One hundred years ago the great powers of the world were engaged in an extraordinary arms race. Lexington, Amagi, G3... these imposing battlecruisers were the tip of a dangerous and expensive spear. Some felt preparing for another great war immediately after the tragedy of the first was unthinkable. For others, the cost was simply too great to bear. It was in this context that the Washington Naval Treaty was signed on the 6th of February 1922. Limitations were imposed on naval construction and the great fleets of World War I disappeared. A new breed of naval vessel, the 'treaty ship', emerged from restrictions on displacement and armament. This challenge commemorates the Washington Naval Treaty's centenary and the ships that appeared in its wake. Your objective is to draw a fictional capital ship or cruiser which conforms to the limitations of the Washington Naval Treaty. If your ship comes from an alternate universe where the Washington Naval Treaty does not exist, perhaps there is an analogous treaty or design constraint imposing these limitations. In real life, some nations openly or discretely violated the Washington Naval Treaty's terms. That is not within the spirit of the challenge, nor should it be your goal. Show the naval architects of yesteryear what can be achieved within the stated limitations! Please read the design requirements and challenge rules before posting a submission. Do remember that data sheets including text blocks and specifications are no longer permitted under Challenge Rule 2.
Design Requirements
- Your submission must depict a fictional capital ship or cruiser conforming to the limitations of the Washington Naval Treaty.
- Capital ships are limited to 35,000 long tons (35,560 tonnes) standard displacement and guns less than or equal to 16 inches (406 millimetres) in calibre.
- Cruisers are limited to 10,000 long tons (10,160 tonnes) standard displacement and guns less than or equal to 8 inches (203 millimetres) in calibre.
- Your ship should be laid down between 1922 and 1938, though it can be depicted in service after this period.
Challenge Rules
- Each participant may submit a single image.
- The image should be a Shipbucket template modified to include the participant’s art and, optionally, one of the following: ship badge, unit insignia, manufacturer logo, national flag, or naval ensign. Other elements, including data sheets and scenic elements, are no longer permitted. If you have specifications and blocks of text, please include them in your post and not the image itself.
- One side-view of the participant's ship must be included. One top-view is also permitted, but not required. All other views are prohibited.
- If two views are included in a single image, they must depict the same ship, in the same configuration, at the same point in time.
- All art must be in Shipbucket scale and conform to the Shipbucket style guidelines.
- A textual description accompanying each submission is permitted, but not necessary.
- Non-serious entries, or entries substantially deviate from the challenge requirements, are not allowed.
- Off-topic posts will be reported to the relevant authorities.
This challenge will run until Sunday 27 November 2022, ending at 23:59 UTC-12 (International Date Line West).
A countdown timer can be found at this link.
A poll will be held after this date to select a winner! When it opens, please provide honest and meaningful scores for each entry. Responses which grant maximum scores to a select group of entries, and minimum scores to all other entries, will be deleted. Members of the community who manipulate the results in such a fashion may also be subject to a permanent ban. Scores will be allocated in two categories, each with a scale of 1 to 10:
- Drawing Quality - The overall quality of the drawing. One might consider detailing, shading, and accuracy.
- Design Quality -The quality of the design presented, irrespective of drawing quality. One could consider feasibility, practicality, and realism.