How to avoid a floppy dish look.

[Fatherfungus]

One of the challanges with showing movement in space is that there are few frames of reference.

If you don't do it right, you end up with what looks like a toy model swivling around on a central point.

If you have that....here is the fix

your camera must become your second point of reference


To get this to look right, have the camera trail behind the ship as if towed by a rope, as your ship turns
the camera should fall in behind the ship gradually after a slight delay. Also, how quickly the camera
returns to a trailing position should be related to how fast the ship is moving.

If the ship is not moving, the camera does not return to rear position
If the ship is moving slowly, the camera returns to the rear position slowly
if the ship is moving fast, the camera returns to position faster

lastly

starships do move move like humming birds, they soar like condors.
the ships should turn gracefully AND tilt gracefully as well. Nothing looks worse than a graceful turn
followed by a quick jerky tilt up or down.

If you like my suggestions....send me a beta key

[Lepton]

Preach on, brother man!

[trenchfoot]

Sounds good.

[Tabaris]

One of the challanges with showing movement in space is that there are few frames of reference.

If you don't do it right, you end up with what looks like a toy model swivling around on a central point.

If you have that....here is the fix

your camera must become your second point of reference


To get this to look right, have the camera trail behind the ship as if towed by a rope, as your ship turns
the camera should fall in behind the ship gradually after a slight delay. Also, how quickly the camera
returns to a trailing position should be related to how fast the ship is moving.

If the ship is not moving, the camera does not return to rear position
If the ship is moving slowly, the camera returns to the rear position slowly
if the ship is moving fast, the camera returns to position faster

lastly

starships do move move like humming birds, they soar like condors.
the ships should turn gracefully AND tilt gracefully as well. Nothing looks worse than a graceful turn
followed by a quick jerky tilt up or down.

If you like my suggestions....send me a beta key

So you posted this whole thing to ask for a Beta Key, isnt that agianst the rules? Anyway Ive seen videos of space fighting and it looks fine to me.

[Tain]

One of the challanges with showing movement in space is that there are few frames of reference.

If you don't do it right, you end up with what looks like a toy model swivling around on a central point.



Funny you should put it that way, because thats exactly what actual spacecraft look like when they move.

[lordpenquin]

This is the same problem some racing games on the game systems / PC have. Some racing games have the car turn "realistically" while others turn from the center of the car, as if it's attached to a stick and the stick spins. As soon as I see the game uses the "central axis point" turn style, I turn that game off. I want my digital illusions to be "real" in some cases. Sega Rally is an example. I can't play any version of that game because it is just too horrid.

[Fatherfungus]

also, the shield strength indicators need to be down around your hotbar area, not decorating
your ship like a hula hoop.

sorry had to say it

[evil713]

also, the shield strength indicators need to be down around your hotbar area, not decorating
your ship like a hula hoop.

sorry had to say it

actually im kinda likeing that, if anything i want more holographic overlays on my ship.

[Manta2015]

I'll be first to turn the shield hoola-hoop thing off.

If there isn't an option, I'll be more than just slightly displeased =(

I like the camera ideas though ~ more options = win.


-Manta-

[squidheadjax]

The static-ish camera view works just fine for Eve, and as pointed out, real spaceships maneuver in exactly the fashion described as 'toy model'.

And I like the shield indicators in principle, though I'd prefer the artwork to be a little different. But it looks like a tactical interface rather than just 'seeing the ship from space for no good reason except to not have to render the bridge'.

[Fatherfungus]

how real spaceships move and how star trek ships move (from the shows and the movies)
are each a tribble of a different color.

the 'floppy dish' look is niether accurate nor star trekish

accurate space ship movement would be mostly forward requiring a bunch of thrust to
change direction a bit.......ships would most likely be able to compleatlty spin around without ever
changing direction...........Not Star Trek or the current movement model

best way to discribe Star Trek movement is submarines underwater. graceful sweeping turns,
changes in elevation are also sweeping unless you are sitting still. then you can change your
elevation directly.....and reverse movement is possible, but slow and awkward. Turns should also
be 'banked' for visual quality 'banked turns in space are not really required"..basically they look nicer.

as for why remove the hula hoop ? or at least make it just an option?

in most MMO's you have the UI and separately your avatar....by sticking the indicator on your ship
you turn your avatar into an indicator....also, that shield meter could be hard to accurately read
depending on ship's direction....but a small display next to the hotbar can be read in a glance.

MMO is not a Strategy Game is not a Simulation an MMO is much more.

[THORN74]

One of the challanges with showing movement in space is that there are few frames of reference.

If you don't do it right, you end up with what looks like a toy model swivling around on a central point.

If you have that....here is the fix

your camera must become your second point of reference


To get this to look right, have the camera trail behind the ship as if towed by a rope, as your ship turns
the camera should fall in behind the ship gradually after a slight delay. Also, how quickly the camera
returns to a trailing position should be related to how fast the ship is moving.

If the ship is not moving, the camera does not return to rear position
If the ship is moving slowly, the camera returns to the rear position slowly
if the ship is moving fast, the camera returns to position faster

lastly

starships do move move like humming birds, they soar like condors.
the ships should turn gracefully AND tilt gracefully as well. Nothing looks worse than a graceful turnfollowed by a quick jerky tilt up or down.

If you like my suggestions....send me a beta key

actually this is the one point of trek that has ALWAYS been completly WRONG. the mauvers performed (graceful sweeping turns) in trek are completly inconsistant with the physics of space flight. to make those kinds of speeping banked truns would require an atmosphere to push against. in space with the RCS thruster system employed they would spin on a centralized xyz axis

[Fatherfungus]

your right !

but this is a STAR TREK MMO.........not a real physics MMO

[squidheadjax]

actually this is the one point of trek that has ALWAYS been completly WRONG. the mauvers performed (graceful sweeping turns) in trek are completly inconsistant with the physics of space flight. to make those kinds of speeping banked truns would require an atmosphere to push against. in space with the RCS thruster system employed they would spin on a centralized xyz axis

Well, true, but it does look cooler!

The technobabble explanation I adhere to is that the Inertial Damping System (which keeps the ship and crew from being squished by all that maneuvering) trades conservation of momentum for a reduction in inertial forces, making spacetime around the ship more like a viscous fluid.

Total BS, of course, but it works for me.

[Fatherfungus]

tech tech tech tech

universal translator ........ looks cooler


That is an important point about star trek....if given a choice of being correct and dorky or wrong
and cool looking, they always went cool.......except enterprise, but that was thier mistake.

[momiji]

I hear ya! Good points ^_^

[Fatherfungus]

Prediction


If the game ships with the 'swivel on a stick look' look mom, the rainbow streamers tell me I am moving...

The Game reviewers will slaughter the game and this game will be a struggle to keep live.

doom sayer....no, but a know a stupid error when I see one