Weapon Visual Effect Linking

[alterintel]

So currently we have, what I would argue is probably the best weapon customization system I've seen in any space ship game; the ability to combine up to 3 computers for more than 100 different possible weapon configurations. I don't think I can adequately state how awesome this is.


One of the more popular complaints about the current system is the lack of visual effects that go with the weapons. But then I thought what if we could customize the effects just like we can customize the weapons.


So I was thinking just like we can change the color, we could also add or change other visual effects. For example missiles have a trail, and a glow. these are effects that we could possibly remove or add to other weapon systems. Additional possible effects could be a static lighting effect, a brighter beacon effect, or a larger projectile effect. These are just the ones that I can think of off the top of my head.


Currently we can link a light to the main weapon computer to change the color. Instead of a light we could link a Visual Effect Computer (VEC). To this VEC we could link a light for color, another block for a trail, and another block for a static lightning effect.


So to summarize, the actual weapon computers would only determine weapon mechanics such as reload time, and DPS, but the Visual Effect Computer would determine what the weapon would look like when it's fired.


Thoughts?

 

[SilverAgeFan]

Instead of a light we could link a Visual Effect Computer (VEC). To this VEC we could link a light for color, another block for a trail, and another block for a static lightning effect.


So to summarize, the actual weapon computers would only determine weapon mechanics such as reload time, and DPS, but the Visual Effect Computer would determine what the weapon would look like when it's fired.


Thoughts?

I wonder if such a component could be designed to allow linking to non weapons logic systems to permit VE's as design tools for things like reactor cores and animated factories we might build.

For example, I'm making a base on a planet with a bore hole reactor and a processing plant with 2 giant animated pistons (thank you rails!!). Would be great to have pulses happening within parts of that reactor core and smoke bursting out when pistons reach certain points of their cycle.

Also would LOVE a similar idea of a sound effect block once the audio design gets fleshed out more!

 

[jayman38]

We could probably use existing blocks in place of a VEC.
Examples:
Activation logic blocks could be used to adjust the trail length of a missile system, similar to how they are used to change the turning amount for a rotor. (E.g. 5 out of 8 linked activation blocks are active - The trail is 5/8 the length of normal. All 8 linked activation blocks are inactive: no trail.)
Maybe something similar for cannons and beams, where activation logic blocks change the glow size. (E.g. Maybe in the future, the normal cannonshot and beam will be the width of an entire block, and activation blocks could be used to reduce the radius.)
Maybe for damage pulses, activation blocks could adjust the texture scale or glow intensity of the blast.

Other linked blocks could be used as well.
E.g. AND blocks adjust intensity
E.g. OR blocks adjust color falloff or color intensity or color glow intensity for finer projectile color control.
E.g. NOT blocks adjust secondary effect intensity (barrel flash?)

And so on and so on. There are lots of logic blocks that can be used, and they can be adjusted with logic on the fly, so that you have control over your weapon effects in real time.

Edit: This would be great for crewability. Adjusting effects could be a crewmember's full-time job and could be a lot of fun.

 

[alterintel]

In light of another similar thread that has come up it seams there may be renewed interest in this idea.

 

[kiraen]

Just some links, fyi

Planned - More visual effects
Planned - New Decoration Block idea: colored linear particle emitters

Both threads are marked 'planned'. These seemed relevant to me.