[Extra] USS Yorktown (Yorktown Class Super Carrier) is ready for Beta testing

[grev77]

(post is taken from TXU X-Fleet Update 3-3-2008)

One of the greatest momens in modding X3 games, is to sit back for a moment, take a good look at a newly created ship, and bask in the accomplishment of the final product. This past weekend I found myself enjoying those great moments, as the Super Carrier (USS Yorktown) is finally complete and ready for beta testing!

I find it hard to belive that there is a ship out there that can equal the amount of effort and time that it took for developemet. It certainly is the "Mount Everest" of all the models I have ever created. The next step will be for me to ensure the compatibility and stability meets QA standards before the final release.

To give you an idea of what to exspect, Ill finish this post with a brief overview of the carrier:
The USS Yorktown measures nearly 2.2K meters long and about 800meters at the beem. The shape and appearance has not changed much since the last pictures I posted. Unfortunatly the pictures are of a model that had to be totally scrapped do to a problem causing the polygons to increase way beyond exceptable standards.
The doors toward the fore and aft of the hanger bay are the same, but the Hanger itself has been given a major overhaul. In it, you can see everything that you would exspect to see in a hanger, such as loading cranes, fighters an other spacecraft parked on the taxiways, and variose ground support vehicles.
The Carrier has all the docking points that you would need. There is, of course, the fighter and M6 hanger bay that has 200 internal docking slots, 4 TS docks on the starbourd side of the ship, and a animated M1/TL docking port on the port side, complete with a pier and imbilical attachment.
As is the case of all my ships, the cockpits are completely custom made. I decided to design the carrier's bridge to resemble a Combat Control room instead of a cockpit. So the views out of the windows are a little restricted, but this ship is designed as a mobile base, so this shouldn't be an issue.
Right now I am undesided what to do with the crew. The crew models that I did earlier, may not be acceptable. Thier polygon count is a little more than I am willing to allow. So I am going over the Idea of redesigning the crew to have a better poly count. If any of you have had any problems let me know. Other wise Ill just import the origional crew meshes from the last mods.

So that is where I am at with this mod. I look forward to posting them as soon as the beta testing is complete. I don't have a dedicated team yet so if you would like to volunteer, let me know.

If you would like more information on the X-Fleet mod, you'll find my site at:
http://www.thexuniverse.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=62

As always, I would like to take the time to thank you all for your intrest in my mod, and I hope to get this released as soon as I can.

-Grev


Screenshots:

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff27 ... 0017-1.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff27 ... n00036.jpg
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http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff27 ... 0015-1.jpg

[russbo]

Truly very impressive.

Any way of including this into another mod, such as XTM? I'd love to test it, but I'm kind of entrenched in another "universe".

Pictures are awesome. Congrats on such an incredible job.

[grev77]

As a matter of fact, I would recomend that this ship only be used with the XTM mod. However, they are going to be released as .spk files and installed via the X3 ship installer. Therefore you should be able to incorpoate them into any mod. Keep in mind this ship is part of a larger fleet, so there will be more to come.
-Grev

[Ulvetann]

Wow, great work!
Now, we're talking!
The perfect mobile base for my Attack Fleet of Doom!

[Elffin]

Very impressive screenshots Grev....

I just love what you have done with the 'bridge' views...

[grev77]

After nearly 2500 hours of development it pleases me to know that you all like it.

thanks
-Grev

[THE_BIG_FISH:Leo]

it looks very well done although a little too boat like for me it is still a very good looking ship

[Malakie]

After nearly 2500 hours of development it pleases me to know that you all like it.

thanks
-Grev

I play XTM and a number of other plugins and have added the previous release you did, the USS Missouri to that with no problems. Until now she has been one of my flagships. This carrier is just spectacular and I will be transferring my command flag immediately.

Your designs are just awesome and being a US Navy disabled vet myself, can easily see the 'future' iterations of todays fleet in your designs. Really looking forward to your cruiser and destroyer designs, especially the Spruance.... I am a destroyer/tincan sailor myself. Perhaps, you might do me a favor? My most memorable shipboard service was onboard the U.S.S. Comte de Grasse DD974. Sadly, she was decommed and finally sunk as a target a couple years ago.. Talk about feeling loss.. never realized until I saw the vid of her sinking what serving on her really meant. Anyhow, if there is anyway you could name your Spruance design after her, it would be so great.. one way for something to live on into the future for all time.

BTW, did you release any fighters, bombers or other support craft for this monster yet? I currently use the Corsair on the Missouri but am looking forward to additional fighters and support craft designs from you.

I will definitely let you know should I come across any issues. Cannot wait to get to the bridge....

Great freakin job!

[grev77]

Malakie,

I apprieciate your support, especialy from a fellow Shipmate (Altough I was a US Marine instead of a sailor, but were all shipmates right?).

I recal that you requested for a spruance class ship about 4 months ago. Well the suggestion did not go unnoticed. As I currently have a model of a ship that is taken from the USS Comte de Grasse. It will probably be another month before I will have it ready. However, since the ship is quite simple compared to the carrier, it shouldn't be in beta for long. Untill then, here is what I have so far.

[ external image ]

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff27 ... 597408.jpg

[ external image ]

[ external image ]


These shots are still very rough and there is alot left to mode.

I am going to change the conning tower a bit to replicate the origional, and install mostly missle turrets instead of guns.

Fair winds and Following Seas my friend,

-Grev77


{Images posted directly to the forums should not be greater than 640x480 or 100kb, oversize image now linked - Terre}

[Malakie]

Malakie,

I apprieciate your support, especialy from a fellow Shipmate (Altough I was a US Marine instead of a sailor, but were all shipmates right?).

I recal that you requested for a spruance class ship about 4 months ago. Well the suggestion did not go unnoticed. As I currently have a model of a ship that is taken from the USS Comte de Grasse. It will probably be another month before I will have it ready. However, since the ship is quite simple compared to the carrier, it shouldn't be in beta for long. Untill then, here is what I have so far.

[ external image ]

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff27 ... 597408.jpg

[ external image ]

[ external image ]


These shots are still very rough and there is alot left to mode.

I am going to change the conning tower a bit to replicate the origional, and install mostly missle turrets instead of guns.

Fair winds and Following Seas my friend,

-Grev77

Grev,

I owe you big time... You just did more than you realize! When I saw that picture you included of 'The Count', I almost fell outta my chair... First, out of my pics, that is one of 'The Count' I did not have - I owe many thanks to you. Second, that picture HAD to be taken while I was onboard!!!!!

Clues for me are: 1) The bunting. That white bunting was on her ONLY during the time that the Captain was Captain William Dur AND during our time as the official United States Warship Representative to France where we routinely sailed with the French DDG Warship, DeGrasse. 2) She has on her the ASROC Anti Sub Missile launcher on the bow. That was removed when she got VLS. 3) She has no R2D2 units yet (CWIS). 4) That is either a) Hampton Roads or more probably somewhere around Belgium, Amsterdam, or somewhere close... not enough to tell for sure although it is taken in the winter as you can tell by the fact we are wearing heavy peacoats and dark blue cracker jacks. ( It does look alot like Belgium to me and since we are in dress uniform, it would be my best guess... and finally, we are pulling out of port in this photo, where ever it is.

If this were taken when I was an STG3, I would be on the fantail during this as either a phone talker or line handler.. if this was taken a bit later, I would have been an STG2 and would be in Sonar Control monitoring the equipment for sea and getting ready to hunt subs.. Sonar control is (looking at the picture) on the port side of the ship (right side of photo) one deck below the bridge view screens.

I served on her as a Sonar Technician Surface and caught my share of subs with her gear... I was injured in the line of duty on her, and after recovering went to a second DDG, U.S.S. Henry B. Wilson DDG7 and Adams Class for a year before going into special operations.

Geez the memories...

As a side note, her Heloes we carried for Anti Sub work were known as the 'Coup de Grace'

A couple suggestions if I may...

1) Split the super structure into two parts. Place Something like Harpoon launchers between the two structures in your model. If you look at her picture (wish you had a side view), the main forward part of the structure was the bridge, sonar, radio, CIC etc... There was a lower mid are where one of her masts attached and we had two harpoon launchers there, then the structure went up again and that back section was the hanger bay where we could hold two Lamps Mk II Seaprites, our subhunter helos. Later shortly after I left, she got the new (back then) Lamps Mk III Seahawk instead of the Seaprite.

In your model, perhaps you could create some small version psuedo fighter and she could carry two of them in her hanger for gameplay.

She carried: 2 SeaSprites, Harpoons, ASROC (fore launcher in the picture), 1 SeaSparrow Anti Air missile launcher aft of the flight deck, 1 - 5"54 Gun aft the SeaSparrow on the stern and 1 5"54 Gun fore of the bow ASROC launcher. We also carried Mk 46 Torpedoes in tubes that were behind hidden hull doors which opened, the turrets swung out, torps fired, doors sealed closed... one port, one starboard and unless you know where they are, most people have no idea we even had them since they were nicely hidden until unleashed. We also carried other very powerful and deadly weapons and systems but I am not at liberty to discuss nor even hint at what those are even today.

Later on, she kept both guns and torp launchers. She lost the launchers for Harpoons, ASROC and SeaSparrow which were now all housed in one bow and one aft VLS launch system. She gained two Tomahawk Cruise missle launchers mid superstructure where the harpoon launchers used to be and she gained three CWIS anti-missile defense guns. She gained other things also but again, can't talk about those systems.

But all this happened a few years after I left due to injuries.

Went through a lot of that ship.. from major engine room fire to loss of sonar dome in heavy seas to getting hurt on her during a period and in a place I cannot discuss, that ship is the moment of my military days that I will always come back to as some of the best in my life.

Anyhow, perhaps with your model changes and work, you can incorporate some of these very distinctive design looks into her.... It was after all, the super structure that made the Spruance look so unique in appearance... Many used to look at them and think they were not carrying many weapons.. little did they know what was hidden due to the design.

There were only two main bad things about her design. They made the entire super structure aluminum! Whatever idiot came up with that idea....... thankfully later in refit, they added armor and steel support to the super structure. And the second thing, we did not have a 'real' anti air defense until later when VLS was added. We had the SeaSparrow but that is a short to medium range old design AA missile and it just was not up to the task needed for modern warship defense. That is also why Spruances were loaded for bear for Anti-Sub ops. They figured other ships, especially cruisers, would handle Anti-Air for us.

Funny thing, everyone also thought we were top heavy because of the design... nope, I can tell you from FIRST hand experience and am VERY VERY thankful we were NOT top heavy. The record on the ship for a roll was 63 degrees.... and I not only was on Sonar Control watch during it, but I just happened to be on the bridge doing a BT drop check/report when it happened. I will never forget grabbing onto the overhead guy line and looking almost straight down..... as my feet hung in the air and below me was the port side bridge wing hatch with only BLUE water showing out side its window!! I will never forget the Captain suddenly bursting onto the bridge, issuing orders suddenly... The OOD had been trying to turn us in a major storm and we got caught sideways between two of the massive waves we were fighting in the storm.. I remember hearing something about a couple NATO ships we were with sinking in that North Atlantic storm... That was one helluva ride, let me tell you.

Ah hell, sorry about rambling on.... See what you did!! LOL

Anyhow, there is some history and facts for you to consider in the design...

And the same to you ... fair winds and following seas...

[grev77]

Malakie,

Your welcome!

-Grev

[DannyDSC]

Hello Grev77! I'm a member of the Italian community in the Egosoft Forum. I'm not a Shipmate but I offer to translate into Italian any information on ships to prepare. Your work is truly beautiful and the forum of Italian modding I devoted to a post previously ships outputs (F4U fighter and the USS Missouri). So which is not much I can offer but I had to ask whether he could interest


edit : i read the TXU forum for the Beta Tester. I play a few mod and Script , and in Italian forum i supported the new player for the problem . If you need a Beta Tester i'm compiling that post with my data

Sorry for my english

[grev77]

DannyD,

your english is excellent.

I could use a translator, so ill get back to you later.

Grev-

[mastersmon]

I'm sorry for pulling this old thread up but I have a problem concerning your great carrier or more clearly with docking inside its hangar.

It did work but somehow it fails now. I reinstalled it but this brought now change. I get a dummy texture when I approach the hangar doors, and could this be the reason why I cannot dock with my fighter craft? Docking doesn't work via autopilot nor manually by requesting landing permission. Docking with an M2 externally works too.

I got the ship from the XSP-Database as an spk-file.

Do you have any solution on stock for this issue. I hope you do because I really like this ship!

greetings and good evening

[Aseron]

I have only one problem with it: the only compatable sheilds are quote, "ReadText17-0"
This is the same issue i have been getting with another ship mod i downloaded. Is this because i do not have XTM installed (not for any even remote lack of trying), or is this another issue?