I don't like much the beam thing, but I think lasers need to be more different than kinectics.

The faction thing look way better.

I like the idea of lasers looking like they do in EVE online, big lines of pew pew.

jumpyg1258 wrote:
By lazors, I am assuming you mean beams? Anywho if this were implemented, I think the lower end lasers should be of bolt design while higher quality ones should be beams. Just my $0.02.

I Vote for this Idea

I just figured another reason we should get beams: so we can watch C-Beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser gate. Since we could already, in theory, see attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.

What I thought to consider was the question: Could it be a Faction thing?

And I wondered what exactly can the game handle in terms of the visuals, what a given weapon looks like for a particular Faction's ships, and the graphical representation?



Some different styles that occur to me are: simpler beams (thinking sort of Babylon 5, IIRC), beams with a slight "trail" to how they end (I think this describes some of the more nuanced Star Trek phasers, though some are simpler), the current bolts (this seems like Star Wars), and more comet shaped bolts (I think this type of thing is used in some sci fi book cover art and perhaps some comic books for "blasts").



I think if these types can be done, and can be freely allocated to the graphic for a Tech based on Faction, it would very much help establish a unique feel to each. I'll describe what I think would be neat and the type of "story" I think it would tell about each Faction's progression:

• United Empire - early on regular bolts, graduating into beams at the very end.
  
  I think this would establish a sort of Conservatively Militaristic, graduating to Dangerous-through-technical-competence feel that fits a sort of "corporate" and regimented mindset.
  
  
  
  
• Sophons - early on comet bolts, graduating into sort of comet beams, perhaps with some sort of faint 'wake/halo" visual for the more powerful ones. Perhaps even beams at the top end (though earlier than the UE) if they can convey the same sort of comet shape feel at the impact to the ship.
  
  I think this would establish a sort of "soft" feel, along the lines of velvet-covered-gauntlet, and done right could still convey a sort of sci-fi technical feel at the same time.
  
  
  
  
• Horatio - beams, simple and high contrast, appearing and disappearing fairly simply and instantly.
  
  I think this conveys a high level of achievement of simple elegance that remains consistent and repeated throughout progression aside from conveying greater levels of power, which I think fittting, while also conveying a sort of static/fixed aspect of their society.
  
  
  
  
• Hissho - bolts, smoothly graduating into beams at the midpoint, but more jagged and "lightning"/electric looking for and/or around each.
  
  I think this gives a "brash" aggressive feel to the weaponry, and a smoother progression into it indicates a special emphasis on offense and warfare related research.
  
  
  
  
• Cravers - bolts only, closest to existing progression with some consideration given to making more suitable.
  
  I think this maintains a sort of "swarming" feel.
  
  
  
  
• Amoeba - beams from start to finish, like the Horatio, but similar to the Sophon "comet blasts" they achieve at the top tier (toned down in magnitude to fit damage level), but perhaps with a special touch like a unique "ring wake" around the beam to help convey scaling of power.
  
  I think this has a sort of "organic" feel, and also tells a story of an ancient race that has achieved a specific type of weaponry of advanced type, and then refines and improves it under competitive pressure from other races.
  
  
  
  
• Sowers - how to describe...a beam sort of like this: _ __ __ ___ ____ , drawn quickly with some increase in duration and thickness scaling with tier, but maintaining the same basic visual effect.
  
  I think this conveys a technical advancement, but sort of "by rote" and analytical feel.
  
  
  
  

Should I move this to its own thread?

demalion wrote:
What I thought to consider was the question: Could it be a Faction thing?

I must admit that I failed to consider this. While a lot of extra work would be involved, it would be a very cool idea.



As for new thread? Throw it into the original and revitalise the discussion!



/#/endless-space/forum/29-archives/thread/13503-aesthetic-suggestion-for-lasers

The lack of true lasers really bugged me. I'd love to see actual lasers if the weapons are going to be called "lasers." I don't mind the energy bolts, so long as they are called something like "plasma" or "energy" bolts rather than lasers.

Actually, though it'd be harder to balance I guess, I'd rather they renamed the current energy bolts "plasma" and kept them, then added a fourth weapn tech-tree path for lasers. I don't know about you, but I'd love to have more weapon choices - or at least one more. And since the energy bolt art asset is already there, it'd be a waste to scrap it.

jumpyg1258 wrote:
By lazors, I am assuming you mean beams? Anywho if this were implemented, I think the lower end lasers should be of bolt design while higher quality ones should be beams. Just my $0.02.

I would beg to differ as even our lasers at modern day cannot be applied to a solid bolt like design, I think the higher end ones should follow a bolt or "pulse" design.



So all together our total is $0.04

Yeah, I have no qualms with the current laser weaponry other than the fact that they're referred to as lasers. Not that big a deal really I guess, but it just bothers me from a logical standpoint.

I think the pulse-type (or Star Trek like ) kind of lasers would be more aesthetically pleasing. I vote for traditional pulse lasers instead of the current bolt ones.

VulpesWalker wrote:
I would beg to differ as even our lasers at modern day cannot be applied to a solid bolt like design, I think the higher end ones should follow a bolt or "pulse" design.



So all together our total is $0.04

If you could see pulsed lasers, you would see longitudinally lengthened bunches of photons, which might look close to bolts.

And pulsed lasers are everyday lab equipment.

there is no reason not to have both.



See, theres different kinds of energy weapons, correct?



You have the tried and true laser.

Then we have ion beams (yes thats a real thing) which are not lasers sicne they do not move at light speed and they arent made up of photons.

Then you have to remember particle beams which are basically accelerated streams of particles (you can pick your particle here for increased engineering difficulty) and such are not lasers either.







Difference between the laser and the others is: the non photons based weapons could actually be made to look like bolts (in the end those are about using particles at hih speeds to inflict damage - could bascially be "built up" in accel rings and then released in a very tight bolt.



A laser cannot. even if you pusle it, it still is a tight beam of light that lasts for a fraction of whatever timescale you choose to employ.







So we really need lasers and particle weapons as seperate entities.... because both look cool and it would be shame to leave either out.







as for color: you could color your particle weapons, sure, but if you do it with lasers you ruin their efficiency.

Added to summary list under Game Play > General > Lazer Aesthetics

Lasers! Pew pew!

Igncom1 wrote:
Depedning on the weapon, either bolts or beams are cool.



Would also be cool if all the projectiles traveled faster......space dont be slowing nothing down and would make all the combat more aggressive as ships are rapidly torn to pices by beams shells and torps traveling at "redonkulous" speeds.

I agree, I think all the projectiles need to move a bit faster... Not by a lot since presumably the distances are huge but a bit faster than they currently are.

Lasers as Beams would be awesome, similar to Eve Online's beam lasers. Either that or have the laser projectile look Star Wars-ish, as in: Thin, long, sleek, bright, fast.

KillSlim wrote:
Lasers as Beams would be awesome, similar to Eve Online's beam lasers. Either that or have the laser projectile look Star Wars-ish, as in: Thin, long, sleek, bright, fast.

Tachyon Beam lasers or Trecky style pulse lasers :l I'd say have both lol .Greedy, but both have their merits for coolness. And by 'bolt' are talking about a singular 'bolt' firing one after the other, or a sort of gatling laser spraying as many vaguely towards the target? Either sounds cool to me, I've not seen lasers in combat so far, so forgive my lack of insight.

Great to see this idea is so popular. I think with the voting results like that we can expect to see something like that in the game some day.

Enough said (ok, just a little extreme)