Custom Jet-plumes

[Magirik3]

I'd really like to see a customizable jet plume block, as the current plumes from the engines doesn't scale.

Block mechanics:
The block would behave similar to the docking block: directional, cylindrical and size of plume modified by adding enhancers. The plume could be RGB- colored to match exhausts by "R" and interface on the central plume block. Also, the plume itself has to be properly directed, (Backing should not make the trail go trough the ship) only leaving trails when the ship is traveling in the opposite facing direction of the block.


I hope that the technical work behind a particle sprayer isn't a problem - Imagine a ship bursting of into hyperdrive leaving a blazing trail! :D

 

[MrTargareyan]

This... This would be amazing. It would make combat look so much prettier too, with all the exhaust flying everywhere.

 

[Equilibrium21]

This reminds me of the Star Trek ships, because when they jump to Hyperspace or whatever it's called on that movie they leave a trail like that , but otherwise it's nice.

 

[I_is_Tinsy]

I think this is a good idea

 

[ltmauve]

There is a new particle system coming in, and hopefully we won't need a bunch of blocks to get good effects

 

[Starlight Walker]

I think its a great idea, btw what did you you use for the pic?

 

[Megacrafter127]

I think its a great idea, btw what did you you use for the pic?

Image editing programs… the obvious.

 

[Starlight Walker]

Image editing programs… the obvious.

witch image editing program?

 

[mrsinister]

witch image editing program?

Photoshop most likely..

 

[Magirik3]

Yes, Photoshop. Some low opacity blue-to-white brushing on a screenshot.

There is a new particle system coming in, and hopefully we won't need a bunch of blocks to get good effects

Any updates/links about this?

 

[ltmauve]

The devs have mentioned it a few times, the mushroomfleet people screwed around with it during a charity livestream during the introduction of the logic and the dodecahedral planets. Not sure how its going.

 

[Ithirahad]

This reminds me of the Star Trek ships, because when they jump to Hyperspace or whatever it's called on that movie they leave a trail like that , but otherwise it's nice.

I think that a 'warp' effect is part of the point... But yeah, overall this would help add the missing "epic factor" that SM needs more of.

 

[Yetimania]

This would be so cool!

My one suggestion is that the thruster plumes' colours would be faction-based. So in the faction screen there would be an RGB selector, and every ship in your faction uses that colour. It would make friend/foe identification much easier.

Also, either cloak or jammer blocks should hide your plumes.

 

[NeonSturm]

What about an enemy faction with the very same color?
To hide plumes, just build them inside your ship, but a good idea though

 

[Yetimania]

What about an enemy faction with the very same color?
To hide plumes, just build them inside your ship, but a good idea though

If you have full RGB control, it seems pretty unlikely that you'll get two factions with the same colour, and if you do, well, there's always the red diamond to show you they're an enemy.

 

[SkullCollector]

I feel that custom thruster plumes also require levels of thrust. As it stands now, you can only go full-steam ahead, stand still or drift.

For the sake of the argument, consider a stealth scenario in which a covert, jet-black dropship jams the enemy sensors, but cannot invisicloak permanently. To reduce emissions, visually as well as on sensors, the pilot reduces to 10% engine power. How ridiculous would it look if the ship sneaked with 8 m/s but still had a massive plume erupting from its fine backside, all the while being tracked by manned turrets because the enemy's watchman happened to have done his job.

So maybe add two hotkeys to increase / decrease throttle by an arbitrary and possibly customisable number, say, 10%.

Cruise control was suggested before, and I think both systems would harmonise well. 10% throttle can still accelerate to 99% speed of light given enough time, unless a complementary system counteracts. Linear dampening takes away speed, and cruise control fires the engines just enough to stay within a certain margin as soon as the vessel has slowed down enough.

 

[Aizria]

This would be so cool!

My one suggestion is that the thruster plumes' colours would be faction-based. So in the faction screen there would be an RGB selector, and every ship in your faction uses that colour. It would make friend/foe identification much easier.

Also, either cloak or jammer blocks should hide your plumes.

Personally, I like your idea, but I think that it would be nice if that were somehow an option. Either faction-wide thrust color could be an option in the faction's settings, or it could serve as a default and still allow members to customize their color. That's my take on it, though, based on the fact that I have some members that I know would want to still have the option to customize their thrust color individually were such a system implemented.

 

[NeonSturm]

If you have full RGB control, it seems pretty unlikely that you'll get two factions with the same colour, and if you do, well, there's always the red diamond to show you they're an enemy.

Humans like numbers like: 100, 150, 50, 200.
Humans can not distinguish between 1111'1110 red and 1111'1111 red.
Humans like to copy others.


But I like the option to have green indicating mining, blue military, red pirate, yellow civilians if some server likes it.

 

[ltmauve]

Or you know, they would be based on what color of crystal you choose or whatever.

 

[Magirik3]

SkullCollector - The stealthier approach would be not to have the plume-block on the ship? My idea is that it's supposed to be mainly a decoration for larger ships.

Sidenote: On the other hand - making it mandatory for all ships (defined on server level?) - would make the radar jam and cloak much more useful. Smaller ships might be easier to track visually, but they'd still be small targets, and there's already light-blue arrows/diamonds tracking them anyway.

On the speed/throttle: I agree, though the lazier way would be to link plume to current speed. (that wouldn't always make sense visually however...)