Engine Trails

[Captain_Pwnage]

Hey, I really love this game. It lets me live the dream I've had ever since I was a child. I just have one question. In many of the screenshots online I see that there are engine trails or whatever they're called, but when I go to third person view on my game I don't see them except when I activate my afterburner (the trail is larger) and when I'm in a planet's atmosphere. Any help?


[img=1076x605]http://i1-games.softpedia-static.com/sc ... iler_8.jpg[/img]

[Edited on 9-20-2012 by Marvin]

[Vice]

Hello and welcome. Engine exhaust 'trails' will generally only appear on your ship when the engine is active. So when you adjust speed or fly in an atmosphere (where your engine needs to run constantly to maintain forward momentum for lift), you'll see the exhaust. When you're drifting in open space, they'll generally be off since there's nothing running to generate them.

[49rTbird]

Hello Captain_Pwnage, Welcome to the forum and the Sim. Have fun and hope to see you in Multi-Player sometime.

[Nigel_Strange]

That said, AI ships seem to constantly be burning their engines, even though they are maintaining a constant speed.

[-splosives-]

You don't need engines if you're not slowing down! In fact I think most space flight games are entirely wrong in this aspect. Most of the time you see spaceships fly around, constantly using their engines with that engine trail behind them, while this is not necessary and will only result in acceleration.

I have also seen that AI ships/capital ships always use their engines. I guess this is a little mistake on vice's part .

[Marvin]

Well, AI fighters are constantly maneuvering ... so that makes sense. I assume capital ships need to burn fuel simply to power the complex, inter-connected life support, navigational and tactical systems which make those long journeys in hyper-space practical. And comfortable.

[Vice]

AI fighters are given the effect as a visual cue to gauge a ship's speed (since it can be difficult to determine otherwise how fast it is traveling). IIRC, many years ago when the decision was made to keep engine trails on AI ships active, it was described as being rendered through the pilot's display system as an aid to monitor velocity visually (the brighter the flares and longer the trails, the faster the ship was traveling). Much like how there shouldn't be sounds either, but the ship's systems produced them from the radiation/radio signals produced from what's going on around them. Effects that are a little more on the 'game' side rather than strict simulation side.

[Nigel_Strange]

Well, if the AI fighters used afterburners, then that would be a good queue. If they were cruising: no trails. Regular meneuvering would show the same jet effects as on player ships. AB would show bright flames (maybe with flare effects! Ooooohhhh).

Anyway, that's my preference. I've been voted down before...

[Nigel_Strange]

Actually, one of the coolest thruster effects I've seen is from the Beamsaver screensaver. It's modeled as a cone and a disk (if you're looking straight at it). The cone/disk size is determined by amount of thrust power for each thruster. You can watch the thrusters flickering on and off with delicate maneuvering (yes, I can spell).

[Marvin]

Sounds like what spews out the engine(s) of a jet aircraft when the afterburner(s) is/are lit. Do you have a screenshot?

[Nigel_Strange]

http://beamscreensaver.com/

I think the older versions used to be free. You really can't tell from a static image.

[Marvin]

From Wikipedia:

[DaveK]

It would be great to have the generated ladder trails like in Independence War to give the speed/direction info in your HUD