The challenges of the past have been, IMO, a great success. However, we have now been some time without one active
The earlier challenges have seen some very interesting designs, but they were quite specific oriented on the NATO knowhow.
Because that was some bit of a complaint in the past, I have decided to start up a new challenge oriented on both sides of the iron curtain, but still 'strange' enough to all to be a challenge.
The goal of this challenge is to lay a bridge from red to blue and vice versa. There are nations, like for example India and Indonesia, which use Russian and western equipment next to each other. The goal is ships which have traits from both western and eastern influence on the design and systems. The rules are simple:
- At least 2 parts of the 'other side' as the base design
- The nation that commissions the ship may not be a nation that designs and builds the majority of their ships themselves. India or Venezuela are thus allowed, but the Netherlands or Canada not.
- Commissioned 1975-2005
- No kitbashes! Working from a base ship is good, great even, but if you slam a Kusnetsov superstructure on a Spruance hull you are not doing anything in the challenge. If you put the Kusnetsov radars and weapons on a Spruance hull, go ahead!
- keep it real. Something like India sailing Kirov’s with American radars is unlikely, so not much point in drawing that out.
I'd like to have a public choice and a team of 'professional' judges for this challenge. That means that in the end, all drawing will be put in a poll. In addition to that I would like to see at least 2 judges, one of them working in the blue influence and one in the red. That way these ships can be judged honestly. If anybody wants to do so, or if people want somebody to do this, just reply below
The winner will be the one to decide the rules of the next sb challenge (that is all the reward I can offer).
I hope I have hereby interested many people in the new challenge, so we can all learn about the systems and designs we often do know little about. Please help each other and I hope to find some interesting new designs!