Explosions, Fusion Powerplants and other nonsensical raveing
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Explosions, Fusion Powerplants and other nonsensical raveing
Now is it just me, or are the explosions in the Movies dont give enough kick. They arent blowyuppy enough. They look like apuff of smoke, and i want explosions, musrshroom couds and debrie. I want forest fires that sweep through bases, burning buildings down and Airplanes to smash into the targets they bomb, after getting hitt by a unlucy flack hit, and then a huge blast blooms out in the battle. Cause i want BOOM not SOMKE, and so far that s what i seem to be getting. Also the nukes dont look powerfull enough. Sure theiy are powerfull, seeing as how the flatted a large amount of terrain, but they dont LOOK powerfull enough. Also when a fusion powerplant gose nova, its containment feild ruptured by a few enemy hits, i want a secont sun to blare out on the batlfiled, blinding you with its presence. Cause, a Fusion Powerplant uses a Tokamack to produce what is effectecly a artifical sun. A magnetic field presses gas into a small ring, then it is spun and heated by multiple lazers, heating it and pressurising it till fusion occures. Then if the magnetic feild is ruptured, its like letting a sun out on a planet. SO... if a Fusion Powerplant blows, you sould notice it going off like a nuke. So i think their sould be a underground Tokamack you can build, so if it does explode due to error(random chance) or enemy sabatage (their sould be sabatage units), ten you will just have a new hole in your base, insted of NO base. SO youd have to protect a few underground fusion reactors with missle turrets protecting it, along with a few laser turrets and mines. They sould also be at least TWICE as expensive as a normal Fusion Powerplant, becasue of the need to build a cave, containment lead lining, ext..
Zoombie: I have a few suggestions for your post and hopefully they can at least be applied to future posts.
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Your post had a few somewhat separate ideas, so it could have been broken into the three paragraphs:
Also, try to proofread your posts at least once before you hit submit. Misspelling words that are not commonly misspelled can make it difficult to read a post. An example is "couds" instead of "clouds".
These are just some suggestions! Please let me know if you have any questions.
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Your post had a few somewhat separate ideas, so it could have been broken into the three paragraphs:
- A paragraph about improving the quality of explosions
- A paragraph about adding more visual effects to fusion power plants and a little about the history/functionality behind fusion plants
- A paragraph about a new type of fusion power plant and its costs
Try not to pack too many ideas into one sentence. I'm guessing the three ideas you are trying to get across are that you want a) base destroying forest fires, b) planes to crash into buildings and c) bigger explosions. At a minimum this could be two sentences by combining the planes crashing with bigger explosions. However, each of these stand pretty well on their own and could be in their own sentences.Zoombie wrote:I want forest fires that sweep through bases, burning buildings down and Airplanes to smash into the targets they bomb, after getting hitt by a unlucy flack hit, and then a huge blast blooms out in the battle.
The beginning of this was a bit confusing. You started with the plant going nova, then taking a step back to explain why, and then taking two steps forward to after the explosion. Here is the sentence reworded a bit: "When a fusion plant's containment field ruptures from enemy hits and starts to go nova, I want to see a blinding sun to glare out onto the battlefield."Zoombie wrote:Also when a fusion powerplant gose nova, its containment feild ruptured by a few enemy hits, i want a secont sun to blare out on the batlfiled, blinding you with its presence.
Also, try to proofread your posts at least once before you hit submit. Misspelling words that are not commonly misspelled can make it difficult to read a post. An example is "couds" instead of "clouds".
These are just some suggestions! Please let me know if you have any questions.
Yah I see that and I must agree with amekawi that zoombies posts are usually a great big blob of writting with ideas. He just gets carried away int he ehat of the moment and while some people may want him to slow down and be more concise I think we shouldnt badger him for it afteral it is his choice and his style.
Although I did see that reply as unfair perhaps it could ahve been said nicer?
Although I did see that reply as unfair perhaps it could ahve been said nicer?
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Warlord Zsinj
- Imperial Winter Developer
- Posts: 3742
- Joined: 24 Aug 2004, 08:59
I agree with amekkawi. A little editing goes a long way.
... But yeah, some of the explosions do look a bit like they've come straight from "Worms 2". I suppose it would be difficult to make good 3D rendered explosions (as opposed to sprite ones). I think one of the major issues with them is that at the moment they are very spherical, and so look artificial... *shrugs* I'm not really qualified enough to answer correctly.
... But yeah, some of the explosions do look a bit like they've come straight from "Worms 2". I suppose it would be difficult to make good 3D rendered explosions (as opposed to sprite ones). I think one of the major issues with them is that at the moment they are very spherical, and so look artificial... *shrugs* I'm not really qualified enough to answer correctly.
I have to agree with both amekkawi and Zoombie.
amekkawi i agree with purly because im dyslexic and hence the clear layed out it is the easyer it is to read, by a long way.
(notice I just add in a paragrah for everypoint, thats all you realy need, the rest most can cope with)
Zoombie I think your spot on. Things do lok a little naff. Plus I love the Idea of building below ground without haveing tunnels, as in they would just be a small place marker where it was and you assume the buildings under it.
This could work realy very easly if you added a class called underground to the unit. Then you can make spring interpert this addition as meaning the unit will not be damageble by normal wepons. It would insted just have a chance of taking damage...
So maybe a shot hits the ground just above an important component and it will then take damage.
Plus where you normaly give the wepon damage you could add an underground damage value so some units can do extra damage to underground stuff...
Hope thats clear!
And explosions... maybe the SY's should post how they are made at the moment? Is it just a red/orange semi transparent spher that grows and fad quickly (thats what it looks like...)
If so, I may have a few suggestions...
aGorm
amekkawi i agree with purly because im dyslexic and hence the clear layed out it is the easyer it is to read, by a long way.
(notice I just add in a paragrah for everypoint, thats all you realy need, the rest most can cope with)
Zoombie I think your spot on. Things do lok a little naff. Plus I love the Idea of building below ground without haveing tunnels, as in they would just be a small place marker where it was and you assume the buildings under it.
This could work realy very easly if you added a class called underground to the unit. Then you can make spring interpert this addition as meaning the unit will not be damageble by normal wepons. It would insted just have a chance of taking damage...
So maybe a shot hits the ground just above an important component and it will then take damage.
Plus where you normaly give the wepon damage you could add an underground damage value so some units can do extra damage to underground stuff...
Hope thats clear!
And explosions... maybe the SY's should post how they are made at the moment? Is it just a red/orange semi transparent spher that grows and fad quickly (thats what it looks like...)
If so, I may have a few suggestions...
aGorm
Explosions should linger. Afterall I justs et off a huge bomb, the smoke doesnt just dissapear in a few seconds if its big does it?
More smoke and make it glow around the middle to give the effect of afterglow or cinders.
And perhaps wreckage could smoke slightly. Though that might be too much but I wouldnt know about that.
More smoke and make it glow around the middle to give the effect of afterglow or cinders.
And perhaps wreckage could smoke slightly. Though that might be too much but I wouldnt know about that.
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Warlord Zsinj
- Imperial Winter Developer
- Posts: 3742
- Joined: 24 Aug 2004, 08:59
I am totally against underground units in Spring. They offer nothing other than needless complexity and hassle.
I don't know how essential lingering explosions should be, because explosions need to look good, but from a pure gameplay perspective, they also disrupt gameplay. Sometimes its better to just get the explosion over with, so that you can get units back under control. Lingering explosions obstruct vision for a while. Perhaps with the bigger explosions (where there assumedly wouldn't be anything to obscure underneath the explosions
)
I am starting to lean towards dynamic lighting if it can be implemented without too much hassle/cost to CPU power. Check out the effect simple dynamic lighting has on the effect of this otherwise average explosion in a screenshot from Earth2160:
EDIT: image wasn't working directly from site, so I hosted it at imageshack.
I don't know how essential lingering explosions should be, because explosions need to look good, but from a pure gameplay perspective, they also disrupt gameplay. Sometimes its better to just get the explosion over with, so that you can get units back under control. Lingering explosions obstruct vision for a while. Perhaps with the bigger explosions (where there assumedly wouldn't be anything to obscure underneath the explosions
)I am starting to lean towards dynamic lighting if it can be implemented without too much hassle/cost to CPU power. Check out the effect simple dynamic lighting has on the effect of this otherwise average explosion in a screenshot from Earth2160:
EDIT: image wasn't working directly from site, so I hosted it at imageshack.
But hey, in real life, if a bomb gose off your going to not see whats on the other side for a while. Also thats JUST how i talk, ill go on and on about one topic, in a big meandering blob, then ill suddenly switch tracks onto something compleatly different and unrelated. But i will try to write less like i talk
About the underground units, i was thinking that it would be underground buildings, like the popup turrets. Exept they would be cammoed like the pop up turret in Uberhack witch looks like a dragons teeth toll it pops up and basts you!. Even when you mouse over the turrets when they are underground it tells you Dragons teeth and not Dragons Claw (whitch the turret is named). So a underground fusion powerplant could make the regular Onethousand amount of energy, but if it pops up it can produce 2 thousand, becasue of better cooling faculties. So you can opt for more enegy or a nice fat target for a nuke strike.
Also the explosions sould be a combo of the OTA's explosions whitch where cool, then have the smoke (whitch is much easyer to do with polygons as far as i can tell). Also make sure (as i have said on other threads) that when a nuke gose off, you can TELL it gose off. Compleat with afterimages, static, sepia tones and a verity other screen spifferys. Oh and musroom clouds are a must. The nuke blasts now are more like big explosions then anything else.
It would be REALY cool if we can depict a nuke blast to an insane degree. So first theirs the shock wave, whitch is alomst imperceptable unless you slow down time, but the effect would be a ripple going realy fast along the ground in a shphere, shaking the camera as it pases. then the vacume sucks up everthing that the shock wave blew away, then drops it slowly (or quickly depending on the size and shape of the objgect) and this is the mushroom cloud. The reson it blooms out at the top is becasue the bits all fly to the detonations location (usualy a mile above the target area) then it all trys to squeeze in their at once, whitch causes it to blow out and make the upper part of the musroom cloud. Then the bits are lit on fire by the heat of the blast and slowly drift down, flaming.
So you sould have a button, whitch when you push it runs on the MAD act. wow, that is a good aconyme becasue it means Mutualy Assure Distruction . So once the MAD button is pushed, every one is told and the secont some one fires a nuke, all of your slios empty into every one equally. So if your going down EVER ONE IS GOING DOWN!!!
So, to finishes this slightly more orgenized post then my normal postingness, i have one last thing to say. Thanks for the frendly and helpfull tips Amekkawi.
About the underground units, i was thinking that it would be underground buildings, like the popup turrets. Exept they would be cammoed like the pop up turret in Uberhack witch looks like a dragons teeth toll it pops up and basts you!. Even when you mouse over the turrets when they are underground it tells you Dragons teeth and not Dragons Claw (whitch the turret is named). So a underground fusion powerplant could make the regular Onethousand amount of energy, but if it pops up it can produce 2 thousand, becasue of better cooling faculties. So you can opt for more enegy or a nice fat target for a nuke strike.
Also the explosions sould be a combo of the OTA's explosions whitch where cool, then have the smoke (whitch is much easyer to do with polygons as far as i can tell). Also make sure (as i have said on other threads) that when a nuke gose off, you can TELL it gose off. Compleat with afterimages, static, sepia tones and a verity other screen spifferys. Oh and musroom clouds are a must. The nuke blasts now are more like big explosions then anything else.
It would be REALY cool if we can depict a nuke blast to an insane degree. So first theirs the shock wave, whitch is alomst imperceptable unless you slow down time, but the effect would be a ripple going realy fast along the ground in a shphere, shaking the camera as it pases. then the vacume sucks up everthing that the shock wave blew away, then drops it slowly (or quickly depending on the size and shape of the objgect) and this is the mushroom cloud. The reson it blooms out at the top is becasue the bits all fly to the detonations location (usualy a mile above the target area) then it all trys to squeeze in their at once, whitch causes it to blow out and make the upper part of the musroom cloud. Then the bits are lit on fire by the heat of the blast and slowly drift down, flaming.
So you sould have a button, whitch when you push it runs on the MAD act. wow, that is a good aconyme becasue it means Mutualy Assure Distruction . So once the MAD button is pushed, every one is told and the secont some one fires a nuke, all of your slios empty into every one equally. So if your going down EVER ONE IS GOING DOWN!!!
So, to finishes this slightly more orgenized post then my normal postingness, i have one last thing to say. Thanks for the frendly and helpfull tips Amekkawi.
Explosions are too small. When I mean linger I mean you can see the explosions for at least 10 seconds, the explosions atm happen nearly instantaneously, and dont look very spiffy at all imo. I dont think static and huge ripples of shocks would eb good for the RTS though we should give modders the option of making the screen shake if they wish.
I just want to see smoke with a glowing white centre that ligners for at least 5-6 seconds over a nuke site before dissipating completely, and maybe having it big and tall and not a small flattened explosion like it is now. And perhaps if it could actually look like a nuke with the big cloud and then the gust of wind blowing inwards to fill the vacuum pushing the smoke up into a column forming the nuclear mushroom high into the sky.
I just want to see smoke with a glowing white centre that ligners for at least 5-6 seconds over a nuke site before dissipating completely, and maybe having it big and tall and not a small flattened explosion like it is now. And perhaps if it could actually look like a nuke with the big cloud and then the gust of wind blowing inwards to fill the vacuum pushing the smoke up into a column forming the nuclear mushroom high into the sky.
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Warlord Zsinj
- Imperial Winter Developer
- Posts: 3742
- Joined: 24 Aug 2004, 08:59
It's a good idea, but I don't understand the necessity of underground unit. Just make that unit has 2 name. One for you and your allies and one for your ennemis. For the reste, we only need a good script and an unit wich is cammofled.Zoombie wrote: About the underground units, i was thinking that it would be underground buildings, like the popup turrets. Exept they would be cammoed like the pop up turret in Uberhack witch looks like a dragons teeth toll it pops up and basts you!. Even when you mouse over the turrets when they are underground it tells you Dragons teeth and not Dragons Claw (whitch the turret is named). So a underground fusion powerplant could make the regular Onethousand amount of energy, but if it pops up it can produce 2 thousand, becasue of better cooling faculties. So you can opt for more enegy or a nice fat target for a nuke strike.
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sparkyhodgo
- Posts: 128
- Joined: 24 Feb 2005, 19:05
You guys are totally right. By the year 2005 we really should have kickass explosions -- especially in a game called TOTAL ANNIHILATION! In video 11 you can see a commander blast up close. I freeze-framed it.
The current commaner blasts has:
a bright, translucent sphere exploding out from the base of the unit
immediate destruction of whatever is in its area of effect (even if the explosion animation hasn't gottent there yet)
the sphere extends outwards and upwards with a bright halo around it
you can see smoke generated inside the explosion where the dark parches are
as the sphere grows, it slowly fades out, giving the impression of a shockwave travelling across the ground
only thick orange/red/gray smoke is left
It's good, but not ideal. Lets see if we can get dynamic lighting, too!
I'll add this to the request list.
The current commaner blasts has:
a bright, translucent sphere exploding out from the base of the unit
immediate destruction of whatever is in its area of effect (even if the explosion animation hasn't gottent there yet)
the sphere extends outwards and upwards with a bright halo around it
you can see smoke generated inside the explosion where the dark parches are
as the sphere grows, it slowly fades out, giving the impression of a shockwave travelling across the ground
only thick orange/red/gray smoke is left
It's good, but not ideal. Lets see if we can get dynamic lighting, too!
I'll add this to the request list.
How about for very large explosions we see a blurry airblast blows outwards followed by a wave of white particles in outwards circles across the ground fading out over time followed by the circular effect noted above. Instead of simply destroying the units we should fling them outwards and then fragment and fade out into wreckage or explode and vanish behind smoking charred remains. Grass should be burnt and then smoke for a while afterwards and the immediate area the nuke went off hsould be shrouded for anywhere between 5-10 seconds in smoke with a glowing centre.
I also think wreckage should smoke and leave blackened burns on the gorund below it.
I also think wreckage should smoke and leave blackened burns on the gorund below it.
To every one who wonders about underground buildings that pop up and star blasting, here is the answer. It LOOKS cool! Enemy units trundle by some incospicuse (or at least undangerous) rocks, but suddenloy two of the rocks flip open and huge laser turrets zip up. A few blinidng seconts later and the unit is a pile of scrap.
Also the lasers sould be cooler. Are they going to be a beam whitch can cut THROUGH enemy units (and if a plane flys through a beam it can end up in two pices...boy that would look cool) or are they going to be the cheap "Star Wars" lasers whitch you can follow with your eye like a bullet. Cause im looking forward for the Anhillator and Doomsday Machine to cut Krogoths in half with a long exteneded beam. Then the upper half of the krogoth slowly slides backwards off of its severd legs. With a massive blast it EXPLODES showering the area with snrapnal.
I was aslso wondering if the nukes will blow up special underwater, casue that would look realy cool. First the water would colaps in a dome then smash togehter and send water flying EVERY where!
And taliking about water units! If a Millenum or Warlord bites it i want to see a majestic "Titanic" esque sinkage. Like if a LRPC shell hits it smack in the middle, then it sould snap in half then sink slowly to the ocein floor. Also if a big ship is sinking, then you sould hear iorn girders stressing with the classic groning nosies of a sinking submarin. They did that when a big warship in Homeworld 2 starts to blow up. Even though thats positivly preposterus becasue sound cant travel through space, but im getting a little off subgect.
well techinicaly if a medium is in space, say a realy realy thick dust cloud might cause sound to be conducted across space. Or when a ship blows up, then sould send out a air bubble of the atmoshere in the ship that was left from when it blew up. Got that. SO the bubble of air would trabvel outwards, being used up by the flames of the explosion. Then if the air bubble hit a nother hull then the noise of the ship exlploding would resonate! Cool eh?
I was aslso wondering if the nukes will blow up special underwater, casue that would look realy cool. First the water would colaps in a dome then smash togehter and send water flying EVERY where!
And taliking about water units! If a Millenum or Warlord bites it i want to see a majestic "Titanic" esque sinkage. Like if a LRPC shell hits it smack in the middle, then it sould snap in half then sink slowly to the ocein floor. Also if a big ship is sinking, then you sould hear iorn girders stressing with the classic groning nosies of a sinking submarin. They did that when a big warship in Homeworld 2 starts to blow up. Even though thats positivly preposterus becasue sound cant travel through space, but im getting a little off subgect.
well techinicaly if a medium is in space, say a realy realy thick dust cloud might cause sound to be conducted across space. Or when a ship blows up, then sould send out a air bubble of the atmoshere in the ship that was left from when it blew up. Got that. SO the bubble of air would trabvel outwards, being used up by the flames of the explosion. Then if the air bubble hit a nother hull then the noise of the ship exlploding would resonate! Cool eh?
Yah I liked the death anims for homeworld, they where big they didnt last long and they onyl obscurred view in a flash for a sec or two, nukes should be like that, or at least like Rise of nations with the monochrome flash in the colour the nuke launcher player.
I'm thinking a change to scripting so that a unit can be seen as a feature and not a unit untill it attacks.
The water doesnt work like that I think. It looks like The water has waves on it and reflects but the water height doesnt change and if you could do that you could do water retention.
And both types of laser are available its just a matter of modding. Though it'd be nice to see krogoths cut in half.
I'm thinking a change to scripting so that a unit can be seen as a feature and not a unit untill it attacks.
The water doesnt work like that I think. It looks like The water has waves on it and reflects but the water height doesnt change and if you could do that you could do water retention.
And both types of laser are available its just a matter of modding. Though it'd be nice to see krogoths cut in half.