NSL Patrol boat ANIMATION

Ok, I am new to DA and I have never done a critique before, so I will give this a shot (there is the newb's disclaimer!)

Viewing the download, this ship has a lot of nice angles. It is a basic "Flat Fish" design that looks bigger than it is, as do all of the vertically designed starships out there. I will admit that some of the visual queues seem a bit off to me. For instance the top of the hull and side main cannons look massive if just viewed by themselves, but then mesh that with the window size of the bridge area and I get confused. Overall the design looks like more of a tugboat class of ship with maybe a crew of 10...but that is only from the window sizing. This is labeled a "Patrol Boat", but I guess I just expect smaller barreled weaponry than what is presented with such a ship. Maybe shorten the turret cannons a bit?

When designing starships, almost every artist keys off the weaponry in the model. It is important to ask yourself the actual purpose of all weapons in the model, as if you were the head of the Naval Shipyard. This design has a LOT of weapons for such a small ship (again scaling off the bridge window size). We have 7 small turrets, 3 forward fixed mounted "guns", and 3 medium/large turrets. That is 13 distinct weapon systems. To me, the "Patrol Boat" just seems to be punching out of its weight class...like a ship that really should be on the front lines. Did this ship get busted back from Sergeant First Class to Private for messing with the General's daughter?

The plating effects around the bridge area are great. The side docking ports/hatches are great as well...in fact I am going to have to steal that look for the side hatches. Insignias are always hard to pull off on hulls, but your green flag insignia is very well done.

In the middle of the hull, I would lose all the busy plating effects, or try some different coloring. The side turrets look constricted being framed by the square detail around them. I think from the video, they clear that detail, but when rotating they might not look all that pleasing to the eye.

The front main cannon/torpedo tube thing is awesome...definitely keep that whatever you do. One change would be to add some depth in the tube if it is in fact a weapon. It looks like a weapon up until you look directly at front of the model. I noticed on a lot of your turrets and this main tube you do not intersect the parts of your models that you move into place. Typically I do this as well for my components, especially with turrets, as you have to move them all the time to different positions for better screenshots. To get more defined lines around that main tube for instance you should select all that area, and intersect in Sketchup. You can also use this technique to cut away model parts leaving nicely formed holes and openings.

The two forward cannons under the main dorsal cannon I would say have to go. That hexagonal cannon looks very cool (and god, I know how long that probably took!), but the main dorsal cannon seems to have the job covered as far as forward fixed weaponry goes. Maybe replace with some communications gear like antennas or similar?

The engine area looks great, but I would lose the gold engine guards, or redo them. They seem to long to me.

The two domed targeting turrets on the bottom of the craft look great but out of place. I would stick one on the bottom for the bottom turrets, and one on top for the top turrets. Or stick them both on opposite sides of the bridge area.

One final suggestion. Have you thought about putting the top turrets on the angled part instead of the top? You could try 2 turrets on each side to give the craft more coverage against enemies. Right now, the 7 light turrets can only work together if the enemy is directly broadside.

That is about all I have. I hope this has been a fair critique, if not...I have an excuse as it's my first!

Happy Modeling!