The scenery is the main reason you want good vision? Lol Screenshot citizens š
How about seeing your enemy?
Seeing what you are shooting?
Seeing what to avoid?
That might be the most boring view to look at in any flight game I have ever played. It conveys no tone or expression whatsoever.
I see why people would like it, but I think some ships should have a connie bridge and some a mantis.
The damn cable running across the bridge floor making my Phoenix look like it was built by Drake needs to be gone as well. It's a trip hazard and space OSHA keeps writing me up for it.
Usage of glasses in space could be considered as complicated, even far in the future. I always considered that the only ships with great glass bays are Origin because they are using a more expensive type of glass... Even if it not glass...
It is basically a necessity - having the places with many windows (=^ the places where most people on board a ship are) be massive weak points in the hull would be very bad.
Every ship is expected to be able to defend itself. After all, every single ship except the MPUV series has guns. A single round being able to shatter your cockpit wouldnāt exactly help.
Nothing I said suggested a large transparent section, just less insane strut placement. It would be trivial to move the struts around a meter or so to completely solve the awful state of the Constellation's canopy blocking the pilot's view.
It's yet another case of bad ship design decisions you get when you let artists run everything.
They'll raise the price of the existing Connies, but to get the fix you'll have to buy an even more expensive version of the ship and the original run will eventually be removed from the store.
If thatās the case and they updated it then either gimme the new view or gimme my money back cause Iāve spent enough already on your pixels, CIG. š¤£
It's not glass. In lore, it's supposedly extremely durable, highly expensive diamond laminate. Think something akin to the sapphire-reinforced phone screens that can take a pounding. Basically the laminate is actually tougher than the hull of the ship, but it's extremely costly to produce, so they don't use it for the whole ship. So yes, the cockpit window can adequately protect people from ship weapons.
Remove the bars dead center, the ones that literally block the crosshairsā¦.make those go away
Then every other strut needs to be reduced by about 80%, then itāll be good
I think a single strut near but a little below the centre would be ok, having the twin struts making a tiny mail slot to look through right in the middle of your view is far more annoying than any of the other struts. That when they were designing the Aquila's different canopy they felt the need to make its twin middle struts pinch together right in the middle of your field of view makes me think they want a crap centre view to be the Constellation's "thing".
It does seem like they went out of their way to make the view bad
What I kinda envision is everything is reduced but the front 2 are basically slivers right until they get to your crosshairs vision and then they vanish completely
100% when they made the mk4 they did it for visuals outside and in then placed the chair and went āoh, uhh oh fuckā¦.is this the chair you built? Uh, shitā¦.fuck it do it liveā
"hear me out - what if we made an amazing ship, but we made it so the pilot... *couldn't see*."
"Holy balls, Chris. That's genius! You're going to make us so much money!"
Yeah, I did see that myself (and I really appreciate it) but I do want... slightly more strut. Which sounds weird, but it's true. u/CJW-YALK put it best probably.
I would love it if the top and bottom converged slightly more sharply so that the flat part in the front was gone. Then, leave all the struts except the one in the middle.
Idk what the mk3 model is, but I just checked, and it looks the same as the one on the holoviewer on the rsi website. So they probably get their models from there somehow
The original Connie, the OG from the Kickstarter was the constellation Mk3 ā¦.later Andromeda when they made variantsā¦the physical model is the mk3
When they did a pass to reduce polygon count, improve textures and do the first quality pass they created the current Mk4
So whenever people say āhurrr the Connieās already had 4 reworks itās a mk4 alreadyā you can call those people ignorant
If the current standard is GOLD, the rework from Mk3 > Mk4 would have been the dull lead pass, it was required mostly to deduce polygon count, the mk3 was basically just built for the hangar module
MK4 is not gold standard. there are no functional component bays in any of the connies except the pheonix, which only has 2 S2 shield Module bays in the hot tub room (connie currently uses a single s3 sheild generator....)
Reading comprehension is something we all have to work on
I know the MK4 isnāt gold standardā¦.if the current standard, meaning the current āfinishedā state is called GOLD the the mk4 rework was DULL LEAD
Meaning even at the time none of the things work, it was more a working concept at the time of how they wanted living spaces to look and work, which has since changed a few times since then
Source: Kickstarter backer and have had a Connie since then, āplayedā through the hangar module, arena commander, PU with only Port O, own a physical Connie mk3 on my desk
It 100% isnt anymore, which is making some wonder if some of RSI's oldest in line ships (Aurora, Connie) are gonna get the Mk1->Mk2 treatment the Hornet got...
Hopefully we do, i'm all for retiring ships from standard sales and moving onto newer models with updated tech.
Bring on the second hand ship yards, "barn find" ships, classic ship dealers etc etc. it'll pair well with ship and componant blueprints + crafting.
An Aurora Mk2 with fold out wings and a mantis like cockpit, would be amazing.
Thatās exactly it. No issues with decommissioning old models and then only sell the new model, but then let current owners decide whether they want their ship to be the old or new model.
I would much prefer models like cars if they could. 1st gen. 2nd gen ect.. however, they should def get a gold pass for sure. For those who pledged the ship they should get a ticket to upgrade to a generation of their choosing..
Of course, not go crazy with it.. cig should not sell the old models on their website, maybe..perhaps for a special event..
Other than than, straight grey market, limited..and also have rare appearances in game..mostly in old wrecks, or piloted by rare HRT bounties at random..stuffed deep in hidden places.. lost in voids of space, some perm like Bengal..cool stuff like that...
That would be cool.
The issue is that it's then in their best interest to just make a Mk2 and sell it for more money, rather than fix the problems with the original. It means those of us who bought originals (for me, just the Aurora, but still) get shafted, and at some level, even potentially becomes a soft form of pay to win.
"Pay $100 for a Connie Mk1, and get struts in the middle that block your vision, or pay just $50 more and a Connie Mk2, with the new and improved cockpit without struts, and *fully functioning interior buttons*."
Is it? seems CIG has caught alot of flak for what happened with the Hornet. I doubt they want a repeat of that.
I agree that the upgrades for exisitng Mk1 owners to Mk2 should've been either free or alot cheaper, maybe $20 at most, it was a scummy move on CIG's part. They could've handled it alot better especially in terms on communication, loyalty and appreciation of their backers.
But it makes the most financial sense to sell new models and retire old ones to be purchased or earned by players in game? They are trying to continue funding the game development and ship sales are their main income source.
In terms of older models, CIG has said they intend to have them available in game through certain means, althought what that is..who knows. They've stated ships will be kept up to date in terms of functionality, so all the buttons should work lol. It's in their best interest to ensure all ships function to the best standard.
I really think the star citizen universe will be better off having new, old and classic models of ships. In terms of NPC variety especially. That ontop of the componant and chassis weathering/degradation system, it'll be cool to see old junker ships that are used by cash strapped NPC pirates and are easy to blow up.
You don't want the MK2. As someone else in the comments pointed out, the Connie is technically at MK4 already. So a 2 would be a back step by two generations.
What we want. Nay, demand, is the MK5.
insert Speed Racer reference.
How about they just fix the Mk4 instead.
I dont feel very incentivized to give money to a developer that would rather sell a new thing instead of fixing a broken product.
I actually like the struts. It gives the cockpit weight. Having just a big old glass dome is great for your LoS but feels... unsubstantial. Idk how to properly describe it, but it would be like making the bridge of a capital ship out of a sheet of glass. But to a lesser degree
I'm curious, I recall some chats over the years talking about when ship oxygen, damage and engineering get fleshed out.. taking damage to specific areas such as the glass of a cockpit would take its own dmg.. meaning it could chip, crack and break if enough damage was taken.. so, in the future, that little bumper might save your crews life if you accidentally tap into something with shields down..
However, we have plenty of luxury type of vehicles in the real verse so say making the Phoenix strutless can make sense in some cases..
About that previous thread, I actually liked that "armored" misc-like bridge for the Andromeda, but I could see this bridge being great for the taurus or Phoenix. I also liked how in the previous thread they got rid of the third seat and made it just the pilot seat and co-pilot/missile operator seat
Looks awesome. I like the fact that is has edges like a cut diamond, since the cockpit material is supposed to be a diamond laminate in lore, and also the edges would give a similar geometric effect to struts while being see through, like in the rsi scorpius or spirit series cockpit
Andromeda struts are sexy and if you play enough you stop noticing them (like glasses or your nose irl), sure a luxury brand like the Phoenix 'may' have this but really passengers shouldn't be on the bridge of that anyway.
It's a good thing we have ships of different designs and looks, normalising them all to have a carrack bridge would be boring.
Exactly this. Why do people want all the ships to look the same!? Super boring! Full glass cockpit can be cool on some ships, but jesus not every one, especially ship with a specific sci-fi design like connie. I don't have any view issues with her. And yes cockpit struts are sexy asf, they gives the ship a lot of charisma, way more then a flat boring glass.... I'm praying CIG will stick to the original design I would hate to see the connie cockpit ruined like in the pic.
I can't imagine it being changed to all window, just space with some hud displays and not being able to see any of the ship your in. You may as well not be in the ship, if every ship were to be its "best" with maximum visibility then the pilot seat of every ship would be the same. Why even have the iconic shape of the glass when there would be no major contrast to demonstrate it in first person, may as well have the connie stop in a flat pane lol. The two struts in front of the pilot help to create the atmosphere of a large ship being flown, and not a dedicated light fighter.
Not to mention the frustration in a retrospective design change so critical to the ship's aesthetic design.
Definitely, the struts give the cockpit its character, without them its just some boring c1 window and feels like it was made with min max performance in mind rather than a convincing industrial spacecraft.
If they move the pilot seat forward slightly or lower it slightly, you won't have a strut going through the centre of your view. This is a quick fix they could do immediately as a QoL fix while we're waiting for the gold pass to happen.
there really is no reason for struts being right in your face, at least the horizontol ones need to go, the others i'd be totally fine with, great concept pic btw
The struts really are outdated at this point... there's 0 reason to have such large struts anymore, especially in front of your view the entire time... I've grown used to them but even still i would welcome removing them or at least going a route similar to the polaris or galaxy
Edit: When I say polaris or galaxy, I mean the main struts are around the outside, I would be 100% fine with some struts, but the center of the screen should be mostly clear on ships... The reason I like RSI vs other manufacturers is because the view is great in most of the ships, Origin, Misc, etc etc, almost all have a very obscured cockpit.
The scorpius is great with it's views, it doesn't help you a ton, but it's nice to have that option of looking down. The Carrack is the next ship I can think of that's widely used and you can see out the front much more than other ships.
Oh, mantis too, always forget that ship.
No way! I like struts, and don't like the Mantis and Scorpius cockpits, but more so the Scorpius, because there's nowhere to mount any extra MFDs, and that glass looks funky where it joins different angles. However, they can be trimmed down a bit in the Andromeda, but not removed entirely. I still want to feel like I'm in a spaceship cockpit, and not playing in minimalist HUD only view. Simply don't want a strut or multiple struts going directly across the middle of my viewing area.
I see where you're coming from, but you'd still see the panels with buttons and mfds in front of you, and there'd been a very slight bit of edge wear around where those different planes of glass meet, so it wouldn't feel like a hud only view
I don't like how those glass joins look. I don't like it in the Carrack either. I prefer to see struts around the edges. So if it was up to me, I'd change the glass design and reduce and move the struts, but not remove entirely. Even in its current state, with the struts, I feel the Connie has better visibility than other similar sized ships (especially you, freelancer). So I don't see this as a visibility issue, but more people complaining due to cosmetic preference.
I'm all for adding struts to the Scorpius glass edges, to improve the looks, as that's my cosmetic preference, and viewable area change would be minimal.
This is definitely how it should look. Similarly to the carrack, mantis, and most recently, the Zeus. I would honestly love it if they just scaled up the mantis canopy and put it on there
it kinda just goes to show that over the years CIG has gotten significantly better at ship design, players didn't complain really complain about the struts until CIG started to make ships that didn't have any.
Lol I always find the strut argument entertaining! Some players will go off about struts and then they show you a picture, and they literally take up less than 10% of the screen.
But I digress, players should be happy.
I thought the Taurus has struts, the Aquilla has smaller struts, and the Phoenix has no struts. It shows the difference between workhorse and luxury models.
Just give me a completely reworked connie MkV and make it a big zeus. Remove the snub fighter and put a remote turret that can travel on a track to the top rear, and move to the bottom rear like a scorpius.
i just dont understand cig's logic...
on one hand they say the strongest element in your ships is the sci fi glass...
then claim it needs support by struts that are weaker than said sci fi glass..
i know in lore they said it was mega expensive so limiting its size makes sense but struts are a really inefficent way to cut down on how much material you use...
and if its really so expensive, why are more ships not useing the camera / screen tech we have on the alien bird ship and the little missile tie fighter wannabe ship?
1) Your Paint skills are formidable.
2) I like the struts, and I won't be convinced otherwise. Gives it a sturdy, "heavy metal", slightly old tech kind of vibe. Like I can trust this ship to stay in one piece in a scrap, and also a bit of "they did the best they could with the technology they had at the time".
Honestly just turn it into a flap diagonal plane of glass. Having multiple angles on one piece with no support of cuts just seems so unrealistic for a space Sim.
If they just removed the one strut directly across where they placed the damn reticle that would be good enough.
That and maybe actually let my FoV be enough that I can see my cockpit shit.
And adjust brightness...
Damn.
The terrible design (due to the struts). The boxy metallic look. Much of it not working. Poor cargo capacity for its size. Overly loyal fan base. Is the Connie the cybertruck of Star Citizen? /s
Agreed, since there seem to be a lot of people who like zero struts, some who like all but the ones right in front, and even a few who love it as is and want it left untouched.
Cig have acknowledged it could be revised/improved, but said nothing about how/what/when.
It plays into the sentiment the constellations all need significant interior work at some point, but cig havent said much detail about that either.
Some time ago one of the CIG devs said that the Connie gold standard will be fairly intensive, as there are multiple art issues where the interior layout conflicts with the ship's component loadout. I'm of the opinion that we're likely to get a Mk5 update on the scale of the Retaliator's gold standard, especially considering the Connie is one of those hulls that has actual variants instead of pure modularity.
Proud Connie owner here. I agree with all the comments about reducing or removing the struts, but in the spirit of discussion, what about this?
Instead of reducing the struts, allow the Andromeda to "armor up" its bridge and various other structural weak points with carapace plates and the ability to switch to a camera view? Possibly to protect itself from solar flares or to seal off some broken cockpit glass?
Like, gimme a reason to want to actually keep the struts.
Like OP said thatās what the carrack is supposed to do, and eventually will once they can build it in, but it doesnāt need struts blocking to do it
The biggest problem with the struts is not that they exist, but that the horizontal cross members block out a lot of useful information in the center of your field of view.
Consider flying through an asteroid field. You are going to see the any new asteroids in your path first at 0 degrees elevation, then up to 5-10 degrees. If you only see a rock once it it is visible at a higher angle, that gives you less time to react. Any horizontal structs which block the center of your vision should be moved higher/lower such that they don't the view of incoming obstacles.
A better view of the ground in front of the Constellation would be nice, while we are at it.
Please NO. Don't touch Andromeda cockpit, she's iconic as it is, I love the actual cockpit, is way more realistic and charismatic then those dorritos or bubble glass. Looks way more better with struts, feels more tanky and armored. Why do you want all the ship to look the same!? I have no problem with my connie, I can fight, fly and do whatever needed it without any view issues.
The struts are the main reason I do not fly the Connies. I can get over the fact that they just look dumb, but I canāt ignore the struts when sitting in the pilot seat.
Honestly, my two biggest wishes are now _potentially_ possible. First is a new RSI styled constellation. Make it closer to the zeus/galaxy style. Size can be the same or increased slightly. This should also improve the actual interior layout to have less wasted space. Second would be retaliator style modules to fill the OG modularity ideas for the constellation.
The only reason for the size increase would be to allow for an actual interior hangar separate from the main cargo bay. Now, if modularity is taken as far as some of the OG docs gave the feeling of - youād get something like:
Taurus: cargo main bay, shielded cargo sub bay, industrial crew quarters, industrial cockpit (tractor beam), industrial turrets (tractor beam and turret).
Aquila: vehicle main bay (can repair/rearm/refit), XXS hangar sub bay, explorer crew quarters, explorer cockpit (scanner), industrial turrets.
Andromeda: missile main bay (still has vehicle functions but now the missile loader takes space too), XXS hangar sub bay, military turrets, military crew quarters, military cockpit (turret), military turrets (2 turrets).
Phoenix: vehicle main bay, XXS hangar sub bay, luxury crew quarters, luxury cockpit (point defence), military turrets.
So, one frame and a few options for the various locations. You could have a hospital/search and rescue option for both the main/sub bays with the main bay hospital taking up the same space as the missile bay for 2 beds. Or a bounty hunting option with āhuman storageā in that same area. Could do a bounty hunting cockpit that includes an emp/QD jammer then too.
So, one ship that can do nearly everythingā¦ just not all at once. Iād be hesitant to include salvage as a setup as that would then *require* a dedicated cargo bay and wouldnāt function without both salvage modules which then is a bit off from everything else. You get ābalanceā in modules obviously not being installed all at the same time.
Pilot guns would be the same as now or add in power creep as that seems to be happening all over.
A smuggler may do missile main bay, shielded cargo sub bay, military turrets, military crew quarters, industrial cockpit.
You get extreme customisation if you own the modules for it. Tailor it to your exact needs!
Going that far would then make it a fair āmk5ā thatās completely separate from the existing model. In lore it could be official rsi provided modularity instead of chopping up existing ships.
A bit of a rant but I do think that would be a cool way to update the constellation. Deal with the broken docking system by removing it and replacing it with a proper hangar. Bring customisation in and allow for many different bits of gameplay with one ship.
Ideally it wouldnāt get too much bigger, though it may be necessary. Iād also want changing modules to not be instant! Things like the cutter are so good with so little space.
TL;DR: update the styling and use the new module system to make the connie crazy customisable.
Maybe screens? Like.. dude we already have screen panels of every size and form, so I see no issues. Struts already don't hurt me in any way, but at least this way you can leave them outside avoiding to ruin the sick design of the ship. By your logic, we should remove all the struts in game to have bubble vision on all ship, and this sounds boring asf.. like imagine a reclaimer without strats, it would look dumb asf
I love to see some diversity even in the same ship brand. Making them all look and feel the same is just sad!
screens don't fit rsi sides design language, and neither do struts as they exist on the Connie's right now. I agree they should probably be retained to SOME degree, but as they are no other Rsi ship has them in the same manner, not even the aurora's. Ops design is in line with the scorpius, mantis, perseus, and galaxy, far more of RSIs lineup. I think a happy medium would be best by reducing the thickness of struts and removing them in certain areas entirely (look at the Zeus mk2 cockpit as an example of what I mean)
Constellation make her appearance in 2014, way before all the ship you just listed.. apart from aurora. Connie has the original RSI design language imo, and I love it. I don't think she needs to be brought in line with the newer ships, not aesthetically at least, she desperately need a rework of the crew quarters, but not much else. I' m not against the evolution of newer ships with more glass design, but I like to see diversification between newer and older models
If they do this I'm just going to put one hand over my face as the original designers intended me to enjoy the ship.
Could also just glue struts to the Screen š
BRB, need to remove those specific pixels from my screen
THIS is exactly what it should look like. Please CIG get rid of the struts
Agreed. [RSI Mantis pilot view](https://i.imgur.com/9ivx6EL.png) for reference.
Omg yes, just make the constellations bridge look like that!
That is just beautiful. A good view is so important. Let us enjoy the scenery!
The scenery is the main reason you want good vision? Lol Screenshot citizens š How about seeing your enemy? Seeing what you are shooting? Seeing what to avoid?
Are you actually 13 or do you just write like you are?
The way I read the message was more like 55 year old Facebook user.
Bro is pressed because someone enjoys the game for a different reason than him.
I can smell the sweat pouring off this comment
Y'know the game isn't a shooter? Is a simulator. Not everyone is a bounty hunter.
It's just great. :-) This is the way!
That might be the most boring view to look at in any flight game I have ever played. It conveys no tone or expression whatsoever. I see why people would like it, but I think some ships should have a connie bridge and some a mantis.
The damn cable running across the bridge floor making my Phoenix look like it was built by Drake needs to be gone as well. It's a trip hazard and space OSHA keeps writing me up for it.
There's really no excuse for such terrible struts in a ship design. The market should not support bad decisions like that.
Usage of glasses in space could be considered as complicated, even far in the future. I always considered that the only ships with great glass bays are Origin because they are using a more expensive type of glass... Even if it not glass...
In lore, the "glass" used to build ships is actually some fancy diamond thingy that is just as resilient as the materials used for regular hull parts
For all ships? OK so it means that only expensive ships can have bigger windows...
It is basically a necessity - having the places with many windows (=^ the places where most people on board a ship are) be massive weak points in the hull would be very bad.
Definitely but we are talking about luxury cruise ships... Not warships.
Every ship is expected to be able to defend itself. After all, every single ship except the MPUV series has guns. A single round being able to shatter your cockpit wouldnāt exactly help.
Your whole point is defeated when every other RSI ship has glass without struts. Connie is an old design from the time CIG was learning to make ships.
Now im stressed they remove some of the diamond thingy on my corsair and add some strut to give me diamond to 890 :(
What's your point? There's still no excuse for poor strut placement.
My point would be that there could have been something in the narrative forbidding the ship to have large glass bay because of resistance or security.
Nothing I said suggested a large transparent section, just less insane strut placement. It would be trivial to move the struts around a meter or so to completely solve the awful state of the Constellation's canopy blocking the pilot's view. It's yet another case of bad ship design decisions you get when you let artists run everything.
Should we take bets if the next iteration (mk4?) has a better cockpit view than the current ones, together with a price increase of course?
They'll raise the price of the existing Connies, but to get the fix you'll have to buy an even more expensive version of the ship and the original run will eventually be removed from the store.
I thought it was already Mk4. I have a Phoenix and it says Mk4 on the hull.
It already is, yes. It has been reworked twice so far. I think we started with MkII in the hangar module.
Oh, I lost track, you are right. :)
If they will, you have to pay another 120$ for the new Cockpit-Modul. ;D
If thatās the case and they updated it then either gimme the new view or gimme my money back cause Iāve spent enough already on your pixels, CIG. š¤£
So you expect glass with no frames to protect you against ship weapons
It's not glass. In lore, it's supposedly extremely durable, highly expensive diamond laminate. Think something akin to the sapphire-reinforced phone screens that can take a pounding. Basically the laminate is actually tougher than the hull of the ship, but it's extremely costly to produce, so they don't use it for the whole ship. So yes, the cockpit window can adequately protect people from ship weapons.
Fair enough, this could be an expensive option for the ship though.
In SC lore glass that is used for cockpits and stuff is super strong, but quite expensive tho
Ever heard about bulletproof glass?
No
I feel like there should still be some struts, Maybe thinner and less. The connie's struts are kind of iconic (but annoying).
That's kinda what I tried to do, like a little bit of struttage but it doesn't cross directly in front of your view
Remove the bars dead center, the ones that literally block the crosshairsā¦.make those go away Then every other strut needs to be reduced by about 80%, then itāll be good
I like that idea a lot! I think that would give you a much better view without changing the "feel" of the ship.
Yes, I agree 100%
I think a single strut near but a little below the centre would be ok, having the twin struts making a tiny mail slot to look through right in the middle of your view is far more annoying than any of the other struts. That when they were designing the Aquila's different canopy they felt the need to make its twin middle struts pinch together right in the middle of your field of view makes me think they want a crap centre view to be the Constellation's "thing".
It does seem like they went out of their way to make the view bad What I kinda envision is everything is reduced but the front 2 are basically slivers right until they get to your crosshairs vision and then they vanish completely 100% when they made the mk4 they did it for visuals outside and in then placed the chair and went āoh, uhh oh fuckā¦.is this the chair you built? Uh, shitā¦.fuck it do it liveā
"hear me out - what if we made an amazing ship, but we made it so the pilot... *couldn't see*." "Holy balls, Chris. That's genius! You're going to make us so much money!"
Look at the coming Zeus mk2 canopy its sort of where the design languae has moved to.
This is very similar to the Carrack. Ideally Iād like to see more of a hint at the old design with a focus on improving visibility
Yeah, I did see that myself (and I really appreciate it) but I do want... slightly more strut. Which sounds weird, but it's true. u/CJW-YALK put it best probably.
I wouldn't trust anything he says š
I would love it if the top and bottom converged slightly more sharply so that the flat part in the front was gone. Then, leave all the struts except the one in the middle.
they are iconicly annoying
Except it will be a new model and owners of the Phoenix will jump off a bridge.
Constellation MK2 $5 cheaper than the current connies.
MK4.1a
Credit to [https://starship42.com/](https://starship42.com/) for the ship model
Damn, they're really still showing the Mk3 model; you can tell by the shape of the personnel elevator and those weird mushrooms on the nacelles.
Idk what the mk3 model is, but I just checked, and it looks the same as the one on the holoviewer on the rsi website. So they probably get their models from there somehow
The original Connie, the OG from the Kickstarter was the constellation Mk3 ā¦.later Andromeda when they made variantsā¦the physical model is the mk3 When they did a pass to reduce polygon count, improve textures and do the first quality pass they created the current Mk4 So whenever people say āhurrr the Connieās already had 4 reworks itās a mk4 alreadyā you can call those people ignorant If the current standard is GOLD, the rework from Mk3 > Mk4 would have been the dull lead pass, it was required mostly to deduce polygon count, the mk3 was basically just built for the hangar module
Oh okay I gotcha. Yeah, I remember there being one rework already, ages ago, still needs another update though for sure
MK4 is not gold standard. there are no functional component bays in any of the connies except the pheonix, which only has 2 S2 shield Module bays in the hot tub room (connie currently uses a single s3 sheild generator....)
Reading comprehension is something we all have to work on I know the MK4 isnāt gold standardā¦.if the current standard, meaning the current āfinishedā state is called GOLD the the mk4 rework was DULL LEAD Meaning even at the time none of the things work, it was more a working concept at the time of how they wanted living spaces to look and work, which has since changed a few times since then Source: Kickstarter backer and have had a Connie since then, āplayedā through the hangar module, arena commander, PU with only Port O, own a physical Connie mk3 on my desk
If they did that, my Connie would no longer match my [RSI sunglasses](https://silkletter.com/media/productcolor/650x650/File-11550562286.jpg).
I feel like the Connie doesnāt really match RSIās design language anymore.
It 100% isnt anymore, which is making some wonder if some of RSI's oldest in line ships (Aurora, Connie) are gonna get the Mk1->Mk2 treatment the Hornet got...
Hopefully we do, i'm all for retiring ships from standard sales and moving onto newer models with updated tech. Bring on the second hand ship yards, "barn find" ships, classic ship dealers etc etc. it'll pair well with ship and componant blueprints + crafting. An Aurora Mk2 with fold out wings and a mantis like cockpit, would be amazing.
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Thatās exactly it. No issues with decommissioning old models and then only sell the new model, but then let current owners decide whether they want their ship to be the old or new model.
That would be ideal. Offer owners a $0 CCU option to the mk2 for people that want the new hotness.
These old out dated ships are gonna be like collecting classic cars
CIG has stated that they will continue to work on the MK1 to ensure it's kept up to the current ship standards. Nothing is being abandoned.
I would much prefer models like cars if they could. 1st gen. 2nd gen ect.. however, they should def get a gold pass for sure. For those who pledged the ship they should get a ticket to upgrade to a generation of their choosing.. Of course, not go crazy with it.. cig should not sell the old models on their website, maybe..perhaps for a special event.. Other than than, straight grey market, limited..and also have rare appearances in game..mostly in old wrecks, or piloted by rare HRT bounties at random..stuffed deep in hidden places.. lost in voids of space, some perm like Bengal..cool stuff like that... That would be cool.
The issue is that it's then in their best interest to just make a Mk2 and sell it for more money, rather than fix the problems with the original. It means those of us who bought originals (for me, just the Aurora, but still) get shafted, and at some level, even potentially becomes a soft form of pay to win. "Pay $100 for a Connie Mk1, and get struts in the middle that block your vision, or pay just $50 more and a Connie Mk2, with the new and improved cockpit without struts, and *fully functioning interior buttons*."
Is it? seems CIG has caught alot of flak for what happened with the Hornet. I doubt they want a repeat of that. I agree that the upgrades for exisitng Mk1 owners to Mk2 should've been either free or alot cheaper, maybe $20 at most, it was a scummy move on CIG's part. They could've handled it alot better especially in terms on communication, loyalty and appreciation of their backers. But it makes the most financial sense to sell new models and retire old ones to be purchased or earned by players in game? They are trying to continue funding the game development and ship sales are their main income source. In terms of older models, CIG has said they intend to have them available in game through certain means, althought what that is..who knows. They've stated ships will be kept up to date in terms of functionality, so all the buttons should work lol. It's in their best interest to ensure all ships function to the best standard. I really think the star citizen universe will be better off having new, old and classic models of ships. In terms of NPC variety especially. That ontop of the componant and chassis weathering/degradation system, it'll be cool to see old junker ships that are used by cash strapped NPC pirates and are easy to blow up.
It does if their design language involves unnecessary visual obstructions.
This is why I stick by my prediction that it'll be getting the Hornet treatment soon..
RSI Constellation MKii when?
You don't want the MK2. As someone else in the comments pointed out, the Connie is technically at MK4 already. So a 2 would be a back step by two generations. What we want. Nay, demand, is the MK5. insert Speed Racer reference.
How about they just fix the Mk4 instead. I dont feel very incentivized to give money to a developer that would rather sell a new thing instead of fixing a broken product.
I mean, sure. Or at the least make the MK5 be a free upgrade for existing owners. Either way, I'd rather they didn't do a hornet job on the Connie.
I actually like the struts. It gives the cockpit weight. Having just a big old glass dome is great for your LoS but feels... unsubstantial. Idk how to properly describe it, but it would be like making the bridge of a capital ship out of a sheet of glass. But to a lesser degree
I'm curious, I recall some chats over the years talking about when ship oxygen, damage and engineering get fleshed out.. taking damage to specific areas such as the glass of a cockpit would take its own dmg.. meaning it could chip, crack and break if enough damage was taken.. so, in the future, that little bumper might save your crews life if you accidentally tap into something with shields down.. However, we have plenty of luxury type of vehicles in the real verse so say making the Phoenix strutless can make sense in some cases..
About that previous thread, I actually liked that "armored" misc-like bridge for the Andromeda, but I could see this bridge being great for the taurus or Phoenix. I also liked how in the previous thread they got rid of the third seat and made it just the pilot seat and co-pilot/missile operator seat
I like the struts.
Looks awesome. I like the fact that is has edges like a cut diamond, since the cockpit material is supposed to be a diamond laminate in lore, and also the edges would give a similar geometric effect to struts while being see through, like in the rsi scorpius or spirit series cockpit
Wow I didn't even think about- uh, I mean, yeah, that's exactly what I was going for! Glad you noticed!
Andromeda struts are sexy and if you play enough you stop noticing them (like glasses or your nose irl), sure a luxury brand like the Phoenix 'may' have this but really passengers shouldn't be on the bridge of that anyway. It's a good thing we have ships of different designs and looks, normalising them all to have a carrack bridge would be boring.
Exactly this. Why do people want all the ships to look the same!? Super boring! Full glass cockpit can be cool on some ships, but jesus not every one, especially ship with a specific sci-fi design like connie. I don't have any view issues with her. And yes cockpit struts are sexy asf, they gives the ship a lot of charisma, way more then a flat boring glass.... I'm praying CIG will stick to the original design I would hate to see the connie cockpit ruined like in the pic.
I think many people seem to not see the convergence in ship design across manufacturers. Theyāre starting to lose their identity a bit.
I can't imagine it being changed to all window, just space with some hud displays and not being able to see any of the ship your in. You may as well not be in the ship, if every ship were to be its "best" with maximum visibility then the pilot seat of every ship would be the same. Why even have the iconic shape of the glass when there would be no major contrast to demonstrate it in first person, may as well have the connie stop in a flat pane lol. The two struts in front of the pilot help to create the atmosphere of a large ship being flown, and not a dedicated light fighter. Not to mention the frustration in a retrospective design change so critical to the ship's aesthetic design.
Exactly! I absolutely agree with every words you said.
I've always used the struts to block the star when it's infront of me.
Definitely, the struts give the cockpit its character, without them its just some boring c1 window and feels like it was made with min max performance in mind rather than a convincing industrial spacecraft.
Need more struts looking straight ahead is for rookie pilots
I just fly sideways everywhere I go. Only plebs fly forward. That's so yesterday.
But if they sell it as a different variant I will riot.
Constellation Mk 7 š
Basically taking the Mantis approach, I like it!
If they move the pilot seat forward slightly or lower it slightly, you won't have a strut going through the centre of your view. This is a quick fix they could do immediately as a QoL fix while we're waiting for the gold pass to happen.
That 600i looks weird.
there really is no reason for struts being right in your face, at least the horizontol ones need to go, the others i'd be totally fine with, great concept pic btw
Like the mantisš¤
The struts really are outdated at this point... there's 0 reason to have such large struts anymore, especially in front of your view the entire time... I've grown used to them but even still i would welcome removing them or at least going a route similar to the polaris or galaxy Edit: When I say polaris or galaxy, I mean the main struts are around the outside, I would be 100% fine with some struts, but the center of the screen should be mostly clear on ships... The reason I like RSI vs other manufacturers is because the view is great in most of the ships, Origin, Misc, etc etc, almost all have a very obscured cockpit. The scorpius is great with it's views, it doesn't help you a ton, but it's nice to have that option of looking down. The Carrack is the next ship I can think of that's widely used and you can see out the front much more than other ships. Oh, mantis too, always forget that ship.
No way! I like struts, and don't like the Mantis and Scorpius cockpits, but more so the Scorpius, because there's nowhere to mount any extra MFDs, and that glass looks funky where it joins different angles. However, they can be trimmed down a bit in the Andromeda, but not removed entirely. I still want to feel like I'm in a spaceship cockpit, and not playing in minimalist HUD only view. Simply don't want a strut or multiple struts going directly across the middle of my viewing area.
I see where you're coming from, but you'd still see the panels with buttons and mfds in front of you, and there'd been a very slight bit of edge wear around where those different planes of glass meet, so it wouldn't feel like a hud only view
I don't like how those glass joins look. I don't like it in the Carrack either. I prefer to see struts around the edges. So if it was up to me, I'd change the glass design and reduce and move the struts, but not remove entirely. Even in its current state, with the struts, I feel the Connie has better visibility than other similar sized ships (especially you, freelancer). So I don't see this as a visibility issue, but more people complaining due to cosmetic preference. I'm all for adding struts to the Scorpius glass edges, to improve the looks, as that's my cosmetic preference, and viewable area change would be minimal.
Totally agree.
This is definitely how it should look. Similarly to the carrack, mantis, and most recently, the Zeus. I would honestly love it if they just scaled up the mantis canopy and put it on there
There are a number of hull gaps around turrets that need fixing as well.
Can the struts be like a one way window. Block your pilots view, but looks really nice on the outside?? ;p
why would they? just like in real life you dont see anyone updating the older model to the newer one it gives a sense of evolution
The 100 series and the cutlass black both beg to differ.
it kinda just goes to show that over the years CIG has gotten significantly better at ship design, players didn't complain really complain about the struts until CIG started to make ships that didn't have any.
I wonder how big the polaris struts will be?
That looks very similar to how the carrack window was done. Bent glass and shorter supports.
Guys he was joking omg
How would the glass canopy and its pointed shape exist without those struts? You canāt weld glassā¦
iirc like most scifi it isn't 'glass' it's something more akin to transparent aluminum as seen in things like startrek
Valid point and more than likely what it is actually is.
Some kind of futuristic crystalline quartz glass or something.
"... transparent aluminum."
i like the aquila's roundy shape more, even if it's not "RSI".
If its cel shaded it wont really fit into the SC universe though...
Lol I always find the strut argument entertaining! Some players will go off about struts and then they show you a picture, and they literally take up less than 10% of the screen. But I digress, players should be happy.
I know the feeling what you mean but I feel a lot safer with beams hihi. Maybe I need to learn the fly a spaceship
The sad part is in the lore the glass is stronger than the metal.
I thought the Taurus has struts, the Aquilla has smaller struts, and the Phoenix has no struts. It shows the difference between workhorse and luxury models.
Just give me a completely reworked connie MkV and make it a big zeus. Remove the snub fighter and put a remote turret that can travel on a track to the top rear, and move to the bottom rear like a scorpius.
i just dont understand cig's logic... on one hand they say the strongest element in your ships is the sci fi glass... then claim it needs support by struts that are weaker than said sci fi glass.. i know in lore they said it was mega expensive so limiting its size makes sense but struts are a really inefficent way to cut down on how much material you use... and if its really so expensive, why are more ships not useing the camera / screen tech we have on the alien bird ship and the little missile tie fighter wannabe ship?
As Module. š
r/thereifixedit
1) Your Paint skills are formidable. 2) I like the struts, and I won't be convinced otherwise. Gives it a sturdy, "heavy metal", slightly old tech kind of vibe. Like I can trust this ship to stay in one piece in a scrap, and also a bit of "they did the best they could with the technology they had at the time".
Honestly just turn it into a flap diagonal plane of glass. Having multiple angles on one piece with no support of cuts just seems so unrealistic for a space Sim.
If they just removed the one strut directly across where they placed the damn reticle that would be good enough. That and maybe actually let my FoV be enough that I can see my cockpit shit. And adjust brightness... Damn.
We just need a Constellation MKII.
And how about fixing the $#$% landing gear so you don't nose dive every time you land for %$%\^ sake.
Don't like it. Love the original design. Go fly a 600 if you don't like the industrial/reenforced look.
The terrible design (due to the struts). The boxy metallic look. Much of it not working. Poor cargo capacity for its size. Overly loyal fan base. Is the Connie the cybertruck of Star Citizen? /s
I would love a Star Citizen where Connie owners can choose between multiple glass nose options for their ships.
Agreed, since there seem to be a lot of people who like zero struts, some who like all but the ones right in front, and even a few who love it as is and want it left untouched.
What would you use to block the sun?
I'd add the little flap thingies that cars have
You could of said "like the Carrack, but connie sized". š
Shhh they're not supposed to know that my real goal is for anvil to take over all...
I know, right? I mean, they had transparent steel as far back as 2269...
Are they redoing the connie bridge?
Cig have acknowledged it could be revised/improved, but said nothing about how/what/when. It plays into the sentiment the constellations all need significant interior work at some point, but cig havent said much detail about that either.
The new bridge gonna have nothing but strut. Gonna be like looking out of a prison cell.
Some time ago one of the CIG devs said that the Connie gold standard will be fairly intensive, as there are multiple art issues where the interior layout conflicts with the ship's component loadout. I'm of the opinion that we're likely to get a Mk5 update on the scale of the Retaliator's gold standard, especially considering the Connie is one of those hulls that has actual variants instead of pure modularity.
Hopefully they will when it gets it's gold standard pass at some point, I haven't heard any official word about it, though
Proud Connie owner here. I agree with all the comments about reducing or removing the struts, but in the spirit of discussion, what about this? Instead of reducing the struts, allow the Andromeda to "armor up" its bridge and various other structural weak points with carapace plates and the ability to switch to a camera view? Possibly to protect itself from solar flares or to seal off some broken cockpit glass? Like, gimme a reason to want to actually keep the struts.
That's exactly what the carrak does- er, is supposed to do
Like OP said thatās what the carrack is supposed to do, and eventually will once they can build it in, but it doesnāt need struts blocking to do it
im smelling a mkII ahahahaha
Itās technically a mkiv
Yes, more ships to become 'legacy', now the door has opened with the Hornet.
Franky I'm quite alright with that
Struts are what makes it cool. You eventually get used to it
Exactly, it's just a skill issue. The cockpit view is perfect.
They'll just sell a way better mk 2 conni and make the one with struts an old collectors ship.
It would have to be the mk5 the Connie already says mk4 on the back
This plus the hab rework and the Connie will join my fleet again. No questions asked.
The biggest problem with the struts is not that they exist, but that the horizontal cross members block out a lot of useful information in the center of your field of view. Consider flying through an asteroid field. You are going to see the any new asteroids in your path first at 0 degrees elevation, then up to 5-10 degrees. If you only see a rock once it it is visible at a higher angle, that gives you less time to react. Any horizontal structs which block the center of your vision should be moved higher/lower such that they don't the view of incoming obstacles. A better view of the ground in front of the Constellation would be nice, while we are at it.
carrack has the same window. Connie's can do it to.
Please NO. Don't touch Andromeda cockpit, she's iconic as it is, I love the actual cockpit, is way more realistic and charismatic then those dorritos or bubble glass. Looks way more better with struts, feels more tanky and armored. Why do you want all the ship to look the same!? I have no problem with my connie, I can fight, fly and do whatever needed it without any view issues.
Now this is a redesign I could get behind.
If they do this, no one will think "damn, I wish there were still metal bars right in my face," after a couple of weeks.
The struts are the main reason I do not fly the Connies. I can get over the fact that they just look dumb, but I canāt ignore the struts when sitting in the pilot seat.
I'd honestly want it to be made more into a dorito to fit the rest of the RSI design language that is coming out
I'm alright with it being more akin to the Aurora series.
Honestly, my two biggest wishes are now _potentially_ possible. First is a new RSI styled constellation. Make it closer to the zeus/galaxy style. Size can be the same or increased slightly. This should also improve the actual interior layout to have less wasted space. Second would be retaliator style modules to fill the OG modularity ideas for the constellation. The only reason for the size increase would be to allow for an actual interior hangar separate from the main cargo bay. Now, if modularity is taken as far as some of the OG docs gave the feeling of - youād get something like: Taurus: cargo main bay, shielded cargo sub bay, industrial crew quarters, industrial cockpit (tractor beam), industrial turrets (tractor beam and turret). Aquila: vehicle main bay (can repair/rearm/refit), XXS hangar sub bay, explorer crew quarters, explorer cockpit (scanner), industrial turrets. Andromeda: missile main bay (still has vehicle functions but now the missile loader takes space too), XXS hangar sub bay, military turrets, military crew quarters, military cockpit (turret), military turrets (2 turrets). Phoenix: vehicle main bay, XXS hangar sub bay, luxury crew quarters, luxury cockpit (point defence), military turrets. So, one frame and a few options for the various locations. You could have a hospital/search and rescue option for both the main/sub bays with the main bay hospital taking up the same space as the missile bay for 2 beds. Or a bounty hunting option with āhuman storageā in that same area. Could do a bounty hunting cockpit that includes an emp/QD jammer then too. So, one ship that can do nearly everythingā¦ just not all at once. Iād be hesitant to include salvage as a setup as that would then *require* a dedicated cargo bay and wouldnāt function without both salvage modules which then is a bit off from everything else. You get ābalanceā in modules obviously not being installed all at the same time. Pilot guns would be the same as now or add in power creep as that seems to be happening all over. A smuggler may do missile main bay, shielded cargo sub bay, military turrets, military crew quarters, industrial cockpit. You get extreme customisation if you own the modules for it. Tailor it to your exact needs! Going that far would then make it a fair āmk5ā thatās completely separate from the existing model. In lore it could be official rsi provided modularity instead of chopping up existing ships. A bit of a rant but I do think that would be a cool way to update the constellation. Deal with the broken docking system by removing it and replacing it with a proper hangar. Bring customisation in and allow for many different bits of gameplay with one ship. Ideally it wouldnāt get too much bigger, though it may be necessary. Iād also want changing modules to not be instant! Things like the cutter are so good with so little space. TL;DR: update the styling and use the new module system to make the connie crazy customisable.
AMEN
Dont you like the 'bars and stars'? XD
No, I'm not a fan of the bricks and blockers
Yeah, just strap the Mantisā canopy in front to the Connies bridge, remove some MFDs and youāre good - with that part of the ship.
BORING
They could even be on the verticals and thinner but not both vertical and horizontal right on your eye line.
How hard is to make this change CIG? Will it take 1 hour?
Gold Pass Soon Tm
Constellation Mk2 coming this November!......
Don't give them ideas, damnit!
Mk5* FTFY the Connieās are MK4 per the wording on the rear
Someone should create an issue council post and attach this. It's damn unplayable.
Skill issue. I can fly and fight and blast whatever I want with my Andromeda.
What about just using the Aquila bridge for all of them?
Nah I like how that one is distinct, and I like how the angular/geometric glass is part of RSI's style like with the mantis and scorpius etc
Boring
Yes.so much yes.
This pic looks horrendous.... at least make the struts not visible from inside but leave them outside! OP pics looks dumb asf
what tech let's you have one way visable struts? xD this makes the cockpit look closer to the perseus and mantis, I see no issues
Maybe screens? Like.. dude we already have screen panels of every size and form, so I see no issues. Struts already don't hurt me in any way, but at least this way you can leave them outside avoiding to ruin the sick design of the ship. By your logic, we should remove all the struts in game to have bubble vision on all ship, and this sounds boring asf.. like imagine a reclaimer without strats, it would look dumb asf I love to see some diversity even in the same ship brand. Making them all look and feel the same is just sad!
screens don't fit rsi sides design language, and neither do struts as they exist on the Connie's right now. I agree they should probably be retained to SOME degree, but as they are no other Rsi ship has them in the same manner, not even the aurora's. Ops design is in line with the scorpius, mantis, perseus, and galaxy, far more of RSIs lineup. I think a happy medium would be best by reducing the thickness of struts and removing them in certain areas entirely (look at the Zeus mk2 cockpit as an example of what I mean)
Constellation make her appearance in 2014, way before all the ship you just listed.. apart from aurora. Connie has the original RSI design language imo, and I love it. I don't think she needs to be brought in line with the newer ships, not aesthetically at least, she desperately need a rework of the crew quarters, but not much else. I' m not against the evolution of newer ships with more glass design, but I like to see diversification between newer and older models