Cockpit or no cockpit?

[junior]

Originally posted by milo
I'm also thinking I should get rid of the "titanium bathtub" look of the side armor. Just keep the instruments and joystick/throttle stuff and the seat, sort of like Junior suggested earlier in this thread.

That's actually what they use in UC Gundam starting in Z Gundam. Unfortunately, the only show from that time period that is legally in the US (or that will be shortly) is the movie Char's Counterattack. So, no, I'm not talking about the style that's used in Gundam Wing (which has a large flat screen display in each direction).

Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any images of the cockpit interior, or I'd link to one. The show has a great shot that shows the cockpit interior while Amuro and Chan are in flight (taking the Nu Gundam from Luna to the fleet). You see the seats they're in, a small panel in front of each seat, and the open space around them. And that's it.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

The Origin flight games always had wonderful virtual cockpits. I'd have liked to have see those show up in WC...

 

[Ladiesman^]

Originally posted by milo


Something like this, perhaps?

http://www.starshatter.com/shots/s2.htm
http://www.starshatter.com/shots/s3.htm

Those are cool, but i'd like to see the HUD incorporated into the screens and such, instead of just having lifeless displays with a HUD just splatted over it....

 

[Loozer]

I think if they had some panel where a 3d hologram came out of which was a VDU that would be cool, but kinda going overboard , I also wish, (not in the game) we were able to buy the monitors we are staring at right now in a different form perhaps a 3d hologram view externally (if its not already out yet) rather than have a big bulky or flat monitor. Just rambling on folks.

 

[fallen phoenix]

I liked the cockpits in WC1/2 where the panel would blow out showing how bad your ship was damaged. Starlancers cockpits where cool but too far back.
What would really work is a full 3d cockpit, with the pilots 'head' controlled with the mouse and fly with the joystick.

 

[Ladiesman^]

Originally posted by fallen phoenix
I liked the cockpits in WC1/2 where the panel would blow out showing how bad your ship was damaged. Starlancers cockpits where cool but too far back.
What would really work is a full 3d cockpit, with the pilots 'head' controlled with the mouse and fly with the joystick.

I don't think I could physically DO that....I use the Joystick and mouse both with my right hand...switching the mouse to my left hand would be...problematic at best....

 

[milo]

One solution is to use the hat switch on the joystick to control head movement. Unfortunately, that removes the ability to use the hat switch for lateral movement of the ship (unless you have a HOTAS type control setup with multiple programmable hat switches). Of course this isn't a big problem in a game like Wing Commander where you don't have lateral control of the ship anyway.

Or you could use the keyboard arrow keys to turn the pilot's head, while controlling ship movement with the joystick.

In a game like Freelancer where the ship movement is generally controlled by an autopilot, you could just use mouselook to control the pilot's head and gun turrets. Although, if you can also use the mouse to steer the ship and work the HUD displays, this may be one too many mouse modes to keep track of.

Another possibility is to keep the pilot's head looking forward most of the time, unless a padlock view mode is selected. In that case, the pilot's head will automatically swivel to keep the padlocked target in view (subject to anatomic limitations - no Linda Blair Exorcist head spinning).

Lots of options, and I don't think any of them are inherently "better" than any of the others. Each person will have his or her own preferences of course. Personally, I prefer the visibility and simplicity of a full screen HUD presentation...