Scythe Pylons a Major Blind Spot (An Oversight)? [Archive]

inigma

2011-12-12, 02:53 PM

I know the Scythe looks pretty mean, and being a VS player myself, I look forward to piloting the flying fishhook/boomerang/scarab-in-the-sky, but one thing has me greatly concerned: the forward pylons seem to obstruct the port and starboard view of the ground from the pilot's seat. I'm not entirely hot on the alien-bug theme overall (hey Im VS, i just like the tech!) but two major blind spots on the Scythe for the sake of aesthetics I think could potentially really turn me off from being a VS pilot.

It seems like this is a design flaw as it would present a pair of serious blind spots for Scythe pilots (and doesn't make sense for the VS who are supposed to do things technologically better). Did anyone else notice this?

At the very least I would like to suggest modifying the design of the Scythe to have shorter side sweeping (x-wing configuration) pylons (or pointing backward), rather than forward sweeping blind spots. Anyone else concur?

I really enjoyed having universal fighters in Planetside 1, since mossie dogfights would equalize the advantage of one empire versus another by sheer mastery of the universal mossie. I wonder if there will be a universal fighter in P2 to offset any potential imbalance between the three empire fighters thus introduced.

TheRagingGerbil

2011-12-12, 02:56 PM

Just fly inverted. :P

Xyntech

2011-12-12, 04:04 PM

Tank battles worked well in Planetside with ES tanks.

ES fighters will be fine as well.

Those pylons are pretty slim and will probably obstruct very little of our view, if any.

Either we get an open screen first person view like in Planetside (which would likely just ignore the pylons and make them invisible), or we will get simulated cockpits, which would hopefully obstruct a minimal amount of view, but still would obstruct it some, for all three ES fighters.

At worst, we will be the only side to have a partially obstructed view, but I really can't see it being that big a disadvantage. Considering our maneuvering advantage, I'd say it evens out.

I've wanted ES fighters in Planetside forever. Originally I wanted 3 new fighters in addition to the common pool Mossie and Reaver, but I think the current plan makes decent sense. Considering the customization they are including for all vehicles, it makes a lot of sense to just have a modifiable air frame that can be adjusted to fill the different roles.

I plan to spend a lot of time in the Scythe. I feel your concern, but I think this will be a non issue.

Nobody will bitch louder than me if it ends up being a significant disadvantage, but they'd have to really be fuck ups to let it get to beta if it were that broken.

Besides, it can always be easily and instantly fixed by removing the pylons from the first person view. It won't make a ton of sense of be realistic, but games aren't always 100% realistic. Gameplay comes first.

SKYeXile

2011-12-12, 04:42 PM

can somebody link the screenshot of the 1st person veiw...i have not seen it.

Lonehunter

2011-12-12, 04:46 PM

Maybe the VS are so tech savy they put a couple eyes on the front of those pylons and that is where you're camera feed comes from in the cockpit. See VS can't just look through a glass window, they gotta make some fancy gadget

CutterJohn

2011-12-12, 04:49 PM

One would presume, if there is even a cockpit view, that the mesh would be disabled.

Otherwise you'll have to worry about the incredibly wide frame on the reaver cockpit too.

Though I've never been able to figure out why people like cockpit views. The border of my monitor does an already far too impressive job at restricting my view. Don't need useless graphics to restrict it even more.

Xyntech

2011-12-12, 04:51 PM

can somebody link the screenshot of the 1st person veiw...i have not seen it.

Here's a leaked screen cap I got my hands on.

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/5535/scytheg.jpg
9001 HOURS IN MSPAINT

ShockNC

2011-12-12, 05:23 PM

Here's a leaked screen cap I got my hands on.

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/5535/scytheg.jpg
9001 HOURS IN MSPAINT

*amateur painter qualification awarded*

Hamma

2011-12-12, 09:00 PM

I doubt your view will be impaired by the craft itself, but there is no way for us to know really,

Hamma

2011-12-12, 09:58 PM

Badass, Matt answered your question via Twitter :)

http://www.planetside-universe.com/media/viewer.php?img_id=1807

http://www.planetside-universe.com/media/main/psnext/twitter/20111212_4ee6bf2ff220c.jpg

This the first we have seen of the Flight HUD?

Graywolves

2011-12-12, 09:59 PM

Flight hud looks nice, and the wings don't seem to interfere with your view.

SavageB

2011-12-12, 10:02 PM

I like..

Miir

2011-12-12, 10:32 PM

Zulthus

2011-12-12, 11:05 PM

Love the HUD... is there any chance we'll be getting a cockpit view w/glass, control stick, etc?

Khellendros

2011-12-12, 11:10 PM

Flying is gonna be so awesome in this game...

Raka Maru

2011-12-12, 11:25 PM

I wonder if things will stick to the spikes.

FHMathew

2011-12-12, 11:44 PM

Love the HUD... is there any chance we'll be getting a cockpit view w/glass, control stick, etc?

Here's some tweet's from T-Ray about that

"there will b a number of options, the full range has yet to be determind. No cp shouldn't b too hard"

"cockpit view or 3rd person view will be available to you"

Zulthus

2011-12-13, 12:00 AM

Here's some tweet's from T-Ray about that

"there will b a number of options, the full range has yet to be determind. No cp shouldn't b too hard"

"cockpit view or 3rd person view will be available to you"

That was his answer to my tweet, didn't really get what I was lookin' for though.

Graywolves

2011-12-13, 12:02 AM

I always love seeing warpgates in the background

Higby

2011-12-13, 12:12 AM

That was his answer to my tweet, didn't really get what I was lookin' for though.

What did you ask, I didn't see it.

inigma

2011-12-13, 12:38 AM

A pleasure and honor to see you here Higby.

Yea, the footprint was what I thought (two pylon blind spots on the lower horizon - obstructing some potential ground fire) though not as bad as I thought. I guess the dynamics of the spots will have to be given game time to see if they affect enjoyment of flying the craft in a ground strafe or dogfight. At least the pylons are pointy - almost giving the pilot a hard "hud" to aim with.

Though I wonder if one would be able to get stick kills with the looks of those skewers... no more having to paint the side of my ship with kills, i'll just rack em up like a shish-ka-bob and and then show 'em off to my friends.

I'm still waiting to build the perfect pc rig for testing once I hear there's a beta. *nudge* :) Vanu forever.

Higby

2011-12-13, 12:42 AM

Yea, the footprint was what I thought (two pylon blind spots on the lower horizon - obstructing some potential ground fire) though not as bad as I thought. I guess the dynamics of the spots will have to be given game time to see if they affect enjoyment of flying the craft in a ground strafe or dogfight. At least the pylons are pointy - almost giving the pilot a hard "hud" to aim with.

the viewport will change with the cockpit being rendered, but we will have similar viewports across all 3 ES fighters, I don't expect the pylons will really impact the final view much.

inigma

2011-12-13, 12:50 AM

SKYeXile

2011-12-13, 01:18 AM

So this is what my screen will look like once PS2 is released.

Zulthus

2011-12-13, 01:19 AM

the viewport will change with the cockpit being rendered, but we will have similar viewports across all 3 ES fighters, I don't expect the pylons will really impact the final view much.

T-Ray said either cockpit view or third-person is available, but I wasn't sure whether he meant just crosshair/HUD or a physical render of a cockpit. If you're saying we'll be able to look out of a glass window with something resembling a dashboard then you have answered my question =)

FastAndFree

2011-12-13, 06:30 AM

Badass, Matt answered your question via Twitter :)

*snip*

This the first we have seen of the Flight HUD?

I'll be damned...

Trust it to SOE to obstruct my view AND MAKE ME LIKE IT :eek:

edit
Although it would be a more significant problem when when using freelook

Vash02

2011-12-13, 10:15 AM

There could be just cameras on the end of the pylons and the cockpit has a screen.

Xyntech

2011-12-13, 10:35 AM

Vash02

2011-12-13, 11:09 AM

I hope we can impale people on those boys.

FastAndFree

2011-12-13, 11:17 AM

And to everyone hoping to collect infantry on the wing blade spike things, I put that question into the VS Twitter Q/A thread and we actually got an answer:

BrewkoPS Dan Binter - posted on 12/2/2011 2:29:29 AM via TweetDeck

@psucom @planetside2 The Scythe vs Infantry will work the same as a Mosquito or Reaver; if you get hit by one you'll feel it.

Sounds like a no to me :(

DviddLeff

2011-12-13, 12:43 PM

Stupid question really, what do you want TR kebabs... ...OK good idea actually!

Oryon22

2011-12-13, 12:46 PM

I really like their direction with the HUD, and still has yet to be Vanu'd

Tikuto

2011-12-13, 01:49 PM

Flying is gonna be so awesome in this game...(only if the flight ceiling is just so high than pilots look like a pixel in the sky)

TRU DAT :eek:

Tikuto

2011-12-13, 01:54 PM

Those sunshines look like the Auraxis's o-zone layer isn't existing???

Trolltaxi

2011-12-13, 03:01 PM

The pylons are'nt pointing into the middle of the reticule - it's like TR maxes arms.

It may be deceiving that you see a solid visual aid (the pylons or the arms of the max), but you aren't shooting where they lead your view.

Actually, as TR it works fine for me if that will mean VS fighters will always shoot under their targets! :evil:

Xyntech

2011-12-13, 03:11 PM

(only if the flight ceiling is just so high than pilots look like a pixel in the sky)

TRU DAT :eek:

Not only does the flight ceiling need to be high, but for gods sake, make it a SOFT ceiling.

No more reaching max altitude and suddenly running into a solid, invisible roof.

I'd also like to see different aircraft have different MAX altitudes if it makes any sense for balance. I don't really care which aircraft can fly higher than which, it would just be more interesting than every aircraft being the same.

I guess we would already have that at least to a small degree in the sense that faster aircraft will probably be able to drift up higher with their momentum before falling back down.

NewSith

2011-12-13, 03:58 PM

Question from the audience - Can we expect Free Look in aircraft?

SKYeXile

2011-12-13, 07:56 PM

ROFL.

This is assuming you sit directly in the center.

this is assuming the craft is even manned...

it could be pioleted in a command centre...

THINK ABOUT THE K/D!

Raka Maru

2011-12-13, 10:05 PM

Not only does the flight ceiling need to be high, but for gods sake, make it a SOFT ceiling.

No more reaching max altitude and suddenly running into a solid, invisible roof.

I'd also like to see different aircraft have different MAX altitudes if it makes any sense for balance. I don't really care which aircraft can fly higher than which, it would just be more interesting than every aircraft being the same.

I guess we would already have that at least to a small degree in the sense that faster aircraft will probably be able to drift up higher with their momentum before falling back down.

How about go as high as you want, but your ship starts to deteriorate after the ceiling, like you do when a vehicle gets submerged.

RodenyC

2011-12-13, 10:09 PM

Wasn't it said somewhere that there want a flight ceiling but you loose oxygen or you fighter would start to take damage after certain heights ?

SKYeXile

2011-12-13, 10:29 PM

Wasn't it said somewhere that there want a flight ceiling but you loose oxygen or you fighter would start to take damage after certain heights ?

they should stall or atleast decrease speed.

expcept for vanu, they can go into space.

Traak

2011-12-14, 05:22 AM

Just flame-out above a certain height, so maneuver of your plane, like any plane without power depends on two things: control surfaces, and velocity of airflow past them.

MUCH more user-friendly. The higher the flight ceiling, the further pilots can get from camping AMS's or whatever their cowardice-du-jour is.

FastAndFree

2011-12-14, 05:34 AM

What would be kinda cool is if we had (maybe as an upgrade, although it's pretty overpowered if not every pilot has it) a system like they want to do on the next gen US fighters, where the aircraft has a bunch of external cameras linked together slaved to the pilot's visor, allowing him to turn his head around and basically see through his plane

Which again brings up the question of freelook :)

Raka Maru

2011-12-14, 11:19 AM

Just need an option to make those skewers transparent for those who like wine with their meat. ;)

Xyntech

2011-12-14, 11:57 AM

Just need an option to make those skewers transparent for those who like wine with their meat. ;)

I see no problem with this. It obstructs so little of the view that it wouldn't be that big of a disadvantage to have them visible and it wouldn't be that immersion breaking to have them invisible.

Higby said they are still working on the flight view/HUD though, so it may even be less of an issue in the end.

Free look could obviously be more of an issue, but again, just put an option to turn it invisible. Maybe even an option to only make it invisible while free looking.

I don't see the fact that the pylons aren't pointing at the center of the screen to be that big a deal either. The current HUD looks pretty big, bright and obvious, so I doubt a couple little pointy things at the edge of the screen are going to throw many people off.

I can't wait to finally be able to fly inverted in Planetside. Even with all of it's simplicity and limitations, flying was still a lot of fun in Planetside 1, but having full, dynamic flight mechanics will be a blast.

I used to play a lot of Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator when I was younger. I haven't played a lot of dedicated flying games lately, but flying has always been a lot of fun for me. I especially like flying in Planetside, because you have the large open environments of a flight game, while having real human troops and vehicles running around all over the ground. It's a dynamic that no other genre can capture, and the fact that it's being improved for PS2 just makes me giddy with anticipation.

SuperMorto

2011-12-15, 03:54 AM

http://www.planetside-universe.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=202&d=1323939172

Xyntech

2011-12-15, 10:23 AM

http://www.planetside-universe.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=202&d=1323939172

Holy shit. I didn't look at much of the background until now.

Look at those walls and courtyard buildings surrounding that tower. They weren't kidding about towers being more like mini bases were they?

Looks like a mere tower is going to be nearly as big as a base was in PS1.