Better IVA - high visibility

[CaptainTurbomuffin]

IVA is a great potential in the game, but it's not utilised properly, and it's obviously semi-finished. The ability to drive from inside could be a great experience, but it isn't, due to obvious decifiencies.

I have 3 main problems:

 

 

• the incredibly poor visibility
• the lack of proper instruments
•  and low graphics

 

• For low graphics... Let's face it: the whole game has inadequately low graphics, expect for some parts of the UI maybe. I am really sure that graphycs should be improved, beginning with the IVA. If the IVA could have a lot better, realistic graphycs, that wouldn't hurt the rest of the game, as IVA's like a different dimension...

 

• The lack of proper instruments make flying vessels only in IVA really hard. Also, the instruments are not properly visible.

 

A higher tier command module could have more instruments inside, allowing a better control over the ship, or more user-friendly instruments, such as digital displayers and monitors instead of clock-like displays. For example, buttons for action groups, monitors displaying the status of the ship, docking alignment, DV, or even customizable stuffs like kerbal engineer. This would also allow a better looking inside for highly instrumental cockpits, the Mk.3 for example as the same monitor and panel won't have to be spammed 4-5 times just as it's done currently. Another great idea: use different instrument skins in the external view! A low pod could have only the most basic instruments, wich could be rusty clocks, that are rather unfriendly, being inaccurate and fairly hard to read, and an advanced pod could have precise, digital stuffs, and more useful instruments, like radar altitude, or DV, or KE-like customisable stuff.

 

Also, if the instruments were closer to each other in the IVA, the instrument panel could be much smaller, and all useful instruments could be visible while consuming a very small part of the IVA screen. Also, the IVA of probes could lead you to the remote controller's IVA, something like the probe control room mod, or you could even control them from the inside of another craft.

 

 

• Visibility could be improved by reducing the area of the cockpit you see, and increasing the area of the outer environment you see. This can be done either by adding very large windows, or witouth modifying the external texture of the cockpits (size of the vindows). The trick is to have the camera point (the head of your kerbal) placed closer to the windows, as well as having thinner windows. Than you could have a great visibility from all of the command modules.

 

 

 

One thing also limiting visibility is the thick, sailent border of metal arount each window in plane cockpits. Removing it could allow visibility from multiple windows from plane cockpits.

 

 

 

Also, at planes, the camera point could be high up, so you could have a better view of the land around you. If the instruments were on a smaller panel, than you could have the outer environment on even more area of your screen. If the instruments were closer to each other, there could be a smaller instrument panel. If its top could be only visible normally, with the most important instruments like the navball, you could have an even better view from inside. The rest could be visible after looking below a bit.

 

 

 

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I describe how this could be implemented with the current cockpits. If someone has the time, maybe he could move the camera point to see how it would look like.

 

 

Mk1 Command Pod:

Move the camera point as high as possible. Rotate it upwards a bit so the kerbal won't be exactly facing forward. Than move it as close to the window so that it covers about the upper half of the pod. A thinner window is essential. Instuments in the lower half, and there could be some near the window too.

 

Mk1-2 command pod:

Camera point closer to the fromtal window, but you can have a perfect look from the window at the right. Clear the area around the frontal window.

 

Mk1 inline cockpit:

this one is the best, but it could be better.The camera point could be moved upwards, and the black stripes could be removed. Not all instruments should be visible, as there could be a functionaling HUD.

 

Mk2 cockpit:

This could be a LOT better. Thinner windows, and remove the thick metal border.Than move he camera and the instruments forward a lot, and upwards a little.

 

Mk3 cockpit:

Move the camera and the instruments as forward as possible. Move the instruments under the window up to the window's edge, and the ones above the window down to the window's top. The kerbals will have vision through the first windows. The kerbals at the back should either be moved near the first ones, or simply moved sideways, so that they can see out from theother windows. Of course, move them forward and give them instruments. Be able to focus view on the docking windows.

 

 

I could continue, but I think you got it. I'll probably make some drawings about how it could look like.

Edited February 16, 2016 by CaptainTurbomuffin

[Porkjet]

Points taken!