[DaBrain]

We hope we will be able to offer you an easy way to switch between the shockwave versions, but we need to decide on a standard shockwave that will be in the VPs.

Which one would you like to be the default shockwave?

[Wanderer]

I would prefer to have a default 2D shockwave.. Though if the 3D shockwave can be improved then i probably wouldn't mind in which shockwave we would have as a default shockwave.

[DaBrain]

Well, I'd rather have the 3d one as default for two reasons:

1. Even though some people like the 2d one better, I always had the feeling that more people use the 3d shockwave.

2. The low-end 3d shockwave saves quite a bit memory even compared to the standard FS2 ANI shockwave, beause instead of an animated texture with frames, the model is animated and it has only one texture.

[Rodo]

well im not an expert on the subject, but I've always used the 3d one, and If I compare it to the vid's where I saw the original from freespace I would still choose the 3d over the 2d.

Rot

[shiv]

I prefer the 2d one.

[Galemp]

I would want the 3D shockwave only if we can stop missile shockwaves from defaulting to the X-Y plane. It looks really goofy when every bomb and EMP missile has its shockwave perfectly level with the rest. Ideally they would be aligned with the missile's vector.

[JGZinv]

I voted for 3D simply because I believe 3D looks better in the long run, we need to be expanding
more into 3D usage... getting people accustomed to using 3D and improving what we can say about FS2.
With the 3D as default - perhaps we will see more modding done to it and expand it's potential...

and I second DaBrain's #2 reason as good.

 

[Zacam]

I could vote for 3D if we had a more optimized one. 150+ animation frames is a ouch excessive option in my opinion and should be offered as a seperate advanced upgrade.

The 2d one is alright, but it does have some limitations, especially regarding the larger explosions. It looks sweet as hell (and I am not talking retail here) but it displays in such a way that, if I wasn't looking at my FPS counter, I'd swear it was bringing my system to a crawl.

[chief1983]

More people may use the 3D shockwave, but I bet the 2d shockwave people are more adamant in their desire to use the 2d shockwave.

[Ziame]

Well I always was like "WOOOOW" when I saw the 2d shockwave, then it starts to "lag" and I go "Owww, crap".

If it looks really good it doesn't matter what kind it is, ay?

[Mongoose]

The current 3D shockwaves are running more smoothly for me than they ever have before, so I vote for sticking with what works.

[Droid803]

I'd go for 3d as standard...but I still want some way to get the 2d ones

[tinfoil]

I want ones with choose-able colours

[phreak]

pictures?

[Droid803]

Those are the 2D ones. I believe they come in those two flavours.

[Zacam]

No, actually, those would be the 3D ones. I hope you are not thinking 3d as in a sphere, but as in animated textures to a shockwave disc model. And from the looks of it, an older one.

2D Shockwaves will always face the plane towards the viewer angle. Not at an angle to it.

[Droid803]

heh? Then why do the current 3D ones look so...lame compared to these?
Perfect circle = boring.

[Herra Tohtori]

heh? Then why do the current 3D ones look so...lame compared to these?
Perfect circle = boring.

What...?

The difference between 2D and 3D shockwaves is that 2D shockwave is simply a texture that is rendered on a plane that is always facing towards the viewpoint, whereas 3D shockwaves use a model (shockwave.pof) and the texture is rendered on the model's surface.

The best case scenario is that the 3D model is facing the viewpoint. In this case, the 3D shockwave has some qualitative edge over the 2D shockwave. The problem is that in the worst case scenario the 3D model is sideways to the viewpoint, which makes it look slightly silly, while the 2D shockwave looks the same from all directions.


Realistically (lol@context) shockwave in space would be a sphere, which means it would looks like a circle from all directions. I voted 2D because of two reasons:

1. I personally like the effect better
2. It's at the moment easier to change from 2D to 3D than from 3D to 2D. If the model file is in the VP's by default, it would need to be removed by those who want to use 2D shockwaves.

If a way to activate 3D shockwaves were present in launcher, the issue would be largely nonexistant.

[DaBrain]

heh? Then why do the current 3D ones look so...lame compared to these?
Perfect circle = boring.

Because with those two 3d shockwaves I didn't get the animation right, the current 3d effect has a way better animation.
The model is still the same though.

[shiv]

Dabrain, give us that eye of the sauron shockwave, please! It was some time ago uploaded but now it apperas to be offline