Hyperspace in a different way.

scheherazade · Post by **scheherazade** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 10:09 pm

OK guys, this is now good nebulas are done :
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A) distant model - various overlapping quads with 'puff' textures on them, transparent to some extent, and animated (scroll, etretch, etc) slowly for an added effect. each quad faces normal to theplayer camera at all times.

B) a binding box or volume that surrounds the 'puff' quads. Preferably slightly beyond them. When a player enters the volume, local-effects are added.

local-effects :
+more 'puffs' spawned about the player, closely, and ONLY existing client side.
+fog (a-la GL_fog, not any texture tricks)

note : the fog has a given colour, and the textures are alpha maps that are dyed to that colour too.

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tried and true.
quality of results depends on the size and design of the 'puff' textures (artist dependant)

-scheherazade

scheherazade · Post by **scheherazade** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 10:51 pm

P.S.

gl_fog density is a function of how far you are into the nebula (capped at some intensity for even density nebulae)

and

of where you are facing. looking into the nebulae is denser than looking out.. when you're at the edged of course. being in deep enough makes the nebulae fog the constant value.

I.E.

V = player direction
P = player position
Q = nebulae center
R = nebulae radius
T = transition ratio (as a proportion of nebulae radius)
i.e. 0.9 = fog reaches max intensity at 10% from the nebulae edge
intensity_max = capped fog intensity

*this assumes spherical sections in use.

nebulae_fog_intensity = min( [intensity_max*intensity_view()*intensity_dist()] , intensity_max)

// intensity based on where you look (delta 0->1 at most, delta ~1->1 at least)
intensity_view() = <[(Pi - radians_between(V,[P->Q]))/Pi]+Buffer> / (Buffer+1)

// intensity based on where you are ... 0 => more_than_1
// more than 1 needed to overpower any viewing-direction intensity loss.
// I.E. position dominates viewing direction
intensity_dist() = max(ratio(), 0)

// adjusted distance ratio - out of range is negative
ratio = (R - magnitude(P->Q)) / (R*T)

-scheherazade

Duality · Post by **Duality** » Thu Apr 22, 2004 9:01 pm

Ok, after looking at the latest CVS with the hyperspace feature, I was a little impressed..

I was also suggesting with the hyperspace feature:

Autopiloting, you can hit a key and your ship will point to your destonation, end hyper spacing when you have reached the destonation. (I-War had this)

In the middle of hyperspacing, ships are supposed to have 1/5 if their normal agility speed so in that case, the ship will menuver a lot slower. (I-War had this)

Before going into hyperspace mode, you will have to wait 4 seconds(or it depends on what type of ship you have) before going into hyperspace. (I-War had this)

Add some tunnel like hyperspace effect(w/ 75% transparency) in the middile of hyperapacing. (Freelancer had this)

When in the nebula, hyperspace speed has been cut in half. (Would add a twist in the game)

Last thing, add a cyan colored number above the Speed(green number), so we could actually tell how fast you are going with hyperspacing included.

Duality · Post by **Duality** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 6:46 pm

Ok, heres a picture of what I'm talking about:

http://edice.verohost.com/images/vssuggestion.JPG

The tunnel warp effect, or the lines giving you the indications on what direction and how fast you are drifting.
Auto pilot
And the numbers above the speed shows you how fast you are going while in hyperspace.

peteyg · Post by **peteyg** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 8:11 pm

As it is now in CVS (as I recall), the distant stars already grow streaks when you go into insystem warp.

It's not the greatest effect, mostly because it isn't animated in any way.

Shark · Post by **Shark** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 12:19 am

Duality wrote:Ok, heres a picture of what I'm talking about:

http://edice.verohost.com/images/vssuggestion.JPG

The tunnel warp effect, or the lines giving you the indications on what direction and how fast you are drifting.

Auto pilot

And the numbers above the speed shows you how fast you are going while in hyperspace.

Unless you're going fast enough that stars really streak past you, I don't see the necessity of the visual streaking effect.

Duality · Post by **Duality** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 12:25 am

Well in some space games like terminus, they have indicator lines to tell you where you are drifting. You don't actually see them in space but just in your hud.

So if this feature was implemented in vegastrike, you would only see those lines that act like space dust in your hud. You can go into another view but you won't see the lines.

peteyg · Post by **peteyg** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 1:17 am

There definitely needs to be some sort of graphical goodness associated with insys warp.

Silverain · Post by **Silverain** » Wed May 26, 2004 5:15 am

Duality wrote:Autopiloting, you can hit a key and your ship will point to your destonation, end hyper spacing when you have reached the destonation. (I-War had this)

In the middle of hyperspacing, ships are supposed to have 1/5 if their normal agility speed so in that case, the ship will menuver a lot slower. (I-War had this)

Before going into hyperspace mode, you will have to wait 4 seconds(or it depends on what type of ship you have) before going into hyperspace. (I-War had this)

Add some tunnel like hyperspace effect(w/ 75% transparency) in the middile of hyperapacing. (Freelancer had this)

When in the nebula, hyperspace speed has been cut in half. (Would add a twist in the game)

Last thing, add a cyan colored number above the Speed(green number), so we could actually tell how fast you are going with hyperspacing included.

After having a play, I would agree with these. While we have manual insys flight as current, an autopilot to destination (say A instead of a) would do the control for us. Locks out flight & speed control unless deactivated by same key again.
Lesser manueverability would help offset some of the gains of the function.
Waiting duration to activate: in the middle of a dogfight, and your opponent uses insys to get a distance away and recharge shields? No, needs either a duration, or cannot be activated near large gravitic bodies etc (even slow speed we currently have would be too fast for enemies to shoot us). Also, could use actual weapons that short circuit the drive for a duration?
Tunneling effect we have.
A speed indicator for insys would be helpful - currently, can only tell speed effect by watching the distance to target wind down at varying speeds.

A suggestion: change the auto.png to something like insys (or official name when we get one) - get rid of the references to autopiloting since it isn't in any form.

EDIT: is there supposed to be no collisions? I was using insys flight to travel through an asteroid field without any impacts?

Stregone · Post by **Stregone** » Mon Jun 07, 2004 1:17 pm

Alot of what you guys are talking about is almost identical to i-war 2, even the HUD motion lines. Personaly I really like i-wars LDS interplanetary drive system. Its also known as a 'stutter warp drive' in sci-fi. So using the idea won't be a rip off. For interstellar travel generic jump gates are used.

Check it out, it does almost all this stuff really well. Zooming around a system in LDS has an awesome feeling to it. Especialy as you reach your destination and it zooms up to you and the drive shuts off, it has an awesome winding down sound effect. Its also pretty neat watching other ships zoom into the area, dock, undock, and then zoom off to their next destination.