Inspired by Firefly and Ghenghis Ska, I'm working on the schematics for a new First Light build. For those keeping track, I'm dropping my rebuild of a pure Firefly, and doing a brand new design that is based on a Firefly, but bigger.

Oh - and many, MANY things to Spoo for his planning aid. I was working on it on graph paper and pencil, but the planning Word Doc was JUST exactly the thing I needed to jump start this.

Here is the current deckplan for the ship:



Like a Firefly, this is basically a merchant ship; you'll notice there are currently no armaments on the ship. It is definitely bigger than a Firefly, but follows much of the same design, although it has an actual rather than implied middle deck. It also has the Galley forward (rather than amidships); this was both for design, practicality and for asthetics (passengers and crew can both see out the front window while eating). The use of the Mil. Falcon-style bridges as an observation deck (Top Deck) and Lounge (Mid Deck) is a departure from a standard Firefly as well.


So, before I start printing and building, I'm soliticing comments on the ship's design, functionality, asthetics, and anything else you'd like to comment on.

You need my address so you'll know where to ship it to once you finish it.

RE: Stairs

I tried to align the decks so that the stairs would make sense. Most aren't straight; most have at least one turn or switchback to the them. Despite all my attention to them, I think one ended up being misaligned. So, let's see....


Top Deck
* The forward stairs are narrow stairs with one switchback that lead down to the stairs between the Passenger Dorms on the Mid Deck.

* The aft stairs are wider stairs with a switchback that lead down to one of the aft stairwells on the Mid Deck.

Mid Deck
* The forward port stairs lead down to the forward Cargo Bay stairs on the Lower Deck. These stairs turn at a right angle.

* The amidships port stairs lead down to the aft Cargo Bay stairs on the Lower Deck. These are turn at a right angle. However, I think I biffed the placement of the Cargo Bay stairs; they should be up an inch or two, and facing the other way. The image has been adjusted. Thanks for pointing that out!

* The aft starboard stairs lead down to the aft Hall next to the Medlab. This is also a turn.


Hmm. Seems like all the stairs from the Mid Deck to the Lower Deck turn, while the Upper Deck to Mid Deck stairs are switchbacks. Hadn't noticed that before.



I considered having fewer stairs. Actually, I should say that I AGONIZED over stair placement. I finally decided to keep the stairs close to the basic Firefly design (although I am - currently - minus the catwalk of the Firefly, having added the Middle Deck instead). I wanted at least two stairs coming/going to each level, for tactical, RPG and practical purposes. I hadn't thought about ladders, and that is something I'm definitely going to look at. I might change the amidship port stairwell into a ladder instead.


I am considering adding a smaller set of reactors (2) on the Upper Deck with a small room, but connected only to the Mid Deck Engine Room (not attached to the Hall and Quarters section). I was looking at stairs to do that - but ladders would be a really good way to do that.



Edit: Hmm. On second look, it looks like another staircase was off a little. On the Mid Deck, I moved the aft-most stairs down to better join up with the Lower Deck's aft stairs up. I think they should all line up now. If you see something off, let me know.


Thanks for the input, and keep the comments coming, please!

Aft mid deck stairs still a bit off. Forward lower deck stairs different size than forward mid deck connection. Also seems that if you eliminate a bit of the dead space from just foward of the mid deck airlocks to the engine room, you might add a bit more storage/something. A slight extension to the aft mid deck hallway would even allow the engine room to extend down aft of the medlab.

I still like it . Still better than my first attempts and much more ambitious than my tries at a scout.

Very ambitions layout, Robby! It's gonna look killer once built.

Will you be making it so that the levels stack, and can be moved as a single ship? If so (and you probably are), will you still do the removable roof sections for each room?

I'd think it would be a nice touch, and afford tactical concealment for NPCs.

However, since it's not actually outer hull pieces, you might want to do some sort of kitbash that involves overlaying conduits, crawlspaces (a la Star Trek), and wiring.

The levels are going to stack. I was inspired by Ghengis Ska's Tallon build, so it will end up looking something like that; only add a deck. I'm planning only on doing the removable roof for the Upper Deck, the Galley and Lounge on the forward Mid Deck, the Engine Room (Mid Deck) and anything around the Mid Deck aft hallway that the Top Deck doesn't cover.

I'm also doing the entire exterior (including cargo bay) with the lighter Exterior walls. I spent a good deal of time this morning adapting various Cargo Bay walls so that I have a sandwich fold with the Cargo Bay on one side, and various Exteriors on the other side (I want a variety so it isn't the same exterior piece duplicated over and over - the same for the inside, too, actually).



I'm not too hung up on the realism aspect. I'm a big versimilitude fan, so I try to make things as real and logical as possible - but when you're dealing with minis that take up a full 25 square feet of space, I think certain concessions can be extrapolated w/out fearing too much loss of realism. You could easily figure that there is 1'-2' of interior wallspace where any given wall is, and still fit with the scale. I also have a lot of dead space in and around my layout; that is assumed to be used for wiring and other such things. Who knows how much room is actually between each deck - like in an office building, there could be a decent amount of crawlspace with all kinds of vitals running through it.

It is interesting to think about the difference between ships at different technology levels. A Firefly class is fairly low tech for your standard SciFi - certainly way behind Star Wars or Star Trek in technology. I tried to think of it as if I were designing a submarine, that being a closer tech comparison in some aspects than a big fancy spaceship.


Oh, I printed my floorplan onto cardstock and cut it out, to make sure everything lines up. With the last version, all the stairs and everything line up just right.

Sorry, I wasn't saying that YOUR build was unrealistic...in fact I REALLY like your layout, and I think it's gonna be awsome.

I was a little tired when I wrote that post so let me start over.

Your build is going to be cool, and I think your lay out rocks. Can't wait to see it.

As for me...the builds I have made so far have turned out to be nice, but I think a little unrealistic. Two layers of 65lb paper isn't enough to acurratly convey star wars tech level stuff. So...I was planning on redoing my First Light Build (the New Dawn of the Pheonix) with an inch between each room.


I am behind on several projects so it will have to wait...but the reason I say this is I put on landing gear...and it doesn't makes sense as to where it comes from.

anyway.

Good luck on the build...can't wait to see it.

I have been reliably informed by the Firefly expert in the house (my wife) that lots of stairs are a feature of the Firefly...so, regardless of my years of Naval service and Ship Superintendent duties, I retract any comments about too many stairs in this design, .

I will instead simply go with her "how neat" to pass along to you, .

Heh. There are a lot of stairs on a Firefly. Three sets in the Cargo Bay alone (which is smaller than my Cargo Bay), including two that lead up to a platform that then lead up to the catwalk that leads to the Shuttles - and to two mystery "rooms" (anyone know what the devil the two catwalks leading aft lead to?). There are a pair of staircases bracketing the Medlab as well, which puts 5 sets of stairs on the Lower Deck; the truly strange this is; I think only two of those for certain to stairs on the Upper Deck - one from the Cargo Bay, and one from the Infirmary.

On my ship, I tried to make the stair placement logical. I'm not a Navy guy, but I did have some concerns about how much room was devoted to stairs.


As for Star Wars (or Trek) tech level; hmm. Well, think about the technology that goes into a lightsabre, and think about say, the Millenium Falcon or X-Wing. Their level of miniaturization must be incredible. Most of the X-Wing certainly isn't that wide, yet it is enough to protect it's pilot from the harshness of space. I think having a sandwich fold wall is probably enough to convey the aspect of realism.

If you're using a 1"=5' scale or so, then figure 1/10"=6" or so; which means that you could easily say that each fold is about 6" worth, and a typical wall is a 1' wide. You could also easily justify there being more space (another 6"-12" or so), and just remember in your head that each wall is a little wider, and each square next to the wall is a little shorter (Mel accomplishes this same trick with a 1/2" gutter around all walls). If you make sure to have a few dead spot gaps here and there, those can be designated for equipment that needs larger areas to be housed.

Arrr! Where be the captain's private quarters? Arrr! Or for that matter those for the officers? Arrr!

I just posted a few pics of the build of the Lower Deck. I can't post anymore (including terrain shots) for the time being since I ran over my quota, but as soon as I get that resolved (one way or another), I'll post some more.

For now, here is the gallery: http://wwgallery.pcinfoman.com/thumbnails.php?album=124



Edit: Ooh, and I just had an inspiration for the cargo area. I thought of it before, and then the thought fled my brain, but I'm going to use some of the very nifty looking platforms in the cargo bay, just to break it up a little. I think I will add a 40' long, 10' grate along the floor somewhere as well, to break the flooring up. (I watched the Firefly ep "Out of Gas" tonight, and was looking very closely at their cargo bay, medlab and lounge.)