Experiments and thoughts on stealth technology

[ruger392]

So I recently came back around to starmade and have begun looking into stealth technology. I figured black surfaces with concealed or barely visible weapons, engines and a radar jammer would make for a solid and inconspicuous platform that would allow for aesthetic touches and would give a greater degree of freedom with exterior design than could be had if a cloaking device was used.

For the most part, I was right. I built two ships on these principles - a bomber and an unarmed jump-capable recon vessel. Both have enough power generation to indefinitely sustain thrust and jamming.
Close-up of the bomber prototype:

The recon vessel:

Even from up close, the bomber is mostly concealed and the recon ship is next to entirely invisible. These pictures were, however, taken in optimal conditions (in shadow, against black backgrounds). I knew from the start that procedural backgrounds and sunlight might be issues, and they are.

A photo of both, at a realistic distance and in more realistic conditions:

(Recon is in the center, bomber is in the bottom left)

As you can see, a background and sunlight have revealed the creations.

My thought processes also extended to a larger scale - what about, say, a stealth carrier? This presented me with a few problems, such as how to hide a massive 400-600m carrier without a cloak and, furthermore, how to conceal its internal rail systems and fighters.

All of my thoughts here were made under the assumption that cloaking is, in most cases, impractical. Someone correct me if I'm wrong and/or cloaking mechanics have changed.

So what are everyone's thoughts on stealth/cloaking technology? What's the general consensus? Is this type of thing viable? Is it practical? Has it ever been successfully used in a real situation?

 

[Monchoman45]

It doesn't seem practical to hide a 400-600m ship for a bunch of reasons - for one, just loading it in is going to noticeably lag you, and unless you don't see it until every exterior chunk has loaded, you're likely to see some interior systems. Beyond that, it just takes up so much of your screen - your two example ships aren't really invisible, but they're well hidden despite the procedural background because they're small and the contrast is pretty low. A 400m ship, regardless of its color, is just going to stand out.

You could probably cloak a 400m reactor stick, though.

 

[Dark Pip]

I've made 2 successful ships like that, it works pretty well. However, they are not that large. I think it would only work on corvette size or smaller.Blackbird 5 Valkyrie 3