Intentional or not: No transition animations for building/destroyed subsystems?

[Retroboy]

* note: very minor mission-related spoiler below. *

Noticed that the Momship's subsystem build sequence consists of a "*blink* it's there!" animation. A bit weird but it's ok, I guess.

However, when I destroy the Vaygr Carrier's Fighter facility in Mission 2, it just winks out without any sort of change. This looks fairly bad because the facility is about a fourth the size of the overall craft. I would have expected some sort of detonation, if even a small one, instead of this gaping hole suddenly appearing in the middle of their unit where a quarter of their ship used to be.

I'm playing on fairly high settings, and am wondering if other folks with better pooters are getting the blink effect as well. It seems a tad off-putting given the wonderful OTHER stellar effects in the game.

- Athlon 700
- GeForce2MX
- Latest DirectX9.1 and videodrivers
- 800x600 high detail, no shadows, high explosions

-- Retro

[Kroggy]

same here, subsys just appear/disappear, and im running at full settings

- Ragnarok

[PeanutR]

Yeah, I was kinda surprised in the sp missions when my fighter facility suddenly blinked into existence. In mp games you hardly have time to notice though.

I'd like to see some kind of hint that something was under construction. Like scaffolding or little droids racing around welding and such... At the very least have the subsystem start out transparent and then fade to... But I'm in favor of the droid idea as having sparks fly and light up the side of the momship would be a graphical treat...

[IcePirate]

useless eye candy that just brings down the framerate. Even if it was included, people would toggle it off to make the game run a smidgen faster. Like in Cata - who actually had their repair bots visible, or left the sensor manager at "show everything" settings?

[Zang]

Originally posted by IcePirate
useless eye candy that just brings down the framerate. Even if it was included, people would toggle it off to make the game run a smidgen faster. Like in Cata - who actually had their repair bots visible, or left the sensor manager at "show everything" settings?

Eye candy that should be available. And I sure as hell had everything turned on in Cata.

But I do find it strange that there are no subsystem construction/destruction animations, they just "pop" into place or "pop" in oblivion.

[Retroboy]

Like in Cata - who actually had their repair bots visible, or left the sensor manager at "show everything" settings?

I did.

-- Retro

[ÜberJumper]

Retro:

As far as I know, you're seeing it as it was coded. I'm not sure about the design discussions that took place re: subsystem building and destruction, so hopefully a relic dev can clarify if those animations were deemed to costly (cpu cycle wise), or simply didn't have enough man hours to get into the game.

[FallenSoloSLS]

Retro, How do you see the repair bots? Over the years, I've looked and looked and have never seen them making their magic happen. Hiver swarmers are no problem, I've even seen them way up close when they are flying to a new target.

What settings did you have the game set to?

[Parias]

Originally posted by IcePirate
useless eye candy that just brings down the framerate. Even if it was included, people would toggle it off to make the game run a smidgen faster. Like in Cata - who actually had their repair bots visible, or left the sensor manager at "show everything" settings?

Um, me.

I agree with the above, even if there was a gradual "phase in" transition (consider Cataclym's approach to super-cap construction as well) for construction and a small explosion for destruction, it'd at least be something. I have a hard time telling when my bombers have finished their subsystem attack in the middle of a pitched fight because there's no stand-out visual effect indicating thus.

[The5thElephant]

Yeah I was wondering about that too. I wonder if it is possible to be fixed in full game with a patch or would it be too much?

[FooF]

Remember the Freespace series? When you took out a subsystem there was a generic explosion and it told you it was dead. To tell you the truth, that would be fine with me.

A small explosion would be all I need to tell me that my subsystem attacks were successful.

[The5thElephant]

Yeah that would be good. But the BEST possible thing would be the subsystem starts flaming and explodes or even better first jettisons from the side of the ship and then explodes.

[entrippy]

Originally posted by ÜberJumper
so hopefully a relic dev can clarify if those animations were deemed to costly (cpu cycle wise), or simply didn't have enough man hours to get into the game.

Manhours, I'm afraid. Something that was always intended to work as you'd expect, left until the last minute, and simply got pushed out by more important things.

A shame, but a minor one. In an ideal world, they'd be there - but ideal worlds involve games never actually shipping

[TimeBeast]

Ah well... 'tis always possible it *might* make it into a patch. I'm, however, doubtful...

[lemontea]

Well, when you leave out key things like that, it's not a little thing any more, it's a key feature. Why have an option to blow up a subsystem without the effects to counter it? I suppose I'm being a little critical, but this is my second biggest gripe about the game.

[malignus]

Why so negative, guys? I'm sure it won't be that hard to code in little explosions for the subsystems. And gameplay-wise, it makes zero difference.

[Gyokuran]

Well if you guys (the relic devs) could atleast make them have the same exploding animation as something else such as a corvette, that would be a big help. I never feel like that carrier's engines or resourse drop of point are ever dead, even a small explosion would be just enough to make it feel like they are. I'd also be nice if dead subsystems wouldnt turn a shade of red/green, and be selectable like functioning ones do.

[Gyokuran]

Originally posted by malignus
Why so negative, guys? I'm sure it won't be that hard to code in little explosions for the subsystems. And gameplay-wise, it makes zero difference.

It makes a noticable gameplay difference for me. I've often told my bombers to attack engines or RU drop off points that were already dead. Not only that but after killing them, it leaves a constant naging feeling in the back of my mind that I havnt actually killed it yet because nothing apeared to happen.

[Parias]

Originally posted by malignus
Why so negative, guys? I'm sure it won't be that hard to code in little explosions for the subsystems. And gameplay-wise, it makes zero difference.

I disagree, as I said above, it's difficult to discern when a subsystem has been destroyed in a heavy battle unless I'm watching the target in question very closely.

Evidently though, there must have been some kind of severe technical issue invovled here, or Relic would've implemented it.

[Retroboy]

FallenSolo, IIRC you'd have to zoom WAY IN to see 'em. They were tiny specks, not at all like a Worker.

entrippy, that IS unfortunate. In my eyes, it's one of those things that hurts the immersion of the single-player campaign. Even a generic pasted-in fighter-based explosion (say, like the ones the Drones give off in the first mission) would be better than having it just wink out.

I certainly understand the "out of cycles" issue, though.

-- Retro

[Mehrunes]

Looking through the subsystem .event files every one seems to have the line "death_generic_fighter" in it, which is in the art/fx directory along with several other death_ files. Maybe I'll try changing it to death_generic_capital and see what happens (assuming the demo even uses extracted files). :flamer:

[PeanutR]

Originally posted by Mehrunes
Looking through the subsystem .event files every one seems to have the line "death_generic_fighter" in it, which is in the art/fx directory along with several other death_ files. Maybe I'll try changing it to death_generic_capital and see what happens (assuming the demo even uses extracted files). :flamer:

Tell me how that works out, I'd like some visual confirmation of destruction as well...

[Mehrunes]

Originally posted by PeanutR
Tell me how that works out, I'd like some visual confirmation of destruction as well...

Actually, I don't see anything at all when subsystems are destroyed. Not even the fighter death. :/

[AtraIgnis]

I think that seeing a subsystem being built would be more important that seeing it dieing - then I could take out a carriers production facilities before it even gets chance 2 finish building them again! :devil:

[Zilor]

Originally posted by entrippy


Manhours, I'm afraid. Something that was always intended to work as you'd expect, left until the last minute, and simply got pushed out by more important things.

A shame, but a minor one. In an ideal world, they'd be there - but ideal worlds involve games never actually shipping

I'm sure if the guys who made the crap fest that was ORB can add explosions to the Mining facilities when they explode you guys can add little explosions too subsytems.

[HellSpawn]

Originally posted by Parias


I disagree, as I said above, it's difficult to discern when a subsystem has been destroyed in a heavy battle unless I'm watching the target in question very closely.

Evidently though, there must have been some kind of severe technical issue invovled here, or Relic would've implemented it.

You always see the difference in the individual sub-systems' health-bar, but I agree, it's a real shame this was left out.. While "useless" nothing beats the satisfaction of seeing something blow up as a sign of a job well done. Alternatively, the audio should have indicated success clearly.