test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Warp out/warp in from/ to System and Sector Space...
redshirtthefirst
Member Posts: 415 Arc User
To all of you captains and devs *looking at Taco among others*
There's one thing that has been discussed over many times I think: it's the transition between sector and system maps. Right now, it is down through a loading time we see, us players, as a loading screen showing loading progress.
I am not here to say, "it's easy, it's just a matter of programming/coding". I am sure there would be more involved and what not. But there is one thing i saw in the "Dust to Dust" mission that amazed me... Watch:
Warping in scene
See how your ship just jumps out of warp and onto the next map. How awesome it would be to transition from Sector to system in said manner (and the other way around of course).
I bring this because of all the "bring down the walls" in sector space... how could that wall be brought down or smoothed out by using such transition effects...
Leave Long and Prosper.
There's one thing that has been discussed over many times I think: it's the transition between sector and system maps. Right now, it is down through a loading time we see, us players, as a loading screen showing loading progress.
I am not here to say, "it's easy, it's just a matter of programming/coding". I am sure there would be more involved and what not. But there is one thing i saw in the "Dust to Dust" mission that amazed me... Watch:
Warping in scene
See how your ship just jumps out of warp and onto the next map. How awesome it would be to transition from Sector to system in said manner (and the other way around of course).
I bring this because of all the "bring down the walls" in sector space... how could that wall be brought down or smoothed out by using such transition effects...
Leave Long and Prosper.
Server not responding (1701 s)
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
But...
Taco doesn't work on game mechanics. He's an environmental artist.
The Armada
Original join date: Feb 5, 2010
Twitter: @davejl_99, & @STO_BBArmada
Your shiip doesn't transition to the next map. It is still on the same map.
It's just the special effects disguise a change in the skybox painting and the warp streaks are removed.
SOmetimes the warpout effect is bugged and is triggered before you actually warp out and then it happens again when it'S actually happening.
While the change from System map to sector space is an actual map change that requires a complete reload of a new box with painted onskybox, stars, planets, and players that need to be rerendered.
http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=1368331
All we're doing is hiding everything in the system while the warp streaks go on around you, then cross fading those out while we fade in the system geo. It's a nice effect, but takes a bit to set up, and you still have loading screens (just before the warp streaks bit). So REALLY it's just delaying your entrance to the system map by X number of seconds it takes to fade out the warp streaks. I think it works well on a mission/episode level, but isn't something we would want to do for every map transition. (And probably couldn't since it would play for everyone on the map, even if they were already there.)
That said, it works well for episodes, and you'll probably see it used more in the future.
So in short, the load screens we have to transition from map to map are going to be around for a long time, maybe forever. No way at all to put an animated tunnel over the load screen or something.
IM with the OP on this one as well... its a NICE effect and would love to see it used more often... but as Taco said... its not realyl feasible to make all loadins look like that.
Well, to be blunt, yes.
No, it's probably not impossible. But what you're asking for is really for us to make an interstitial map which gets loaded before loading your real map. That would essentially make load times longer. They would just be slightly less bland.
The bottom line is cost vs. reward. Would doing this really be such a huge boon to STO that it'd be worth taking however long it would take to make? I doubt it. Though I'm not a programmer. This is all my own opinions based on a few years of working on this game.
That said, it would probably be a bit more strange to figure out what to do for ground-to-ground transitions(ground-to/from-space could be the transporter pad with scaling sparkle intensity?).
Granted, the loading screen is currently being used as an informational and promotional tool at the moment and I honestly don't know how much coding time a feature like this would eat up.
(A chat window while loading is still a feature I've wanted in MMOs since.. the first time I saw Everquest's "Now Loading.. Please Wait.")
as example the journey from sol system to new rom system is currently 4 loading screens that will be cut down to 2 loading screens, thats got to be a move for the better IMO.
When I think about everything we've been through together,
maybe it's not the destination that matters, maybe it's the journey,
and if that journey takes a little longer,
so we can do something we all believe in,
I can't think of any place I'd rather be or any people I'd rather be with.
At the end, cudos to all the people involved in that sequence, it was really breathtaking!
I have a request for the Sector Map revamp (3 quadrant maps):
Allow players transitioning to/from Social Hubs, the ability to beam directly to/from the hub, without having to go through the "System" map.
I'd propose modifying the current "Beam Up" button, rename it to "Transport" and give the player a window of choices where they can beam to (ship in system, ship in sector, interior etc).
Based on how well it works in Battle of Korfez, I'd also like to see it in the other queue missions that have the briefing delay in the beginning. It just makes so much better sense than having the ships just sitting still at the start point for a minute.
This too has been proposed way back in 2010: Fix open sector space with 4 tiny changes and it could still be useful for the transitions between remaining sector blocks once united, and moving between system to sector space.
sometimes, rewards are greater than the cost. I could care less if there's a few seconds delay
aut vincere aut mori pro imperio
either to conquer or to die for the Empire
And I'm not sure how many would take minutes-longer delays
Been playing STO since Open Beta, and have never regarded anything as worse than 'meh', if only due to personal standards.
BioWare tried hiding load screens in the original Mass Effect with the elevator sequences and players who didn't get that it was a fancy load screen complained so much that they went back to normal load screens for all games they made since, so there is a danger that if Cryptic did the same thing in STO that it would backfire here.
A "MAP LOADING" message (With an option in the menu to disable it) would fix this.
Oh..the ancient question that mankind has always riddled itself with.. To live or to leave?
The warp tunnel in EVE, it's a loadscreen that is seamless from beginning to end.
The good thing about that would be that they take their time, and know the engine better.
Second choice is to just "update" the current engine, making changes like players aren't ships, easier to do stuff...
Just... just do it.
I've been watching. Those chairs aren't just right...
And if players of other games like it so much, someone should teach them to create wallpapers of loading screen to enjoy on their desktop too, so they can be reminded how wonderful it is to wait and be interrupted from the action. Perhaps even screensavers that have a perpetually loading bar too.
A democratic vote is often a very poor system, and so good thing for the existence of republics.
I mean, making it a little more spectacular. More kick to it as it were.
*Not going to start some debate on whether J.J.-trek is canon or what rights can't be obtained. I'm just making a statement here on how the feel of a warp sequence can actually make you feel more 'important' and your ship impactful.
Example here
Which is why Cryptic have such a problem conceptualizing it ... , as they are in the habit of ripping off TOR exclusively ... .:rolleyes:
... oh I'm sorry , did I say rip off ? I meant homage ... :cool:
Someone apparently has never played TOR, nor realizes TOR is 3 and STO is 5.
It would be nice if they updated all the warp and transwarp visuals for each race or faction-specific ships, as well as the unique abilities of some ships.
On the subject at hand, I wouldn't mind an animated loading screen similar to Supreme Commander; which has the gate-tunneling (this one is Cybran only; but there's an Aeon and UEF variation) effect. Except rethemed for Star Trek of course.
To make it less dull, they can add a quick review of the queue or mission similar to this fan mod loading screen for Supreme Commander, except it would display the objectives. If coding one for each mission is too much; then just keep it to queues.
They could go a step further in queues, where after the loading screen (animated or not), all players are "still in warp" when they get the briefing (similar to DtD's combat at warp moment), while the timer counts down until the warp fades and 5 seconds are left on the clock, dumping them all into the queue proper.
Of course, special exceptions such as Fleet Alert would exist; where it's already expected you arrived in advance of the attack, compared to Azure Nebula Rescue, where you're the ones raiding before the Tholians are able to effectively counter (and the warping in would fit in with the surprise rescue operation theme).
No, it isn't, because EVE loads the entire system for you when you enter it. It's all one instance.