Panel lines on new ships: Lines, lines errywhere.

By Wondergecko, in X-Wing

Okay, so surely I'm going to jumped by everyone and their mother for saying this, but who else has noticed the way FFG has been phoning in the details, lately? My Raider is covered with line after nonsense line of panel scribing, many of which just kind of... end. In the middle of a panel. (This is not pertinent to this board, but the same thing can be seen on the new Armada ISD.) This happened a little bit with the Decimator's slightly bland look, one that was similarly given a random assortment of lines (same with the Hound's Tooth), but the Raider takes the cake. One of the panel lines on the bridge just stops a few millimeters from the edge...

UdmYeu6.jpg

...and in other spots, it's nothing but random lines.

SIiYi91.jpg

tl;dr: FFG seems to be giving its detailing work to their 3D modelers, not actual artists or designers, and the result is detailing that lacks function beyond filling blank space. I love this game, I love the miniatures, but I hate to see great concepts poorly executed. And that's what these were.

Just a random stab in the dark but have you compared the model to a high quality image of the raider art?

Just a random stab in the dark but have you compared the model to a high quality image of the raider art?

Certainly have -- the art is just a render of the same model the ship master was printed from.

Edit: I believe the art is...*

...only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Edited by Wondergecko

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> He's assuming kids in China make it home by 5

dZrbnr5.gif

Greebleing - a fine detailing added to the surface of a larger object that makes it appear more complex, and therefore more visually interesting. It usually gives the audience an impression of increased scale. The detail can be made from simple geometric primitives (such as cylinders, cubes, and rectangles), or more complex shapes, such as pieces of machinery (cables, tanks, sprockets). Greebles are often present on models or drawings of fictional spacecraft or architectural constructs in science fiction and are used in the movie industry (special effects).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeble

I believe in Star Wars the used bits of airplane and battleship models to make ISDs and Death Stars more interesting to look at. This on the Raider feels 100% in line with the spirit of Star Wars

They also don't have scans from the original models for the newer ships like they did for the "classics".

How dare those greedy, lazy people that work at toy ship factories try to go home to see their families when they are scheduled to! They need to all work overtime to make my toys, dammit! NO PAY!

> He's assuming kids in China make it home by 5

dZrbnr5.gif

Hehe, touche.

Greebleing - a fine detailing added to the surface of a larger object that makes it appear more complex, and therefore more visually interesting. It usually gives the audience an impression of increased scale. The detail can be made from simple geometric primitives (such as cylinders, cubes, and rectangles), or more complex shapes, such as pieces of machinery (cables, tanks, sprockets). Greebles are often present on models or drawings of fictional spacecraft or architectural constructs in science fiction and are used in the movie industry (special effects).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeble

I believe in Star Wars the used bits of airplane and battleship models to make ISDs and Death Stars more interesting to look at. This on the Raider feels 100% in line with the spirit of Star Wars

Yup, I know what greebling is. I scratchbuild models. Greebling is not drawing lines willy-nilly. though. Greebles should have a semblance of purpose.

They also don't have scans from the original models for the newer ships like they did for the "classics".

Precisely! That's the crux of the issue. It seems as if at no point did they involve the caliber of designer that did the OT ships when designing these new ones.

...only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Um, isn't that statement an absolute?

How dare those greedy, lazy people that work at toy ship factories try to go home to see their families when they are scheduled to! They need to all work overtime to make my toys, dammit! NO PAY!

I assume you're just joshing, and know that the people at the factories don't design the ships. And if they did, I'm encouraging them to go home a few lines earlier!

...only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Um, isn't that statement an absolute?

It's sad because that might be the line that most makes me cringe in the prequels and it was spoken by the otherwise bromantic Ewan McGregor's Obi-wan...

...only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Um, isn't that statement an absolute?

It's sad because that might be the line that most makes me cringe in the prequels and it was spoken by the otherwise bromantic Ewan McGregor's Obi-wan...

Yeah, that's really a terrible line... Which sucks, because McGregor's performance was amazing...

Okay, so surely I'm going to jumped by everyone and their mother for saying this, but who else has noticed the way FFG has been phoning in the details, lately?

tl;dr: FFG seems to be giving its detailing work to their 3D modelers, not actual artists or designers, and the result is detailing that lacks function beyond filling blank space. I love this game, I love the miniatures, but I hate to see great concepts poorly executed. And that's what these were.

pqopu.jpg

...only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Um, isn't that statement an absolute?

Absolutely not.

...only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Um, isn't that statement an absolute?

Absolutely not.

Explain.

...only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Um, isn't that statement an absolute?

Absolutely not.

Explain.

Sarcasm.

...only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Um, isn't that statement an absolute?

Absolutely not.

Explain.

Sarcasm.

Well, then... That explains everything...

...only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Um, isn't that statement an absolute?

Absolutely not.

Explain.

Sarcasm.

Well, then... That explains everything...

Clearly.

honestly though, yes. Lots of those lines are so literally random. I wish they would try and make it more functional instead of just aesthetic.

Paneling is good. Let me show you why.

lVzPAR5.png

Sometimes, you can't fill the space. But paneling is great for adding detail to a ship or any object when there's nothing left to add, and it's a particularly massive object. On top of that, paneling adds a sense of practicality to any starship design. If you have one large plate and it becomes damaged, you have to replace the entire plate. If you have two smaller plates that fill the same space, one of them can become damaged, and that's all you have to replace.

It's at its core, a matter of design.

Well...

There are three options as I see it.

1) Leave it alone.

2) Fill it in with greenstuff, sand and paint. Now you have panels sans lines.

3) Get a triangular file and use the spine of an exacto blade and make the lines go to the edges. I have done this on a firespray and it is very easy and provides subtle detail.

Paneling is good. Let me show you why.lVzPAR5.png

Sometimes, you can't fill the space. But paneling is great for adding detail to a ship or any object when there's nothing left to add, and it's a particularly massive object. On top of that, paneling adds a sense of practicality to any starship design. If you have one large plate and it becomes damaged, you have to replace the entire plate. If you have two smaller plates that fill the same space, one of them can become damaged, and that's all you have to replace.

It's at its core, a matter of design.

This is an excellent comparison! Now would you able to do one of these pics with the nonsensical paneling the OP is talking about, so as to compare all three versions? That would be the ultimate deal maker/breaker!

Have noticed this on the Imperial Star Destroyer, too. Strangely, the Victory class has regular panels as well as the Decimator. Seems like FFG is great with their paneling up until they get to a certain size. When they make something "really big", normal panels don't look complex enough so they "enhance" them like this.

Whereas the other epics so far don't have any long, flat surfaces.