Static Electricity

[the guyver]

all you would need for this is a new 'lightning' effect computer + module

a lightning effect block linked to a beam weapon and triggered by a logic circuit would achieve the same effect and could be colored using the existing system
although for purely aesthetic use the effect would need to be limited to not pass through blocks of the entity its attached to so you dont get beams passing though your ship and out into space

 

[Incap]

Tartaran science would like to tell regular science to shut up.

 

[Lecic]

Back on topic, I'd love to see this decorative electricity block.

 

[jayman38]

all you would need for this is a new 'lightning' effect computer + module

a lightning effect block linked to a beam weapon and triggered by a logic circuit would achieve the same effect and could be colored using the existing system
although for purely aesthetic use the effect would need to be limited to not pass through blocks of the entity its attached to so you dont get beams passing though your ship and out into space

I like this idea.

This brings to mind one more block idea that I think could be useful for other effect types as well: An effect termination block, where any linked effect that hits from the same ship will simply stop right there. Would take 6 more Block IDs.

But Nope! Guyver's right. It probably wouldn't be used frequently enough to bother with using up Block IDs. It isn't worth it. Just make this one effect terminate within the structure.

A different take on the idea: Ion effect computers are apparently either underpowered or not used as much as other effects. Give ion effect stuff the electric plasma arc look, and maybe have a setting on all effect computers to stop at the first structure block.

 

[the guyver]

another though on using weapons for aesthetic effects only is make the weapons modules trigger-able with logic signals without being linked to its computer,
triggering this way could be limited to show only the visual effect of firing the weapon without passing through blocks and not having the damage effects, IE. no weapon computer then its not a weapon

this could also make it possible to use weapons for visual effects on stations and planets, since weapons computers do not function when not connected to a ship core

 

[NeonSturm]

We really need blocks with more than 1 logic input.
input 0 (default):

on -> fire once
off -> do nothing​

input 1:

on -> fire and repeat while input 0 is on
off -> single shot, stop repeat​

input 2:

on -> fire only visually. If input 1 (repeat) is off, use minimal cool-down.
off -> use cool-down, do damage.​

input 1 may use the slave mechanism, input 2 the effect mechanism.

(just define instead of a beam slave a logic slave for each weapon - same with effects
You may even be able to do that with the current config by sacrificing 1 effect.

 

[Starlight Walker]

MAHAHAAHA!!! I will be the master of lightning!

 

[Valiant70]

This could be so simple! Call it an Arc Module. Place one block, then connect one or more other arc blocks to it. Electricity arcs between main and slave blocks. An "R" function on the "main" block could change the appearance of the effect, and slaving a colored light could change the color of the arc just like weapons. It would use ONE and only ONE block ID. Problem solved.