New Launch Smoke the Future of Clouds?

[ImJake]

Reading the first several pages of Harv's Long Overdue Feature thread makes it clear that people want clouds in the game, and I would agree with those people because clouds are wonderful and add a lot to visual atmosphere of the game. One thing thats been featured in the 1.0 preview videos is the smoke ejecting from the sides of the launch pad and spread across the ground during landings/launches. First of all, it looks amazing. Great job SQUAD. It's those little things that really make the game feel more complete. But secondly, could the new smoke be adapted or be a precursor to a cloud system the same way destructible buildings were for upgradable buildings. I mean just look at it; it's voluminous and translucent and really looks like they could be clouds or dust storms on atmospheric bodies. I don't know a bit of coding so I don't know how easy it would be to adapt it.

[Motokid600]

Just make EVE stock...please.

[Brofessional]

Maybe, but I doubt it. There's nothing really going on there that's different from the exhaust your rockets create, just some tweaked settings and a different texture.

Filling the entire sky with clouds that detailed would likely kill the framerate. They would have to be lower resolution and fewer particles.

[Hobbes Novakoff]

The jets there I think might be generated by some code that makes these plumes of smoke whenever there is an engine firing into the launchpad. (I'm not a coder, so you're all probably laughing right now.) The smoke when landing is probably just an animated texture that displays when you have an engine plume close to the ground.

- - - Updated - - -

Actually, taking a.second think, there's probably just a thing that emits engine-like smoke when there are engines on the launchpad. (If you look, the effect here is quite similar to an engine placed sideways.

[Feradose]

I hope that puff of cloudies isnt same for sepratrons and the 3.75m advanced engine.

or am I the only one who uses sepratrons during launch?

[Aanker]

Speaking of visual improvements, KSP needs more than just clouds. It needs better water, actual reflections as well as multiple light sources and more detailed ground environments. It currently looks kind of muddled, barren and grey-ish, I think there's a lot of room for improvements not just in graphics detail but also in environment tone and effects.

I love the game and I don't mind graphical shortcomings too much, but it IS 2015.

Edited April 26, 2015 by Aanker

[NoMrBond]

needs better water

Standard water assets for Unity 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvDhzxXn7PQ

Shows promise at least

[Dakota2063]

I think with the switch to unity 5 in version 1.1 of KSP, we might get many of these features as the new engine should be able to handle much of this with out bogging down the frame rate or overly complex calculations. Time will tell, but I would be surprised if these weren't added, or at least not have a really good justification for them being omitted as the game progresses.

[Brofessional]

I could be mistaken but recall reading that the water in KSP was so basic and un-water-like because typical water shaders only work on a flat plane, and KSP's water has to work as a curved surface due to the enormous scale of the game.

[panzer1b]

EVE exists and is good enough for now imo.

That aside, there are far more pressing issues, lag, terribad water, ect that id say should be priority. But any visual upgrades are welcome imo.

[Temeter]

It's easy, we just to need to place rockets everywhere in the sky to get clouds.

[dresoccer4]

does anyone's smoke plumes during launch look like the OP picture? mine looks like a bunch of little sheep that dance around. very unrealistic.

anyone?

[Mulbin]

I wouldn't get too excited, its not a beta any more so dont expect tons of new features to appear, the game is finished. I'd guess future efforts will be on addon packs.

[Brofessional]

It's easy, we just to need to place rockets everywhere in the sky to get clouds.

Reminds me of this

[Whackjob]

It's easy, we just to need to place rockets everywhere in the sky to get clouds.

One should do.

[Guest]

I wouldn't get too excited, its not a beta any more so dont expect tons of new features to appear, the game is finished. I'd guess future efforts will be on addon packs.

Au contraire, clouds and graphical updates are mainly polish; Squad could hardly claim they were "features" and, lordy, does the Kerbol system ever need a makeover...

[Mulbin]

Au contraire, clouds and graphical updates are mainly polish; Squad could hardly claim they were "features" and, lordy, does the Kerbol system ever need a makeover...

I'm not even sure I remember how it looks please merciful deity of choice, dont let enviromental visual enhancements ever break!