How about a pilot shadow, Devs? What do you guys think?

[seafireliv]

Does anyone get freaked out when they look out the aircraft and see the shadow of the cockpit on the wing, but NO pilot shadow? It freaks me out.

 

I believe simply adding a pilot shadow would do a huge amount for immersion.

[Danziger]

I think you should be publicly shamed for posting such nonsense. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nah I'm just joshin. They need to add the shadow and an option to make the pilot visible in the cockpit. That's way on the back burner type stuff though.

[Feathered_IV]

Apparently it’s hugely difficult, however I’m unclear as to specifically why. 

[Custard]

Just like pilot in cockpit, it's a feature I'd like to see but I'm completely happy with it not being a priority any time soon.

[[APAF]VR_Spartan85]

This is one thing that just bugs me too much... I don’t mind not having a body for the pilot but I cannot stand not seeing a shadow for pilot.... 

i see the plane shadow on ground, empty cockpit...  no joy...

[Gambit21]

3 hours ago, Feathered_IV said:

Apparently it’s hugely difficult, however I’m unclear as to specifically why. 

 

Because it's actual lighting that's happening.

So to get a pilot shadow on the wing then there must be a pilot in the cockpit.

 

Now with a fancy 3D application you can tell the render engine to calculate and render the shadow of an individual object in a scene, but don't render that one object itself.

However the game engine has far less render capability thus no pilot = no pilot shadow.

 

I'm sure it's possible with some work in the guts of the render engine.

 

 

Edited May 28, 2018 by Gambit21

[unreasonable]

You cannot see yourself in the mirror either.  Just role play as a vampire.

 

 

[dburne]

I will have to say, not seeing the pilot shadow actually had not even crossed my mind.

[[APAF]VR_Spartan85]

I don’t even think there is a pilot shadow when there is a pilot....

 

 

 

[Wolfram-Harms]

A pilot shadow would only eat more resources - something that many of us would fear.

So better get used to having no shadow - there are worse things - like having no left wing anymore...

[catchthefoxes]

maybe they'll add them once the new late RAF and Luftwaffe pilot models are done

[seafireliv]

The brain is a funny thing. It doesn`t really mind that much about most fake things, but there`s something about not seeing your shadow when you`ve been flying for half an hour that freaks it out.  I think it illustrates just how immersed one can get into the sim that the mind is like, "Wait a minute! Where`s my shadow?"

 

It`s like the `Uncanny Valley` effect.

 

I know it seems small... But it`s one of those little things you don`t think you need or want until it`s there. I bet it would really make a big difference once implemented.

[Trooper117]

How can this kind of stuff 'bug people' or 'freak them out'???

Whatever happened to the era when men were men, and could just take anything thrown at them on the chin?

I don't even think about nonsense like this, it doesn't even cross my mind to mention it, let alone ask them to do something about it... is it me?

[seafireliv]

27 minutes ago, Trooper117 said:

How can this kind of stuff 'bug people' or 'freak them out'???

Whatever happened to the era when men were men, and could just take anything thrown at them on the chin?

I don't even think about nonsense like this, it doesn't even cross my mind to mention it, let alone ask them to do something about it... is it me?

 

I don`t suffer from travel sickness like many people do, seems weird to me ever since I was a kid.

Horror movies do nothing for me.

Height doesn`t worry me at all, I can climb a crane to the top without a problem.

 

But looking out of my virtual cockpit and seeing no shadow, yea, my brain says, "WTF??"  Maybe it`s a ghost thing. My father used to tell me creepy stories about ghosts.

 

We all have our thing, I`m sure you have yours, and no, it isn`t nonsense.

Edited May 28, 2018 by seafireliv

[Frenchy56]

53 minutes ago, Trooper117 said:

How can this kind of stuff 'bug people' or 'freak them out'???

Whatever happened to the era when men were men, and could just take anything thrown at them on the chin?

I don't even think about nonsense like this, it doesn't even cross my mind to mention it, let alone ask them to do something about it... is it me?

Men during that time didn't concern themselves with internet forums about very niche flight simulators either.

[Yogiflight]

39 minutes ago, seafireliv said:

But looking out of my virtual cockpit and seeing no shadow, yea, my brain says, "WTF??"

But it is OK for you to look down and see an empty seat and a stick and a throttle moving alone? You know, if there is a shadow, then there should be something throwing this shadow.

[Frenchy56]

3 minutes ago, Yogiflight said:

But it is OK for you to look down and see an empty seat and a stick and a throttle moving alone? You know, if there is a shadow, then there should be something throwing this shadow.

I find it more jarring when you notice it.

Everyone is used to having no body inside the cockpit. It's been the case for practically all 3D flight sims. Pilot shadows on the wings are quite common however.

Edited May 28, 2018 by Frenchy56

[seafireliv]

22 minutes ago, Yogiflight said:

But it is OK for you to look down and see an empty seat and a stick and a throttle moving alone? You know, if there is a shadow, then there should be something throwing this shadow.

 

Yes, it is, believe it or not. Like I said before, there`s something weird in an `uncanny valley ` way about not seeing your own shadow in the shadow of the aircraft your flying.

 

 

Another thought:

Perhaps the fact that the mind sees your hands and legs before it, even if it`s not in the actual sim makes it ok, but it never sees your actual shadow (usually due to artificial lighting and other bright light sources ), so it subconscously looks for the nearest (corresponding to you) shadow it can find- In the virtual aircraft.

 

I bet psychological scientists would love to test this theory out.

 

Edited May 28, 2018 by seafireliv
Added for thought...

[Leaf]

1 hour ago, Trooper117 said:

Whatever happened to the era when men were men, and could just take anything thrown at them on the chin?

 

...Say what? How is that even relevant? I don't think anyone is having any mental breakdowns or aneurysms due to a lack of pilot shadows, they just said it's a bit strange.  

It's got nothing to do with the "downfall of man (or men?)" you are lamenting. What happened to the era of simply stating an opinion without having one's 'manliness' questioned?

 

I have to say though, if there are pilot shadows, there should be a pilot. Having a pilot shadow without a pilot to me is even more strange than the complete lack of a pilot shadow, I think. 
No pilot -> no shadow. No pilot -> a shadow? Now that's creepy! 
I quite like the idea of a pilot shadow, resources permitting, but only with a pilot. 

[CanadaOne]

5 hours ago, spartan85 said:

I don’t even think there is a pilot shadow when there is a pilot....

 

 

 

 

Oh, now you're getting all existential on us.

 

You Torontonians...

[GridiroN]

No. 

 

It will good cause the cockpit shadows to look weird and unnatural. 

[SCG_Fenris_Wolf]

In VR, you neither see yourself in the mirror nor see a pilot shadow.

 

That's spooky ! ! ! ?

[LukeFF]

4 hours ago, Trooper117 said:

I don't even think about nonsense like this, it doesn't even cross my mind to mention it, let alone ask them to do something about it... is it me?

 

It's not just you. We're living in an era where people like to over-dramatize things. 

[catchthefoxes]

these posts are ironic

[migmadmarine]

I have long thought it a bit of a shame ever since noticing my own shadow on the wing of the 1-26 I was flying one day. Never been super bothered by it, but whenever I notice the cockpit frame shadow pass over the wing, my brain does take notice, and I do think"aw, hope they will add that one day..."

[Feathered_IV]

4 hours ago, LukeFF said:

 

It's not just you. We're living in an era where people like to over-dramatize things. 

 

WHAT THE HELL!!!?!??

[[APAF]VR_Spartan85]

I hate to compare sims... especially two completely different...  I only ask about the shadow for pilot because in DCS you can see your shadow with no “pilot body” in cockpit... and see pilot in mirror... 

Just used to seeing it on those low flights, or even taxiing...

I don’t want pilot body in cockpit....

11 hours ago, CanadaOne said:

 

Oh, now you're getting all existential on us.

 

You Torontonians...

Lol, yeah, I meant in F2 view

[Wolf8312]

On 5/29/2018 at 3:34 AM, Trooper117 said:

How can this kind of stuff 'bug people' or 'freak them out'???

Whatever happened to the era when men were men, and could just take anything thrown at them on the chin?

I don't even think about nonsense like this, it doesn't even cross my mind to mention it, let alone ask them to do something about it... is it me?

 

It's all relative!

 

Some seem to freak out alot more if someone says something that could be construed as being even mildly critical of their favorite computer game!