HMS Indefatigable (1784) frigate

[Armada]

Oh, the poop deck is a sore point

For what it's worth, here's how I dealt with this on my WIP Bellona model:

Spoiler: View images

This was based on the way the plans showed the deck (see below), as well as photos of this model from the NMM: Bellona (1760); Warship; Third rate; 74 guns - National Maritime Museum


(Note the NMM model depicts the ship after a later refit, and my version is as-launched, so there are some differences.)
That's just my interpretation, though of course a 74 is quite different to a razee frigate.

 

[Martes]

That's what I meant it can be planked out.
But, differing from Bellona, or Leopard (which also sports that type of quarterdeck), or Victory:

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Indy did not have a master's deck cabin in place there, but another carronade mount.
So I thought to leave a little opening (note, that I did enclose the captain's cabin wall!), for observation purposes.

​

 

[Martes]

Ratlines... How do I hate ratlines.

 

[Captain Armstrong]

Ahh I see that the captains cabin is all planked in, its just the overhanging section that of the deck that has some space! that certainly settles my biggest concern with it. I suppose even though most warships seem to have had it planked in, there is some precedent for the overhang being designed to intentionally use that in-between space for higher visibility from the wheel. WIP - Swedish East Indiaman by Philipjn And that blue is looking much better! but would it be possible to add the planking lines from another texture (ideally the one you used for the yellow) so that the planking continues for the blue parts as well?

Edit: Ratlines have got to be the most tedious part of a build

 

[Martes]

Ahh I see that the captains cabin is all planked in

I even added some more planking there, although nobody will notice it unless looking very specifically.

The opening on the Indiaman actually served as my inspiration to leave an opening, considering there is no even temporary room on the plan in that place. (most warships did have one - even the Indy before the refit)

Compare:

Indy razeed:



Magnanime as 4th rate:

but would it be possible to add the planking lines from another texture (ideally the one you used for the yellow) so that the planking continues for the blue parts as well?

In fact, the yellow does not have planking lines also. I found it to be somewhat better looking and less problematic to map. Let's say it's abundance of paint

The yellow I use is posei_yel.tga,
blue - w2od_re.tga
black - plank_black.tga

 

[Martes]

By the way, there is also a question of gunport lids.
I made four for each side, as, 3 aft, 1 forward, leaving all other open, as (seems so) it was customary for frigates at the time.
Shall I leave it as is, or add a lid for all others?

 

[Martes]

Whew!

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As far as Blender is considered, I would say she is completed.
That leaves the conversion part.

 

[Armada]

Very nicely done, @Martes!

One minor change I'd suggest is to use WoodDeck2.tga for the deck planking for consistency with some other ships.
Not all of them use it in the NH mod because of differing UV maps, but it's the one I'd recommend for all newly-built ships, and we'll probably retrofit it to all ships imported into NHR.

 

[Martes]

One minor change I'd suggest is to use WoodDeck2.tga for the deck planking for consistency with some other ships.

OK, I will do that
Also, I am going to add some boats, but after all the ropes and ratlines it's minor.

As to conversion, any, literally any help would be highly appreciated.
I have managed to export the model to Maya, as shown before, but I am quite lost after that.
(having the manuals I will slowly go through them, but - anything to speed up the process)

P.S.

I forgot. The ship's data (wiki) states there are:

• Gundeck: 26 × 24-pounder guns
• QD: 8 × 12-pounder guns + 4 × 42-pounder carronades
  
• Fc: 4 × 12-pounder guns + 2 × 42-pounder carronades

To that I added 2 12-pounder stern chase guns to the gun deck, as there are ports for them.
But I left forward chase ports empty. Should I add two more? There is not much place, but it's possible.

 

[Captain Armstrong]

To that I added 2 12-pounder stern chase guns to the gun deck, as there are ports for them.
But I left forward chase ports empty. Should I add two more? There is not much place, but it's possible.

As guns cannot be moved mid-combat ingame, the standard solution in NH (at least what I've done) has been to arm chase ports fully even if in reality they would've been filled with a broadside gun as needed. However, there still has to be space for the gun to fit and (plausibly) recoil. looking at the images of the ship, I can't tell whether or not the carronade mounted in the foremost broadside port would prevent chasers from being mounted-though ofc I'm not sure without testing. If it doesn't fit, you could swap the carronades for one of the pairs of 12pdrs on the forecastle, and move that pair of 12pdrs to the bow chase ports. Otherwise I'd say that if there is any frigate that can handle the weight of dedicated chasers with ease, It'll be a razee.

 

[Martes]

The chasers fit. Didn't want to move the carronades, because that port is specifically marked as carronade position on the drawing
Also switched deck texture and added the boats. They still need a little attention to their textures, but generally look and sit there all right.

 

[Martes]

A preview of later, 19-century style paint scheme. No blue, less gold, more black.
I do hope to make them both into the game.
The yellow stripe may be replaced with ochre, though I conservatively detest the idea.

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It must have been admiralty-issued paint, because a keen observer may note that only one side of the ship is actually repainted...

 

[Captain Armstrong]

Aha, there's plenty of room to spare for the chasers! With that shot from above I can see why the foremast rat lines were such a pain And the later scheme looks spot on for the napoleonic wars, a bit more austere. There are certainly plenty of existing ships with multiple paint schemes in NH! No reason why the two can't be mixed together or split by time period.

And is that a set of brand new, late 1700s ships boats?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

@Grey Roger also added an installer toggle for the yellow/ochre paint schemes.

 

[Martes]

And is that a set of brand new, late 1700s ships boats?

Those are from Raa frigate, I just separated them from stack, and going to repaint here and there. But, according to that old image they look kind of white.

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I just think, whether to cover them with canvas or not.

 

[Martes]

also added an installer toggle for the yellow/ochre paint schemes.

Oh, yes, I noticed when installed ))))
Actually, somewhere in one book I ran into a description, that various RN ships in early 1800s sported yellow, ochre, and even red paints in the same time, depending on what was issued to them.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Actually, somewhere in one book I ran into a description, that various RN ships in early 1800s sported yellow, ochre, and even red paints in the same time, depending on what was issued to them.

Sounds realistic!
But especially with Iron Man Mode enabled in PotC where you can only tell the nation of other ships from their flags and paint scheme, that would probably make gameplay extra extra difficult.

 

[Grey Roger]

@Grey Roger also added an installer toggle for the yellow/ochre paint schemes.

Did I? I don't know how to do things in installers - I thought the toggle was your work. What I did, after @Armada had changed HMS Victory to a more realistic colour, was to repaint the entire Napoleonic British fleet in the same colour. Personally I'd be happy for some ships, if not all of them, to have both dark yellow and pale cream versions available simultaneously rather than choosing one or other at game installation, though that would mean duplicate models for each ship which has both colours. The dark yellow versions could also be shared with France and Spain, who also used yellow schemes in addition to the red schemes currently in the game.

And of course, the new HMS Indefatigable could then also have pale cream, dark yellow, French light red and Spanish dark red variants.

Actually, somewhere in one book I ran into a description, that various RN ships in early 1800s sported yellow, ochre, and even red paints in the same time, depending on what was issued to them.

Ships were captured. If the ship had previously been in French red, it would still be in red while in British service after its capture, and they might not have bothered repainting it. Also, the ship's paint scheme was largely at the discretion of the captain. PoTC's uniform national schemes aren't realistic in that regard, but in PoTC, each colour scheme requires a whole new copy of the ship model. CoAS has an advantage here in that ship texture files are in folders specific to that ship, with three folders per ship, therefore up to three different colour schemes without needing a whole new model. (Mind you, I don't know how CoAS actually uses those folders.)

Having said that, I would imagine that while HMS Indefatigable might have had the captain's choice of colour scheme while she was still the original 3rd rate ship, she'd probably have been repainted into a more modern, standard scheme when she was refitted and razeed into a frigate. (Of course, her new captain might then have had her repainted to his liking.)

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Did I? I don't know how to do things in installers - I thought the toggle was your work.

Actually "adding the toggle" was indeed my work. But you did the work that the toggle actually controls.
That's what I meant.

 

[Martes]

But especially with Iron Man Mode enabled in PotC where you can only tell the nation of other ships from their flags and paint scheme, that would probably make gameplay extra extra difficult.

Oh, I did fall for that already.
The encounter report said I see Spanish warship vs. British, and decided to join. On a frigate. Then I see two 74-s, one red, one yellow, quite close, rush to the aid of the yellow... only to understand both of them are dons. Barely escaped.

Quick update: I have secured the boats and covered them with canvas. And that's about it. I won't delve into cabin interiors at the moment for sure, so now it's transfer to Maya and hopefully GM.