Ship explosions look pretty bad
- Thread starter filip
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Oh I'd so love to rep that... I can't
In the meantime, pull your finger out man!
Don't worry I gave it rep for the both of us
The man is entitled to his opinion..
Matters of opinion aren't necessarily the problem here. I agree that ship explosions could be improved and made more dramatic (to hell with realism and whatever that might look like for exploding spaceships in the distant future). The problem here is poor attitude and / or an inability to express oneself in a constructive manner.
Maybe opinion was the wrong word to use in this situation... but can't think of a better description other than turning to rant/whine
You could have been a bit more flowery and expressive with your language... Lacking in creativity and imagination.
Something like this perhaps might be better in terms of expression and colour?
You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!
Well, his post was not very polite, but I sadly have to agree with him.
Just look at this Unreal Engine 4 video to see an awesome explosion effect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y47CY-qA_v8
Just look at this Unreal Engine 4 video to see an awesome explosion effect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y47CY-qA_v8
As others have said, it's still a placeholder... The damage engine will include ship bits etc and more besides
Might be true, I don't believe gossip as long as an official source can be named. Want an example? When the Doom3 E3 demo leaked all the fanboys said it will look sooooo much better when released. End of the story was it looked exactly the same.
There is a world of difference between a tech demo and an in-game effect. Personally, I am happy with explosions the way they are: not too over the top and just about enough "drama" to them (I see them pretty rarely with my hopeless combat skills though).
I am sure when we get to blow up a capital ship, then we will get the super, whiz bang approach beloved of Hollywood special effect crews.
To the OP. Watch the dev video below, and see how much the graphics have developed since then.
Right now, you can target each of the various sub systems of any ship you choose to engage, via the sub-targets menu, in your ships cockpit. Now while you can target these components individually now, you cant actually do any damage to them YET..... but soon enough that will change. The dev`s will also be adding a damage model to the ships, so the damage sustained by each individual component, will be visible on the targeted ship. There`s a video out there somewhere, of the same thing being done with Star Citizen. I reckon these mechanics will be very similar in both games.
In this video they present a situation where the Anaconda`s cargo hold has been damaged. Now I don’t know about you, but I`m really excited to see how that will turn out in the game. kind of puts explosions not being pretty enough into perspective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg9k7E4ngFw&list=PL7glm5rbPHKysKIiEKt86qasedNyRainK&index=10
Right now, you can target each of the various sub systems of any ship you choose to engage, via the sub-targets menu, in your ships cockpit. Now while you can target these components individually now, you cant actually do any damage to them YET..... but soon enough that will change. The dev`s will also be adding a damage model to the ships, so the damage sustained by each individual component, will be visible on the targeted ship. There`s a video out there somewhere, of the same thing being done with Star Citizen. I reckon these mechanics will be very similar in both games.
In this video they present a situation where the Anaconda`s cargo hold has been damaged. Now I don’t know about you, but I`m really excited to see how that will turn out in the game. kind of puts explosions not being pretty enough into perspective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg9k7E4ngFw&list=PL7glm5rbPHKysKIiEKt86qasedNyRainK&index=10
I'm fine with the explosions. For me the fun part of Elite is the point where I win the battle, though. I'm usually so relieved that I have survived that I could probably see a comic *poof* graphic and not care... (I tend to be more a trader / explorer than combat junkie.)
For me, an over the top explosion would be too "Hollywood" anyway. I'd rather have something more muted, but realistic
I'm also sure the graphics will change somewhat over the next year or so - at least. Mainly because if there is going to be ship boarding, then the graphic for a ship death can't always be a giant explosion - or there wouldn't be anything left to board and salvage.
For me, an over the top explosion would be too "Hollywood" anyway. I'd rather have something more muted, but realistic
I'm also sure the graphics will change somewhat over the next year or so - at least. Mainly because if there is going to be ship boarding, then the graphic for a ship death can't always be a giant explosion - or there wouldn't be anything left to board and salvage.
Leaving questions of tone-of-voice/"whining" to one side, the content of the post is, I think, fair.
The explosion FXs could be much better than they currently stand.
That said, lots of polish has already happened to the graphics and I'm interested to see how FD improve this in the future.
Maybe a topic for a forthcoming newsletter sneak- peek? Pretty please!
The explosion FXs could be much better than they currently stand.
That said, lots of polish has already happened to the graphics and I'm interested to see how FD improve this in the future.
Maybe a topic for a forthcoming newsletter sneak- peek? Pretty please!
Hotblack Desiato
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Personally, I think they're totally appropriate. You wouldn't get a massive explosion in space anyway, only what could be supported by the oxidisers on board (the air and what's included in the fuel). But I doubt the fuel is just for burning, it must be some crazy stuff.
I think if this were ever real, you just wouldn't get explosions, because, apart from the lack of oxidiser, what would you carry that was flammable? Maybe a puff of ice crystals as it vented, but explosives have no place on board a combat spaceship. Now, a mining vessel ...
Capital ships could have a nuke power plant or something and explode like the Nostromo. Do want a story mission where a station buys the farm, too.
I think if this were ever real, you just wouldn't get explosions, because, apart from the lack of oxidiser, what would you carry that was flammable? Maybe a puff of ice crystals as it vented, but explosives have no place on board a combat spaceship. Now, a mining vessel ...
Capital ships could have a nuke power plant or something and explode like the Nostromo. Do want a story mission where a station buys the farm, too.
The fuel is still effectively hydrogen fuel I believe, and the powerplants are fusion reactors. Sandy or Mike could confirm.
Even a lowly Sidewinder is powerful enough to rip open the space-time continuum and leave Einstein crying into his cornflakes. I'm betting a reactor like that letting go would pretty much burn your retinas out!
Looking at this made me think - Quake II had 3D explosions, but they looked rubbish because they were so low poly. People could make better looking explosions with sprites, so they continued to do so. In that Unreal demo the explosion was specifically only designed to be viewed from one angle, when they showed it from the side it looked *rubbish*. Sure, he did say they could take more layers to increase the side quality, but it would still be interpolated data. If the explosion radiated out from a central point would it be possible to rotate it to always face the player, but in that case what if you want an explosion pouring out from a specific component blowing? In a multiplayer environment does everyone see the same explosion from a different angle, or do they all see a 'personal' explosions facing them? Also that video might be a next gen gameplay but even if I go back and look at the features advertised from Unreal Engine 3 tech demos and then look at games made using it the tech demos of course look *much* nicer.
I've looked at a few Youtube videos of explosions in Unreal Engine 3, Cryengine 3, the Arma III engine plus a few others, and to be honest the explosions in all of those still look sprite based. Several semitransparent sprites layered and moving outwards towards the player, to give more of an illusion of depth, but still sprites. And in each case the players was standing still or at least not moving very fast relative to the explosion. I don't know how it would look if they moved suddenly round the explosion. Does it rotate too, to keep the sprite(s) facing them, or does it display the 'side/layers' of the sprites, or what? All options I can think of that aren't full 3D explosions would look pretty rubbish, but I am not a game engine programmer and if noone seems to be doing full 3D explosions yet I am assuming there is a valid reason for it.