Ship interiors are coming up fairly soon. So I started thinking about what I'd like from this - basically fixed room layouts for every ship, but as much variety as possible within that framework. If every ship looks exactly the same inside, that will be disappointing.
So here are my suggestions for variety:
1) All ship skins purchased also influence the colours/textures inside, e.g. carpets, piping, seating, trim. So if your ship is red outside, you get red skirts along the bottom of walls, etc. This could be done through vertex colouring, so no need for separate textures. Perhaps each skin could be associated with a primary and secondary colour for inside.
2) Interiors have wear and tear maps, basically like those used for exteriors. The more worn down your ship is, the more battered and dirty it looks inside as well. This could be taken to extreme values for abandoned husks - blackened, grimy walls with bullet holes and blood stains.
3) Each room could have 3-4 different furniture layouts. So each ship room has a fixed function, e.g. an office, sick bay, or mess hall, but within that room there could be different ways of arranging the tables, equipment, and other furniture. This would be generated once per ship and be constant.
4) Minor items and clutter varies, e.g. cups, folders, pens, datapads. Items and positions change after each station visit. So, say, an office table could spawn clutter from a list of appropriate items, including nothing. In the kitchen, items would spawn from a different set list - tin cans, food cartridges, pots. Normally everything is held in place by magnetism, clip-ons, and velcro, but on catastrophic events, it would be nice to see such stuff floating around in zero-G.
5) Optional - Ship interiors have degrees of design and luxury that can be upgraded. So you start with something basic. Then if you are vain or want your passengers to have luxury accommodation, that can be arranged.
So here are my suggestions for variety:
1) All ship skins purchased also influence the colours/textures inside, e.g. carpets, piping, seating, trim. So if your ship is red outside, you get red skirts along the bottom of walls, etc. This could be done through vertex colouring, so no need for separate textures. Perhaps each skin could be associated with a primary and secondary colour for inside.
2) Interiors have wear and tear maps, basically like those used for exteriors. The more worn down your ship is, the more battered and dirty it looks inside as well. This could be taken to extreme values for abandoned husks - blackened, grimy walls with bullet holes and blood stains.
3) Each room could have 3-4 different furniture layouts. So each ship room has a fixed function, e.g. an office, sick bay, or mess hall, but within that room there could be different ways of arranging the tables, equipment, and other furniture. This would be generated once per ship and be constant.
4) Minor items and clutter varies, e.g. cups, folders, pens, datapads. Items and positions change after each station visit. So, say, an office table could spawn clutter from a list of appropriate items, including nothing. In the kitchen, items would spawn from a different set list - tin cans, food cartridges, pots. Normally everything is held in place by magnetism, clip-ons, and velcro, but on catastrophic events, it would be nice to see such stuff floating around in zero-G.
5) Optional - Ship interiors have degrees of design and luxury that can be upgraded. So you start with something basic. Then if you are vain or want your passengers to have luxury accommodation, that can be arranged.