[Fury]

Today we discussed this subject at #scp-fsu.

Everyone agreed that adding shield meshes to all ships that don't have them, such as capital ships, transports, freighters, etc would be very beneficial to the community. Plenty of FSU staffers also approved of adding any such ships to mediavps because shield meshes do not interfere if they aren't turned on, thus preserving retail compatibility. I don't know what is Galemp's stand here, but I'd imagine same applies to fsport-mediavps.

Since a lot of FSU staffers and other people approved of this, the next step is obviously to get some people to do shield meshes. Any volunteers?

There should be some consistency in the shape and size of shield meshes. Personally I'd favor a shape that follows the ship's shape but is large enough to allow fighters and bombers get past it and fire at unshielded hull.

[Droid803]

Is there any sort of triangle limit or something, or has that been removed?

[QuantumDelta]

Not Star Trek/Star Gate style shields?

[Mobius]

Everyone agreed that adding shield meshes to all ships that don't have them, such as capital ships, transports, freighters, etc would be very beneficial to the community.

What would be the benefits, other than adding a bit more variety in custom-made campaigns?

[Hades]

I dunno, judging by the few FS1 ANIs of shielding (Lucifer, as an example) it seems Volition definitely was set on a fully form-fitting shield which fighters cannot get into, so at least for capital ships I think it'd need to be impenetrable by fighters/bombers going through the shield.

[Nohiki]

Or the lucfer'S shields were just too tight. Anyway i like the idea. Volition started something on the bigger shipes, i believe some freighter has a shield mesh, so why not all of them. Even if it adds the "little variety" to user made campaigns, i think it's worth it.

[The E]

Everyone agreed that adding shield meshes to all ships that don't have them, such as capital ships, transports, freighters, etc would be very beneficial to the community.

What would be the benefits, other than adding a bit more variety in custom-made campaigns?

Wouldn't that be enough?

[Fury]

Is there any sort of triangle limit or something, or has that been removed?

Don't know. I posted your question on #scp but nobody replied.

Not Star Trek/Star Gate style shields?

As long as shield mesh itself matches form of the ship, scale of shield mesh is easy to edit. You can downscale it to become form-fitting that fighters can't get past of. Having a shield mesh in the first place is the important part though.

What would be the benefits, other than adding a bit more variety in custom-made campaigns?

Plenty enough of a reason. Variety is always good, especially when it comes in easily accessible and modifiable manner.

I dunno, judging by the few FS1 ANIs of shielding (Lucifer, as an example) it seems Volition definitely was set on a fully form-fitting shield which fighters cannot get into, so at least for capital ships I think it'd need to be impenetrable by fighters/bombers going through the shield.

Lucifer was always a special case with it's five reactors powering a shield that was impenetrable. It being also form-fitting to separate it from other shielded capitals is a good exception.

[Mobius]

Wouldn't that be enough?

Plenty enough of a reason. Variety is always good, especially when it comes in easily accessible and modifiable manner.

Is that the only reason, or there's something else we should know about it?

[General Battuta]

That's the only reason

[Dragon]

Adding meshes would be easy if PCS2 had functionality present in Modelview from beggning, namely shield importing and scaling.

[-Sara-]

Would these shields be on by standard? While shields on capitals is a really nice idea, I can imagine the HORROR if someone in their one-man campaign would forget to turn shields off in FRED making players fight a shielded Orion.

[Droid803]

That's a dumb question.
Of course they won't be on by default 

They wouldn't be tabled in by default (0 shields in retail tables), so unless you alter the tables to give ships shields, they won't have any.

hell, some ships already have shield meshes.

The only ship this would affect in any way is the Mjolnir, which DOES have shield hitpoints tabled in by default, but no shield mesh.

[-Sara-]

That's a dumb question.
Of course they won't be on by default 

They wouldn't be tabled in by default (0 shields in retail tables), so unless you alter the tables to give ships shields, they won't have any.

hell, some ships already have shield meshes.

The only ship this would affect in any way is the Mjolnir, which DOES have shield hitpoints tabled in by default, but no shield mesh.

I don't do tables, I was under the assumption they are on in FRED if they have shields.

[Shivan Hunter]

actually, some retail ships (Mjolnir IIRC) have nonzero shield TBL values but no meshes, thus no shields. IIRC this has been fixed however, since having shields meant that shield quadrants were still displayed on the small icon below the reticle (Not the ship icon next to the target box, the number below the reticle).

And Droid803: I think there was a hard triangle limit at one point but it was fixed, no no problems there.

[Solatar]

If they have a shield mesh but no tabled shield hitpoints, they can easily be enabled in FRED by using custom hitpoints.  Even if this were implemented, nobody would have to modify any tables to turn them on in their missions.

I don't necessarily like the idea of capital ships having shields, but this is a case of "if somebody else wants to do it, fine by me".  It won't actually affect me one way or another.  If somebody makes some cool missions with it, I can't lose. 

[CommanderDJ]

This would actually be really awesomesauce.

[Droid803]

actually, some retail ships (Mjolnir IIRC) have nonzero shield TBL values but no meshes, thus no shields. IIRC this has been fixed however, since having shields meant that shield quadrants were still displayed on the small icon below the reticle (Not the ship icon next to the target box, the number below the reticle).

The Mjolnir's the only ship like that, to my knowledge.

[Qent]

Hygeia.

[Droid803]

I thought support ships had shield meshes.
I mean, I've always heard the shield impact sound when shooting at them