Absorbtion visual enhancements?

[rgustin]

Hello, I preordered.

Looks interesting but it seemed like the absorption of smaller bubbles was less graphically interesting than could have been?

After watching the video seems that it would be nice if the particles within (at least my) bubble would swirl around briefly at the contact/absorption spot spot and less so throughout entire bubble when contact/absorption occurred. Bigger absorption = more swirling. The smaller bubbles color particles could be briefly incorporated in my larger bubbles particles and then fade to my color. Also, it seems as it you simultaneously touched 2 red bubbles (where the combined reds were greater in mass than your single bubble) that something special might occur? 1) No absorption occurs, 2) Repulsed away with no absorption, 3) the reds both steal part of your bubble, 4) ... ?

And/Or my bubble and/or opponent bubble wiggles like Jello while merging.
And/Or when absorbed bubble is closer to my size then appears to resist or gets absorbed more slowly than a small one would.

Thanks

[Catinthewall]

I like the idea of a jiggle to the mote's surface, a simple ripple from the point of contact, the faster and the larger the absorption, the bigger the ripple.

[jojo]

nice idea!

it could indeed use some particle system inside the player's mote, swirling, and maybe even reacting to physics like bouncing against a wall, or being absorbed!

Another idea i just thought of would be that when there is a absorption above a certain size ratio there would be tiny one time flashes/sparkles appearing where the sphere absorbed the tiny dots
Like flies on a windshield, only when they splat giving out a tiny explosion/flash
maybe it could be ramped up so the alpha/size of the flash in a 4:1 absorption would be barely visible, because its quite obvious there is a absorption going on, but a 20:1 absorption would be containing flashes 4 times the size of the actual mini mote and no opacity

[fred104]

rotation would be a neat addition as well. if you strike a mote nearly tangent to the surface it would be cool to start spinning. Perhaps controls could be implemented that would let you eject matter in a way that would make you rotate. Then all sorts of fun could be had playing with translational and rotational kinetic energy, good times would ensue.

Maybe something to think about for Osmos 2: Osmotic Boogaloo

[jojo]

adding rotation to the mix sounds more complex, but also quite awesome!
maybe just for later levels (like multi "sun" levels) or a advanced mode

if there was some form of drag involved you could "curve" your trajectories by adding the right amounts of spin
and maybe getting some other effect in there too, like when the spin gets to fast your mote will stretch/grow but still wont be able to absorb the motes with more mass as it has a lower density.
it could also be that enough spin will create a slight vortex like force, making other motes starting to orbit you
and maybe because you wont have any gravity they will also be flung away from you, though if its practical it would have to be decided by playtesting ofc
this would also enable a new organism type, the "spinner" that spins around, but is not eatable for normal motes, like biophobes and repulsors and makes everything it touches spin too (like cogs) and cause more difficulties for the player

and it would also be cool to first just introduce it as a graphical "gimmic" for the particles inside, though not effecting actual gameplay

[Nacery]

Allow main menu backgraound as a screensaver
It's not a graphic enhancement but it would be a good feature.

[Battlesnake]

The graphics in this game impressed me, they are probably the finest I've seen in any PC game,
and I've been playing MW2 and Geometry Wars for a while now.

As far as the absorption goes - I would suggest looking at surface tension or magnetic field
interactions (I may be slightly biased here by maths and physics degrees...)
The joining of two drops of fluid and "ingestion" of one drop into the other can be
modelled and simulated fairly easily, as far as stat mech simulations go (my BSc
project involved designing such a simulation) - I'm not sure how this would map out
into a game with the amazing visual qualities that Osmos demonstrates, but it
would be a lovely extra touch though!

-Mark