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  • direphoenixdirephoenix Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    My approach is a LOT simpler.

    Put all the bridges on one map.

    When hailing other ships from your bridge, trigger a cutscene of the other character/player's bridge with an NPC costumed like the other player/character. And have UI viewscreen overlay.

    I can see quite a few content applications that would have.

    I have a pretty strong feeling that is neither simpler nor is it more practical.

    Currently the way standard, non-themed ship interiors are built is that all the "choosable" interiors (large, medium, small) are placed on the same map as each "choosable" bridge. That is, each choosable bridge (sans TOS and Belfast sets) has a copy of each type of ship interior included. And we also see how limiting that is ending up. We can't have more variation of ship interiors with this setup without a drastic increase of file size for the map to include all the geometries of all the map parts. Your solution to put all the bridges on the same map would be no different. Every time a new bridge comes out they would have to increase the map size, which would add strain to everyone's machines whenever they wanted to visit their interiors.

    A better way would be to implement what seems to be coming with Neverwinter's Foundry: prefabbed rooms that can be attached to custom maps (whether "custom" means player made or Cryptic/system made may be another story). In this case, the bridges being the prefabbed rooms.

    As an aside (since this doesn't really depend on interiors), I'd like if hails/PM's were handled in a separate window, with a headshot of the player the communication is between, as if it were a NPC contact window. I'm not sure if they can hook up a chat interface to that UI window though.
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  • tacofangstacofangs Member Posts: 2,951 Cryptic Developer
    edited December 2012
    My approach is a LOT simpler.

    Put all the bridges on one map.

    When hailing other ships from your bridge, trigger a cutscene of the other character/player's bridge with an NPC costumed like the other player/character. And have UI viewscreen overlay.

    I can see quite a few content applications that would have.

    This really isn't feasible. Now, everytime you go to YOUR bridge, you have to load 47 times the data. We could manage performance, but it's really not good practice.

    ETA: Nm, Phoenix got it.
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  • bluegeekbluegeek Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    Sorry to butt in, but I find the discussion facinating.

    In regard to "Viewscreen Tech", I understand that there are way too many limitations to make a "live" viewscreen for combat or comms or otherwise practical.

    But as a predetermined animated or non-animated texture that changes depending on where you are, it would add quite a lot of immersion.

    Say you're in sector space. A warp-shifted starfield animation is really all we need.

    Earth space? A simple image of ESD would suffice.

    A planetary system? An image of the planet as seen from a distance, or perhaps from a high orbit.

    Could it be possible to make something that recognizes what map your ship is on and puts a specific 2D texture on the viewscreen?

    It wouldn't be a perfect illusion, but at least it would change.

    Along similar lines, if Foundry authors had the ability to place viewscreens on a custom map with a choice of static images on them, that would also greatly enhance the visual effect. All that would be needed is a variety of stock viewscreen objects that could be placed.
    My views may not represent those of Cryptic Studios or Perfect World Entertainment. You can file a "forums and website" support ticket here
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  • leviathan99#2867 leviathan99 Member Posts: 7,747 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    tacofangs wrote: »
    This really isn't feasible. Now, everytime you go to YOUR bridge, you have to load 47 times the data. We could manage performance, but it's really not good practice.

    ETA: Nm, Phoenix got it.

    Well, going PURELY off what we were told in the past, NW has a more cinematic chat system.

    It would be nice if STO had more of that to it.

    Even if the hails use matte backdrops of a bridge, I think more cinematic style chat is good and could free up someone like Kestrel to create massive amounts of lore missions that have a visual component to them. (And yeah, mattes don't work well with spinning cameras but you guys go crazy with those. An IP based on a television show works fine with lots of television cinematography.)

    Now, as a tech feature...? I'd like it if you had fades to black in cutscenes to hide the 3D models loading when the camera jumps. I have a solid state hard drive and I still see all of the 3D objects load every time the camera jumps position. I suspect this is a tech hurdle but I've seen other games minimize or mitigate this by enforcing a half second of blackout when the camera jumps position.
  • azurianstarazurianstar Member Posts: 6,985 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    bluegeek wrote: »
    Sorry to butt in, but I find the discussion facinating.

    In regard to "Viewscreen Tech", I understand that there are way too many limitations to make a "live" viewscreen for combat or comms or otherwise practical.

    But as a predetermined animated or non-animated texture that changes depending on where you are, it would add quite a lot of immersion.

    Say you're in sector space. A warp-shifted starfield animation is really all we need.

    Earth space? A simple image of ESD would suffice.

    A planetary system? An image of the planet as seen from a distance, or perhaps from a high orbit.

    Could it be possible to make something that recognizes what map your ship is on and puts a specific 2D texture on the viewscreen?

    It wouldn't be a perfect illusion, but at least it would change.

    Along similar lines, if Foundry authors had the ability to place viewscreens on a custom map with a choice of static images on them, that would also greatly enhance the visual effect. All that would be needed is a variety of stock viewscreen objects that could be placed.

    Yes, a simple 2D picture would easily do. But to me that would be rather dull. Just like those pictures we see in the Lackey base / Tac center on Fleet Starbases. Have you ever wished there was more to it?

    That's why I suggested the faux 3D aspect, it would give more life to it.


    As for more viewscreens, yes that would be nice. So far we only got the one picture that's gotten rather old.
  • newagewarriornewagewarrior Member Posts: 5 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    Hello, I have searched but i haven't found the threads so i post it here. I think the arguments that the Gameengine surely could do small interiors. Once Cryptiv said that i wouldn't be possible because of teh camera settings or something. But now i see the Belfast Bridge and Interiors from the C-Store and i thought to myself why don't they do it to the other Bridges and Interiors? It is POSSIBLE thex have proved it. The Belfast Bridge and Interiors are much more scaled tehen any other thing in STO. So i say that every argument the that it couldn't be done ist not valid.

    NewAgeWarrior
  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    Hello, I have searched but i haven't found the threads so i post it here. I think the arguments that the Gameengine surely could do small interiors. Once Cryptiv said that i wouldn't be possible because of teh camera settings or something. But now i see the Belfast Bridge and Interiors from the C-Store and i thought to myself why don't they do it to the other Bridges and Interiors? It is POSSIBLE thex have proved it. The Belfast Bridge and Interiors are much more scaled tehen any other thing in STO. So i say that every argument the that it couldn't be done ist not valid.

    NewAgeWarrior

    Yes, correctly scaled interiors are possible.
  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    I was going to post my additions to this thread, but then my computer died this weekend taking them with it. :(
  • archofwinterarchofwinter Member Posts: 215 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    Has anyone said anything about using the sick bay to heal the Doff?
    Decrease the Doff healing time after successfully playing a mini-game which will be easier if you are Sci-captain.
    Decrease the Doff healing time slightly if you visit your injured Doff but don't play the mini-game. Having your captain visiting you raises moral and help you heal faster.
  • thestargazethestargaze Member Posts: 1,020 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    Yeah.. they should not have the same layout for different type of a ships.

    Also I want to use my ship more.. but there is so little to be done. I liked the fact that in one mission they incorporated visiting your office as part of the mission.. more missions like that is needed.

    Also why can't I have fight battles from my ship bridge?

    I remember in Elite force in the RPG-X mod you could do so much more, .. please add that to STO also.
  • thestargazethestargaze Member Posts: 1,020 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    psymantis wrote: »
    What did you buy? The Odessey ship @ 2500 zen should come with a bridge unique to them. The free one has a different worst looking (imo) bridge that cannot equip the paid one.

    They should really look over what they have in the Zen store.. I get confused with the different types of same ship.. its difficult.
  • thestargazethestargaze Member Posts: 1,020 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    ozy83 wrote: »
    If I recall correctly, Andrew Probert did some terrific designs for the Galaxy-Class to be used in STO, when it was owned by perpetual entertainment (I believe).

    I've been modelling for a few years now, principally as a "BATter" for SC4, but started to move more into interiors a year or two ago.

    Here's a few of my 3d model interiors based on probert's sketches (which I've linked below each image as a comparison): I've tried to be as low poly as possible.

    Deck 7 Lobby
    http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/349/7/8/deck_7_lobby__finished_by_sixu-d34x2xs.png

    Probert's sketch:
    http://probertdesigns.com/Folder_DESIGN/ART/TrekGAME/Lobby.jpg

    Deck 7 Lobby: Toward Sickbay
    deck_7_lobby_ii__finished_by_sixu-d3506oc.png

    Probert's Sketch:
    http://probertdesigns.com/Folder_DESIGN/Concepts2_PerpEnt.html

    Computer Core Causeway: (Work In Progress)
    computercorewip2.png

    Probert's Sketch:
    coreworker.jpg

    Galaxy Class Stellar Cartography: (Work In Progress)
    http://imageshack.us/a/img715/2295/stellar1.png


    Absolutely love a scaled galaxy class interior like proberts, but i'd also support a modular foundry approach to building our interirors, by adding corridors and rooms, items and levels based on specific interior sets. That would be amazing.


    Probert's Sketches for STO:
    http://probertdesigns.com/Folder_DESIGN/Concepts2_PerpEnt.html

    These are AMAZING! I wish I could see this and walk around in these settings in STO. :)
  • sumghaisumghai Member Posts: 1,072 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    I guess I'll have to concede that bridge viewscreens can be flat 2D animations appropriate to the current system / location.

    I do insist that the actual windows and viewports look out into 3D space, however.
    Laws of thermodynamics as applied to life: 0 - You must play the game. 1 - You can't win. 2 - You can't break even. 3 - You can't quit.
  • azurianstarazurianstar Member Posts: 6,985 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    These are AMAZING! I wish I could see this and walk around in these settings in STO. :)

    Yeah, but that was when STO was being planned of having ships like the Enterprise-E be HUBs, and players visited them for missions.

    When Omega Fleet was a popular spot with the original STFs, the lead ship was considered to evolve into something like that, but it fell through. But it surely would've given importance to player interiors.
  • starkaosstarkaos Member Posts: 11,556 Arc User
    edited December 2012
    sumghai wrote: »
    I guess I'll have to concede that bridge viewscreens can be flat 2D animations appropriate to the current system / location.

    I do insist that the actual windows and viewports look out into 3D space, however.

    I would rather have customizable interiors than wait another few months for functional windows, viewports, and viewscreens. Just having the viewscreens show a static image of space is good enough for the first version of customizable interiors.
  • sumghaisumghai Member Posts: 1,072 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    starkaos wrote: »
    I would rather have customizable interiors than wait another few months for functional windows, viewports, and viewscreens. Just having the viewscreens show a static image of space is good enough for the first version of customizable interiors.
    Concurred.

    Presumably, there would be a staggered release schedule for the individual components making up an "idealised" ship interior system.
    Laws of thermodynamics as applied to life: 0 - You must play the game. 1 - You can't win. 2 - You can't break even. 3 - You can't quit.
  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    sumghai wrote: »
    Concurred.

    Presumably, there would be a staggered release schedule for the individual components making up an "idealised" ship interior system.

    What would come first in your "idealized" system?
  • sumghaisumghai Member Posts: 1,072 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    What would come first in your "idealized" system?

    Hypothetical schedule:

    1) Basic appearance update:
    - For each major class, correctly-scaled rooms in canon locations/decks with limited palette of carpets/doors/LCARS/arches.
    - Windows look out into generic 3D starfield.
    - Viewscreen with 2D starfield wallpaper.

    2) Basic functionality:
    - Extra storage in cargo bay
    - Move shuttle selection to shuttlebay, with currently purchased shuttles shown as full-size models parked in alcoves
    - Mini-games rewarding EC, Dil or limited-time Buffs.

    3) Crafting update:
    - Armory for crafting Green/Blue/Purple personal weapons/armor/shields
    - Engineering workshop for crafting G/B/P ship weapons/engines
    - Science lab for crafting G/B/P ship consoles/shields/deflectors
    - Terrarium for breeding Tribbles and Epohhs
    - Hydroponics for growing basic ingredients for "food" crafting

    4) Crew appearance:
    - Operations Officer / Quartermaster Tailor NPC
    - New Transporter Chief NPC (possibly for configuring away team presets)
    - Tailor/sliders for wandering crewmen
    - Tailor for DOff Contact NPCs (the latter with the option to use an existing BOff appearance and name)
    - Position BOffs at Bridge stations (or leave unoccupied)

    5) QoL improvements:
    - Appropriate beam-in/out locations and animations
    - Eject warp core (for the lulz)
    - Alert state lighting and SFX (normal/Grey/Blue/Yellow/Red - again for the lulz)

    6) Foundry integration:
    - Allow custom positioning of trinkets in player's ship interior
    - Have the new ship interiors available as Foundry maps
    Laws of thermodynamics as applied to life: 0 - You must play the game. 1 - You can't win. 2 - You can't break even. 3 - You can't quit.
  • mc2014mc2014 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    Because Cryptic doesn't seem to have a lot of time developing ship interior for players, for a change I'd thought the developers could give players the option to create a foundry of their own ship interior such as creating corridors, sickbay, cargo bay, mess hall, holodeck etc on different deck levels. This way it would be flexible for players to customize what they want instead of having a default layout.
    Not sure about anybody else but I believe my Odyssey deserves a better layout.

    Just sharing an idea i'd thought would be cool :)
  • brigadooombrigadooom Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    Why can't we have the Galaxy bridge, and the combat on it, and the viewscreen, and consoles, etc etc, as shown in this 4 year old trailer? :(
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  • azurianstarazurianstar Member Posts: 6,985 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    mc2014 wrote: »
    Because Cryptic doesn't seem to have a lot of time developing ship interior for players, for a change I'd thought the developers could give players the option to create a foundry of their own ship interior such as creating corridors, sickbay, cargo bay, mess hall, holodeck etc on different deck levels. This way it would be flexible for players to customize what they want instead of having a default layout.
    Not sure about anybody else but I believe my Odyssey deserves a better layout.

    Just sharing an idea i'd thought would be cool :)


    Cryptic can easily focus on one ship and make interiors for that ship. And that ship could be the Enterprise-F.

    Have the ship as a HUB, where players can board her. Have Adventure zone instances tied, and you have action scenes like preventing boarding parties and maybe interactive hull breaches like in the trailer?
  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    sumghai wrote: »
    Hypothetical schedule:

    I like it, that's worth going in the proposal as well. :)
    brigadooom wrote: »
    Why can't we have the Galaxy bridge, and the combat on it, and the viewscreen, and consoles, etc etc, as shown in this 4 year old trailer? :(

    Because four years ago... the possibilities seemed endless. Now we are stuck with cold, cruel reality. :(

    But hope is not lost! As long as we are here, and as long as we keep this thread alive, this too may come to pass!
  • sumghaisumghai Member Posts: 1,072 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    Cryptic can easily focus on one ship and make interiors for that ship. And that ship could be the Enterprise-F.

    Have the ship as a HUB, where players can board her. Have Adventure zone instances tied, and you have action scenes like preventing boarding parties and maybe interactive hull breaches like in the trailer?

    Perhaps, by having the Ent-F as a social hub / adventure zone, this could prompt a new Starfleet Reputation system, where unlocking tiers allows access to personal ship interior updates?

    Or should personal ship interiors not be gated anyway?
    I like it, that's worth going in the proposal as well. :)

    Updated, and added Stage 7 for episode remastering where player personal ship interiors were used.
    Because four years ago... the possibilities seemed endless. Now we are stuck with cold, cruel reality. :(

    But hope is not lost! As long as we are here, and as long as we keep this thread alive, this too may come to pass!

    Cortical Stimulators at the ready :)
    Laws of thermodynamics as applied to life: 0 - You must play the game. 1 - You can't win. 2 - You can't break even. 3 - You can't quit.
  • trahltrahl Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    Cryptic can easily focus on one ship and make interiors for that ship. And that ship could be the Enterprise-F.

    Have the ship as a HUB, where players can board her. Have Adventure zone instances tied, and you have action scenes like preventing boarding parties and maybe interactive hull breaches like in the trailer?

    That'd be really neat. It could just roam around space, looking pretty.
    Like a new starbase.
  • pfunk49pfunk49 Member Posts: 15 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    I just want some interiors that are scaled correctly. The thing that put me off during the beta and which I never really got over was how ridiculously out of proportion the vast majority of the interiors are with respect to the shows. I mean if you spent multiple seasons coming to know a ship interior you can tell right away that the proportions are just wrong. To some extent I'm sure its the illusion of the camera but thats the thing the whole game is an illusion anyway.

    I never really understood why STO's structures always felt ridiculously cavernous. I remember on the original Earth Spacedock the turbolift to the Admiral's office used to be as tall as a house before they changed it to a normal size. It seems that a lot of the poor aesthetics in the interiors is simply some strange design decisions that were made years ago.

    Also, I think it should be changed to at least allow us to customize crew uniforms. Usually when i change the default uniform I wear I change all my BOFFs to the same. Moment I enter my ship interior I lose all sense of connection to it cause I just feel like Im in an impersonal space station instead of MY ship. I dont' imagine it should take THAT much work since we already have the whole Fleet uniform code. Just set up a ship's uniform thing where you set what every class of crew member wears. Science, Medical, Tactical, Operations uniform template, save, all crews spawn with those uniforms.

    Not SIMPLE SIMPLE, but certainly seems as though there's a lot of that kind of framework already in place with fleets.
  • trahltrahl Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    pfunk49 wrote: »
    I just want some interiors that are scaled correctly. The thing that put me off during the beta and which I never really got over was how ridiculously out of proportion the vast majority of the interiors are with respect to the shows. I mean if you spent multiple seasons coming to know a ship interior you can tell right away that the proportions are just wrong. To some extent I'm sure its the illusion of the camera but thats the thing the whole game is an illusion anyway.

    I never really understood why STO's structures always felt ridiculously cavernous. I remember on the original Earth Spacedock the turbolift to the Admiral's office used to be as tall as a house before they changed it to a normal size. It seems that a lot of the poor aesthetics in the interiors is simply some strange design decisions that were made years ago.

    Also, I think it should be changed to at least allow us to customize crew uniforms. Usually when i change the default uniform I wear I change all my BOFFs to the same. Moment I enter my ship interior I lose all sense of connection to it cause I just feel like Im in an impersonal space station instead of MY ship. I dont' imagine it should take THAT much work since we already have the whole Fleet uniform code. Just set up a ship's uniform thing where you set what every class of crew member wears. Science, Medical, Tactical, Operations uniform template, save, all crews spawn with those uniforms.

    Not SIMPLE SIMPLE, but certainly seems as though there's a lot of that kind of framework already in place with fleets.

    The reason the environments are so wide and tall is for the camera.

    If you've ever walked in the Temporal bridge (the only one I know), you'll notice its perfectly proportioned but if you try to look from a birds eye view, the camera runs right into the ceiling.
    They could stand to tone it down just a bit, though.
  • azurianstarazurianstar Member Posts: 6,985 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    pfunk49 wrote: »
    I just want some interiors that are scaled correctly. The thing that put me off during the beta and which I never really got over was how ridiculously out of proportion the vast majority of the interiors are with respect to the shows. I mean if you spent multiple seasons coming to know a ship interior you can tell right away that the proportions are just wrong. To some extent I'm sure its the illusion of the camera but thats the thing the whole game is an illusion anyway.

    I never really understood why STO's structures always felt ridiculously cavernous. I remember on the original Earth Spacedock the turbolift to the Admiral's office used to be as tall as a house before they changed it to a normal size. It seems that a lot of the poor aesthetics in the interiors is simply some strange design decisions that were made years ago.

    Also, I think it should be changed to at least allow us to customize crew uniforms. Usually when i change the default uniform I wear I change all my BOFFs to the same. Moment I enter my ship interior I lose all sense of connection to it cause I just feel like Im in an impersonal space station instead of MY ship. I dont' imagine it should take THAT much work since we already have the whole Fleet uniform code. Just set up a ship's uniform thing where you set what every class of crew member wears. Science, Medical, Tactical, Operations uniform template, save, all crews spawn with those uniforms.

    Not SIMPLE SIMPLE, but certainly seems as though there's a lot of that kind of framework already in place with fleets.

    While this is an issue with older bridges and interiors, but with the newer interiors, they have clearly demonstrated they can and will make properly scaled interiors.

    So give them time, they have more important things on their schedule.
    sumghai wrote: »
    Perhaps, by having the Ent-F as a social hub / adventure zone, this could prompt a new Starfleet Reputation system, where unlocking tiers allows access to personal ship interior updates?

    Or should personal ship interiors not be gated anyway?

    Exactly! Goes back to the original Perpetual idea of players visiting a command / flagship for missions.

    Players build up reputation, and gain access to new parts of the ship. Until you eventually get invited to the command center for an important mission.
  • starboardnacellestarboardnacelle Member Posts: 67 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    I think this, this, and this sum up what we want out of interiors quite nicely. It's amazing what people can do with a game from 1999.
  • archofwinterarchofwinter Member Posts: 215 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    I think this, this, and this sum up what we want out of interiors quite nicely. It's amazing what people can do with a game from 1999.


    This is from slightly later than 1999.
    It is running off of the Quake 3 engine. This is probably an RPG mod from Elite Force 2.
    RPG mods and maps was pretty popular for that game since it already has a mulitplayer mode.

    But anyway, all these would be nice.
    And what's incredible about these maps are they are made by either one person or a very small team just for fun.
  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited January 2013
    I think this, this, and this sum up what we want out of interiors quite nicely. It's amazing what people can do with a game from 1999.

    I'd even be okay if interiors looked like that. Maybe not so much black though. :P
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