Forums » Suggestions
Ships and visability
i think that ships should be more visable at a distance. it always feels like im alone in space. maybe you could make the ships a tad larger or brighter?
And thus was the longest ranged missile created:
The glow in the dark paint bomb.
The glow in the dark paint bomb.
Interesting. I've always thought that things were TOO visible at a distance in the
game. I mean as compared to "real life." Fact is, if you look around, you can see
bots or ships at distances in excess of 3000m. (I guess this is dependant on your
monitor and it's settings.) This is the same as being able to stand in Los Angeles
and see a Greyhound Bus in New York. (Minus the curvature of the Earth) In other
words: impossible. Even under the best of conditions, you can rarely see the International Space Station, and it is less than 300 miles up, and much bigger
than a Greyhound Bus.
game. I mean as compared to "real life." Fact is, if you look around, you can see
bots or ships at distances in excess of 3000m. (I guess this is dependant on your
monitor and it's settings.) This is the same as being able to stand in Los Angeles
and see a Greyhound Bus in New York. (Minus the curvature of the Earth) In other
words: impossible. Even under the best of conditions, you can rarely see the International Space Station, and it is less than 300 miles up, and much bigger
than a Greyhound Bus.
Interntionl space station is a bad analogy: Aferall, you are looking through several miles of atmosphere with all it's visual obstructions.
It turns out that we can see quite far in space, because our eyes are very adept at detecting changes in lighting. If something is firing off an enormous space engine, you could probably see it from 3km, assuming the sun wasn't in your eyes.
Now, adding solare flaring to visuals when looking towards a star, that would certainly be understandable, if not desirable. But in dark space, we can see these ships.
Afterall, we are only talking 3km. We can see some of the smallest stars at some of the biggest distances known to us from space, and that would probably be about proportionl to small ship at only 3km.
It turns out that we can see quite far in space, because our eyes are very adept at detecting changes in lighting. If something is firing off an enormous space engine, you could probably see it from 3km, assuming the sun wasn't in your eyes.
Now, adding solare flaring to visuals when looking towards a star, that would certainly be understandable, if not desirable. But in dark space, we can see these ships.
Afterall, we are only talking 3km. We can see some of the smallest stars at some of the biggest distances known to us from space, and that would probably be about proportionl to small ship at only 3km.
Atmosphere diffuses light more.
Objects would be visible at greater distance in a vacuum.
Objects would be visible at greater distance in a vacuum.
Orion_Prime: You have brought up something I wanted to mention in my post above: You refer several times to "3km" and I think you are confused, but rightfully so. As near as I can figure, distances in the game are in miles. I
think you would agree that 3000 meters is hardly what anyone would call an
"interplanetary" distance. It is in fact about the distance from my house to the
nearest liquor store. 3000 miles is not exactly "interplanetary" either, but it is
sometimes necessary to suspend disbelief for the sake of entertainment, and
makes a bit more sense than meters. Normally, when we see 3000m, even
Americans would think "meters" because the usual abbreviation for mile is "mi."
and "m" is meter.
Yes octopusfluff (and Orion) I know the difference between light in a vacuum and
atmosphere. Lets not get too literal here please. But vacuum or not, I don't think
that you could see a Greyhound bus from 3000 miles away. Or a spacecraft,
unless it's propulsion system was pointed directly at you and blasting away.
think you would agree that 3000 meters is hardly what anyone would call an
"interplanetary" distance. It is in fact about the distance from my house to the
nearest liquor store. 3000 miles is not exactly "interplanetary" either, but it is
sometimes necessary to suspend disbelief for the sake of entertainment, and
makes a bit more sense than meters. Normally, when we see 3000m, even
Americans would think "meters" because the usual abbreviation for mile is "mi."
and "m" is meter.
Yes octopusfluff (and Orion) I know the difference between light in a vacuum and
atmosphere. Lets not get too literal here please. But vacuum or not, I don't think
that you could see a Greyhound bus from 3000 miles away. Or a spacecraft,
unless it's propulsion system was pointed directly at you and blasting away.
I beg to differ.
Are you going to say our ships are 10 miles long? 'Cuz they say '10m' in the descriptions.
Our velocities are measured in m/s, and it certainly doesn't -look- like I'm travelling 45 miles per second when I'm flitting about a space station.
Yet, we're able to determine that the 3000 "m" distance is indeed the same unit we're using to measure velocity, because of time taken to reach a target.
Don't think we're dealing with 3000 miles, and I imagine it wouldn't be hard to confirm this with the devs.
Are you going to say our ships are 10 miles long? 'Cuz they say '10m' in the descriptions.
Our velocities are measured in m/s, and it certainly doesn't -look- like I'm travelling 45 miles per second when I'm flitting about a space station.
Yet, we're able to determine that the 3000 "m" distance is indeed the same unit we're using to measure velocity, because of time taken to reach a target.
Don't think we're dealing with 3000 miles, and I imagine it wouldn't be hard to confirm this with the devs.
Yup, I'd agree with octo, the distances in game are in metres, not miles, ship sizes are shown in metres, velocities are in metres, it would be odd fot the ships distances to be put in miles. If anything its just the Brits seeing the M and getting confused (Yes, I'm british, but I use SI).
So, 3k (3000m) isn't really that far, I'd say the ships are visable enough atm, since we are only using fighter sized craft atm. Once the capital ships get implemented you'll notice the ships that count no problems :-)
So, 3k (3000m) isn't really that far, I'd say the ships are visable enough atm, since we are only using fighter sized craft atm. Once the capital ships get implemented you'll notice the ships that count no problems :-)
It's meters. I'm American and I know it's meters. 3000 meters isn't interplanetary, but I don't see you travelling on normal engines between planets. 3000 meters is to just get out of the SECTOR, and even then, you can travel way farther than that. Let's just leave it at: distances are in meters, visibility is probably pretty realistic for the distances. It's just a game, don't worry about it.