Why not more "advanced" forms of ships?

[Tyr07]

I would have liked ships to have a control room rather than windows. Why would you need windows in space? Maybe useful in a trading or exploration ship, but in a military vessel you'd want as much metal between you and the cold death of space as possible.

Then I realised ED is a space "opera" not a space sim. Once you learn to just go with it, you realise the design choices make for a more dramatic experience.

And yet, military vessals do still have glass in them for windows, even today, and space shuttles also had glass for the cockpits.
Sure, the windows are small where-ever possible to give as much protection as possible, but they are still invaluable.

If it was as simple as scrambling a sensor to completely blind a pilot, making them useless, it would probably be a focal point of technology. This would bring them to install a see through canopy (It might not be glass, in fact, it could be as strong as any steel, just more expensive and see through so they use it just for the cockpit) to make sure pilots can still see.

Even though we have radar, when we engage in combat, vessels do come within visual range and if I had to in ED, I could combat without my sensor, albeit with a penalty.

You could reference todays Jet's or Naval ships, or even tanks. Well the newest tanks I hear don't have windows, but basically aircraft and naval ships still have windows and canopies. We do have radar and can navigate by instrument, as they do at night but being able to see directly, not through a video screen just seems to work better a lot of the time, especially since the focus of our vision can dart around much faster than a camera.

Also there is the ability of threat detection. They have shown that a person who see's a hazard moving in the distance have an innate ability to determine if it is a threat or not, but if they use binoculars, that instinctual side doesn't work properly anymore. We have a more difficult time assessing threat. There was some work on special binoculars that used a type of weak electrical signal that simulated that ability so we could decide if something we were looking at was a threat to us or not. E.G a civilian in cloths or a guy with a rocket propelled grenade launcher.

 

[[SI] Bobdelion]

The coolest graphical touch from Titanfall was the moment you first get into a Titan and the digital display boots up. Having said that, you (currently) never leave your cockpit in this game so would never be afforded that moment!

The other thing that comes to mind; at the moment if you get close to another ship you see that there is no-one flying, just an empty chair. I can only surmise that when we eventually get 'walking about in stations' it will include the ability to create a player model, and it is that which will sit in the pilot seat, starring out into space. No windows - no ability to see your co-pilots avatar while flying - no ability to indulge in a bit of Top Gun style inverted canopy dodging. :lol

 

[Midnight_Sun323]

You've got the space van (hauler) if you enjoy a limited view lol. The hauler is one of my favorite designs, I just wish it had a better view for when I play with a DK2.

 

[LukeP]

The coolest graphical touch from Titanfall was the moment you first get into a Titan and the digital display boots up. Having said that, you (currently) never leave your cockpit in this game so would never be afforded that moment!

The other thing that comes to mind; at the moment if you get close to another ship you see that there is no-one flying, just an empty chair. I can only surmise that when we eventually get 'walking about in stations' it will include the ability to create a player model, and it is that which will sit in the pilot seat, starring out into space. No windows - no ability to see your co-pilots avatar while flying - no ability to indulge in a bit of Top Gun style inverted canopy dodging. :lol

actually, I think it would be feasible to reconstruct the outside view with some optics and fibrescope.
Cant really jam that as there is no digital signal. But still you can smash the cams- but they would be much smaller than canopy.

Anyway, for each it's own, but I would really like to have an option to use enclosed cockpit with spherical display. And there should be some risk/reward calculation involved into that, just as with any part of ship's choice and outfitting (not just "buy best class you can afford"). Less verticalism, more horizontalism and actual customization.

Also navy ships command centres and "war bridges" are usually deep in hull. That open navigational deck you see is mostly convenience measure for not being in fight (which is about 99% of operational lifetime anyway)

 

[Mogz]

And yet, military vessals do still have glass in them for windows, even today, and space shuttles also had glass for the cockpits.
Sure, the windows are small where-ever possible to give as much protection as possible, but they are still invaluable.

If it was as simple as scrambling a sensor to completely blind a pilot, making them useless, it would probably be a focal point of technology. This would bring them to install a see through canopy (It might not be glass, in fact, it could be as strong as any steel, just more expensive and see through so they use it just for the cockpit) to make sure pilots can still see.

Even though we have radar, when we engage in combat, vessels do come within visual range and if I had to in ED, I could combat without my sensor, albeit with a penalty.

You could reference todays Jet's or Naval ships, or even tanks. Well the newest tanks I hear don't have windows, but basically aircraft and naval ships still have windows and canopies. We do have radar and can navigate by instrument, as they do at night but being able to see directly, not through a video screen just seems to work better a lot of the time, especially since the focus of our vision can dart around much faster than a camera.

Also there is the ability of threat detection. They have shown that a person who see's a hazard moving in the distance have an innate ability to determine if it is a threat or not, but if they use binoculars, that instinctual side doesn't work properly anymore. We have a more difficult time assessing threat. There was some work on special binoculars that used a type of weak electrical signal that simulated that ability so we could decide if something we were looking at was a threat to us or not. E.G a civilian in cloths or a guy with a rocket propelled grenade launcher.

Transparent Aluminum!

 

[Midnight_Sun323]

Then again, it's a video game...