Artstyle guide:Highborn

Artstyle guides

---

Important note: please do not blindly link to In Game models that are not listed. Many models currently in game are questionable in their canonical nature. Additionally, if linking to a model, please link to the model development page. If there isn't an entry in the model development page for an existing referenced model, please feel free to add it. Thank you.

---

Universe Background

see also: Highborn faction page

Origin

Gravity: Earth

Atmosphere: Earth

Primary liquid bodies: Earth

Average temperature of homeworld (pre-industrialization): Earth

Sun: Sol

Primary challenges (pre-industrialization): Earth

Physical

Dimensions: Human Normal

Mass: Human Normal

Skeletal system: Vertebrate

Major divisions: Head, neck, torso, arms(2), legs(2)

Senses: Visual,Audio,Smell,Taste,Tactile

Locomotion: Upright bipedal

Manipulators: Hands(2), 4+1 fingers+thumb arrangement

Textural appearance: In comparison to other human groups, the Highborn were disproportionately of paler stock, but 900 years and a small initial population has thoroughly stirred the melanin distribution.

Mental

Carefully applied minor gene sculpting has allowed for excellent physical and mental health despite pervasive inbreeding and a small initial gene-pool.

Style Overview

Appearance

Primary distinguishing color ranges: Purple on dark gray basecoat

Common accent colors: Orange

Primary lighting color: Any

Frequently visible:

Rarely visible:

Seen inside, but not out:

Moving parts(non-turret): Rare

Capital vs. light craft: The Highborn focus heavily on light craft production due to difficulties both in scaling their production techniques to larger craft, and the general economic demands on supporting the infrastructure for capital ship development with such a small actual workforce. Heavier capital vessels are leased or purchased from other Confederation suppliers.

Cultural Aesthetics

While Highborn craft are "fancy" in many respects, and have never been designed for the sort of mass-market/mass-deployment approach favored by other factions, they are both well designed, and well constructed. Unlike the Uln, whose Royal Ingatwa Fleet is full of ships adorned with questionably useless knicknackery more befitting a parade than a blockade, the Highborn deal only in functional extravagances. When choosing between grandeur and performance, the Highborn will choose both and just spend more. One-on-one, the Highborn produce some of the finest fighters in current production, but they can't produce them in anywhere near the numbers that, for instance, the Andolians produce Dostoevsky class fighters. The practical necessity of focusing on smaller craft has melded well with the Highborn mindset, and the Highborn produce a fair number of pilots who view themselves as modern day knights -- note also the Arthurian inspired naming trends.

Technological

Tech: Through their economic clout (and partnerships with the Merchant's Guild) the Highborn have access to every technological development within the Confederation that is not being actively kept secret by one of its member states, although they do not always have the infrastructure available to directly exploit a given technology. The Highborn excel at leasing and outsourcing as much of their R&D as possible.

Weapons: Highborn weapons are just like most other human weapons... only more so. They tend to employ the same basic technologies, but extrapolated beyond efficiency sweet spots, sacrificing cost (primarily) and resource requirements (both on and off-ship) in order to gain additional performance.

Tactics: When operating as individuals, Highborn pilots have a much higher than normal frequency of aggressively engaging targets, especially when they can view such engagements as "duels". However, when operating under orders as part of fleet operations, Highborn pilots tend to display commendable discipline (personal courage via stoicism), even in the face of incoming fire, heavy odds, or situational degradation. Admittedly, when released on their own cognizance, even within the scope of a fleet action, the propensity for "cowboy" streaks remains notable.

Installations: Highborn installations are notable for generally having either completely separate partitions or separate facilities all-together for different classes of visitors/servants/etc.

Complete Craft Listing

Category:Produced_By:High-Born