Super nerd cockpit.

[BobFromReboot]

I think that it would be pretty crazy if someone made plans for a totally immersive cockpit for use with Vega Strike. What I mean is you climb inside a dark enclosed compartment and it feels like your actually in the ship.

It could have:

-A force feedback chair

-Steam that shoots out when you take a big hit.

-Multiple monitors would take place of where the windows would be so you can look to your sides.

-A cup holder.

-Lots of buttons/controls.

The game could also be changed to work nicely with that by having a voice recignition system with AI so you can talk to the ship like in Science fiction movies.

Suggestions/flames welcome.

[Halleck]

Sounds good. Tell us when you've come up with the money, parts, and technical expertise for this!

[BobFromReboot]

Eek. This is just an idea for hardcore nerds!

I don't have the time, patience or money for this idea!

[Anax]

-Steam that shoots out when you take a big hit.

uh... steam??

are we flying steam trains or u-boats around space? :p

[BobFromReboot]

Pretty much every mechanical vehicle has some sort of steam. All it is is really hot water.

[Nózmájner]

-Steam that shoots out when you take a big hit.

Every spaceship in every scifi has some steam shoots.
It is the stupidest thing in scifi in my opinion, but it is a must, just for fun

[MamiyaOtaru]

Such a thing would be awesome. A couple products do a few of these things, maybe they could be built upon.

Rock and Ride (check the pictures at the bottom instead of the cartoony pic at the top)
Joy Rider
Game Deck (doesn't seem to move but looks sweet)
ivibe (no motion, just tactile feedback)

Unfortunately I own none of these

[Anax]

Pretty much every mechanical vehicle has some sort of steam. All it is is really hot water.

When you're driving a car and your car overheats, does steam shoot at you in the drivers seat? My point still stands - steam in the cockpit is kinda stupid :p


A smoke machine, however, is a) cool, b) more feasible, c) easier to incorporate d) less likely to maim the user :p

[BobFromReboot]

Yeah true, wouldn't damage the hardware like steam would either hehe.

[Ares]

And whenever your flying a capship, if something big hits you one of the panels explodes and you run halfway across the set so it looks like the ships shaking. then you run the other direction.

[spiritplumber]

Cool!!! I'm surprise nobody has modeled the NSEA Protector yet.

[klauss]

Cool!!! I'm surprise nobody has modeled the NSEA Protector yet.

If I had any modelling skills, I would have.

Press Turbo!

[Spaceman Spiff]

As I hear, one gets space shuttles for a bug now... hehe ... Maybe one of us has the skills to convert one in your simulator...
I once knew a guy who build himself one of those sf sliding doors for his room. He was able to control his whole room oer his old 486 machine
He was 16... but I think he does thinks like this nor more... He works for a number of university profs as technical consultant... without having a high school diploma... talent pays out!!!

[cshank4]

Hrm, the REAL challenge is converting an entire basement into the Flagbridge of a capital ship. (Working crew and everything! Come on, your neighbors/friends don't need their freedom!)

[Spaceman Spiff]

Hrm, the REAL challenge is converting an entire basement into the Flagbridge of a capital ship.

yup... but it's nothing compared to converting some harmless party into a lethal threat from the sky!

[tiny paintings]

yup... but it's nothing compared to converting some harmless party into a lethal threat from the sky!

haha! man, gotta re-read those books YET another time... maybe in english this time, since every translation that was ever made pretty much sucks

[Thrangar]

There is a guy in london who has his whole flat remodled like the inside of The starship enterprise and he did a top notch job.

I think he now builds these packages world wide...if you can afford them

sorry coud not find a link



Cheers/Thrangar

[www2]

Look by google for home building cockpit

[f00b3r]

For a mini nerd cockpit for use around the office, is there a way to play VS with a dual-headed display?

[Genken]

I could probably do it, sorta.

At the very least, I can do the frame, and the monitors. And probably the chair, provided someone got force feedback into it.

Basically, you would build a frame out of steel tubing(or something else, preferebly welded, since PVC wouldn't work too well with the weight), and then a very comfortable seat built in. Someone could take care of putting the force feedback into it(or if you can get it already set up with force feedback). Then, you'd have the monitors built in. At least 3(front, left, and right), but if you could get 4 video cards into a computer, then you can have the rear, too. They would be mounted flat, about head level(would have the chair adjustable to move fowards, back, up, and down, and lean foward and back). One would be mounted on the door(I'm thinking gull-wing style doors, but that weight might make it expensive to build, maybe make 2 versions?), one mounted on the other side, and then one mounted flat in the front. The front would probably have to be a good 23" monitor or something, so it could be put far enough foward for proper eye releif. The rear one(maybe have 3 and 4 monitor versions?), would be mounted on the wall behind the chair. Might have to be a 23" or something to offset shorter people having to move foward.

Attached to the chair, would be a joystick(6 button?), 2 axis, in the center, and then to one side(I'm thinking left, but what about left handed people?), would be a throttle. The joystick could be set up as a standard aircraft flight stick(Pitch/Roll), with rudder pedals controlling yaw(Though, it can be configured where the joystick controls the pitch/yaw, and the rudder pedals control the roll).

A keyboard held in place on a flip-up desk in front of the joystick(enough to allow the joystick to move freely, but not so far away as to make using the keyboard a pain), and a mouse pad(switchable, along with the mouse for left handed users) would be connected on the wall(by the door, with a mounting rig on the door if you've got long legs). The mouse can be easily moved from the right side to the left side, and vice-versa.

Now, this rig I've though up on the fly is assuming the user will move the seat back to get out.

This idea means there could be multiple versions.

Gull-wing doors (with rear monitor. Think of it as a deluxe edition).
Car door version with rear monitor (Think of this as a midline model).
Car door version without rear monitor (Think of this as the cheap version, just the bare neccesities to get it to run).

All models will come standard with dim lights(so you can see inside when the monitor is off/dark), LCD clock, with on/off switch for the background light(you could spend days in there for all you know), and standard cup-holder. Deluxe edition comes standard with adjustable cup holder, though adjustable cup holders can be installed for an additional fee.

Now, this setup could almost completely replace your desk. Or your gaming desk. The setup would(should) be compatable with other games, just because of the front monitor, and the keyboard, mouse, and joystick. The keyboard tray can be adjusted, so not only can you play flight/space sims, but you can also play RTS and FPS, and whatever else you want to.

Though, some good speakers and maybe some kind of A/C unit might need to be designed into this.

Oh crap, what about top view? I've always wanted to look up....

Food for though. If I can find some sketch paper that I havn't messed up too bad, I might try to sketch up something(don't expect it to be too great, no scanner hooked up). But we'll see.