Read by Schine Will-O-Wisp Lights?

[Edymnion]

Now that fleet control and the new docking blocks are out, I'd like to see a new type of light block.

An intangible ball of light that still responds to logic like any other light.

Basically, we have invisible rails and pickup areas now, and I'd like to be able to make runway lights. If I've got an invisible, intangible rail sticking out into space, thats great for AI docking, but it gets more difficult for human interaction because we can't actually see what we're aiming for.

If we could have intangible lights that we could line the "runway" with and put around the pickup point so that its easier for humans to find, that would be great. Especially when combined with logic to make chase lights beckoning you in.

 

[Megacrafter127]

because we can't actually see what we're aiming for.

When you have a raildocker selected, pickup areas will be shown on your HUD.

 

[nightrune]

Now that fleet control and the new docking blocks are out, I'd like to see a new type of light block.

An intangible ball of light that still responds to logic like any other light.

Basically, we have invisible rails and pickup areas now, and I'd like to be able to make runway lights. If I've got an invisible, intangible rail sticking out into space, thats great for AI docking, but it gets more difficult for human interaction because we can't actually see what we're aiming for.

If we could have intangible lights that we could line the "runway" with and put around the pickup point so that its easier for humans to find, that would be great. Especially when combined with logic to make chase lights beckoning you in.

Please please this! They can still use the prerendered lights as well!

 

[Nickizzy]

When you have a raildocker selected, pickup areas will be shown on your HUD.

I'd still look cool.

They could be used as a signal for when you don't hold the docker.

 

[Edymnion]

When you have a raildocker selected, pickup areas will be shown on your HUD.

Huh, learned something new.

 

[jayman38]

This would be a great way to recreate some existing designs, especially those ships with very small light ports or track-lighting. Plus, if there were regular light emitters as well as the expected beacon emitters, you could place light wherever you needed it. This is especially useful in builds where you want solid walls or other things where the environment should just simply look a certain way, without light blocks disrupting the design, but you still need to light the surfaces.

I think we should get all colors in both regular emitter (light emission only) and beacon emitter (light emission + the beacon effect) types for maximum flexibility, because lighting is just that important.

Such an addition would require that the community be reasonable with their light placement. Just as with regular lights and beacons, too many will look bad and will lag lesser computers.

Examples where this would be useful:

ILS (Landing/docking, as described in the OP)
Computer Screen glow
Track-lighting simulation with corner blocks or tetras
path lighting without giant light cubes or light sticks
scene definition and focus redirection
simulating the change of a color of light. (Turning off a red light block and turning on the blue floating light next to it to simulate the light turning from red to blue)
"hint" systems (think: getting a player to click a button that has been especially illuminated by a floating light source)
Sci-fi effects (floating light sources/beacons travelling through a conduit, courtesy of a behind-the-scenes rail track system.)

 

[kupu]

When doing these newest blocks i had the same idea. :D

I'll make a note of this and keep it in consideration for later on.

 

[nightrune]

They would look great at the end of paint cans and rod lights also. I would totally build antenneas and similar structures with these lights.

 

[Edymnion]

They would look great at the end of paint cans and rod lights also. I would totally build antenneas and similar structures with these lights.

Could make for good "emergency" or "red alert" lighting if they are entirely invisible when deactivated.

I can definitely think of some decorating and design uses for lights that only appear when they're turned on.

 

[Sven_The_Slayer]

Rod lights are intangible, they do not clip with other objects but I do not know if AI ships see them as impassible... Invisible points that make light however... just seems weird to me.

I really do want some more lighting options though. I want a version of the rod light that sits flat against a block so they can be used where rods just look ugly.

 

[calani]

This absolutely gets my vote.

 

[kiddan]

This would look pretty neat if there were lasers shot from rail rockers when selected that shoot towards the pickup point and reveal some sort of flare.

EDIT: Also, on the topic of lighting. Could the beacon rod light get fixed so it isn't just a white light and actually creates the beacon flare? Plz kupu get this looked into!

 

[Ratchet Hundreda]

A wedge variant of the light blocks would be pretty useful too.

 

[ZektorSK]

I suppose you mean this ?

 

[Edymnion]

I suppose you mean this ?

Yes, have small orb lights that look exactly like that.

 

[ZektorSK]

It would be nice, but only for aesthetic effect... cuz you know, you can see everything bright enaught in Starmade, but when they actually add some more darkness, it could be pretty nice

 

[Edymnion]

It would be nice, but only for aesthetic effect... cuz you know, you can see everything bright enaught in Starmade, but when they actually add some more darkness, it could be pretty nice

Heh, you obviously don't build very big interiors. Its quite difficult to light anything even remotely large.

 

[kiddan]

Heh, you obviously don't build very big interiors. Its quite difficult to light anything even remotely large.

I think ZektorSK 's point was that dark areas never go pitch-black, everything is always visible so why even bother lighting large areas unless you absolutely need to?

 

[Edymnion]

I think ZektorSK 's point was that dark areas never go pitch-black, everything is always visible so why even bother lighting large areas unless you absolutely need to?

For the same reason I use decorative blocks and make things other than big solid cubes?