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- Oct 6, 2013
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Just a few quick suggestions for down the line with textures and blocks (I use the realistic set, so that's my point of reference for these ideas visually, but I imagine they would work just as well in the other sets, too). All of these are intended to provide more decorative options for the blocks -- cause who doesn't like a little bling on their builds? :p
First, I'd like to suggest that water be given an animated texture, just enough to give it a bit of a shifting shimmery look. It could probably be done with 2 frames, but 3 or 4 might produce a smoother flow (like with lava). Water is commonly used for décor purposes, such as for open-world water (lakes, pools, etc) and as "force fields" on ships and stations. It also makes a nice Stargate-ish effect when laid over ice crystals, imho ^_^ A light animation would enhance all of those uses!
Secondly, I'd like to suggest that glass be given a very slight tint -- similar to that currently used with water, but perhaps 25-50% more transparent. Just enough to give the glass a slight opaque sheen without overly distracting from the great views
(I know someone else mentioned this on the previous site, I just wanted to make sure it was re-mentioned here so it didn't slip under the radar hehe!)
And lastly, I'd like to suggest something a bit more complicated: the addition of panels as a new block shape option.
The panels would use the full space of a normal block, but would only be physically visible as a thin panel, perhaps using no more than 1/4 of one face of the block area. The remaining "empty" space of the block should be open and non-physical, allowing our avatars to walk directly on the visible surface (such as when place on a floor) instead of floating in the air above it. Panels should have zero armor/health value -- they would be completely cosmetic.
For example, a panel of "Dirt Grass Planet Terrain" would essentially be a slab of sod... a panel of water would appear as a shallow puddle... a PlexLight panel (or an Ice Crystal or Lava panel) would be a thin light, like a modern LED light panel... a panel of a "decorative panel" block would make an ideal flatscreen monitor or console... etc.
The idea is to give us decorative options that won't require us to sacrifice functionality for fashion, so to speak. Instead of cutting a layer of armor or shields or some other unit out to make room for lights and decorative blocks, or crowding our internal areas with an extra layer of "stuff," we could instead place a panel over those functional elements, hiding them from view while giving our ship, station, or base a nice professional look.
The non-physical attribute of the panels would allow us to move around unhindered, without getting hung up on invisible corners, and I would further suggest that the panels be allowed to rotate to fit on any of the six faces of the normal block area.
I hope you'll consider these ideas next time you decide to update the art! The 1401 update looks exquisite graphically, and I imagine it will just get better as more updates roll out! :D
First, I'd like to suggest that water be given an animated texture, just enough to give it a bit of a shifting shimmery look. It could probably be done with 2 frames, but 3 or 4 might produce a smoother flow (like with lava). Water is commonly used for décor purposes, such as for open-world water (lakes, pools, etc) and as "force fields" on ships and stations. It also makes a nice Stargate-ish effect when laid over ice crystals, imho ^_^ A light animation would enhance all of those uses!
Secondly, I'd like to suggest that glass be given a very slight tint -- similar to that currently used with water, but perhaps 25-50% more transparent. Just enough to give the glass a slight opaque sheen without overly distracting from the great views
(I know someone else mentioned this on the previous site, I just wanted to make sure it was re-mentioned here so it didn't slip under the radar hehe!)And lastly, I'd like to suggest something a bit more complicated: the addition of panels as a new block shape option.
The panels would use the full space of a normal block, but would only be physically visible as a thin panel, perhaps using no more than 1/4 of one face of the block area. The remaining "empty" space of the block should be open and non-physical, allowing our avatars to walk directly on the visible surface (such as when place on a floor) instead of floating in the air above it. Panels should have zero armor/health value -- they would be completely cosmetic.
For example, a panel of "Dirt Grass Planet Terrain" would essentially be a slab of sod... a panel of water would appear as a shallow puddle... a PlexLight panel (or an Ice Crystal or Lava panel) would be a thin light, like a modern LED light panel... a panel of a "decorative panel" block would make an ideal flatscreen monitor or console... etc.
The idea is to give us decorative options that won't require us to sacrifice functionality for fashion, so to speak. Instead of cutting a layer of armor or shields or some other unit out to make room for lights and decorative blocks, or crowding our internal areas with an extra layer of "stuff," we could instead place a panel over those functional elements, hiding them from view while giving our ship, station, or base a nice professional look.
The non-physical attribute of the panels would allow us to move around unhindered, without getting hung up on invisible corners, and I would further suggest that the panels be allowed to rotate to fit on any of the six faces of the normal block area.
I hope you'll consider these ideas next time you decide to update the art! The 1401 update looks exquisite graphically, and I imagine it will just get better as more updates roll out! :D
