Cockpit Block

[Marduk_Zoekoff]

I would like to see a block something like the reverse of a Build Block, where build function is disabled but flight mode works. It could be basically the same cube as a Build Block which can access flight mode but has no control only reversed so you can access the build mode but not place or remove anything, and only the flight controls work.

Reason being I would love to see some of the giant ships with fantastic bridges usable from the bridge. As it stands most of these ships you have to find your way into the center of the ship to it's core with only a camera view of the bridge. The other option is to build a lopsided ship (in regard to docking area) where the core is on the bridge and the whole ship requires twice as much docking space as it should. A cockpit cube would allow flight from the actual bridge, where weapons computers could also be used by additional crew, without having to move the core from its central xyz location.

also with smaller ships: I built a fighter my first time out with the core in the one man cockpit which was in the front of the fighter, so the docking area had to be twice the size of the ship because the core has to center itself over the docking unit.

 

[sgallaty]

And you need to be able to enter the ship via this cockpit.

 

[CyberTao]

A block like this was already planned if I'm not mistaken, just more or less waiting for it to be set as a priority.

 

[Runeseer]

Can't you put a weapon computer on the bridge and use that to make your way to the core?

-Runeseer

 

[Marduk_Zoekoff]

Can't you put a weapon computer on the bridge and use that to make your way to the core?

-Runeseer

You could but I do not want to get out of the cockpit on the bridge and be in the core room I want to be on the bridge when I come out of a cockpit on the bridge.
[DOUBLEPOST=1425413450,1425412776][/DOUBLEPOST]

A block like this was already planned if I'm not mistaken, just more or less waiting for it to be set as a priority.

I could have sworn I saw it before too but searching I could not find it so maybe I missed it, but I wanted to stick it back in there just in case.

 

[Ithirahad]

Planned. Though I wonder why it hasn't been implemented yet...

 

[ltmauve]

Actually, this, when combined with sitting, would work fine, as when you enter a block while sitting, when you exit you are still sitting.

 

[lazarus78]

In short, proper ship cockpits/bridges. And perhaps this can then lead to being able to move the dang core. I'm tired of having to work around it and trying to put it in a good spot when I'm not even sure what the final ship design will be. What was a good spot at first, may not be so good now.

 

[Ithirahad]

In short, proper ship cockpits/bridges. And perhaps this can then lead to being able to move the dang core. I'm tired of having to work around it and trying to put it in a good spot when I'm not even sure what the final ship design will be. What was a good spot at first, may not be so good now.

Moving the core has other technical issues, but being able to simply use the core as a centerpoint for the ship and being able to control it from a bridge/CIC would be a massive step forward from the setup we have now.

 

[Marduk_Zoekoff]

Planned. Though I wonder why it hasn't been implemented yet...

That's cool, if anyone knows where this is listed please feel free to post a link here. I had thought it was planned, and I was actually looking for it to see what the status was on it but came up empty handed. I figured it could not hurt too much to put it in just in case it got lost in a crack somewhere. It could happen with so much to do.

 

[jath]

Lol @ name of thread

 

[lazarus78]

Moving the core has other technical issues, but being able to simply use the core as a centerpoint for the ship and being able to control it from a bridge/CIC would be a massive step forward from the setup we have now.

Yeah, I know. I just hope they move away from the NEED of the core block. Its only real visible function is marking the "center" of the ship, but I don't see how that cant be changed, especially once they move over to the health based design.

 

[Creeper__God]

I'm assuming that we will get something like this along with the upcoming HP system. For now the core is the center of the ship as well as the main way of interacting with the ship. It is the way you enter and exit the ship, it is the way you destroy the ship, it is how you start the ship, it is basicly the most important part of the ship. Once we get the HP system (which makes it so the core isn't the way you destroy the ship), I would assume that we will get this along with it so that the core just becomes the starting point of the ship.

 

[Ithirahad]

Yeah, I know. I just hope they move away from the NEED of the core block. Its only real visible function is marking the "center" of the ship, but I don't see how that cant be changed, especially once they move over to the health based design.

This has to do with data storage, and making physics simpler and less laggy. Moving the core is actually impossible - it's grid point (0,0,0), and moving it anywhere would actually imply translating the entire rest of the ship's blocks within the grid to represent the new apparent core "position" relative to everything else, which would pretty much destroy servers if someone were to do it repeatedly or with a gigantic ship. (Ever tried to copy, delete, and paste an entire ship? Yeah... that's exactly what moving a core would be like, except that that would be automated.

However, the core should soon become nothing but this starting point; you should be able to cover it in advanced armor if you want and control the ship from a chair on a command bridge.

 

[lazarus78]

This has to do with data storage, and making physics simpler and less laggy. Moving the core is actually impossible - it's grid point (0,0,0), and moving it anywhere would actually imply translating the entire rest of the ship's blocks within the grid to represent the new apparent core "position" relative to everything else, which would pretty much destroy servers if someone were to do it repeatedly or with a gigantic ship. (Ever tried to copy, delete, and paste an entire ship? Yeah... that's exactly what moving a core would be like, except that that would be automated.

However, the core should soon become nothing but this starting point; you should be able to cover it in advanced armor if you want and control the ship from a chair on a command bridge.

That makes sense, but tat begs the question... what about stations? Why don't they have cores?

Color me ignorant to the programming reasoning behind it. I am most likely oversimplifying it in my head as a simple matter.

But I guess it's all moot once we get the health system.

 

[CyberTao]

what about stations?

Stations don't move. They have no physics in that regard, and since they are static, you could probably line it up with the sector somehow.

The thing you should look at, is asteroids, which do bounce around and are without a core. Interestingly, when using breakoff, the separate pieces also turn into asteroids (is part of why it is to buggy).

 

[Ithirahad]

That makes sense, but tat begs the question... what about stations? Why don't they have cores?

Color me ignorant to the programming reasoning behind it. I am most likely oversimplifying it in my head as a simple matter.

But I guess it's all moot once we get the health system.

As CyberTao said, the origin point in a station has no real meaning. Stations don't move or turn unless you teleport them, so for all the game's physics is concerned, their 0,0,0 point can be a kilometer away from any of the blocks and physically they'd act the same way. (As long as it's still all in sector bounds, of course. Exceed that limit and you run into all kinds of issues.)

 

[Marduk_Zoekoff]

Lol @ name of thread

LOL thanks I didn't even notice. Must have been a finger malfunction, my k key seems to work fine.

 

[jath]

LOL thanks I didn't even notice. Must have been a finger malfunction, my k key seems to work fine.

Not even talking about the missing k... mostly about the extra "pit"

 

[Marduk_Zoekoff]

Not even talking about the missing k... mostly about the extra "pit"

That lost me now, all I saw was "Cocpit Block" and now just "Cockpit Block".