Cockpit views request

[Doggma]

While drooling over the potential cargo capacity of a Panther Clipper mk2, I couldn't help but notice that it will be all but impossible to see the ground when landing that beast. this is already a pet peeve of mine when flying the Anaconda or other long-nosed ships. Now, I've noticed the 'Conda has what looks like an observation deck just under the nose. I'd love to switch my view to that as a forward auxiliary cockpit for landings. Maybe something like the telepresence view for fighters. I think I'll want something like that on the Panther Clipper for sure.

Honestly, I can't think of a good reason for the bridge to be on the top side of that ship, other than historical continuity. On all the small and medium ships we hypothetically need the canopy on top for appropriate alignment of visibility and maneuvering forces in a fight. I get the impression that won't be an issue for the Panther Clipper. Flying it from below might enhance the sense of the thing's size.

 

[aRJay]

If I let myself think about it I am amazed that the control centre of our ships isn’t an armoured room safe in the centre of the ship with screens showing the view rather than something vulnerable like a transparent dome on the outside.

 

[Koma Pahu]

If I let myself think about it I am amazed that the control centre of our ships isn’t an armoured room safe in the centre of the ship with screens showing the view rather than something vulnerable like a transparent dome on the outside.

something like this?

 

[aRJay]

something like this?
View attachment 429040

Well I was thinking multi screen but yes pretty much.

 

[Koma Pahu]

Well I was thinking multi screen but yes pretty much.

That was from the original Elite, any screen felt SciFi back then.

 

[Elyssaen]

The way I imagine sci-fi, it goes beyond multi-screen. It'd be VR, creating a perspective that you are the ship, able to look around in all directions and see through your ship like it's transparent. All the while you'd be safely stationed somewhere deep in the vessel. Actually, any kind of control centre would be unnecessary, as you could be controlling the ship in VR while your actual body was anywhere at all on the ship – in bed, sat having your breakfast or on your back in the engine room replacing a valve.

 

[Hank]

Adding a toggled pop up window in the HUD for a rear and downward facing camera would be awesome. This has been mentioned eons ago. I could see how it would really help with those ships with top mounted bridges (Conda, Vette, FdL, etc.).

 

[BL1P]

The way I imagine sci-fi, it goes beyond multi-screen. It'd be VR, creating a perspective that you are the ship, able to look around in all directions and see through your ship like it's transparent. All the while you'd be safely stationed somewhere deep in the vessel. Actually, any kind of control centre would be unnecessary, as you could be controlling the ship in VR while your actual body was anywhere at all on the ship – in bed, sat having your breakfast or on your back in the engine room replacing a valve.

X3 did this and most people hated it.
The first thing people did was make a cockpit mod. (using the X2 cockpits as a mod)

 

[Elyssaen]

X3 did this and most people hated it.
The first thing people did was make a cockpit mod. (using the X2 cockpits as a mod)

Interesting! Was it a problem of implementation, or did people just not like the aesthetic?

For a while now the popular trend within sci-fi has been something like steelpunk – an increasingly unlikely idea that the realistic, 'hard sci-fi' aesthetic will have more in common with the late 20th century than even with technology today. I s'pose it wouldn't surprise me if people generally preferred a glass cockpit, a physical heads-up display rather than AR, and exposed cables.

I've a whole pub rant in me about how cyberpunk is about imagining an uncomfortably different aesthetic, but many other aesthetic styles called *-punk are actually more about the comfort of the past.

 

[KRISXR]

In rl scenarios, bad weather, zero visibility, and cockpit position on aircraft, make flying by instrument essential. Elite cockpits have some good instruments for pilots to use, i think 1 or 2 more creative instruments could make landings, take offs, and navigating tight areas easier. We wouldn't have to use the force as much. I do use the compass, target range finder, altitude, and G's instruments alot when approaching for planetary landings, as well as station landings when you cant see the pad. These instruments are great for navigation and combat, but are a bit difficult and lacking on approaches.

I'm for any good addition other than making all new ships cockpits glass greenhouses. Not saying that was suggested, just wouldn't want it. I do think the panther clipper looks awesome, and aesthetically the cockpit looks spot on. I think it would look silly if airline pilots sat in the nose and were surrounded by plexiglass.

 

[Doctor Dread]

something like this?
View attachment 429040

Well I was thinking multi screen but yes pretty much.

You're so XX century.

Just two letters, V and R.

 

[Frankymole]

That was from the original Elite, any screen felt SciFi back then.

We didn't need "multi screens" back then - you could look out the back, the front, left and right. There were 4 switchable views, including rear-firing weapons.

We're going backwards... in more ways than one.

 

[Frankymole]

steelpunk – an increasingly unlikely idea that the realistic, 'hard sci-fi' aesthetic will have more in common with the late 20th century than even with technology today.

Or stainless steelpunk, where punk rockers wear safety pins and chains.
Which is where we came in.

 

[Elpapo]

Interesting! Was it a problem of implementation, or did people just not like the aesthetic?

It didnt "felt" right, without cockpit mod, and game engine had already bulid-in support for such, from very begining.
Personally, biggest flaw of every X3 version, was lack of cockpits, wich was present otherwise in every and both older and newer X games.
X3 has hundreds of ships, from small ones to capitals, and default view on majority of those ships, the "view" was exacly where cockpit should be.

Cockpits from X2, well as tons of custom ones (like racial or ship specific etc), it did work wonders, was also animated, and was nice nostalgia touch as well. X3 modded cockpits also used existing UI icons in clever way, and later cockpit mod editions basically had custom/unique cockpits for every ship in game, matching with said ship models.

 

[BL1P]

It didnt "felt" right, without cockpit mod, and game engine had already bulid-in support for such, from very begining.
Personally, biggest flaw of every X3 version, was lack of cockpits, wich was present otherwise in every and both older and newer X games.
X3 has hundreds of ships, from small ones to capitals, and default view on majority of those ships, the "view" was exacly where cockpit should be.

Cockpits from X2, well as tons of custom ones (like racial or ship specific etc), it did work wonders, was also animated, and was nice nostalgia touch as well. X3 modded cockpits also used existing UI icons in clever way, and later cockpit mod editions basically had custom/unique cockpits for every ship in game, matching with said ship models.

That is correct, it feeled wrong.