Atmosphere, hard or easy mode ?
- Thread starter Remus
- Start date
The harder it gets, the better it feels afterwards.
I hope that people aren't setting their sights too high on this, because the overall experience for the largest group of players is going to trump all else.
Honestly, as a couple of others have mentioned, the current Glide mechanic will already handle most of this by default, with the possible differences occurring if you try to land through a storm.
Normal flight after leaving Glide might hopefully have more variables, and you can rest assured that the ships that have no lift surfaces will be hand-waived, and they will not require any special module for that unless all ships require said module.
A few have mentioned Explorers - the longer they are out, the less likely they would be inclined to land in these conditions if it is indeed a truly hazardous venture. This, effectively, and over time, locks Explorers out of more and more of this content, which would be highly counter-intuitive game design. A revamp to deep space ship repair could address this to a certain extent, but at some point, when you are talking about months (or years) of Exploration data, the risk just starts to get really high. In other words, the Exploration community should not be dis-incentivized from doing their primary activity, so I just don't see atmospheric landings being much more hazardous than what currently exists.
Also, while I would like environmental hazards, none of those will actually end up being any more dangerous than current star scooping, or at worst, Neutron Cones. You might take some minor damage (that can be repaired) from storms etc., but only serious foolishness would cause you to be in any real danger. The days of people taking their lumps are rapidly fading in the past, as such, those kinds of mechanics are fading with them. There are some games that relish difficulty (Ninja Gaiden, Dark Souls, etc.), but this is not one of them, and isn't likely to become one of them.
Riôt
Honestly, as a couple of others have mentioned, the current Glide mechanic will already handle most of this by default, with the possible differences occurring if you try to land through a storm.
Normal flight after leaving Glide might hopefully have more variables, and you can rest assured that the ships that have no lift surfaces will be hand-waived, and they will not require any special module for that unless all ships require said module.
A few have mentioned Explorers - the longer they are out, the less likely they would be inclined to land in these conditions if it is indeed a truly hazardous venture. This, effectively, and over time, locks Explorers out of more and more of this content, which would be highly counter-intuitive game design. A revamp to deep space ship repair could address this to a certain extent, but at some point, when you are talking about months (or years) of Exploration data, the risk just starts to get really high. In other words, the Exploration community should not be dis-incentivized from doing their primary activity, so I just don't see atmospheric landings being much more hazardous than what currently exists.
Also, while I would like environmental hazards, none of those will actually end up being any more dangerous than current star scooping, or at worst, Neutron Cones. You might take some minor damage (that can be repaired) from storms etc., but only serious foolishness would cause you to be in any real danger. The days of people taking their lumps are rapidly fading in the past, as such, those kinds of mechanics are fading with them. There are some games that relish difficulty (Ninja Gaiden, Dark Souls, etc.), but this is not one of them, and isn't likely to become one of them.
Riôt
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"I'm in the pipe, 5 by 5." - I can see that; instead of a reticule to follow, you get a box vector tunnel to stay in line with like on AliensThat would be pretty cool.
^^this
iirc, they also had this in the original Alien movie when the Nostromo was entering LV-426's atmosphere. (correct me if wrong)
Fair point.
Might be interesting if you did have to plan your de-orbit (to some minimal extent, at least) to avoid killing your shields, taking hull damage or causing heat damage but when you consider that we can scoop fuel from a star, a bit of friction shouldn't be a problem, should it?
Personally, I'd be happy with a hazy, coloured, sky, some "burning" re-entry effects and a bit of random wobble on the controls.
Get it done and stick it in. It can always be improved upon later.
The hardest part is always creating something new in the first place.
I am going to go with this
Ships in ED have the Engine power to avoid all the issues of reentry
They can simple come in a a speed slow enough
We arrive at planets in Super Cruise Glide now at 2.5 kms and the Shuttle arrives at 7.8kms on Earth so far gentler
Add that we dont know how SC Glide which effects in atmosphere is unknown and that the ships can refuel from scooping off the corona of a Star or Energy jest of a Neutorn star suggests shock heating probably not much an issue
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just to take this to the extreme, you can fly without a shield into a neutron star jet without being disintegrated [big grin] (yes i know, i'm a buzzkill)
The more diverse the environment the better the experience. Entering an ELW, there should be ELW (Earth like weather). So sure, weather effects, visibility, VFR vs ILS etc..
You know that transitional feeling you get when you enter a station, like you're no longer part of "space" but in a way, "home"? Entering a planet's atmosphere and landing should be similar. You should have that "leaving home again" feeling when you set off to space again - two different environments with two different "feels".
You know that transitional feeling you get when you enter a station, like you're no longer part of "space" but in a way, "home"? Entering a planet's atmosphere and landing should be similar. You should have that "leaving home again" feeling when you set off to space again - two different environments with two different "feels".
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This is the only issue I have with entry and separation - thrust to weight ratio of large ships like the Corvette and Cutter. I could see them gaining altitude at a decent AOA, but to go 90 degrees in a corvette and just blast out of the gravity of an ELW would be pretty crazy. I'm not saying we aren't doing it already with planets with a higher gravity than Earth, but the angle where the red zone occurs should be based on your build, unless space thrusters are somehow like rockets. If they are, that 400m/s doesn't make a lot of sense in zero gravity/atmosphere.
It SHOULD be challenging. Then again the whole game should be challenging and isn't, and any time anything remotely resembling challenging gameplay rears it's ugly head people cry in the forums and FD nerf it to death.
Three guesses what will happen with atmospheres.
Just saw ALIEN:COVENANT... it should be like that. Entering the atmosphere should be a bit tricky. But please... nothing I have to engineer my ship for first ;-) ***
Colerre Ferrro...we're in the pipe five-by-five....with plenty of bugs to shoot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXSuYpaFd10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXSuYpaFd10
They wont make it difficult, someone will crash, moan they didn't have insurance and atmospheric entry will get easier.
I dare say it'll be like fuel scooping, come in on an angle, watch temps and then swap to the same as non atmospheric worlds, get down low enough to engage that boring "glide" (how you glide without atmosphere currently is a mystery...) slope that mostly removes control from you and wait until you slow enough to fly again.
While most of us have no bother at all fuel scooping there are always people on the forum making it sound hard and telling noobs they must stop and sip fuel while parked , they'll do the same for landings, there will be no need to have any skill and after you've seen clouds a few times it'll all be boring again.
If planetary landings and takeoffs were difficult not only would it reward skilled players and put some fun/tension in the game but it might actually provide a logical reason for building space stations in a galaxy where fully loaded type 9s can get off a high G world for free and with no drama
I dare say it'll be like fuel scooping, come in on an angle, watch temps and then swap to the same as non atmospheric worlds, get down low enough to engage that boring "glide" (how you glide without atmosphere currently is a mystery...) slope that mostly removes control from you and wait until you slow enough to fly again.
While most of us have no bother at all fuel scooping there are always people on the forum making it sound hard and telling noobs they must stop and sip fuel while parked , they'll do the same for landings, there will be no need to have any skill and after you've seen clouds a few times it'll all be boring again.
If planetary landings and takeoffs were difficult not only would it reward skilled players and put some fun/tension in the game but it might actually provide a logical reason for building space stations in a galaxy where fully loaded type 9s can get off a high G world for free and with no drama
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You are not challenging us!
Three guesses for a two possible outcomes?
I feel bored!
Interestingly, so far most posters mentioned wind turbulences as possibly challenging (including myself in my previous post), but dismissed heat issues (which I have to agree on, regarding our ships heat management capabilities). So, there don't seem to be so many influence factors to justify really challenging enterence phases? Is "just" maintaining an initial angle and wind turbulences really enough to call it "challenging"?
What about other atmospheric effects? Clouds. Rain. They won't harm our ships, so the OP's request for realy catastrophic consequences for piloting failures isn't met.
But they would obscure our sight, make finding our destination difficult and aiming at our targets in combat hard.
What about other dangers? Lightnings, for example? But is there any gameplay value in a danger that can't be avoided by skillful flying but strikes by cheer luck (or the lack of it)?
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Entry into the atmosphere, difficult but also with an autopilot to avoid the difficulty
The vast majority (all?) of the ships seem to be equipped well enough for a powered descent.
This even putting main thrusters out of the equation.
The fuel consumption also appear to be not enough of a concern to justify aerobraking.
Still, it would be nice to have flame and plasma effects for those commanders specifically fond of surfing the atmosphere.
This even putting main thrusters out of the equation.
The fuel consumption also appear to be not enough of a concern to justify aerobraking.
Still, it would be nice to have flame and plasma effects for those commanders specifically fond of surfing the atmosphere.
There could be other factors... Like certain atmospheric conditions prevent shields working, or that thruster management is needed so as not to ignite the atmosphere behind/around you... But aerodynamics is not going to be much of a problem other than heat. Thrusters provide all our lift already.
Now a potentially explosive atmosphere that comprises shields could be tricky.
Now a potentially explosive atmosphere that comprises shields could be tricky.