Interesting Biome Backgrounds.

I hope the backgrounds for the biomes are interesting. For instance moons/surrounding planets. I hope that the planets can have rings on them or maybe be blown up from a crater like this picture (note the moon):



The tentacle planet is confirmed in. I also hope we can see HUGE skeletons as seen in another wicked early picture of the game. With something like this, the game could feel more alive and dynamic. What do you guys think?

 

God that tentacle background is damn beautiful.

 

Also, check out this thread here: http://community.playstarbound.com/index.php?threads/all-starbound-screenshots.6994/

All of those screenshots have something neat in the background. Skeletons, man made structures, etc. I think that things like those would be EXTREMELY beneficial to the game in terms of keeping it alive. And I agree Evangelion... It really is awesome. Truly makes me wonder... Which is hard to do. For some reason, I really like environment art and skyboxes. The Halo games are awesome because of their skyboxes.

 

Holy crap, awesome screenshot! I love the how the logbook looks, and I can see toads and flying eyes! That will surely make planets more immersive and lively.

 

I believe the backgrounds of planets are procedurally generated also, (different combinations of artwork layers chosen) although I could be wrong. Obviously it's going to adhere to the planet you're on if that's the case, and you shouldn't see jungle in the background of a desert planet, or vice versa. But yeah, they look gorgeous.

EDIT: Also Tiy said in a recent update that the nearby celestial bodies in a system will be the ones you see in the sky, when you're on the ground.

 

The picture with the Aliens-inspired dropship and M41A pulse rifles is the route I wish Starbound went. Not only because they are Aliens references, but because the idea of having a giant mothership is cool. Having a dropship is a fun idea, allows more things to go wrong when flying though that would have been hard to implement. I like the idea of dropping in and only having what supplies you could carry, makes exploration more dangerous and adds atmosphere. But alas we got the teleporter. Not dissing the Starbound team, but going Startrek on your trips to the surface just feels too.....easy. Get in trouble you teleport out. Meh.

 

I know what you mean. I kind of wish the humans were a bit more militaristic to be honest. Right now they seem like normal dudes who can shoot and fly a plane.

 

Wait, that planet in the background... Is that Peragus II?

Also, I think that there would be something in the game to stop players from just teleporting out when they get into trouble, it seems it would be very bad design for this to not be the case and something far too simple and obvious to be overlooked.

 

Do we know how getting back to the ship works?

 

Welp ive seen nuff hentai to dislike that planet

 

While nice-to-look-at backgrounds would be a welcome addition, it would be a mistake on Chucklefish's part to let them be so vibrant or bust that they completely distract from what's going on in the foreground. Take the pic in the first post of this thread, while interesting to look at, the tentacles are shaded in the same manner as objects in the foreground which would probably blend/bleed so well into the foreground as to be difficult to distinguish with lots of fast movement and projectiles flying around. The route they've gone with more recent images seems to be to shade/mellow out the background and make it less in-your-face, I think, for the best.

[Edit]

That said, a large tentacley boss that exists in the foreground and background, moving between the two at various points, would offer quite a few ways to mess with the player and a potentially very complex fight, though it should probably prevent normal mobs from spawning when it's awoken.

 

you know i had not even thought of peragus II until now.... Shame, Shame on me

 

This is actually a very old picture, but I still like how it looks!
I've also seen a picture of a lava planet some time ago and the background was just a lava ocean with a single island in it...

 

Well I'd say a tentacle planet is confirmed, but I'm sure that planet has to do with the main storyline. What I was talking about it the mountain ranges/clouds/etc. I just think that adding something like an exploding planet or a huge skeleton would give the feeling of awe that not many games can give anymore. Look at the link I posted earlier... None of those are IN YOUR FACE! They are simple, yet have something interesting in the background (pyramids, skeletons, ring clouds, etc).

 

That's a really interesting thought... Specifically seeing a planet getting destroyed in the background while you are doing some random stuff on the other planet. You could be eating bacon infront of your warm fireplace while suddenly BOOM *screen shakes just a tiny bit while hearing a faint distant explosion* And then you see the planet get damaged and turned volcanic. Then you choose to check out what happened, maybe some rare meteorite struck the planet and there would be unique material to gather from it. Yeah that would be awesome, and seeing the change made to the planet. Like first it was a peaceful planet, then a meteorite hit the planet and half the planet was turned volcanic and damaged. Love it.

Edit(2)* Sorry I meant meteorite, replaced "commet"

BOoOoOM!

 

Dude... that's sick.

 

That... Would be amazing if it was in game. I entirely and holeheartedly approve of this natural extension and foregone conclusion of the meteors from Terraria.

 

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Of course, if planets ARE getting blown up in the background, one could hope that they are planets you haven't yet visited. It would suck to build a base, skip off across the solar system, and come back to a crater

 

And sad seeing your hard work in ruins.

 

That would be funny as hell, haha. Although I'd be pissed.