Modifying Hull Blocks & New Blocks

[Krahazik]

Would be nice if there were tools that allowed you to alter the shape of hull blocks to increase build options. Such as creating sub-blocks, panels, hollowed panels, stairs, ladders, etc. A way to add more depth and style to the ships and stantions we build and more life.

For additional blocks, I would be nice to have things like ladders and stairs, maybe some pipes, wires, beds and other furnishings, etc to add life to the ship and stations. Most of this is all just decorative stuff, although wirse could be used to connect differant ship systems in a decorative way instead of just running the system block through the ship. For example, 2 sets of generator groups in differant locations on the ship, or in one of my ship's case, 4 sets and 2 battery banks. The power conduit would connect the 2 just as if the block had been used, but without the actuall storage and/or generation feature of the block. Editable signs that can be placed on walls and floors would be a boon as well for assisting in navigating large multi-player structures such as faction home bases.

More options for doors, such as sliding doors and hatches would be a nice addition as well.

Slide Move block, Slide Mount block Slide Wall blocks. These could be used to create things like retractable landing gear and turrets. The slider gets attached to the part that moves and its axis of travel is defined. The bay it slides in/out of is surrounded by the Slide Wall blocks and that is what seperates the static parent from the moving item such as a turret or landing gear. The Slide Move block is docked to the Slide Mount block like a turret to a turret docking port. That keeps the moving part connected to the parent while the slide wall blocks ensure it stayes seperate enough to move freely.

 

[Tilbo]

this is a really good idea... YAY for decorations

 

[Krahazik]

Another decorative block could be sensor palets which could be mounted to the outside of the ship.

They could be purely decorational or perhaps they could actually do something. Perhaps as part of a Sensor Subsystem which could add a new information display element to the in-flight hud. What gets displayed on the hud can be configured via an interface on the control block. What pieces of information are available for display could be dependant on what sensor palets are installed on the ship. Also, like weapons, certain palets (controlled form the control block) could have thier own set of options or power adjustments to effect how the palet works. Things like range, sensitivity, etc.

 

[Krahazik]

Another decorative and semi-usefull block addition. A set of chairs which the player can sit in with thier avatar appearing to sit in the chair. Each chair acts like a camera for the player sitting in it and would allow them to look around.

The command chair would act as kind of a remore ship core block connecting the player to the ship just as if they have entered the core block allowing them to enter flight mode and fly the ship normally, including swittching views to other cameras mounted on the ship. When the camera view is at the chair itself, the player could pan and tilt the camera around to look at his surroundings without moving the ship.

The crew chair could be linked to a specific sub-system and allow the crew member sitting in the chair to control that system. For example you link a crew chair to the weapons computer or ship blokc of a mounted turret. That crew member could then control the weapons of thatturret, even switch to the turrets camer view, to aim and fire the turret. There could also be an option to activate or deactivate the AI module of the turret if there is one. Crew chairs could be set to limit who can sit in the chair (and thus control the ship systems linked to it) by name or faction or set to public. Perhaps even have the ability to link a crew chair to multiple systems which the crew member could observer via a master menu interface. They sit in the chair and get a window they can pull up listing all of the systems the chair is connected to with some basic info about that system with a button to bring up a windo of remote commands for that system, such as the weapons for that turret.

The passenger chair would be the most basic of the chairs that really doesn\'t do anything else beside be a place another avatar can sit down on. While sitting in the chair they are appart of the ship just a sif they were inside a docked turret or the ship core, but they have no control. Thier camera view is locked at the chair and they can look around, but thats it.