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Request to return to the animated loading screens we had in Beta

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
edited August 2010 in Controls and User Interface
Any chance the old loading animated loading screens from back in Beta could make a return? I, for one, found them far superior to the screenshots we presently had.

There was a warp-in effect that applied to transistions to sector space, or in-system. There was also a turbolift effect when you made transition inside a starship or a building. When you transitioned into a starbase, you'd have a view of the inside of a spacedock with a Galaxy-class scrolling by. When you beamed down planet (or back up to your ship) you had a view of the transporter pads energizing to beam people up/down.

I really miss them, and - to be honest - the present screenshots you chose to put in for loading screens are not improvements (some show ships like the Majestic-class at very unflattering angles too). I'd like to request a return to the former animated loading screens we had.

Please.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I reiterate my interest in this.

    This is not the first time I raised this issue. I also did during the Beta... but it never really got attention or anykind of response.

    Presently, now that the game is launched, not every player will know what I am talking about. Some may likely not care. I do. It's rare that I've found loading screens I've actually liked seeing... and I really felt disappointed when they - something I considered good - were replaced by something that was significantly less good - in my opinion, of course.

    If I need to post daily in here again to make sure this thread retains visibility, I will. I see no point in seeing this thread die (again) and be compelled later to make something again like it, when it will be even less likely for folks to recall what I'm talking about.

    My goals? I would like the issue to be acknowledged and reconsidered. Failing that, it would do me tons of good to at least know the reasons behind the design choices to move away from the animated loading screens.

    Thank you.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Wasn't there a valid reason for their removal?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I wish I knew. I never heard of it, not to mention I never saw much in the way of improvement in system performance thanks to their absence. even if it was valid, I wouldn't hate seeing the issue reconsidered. I personally really want them back.

    I suppose I have added incentive by also having a healthy dislike of the supposedly 'prettier' screenshots they were replaced with.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I still hold great interest in this and hope the issue can be looked into.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I would like to see them again, including the one of spacedock with a galaxy flying by.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I really loved them as well, they really added to the immersion feeling. I never really understood why they were replaced with pictures of concept art anyways. :(

    Would be awesome if we could at least have some sorta option to chose between which loading screens we want.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Not to mention calling it 'concept art' is either generous, or exagerated. Those are just screen captures rather than the sketchy goodness that is actual concept art. Heck, most of the wallpapers on site would qualify more as concept art (because the STO wallpapers are awesome).

    Sorry, went on a tangent.

    So, yes, bring back the animated loading screens from back in the beta!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I agree, as I was one (if not the first) who suggested the animated loading screens during closed beta.

    No explanation has been posted anywhere to why they were removed.

    They were 100% better then the current ones.

    The Warp, The Transporter and The Turbolift were all great loading screens.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    While you're at it can you also stop flashing the fed sig in loading pages while playing Klinks ...

    Don't wanna see no stinking Fed sig :P
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I agree, they were far superior to the out of place concept art we have now. Whoever thought of the animated loading screens is awesome, whoever got rid of them is a fool.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Well, now that we're Friday, right after the Season One patch, I'm thinking this thread could deserve a bit more visibility.

    I ask, to those whom will read and understand the context (likely, they were Beta Testers for the game):
    Would you be in support of the animated loading screens making a comeback to replace the current concept art screenshots we have presently?

    In addition, to support our Klingon-fond friend Tabz, I add:
    Would you be in support of the Starfleet logo on loading screens be replaced by a Klingon logo when you are playing a Klingon Defense Force-affiliated character?

    My answer to each question is Yes, and Yes. :)

    Yours?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Oh, come on. Someone else must care about either issues.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Zoberraz wrote: »
    Well, now that we're Friday, right after the Season One patch, I'm thinking this thread could deserve a bit more visibility.

    I ask, to those whom will read and understand the context (likely, they were Beta Testers for the game):
    Would you be in support of the animated loading screens making a comeback to replace the current concept art screenshots we have presently?

    In addition, to support our Klingon-fond friend Tabz, I add:
    Would you be in support of the Starfleet logo on loading screens be replaced by a Klingon logo when you are playing a Klingon Defense Force-affiliated character?

    My answer to each question is Yes, and Yes. :)

    Yours?

    Got no answer to this yesterday, and I am far too fond of the animated loading screens to let the thread drop out of Page 1.

    Please show your interest and chime in on the issue, if you haven't yet. :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I would like the old loading screen back also. I mean how hard can it be or did it waste too much time and delay getting into or back into the action?

    Aup
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    To my knowledge, the reason these were pulled so quickly after they were introduced during beta, was because they were causing some really severe load-time lag that hadn't been anticipated originally.
    I don't think it's an impossible for them to return someday, but we wouldn't be bringing them back until we can make sure to do so in a stable manner, that won't have an overall negative impact on the game.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Thanks for stepping into the thread, Phoxe. :)

    From my own experience during the Beta, I don't recall the animated loading screens having a significantly longer loading time. I mean, yes, evidently an animated loading screen will demand more resources than a plain picture... but from my perspective I had not observed a noticeable difference back then before and after. I really only remember being disappointed by the decision to replace them without really seeing the silver lining.

    Of course, people Dev-side would know best.

    Well, I hope it'll be as you say, Phoxe. I'm hoping our interest can motivate the Devs to revisit the issue (rather than leave it discarded and status quo) and see if there can be some future for them once better optimized.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Personally, I thought they were kind of cheap-looking, and was happy to see them go.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    any pics or videos of what these animated loading screens were like? sounds a heck of a lot better than the boring stuff we have now
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Intrepidox wrote: »
    any pics or videos of what these animated loading screens were like? sounds a heck of a lot better than the boring stuff we have now

    Unfortunately none that I know of. They were pretty similar to a lot of the loading screens we have now, but with some minor animations. If you're familiar with the loading screen that shows the interior of Spacedock, it used to have a Galaxy Class ship slowly drift across as if navigating inside the hanger.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I remember there was also an animated loading screen of an away team beaming down from the transporter pad... Also, a screen that looked like you were inside a turbolift with the lights moving (I think they were set to always look like you were moving up in the turbolift) and a "spacewarp" loading screen (It didn't show your ship, just the spacewarp streaks as if you were in "warp space" and the "flash" moving in space ahead of you).

    The best part of these loading screens were that they were supposed to be contextual. That is, if you were beaming down to or up from a planet, it would show the transporter loading screen. If you were moving from zone to zone in sector space it would show the "warp" animation. If you were moving from deck to deck in an interior structure it would show the turbolift screen. And if you were going to and from spacedock it would play the spacedock screen.

    With only four screens though, it may have been seen that it would get pretty boring.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I liked the 'Beam Down' animated screen, and the 'At Warp' animated loading screens best. The rest were okay, but honestly I have to say, they were/are better than the 'screenshot' screens we have now (and thanks for NOT bringing the static 'Klingon' screenshot screen back (it was the ONLY loading screen in closed beta for 2 moths or so - I really got tired of looking at it during closed beta) :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Intrepidox wrote: »
    any pics or videos of what these animated loading screens were like? sounds a heck of a lot better than the boring stuff we have now

    No pics or videos here, but one of them was you in a turbolift, with the lights flowing by through the turbolift "windows", like you'd see in some turbolift scenes in TNG, etc.

    The other was of a bunch of people in a transporter room beaming in and out slowly, It only had 3 or so frames of animation so it was a very jerky transition.

    I'm afraid I have to agree that we're better off without them - the turbolift one wasn't so bad, but the transporter one annoyed me.

    I wouldn't be opposed to seeing better ones show up at some point though.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Here you go. I took some screenshots ages ago.
    http://i40.tinypic.com/zo6igy.jpg - this is the transporter screen. it had some sparkly type image moving up the screen to give impression of active transporter.
    http://i42.tinypic.com/30xj293.jpg - this is the warp screen. basically a star streak image was rotated around the main image to give impression of warping.

    I think these were the only 2 animated screens. I thought they were pretty cool.
    I hope they come back!

    Oops I forgot the turbolift image. I did find one :)
    http://i42.tinypic.com/dfg2na.jpg - this is the turbolift screen.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I've always felt that the load screens we have today seriously detract from the immersive nature of the game.
    I would love to see the animations come back. There are soooo many load screens in this game, that constantly seeing a "loading" really spoils the overall look at feel.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    Whatever happened to that Gaurdian planet scrolling screen that was shown in the STO demo last year (shown to the public that is)?
    What about some screens in that style? But showing earth, vulcan, andoria, etc
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I personally much more preferred the "beam down" and "at warp" loading screens.
    Felt much more trek-and immersive for what was to come after loading. :cool:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    I would much rather prefer that the cryptic team put their efforts into content/gameplay then the loading screens :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    The screens are there are already.
    There's no harm if there is spare time after completion of a milestone or if there's free time.
    Every little bit helps to enhance the experience ;)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2010
    The problem with the current loading screens is that they were designed for a specific monitor ratio (4:3 maybe?) and so on my monitor (a 5:4 one) they get squashed and that's why they look "cheap".

    Personally, I'd prefer Half Life type loading screens where everything is blurred out and you can only see a flashing "Loading..." text (with perhaps a game tip on the bottom).

    Less is more !
    .
    .
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited April 2010
    As I recall, the animated loading screens were taken out to speed load times.
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