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Forums > Home› Feedback› The Art of Star Trek Online

Explosion Animations

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
edited June 2011 in The Art of Star Trek Online
Dear Mista Devs,

I know it's not a huge priority but at some point could more ship explosion animations be added to the game? The classic "primary-explosion-is-not-huge-then-ship-rolls-to-one-side-and-an-even-bigger-secondary-explosion-sends-pieces-flying-everywhere" just doesn't seem too dramatic or epic anymore.

So could an animator perhaps come up with some new ones and make the effect varying to give it some flavor pleaseeeee?

Anyone who has modded BC knows how dramatically more awesome the battles are with better explosions :D

And for anyone who has no idea what I'm talking about..............sorry.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    Nice idea, and I'd certainly like to see it... But something tells me the poor ol' animators are having a busy time of it at the moment considering the stated movement changes that are coming with the ground combat revamp.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    I love the explosions in this game, very beefy, but making some more in addition to the ones we have can't hurt :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    Yeah, some variety in explosion animations would be cool indeed.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    yeah i agree. it would be good idea
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    Bigger explosions are always cool to have :D
    Koppenflak wrote:
    Nice idea, and I'd certainly like to see it... But something tells me the poor ol' animators are having a busy time of it at the moment considering the stated movement changes that are coming with the ground combat revamp.

    Yes, I think they still have quite a bit of tweaking to do. The new walking animation is... awkward. Although I suppose they could explain it as the introduction of new, and poorly designed Starfleet standard issue underwear...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    I'm all for things that go boom :) I always thought starship explosions would be bigger to be honest.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    If I remember correctly, in one of the early gameplay trailers for STO there were some different explosion animations. I seem to recall seeing a Galaxy get one of its nacelles sliced off before it exploded. I'll see if I can't find it.

    Edit: Here we go. Around one minute in you can see a Klingon ship take out one of the nacelles.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3Ug52fz5_k

    Further in you can also see a Galaxy explode in a much different fashion from what's currently in-game.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    Captain_Sol wrote:
    If I remember correctly, in one of the early gameplay trailers for STO there were some different explosion animations. I seem to recall seeing a Galaxy get one of its nacelles sliced off before it exploded. I'll see if I can't find it.

    Edit: Here we go. Around one minute in you can see a Klingon ship take out one of the nacelles.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3Ug52fz5_k

    Further in you can also see a Galaxy explode in a much different fashion from what's currently in-game.
    Old perpetual studios mockup - not (unfortunately) evidence of anything that may or may not be doable in the current engine.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    tobar26th wrote:
    Old perpetual studios mockup - not (unfortunately) evidence of anything that may or may not be doable in the current engine.

    No, that was Cryptics trailer.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    cavilier210 wrote: »
    No, that was Cryptics trailer.

    she's right. it is
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    i have always liked the explosions in sto, but i feel they can be improved upon.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    i allways found these explosions uber EPIC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_EX3_nfpZ4
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    What I would like to see, but may require some time to develop, is a dynamic hull damage and debris system. When you take direct hull damage, instead of an image overlaying your ship, you'd seen scorch marks and hull breaches develop where the weapons themselves hit. These will disappear gradually as your health is restored. Hull damage visuals can also work in conjunction with ship injuries on higher difficulties, and will disappear after repairing them. As your HP drops to critical levels, you'll start seeing bits and pieces of your ship fly off. Then finally, when your ship explodes, not only will there be a random type of explosion, but large pieces of debris from your ship will shoot off in random directions. Anyone hit by these will take shield or hull damage in addition to damage caused by the ship exploding.

    One can only dream... :rolleyes:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    Ships are made out of modular parts.

    As long as STO adopts that model, I think it ought to be possible to apply damage textures to each of those selective parts. For example, we could get to see an Intrepid-class' right warp nacelle switch to the 10% texture/damage effect by itself.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    This game still has my favourite space explosions, lots of debris and sense of scale.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQhrYm6UB5w

    From around 2.50 onwards.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    Having drifting wrecks and variable ship destruction (and disabled) animations would most definetely enhance the game. I hope we see it at some point.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    I actually would like to see explosions like the ones from the Starfleet Command series where ship parts are flying in every direction when they explode.

    I'd also like to see a different explosion for ships killed by Disruptor Javelins or Spinal Phaser Lance and the ship is essentially cut in half.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    Nuclear explosions would be nice too.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited June 2011
    To me, there are two ship destruction animations done mostly correctly, the Bird of Prey and the Intrepid variants.

    Both of them have movable portions that separate and fly off as the ship is destroyed.

    I would like to see the concept applied to ships that separate, like the Galaxy variants and the Prometheus variants, seeing the saucer section detach as the docking clamps fail and the saucer surge forward from the initial explosions shock-wave only to be obliterated as the Warp Core breaches.. That would be cool.

    Canon explosions, like the splitting of the Defiant from the second battle of Chin'Toka, would be awesome, and haven't we seen just about every canon ship destroyed at some point or another?

    I know we've seen the Oberth destroyed several times, and the Miranda, the Nova got a nifty little destruction sequence on Voyager. I'm pretty sure if we go through all the footage from the various Borg engagements and the Dominion War we can come up with the various ways the Nebula, Excelsior, and Ambassador classes (when added) blow up. (The Dominion War would also help illustrate KDF ship explosions too!)

    Take inspiration from those to craft some booms for the non-canon ships, and we'd have some very visually appealing death sequences!
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