Improved Shipyard Build "Animation"

[IronDusk33]

The current ship yard building animation is simply blocks are added seemingly at random until the ship is complete, which doesn't look that great, especially with larger ships.

So, I think it could be improved massively by having the different kinds of blocks come in at different intervals, like the ship is actually being built logically by workmen.

One way it could go:
1) Any basic hull is added (and the metal strut decoration blocks), as they are often used for interiors, so it would give the impression of adding a frame
2) Standard and advanced armor starts to be added, but is done slowly, and if possible, in large square sections, so it appears that large plates of armor are being added at a time
3) Basic system blocks are added, like power, shield, and thruster blocks, as they are the most essential in any ship (only 50% of the armor is added by this point)
4) The other systems are added, like weapons and effect modules. (Armor is now about 75% complete)
5) Finally, all of the armor is added, and decoration blocks are added

The order and specifics could be fine tuned, but this is the basic idea.

 

[SkylordLuke]

yes! the random building was a huge let down for me. There needs to be some order in building.

 

[spunkiethefirst]

How about a shipyard frame on a rail that scans the ship in like a 3d printer, similar to having salvage modules working on a rail but reversed.

 

[RoyalWolfe]

I like the 3d printer idea id be simple and easy to just have ships build from back to front. so if nothing else at the least make the animation just do that by default.

 

[Valck]

yes! the random building was a huge let down for me. There needs to be some order in building.

I couldn't agree more, apart from the anchor block that's the one big thing that breaks immersion for me.

The current ship yard building animation is simply blocks are added seemingly at random until the ship is complete, which doesn't look that great, especially with larger ships.

So, I think it could be improved massively by having the different kinds of blocks come in at different intervals, like the ship is actually being built logically by workmen.

You didn't specifically mention it, so I'd like to suggest each step cycle through adding only one specific colour/system at a time until say all grey hull is in place, then go through the next variant, and so on until all the step's components are in place.

How about a shipyard frame on a rail that scans the ship in like a 3d printer, similar to having salvage modules working on a rail but reversed.

Sounds like a good idea on top of IronDusk's idea. I think just adding the "printer effect" itself wouldn't help that much with the impression of randomness, but if it were applied on top of building one element at a time, that would make for an awesome effect.

EDIT: The 3D printer idea on its own would be magnificent for a warp gate effect though...

 

[Jarraff]

An ordering of placement in which you could watch the individuals systems being placed would be awesome.
I would like to see the systems blocks placed first. Power weapons thrust and such so you could see the way the way the systems are laid out.

Followed by the shield system, these tend to fill spaces inside that would cover up the systems blocks.

Then the Hull and armor

And finally decorative blocks

It could be a tool to help other players learn how to do ship systems. especially if there were a way to slow down construction or pause it to have a better look and how the ship was made.

 

[hzzzln]

An ordering of placement in which you could watch the individuals systems being placed would be awesome.
I would like to see the systems blocks placed first. Power weapons thrust and such so you could see the way the way the systems are laid out.

Followed by the shield system, these tend to fill spaces inside that would cover up the systems blocks.

Then the Hull and armor

And finally decorative blocks

It could be a tool to help other players learn how to do ship systems. especially if there were a way to slow down construction or pause it to have a better look and how the ship was made.

Hmm. I'd rather have an option to hide certain blocks in buildmode, so a new player can download a blueprint from the content section and learn from there. In game, on a PVP server, it might make it easy to scout your opponents ships out with a permacloaker. So I would vote for armor/hull blocks first.

 

[Parameter]

Hide blocks in build mode, yes, what a wonderful idea!

As for PVP scouting, if you don't want them to see it, then either implement a good perimeter, or build walls around your shipyard.

 

[kiraen]

if there were a way to slow down construction

Construction happens to fast anyway, imo. It should be slowed down regardless of anything else.

 

[Valck]

Construction happens to fast anyway, imo. It should be slowed down regardless of anything else.

I fully agree... however since RP and PvP servers might disagree on this, here's a section of my blockBehaviorConfig.xml that might help:

Spoiler: blockBehaviorConfig.xml

<ShipYard>
  <BasicValues>
    <ConstructionTickInSeconds>0.5</ConstructionTickInSeconds> <!-- construction tick in seconds -->
    <ConstructionBlocksTakenPerTick>1</ConstructionBlocksTakenPerTick> <!-- blocks constructed per tick -->
  </BasicValues>
</ShipYard>

 

[whooplaah]

If we are going to talk about changing how it looks, we might as well change the fact that blocks are appearing out of nowhere. I like spunkiethefirst 's idea of 'reverse harvesting' lasers.

If each bar of the shipyard could emit two lasers (one from the top, one from the bottom) then we can build the ship at several points simultaneously. Rather than having a block suddenly appear at the end of the laser, it fades in like a hologram becoming more solid. Maybe a color change happens too - from clear blue to whatever the block is supposed to be.

I'd also suggest building the ship from the inside out. I know it seems counter-intuitive to how construction actually works, but it would make more sense visually to a player. If we build the outside hull first, we can't tell how much longer it will take to build the inside - a finished looking ship is just sitting there while construction we can't see is happening. Also, the lasers I suggest would have to shoot through the outside hull to place the interior blocks. This would also be a problem if we built top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top (remember, two lasers per U-bar).

If we build from the inside out then:
1) You can always see the construction that is taking place.
2) You know when the ship is finished because the exterior hull is the last thing to be placed
3) You can see all the 'mechanisms' being placed, which I think would be kind of cool.
4) Construction lasers won't have to shoot through a solid block.
5) You quickly establish a 'frame' for the ship, and the rest of the construction is added to this
6) You can build from the center-up, center-down, center-right, center-left, center-forward, and center-back simultaneously. Everything starts at the anchor block and works outward.

Another thing about lasers: if construction speed can be altered (by modules) in the future, we can just adjust the number of simultaneous construction lasers. I think 100 lasers each placing 1 block per second would make more sense than 1 beam placing 100 blocks per second.

 

[Valck]

If each bar of the shipyard could emit two lasers (one from the top, one from the bottom) then we can build the ship at several points simultaneously. Rather than having a block suddenly appear at the end of the laser, it fades in like a hologram becoming more solid. Maybe a color change happens too - from clear blue to whatever the block is supposed to be.

I think you're making an assumption on the shape of the shipyard that may not be valid, namely a shipyard structure having a top and bottom bar. I'm not entirely sure what you mean, my guess is you imagine a roughly "C" shape; however you could as well build the shipyard as a regular or inverted "U", or possibly even a circular structure (haven't tested, might require leaving a gap).
Also I have built shipyard structures into the walls of enclosed hangars, I think it would look strange to have beams come from the hangar walls.
I think I might be able to live with it (if barely) and design my shipyards accordingly, it's just something to keep in mind.

 

[kiraen]

I fully agree... however since RP and PvP servers might disagree on this, here's a section of my blockBehaviorConfig.xml that might help:

I knew there was a setting somewhere, but I couldn't find it in the server.cfg. Now I know why. :p Thanks.

possibly even a circular structure (haven't tested, might require leaving a gap).

You must have the gap. Once you've built the farthest point, you can't come back in. The outside arms must be straight and parallel. But you can use other blocks.


I actually like the laser idea. Maybe not from the struts themselves tho. A slaved beam/salvage module? Then you could put it wherever you want. More modules, more beams.

 

[Lone_Puppy]

If we are going to talk about changing how it looks, we might as well change the fact that blocks are appearing out of nowhere. I like spunkiethefirst 's idea of 'reverse harvesting' lasers.

If each bar of the shipyard could emit two lasers (one from the top, one from the bottom) then we can build the ship at several points simultaneously. Rather than having a block suddenly appear at the end of the laser, it fades in like a hologram becoming more solid. Maybe a color change happens too - from clear blue to whatever the block is supposed to be.

I'd also suggest building the ship from the inside out. I know it seems counter-intuitive to how construction actually works, but it would make more sense visually to a player. If we build the outside hull first, we can't tell how much longer it will take to build the inside - a finished looking ship is just sitting there while construction we can't see is happening. Also, the lasers I suggest would have to shoot through the outside hull to place the interior blocks. This would also be a problem if we built top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top (remember, two lasers per U-bar).

If we build from the inside out then:
1) You can always see the construction that is taking place.
2) You know when the ship is finished because the exterior hull is the last thing to be placed
3) You can see all the 'mechanisms' being placed, which I think would be kind of cool.
4) Construction lasers won't have to shoot through a solid block.
5) You quickly establish a 'frame' for the ship, and the rest of the construction is added to this
6) You can build from the center-up, center-down, center-right, center-left, center-forward, and center-back simultaneously. Everything starts at the anchor block and works outward.

Another thing about lasers: if construction speed can be altered (by modules) in the future, we can just adjust the number of simultaneous constructon lasers. I think 100 lasers each placing 1 block per second would make more sense than 1 beam placing 100 blocks rper second.

I also thought some kind of beam effect would be great. I was thinking more like the docking beam, but emitted from the modules but relative to the block being created.