Small sized blocks: Improved customization and possibilities

[Elladan]

Good morning Starmade,

I'm creating this post about a feature i've been expecting for long. I'll go through the feature first then i'll give my opinion about it's applications and it's limitations.

The feature

First of all, 1 cubic meter blocks are huge and doesn't allow users to create small ships that are nice to look upon without compromising it's caracteristics. So, basicaly, the idea is to create a new size of block. This new element would be exactly the same as the 1 cubic meter blocks except it would be 10 times smaller and share the same characteristics divided by 100 or 200 ( As a hundred small blocks would fit in 1 normal block ) . I believe it wouldn't be that hard to add to the game without affecting performances too much.


Small blocks ? Why not but why ?

- Small ships : there are currently few that are created for they are, most of the time, ugly, uneffective, useless except for transport. With such a feature, people would be able to build the small sized ships they expect and have fun with them.

- Character customization : it seems that our character is a man/woman... BUT wouldn't it be great to be able to create our own alien specie using blocks ? We might still be able to load a skin on it but the main point is we could shape our character. For exemple, be a robot that doesn't just have a robotic face or have a helmet that isn't square etc ... It would be amazing to see alien species created by users swarm the galaxy.

- Land vehicules : I know it's a feature that is planned to be added to the game. But, how would land vehicules be of any use if their size is so huge that the vehicule cover a tenth of the planet when it moves ? So, it's quite similar explanation to the small ships with the fact that land vehicules have to be able to fit in large ships and in order to do that, a smaller size of block seems the right idea to me.


Limitations

While smalls blocks look great in my opinion, i believe that they would require a new core : Light core for exemple that would allow such ships/vehicules to be created with a mass limitation so that huge ships aren't created with those and that performance aren't that shaken by such a feature .
The same applies for character as players would still be limited to shape them in a 10x10x20 area.


Thanks for reading,
Feel free to express your opinion.

Elladan

 

[Megacrafter127]

i believe that they would require a new core : Light core for exemple that would allow such ships/vehicules to be created with a mass limitation

It is true, that such an idea will cause players to exploit it. But adding a new core limiting the use of them is just not the way to do it. I'd suggest, that the tiny blocks have far less effect, than the normal blocks, so if one fills the volume of a normal block completely with tiny blocks, the total effect would be equivalent to the effect of a single normal block(grouping effects are broken down like that too). That way no limits are needed, since a capitol built of normal blocks would be as strong as if it'd be built of little blocks in the same size.

 

[Elladan]

This new element would be exactly the same as the 1 cubic meter blocks except it would be 10 times smaller and share the same characteristics divided by 100 or 200 ( As a hundred small blocks would fit in 1 normal block )

The huge problem is that more blocks = less performance. Hence, if the mass isn't limited. A medium sized ship that was created with small blocks would produce the same computations as a really huge ship with normal blocks.
That is the reason why I believe it is best to limit the mass.

This limit isn't for players not to exploit the feature but for the game to allow it without reducing overall performances by a great deal.

 

[DekkerDave]

I want!!! 1/4 sized blocks atleast! I love building small ships with details

 

[Reilly Reese]

(Read Below as if said by HK-47)

Query: Why does meatbag use an image of HK-47?

Threat: I will terminate meatbag with extreme prejudice.

(Stop reading as HK-47)

:P

 

[Zeno9141]

I can imagine that this will be a performance stomp, yet I would love to have some more detail in those ships. We could make furniture that actually looks like furniture, and so much more...

It sounds like a good idea, but hard to implement and quite a drastic change to the game. It would definitely change the game´s feel.
However, building characters is a very interesting idea.

 

[Viridis00]

This probably isn't a possible feature.

One of the Q&As told us that two blocks cannot occupy the same position (two opposite wedges in that example.). Base smaller blocks that stack won't work with the system in place, just different geometry. We would be able to make lots of nice things with 1/2 and 1/4 slabs though, which would be doable within the limits of the game.

 

[Elladan]

Well, I don't know exactly how Schema programmed the game but, each block is a entity. The reason 2 blocks can't occupy the same position is because they both occupy the same "slot". Now, if you set a core where you say that slot is not 1 slot but 100 slot. Then you can have 100 entities in that slot BUT never at the same place.

The possibility of doing it depend mostly on performances. Probably collisions would take about 100 blocks colliding on the same block and would affect performances. However, it is possible that the game could still handle it. I don't know Java well enough to tell but in C/C++, it wouldn't be that hard to make possible.

 

[Lecic]

First of all, 1 cubic meter blocks are huge and doesn't allow users to create small ships that are nice to look upon without compromising it's caracteristics. So, basicaly, the idea is to create a new size of block. This new element would be exactly the same as the 1 cubic meter blocks except it would be 10 times smaller and share the same characteristics divided by 100 or 200 ( As a hundred small blocks would fit in 1 normal block ) . I believe it wouldn't be that hard to add to the game without affecting performances too much.

I think 1/4th blocks would be best, if this is even possible. 1/10th is a little too small, and the smaller they are, the laggier the game would be. The game might simply be unable to do this kind of sub blocks with multiple per standard block space.

- Small ships : there are currently few that are created for they are, most of the time, ugly, uneffective, useless except for transport. With such a feature, people would be able to build the small sized ships they expect and have fun with them.

- Character customization : it seems that our character is a man/woman... BUT wouldn't it be great to be able to create our own alien specie using blocks ? We might still be able to load a skin on it but the main point is we could shape our character. For exemple, be a robot that doesn't just have a robotic face or have a helmet that isn't square etc ... It would be amazing to see alien species created by users swarm the galaxy.

- Land vehicules : I know it's a feature that is planned to be added to the game. But, how would land vehicules be of any use if their size is so huge that the vehicule cover a tenth of the planet when it moves ? So, it's quite similar explanation to the small ships with the fact that land vehicules have to be able to fit in large ships and in order to do that, a smaller size of block seems the right idea to me.

Small ships can easily be made to look nice and be effective (for their class).

We're going to be getting randomly generated aliens that will live on planets. Maybe we'll even get intelligent ones that have their own ships and such. I don't think we should be able to build them with small blocks. Maybe make a custom model for our characters, but not with blocks. A "consciousness transfer" machine to go along with other medical devices being added that would let you swap consciousnesses with an alien would be very cool.

Land vehicles don't take up a tenth of the surface of a planet. That's ridiculous. Most vehicles I've seen would fit within a 15x15x15 box.

Feel free to express your opinion for (unless you don't agree with me) you won't be put in jail, or thrown in space to feed some weird unicorns or something like that.

It's rude to say you can only express your opinion if you agree. I don't like that. It turns threads and forums into echo chambers if you should only reply if you agree.

 

[Elladan]

Small ships can easily be made to look nice and be effective (for their class).

By small ships, I also mean ships like 10*5*3 or ships like that.

We're going to be getting randomly generated aliens that will live on planets. Maybe we'll even get intelligent ones that have their own ships and such. I don't think we should be able to build them with small blocks. Maybe make a custom model for our characters, but not with blocks. A "consciousness transfer" machine to go along with other medical devices being added that would let you swap consciousnesses with an alien would be very cool.

The point here is to be able to create a character model with a different form. For exemple, it you want a thinner waist or a head that isn't squared.
With the current models, you're just able to apply an image to squares thus, it's more like some disguise for humans. Also, it's not possible to use transparency for you'd see the empty inside of blocks.
If you think of another way to deeper the character costumization, for my part, I don't.

It's rude to say you can only express your opinion if you agree. I don't like that. It turns threads and forums into echo chambers if you should only reply if you agree.

It was ironic, it wasn't my intention to restrain people from expressing themselves. I'm removing it.

 

[BasicPaul]

Take a jump over to my thread here: Its a largely discussed topic that encompasses thi, but in a more managable way. Decorative blocks, so you could in theory place a core, and build a hull from decorative micro blocks. Have a read, anyway.

http://starmadedock.net/threads/han...s-repost-from-old-forum.830/page-3#post-17168