Since Incarnate mentioned that the in-system warp effects were being redone, I thought I'd open up a thread to discuss different concepts/possibilities for the new effect.

In general I liked the concept of the old in-system warps, but I agree that they definitely needed some sprucing up. The particle effects seemed to be the same as in the ion storms with a different color, and it just didn't quite deliver the impression of breaking through the fabric of space and time to reach faster-than-light velocities.

Four things I would like to suggest for consideration in the new warp effects:

A) Some kind of flash or flare of light as the warp drive first engages, perhaps similar to the wormhole effect but far more brief, rapid, violent, and explosive. Think Battlestar Galactica.

B) The "hyperspace wake" is very cool, but as a matter of opinion I think it could use many more particles of a smaller size, and perhaps a few rays thrown in as well, giving the impression of stardust. Think Back to the Future combined with the transporter effect from Star Trek.

C) As the ship speeds off into the distance, give it a glowing nimbus, like the flag effect from the old universe. I think this would work very well combined with effect B. When the ship finally disappears there could be a white light that shines for a moment and then winks out... similar to what was done in the warp effect's first incarnation, but more star-like.

D) Sound effects!!! Some kind of bang or hiss of plasma with the initial flash, like a WHAP! then a rumble which quickly builds and then fades off into the distance like a gust of wind.

Here is my rationale: when you engage the warp drive, the sensation of jumping to faster than light speeds ala "Star Wars" is very thrilling... so I would like to keep the part where the ship zooms off into the distance. However, when your ship violently accelerates to 500 m/s, there should be some kind of exclamation to mark the sudden increase in energy, hence the flash-BANG! as the warp drive first kicks in.

When your ship speeds off into the distance it is reaching FTL velocities, where the rules of physics are uncertain. Therefore the ghostly hyperspace wake and glowing nimbus convey the sense of leaving the current plane of reality, careening off into the unknown like a fiery comet.

I think just replacing it entirely with the BSG effect would suit me fine. :P

Yes, I would love some sound.

I agree with Roguelazer, BSG to me did a great job of FTL jump effects. A bright flash of light which shift from blue to red, from the front of the ship to the rear showing that it's moving faster then light. And then a simple reverse of the effect for coming out of an FTL jump.

Stoner voice: Duuude... it's like... the doppler effect, right? But with light! And the flash? Straight up sonic boom yo! But it's really a photonic boom. Word!

1st off star trek rocks and I think it kicks everythings ass!
its a good idea
and for any one woh thinks its eye candy and too much work FUCK U

eye candy is what pulls people into games! eye candys a good bate
and if ppl like game play after they try VO we could have a huge % boost in active players!

Ooo... Or a "rubber-band" effect, a la Star Trek.

I prefer the Hitchhikers Guide's Improbability effect.

Flowers, bricks, fish, chocolate cake.... then ship.

Imagine when a bunch of NPC traders pop in to the sector.

Shedu

I'm with Roguelazer.
BSG warp effect would be the best for in-system jumps. even just white light from front to back.

Or a halo goes from front to back.

Something simple and quick.

I want the starwars effect...and I wanna see a 500m/s accelaration from inside the cockpit...then BOOM and all turns white and slowly fades to the sector...

and that doesn't mean that everyone needs to follow me around with concussion mines...damnit...

kernel.panic

hahahaha, I want an infinitely improbable drive in my ship!

I gotta say, had I been drinking anything when I read your post, WIll Roberts, I would have spewed all over my keyboard & monitor from laughing.

I dont care what they look like honestly, but i would absolutly love for wh and in-system jumps to be in first person! No more of this magic jumping out of your ship to see you go someplace, keep me in my ship!

Yea we like options... Give us the option to be in our ship!

Or yeah, different drive options that are more efficient based on how hard it is to get them.

The infinite-improbability drive would be a guide-only warp effect.

while i also like the BSG effect, i would discoureage using something too similar given the similarity in appearance with the warthog an the vipers. while i don't get the impression the devs pirated the deigne from BSG newcommers may, and too may similarities could cause people to think the game as a whole is just a rip off of other sci-fi work.

i would recomend a "blink out" styal of animation so as to prevent things like warp ramming (would be annoying now that we are vulnerable on warp out), and the like. some combination of particle effects and flashes of light will probably do the trick.

Is a new warp animation still on the docket, or has this pretty much fallen by the wayside?

I know graphics intensity may be a problem for some people especially considering the size of the new convoys, and the slower wormhole animation offers that one moment of vulnerability so many have been clamoring for....

Therefore I'd assume this is fairly low on the priority list if it's on any sort of list at all, but it would just be so damn cool to watch a dozen behemoths and their escorts shoot off into the distance one after the other :D

Aye, I was just wondering how much longer the wormhole effect was going to be used for jump animations myself.

I like the BSG one :)

My opinion is only that the WH and in-system jumps should be different. The current animation is identical. Aren't the pseudo-scientific processes of in-system jumps and WH jumps different? To me, the openening of a WH is a slow process, not requiring accelleration of the ship at all. Simply entering at A and leaving at B without too much drama: only opening the gate. As for in-system jumps, however, this would be a more violent process. Something like a bright flash and a (scientifically impossible) loud crack akin to lightning. This would be a simple animation, making multiple jumps easy on the graphics card, but the reverberating cracks would sound really cool when many ships jump simultaneously.

I think a must-have is the option to view all warp-ins/outs (sector and wormhole) from the first person, without the exterior view.