CV building tips

[Achilex]

I am slowly learning SV, I can make a functional ship well and now just practising making it look decent. I plan on building a CV from scratch in survival.

I've never really built one in creative either. How would you start a CV? Would you place essentials first then add the shell and make it look better? Like the landing bay and warp drives and generators, stuff that's large and necessary.

Or would you start with the shell/frame and work within the space you allocated with it to make it function?

Either option, I would say after the essentials are added that the cockpit is most important. Would that be a safe bet to work from front to back?

Sorry so many questions. I want to do this in survival because it'll take time to do, I can slowly go along and create it rather than dipping in creative which I'd likely get bored. It's going to be a huge undertaking so I want to make sure I start right before I get halfway and realise I ♥♥♥♥♥♥ it up.

[BlazeD]

Well, build it in space.

Remember you can move the core once you get the layout finalized.

Have an idea of the layout before you start otherwise you will end up with a brick. It won't be a bad ship, just cubelike. My big ships usually have a Bridge, Engine Room, Rec Room, Med Bay, Mess, Hangar and Quarters. Smaller ships I cram a lot of that stuff together. I like to have 'fun' areas of ships too, like a shooting range or a fighting ring.

[GTO]

As BlazeD said, start it in space. Much easier to fly around it and get underneath with no hassle. If you do build it on a planet, place some trussels down to elevate that starter block. Many like to build the hull and work within those limits. I like to have an idea of the hull I will build, but build almost room by room and texture and paint as I go. Forming the hull around my inner workings has been successful for me. And don't worry if you get half finished or even further and decide you F'd up. I have nearly completed several CV's just to conclude I don't like how it looks and tear it nearly all the way back down. I have tried tearing it part way back down, but find it easier to just start over.

[Achilex]

Last time I played it had to be placed on an owned base with a core. Unless I just did it wrong somehow, which is likely for me. I had assumed I'd have to either make a space base and do it or create a large area on planet next to my base to start so was prepared with many concrete to start on planet...

[GTO]

Originally posted by Myrmidon:

Last time I played it had to be placed on an owned base with a core. Unless I just did it wrong somehow, which is likely for me. I had assumed I'd have to either make a space base and do it or create a large area on planet next to my base to start so was prepared with many concrete to start on planet...

If that is the case, which I know is vanilla for SPAWNING a vessel ( this may have changed and I missed it ), you can just create a base with a core and a few blocks, then put the cv starter core on top, then destroy the base. All depends on the server set up if you need a pad to spawn a vessel or not, but even if needed to lay a starter for a vessel, it only needs to be 3×3 blocks for the CV.

[BlazeD]

The spawn limits are only for blueprints. You can build a ship anyplace.

[kDM]

It greatly depends on what kind of ship you're looking for. People spend the majority of their building time soley focused on a few options, PvE mining, PvP mining survival, and PvP battleships. It's possible to make an all rounder but it's trial an error until you learn a few tricks to keep you fighting/surviving until you can warp. There is no shame in a tatical withdrawal.

[GTO]

Thank you BlazeD

Originally posted by BlazeD:

The spawn limits are only for blueprints. You can build a ship anyplace.

[Achilex]

Perfect. Thank you all for the replies.

[MozoTyce]

CV's can be more tricky than SV's simply because of the block size.

I always place 3 vertical base blocks, then on the top block i make a + (or cross), so an extra block on the four sides of the uppermost base block. This gives a large area on which to drop the CV starter (obviously this is for planetside building).

Then facing square on to the 'tower' launch the drone and drop the CV starter onto the top of the tower, now you can remove all the base blocks leaving the CV starter 'floating' up high.

I then extend blocks out of the front of the starter block and remove the cockpit, judging where i think the front of the CV will be.

Next consider whether you will want a hangar as this determines the overall size of the CV and further extend front and rear of the starter block as required. Also consider if a garden is required and therefore whether you need an 'upstairs' area etc.

Now you can consider the overall size and role of the CV and begin the basic shape/layout.

The rest is really personal choice but i usually start with the front/cockpit and work back. Use what you've learnt building SV's, just on a much larger scale.

Good luck :)

[Cluas]

It's fun to just try it out. I like to build on a planet, i just like gravity i guess... My first CV was a disaster. But I learned a lot and the next i build was better, but uglier. Third one looks okay actually...

[darrylhs]

Play around in creative it helps to understand where you should and should not put certain items. If you hanger is too far from your storage or construction it’s a huge pain to run back and forth with the loot from your hover driller or SV. Don’t
Put sensitive items close to the outer hull especially fuel storage as a few luck shots and your done.

[GTO]

Originally posted by darrylhs:

Play around in creative it helps to understand where you should and should not put certain items. If you hanger is too far from your storage or construction it’s a huge pain to run back and forth with the loot from your hover driller or SV. Don’t
Put sensitive items close to the outer hull especially fuel storage as a few luck shots and your done.

"P" menu is your friend. Although it is still nice to have cargo boxes and the constructors near the Hangar bays to unload loot, it is not neccessary as you mearly need to point at the CV and open the menu and unload, then swing around and point to your vessel which you are unloading from to retrieve more loot, and repeat. You are right about keeping sensitive or vital items needed to operate in a safe place and away from outer hull areas.