Forums » Suggestions

More Realistic Engine/Thruster Effects

Apr 02, 2006 MSKanaka link
As pointed out by Roguelazer in this post ( http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/1/13307#167525 ), the engine/thruster effects could use a little bit of enhancement for those ships that would (in theory) support multi-directional thrust.

I would like to suggest that the following ships have "engine trail" effects added in these directions:

TPG Raptor: Add forward-facing trails for thrusting in reverse.
Serco Prometheus: Add forward-facing trails for thrusting in reverse as well as trails in the up/down and left/right directions for strafing.
Atlas: Add forward-facing trails for thrusting in reverse.

New trails should be much shorter in length than the rear-facing ones, to show that they are more along the lines of "thrusters" than full-strength engines.
Apr 02, 2006 roguelazer link
[stamp of approval]

Besthada Software's Echelon did a really good job of this in, like, 2002.
Apr 02, 2006 Moofed link
I thought it was decided that those aren't thrusters but are heatsinks.
Apr 02, 2006 MSKanaka link
Moofed: Having looked at the raptor and its ingame description, I'd be tempted to say that they are actual engines/thrusters rather than just heatsinks.

Even if they are, might it not be more efficient to jet the excess heat in the direction opposite of your direction of travel?
Apr 03, 2006 Dihelical Synthesis link
While I think this would be excellent eye-candy, I believe that it would probably be very difficult for the devs to do considering it is just that - eye candy...

I think that for much less effort, a great improvement could be made in the way that the engines sound - currently, whether you're flying a zippy little Rev C or a loaded Behemoth, the engines sound the same. I think some real works needs to be done on changing that... give the cappies a really low hum and roar to their engines, the moths a heavy bass thrum, and the little fighters a higher-pitched whine. Compare to how a Hummer should sound IRL and a formula-1 car - they should sound very different! and there are cars that have sounds everywhere in between... I think the ships should be like that.

EDIT: Heatsinks? in space?
MSKanaka, if they WERE heat-sinks (and I really have no opinion on that part...) in space, it wouldn't matter where you put them, since it's a vacuum, and radiant heat travels away uniformly anyway...