Ships & Modules

idk why people are bitching about loving asymmetry. i never fly most caldari ships if i can help it. their ships do not look like space ships to me because theyre not symmetrical. they look like badly made kids toys. ships like the rohk are spaceships to me. they have that long look that makes them look like a spaceship. not some hideous ship with different pieces jutting out all over the place. what kinda structural integrity can that offer? yea yea theyre shield ships, but hull strength still has to play a part.

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120302053031/starwars/images/a/a8/ImpStarDestroyer-SWI125.jpg

http://www.dvice.com/sites/dvice/files/images/pics/Battlestar-Galactica-ship.jpg


http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090714124528/firefly/images/1/11/Firefly_class_ship.jpg

and im sure there are many more i cant think of.

even the most famous asymmetrical ship of all time is mostly symmetrical.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSf7_Qc_ZhIJmmnNXZ_aO1W5TlAcdfAuSrAVuWSR5XWGBWtngmrw

Symmetry in space is a very funny thing. Take your star destroyer for instance. If you look at it from the 2D perspective, it may seem symmetrical, but since space is a 3D environment, flip it 90 degrees to the side and try to find symmetry. Kinda not there anymore, is it?

The worst offense of the old Moa wasn't even the asymmetry. It is just badly drawn.

I don't think they are all that bad by themselves, but the fact that they are replacing everything that looks like it might have come out of a Chris Foss or Peter Elson painting is really killing me. I like dynamic off-beat and off-balance stuff, especially the old caldari stuff. That's why I went for this game in the first place. These newer models are boring to me. I don't think your crazy for liking them.

No, there really isn't. But it's nothing special without something wild and ridiculous to contrast it.

Atron, Condor, the old scorpion, the raven, those are, in my opinion, successful asymmetrical designs. They're interesting without being visually offensive.
On the other hand, the moa and the blackbird are example of poor asymmetrical designs, in my opinion. They are awkward and pointlessly disjointed.

I understand that diversity is the spice of life, and I feel for you that you are losing something you like. But those last 2 were really just repulsive for the sake of being repulsive, and that's just bad.

Don't get me wrong, I much prefer the new design, but I can see merit in the old one. It's weird, but it's not "stupid weird", if you will. It wasn't bits and pieces stuck together to form a shapeless mass of metal. There was design in it.

I'm not trying to argue for the beauty of symmetry or asymmetry, I am simply pointing out that symmetry in 3d space is a peculiar thing and from the point of visual perception a very limiting one, bound by our own expectations and experiences with a fixed surface. Or to rephrase it, while on the planet fluids dictate the shape of an object, in space it's purely a question of mass distribution relative to the propulsion and the strength of materials used. A spaceship may look like a plane, a ball or a scrapyard challenge - it doesn't matter, as long as it performs its duties.

That said, the question of design is always a broad one and one that does not have one answer. To me, the "new" Scorpion, Stabby or Moa are amazing while to someone else, they're abominations. Frankly, I don't care, as long as the model fits with the general theme of the race. For caldari that's highly utilitarian and military-minded, almost spartan-like. I feel that the new Moa expresses this design very well. That's all there is to it.

Terribly asymmetric forms will never be justified in EVE's spaceship design and that's really because people have to be inside and operate the thing. These spaceships have human designers and need to be comfortably and easily operated by humans, and that includes an understanding of and being able to quickly move about the layout of a ship. Some ships in EVE look like they would be a nightmare to operate and move about in and there's really no reason for anything to be designed and engineered in that way. I'm not saying asymmetry can't exist in spaceship design (just look at the Millennium Falcon) but it needs to make at least a little sense.

Also, humans aren't simply going to toss out everything they know about up/down/etc. because it doesn't exist in space -- they're still going to design with a specific orientation in mind and will try to maintain that in space.

I must say the new designs look quite nice, but with the Moa I do like the old lopsided design just a bit better. The great thing about a lot of the Caldari ships, I feel , was the unique asymetry (sp?) they had. It gave them a readily recognizable aesthetic. Mins had duct- tape and bubble gum, Cals had A.D.D. , Quafed-up , ship designers with no depth perception and that was ok.

That being said, I still like the new designs. I just wish that both designs could co-exist ( if only for a time). Old blueprints and ships would retain original design and eventually be eliminated through use and attrition. Those that want the new design with old ships maybe could be offered a one-time refit to upgrade to the new design. This type of arrangement could keep everyone happy and create a whole new economic segment, "antique" spaceships.

Unfortunately, I do realize that this type of system will probably never materialize due to a myriad of technical reasons. I just wanted to ramble a bit.

Mission accomplished.