A new dev diary for Elite: Dangerous has series co-creator David Braben walking the viewer through a previous trailer featuring a titanic battle between two massive spaceships.
Braben dispels worries that the trailer had been pre-rendered, saying it had been created in the game's engine. However, he says, the ships were flying on pre-set paths ensuring that artists could make sure things looked like they were supposed to from a given angle; he also points out the few moments at which after-effects were added like lens flares and heat effects.
Braben discusses the world of Elite: Dangerous and why the various ship designs look how they do. The Imperial shipyards-built vessel is designed for luxury, he says, hence the rotating section that provides artificial gravity. Federal ships, on the other hand, are built for functionality and have inward-facing hangars so that their fighters can't get picked off before they get up to speed.
Elite: Dangerous is planned to launch some time in 2014.