Replace Loading Screens with Landing / Take-off Scenes

[Kathylady]

When we land and take-off from a planet it shows a static image by default while loading the location. To improve immersion, the loading transition and fade to black should be hidden.

For example:

• Leaving a planet: show the ship while it takes off, the camera zooms slowly into the sky until loading is complete -> switch to space.
• Landing on a planet: show the ship landing scene until loading is finished. The camera can slowly zoom for a panoramic view of the landing area.

 

Thus Starfield will feel much more immersive without loading screens.

 

Edited September 1, 2023 by Kathylady

[sen4mi]

I guess the question is: what can the engine reliably render while switching playfields?

 

[Kit Nova]

I've had the same thought, tho ultimately it depends on what people can even do with the engine with loading screens. Past Creation Engine games were very loading screen heavy when it came to changing cells too, going in and out of buildings, etc. IF someone can figure out how to disguise the loading screens for landing and take off, I would recommend doing it like so:

 

For landing: show the ship approaching the planet, similar to when you see the ship travel to another planet in the same system, then transition into the landing animation as normal. (also I'd like to see someone make a mod that lets you see the landing animation again when you land at places you already been, for immersion and such)

 

For take off: do the reverse, do the take off animation as normal then cover the loading screen with the ship traveling away from the planet into orbit.

[DocClox]

On 9/1/2023 at 5:26 AM, Kathylady said:

• Leaving a planet: show the ship while it takes off, the camera zooms slowly into the sky until loading is complete -> switch to space.
• Landing on a planet: show the ship landing scene until loading is finished. The camera can slowly zoom for a panoramic view of the landing area.

 

That's what happens when I play. The trick is to always take off to space, then jump to the target system but don't choose a landing site. Then once you're in the system, pick a landing site and land. That should give you take off/landing animations every time.

 

The only time I get a loading screen in space travel is if I go through the mission list and fast travel from the ground on Planet A in System X to the ground on Planet B in System Y. Then I get a loading screen since neither of the animations entirely fits, and yet the game needs time to load and unload assets.

 

Out of curiosity, do you have the game installed on an SSD? I hardly ever see loading screens, and the ones that do crop up are gone so fast I barely get a chance to read the game hint.