I just want the station model to have an interior. No need to load some level, right?