[Timerlane]

As long as the mentioned extra consideration is given to the BFGreen-LRBGreen/BFRed/Mjolnir overall sizes, I'm still fine with the current/new-style size scheme rather than retail.

[Mongoose]

For the beam glows specifically, I'd come down much more strongly on the retail side of things.  Having the beam glow be significantly larger than the beam width has always been a trademark of FS beam weapons, at least in my mind.  Based on those screenshots of Hades' effects in action, you can barely see where the glow ends and the beam begins.

[Dragon]

Actually, I think that this was the idea behind the new effects, glow "flows" into the beam instead of being detached.

[Snail]

For the beam glows specifically, I'd come down much more strongly on the retail side of things.  Having the beam glow be significantly larger than the beam width has always been a trademark of FS beam weapons, at least in my mind.  Based on those screenshots of Hades' effects in action, you can barely see where the glow ends and the beam begins.

I agree, they look like Star Trek phasers or generic laser weapons now.

[Commander Zane]

Out of the screens shown I think the VSlash looks the best in terms of glow / beam size ratio.

[Hades]

Most of them ARE the same ratio, but such as the BVas or BGreen, the haze was too big when I took those shots.

For the beam glows specifically, I'd come down much more strongly on the retail side of things.  Having the beam glow be significantly larger than the beam width has always been a trademark of FS beam weapons, at least in my mind.  Based on those screenshots of Hades' effects in action, you can barely see where the glow ends and the beam begins.

I agree, they look like Star Trek phasers or generic laser weapons now.

They've always been generic. The lasers used on the Omega in Babylon 5 had the exact same ratio of the glow ball and beam as retail, just the entire thing was smaller overall.

Actually, I think that this was the idea behind the new effects, glow "flows" into the beam instead of being detached.

Exactly. Before, the beam ball is so big it just looks irrelevant to the beam, as if it's an afterthought. It's ****ing ugly. So I made the beam flow from the beam ball itself, so it actually looks like there's a reason for the ball.

[Snail]

They've always been generic. The lasers used on the Omega in Babylon 5 had the exact same ratio of the glow ball and beam as retail, just the entire thing was smaller overall.

Subjective

[Raven2001]

I kind of like the mvp12 beam sizes, but with a bigger glow.

There's also another thing that's been bugging me over the years, and I think this is the right topic to call on it:
I always prefered retail's Shivan beam glow color. The white\blue gave those beams a sense of being very very concentrated light, and thus very powerful. I don't know how everyone else feels about this, but I'd personally would love to have those colors back.

[Kolgena]

Exactly. Before, the beam ball is so big it just looks irrelevant to the beam, as if it's an afterthought. It's ****ing ugly. So I made the beam flow from the beam ball itself, so it actually looks like there's a reason for the ball.

The ball's there because the turret has to gather plasma together in a reservoir before it shoots it off into space. It makes no sense for a tiny ball to sustain a beam that's basically the same width as it. Like I've said before, it looks more like a muzzle flash with Hades's resize than a plasma ball (which you can die by flying into, even before the beam shoots--try this in Bearbaiting)

My opinion is just as subjective as yours, so take what you will.

[Hades]

The ball's there because the turret has to gather plasma together in a reservoir before it shoots it off into space. It makes no sense for a tiny ball to sustain a beam that's basically the same width as it. Like I've said before, it looks more like a muzzle flash with Hades's resize than a plasma ball (which you can die by flying into, even before the beam shoots--try this in Bearbaiting)

My opinion is just as subjective as yours, so take what you will.

Actually, the pulsating nature of the beam glow, even after the beam fires, would suggest it is continually gathering plasma. Either way, that's as dumb of an explanation of the workings of a beam as argon only being in Sol is dumb, it's about the same level.

And since I believe that was taken from BP canon, can you tell me why you do not complain the same about the BP beams, even though their glows are very similar in ratio to the beams as mine?

[Kolgena]

As dumb and explanation as it is, if it can be demonstrated to be canon, then we should try to follow it. Just because the verse has non-Newtonian flight and subluminal lasers does not mean that we can't be consistent within it.

Ice beams from BP are an entirely different class of beams from crypt hammers, evident in that most of them have big tubes behind the emitter dishes (and they're sort of different colors). Either way, the point is moot, since I never said I liked or disliked the size of BP glows.

[Dragon]

BP will most likely adopt to Mediavps once the dicussion is over.
In general, Hades sized glows to "flow" together with the beam. Looking at the bitmaps, you could see that this could have been the intention of the one who created them. Also, the width is closer to retail, though some beams (like BFReds) are too small. I didn't introduce this "flow" in blue BP beams for consistency with Mediavps, but if Mediavps would change, BP will most likely also do that.
That's why the size of the entire beam should, IMHO, be discussed. Size ratios are perfect on all Hades beams.

[Mongoose]

For a more non-technical view of the beam glows, I always thought that the "chargin' mah lazor" part would kind of necessitate this big honkin' ball of energy, since you were gathering together a whole bunch of pewpew to fling across space once you got to "firin' mah lazor."  Having the glow sort of just flow right into the beam kind of negates that effect.

[bigchunk1]

Personally, it does not faze me what the scientific explanation is or if one exists at all. Freespace2 is a game, and beams had a very specific design in that game. The ball would amass at the turret point to a noticeable size, and a relatively smaller, more focused beam, would shoot out from the turret tip. The previous mediavps didn't really do much to change that design except make textures more detailed and make the weapon's overall effect larger. Mediavps3612, however, changed the design of the weapon by shrinking the warm-up bulb to the point where it's practically negligible, pretty much in my mind erasing one of the characteristic features of beam weapons.  This to me is a design change, and I am not convinced by the arguments that have been presented in favor of that change. It comes off as unnecessarily moddish and unfreespace like. 

[Spoon]

There's also another thing that's been bugging me over the years, and I think this is the right topic to call on it:
I always prefered retail's Shivan beam glow color. The white\blue gave those beams a sense of being very very concentrated light, and thus very powerful. I don't know how everyone else feels about this, but I'd personally would love to have those colors back.

I personally disagree, I feel the blue into red feels really wierd and out of place and looks 'retail ugly'

[Luis Dias]

lol @ the variety and rigor of nitpickity for what is just a kamehameha.

[Hades]

lol @ the variety and rigor of nitpickity for what is just a kamehameha.

[Valathil]

For a more non-technical view of the beam glows, I always thought that the "chargin' mah lazor" part would kind of necessitate this big honkin' ball of energy, since you were gathering together a whole bunch of pewpew to fling across space once you got to "firin' mah lazor."  Having the glow sort of just flow right into the beam kind of negates that effect.

SHOOP DA WHOOP


Seriously though, im going to qoute tv-tropes here:
The Cool Ship needs an equally cool weapon. If it's a sufficiently humongous Cool Ship, it will be equipped with a Laser Beam on steroids: the Wave Motion Gun — an enormous Ray Gun that fires a massive energy beam capable of blowing away an enemy ship (in the "blow a battleship in half" sense), sometimes an entire fleet, with one shot, and maybe even blowing up an entire planet.
Wave Motion Guns usually require a significant charging period before firing and re-charging/cooldown afterwards (occasionally depicted by "Sucking In Lines")
Sucking in Lines in this case refers to the cool warmup particle insucking muzzle glow we're having. So this must be prominent, IT MUST. And it makes no physical sense ( haha physical sense in beam weapons) that the glow is less or equal in size of the beam. You have a central ball of plasma that glows outward the beam should orient its beam size towards that, therefore the brightest part of the muzzle flash. However the beam also radiates outwards but its a less concentrated form of energy so it should be less then the total glow of the plasma ball. like so =O. The overall size of the beam irregardless of what should be a fixed beam to muzzle glow ratio should be oriented toward the power level of the beam. Is it OVER 9000? Do a motherfriggin wide beam. Is it a AAA? Small beam suffices. Thus the player can easily distinguish the epicness of the beam simply by looking at its size. It is also irrelevant what ship the beam is firing. If the lilith can fire a beam that powerful LET it, it only shows how much danger a little ship like that can pose.

[Droid803]

oh god that horribad beam clipping into the hull.

[pecenipicek]

For a more non-technical view of the beam glows, I always thought that the "chargin' mah lazor" part would kind of necessitate this big honkin' ball of energy, since you were gathering together a whole bunch of pewpew to fling across space once you got to "firin' mah lazor."  Having the glow sort of just flow right into the beam kind of negates that effect.

SHOOP DA WHOOP


Seriously though, im going to qoute tv-tropes here:
The Cool Ship needs an equally cool weapon. If it's a sufficiently humongous Cool Ship, it will be equipped with a Laser Beam on steroids: the Wave Motion Gun — an enormous Ray Gun that fires a massive energy beam capable of blowing away an enemy ship (in the "blow a battleship in half" sense), sometimes an entire fleet, with one shot, and maybe even blowing up an entire planet.
Wave Motion Guns usually require a significant charging period before firing and re-charging/cooldown afterwards (occasionally depicted by "Sucking In Lines")
Sucking in Lines in this case refers to the cool warmup particle insucking muzzle glow we're having. So this must be prominent, IT MUST. And it makes no physical sense ( haha physical sense in beam weapons) that the glow is less or equal in size of the beam. You have a central ball of plasma that glows outward the beam should orient its beam size towards that, therefore the brightest part of the muzzle flash. However the beam also radiates outwards but its a less concentrated form of energy so it should be less then the total glow of the plasma ball. like so =O. The overall size of the beam irregardless of what should be a fixed beam to muzzle glow ratio should be oriented toward the power level of the beam. Is it OVER 9000? Do a motherfriggin wide beam. Is it a AAA? Small beam suffices. Thus the player can easily distinguish the epicness of the beam simply by looking at its size. It is also irrelevant what ship the beam is firing. If the lilith can fire a beam that powerful LET it, it only shows how much danger a little ship like that can pose.

You are my hero and you know what i mean.