Base Computer Interface-Aera

[-REBEL3-]

Here's the Area computer bkground.

Written notes:

The "repair devices" in the background are a massive drydock device-several powerful tractor beams are projected from their tips. The beams hold a ship in place. The ship you are flying is rendered into place, with the beams holding it.

Foreground-some kind of little cubicle with a bubble window, looking out onto space. Holo projector integrated in the wall-but sticking out somewhat.Lots of glowy lights!

[chuck_starchaser]

Ahhh... My neck hurts...
I can't read all of your handwriting, and I'm not sure where all this goes.

I have a big problem with using tractor beams to hold a ship in place, though.
What the hell ARE "tractor beams"?
And if the technology is so prevalent, why are there chairs in bars? Clients could be held floating
by tractor beams in the ceiling? No? I've been campaigning that we get rid of such technologies
as can't be explained at all; but even if tractor beams are kept for canonical reasons, I still think
we should abstain from using them in any ways other than what they are used for currently, --i.e.
sucking cargo in space. Not a good idea to let such weapons of sense destruction proliferate.

[-REBEL3-]

I have a big problem with using tractor beams to hold a ship in place, though.
What the hell ARE "tractor beams"?
And if the technology is so prevalent, why are there chairs in bars? Clients could be held floating
by tractor beams in the ceiling? No? I've been campaigning that we get rid of such technologies
as can't be explained at all; but even if tractor beams are kept for canonical reasons, I still think
we should abstain from using them in any ways other than what they are used for currently, --i.e.
sucking cargo in space. Not a good idea to let such weapons of sense destruction proliferate.

Heh-I always liked Star Trek, where they had forcefields, yet they still sat in chairs.

I do agree with you on the removal of the "handwaveum"- however, imho, this was the most elegant way to have a ship dock. If you dock in a smaller ship, the projected tractor beams will simply be longer. If you dock in a larger ship, the tractor beams holding your ship will be shorter. Otherwise...something would be different, I don't know what. Maybe the arms could telescope out, and be grabber arms instead of the tractor-beam projectors/repair shops they are?

Sorry about my handwriting-I will re-trace some the drawings when I get a chance, and will re-do the handwriting then.

[chuck_starchaser]

I have a big problem with using tractor beams to hold a ship in place, though.
What the hell ARE "tractor beams"?
And if the technology is so prevalent, why are there chairs in bars? Clients could be held floating
by tractor beams in the ceiling? No? I've been campaigning that we get rid of such technologies
as can't be explained at all; but even if tractor beams are kept for canonical reasons, I still think
we should abstain from using them in any ways other than what they are used for currently, --i.e.
sucking cargo in space. Not a good idea to let such weapons of sense destruction proliferate.

Heh-I always liked Star Trek, where they had forcefields, yet they still sat in chairs.

I do agree with you on the removal of the "handwaveum"- however, imho, this was the most elegant way to have a ship dock. If you dock in a smaller ship, the projected tractor beams will simply be longer. If you dock in a larger ship, the tractor beams holding your ship will be shorter. Otherwise...something would be different, I don't know what. Maybe the arms could telescope out, and be grabber arms instead of the tractor-beam projectors/repair shops they are?

Anyways, I'm curious what you're trying to achieve. These are generic, computer interfaces? Because computers are different from one room to another; you seem to be describing only the upgrades computer. I'm missing context.

[-REBEL3-]

I'm sorry if I'm being confusing-I'll try to be more clear.

What I am trying to do is create a different type of computer, a type of computer that is not yet in game. Yes, this Aera computer is an upgrade computer (for capships). However, since (in this case) you are flying a capship, it would also handle trade (and possibly other not-yet thought of things). My intention was that we could create a computer that would NOT change the room you are in, but project (in this case) a semi-transparent "hologram" in front of you, with you staying in the SAME ROOM.

Personally, it makes no sense to me that you would conduct trade in a big ship the same as you would in a small ship. A decent example would be if you went to a store to buy food in a small car, vs going in an 18-whealer. You wouldn't park the same, you wouldn't talk to the same people, etc. I think that the destination between a capship and a regular ship should be greater. This computer is just a visual distinction between the capships and the regular ships.

The illustration attached to the first post is of the BACKGROUND, that the hologram is projected over. (The background is things like walls, windows, landscapes, etc. Basically, the room the holo projector is in.) The hologram effect can be a shimmery, semitransparent field with text and icons in it. If you click a button, the hologram changes-perhaps it wipes clear, and then brings up the new text/images.

One thing I would like to have these new computers do is to have a more aesthetically pleasing GUI. The pictures should be larger (and better quality), the text is nicer, the SFX are better (or at least present, as there are no SFX right now).

Does it make more sense now? The picture is of the ROOM that the GUI of the computer is in. The computer's GUI is a hologram projected into the room by greebles in the room (the computer is somewhere else, so, for all intents and purposes, the computer's GUI is the computer). You don't have to change rooms every time you buy something, you simply click on the "computer."

[chuck_starchaser]

Gottcha!

Right now we don't have a distinction between capship dockings and small ship dockings; but we should, and it shouldn't be too hard to implement.

Sounds very good.
I would suggest though, to drop the idea of "holograms". Just use some kind of transparent screen where text can be projected onto, or something
like that. For two reasons:

• Holograms need a projection screen; they don't just happen in mid-air, --except in StarTrek, of course.
• Even if you had a screen for projection, what makes a hologram be a hologram is the 3D-ness of it; but ALAS!; text is 2D, first of all; and if you had any 3D features, how would you represent them in 2D screen, anyways? 3D graphics are 3D when you are *moving*, but a static 3D hologram can only be appreciated by moving your head, or yourself, to the left, to the right, up and down... But we'd fail at this representation, unless we'd put a blue-tooth gps helmet on the poor user, to detect head motions.

[-REBEL3-]

Heh, lets all go get headsets (then VR flight suits, then Space Shuttle simulators...)

This is what I was thinking of when I said "holograms." Look at the green glowing transparent street signs-I assumed those were "holograms." Anyway, that's what I'm thinking of.

http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/forum ... ?f=4&t=760

*EDIT*-Oops! First link got snipped off. Here's the good link.

http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/forum ... f=4&t=7600

[chuck_starchaser]

Gottcha.

(Those are gorgeous backgrounds; I don't understand why they are not in-game.)

[Turbo]

Even if tractor beams were available to hold the ship, articulated arms or cables or other low-tech approaches would be cheaper and more reliable. Who wants to expend large amounts of energy constantly to do a job that a few strong cables and winches could do? In any case, a docking area that holds the ship from all sides would only be appropriate for a zero-gravity docking area. For a planetside station, you'd be expending energy (even if it was potential energy via cables) to keep the ship off the deck -- why do it?

I do agree with the idea to make the docking area for capships look different from that of smaller vessels. But I think the computer interface for both areas should be the same, or very similar. I don't see the Aera running the 23d century equivalent of Apple iDock for capships and Ubuntu OpenDock for small craft.

The other thing our docking areas are missing is they are empty and lifeless. Depending on the layout of the area, I would expect to see other vessels docked nearby, maybe some with a few armor plates removed, repair robots (or other culturally appropriate workers) welding here and hauling spare parts there, and so on.

[klauss]

The other thing our docking areas are missing is they are empty and lifeless. Depending on the layout of the area, I would expect to see other vessels docked nearby, maybe some with a few armor plates removed, repair robots (or other culturally appropriate workers) welding here and hauling spare parts there, and so on.

Now that's a great, simple idea...

I'll add a trac ticket before I forget.

[-REBEL3-]

@ Turbo:

The docking interfaces would look factionally similar (same color, font, etc)-just slightly different in interface (buttons in different places, etc. Nothing to drastic.) I'll post an INK sketch I did of a possible computer interface for the Aera (buttons, pictures, and so forth.) Yay for readable ink sketches!

The tractor beam idea was only for zero gravity-somehow, I don't see a Leonidas landing gracefully on the ground. The main reason(s) for a tractor beam are A) currently, my in-game heavy tractor beam uses very little energy, and yet can haul asteroids (and ships) around (needs to be fixed, IMO); B) it would be easer to plausibly render for the engine-a tractor beam of variable length (based on the ship length) would look better then a cable of variable length, IMO. Lastly, you aren't hauling the ship around-just preventing it from wobbling around when you are working on it-so, IMO, it wouldn't use too much energy.

@klauss or Turbo:

"The other thing our docking areas are missing is they are empty and lifeless. Depending on the layout of the area, I would expect to see other vessels docked nearby, maybe some with a few armor plates removed, repair robots (or other culturally appropriate workers) welding here and hauling spare parts there, and so on.-Turbo"

Is it possible to render in real-time displays of what is really happening outside as well, and to have events triggered on landing? For example, if I landed, (lets assume I am just looking out a window, with the computer screen below the window), could a dev script MacGyvers to be created, and to fly around my ship, using the standard AI? I am not talking about a faked projection, I'm talking about actually creating real rendered MacGyvers, and having them fly around my real ship outside the base. Is this at all possible?

[klauss]

Is it possible to render in real-time displays of what is really happening outside as well, and to have events triggered on landing? For example, if I landed, (lets assume I am just looking out a window, with the computer screen below the window), could a dev script MacGyvers to be created, and to fly around my ship, using the standard AI? I am not talking about a faked projection, I'm talking about actually creating real rendered MacGyvers, and having them fly around my real ship outside the base. Is this at all possible?

That's a lot of work.

It might be possible, but not in the near future.