Immersion 101 How bring Star Trek back into STO using the current engine restrictions.
Sector Space - it is really a map, so make it a map
ditch the drive around on the map thing, here it goes, ....
when you beam from space dock to your ship...you go straight to your current bridge, you in the
captain's chair, BO's at thier station. ...this is not a free to move social area at this time.
you have the choice to get underway....then it does a short beauty shot and is now in 3rd person.
If you go to all stop for more than say 10 seconds, you get transfered to the social bridge view.
this is not in sector space yet.
ok you want to leave the system, you get moving/goes 3rd person again and you ask to head out
to sector space, you will be asked, set course or manual ?
Lets handle manual first:
You choose manual, you go from 3rd person to working bridge shot...do the make it so animation,
star field streaks, you switch to the warping out beauty shot....then you end up in 3rd person sector.
ok, at this point it runs as current but the sector map will look different and that will be handled in a sec.
ok Set Course version:
you coose set course, you are in the working bridge set, the sector map pops up on main view screen,
then the scene fades to just the sector map full size.
The systems are only represented by a dot, with a name next to it, if you hover the pointer
over the dot, the dot enlarges into a small model of the system in question.
enemy fights are represented also as red dots and may or may not have pop up info based on how far
away you are...if it is on the other side of the sector, all you know is unknown enemy.
once you choose a destination, it will revert back to the working bridge...make it so, and you stay there
watching the star field whip by with a small digital display giving est time of arrival.
You get there and have the arrival beauty shot.....IF hostiles are there it goes 3rd person and
plays as normal. If there are no hostiles and it is a ..talk to so and so thing, you do it from the working bridge.
also, if you have an enemy contact, it always defaults to 3rd person.
If you want to meet a cargo ship, you select it a course destination or get close to it, and then
converse via working bridge main viewer.
ok.....sector space reskin
ditch the map look, go for planetarium look
base color......BLACK
gridline, barely visable neon blue
shipping lanes......remove them
systems, a single, small realistic looking star..the size of a dot.... + < that big
when you hover over a astronomical feature or contact, a box fades in to show the system and give info.
and if you move the pointer it fades back to normal
This is how Sector space could get a make over to give it >>> IMMERSION
without greatly changing the mechanics.
I gave it a quick look and it looks like your idea and mine would work seamlessly together.
as a addtion to my above post
3 Views...well 4 really
1 --- 3rd person
standard game view, automatic in combat situations, and can be manually directed
for hunting down resources, or site seeing in a non-sector area, or for manual piloting
the sector space..if you want to.
2 --- Working bridge
everyone is at thier station, no walking around, camera fixed over captain's shoulder in full
view of main viewer.
This is used to communicate to officers/ planetary officials, ect..in non-combat areas. It allows for direct
transistion to 3rd person if wanted, it is the default view of in trans. using a preset course in sector
space.
3 --- Social bridge
it is the walk around bridge, you can invite guests ect. it is the default bridge you go to when
beaming to your ship in a non-combat area. It is also the default bridge you switch to in a
non-combat known system, if you don't move for a while and have no current mission tasks
in the area.
You can quickly change to the working bridge by clicking on the captains chair and choosing
the option working bridge...the other option is, of course..sit...if you want to sit while on the
social bridge.
4 --- Other
this is for being on a planet or star base..ect.. and not relitive to this post.
I very much like the "working Bridge view" idea. Either looking over the Captain's shoulder, or merely looking directly behind the Navigator and Helm at their console, looking at the view screen. This is the main screen that would alone immerse you in the world of Trek and is sorely missing! Good stuff!
This is a relatively easy add and could be an option while flying in any solar system vs. flying behind your ship!
Comments
Let me plug my Bridge Officer Character Arc proposal. I know I risk becoming a broken record but I think you'll find it's worth a look.
as a addtion to my above post
3 Views...well 4 really
1 --- 3rd person
standard game view, automatic in combat situations, and can be manually directed
for hunting down resources, or site seeing in a non-sector area, or for manual piloting
the sector space..if you want to.
2 --- Working bridge
everyone is at thier station, no walking around, camera fixed over captain's shoulder in full
view of main viewer.
This is used to communicate to officers/ planetary officials, ect..in non-combat areas. It allows for direct
transistion to 3rd person if wanted, it is the default view of in trans. using a preset course in sector
space.
3 --- Social bridge
it is the walk around bridge, you can invite guests ect. it is the default bridge you go to when
beaming to your ship in a non-combat area. It is also the default bridge you switch to in a
non-combat known system, if you don't move for a while and have no current mission tasks
in the area.
You can quickly change to the working bridge by clicking on the captains chair and choosing
the option working bridge...the other option is, of course..sit...if you want to sit while on the
social bridge.
4 --- Other
this is for being on a planet or star base..ect.. and not relitive to this post.
This is a relatively easy add and could be an option while flying in any solar system vs. flying behind your ship!
it all boils down to..if your not on planet, in combat or site seeing...you should be in a bridge view
of some sort.