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What does a Kyoto carrier look like?

Kai

Kai

Inactive Member
Retired Staff
I've been thinking about using a Kyoto-class Carrier as a base for something, and in the process I was going to also provide art for the old, historic ship class, but I ran up against a problem. There is absolutely no description of the Kyoto. I searched through contemporary designs, and the best I could find was an incredibly vague description of its predecessor, the Subjugator-class landing craft, which was described as such: "long and narrow, with a basically rectangular form, with a light blue-gray hull. While not sleek or curvy, the ships are visually appealing."

I'm rather interested in using this for a project, but I would like something to work from, so, does anyone know, or even vaguely remember what it might have sort of looked like a little?
 
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The lack of art was one reason it was phased out.

Maybe it had a shape similar to the Zentraedi LST?

awww.kent.net_robotech_ships_zentraedi_landing_ship.gif
 
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Started work on a render, how's this look so far? haven't done a Star Army ship in a little while so I might have done something wrong:

ai.imgur.com_75gfc4M.png
 
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The Kyoto was a ship that was around back when other vessels such as the Arashi-class, Yui-class, Ketsueki-class, Ayame-class, Irim-class and Arashi-class were around.

Personally, I would've drawn my inspiration from the above. Since, as I recall, the Kyoto lacks a superheavy weapon, keypoints for me would've been the pointed prow of the Yui and Ketsueki. In effect, in my mind the ship was a triangle/wedged-shaped affair as seen from the top. I wouldn't have elaborated a lot more beyond that, though, seeing how the Kyoto seemed a design taking a very consummate approach to its carrier/transport/cargo roles - main detailing for that would've been hangar bays on the lower sides (since the ship would've been wedged-shaped, those would be front facing). I'd have also placed hangars on its rear side, between the engines. The reason I'd have chosen for putting more the the hangar on the lower-half of the Kyoto is because it could double as a troopship, and had the distinction of being the heaviest vessel that could actually land on a planet - in which case ramps would be needed to allow vehicles to drive down the ship.

As you are, Kai. I like the detailing on your attempt. I really do think, hovewer, that a departure from the Zentraedi phallic-shaped ship is needed (leave that to the Mishhu). Hence if you manage to widen the rear end of the ship by a factor of - say - seven to ten... you'll likely reach something much like I was thinking about and make your creation look significantly more like the other KFY contemporaries of that time.
 
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I was also sort of drawing from its closest contemporary in a similar role; the Subjugator, which was described vaguely as somewhat similar to this. as for most of the other ships of the era (YE 24/25) the designs seemed to mostly have some sort of pill-shaped body with prongs on the front for the main weapon. that design isn't exactly very useful as a troop/Power armor carrier, however, and by the history, the Kyoto was designed before the LAMIA was; it wasn't until the third production run of Kyotos that the LAMIA came out, according to the Wiki page, which would suggest this being more designed for infantry transport and later repurposed as a LAMIA carrier.

However, I do sort of like the Triangle/star destroyer sort of design, and in fact that was somewhat closer to my earliest imaginings of the craft, though through research and what wes said, I came to this sort of design. but, again, it is a work in progress and I can make changes. I'll make a more triangular one and see how it works.
 
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I like it too.

One thing that actually appeals to my imagination is how you've made the hull's top edge wider than the bottom edge. I can sort of picture this infantry grunt riding a jeep toward the Kyoto carrier, and then his ride goes under the ship's shadow, and then he glances up and sees the hull above just loom over him. It's just... very evocative of scale to me. :)

In fact, I kind of like yours more than the way I imagined it. It's a very unique look that still sets itself apart from other sci-fi vessels like Star Destroyer, and yet makes a great attempt to strike at the right style lines from KFY despite the vessel essential amounting to being one huge aerodynamic brick. Bravo, Kai.

If I'd have to constructively criticize anything... it's be the dorsal texturing. It seems much cruder to the textures you have on the ship's flanks.
 
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I've been working on refininf the model; making it slightly sleeker, repositioning the engines. I'll definitely look into refining the main texture, as well. On the original model (the brick) it worked much better but the new piece I used for the dorsal hull seems to stretch it a bit, so I'll try to fix that. Updated model should be posted here before too long.
 
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Good work.

Personally, I'd have gone without all the glowy bits (YMMV) - especially the huge red navigation lights; considering the scale they might be bigger than car-sized. ~_~;
 
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I think the engine glow should be purple like other older Star Army of Yamatai ships. Otherwise, I think it's fine to add to the Kyoto's wiki article. Glowy bits fit the era.

fetch.php
 
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There's a red one on the other side, so you can tell which way it's going from a distance. I tend to include this in some form in most of my starship models; It's traditional naval direction designation.
 
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Now it'd be great if we could do this for the Yuumi, maybe even put the Yuumi's article back up. >.> Since the information on that ship is still valuable. Maybe even the Arashi.
 
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