DirkLarien: DirkLarien: With headtracking i actually like some thin lines of frame for orientation.

If the player has headtracking then their body tells them their orientation. For everyone else, a mark on the canopy directly over the pilot’s head should suffice. That’s about the only orientation where neither the HUD nor the ship is (classically) in the field of view.

Hutchings: Hutchings: Art direction for this particular faction lends well to the brutality and utility of faceted cockpits.

So have a faceted cockpit without the frame. I want to be able to see the game world as I fly about.

That’s an extreme example because I wouldn’t want the heavy distortion created by such a thing, but the basic idea is to create that brutal look while still keeping the canopy clear. I can well understand that the graphics programming work would be prohibitive, but even something approximating the look would be appreciated.

I just can’t imagine playing games that just won’t let me see the game world. Too many are presented dark and cluttered. The Infinity:Battlescape visuals are just too beautiful to cover up.

Elite:Dangerous

Star Citizen

No Man’s Sky does a somewhat better job, probably because they created a game world that they want their players to be able to see.

I’d probably be less annoyed by it if I was using VR gear and could move my head around.

One last thought that might be an interesting thing to put on the Someday list. Keep screen clutter to a minimum (well, I’d like that today). So when simply flying around, the canopy is clear and the HUD is minimal. If the player switches to a mode of activity that requires more clutter, add it. Navigation, scanning, etc. Combat would probably introduce the most clutter.

The bit that just occurred to me is that when the player is ready to go into combat, have a visible heavy frame deploy around the canopy. Do it Iron Man style, with lots of bits and pieces interlocking to form the frame. That suggests that there might even be multiple frames. One simple frame might be used when operating in atmospheres or dusty systems or near stars. The combat frame may well be the heaviest, though refueling off a star might involve no exterior visibility at all.

Taken to an extreme, stuff all over a ship would pull an Iron Man transformation. To some modest extent. Extra bracing or armor for the critical parts of the ship that would normally interfere with efficiency or accuracy that are acceptable in dangerous circumstances.

Suit up.