Planned No more being sucked into ship cores; cockpits!

[wolfboyft]

No more being sucked into ship cores; cockpits!

Warning: a lot of this post is just me splitting hairs and getting really specific and not compressing my text at all. The main paragraph is the first big one (begins with `The player would`.)

I believe the fact that we are sucked into a ship core makes kinda... well, no sense, and is also an immersion-breaker.

So I propose cockpits.

Basically, the player would build their fancy chair and all that, but then they would place, preferably somewhere accessible from the sitting position, a cockpit computer.

The player would activate/interact with the computer, and a UI would appear. This would have two (currently) options—flight and build mode. Click one, press space to exit to the UI again. Simple. But here's the point of it: you never leave your seat! Players can see and kill you. Also, during flight mode, if you have no cameras, you cannot switch between them/the core and are confined to your player's vision, which is cool and realistic. In fact, you can never switch to cameras—you need to hook them up to display modules (preferably ones that are on rails so they can get out of your way when needed—) but that's for another suggestion.

Also, all activate-able computers (including the cockpit computer) no longer block all your vision when placed in front of your face at a comfortable height/would not really let you access them realistically from one block lower; they now must be placed one block lower and actually display holographic images above. You interact with it normally, it's just that it makes more sense that the interface (which still is not actually practical) doesn't completely block your vision behind. This is most important on the cockpit computer for obvious reasons—you'll be the pilot and you need a view-point if you have no camera! Also, which way the hologram believes is up and which side it comes off are based off the computer's orientation. Rotation defines the direction that is up (you might want an upside-down hologram for an upside-down gravity ship) and the face is obviously which face the hologram projects itself from. This means you can have them coming out of the walls' sides!

This begs the question: what about NPCs? Of course, they get to sit in cockpits too! When an NPC ship spawns, they'll find the* cockpit computer, and have their creature entity be standing (or sitting if there is a wedge) in front of the computer. They would, if there is no space to go there, simply stand where spawn stuck protection would put them if they were players.

*Only one per structure. Beware.

 

[AssIn9]

"in development"

http://starmadedock.net/threads/cockpits-simple-solution-remote-core-access.4650/

 

[Edymnion]

Yeah, its even still on the front page...

 

[wolfboyft]

Derp. Oh well.

 

[Spartan-228]

There is one thing that must happen the same time we get remote access to cores. The ability to move the ship core. Otherwise alot designs will have to be redmade frome the ground up.

 

[Lone_Puppy]

My 2 cents,

• I think a universal display block with all the existing orientation capabilities of the hull blocks would be nice.
• For the transparency, have an option to turn it on/off. I like having a solid computer screen looking display at different stations, but like you say, for cockpit view a transparent screen as a HUD is a must.
• I'm not fond of the no camera access, but it does make sense. So, I'd live with it. Especially if you can hook up a screen to view the cameras. That would be so cool!
• Just having an actually functional chair would be sweet. Maybe a universal chair that can be connected to any computer to produce a UI fitting for the particular computer. This would then allow for a truly functional and logical crew. I'd go so far as to move the AI module functions into the chair, so you can have specialised AI controlling individual computers or the core to control everything.

 

[Valiant70]

"in development"

http://starmadedock.net/threads/cockpits-simple-solution-remote-core-access.4650/

Actually, that thread does not include people staying visible while using the cockpit. It only mentions that that feature would compliment cockpits well.
[DOUBLEPOST=1445611996,1445611928][/DOUBLEPOST]

*Only one per structure. Beware.

Also this is not good.

 

[wolfboyft]

Actually, that thread does not include people staying visible while using the cockpit. It only mentions that that feature would compliment cockpits well.
[DOUBLEPOST=1445611996,1445611928][/DOUBLEPOST]
Also this is not good.

1. Wait, why not? Odd...
2. I don't think that two pilots would really make a great deal of sense, and should be prohibited.

 

[Valiant70]

I don't think that two pilots would really make a great deal of sense, and should be prohibited.

There are two bridges on the Enterprise in STNG. The main bridge is the one you see most of the time. The battle bridge is located beneath the saucer and is used to fly that portion of the ship when the saucer is detached. In one episode they were about to go into battle with a good possibility of not coming back, so most of the crew went with the saucer section and headed for a star base while minimal crew flew the rest of the ship into battle.

I would like to include an auxiliary control center on my larger ships, so I'd thank you not to put some stupid restriction on cockpits that would prevent that.

 

[FatCobra]

Space travel is about redundancy. Having a secondary or even a tertiary bridge or control room make a lot of sense. When I was aboard naval vessels they had secondary bridges or at least secondary conning positions.

 

[srs008]

There are two bridges on the Enterprise in STNG. The main bridge is the one you see most of the time. The battle bridge is located beneath the saucer and is used to fly that portion of the ship when the saucer is detached. In one episode they were about to go into battle with a good possibility of not coming back, so most of the crew went with the saucer section and headed for a star base while minimal crew flew the rest of the ship into battle.

I would like to include an auxiliary control center on my larger ships, so I'd thank you not to put some stupid restriction on cockpits that would prevent that.

(you realise that is actually episode 1 right? )


i propose a simple logical system, wherein a person in the FIRST cockpit is the captain/pilot, and any person entering the second is a useless sack of SXXX. until cockpit1 go boom that is. whereby, they automatcially gain control...

HINT, then a person could send a raiding party, capture the auxilary, and have thier ship kill the captain... by the time crew realise they've been jacked, the ship could be halfway to your starbase...

this is achieved simply, when person gets in cockpit1, their faction is automatically in control of the vessel, and ONLY faction members can gain
control of a second (or so on) cockpit... when a player is KILLED in the cockpit chair (or just leaves it)
it leaves them "logged in" for a minute, during which, a invader may jump in the unlocked chair.
this does not give them access.
The event of destruction of the previous cockpit forces a "logout" of any unoccupied cockpit. nullifying the timer.
BUT if your ALREADY in the seat, it does not "log out", instead it simply passes control back.

as a bonus, in such an event, i propose the faction block remains FAKED, until it open's fire or someone flags them as imposters...

once a hostile has gained control, it starts a second timer, this one is based on ship systems + crew complement. E.g, the more systems the invaders comprimise, the faster the ship "ticks" to total control.
by having "crew" around, they automatically add some "protection" to the system. they themselves can jump in a system to regain "manual control" and to protect system from further conversion... until they leave it.
since the cockpit is the hub of the system the attacker can gain control of any and all systems... eventually.

any player that respawns from an attacked ship is denied chat for 5 minutes, and denied write access to display modules.
thus, preventing them (hopefully) from bringing in the cavalary on a single ship hijacking. (this is due to a belief, that cloning in the future would still take time to travel distance, and to prevent a person being cloned mutiple times, it would have to verify the original is dead.
ideally, i'd simply make them appear 5 minutes later, but that seems... harsh hence the chat block instead.)

this does not prevent THEM from returning (if they knew where they died), but in such a case, the marker SHOULD be erased from map.
after five minutes, they can alert everyone on chat their ship's been hijacked. it will then fall to the faction to catch it BEFORE it breaches defences... as ONLY humans will know the ship was subverted. the AI will ignore it till something fires at it, or from it.
in either case, the station assumes the vessel is hostile, and attacks...
this ALSO allows cunning players to subvert a single turret at a station to destroy or damage a fleet.

(please note, GOOD luck getting into a turret to do that)

this would also give astronauts a useful purpose, give them extra functions (like a limited duration cloak, radar jammer) a powerful directional "shield"(As in, riot shield) "barrier" (shield that protects against explosive effect)...
and suddenly, you'll have a whole new element to the game's mechanics.

 

[Kaelani Revyruun]

(you realise that is actually episode 1 right? )


i propose a simple logical system, wherein a person in the FIRST cockpit is the captain/pilot, and any person entering the second is a useless sack of SXXX. until cockpit1 go boom that is. whereby, they automatcially gain control...

HINT, then a person could send a raiding party, capture the auxilary, and have thier ship kill the captain... by the time crew realise they've been jacked, the ship could be halfway to your starbase...

this is achieved simply, when person gets in cockpit1, their faction is automatically in control of the vessel, and ONLY faction members can gain
control of a second (or so on) cockpit... when a player is KILLED in the cockpit chair (or just leaves it)
it leaves them "logged in" for a minute, during which, a invader may jump in the unlocked chair.
this does not give them access.
The event of destruction of the previous cockpit forces a "logout" of any unoccupied cockpit. nullifying the timer.
BUT if your ALREADY in the seat, it does not "log out", instead it simply passes control back.

as a bonus, in such an event, i propose the faction block remains FAKED, until it open's fire or someone flags them as imposters...

once a hostile has gained control, it starts a second timer, this one is based on ship systems + crew complement. E.g, the more systems the invaders comprimise, the faster the ship "ticks" to total control.
by having "crew" around, they automatically add some "protection" to the system. they themselves can jump in a system to regain "manual control" and to protect system from further conversion... until they leave it.
since the cockpit is the hub of the system the attacker can gain control of any and all systems... eventually.

any player that respawns from an attacked ship is denied chat for 5 minutes, and denied write access to display modules.
thus, preventing them (hopefully) from bringing in the cavalary on a single ship hijacking. (this is due to a belief, that cloning in the future would still take time to travel distance, and to prevent a person being cloned mutiple times, it would have to verify the original is dead.
ideally, i'd simply make them appear 5 minutes later, but that seems... harsh hence the chat block instead.)

this does not prevent THEM from returning (if they knew where they died), but in such a case, the marker SHOULD be erased from map.
after five minutes, they can alert everyone on chat their ship's been hijacked. it will then fall to the faction to catch it BEFORE it breaches defences... as ONLY humans will know the ship was subverted. the AI will ignore it till something fires at it, or from it.
in either case, the station assumes the vessel is hostile, and attacks...
this ALSO allows cunning players to subvert a single turret at a station to destroy or damage a fleet.

(please note, GOOD luck getting into a turret to do that)

this would also give astronauts a useful purpose, give them extra functions (like a limited duration cloak, radar jammer) a powerful directional "shield"(As in, riot shield) "barrier" (shield that protects against explosive effect)...
and suddenly, you'll have a whole new element to the game's mechanics.

Ok that would be an epic as update... Though you'd still be hard-pressed to get to my cockpit XD Cos I'll have doors which will be between 2 AP turrets, and of course any hostile astronaut will be killed by the sheer DPS of the turrets XD Cos they'll be aimed at each other, but carry a heavy DPS in terms of damage dealt to the astronaut :P Cos they'll be able to shoot hostile astronauts with 2 heavy cannon shots :P Good luck surviving that...

 

[Proxima_Centauri]

Necroposting general?

On a slightly related note, we should have the option to put our cameras in a defined order somehow (think the weapons hotbar but for cameras) so we don't have to sift through 10 or more cameras just to find the best one every time we enter a ship.

It's pretty much the most annoying thing in the game right now.

 

[KuramaFox]

You think THAT is "not compressing your text at all?"

I now suddenly feel ashamed for my "More Rail Dockers" suggestion.

But on topic:

There are two things that could be considered for this new control station chair (or whatever version of it is being planned):

1. Since you can be seen and killed, you could be permitted to continue piloting the ship even if the ship core is damaged (normally, boarders can apparently destroy the ship core's HP to force you out of it, but this is not needed if you are still actually present).

2. Will the control chair block be considered a solid block for visual purposes? Currently, with a control core or camera you can make some things invisible by simply laying them right in front of the core/camera. I sometimes use this trick even when trying to make a cockpit or bridge intended for that sort of thing.
.

 

[Valiant70]

1. Since you can be seen and killed, you could be permitted to continue piloting the ship even if the ship core is damaged (normally, boarders can apparently destroy the ship core's HP to force you out of it, but this is not needed if you are still actually present).

Currently, damaging the ship core does nothing unless you use a torch to eject the pilot.

2. Will the control chair block be considered a solid block for visual purposes? Currently, with a control core or camera you can make some things invisible by simply laying them right in front of the core/camera. I sometimes use this trick even when trying to make a cockpit or bridge intended for that sort of thing.

It seems reasonable to assume that the chair will be a LOD-enabled block like the new consoles. I don't think cameras are going anywhere so you should be able to do the same thing.

 

[KuramaFox]

Ttue enough. Cameras can (and frankly should) always be used on almost all ships.

 

[The Judge]

Neckro

 

[Valiant70]

Necroposting general?

Neckro

True? Yes. Do we care? Not really. The topic is still relevant. Fortunately we know it is planned. From what I've heard, I surmise that this should be released around the time of the NPC crew system, duty stations, and the long-awaited chairs.