Update

The data entry for the new Aries class cruiser and the Cylon frigate are in the database.  This includes the turret data.  At this point, I will create a dummy load script to load the database information into each ship.  This should load enough data to test the turret control routines.  I will have to create a "mission", which I will call asset building, to establish some basic mission parameters.  The game doesn't function properly without a defined faction control script.  This script needs to be defined in the database and loaded into the game. 

After testing the Aries and Cylon frigate, I will complete both ships by adding gravity zones to the landing bays, launch tube spawn points and other small features to each model.  Before I define more ships, I will complete the artificial intelligence routines for capital ships.  This routine will have to be more elaborate than the fighters' AI scripts.  The biggest concern is that a battlestar doesn't meet enemy ships "head to head".  It engages at angles to maximize weapon coverage, and weapon coverages will vary from class to class.  This means that I will have to figure out an "optimal" attack angle for each ship and implement it.  Preferability, this will be "soft-coded" into the AI routine.  The routine should be able to calculate a ship's optimal vector.  This will allow a single script to be attached to different models.  A "hard-coded" routine will require a specific routine to be attached to a specific model. 

With a solid AI routine, I will finish up the major ships listed in the previous post.  Here some pics of the current ship models under construction.  Here's the colonial destroyer:

Here's the Cylon frigate:

These models include the placement of turrets.  The Colonial ship relies on large guns, and the Cylon ship relies on missile launchers.  Neither model is textured at this point; I do plan on purchasing a good 3D paint program to make decent texture maps in the near future.