77 replies to this topic

[Tommytools]

I know this is a game and there is a large element of suspension of disbelief, but I have a real issue with the way laser colours are shown in the centurion vid. Even more so with the given explanation in the locked thread. (I would have posted this there if it hadn't been locked.)

Lasers being visible?... Ok, can live with that, battlefields tend to be very smoky/dusty environments after all.

But lasers compounding to different colours? ... Maybe its my aspergers acting up, but that REALLY rubs me the wrong way...

Lasers are coherent light, meaning it is VERY directed and focused. To compound 2 different wavelengths they HAVE to be travelling parallel in the exact same plane. To get the beams to travel in parallel and close enough to affect eachother they HAVE to share a focusing device (lens or mirror), which makes it impossible for two seperate and distinct lasers (IE not sharing a focusing device) to ever compound in the manner shown in the video.

Nevermind the fact that combining two waves CHANGES the properties of said wave (I even wrote a wave simulator program doing just that in Turbo Pascal back in high school). A combination of a small and a medium laser would (under ideal circumstances described above) create a combined laser, not two seperate "projectiles". It could also cause the resulting wave to amplify itself, then cancel itself out, then amplify itself... ((Side note: isn't that how pulse lasers work?))


Its been a while since I did any work in optics, so if I have made any blatant mistakes please feel free to bash me for them

Thoughts?

TT

[Astaroht]

Fry meme coming in 3, 2, 1....

[Strikhedonia]

Tommytools, on 19 July 2012 - 09:40 AM, said:

Thoughts?

TT

Yes, it's a game. You're piloting a walking tank powered by a compact fusion reactor that carries more ammo than you could conceivably have room for. Different colored lasers makes perfect sense.

[Durant Carlyle]

In Real Life™ the weapons would have separate barrels and be aimed independently. But this is a game, where multiple weapons in the same location fire from the same point. Therefore, multi-colored lasers.

Edited by Durant Carlyle, 19 July 2012 - 09:44 AM.

[Firelizard]

To paraphrase the MST3K matra:

Just tell yourself 'it's just a game, i really should relax."

[Jost]

Tommytools, on 19 July 2012 - 09:40 AM, said:

I know this is a game and there is a large element of suspension of disbelief

Yup. It's sci-fantasy robot shooting. Ignore it. Multiple colors of laser are pretty. Or cool. Or helpful. Or something. Either way, it's not something to get upset about.... I mean, really, in a game with walking humanoid tanks, you're worrying about the colors of lasers?

[Devilsfury]

Sarah McCallum, on 19 July 2012 - 09:43 AM, said:

Yes, it's a game. You're piloting a walking tank powered by a compact fusion reactor that carries more ammo than you could conceivably have room for. Different colored lasers makes perfect sense.

What he said. You looking into the game a bit to hard man. This is just pure fun wrapped in metal. Get in, strap up and kill someone!

[Burnsidhe]

You're correct. However, these *aren't* real lasers. They're graphical representations of a laser, processed through a GPU, displayed on a monitor via graphics drivers through an operating system.

They *shouldn't* compound, or there should be stutters in the beam. But the graphics processing system would have to be programmed to show the 'lasers' acting like lasers, and that eats up processing cycles, which draws power, generates heat, slows down graphics processing, and eats memory.

Therefore, the simpler representation is what they're going with. Also, it looks a little cooler.

[Kelindriel]

You are thinking too hard. Since when did Battletech physics ever make sense?

[Tommytools]

Devilsfury, on 19 July 2012 - 09:45 AM, said:

What he said. You looking into the game a bit to hard man. This is just pure fun wrapped in metal. Get in, strap up and kill someone!

Thats my point, to me (and like I said, it might just be my aspergers) its immersion breaking. Its not going to stop me playing the game, but its something that will irritate me every time I see it, reducing my fun.

Thats the main reason I made this thread... and well, if I'm the only one I'll just shut up and go mutter in the corner

TT

[Deux]

Tommytools, on 19 July 2012 - 09:40 AM, said:

I know this is a game and there is a large element of suspension of disbelief, but I have a real issue with the way laser colours are shown in the centurion vid. Even more so with the given explanation in the locked thread. (I would have posted this there if it hadn't been locked.)

Lasers being visible?... Ok, can live with that, battlefields tend to be very smoky/dusty environments after all.

But lasers compounding to different colours? ... Maybe its my aspergers acting up, but that REALLY rubs me the wrong way...

Lasers are coherent light, meaning it is VERY directed and focused. To compound 2 different wavelengths they HAVE to be travelling parallel in the exact same plane. To get the beams to travel in parallel and close enough to affect eachother they HAVE to share a focusing device (lens or mirror), which makes it impossible for two seperate and distinct lasers (IE not sharing a focusing device) to ever compound in the manner shown in the video.

Nevermind the fact that combining two waves CHANGES the properties of said wave (I even wrote a wave simulator program doing just that in Turbo Pascal back in high school). A combination of a small and a medium laser would (under ideal circumstances described above) create a combined laser, not two seperate "projectiles". It could also cause the resulting wave to amplify itself, then cancel itself out, then amplify itself... ((Side note: isn't that how pulse lasers work?))


Its been a while since I did any work in optics, so if I have made any blatant mistakes please feel free to bash me for them

Thoughts?

TT

Ok so...tell me how many ER Large Lasers have you built....and what colour was the beam...cuz if you can make a purple one sign me up.

[Xaero Payne]

Ever watch Star Wars... Seriously if people can like ignore the same fact for a movie that even had the sounds out in space as well I'm sure they can for a game too.

Deux, on 19 July 2012 - 09:53 AM, said:

Ok so...tell me how many ER Large Lasers have you built....and what colour was the beam...cuz if you can make a purple one sign me up.

I totally want a purple laser too! That was the whole reason I used polarons in STO

Edited by Xaero Payne, 19 July 2012 - 09:57 AM.

[Moriarte]

Pew Pew Pew

That was my Atlas, green beams ftw!

[Tommytools]

Deux, on 19 July 2012 - 09:53 AM, said:

Ok so...tell me how many ER Large Lasers have you built....and what colour was the beam...cuz if you can make a purple one sign me up.

Purple would make sense, being one of the longer wavelengths. X-rays and gamma rays are also at that end of the spectrum.

As for Star Wars... There's a reason I don't watch movies much (and when I do its usually alone ).

TT

[Gabopentin]

Something to think about. Its now 2012 this is set in 3049. Couldn't there possibly be some advancement in scientific knowledge in 1038 years? We have already had one of the foundation stones of scientific knowledge adjusted this century, Einsteins theory that no one can travel faster than light, therefore during that 1000+ years, other supposed know scientific constants could change.

[Prat]

Actually, my belief is that the colour represents a "Type". While this is not how a REAL laser would work, this is a game. In this instance Gameplay takes precedence over reality.

The information you gain from the colour is that you can guess the effective range of their weapons.

Blue/Purple (not sure which) = Long
Green = Medium
Red = Short

(I may be off on the colours and ranges thing completely)

[William Petersen]

I don't really care so much about the physics of it as much as that it kinda looks like crap.

The CN9-A has dual MLas in the CT, coming from two different mounts, why the hell does it make the beam look yellow? The SLas and LLas overlapping to be purple doesn't look *too* bad, I guess, as long as the red part of the beam fades out past SLas range...

They have a specific number of hard points per variant, I can't see why they can't make individual firing ports for lasers for each hard point. :shrug:

[shadowhawk102]

Durant Carlyle, on 19 July 2012 - 09:43 AM, said:

In Real Life™ the weapons would have separate barrels and be aimed independently. But this is a game, where multiple weapons in the same location fire from the same point. Therefore, multi-colored lasers.

most mech would have a diffrent barrel for each weapon, in the CN9-A for tt only one is forward fireing, the other is rear, but since
they are not doing rear weapons they must of made a call and did not add another fireing port for the second med.

[Team Leader]

If more powerful lasers are visible, wouldnt the face melting energies of mech lasers be visible too?

[WardenWolf]

I agree that the behavior seen in the Centurion video is undesirable - and I started a suggestion thread about the very issue:

http://mwomercs.com/...e-mech-section/