Glass(or whatever they are) windows?

Ssg1

S
I have wondered, after having my canopy shattered a few times, wouldn't it be much more efficient to just install bulkheads everywhere, and use sensors and cameras to look around?
If the canopy isn't made of some kind of diamond, i can't immagine it to be a good idea to put it on a space ship.....
 

Morbad

Morbad
Ssg1 said:
I have wondered, after having my canopy shattered a few times, wouldn't it be much more efficient to just install bulkheads everywhere, and use sensors and cameras to look around?
If the canopy isn't made of some kind of diamond, i can't immagine it to be a good idea to put it on a space ship.....
Click to expand...

It's certainly armored (we have transparent ceramic armor now, who knows what's available in ED), and much stronger (even if not harder) than a sheet of diamond would be.

Still, I would also expect ships expected to see combat to be devoid of large windows.
 

SteveLaw

SteveLaw
Ssg1 said:
I have wondered, after having my canopy shattered a few times, wouldn't it be much more efficient to just install bulkheads everywhere, and use sensors and cameras to look around?
If the canopy isn't made of some kind of diamond, i can't immagine it to be a good idea to put it on a space ship.....
Click to expand...

Aw, come on! You're not telling us that the first time it blew out and the sounds changed and you could hear the breathing and the timer started counting down, it wasn't just a little bit awesome?

One of the things we still talk and laugh about was when I lost my glass and had to dock at three (THREE!) different stations in two different systems without air or HUD before I found one that would repair it. (I panicked, I should have checked first. Twice.) It was just a little bit awesome though.
 
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jpaulwilson1982

jpaulwilson1982
I love (most) of the canopies (except for the foggy looking abrasions). I imagine most ships won't have such a dangerously vulnerable canopy or many windows, especially warships. But for the purpose of making the game a better experience, there has to be windows while flying, just like there can't be any relativistic effects from faster-than-light travel. I'm not saying a game couldn't be made with such considerations and be successful, but it would really ruin the game for me if there's no way to see outside my ship while piloting. Just sit and watch the radar- it would get dull very fast and Elite would be a completely different game.

Sometimes reality isn't practical in a video game.
 

Bomba Luigi

Bomba Luigi
You sound a lot like somone I once knew...
[video]https://youtu.be/hJLBVyz4GBs[/video]

We Humans just like windows, but how should a Machine ever understand that? :p
 

Dim Reaper

Dim Reaper
It does make for a nice effect in a video game (and certainly adds some excitement when you're rushing to finish a kill and get back to a station). But...you're right. This seems to be the same in almost all TV and film science fiction.

Star Trek - Let's stick the bridge on the top of the saucer where it's the most vulnerable. Strange considering that they use a large view screen anyway, so the bridge could be anywhere.

Star Wars - The 19km long Super Star Destroyer Executor was taken out by an A-wing crashing into the bridge that stuck up above the main hull of the ship.

Battlestar Galactica - Once again, let's put the bridge at the front of the ship, just above the main hull. Oh, and let's have some large, vulnerable launch bays. What could possibly go wrong?

Hopefully in the far distant future, someone will realise that burying the bridge of a starship deep inside the hull would be safer. Perhaps have some sort of periscope-type arrangement for if the power goes off.
 

Varrag

Varrag
Yep. Huge, exposed cockpits (even if the glass is made of transparent 'unobtanium') look funny - especially on combat ships: you'd expect that the pilot would be much better protected inside the armored hull, enveloped with screens showing him what cameras are seeing outside.

It's a gamey thing but it's okay - suspension of disbelief is the keyword.
 
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[VR] Frank_G

[VR] Frank_G
Its in the game to torture us players with these nerve ripping sounds when the cracks slowly form in that transparent plastisteel thingie.
 

Toumal

Toumal
ayures said:
I'd guess it's something like transparent aluminum.
And yes, that's a real thing now.
Click to expand...

Yup, thanks to...

scotty-dr-mccoy-star-trek-transparent-aluminum-iv-the-voyago-home-invention-whale.jpg
 

Tryst

Tryst
Morbad said:
It's certainly armored (we have transparent ceramic armor now, who knows what's available in ED), and much stronger (even if not harder) than a sheet of diamond would be.

Still, I would also expect ships expected to see combat to be devoid of large windows.
Click to expand...
I can never understand why ships that are likely to get into combat situations have to have huge windows. It would really make sense to have steel bulkheads all around and a system of cameras to offer external views as if glass was present. It would make more sense for the cockpit to be in the centre of the ship where there would be less chance of the pilot getting killed by direct fire. Imagine the canopy getting smashed, there is now nothing between your body and the enemy ships weapons, if it can do that much damage to your ship, you'd be shredded in a second. Even tanks only have tiny slots for the crew to see out of.

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SteveLaw said:
What happens if (when) the external cameras are destroyed?
Click to expand...
You lose a small amount of your view. BUT... Like a the eye of a fly, your cameras could create a network of views to generate a whole picture with considerable redundancy.
 
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Varrag

Varrag
SteveLaw said:
What happens if (when) the external cameras are destroyed?
Click to expand...

In our imaginary pilot cabine placed inside the hull, you would get one, few or all screens (depending on the damage) blackened or filled with noise, so you would have to use radar to get away from there.

edit: or what Tryst said - there could be dozens or even hundreds of micro-cameras all around the hull, drastically lessening the chance to get completely blind.
 
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