Question on scales.

I was wondering, are the planets and stars and every thing else be scaled as in real? I'm saying the size of planets and ect but the space between each celestial object.

Here's an example :
Say I have a scaled model of our solar system. The sun is 1m diameter, earth is 9.1 mm diameter and is 107.46m away from the sun. Jupiter is 10.27cm diameter and 559.05m away from the sun.

So would solar system ingame respect the scales or will it be something like this?

I would rather have the scaled solar systems since it makes it more of a chalenge to explore the surrounding stars and possible solar systems. Since these won't be as visible, they wouls have a box around the objects you have already explored with the name of the stars/planets/moons.

Any thoughts?

Albalrogue wrote:

I was wondering, are the planets and stars and every thing else be scaled as in real? I'm saying the size of planets and ect but the space between each celestial object.

Here's an example :
Say I have a scaled model of our solar system. The sun is 1m diameter, earth is 9.1 mm diameter and is 107.46m away from the sun. Jupiter is 10.27cm diameter and 559.05m away from the sun.

So would solar system ingame respect the scales or will it be something like this?

I would rather have the scaled solar systems since it makes it more of a chalenge to explore the surrounding stars and possible solar systems. Since these won't be as visible, they wouls have a box around the objects you have already explored with the name of the stars/planets/moons.

Any thoughts?

I think that closer to realistic scale would be better, yes.

Hmmm I think the scales would have to remain realistic but as you zoom out become exaggerated...

I mean... For example...

If the earth was the size of a peppercorn, Jupiter would be like a golf ball and then the sun would be the size of a basketball... The nearest star would be the distance from Florida to Alaska.

So I think that when you zoom out from the solar system to the point where you can see the star as say, golf-ball sized on your screen then all the planets should "Puff" up to a rather unrealistic scale so it is easy to see them, rather than trying to vaguely make out where they are among other objects (Asteroid rings, background stars etc)

Pezzalis wrote:

Hmmm I think the scales would have to remain realistic but as you zoom out become exaggerated...

I mean... For example...

If the earth was the size of a peppercorn, Jupiter would be like a golf ball and then the sun would be the size of a basketball... The nearest star would be the distance from Florida to Alaska.

So I think that when you zoom out from the solar system to the point where you can see the star as say, golf-ball sized on your screen then all the planets should "Puff" up to a rather unrealistic scale so it is easy to see them, rather than trying to vaguely make out where they are among other objects (Asteroid rings, background stars etc)

That's a good idea, actually. It'll make it easier to not get lost.

Well, I don't see how you could get lost with the realistic scale since that, I suppose, you'll have a map, showing which stars you have visited and which ones have be colognized. A bit like in spore where you know which solar systems are colognized. But insted you'll have a sort of box around those stars with the name of the star and other details will show up if you put the cursor over this box.

Oh and for the planets, there will only be boxes around them when you know of their existance, for instence if you haven't discovered a planet in a solar system, it will be near invisible so you'll have to search for new planets and stars via an observatory.

Albalrogue wrote:

Well, I don't see how you could get lost with the realistic scale since that, I suppose, you'll have a map, showing which stars you have visited and which ones have be colognized. A bit like in spore where you know which solar systems are colognized. But insted you'll have a sort of box around those stars with the name of the star and other details will show up if you put the cursor over this box.

Oh and for the planets, there will only be boxes around them when you know of their existance, for instence if you haven't discovered a planet in a solar system, it will be near invisible so you'll have to search for new planets and stars via an observatory.

I think that having observatories should automatically find planets for you. The more advanced your research is, the better chance you have of finding them. The player shouldn't have to screen the skies manually.

Maybe that instead of scaling up the planets when far away, there should be a simple 2d icon displayed. It could also work for military squads an more objects we could have far away.

Commander Keen wrote:

Maybe that instead of scaling up the planets when far away, there should be a simple 2d icon displayed. It could also work for military squads an more objects we could have far away.

Okay, i like this better now.

Well,i can agree with the scale of the planets but i CANT with the distance between stars. If it is that way,it TO hard to go to some stars,exept when u have a fully upgraded engine of some sort. I think if you make the distance between stars you lose some players.

zotobom wrote:

Well,i can agree with the scale of the planets but i CANT with the distance between stars. If it is that way,it TO hard to go to some stars,exept when u have a fully upgraded engine of some sort. I think if you make the distance between stars you lose some players.

They have fast-forward buttons.

Commander Keen wrote:

Maybe that instead of scaling up the planets when far away, there should be a simple 2d icon displayed. It could also work for military squads an more objects we could have far away.

I can't quite picture you're idea in my mind. What kind of icons will they be?

EDIT : @US of Alaska : I was thinking that the observatories would be automatic, soory that I wasn't clear on that. Maybe the player could make the observatories check out a specific system if they wanted to?

Quote :

I can't quite picture you're idea in my mind. What kind of icons will they be?

When you are far away, planet models will be replaced with simple 2d icons, based on planet's type, together with a name.

Commander Keen wrote:

When you are far away, planet models will be replaced with simple 2d icons, based on planet's type, together with a name.

As in, face-me components, right? And when you place your cursor over them they display some information, right?

Unless you'll be using the mouse to maneuver.

Albalrogue wrote:

Commander Keen wrote:

Maybe that instead of scaling up the planets when far away, there should be a simple 2d icon displayed. It could also work for military squads an more objects we could have far away.

I can't quite picture you're idea in my mind. What kind of icons will they be?

EDIT : @US of Alaska : I was thinking that the observatories would be automatic, soory that I wasn't clear on that. Maybe the player could make the observatories check out a specific system if they wanted to?

Probably a good idea.

@Noit: Definitely face-me. And i'd vote for the little info display with a cursor highlight too.

US_of_Alaska wrote:

Commander Keen wrote:

Maybe that instead of scaling up the planets when far away, there should be a simple 2d icon displayed. It could also work for military squads an more objects we could have far away.

Okay, i like this better now.

Excellent proposition.

Commander Keen wrote:

Quote :

I can't quite picture you're idea in my mind. What kind of icons will they be?

When you are far away, planet models will be replaced with simple 2d icons, based on planet's type, together with a name.

i think the technical name for that would be billboarding or impostering. one or the other. or maybe both? w/e, i'd rather not think about it too hard.

EDIT: READ THIS. CHAPTER 2 - 3.

http://www.calcifer.org/kenneth-christiansen/ComputerScience/imposters.pdf