Post by curiousepic on Sept 27, 2016 18:18:44 GMT
(Also posted on Steam)
Hear me out. I don't love every aspect of them; obviously planetary texture res could be upped (and I'm sure it will even if only by mods) and jittery stars (which I hear is a common, difficult coding problem). But for single-dev "programmer art" I think CDE's graphics are great, and given the niche appeal of the game, I have no qualms about the ratio of graphic quality to pricetag (compare to Command: Modern Air / Naval Operations and Rogue System. And KSP for Kraken's sake!)
Specifically, I really appreciate the fact that Qswitched (again, one person) took the time from simulation code to implement...
* Cross-shaped "lens flare" that emulates the Diffraction Spikes of telescopes
* The pockmarks from Nuke damage
* Damage and holes in armor, from small kinetics to gaping flak impacts
* Ricocheting and spalled bits of armor ejected from impacts
* Incandescence of radiators and... unintentionally radiating parts and armor
* Accurate, propellant-dependant appearance, color, and distortion of engine plumes
* Dynamic structural damage physically separating chunks of ship
* Procedural geometry allowing custom ship creation in the first place
* Generally good performance and FPS even with objects intercepting each other at absurd velocities
* Easily overlooked, the sound effects audible via vibrations when a ship is hit (turn down the music and turn up the volume)
All of which contribute to the utterly insane cool factor of seeing a ship get chewed up by tracered kinetics and the constant battering shrieks like rain and laser flashes lighting up distant drones one by one and cutting visible lines through armor and jarring multi-white-out barrages of detonating nukes and spinning husks of near-molten hull.
We should be so lucky that space combat this realistic looks this freaking cool.
Hear me out. I don't love every aspect of them; obviously planetary texture res could be upped (and I'm sure it will even if only by mods) and jittery stars (which I hear is a common, difficult coding problem). But for single-dev "programmer art" I think CDE's graphics are great, and given the niche appeal of the game, I have no qualms about the ratio of graphic quality to pricetag (compare to Command: Modern Air / Naval Operations and Rogue System. And KSP for Kraken's sake!)
Specifically, I really appreciate the fact that Qswitched (again, one person) took the time from simulation code to implement...
* Cross-shaped "lens flare" that emulates the Diffraction Spikes of telescopes
* The pockmarks from Nuke damage
* Damage and holes in armor, from small kinetics to gaping flak impacts
* Ricocheting and spalled bits of armor ejected from impacts
* Incandescence of radiators and... unintentionally radiating parts and armor
* Accurate, propellant-dependant appearance, color, and distortion of engine plumes
* Dynamic structural damage physically separating chunks of ship
* Procedural geometry allowing custom ship creation in the first place
* Generally good performance and FPS even with objects intercepting each other at absurd velocities
* Easily overlooked, the sound effects audible via vibrations when a ship is hit (turn down the music and turn up the volume)
All of which contribute to the utterly insane cool factor of seeing a ship get chewed up by tracered kinetics and the constant battering shrieks like rain and laser flashes lighting up distant drones one by one and cutting visible lines through armor and jarring multi-white-out barrages of detonating nukes and spinning husks of near-molten hull.
We should be so lucky that space combat this realistic looks this freaking cool.
