[Mars]

Shhhhh...
I'm trying to be optimistic, let me live in my own little world.
LA, LA, LA...

[Ulala]

I actually think Turnsky had good suggestions. The canon-freaks might.. well freak, but to put the "handle" of the Colossus back at an angle could really improve its look (I think).

[FireCrack]

I dont think it would look good angled back more than it already is...

[CP5670]

The only game I've seen that actually uses HDR well is Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, which uses the high contrast colors extremely well but with a minimal dynamic bloom. HDR (or rather HDR+dynamic bloom) looks unrealistic and over the top in almost everything else. In any case, HDR will only really show its true potential once there are (mainstream) monitors that support it.

What exactly does this ATI HDR effect do? I like the look of things in that screenshot Turnsky posted.

[Flipside]

I do know that HDR in Oblivion actually has a habit of obscuring detail, normally 'bright' rocks tend to glow in the midday sun until they are almost pure white, it actually makes things harder to see since you feel like you are walking around with bad eyesight and need to pick up some glasses

[S-99]

Why don't you guys talk about games that have real hdr.
And not the fake kind.
Half life2 has real hdr.
And then there's games like black that utilizes fake hdr.

[Eightball]

Straying back towards topic, I don't like the Colossus much at all as a ship.  Too... something...

The Deimos is the pinnacle of sexiness in space warships.  The Colossus should just be an oversized Deimos, without slashing beams. 

[SuperCoolAl]

I never got the point of slashing beams.

* SuperCoolAl detects another possible thread-shift

[S-99]

Slashing beams cause a great deal of damage to the vessel it actually hits compared to static beams.
Another thing about slashing beams is that they have a principle behind them, which is why the gtva persued them.
It was the fact that, you damage more subsystems when you have a beam swipe across the hull of the vessel.
I think slashing beams are fine, it'd be better if the slashing beam did something like measure the length of the vessel, and it's width in respect to it's position, so it'd hit more of the time.
But, i don't know if this would slow down the game too much having a beam turret AI operate like this.

But, yeah, i like slashing beams the most, they really are superior in the fact of damaging more subsystems depending on where the beam swipes.
I thought they were fun as hell when i got to use them.
If you check out the hlp here, there's a mission file you can download where you can play as a deimos.
But, slashing beams really need a better AI to utilize them better if say you're not the one flying the deimos to do some flight corrects for it at least.

[Mars]

Most slashing beams cause damage intermediate between "B" beams (or "L" in the Shivans case) and "S" beams, they are not "S" or "B" beams so they can't really be compared in the fasion of which you speak, there would need to be a "M" class of beams for that.

[ZmaN]

I never got the point of slashing beams.

* SuperCoolAl detects another possible thread-shift

Slashing beams?
Static Beams?
whats the difference?

[Mars]

I quote the Wiki:

Three beam types are possible:
 

• Anti-capital ship turret, which targets a subsystem and shoots the beam in the centre of the subsystem. Shivan and a few GTVA beams have this property.
• Anti-capital ship turret, which targets a whole ship and randomly shoots at any of the parts of the target. This type of beam shot is moving, which means it often does not take its 100% damage on a target. Almost all GTVA beams are of this type.
• Anti-fighter beam, mentioned previously, it shoots a beam at the centre of the targeted ship and does not move. Multiple shots can be used in a row.

There are arguments for both types of beams, but in general the Static (center of subystem targerter) are the most effective

[S-99]

Most slashing beams cause damage intermediate between "B" beams (or "L" in the Shivans case) and "S" beams, they are not "S" or "B" beams so they can't really be compared in the fasion of which you speak, there would need to be a "M" class of beams for that.

I never got the point of slashing beams.

* SuperCoolAl detects another possible thread-shift

Slashing beams?
Static Beams?
whats the difference?

Sorry i didn't use the special wecial terminology of terslash of bgreen.
It was my thinking people would probably know what the definition of static would be when applied to being the opposite beam would be (only goes one direction doesn't change trajectory).
In that terminology a slash beam could be considered a dynamic beam (goes more than one direction).
Yes there is a big difference between slash beams, i was more overly getting after principle of why the slash beam was persued.
Slash beams can damage more subsystems that are strewn about all over say a destoryer, by sweeping over it's target as opposed to hitting one spot only(like normal beams do).
THAT'S THE GENERAL PRINCIPAL BEHIND SLASHERS
As far as slash beams doing more damage than standard beams.
I took references from this thread http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,39346.25.html
Where mars posted posted beam details.
Please tell me people understand at least the principle of the principle of slashers now
I don't know if what mars posted was accurate or not, but i'll take it as accurate, since nobody posted any solid details on beams like mars did.
Anyway, if i'm not showing off the difference between slash beams versus normal beams enough,

[Taristin]

Keep calm or the thread gets it. Dont take the internet, or even this fictional game so seriously. KTHXBAI

[Mars]

And remember, in all questions, the Wiki is your freind, it has all of the statistics for every weapon in the games, the actual damage for beams is the sustained damage/ second. Try the comparison table:
http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Weapon_Comparison_%28FS2%29