Here's some 'behind the scene' stuff from me, sketching concept stuff in regard to the Miharu-class.
General silhouette with the kind of curvature I want for the ship, along with some details over the torpedo launchers (note the two slits are different launchers for probes and such), after countermeasures launchers and a side view of the lounge flanked by the gravimetric drives.
Another set of sideviews with me trying to determine the right angles and curves. The second one has be satisfied with how I managed to level off the fore/aft torpedo launchers, with vertical lines showing the main passageway and closer to the ventral front, the ventral retrieval bay.
The top view that comes after has be try to line up the fore torp launcher with the matter collection intakes and further out to the sides, the slits with the reverse thrusters. To the left of the top view is a semi-perspective sketch showing details on the gravimetric drive photon exhausts (laser heat sinks) and further to the outer edges the main fusion thrusters. Right on the side is my attempt at RCS thrusters, to which I'm not really satisfied off for the moment.
Then some more scribbles with me trying to figure out how the aft torpedo launcher lines up with the lounge below it, and then the upper deck of the crew compartment.
Then finally to the bottom right, you see side and bottom view scribbles of the ship's rear part, with emphasis on the launchbay, where you can see ghostly lines define where the cargo bays and vehicle bays will be. Flanking the rear door (which doubles as a ramp for ground vehicles when the ship is groundbound) is two grappler to physically tug equipment like survey platforms, and two minelayers.
Here, it's more in the way of interior layouts.
Up top is a rendition of the lounge, with hydroponics facilities facing out a rear window, virtual reality chambers and some tables where people could mingle (or the Taisa have the chef bring up lunch via elevator to dine privately with her officers, ha!). Note the sideview, which shows how an armored cover slides down during combat conditions.
I'm planning for any window in the ship (and there are few) to be double-layered in the first place, so to have a armor cover slide in-between seamlessly. I could go with volumetric window, but I don't dig them: if I was Kotori, I'd rather have a realview of space rather than an illusory one.
The two other decks are the main crew areas. I'm having serious scale issue there, since that place should be as big as a Nozomi scout, but I doubt I can really fit 80 people in there. however, the basic idea is to have crew quarters at the bottom, with bath facilities, and then those lead out to the wardroom, where you get your food, pick a table and eat with your fellow crewmembers. Stairs lead up to a split between a surelevated portion of the wardroom - again with tables - where you can eat, and the stairs also lead to officer quarters that are somewhat larger; with the Taisa's suite at the very rear.
Note that the main passageway is flanked on each corner with elevator shafts to facilitate moving cargo and non-floaty people around the ship. This ship is meant for nekos, but a few tweaks, and it should be just as servicable for Nepleslians for joint-operations.
Further down is my rendition of the upper reaches of the launchbay. Of interest are the power armor facilities that are set up on a balcony-like structure overlooking the launch hangar. Thus far, I don't have any rapid-launch bay facilities set up (yet), so the assumption is that they leave my shuttle, through airlocks, or via the main ramp when it's open (just like shuttles leave). On each side of the launch hangar's hatch are the winch-style assemblies of the grapplers.
To the right of the same deck is my scribbles of the ships administration facilities, to the fore of the main passageway. I tried toilets, CO's office, XO's office, conference room with the bridge itself (which is a balcony-like structure surrounded by a volumetric projection of space); but that side is still pretty jumbled for now and needs some straightening out.
The deck under is the lower part of the launch hangar. There, you see the minelayers, the vehicle compartments (with the T7 Raccoon being the standard), the cargo bays, leading right up to the main passageway. On the fore of the main passageway, there's my fledgling attempt at the medical bay, with the retrieval bay right in front of it.
Why a retrieval bay? I was struggling a long while to match the ease the Plumeria has to lower power armored wounded to the medlab. After realizing I couldn't get that set up with how I was designing the ship and how much larger I wanted the medical facilities, I figured that instead of receiving wounded through the armor fitting area, I could dedicate a part of the medlab to do the very same.
So, the retrieval bay was born: an ideal place to cut up a power armor to extract its pilot, bring him to emergency facilities immediately. Alternatively, it's a great place to receive escape/soul savior pods, medical supplies, or hazardous substance you want to screen through the medlab first. There are also vertical winches and other gear to collect salvage and ease extractions/rescues.
At the bottom is my attempt at a more detailed armory balcony. I inspired myself from an idea Abwehran Commander first suggested, about putting power armors inside containers. Those containers, closed, would be ideal for storage under the 'balcony'. When an armor (or replacement armor) is needed, mechanism under the balcony would raise a container up a floor slot to make it available quickly to the armorers and infantry.
The container would be open, and then machinery would extend the scaffolding holding the power armor to allow the crew to equip and board it. In the case a power armor is damages, it just has to be put back into the container and lowered down. A fresh one will replace it, while the one flagged damage will transit next to a workshop area where more specialized equipment will be at hand to fit/repair the unit.
The floorslots where the containers emerge are actually on a single-step elevation with guardrails - which make it evident where the containers will emerge. The steps also make a convenient place to sit so that all the infantry people can looks at their wing leader (probably positioned by the console controlling the logistics of the armory) when in pre-mission briefings.
Also, there was an attempt at making changing rooms. Two, in this case, since I wanted the ship to have 27 power armors on standby, and up to 72 more in reserve if needed. Both changing rooms are necessary to support 'scramble' situations. ^_^;
Why so many? Well, it support having enough armors to oufit a good-sized ground force at need - which possibly makes the ship a compact base for more ground oriented action. Furthermore, I was a bit tired of playing underdog with gunships as far as armor complement went. 27 hot standby with 72 more in reserve (which can come up the moment one armor launches) seems like a pretty good deal by comparison and makes the assets look more cruiser-like.
The last picture presents more detailed views of the armory and medical bay. I still have scale issues, since I can only be so accurate with a pen while doodling in my breaks at work; while not even being clear on how big exactly the ship will be so I really know the extent of the room I'll have.
When you enter in the medical bay/sickbay/medcenter/whatever, you have three seats to wait, by the chief medical officer's office. There's a toilet nearby. The doctor can receive you in his office to chat, but if you need a consultation, there are two examination rooms ahead - set up much like our present-day clinics. These, though, are more high tech and include the ST backup devices too.
The doctor's office opens up to the actual MedLab portion of the complex, which has the medical supplies, special devices, tool, and machinery to do the brunt of his work. This is, though, not usually the place to receive patients.
Through the two examination rooms, in easy access to the medlab as well, is the emergency rooms, where the HS tanks are, as well as a set of surgery beds, with more tools and supplies lining racks on the walls. Also, the sides and the ceiling support medical instruments on robotic arms akin to the automated submissions Nashoba made. Personally, I'd rather have them assist a surgeon rather than do all the job on thier own, but they're there, just in case. One thing I planned, though, was to have the ceilign set up so that the medical instrumentation could move through all the four surgery beds rather than a single one.
One you've been operated, you can be moved to the recovery ward, which has a series of beds with bedsides tables. At the far end, there's a bathroom (with toilet, sink, and a place to wash).
And then finally, there's the retrieval bay, with room for a Raccoon shuttle, cargo bays on each sides, the winces that are usually retracted into the floor, and at the very front a graviton projector assembly.
The retrieval bay closes with a split door and shutters as well. It's access to especially shielded to not make it a liability, and in a pinch its interior forcefields should be good enough to bear up with atmospheric re-entry and hot pick-ups while under fire.
* * *
The doodle bellow is a more refined Armory. Two row of nine containers which are moved up and down at need, with 9 other containers (in stack of threes), not on the floorslots, but already geared up on hot-standby.
Behind the container rows is where the modules and weapon racks are stored. Most of it are handhelds, snap on, or easily fit on SQUIRE; so there's not much need for automated robot arms to do that part.
Finally, there are the changing rooms, with two nine-locker rows (though vertically there could be more). There are two benches - the room in the middle is to afford more ease of traffic in high activity periods. The toilets are easily accessed, with the sinks/mirror/towels/toileting supplies close by/ Then there's the entry into a shower room that's probably very similar to what was once available on Sakura gunships.
