The Planet Thread

[Rokiyo]

We have an engine thread, a turret thread, and even a rail thread... So how about a planet thread?

Here's a few shots of a power reactor I'm working on for my home planet:

More to come as I build it, if people are interested.

 

[Equilibrium21]

Looking forward to this, no one cares about planets

 

[Crusade]

r800 planet face. It's a glorious sight to see. One face nearly chomps up all 20,000 loaded segments, my PC was still twiddling it's thumbs though.

Also, your power reactor thing is glorious!

 

[Rokiyo]

r800 planet face. It's a glorious sight to see. One face nearly chomps up all 20,000 loaded segments, my PC was still twiddling it's thumbs though.

Oh wow, and there I was thinking my 350 wide planet was huge!

And yeah, I still haven't encountered this scary "planet lag" everyone talks about. Fingers crossed it won't be become an issue.

 

[Valck]

r800 planet face. It's a glorious sight to see. One face nearly chomps up all 20,000 loaded segments, my PC was still twiddling it's thumbs though.

Also, your power reactor thing is glorious!

Whoa... time to up my server settings a bit, I guess. Although I haven't experienced any planet lag lately, I guess I still couldn't get rid of that ancient, deeply ingrained fear of planets larger than say r180...

GO, planet porn!

 

[Rokiyo]

Been working on some power silos to complement the reactor.

If anyone is curious, the reactor from above is currently putting out 400k e/sec, this group of silos here holds 6.4m energy.

The general plan is to make a series of functional and easily identifiable structures, which I can then roll out as my faction's look & feel for planetary colonies. It's a pity that they're currently so vulnerable to planetary bombardment... Haven't quite figured out how I'm going to protect them once I start building on other planets...

 

[Reilly Reese]

Srsly got to have porn in the title?


I once made a deployable planetary barracks. If I find the blueprint on my old laptop i'll probably update it and post it here

 

[Rokiyo]

Srsly got to have porn in the title?


I once made a deployable planetary barracks. If I find the blueprint on my old laptop i'll probably update it and post it here

Sorry about the title, I was playing off the title of the "Engine Porn" thread, but in hindsight that may not have been the most SFW idea...

And yeah, the more the merrier! I'd love to see what others have built on planets!

 

[SilverAgeFan]

Throwing some WIP screens from a new planet I've started working on. Currently, I see this as a scratch pad to test out some ideas and develop a good aesthetic that captures the essence of the hyper-urbanized planet.

My inspiration is part Coruscant & Mandalore, part Blade Runner, part Minority Report, part Fifth Element, and part Aliens (movies and games).

These shots are very early in the development. I'm working in creative, since my play time is currently quite limited. I'm blocking out the planet organically, working with the full intention to convey that classic trope of a bifurcated society via an upper and lower city.

Spoiler: Work in progress, first building on hyper urban planet.

Spoiler: Looking up from "street level" towards landing pad.

Spoiler: View of first part of the lower city. Places like this will be woven below most the buildings.

Spoiler: Small piece of public sculpture on observation deck at street level.

Please keep in mind this is still very early as a WIP. And things like the public sculpture are experiments to try and create very different atmospheres between the upper and lower cities.

I always was disappointed that the old KotOR and Deus Ex games required loading between the different city zones, effectively making upper and lower cities that felt entirely isolated from each other. My goal here is to build this up enough, at least as a proof of principle, that these two personalties can exist as a game setting seamlessly right on top of each other. I also eventually want to capture the density one would expect (and demand) from such a setting. I'm starting on a smaller planet with the intention of building it up and out, so it feels all the thicker and full of catacombs.

After playing on this scratch pad for a bit, I definitely would be interested in moving this effort onto an appropriate RP friendly server.

I'll try and post updates as things come along.

 

[Reilly Reese]

Throwing some WIP screens from a new planet I've started working on. Currently, I see this as a scratch pad to test out some ideas and develop a good aesthetic that captures the essence of the hyper-urbanized planet.

My inspiration is part Coruscant & Mandalore, part Blade Runner, part Minority Report, part Fifth Element, and part Aliens (movies and games).

These shots are very early in the development. I'm working in creative, since my play time is currently quite limited. I'm blocking out the planet organically, working with the full intention to convey that classic trope of a bifurcated society via an upper and lower city.

Spoiler: Work in progress, first building on hyper urban planet.

Spoiler: Looking up from "street level" towards landing pad.

Spoiler: View of first part of the lower city. Places like this will be woven below most the buildings.

Spoiler: Small piece of public sculpture on observation deck at street level.

Please keep in mind this is still very early as a WIP. And things like the public sculpture are experiments to try and create very different atmospheres between the upper and lower cities.

I always was disappointed that the old KotOR and Deus Ex games required loading between the different city zones, effectively making upper and lower cities that felt entirely isolated from each other. My goal here is to build this up enough, at least as a proof of principle, that these two personalties can exist as a game setting seamlessly right on top of each other. I also eventually want to capture the density one would expect (and demand) from such a setting. I'm starting on a smaller planet with the intention of building it up and out, so it feels all the thicker and full of catacombs.

After playing on this scratch pad for a bit, I definitely would be interested in moving this effort onto an appropriate RP friendly server.

I'll try and post updates as things come along.

Kotor had best lower city setting imo

 

[SilverAgeFan]

I was able to squeeze in some more time on my planet today. A few screens of today's progress:

Spoiler: I've begun carving out windows and illuminated details from the building form. Feeling a little more satisfied with this as it evolves.

Spoiler: Illuminating the upper city street seems key to making the upper city distinct from the lower city.

Spoiler: The planet I chose to build upon is bugged and has neither atmosphere nor rotation. So it will be an urban planet with unchanging harsh starlight.

 

[SilverAgeFan]

Another round of updates. Last for tonight.

Still fleshing out the building skin towards the top of the structure. Also realizing I need to work a functioning rail lift inside as well. Probably need to go multi button/multi floor with that.

Already getting ides for some of the surrounding structures, plazas, and entrances to the canyon-like warrens of the lower city.

Spoiler: The shots. Starting to look like a "space Hilton" IMO...

 

[hzzzln]

Also realizing I need to work a functioning rail lift inside as well. Probably need to go multi button/multi floor with that.

Shamelessly advertising my own work: http://starmadedock.net/content/multi-floor-tileable-elevator-template.3376/

 

[SilverAgeFan]

Shamelessly advertising my own work: http://starmadedock.net/content/multi-floor-tileable-elevator-template.3376/

Thanks! Looks incredibly useful and quite a time saver. I love how many fail safes you worked into the system, like the extra rail reverser at the top of the elevator.

Unfortunately, in an attempt to convey density via exterior windows, my floors are only 4 blocks high. But I was already considering making each floor a duplex with balconies and ramps connecting the spaces. If I take that approach, I should be able to get this to work just fine.

While I have your attention, I have some questions regarding logic on a rail based tram system (essentially a horizontal elevator).

I'm going to want to make a tram that functions like a subway car. I assume it's possible to make it go to a station, pause for a decent amount of time with doors open, then close the doors, and head to the next station. But I'll need some direction in how to do this.

I also would like to have rail doors on the tram car itself that are activated anytime the car enters a station and then gets ready to leave. Is this possible to do with the way logic currently works in game? Any suggestions on what terms to search in order to find appropriate tutorials for this?

 

[hzzzln]

Unfortunately, in an attempt to convey density via exterior windows, my floors are only 4 blocks high. But I was already considering making each floor a duplex with balconies and ramps connecting the spaces. If I take that approach, I should be able to get this to work just fine.

I think I can adapt the logic panel to a 6x4 size if you want.

While I have your attention, I have some questions regarding logic on a rail based tram system (essentially a horizontal elevator).

I'm going to want to make a tram that functions like a subway car. I assume it's possible to make it go to a station, pause for a decent amount of time with doors open, then close the doors, and head to the next station. But I'll need some direction in how to do this.

I'll whip up something when I got home tonight. If you want to experiment for yourself a bit: You will need a flip flop controlling a rail speed controller. The rail speed controller has to slave the whole rail that the subway car is going on. You then control the flip flop with activation modules that sit beneath the rails where the stations are (which get activated when the car passes them.)

I also would like to have rail doors on the tram car itself that are activated anytime the car enters a station and then gets ready to leave. Is this possible to do with the way logic currently works in game? Any suggestions on what terms to search in order to find appropriate tutorials for this?

Very much possible via a wireless logic module. Link all the station activation modules to a wireless logic block that is connected with another one of those on the car. That is your input for the door.

As for tutorials, I have yet to find one that covers really complex rail/logic creations. But the tutorials by Bench (linked in my elevator video description) and Drakkart (search "Drakkart Rails" on youtube) cover the basics very well.

 

[SilverAgeFan]

Thanks, hzzzln!

I have built a two floor elevator from scratch, so I have a handle on the most modest basics. I recall seeing a tutorial out there with a good explanation on rail speed used to create a sense of acceleration and deceleration, which I'll probably try to work in.

No rush on this, or even the elevator adaptation. This project will keep me busy for some time and my lazy vacation days are starting to come to a close. So my build time will be significantly reduced in the coming days.

Edit: I saw in your elevator video that you used a copy and past function. Still getting to know the Starmade interface. Could this in theory be used to save whole buildings that I develop in this single player world and then load them up onto a MP server eventually?

 

[hzzzln]

Edit: I saw in your elevator video that you used a copy and past function. Still getting to know the Starmade interface. Could this in theory be used to save whole buildings that I develop in this single player world and then load them up onto a MP server eventually?

Absolutely. The size of these templates is however limited. You can set the limit for your own singleplayer game, but on a multiplayer server, it might not be the same. But you could divide the copy&paste job into multiple templates.

 

[Keptick]

Here's a picture of an 1000r planet, made possible with the increase in max chunk setting from the last update.

And here's the same planet with my 1.3km long ship beside it :p

 

[SilverAgeFan]

Some update images from today. I've finished the outer form of the first sky scraper. Clearing the foundation for the next building as well as more upper city walkways and plazas.

I figure once I get 3-5 upper city structures in place, I can begin exploring how to integrate them aesthetically with the lower city. I anticipate nesting the lower city structures under cantilevered plazas, walkways and observation decks.

Spoiler: Still need to do some detail work, including more windows on this building.

 

[JimmyJamba]

Secret hideaway on Ragnarok Galaxy. Orbital platform above. All WIP