Black holes.. yet another disappointment
- Thread starter z80
- Start date
I still think black holes as they currently exist in ED are a place holder for something better (in the beginning WDs and NSs were just tiny stars that didn't do anything, then later they added the jets and FSD boost). But right now BHs are pretty crap - I've got as close as 25 *metres* to one with no ill effects, and their gravitational distortions only affect the background skybox and don't affect anything in the system (I don't really understand why they did this, it can't be that different or slow things down in terms of processing if they're already affecting the skybox?). And at least a few patches ago when you looked at one you heard this weird unearthly howling noise that sounded pretty cool but they decided to get rid of
. I just wish they'd hurry up and make them more interesting...
Lol! I loved that show.
OT shouldn't there be some visual distortion caused by gravity though? The black hole at sag a distorted the background stars.... But its also super massive so maybe I expect too much
Yeah, I was disappointed with Black Holes as well. From a distance they are awesome, but up close? It's like they were never finished. Sadly now they just remind my of that Windows 95 screensaver.
While I know it's more fictional that reality, I would love the experience of approaching a black hole to be similar to the old (and admittedly corny) Disney movie of the same name. Black Holes should be frightening and terrible and menacing and scary. You know,
"The Satan Pit"
While I know it's more fictional that reality, I would love the experience of approaching a black hole to be similar to the old (and admittedly corny) Disney movie of the same name. Black Holes should be frightening and terrible and menacing and scary. You know,
"The Satan Pit"
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I still think black holes as they currently exist in ED are a place holder for something better (in the beginning WDs and NSs were just tiny stars that didn't do anything, then later they added the jets and FSD boost). But right now BHs are pretty crap - I've got as close as 25 *metres* to one with no ill effects, and their gravitational distortions only affect the background skybox and don't affect anything in the system (I don't really understand why they did this, it can't be that different or slow things down in terms of processing if they're already affecting the skybox?). And at least a few patches ago when you looked at one you heard this weird unearthly howling noise that sounded pretty cool but they decided to get rid of
I just wish they'd hurry up and make them more interesting...
Well, you might think that but this 2219 and the Earth has been taken over by the lizard overlords. I hope your injections are up to date or were when you started....
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This is why I seek out black holes within planetary nebulae. I could play with the lensing effects for hours.
Trying to recreate one of my favorite screenshots with my Clipper, didn't quite get it right.
I still think black holes as they currently exist in ED are a place holder for something better (in the beginning WDs and NSs were just tiny stars that didn't do anything, then later they added the jets and FSD boost). But right now BHs are pretty crap - I've got as close as 25 *metres* to one with no ill effects, and their gravitational distortions only affect the background skybox and don't affect anything in the system (I don't really understand why they did this, it can't be that different or slow things down in terms of processing if they're already affecting the skybox?). And at least a few patches ago when you looked at one you heard this weird unearthly howling noise that sounded pretty cool but they decided to get rid of
I just wish they'd hurry up and make them more interesting...
I’m inclined to agree with this, but I know that the first time I am instantly destroyed because I exit hyperspace at the barycentre of a close binary pair of black holes, and I lose months of data, I will cry.
C
I still think black holes as they currently exist in ED are a place holder for something better (in the beginning WDs and NSs were just tiny stars that didn't do anything, then later they added the jets and FSD boost). But right now BHs are pretty crap - I've got as close as 25 *metres* to one with no ill effects, and their gravitational distortions only affect the background skybox and don't affect anything in the system (I don't really understand why they did this, it can't be that different or slow things down in terms of processing if they're already affecting the skybox?). And at least a few patches ago when you looked at one you heard this weird unearthly howling noise that sounded pretty cool but they decided to get rid of
I just wish they'd hurry up and make them more interesting...
Sorry for the offtopic, but could you share a pic of the original neutron stars looks? Either I wasn't around or I don't remember them.
Look at the skybox, pick a dim star - one of the ones that's basically just a single fairly white pixel.
That's what neutron stars used to look like.
![mtt9999 [Parabolus]](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/124/124206.jpg?1553527149){kind=avatar}
Imagine a tiny white star.
If you jumped into a system and were a weird distance from the primary you'd basically poo your pants looking for the star that wasn't there before you head-butted it.
I’m inclined to agree with this, but I know that the first time I am instantly destroyed because I exit hyperspace at the barycentre of a close binary pair of black holes, and I lose months of data, I will cry.
C
I think maybe that's the reason black holes are (mostly) harmless. They can't stop you from dropping inside the exclusion zone (or even literally inside) of regular stars, imagine if black holes were made especially destructive! And, let's be honest, insta-death is just not good gameplay.
Now, I would like to see an expansion of the visual effects they produce. On the other hand, I might never leave if they did that...
It doesn't have to be instadeath though. They could have a volume around them that is basically equivalent to a neutron star jet (but invisible) - the ship gets tossed around a lot if it gets too close but if it can get out of there it gets a range boost.
Incidentally, this is what a black hole looks like with a star behind it in Space Engine, which renders them more realistically:
...which is probably more like what the OP was hoping for.
What'd be really cool is if BHs (and neutron stars and white dwarfs) in close binary systems had accretion disks.
This is a neutron star with an accretion disk directly in front of a nearby white dwarf companion also from Space Engine:
What happens if there are 2 BHs in front of a star ? Like if they were offset from each other and the star from your sightline
....s...
Bh.....
.....bh
....s...
Bh.....
.....bh
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The HUD comes up with a star type and warning to set throttle to zero now when entering a BH, Neutron or WD system, you can't get much safer than that. Black Holes should be dangerous if you get too close, and with all the tools we have any experienced explorer should be able to fly around safely, but yes I can imagine the whining from inexperienced explorers. Next thing you know people wil be demanding that the throttle be automaticaly set to zero on entering them. I have always had the position that yes, there should be danger out there, but a good and experienced commander should always be able to fly safely by taking the proper precautions. Personally whenever entering a BH, N or WD I set throttle to zero.
A black hole in front of black hole, now that's got to really mess up the background, a gravitationally lensed background being gravitationally lensed? What would that look like?
I think the problem is that doing a general distortion of the background is an easy trick, but doing objects that move around requires some real time raytracing, which would be a performance issue. Maybe there's some other tricks that could be done to give some illusion, but they didn't want to commit to one and then add in some other stuff that would need another revamp.
From a distance they are awesome, but up close? I [/B]
Applies to a lot of things
[video=youtube;HuCJ8s_xMnI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=176&v=HuCJ8s_xMnI[/video]