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Have there been any asymmetric hull updates to the Raven model since the release of the Tier 3 battle cruisers on sisi?
Or is it still rather grossly unbalanced?

Yeah it looks okay; it was far from the worst model in the game anyway. I like the beefed up engine section on the stern, much better than the tapered version on the old model.

Now when the get to the moa and the osprey, those will need to be done from scratch

:) Moa yes, .... while at least the osprey isn't overwhelmingly lopsided & confused.

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imtooboredtorewrite: asymmetry can be good on a modest level (see naga, rokh) but mega lame like the moa and blackbird. The blackbird is outright ridiculous and isn't even close to making sense, it's the sole reason I'm not bothering with caldari recons.

I can agree on the symmetry. I like having symmetry on spaceships because it just makes sense. A good example of the most symmetric ship on EVE is either most of the shuttles and the drake.
Also that symmetrical crow looks AWEOSME

Good god that is freakin awesome! That's what I want to see more of in caldari, SYMMETRY! I didn't even know they were updating that one, fantastic.

Moments of Inertia over Principal Axis are the reason why everything maneuvreable (stable or unstable) is inherently symetric.

In fact, it puzzles me why th race bent on efficiency (Caldari) failed to spot that little physics cornerstone.... That essentially is unavoidable, unless you want your ships to be predestined into turning better say... left.

Oh, let me think... off the top of my head...

1. Mass distribution in an environment in which mass and the way you distribute it has massive ramifications on the way your vehicle manouvers. If your ship is asymmetrical, it means the amount of thrust you have to give to each side to make the thing fly in a straight line is also asymmetrical. If even one of your engines on one side of the ship gives out, it'll spin along its vertical axis.

2. Homogenisation of ship structural aspects - if one side of the Raven is more vulnerable to certain types of ordinance than the other, the enemy will exploit that flaw.

3. Ease of maintenance and production. If a ship is notably asymmetrical you'll have to manufacture seperate parts for each side.

4. Standardisation of docking facilities is notably easier.

5. Aesthetic sensibility! For heaven's sake, asymmetrical ships are UGLY!

1: So, you're saying there's nothing wrong with asymmetry as long as it is compensated for in the distribution of thrust? I agree.
2: Caldari rely on their shields to absorb damage, so this is pretty much irrelevant.
3: Are the two wings of an F16 interchangeable? No, they are not.
4: This is an argument for homogenising ship design, not for symmetry.
5: Beauty is not something the Caldari strive for in ship design. Besides, some degree of asymmetry can still be aesthetically appealing.

If we wanted function and utility and real world realities of a space born craft that will never reenter atmosphere. it would be just a sphere or some other very standardized shape like a cylinder. Wow. exciting game.
Nothing wrong with symmetry. I imagine most players physically look rather symmetrical. Yet I like spaceships with wild doo-dads and sensors and wings and death blossoms.
When the frame itself has a horrible flaw that would look like a bad idea even in a cartoon (the paper thin hull connecting the old scorpions tail to the main body) That deserves a grisly death. Yet I never did mind it having one wing.
And the current raven would look just fine. If it was a mini carrier. It never gave me a sense of torpedo lobber and tanker to me. Its really role vs overall shape to me.