More than 1000 years in the future - why do we have a canopy?

[Joe Spivey]

How else are you going to keep the rain off... Duh!. So obvious.

 

[Beauseant]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIuSAsg9YmM

This sort of cockpit would make more sense..

YESS. Even if it was some sort of module upgrade to the cockpit, hull, or sensors. This would be a perfect upgrade for a combat ship.

 

[Enride]

We are going to mars in 2027... Wish I could join them lucky bosh'tets

I would love to go to mars, but only if I could get back.
The enviroment there is far beyond hostile as anything you will find on earth.

Move to the middle of the arctic for a few months, far away from anything living, and breathe only air from tanks, eating only what you can bring with you.
If you find this a bit harsh, it is still way better then anything on mars will be

 

[Don_Von_Hulio]

Battleships, carriers etc all have blast windows. Its a huge piece of steel with a slot to look out of that can be slammed down if the sun is too bright or you want protection from bullets an shrapnel.

Would be nice to have retractable cover for some of the larger ships.

 

[Iskariot]

It seems a bit archaic.

I would have thought that a logical futuristic design for a spaceship would have the cockpit more centralised to protect the crew/pilot and they would use a viewscreen that would run on external cameras dotted around the hull. probably built with multiple redundancies in case some cameras get damaged.

so why a cockpit and canopy??

I have been thinking the same thing. But it is a game and FD has to make design choices. Cameras all around might be something they don't want. Many have asked for a rear mirror like we had in Frontier, but till this day we did not get one. Perhaps some day...

Would be cool if they designed a unique combat ship with a heavily protected windowless cockpit.

 

[Commander Silex]

We are going to mars in 2027... Wish I could join them lucky bosh'tets

I'd wait to see how they get on before calling them 'lucky'

 

[Ism]

I have no problem with canopy, but I do have a problem with a multi piece canopy that has wide seams that block the view under certain approach vectors (Vulture is terrible).

 

[OJ191]

thats why i mentioned the mutliple redundancies, did u read the post?

Suddenly, some sort of arcing or explosive weapon and all your cameras go bye bye

 

[-SOVEREIGN-]

You know what is terrifying about the canopies on the ships?

THEY ARE ALWAYS EMPTY!!!

Every ship flies without a pilot in the seat. Maybe they are all dead? Maybe all ships are stray ghost ships. But maybe you are in a coma and this is just a bad dream. Maybe you don't even exist. You are the ship AI, programmed to think he is a living being.
When was the last time you had to eat anything in game? Or go to sleep? Or go outside the ship?

YOU ARE THE SHIP!

Because in the past 50 years since the last Elite game humanity made huge progression on artificial intelligence. We are only an AI controlling a ship which is the real reason we do not die. Our AI is loaded into a new ship. Also, we are programmed on trying to be efficient; we have to earn credits and pay a fee if we fail to keep the ship alive. Therefore the waste of resources is reduced.

In Elite:Elite we will finally see the new ship design where no canopy, seats or other now useless stuff is left.

 

[Snakebite]

It seems a bit archaic.

I would have thought that a logical futuristic design for a spaceship would have the cockpit more centralised to protect the crew/pilot and they would use a viewscreen that would run on external cameras dotted around the hull. probably built with multiple redundancies in case some cameras get damaged.

so why a cockpit and canopy??

One word, 'Gameplay'. A lot of the technology in ED is far more primitive than what we would expect to have by the year 3200.

 

[Wellington]

Even though the game is set far into the future, we have the canopy for the same reason we do now.......NO sensor or radar is more reliable than the MK I eyeball That and possible ejection systems.

 

[Ydiss]

I'm just going to say this:

If we didn't have a canopy and all we had was a video screen, a HUD and a rectangle view of space... 80% of the immersion and fun would be removed from the game instantly.

 

[Rubbernuke]

In the year 10191 (Dune) thinking machines are outlawed, and navigators fold space with the help of spice. In the future stuff happens, stop trying to think in one way being the only way.

And if we are all AI ships, when you die do you say "assuming control....." as you inhabit your Sidewinder?

 

[tdshooter]

ive seen people ask this about SC too and the reason because its a video game and looks better so why not

 

[kingchub]

I'm just going to say this:

If we didn't have a canopy and all we had was a video screen, a HUD and a rectangle view of space... 80% of the immersion and fun would be removed from the game instantly.

dont worry. i'm not gunning for them to change the way it is. it is really awesome when ur canopy is compromised after all. I was just observing that in 1000+ years, i think things would be different.

maybe not in fighter craft but certainly in larger vessels like python size and up.

 

[Ydiss]

dont worry. i'm not gunning for them to change the way it is. it is really awesome when ur canopy is compromised after all. I was just observing that in 1000+ years, i think things would be different.

maybe not in fighter craft but certainly in larger vessels like python size and up.

Oh I know that

Just pointing out that the sci-fi theme of a grungy, slightly steampunk future that's futuristic without being smooth and clean (along with the actual feeling of being in the cockpit of a ship) will always trump the Star Trek idealist view.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Oh I know that

Just pointing out that the sci-fi theme of a grungy, slightly steampunk future that's futuristic without being smooth and clean (along with the actual feeling of being in the cockpit of a ship) will always trump the Star Trek idealist view.

But the new Enterprise in JJ A universe has a canopy / windshield too, unlike the old viewscreen.....

 

[Ydiss]

But the new Enterprise in JJ A universe has a canopy / windshield too, unlike the old viewscreen.....

That it may, but you knew what I meant

My bias is obvious from my signature, though.

 

[Doolittle]

It seems a bit archaic.

I would have thought that a logical futuristic design for a spaceship would have the cockpit more centralised to protect the crew/pilot and they would use a viewscreen that would run on external cameras dotted around the hull. probably built with multiple redundancies in case some cameras get damaged.

so why a cockpit and canopy??

Because human tech is so inherently buggy who would want to use it for the purpose you propose? When you get a BSOD what are you going to look through? When the system takes damage what are your options for viewing? When the system is lagged down with network traffic and you can't trust what you see on the screen..... well that one kinda is going to happen regardless.... But you get the picture.

 

[Rubbernuke]

That it may, but you knew what I meant

My bias is obvious from my signature, though.

Like a certain agent from a certain series states, "I'm only doing my job"