These are some ideas i have in mind for Serenesis Mod, and have already started them. However i am happy to share them with you so long as i credit from the original idea, so heres some things you probably didn't think about:
Dust TrailsIt is important to make dust trails very fine and near-transparent, the particles themselves must inherit velocities from the emitters etc. They must also switch off when vehicles start slowing down, and when they go above their altitudes.
I also developed and worked on the following idea, which is a 3-level altitude effect.
Effect1. This is the effect that plays when the vehicle is travelling at its ODF-set Altitude.
Effect2. This effect plays when a vehicle is travelling BELOW its set altitude, and makes the effect thicker, maybe adding deep chunks of dirt or sand into the mix.
Effect3. This effect plays when a vehicle is travelling ABOVE its set altitude, this makes the effect grow gradually lighter.
The above system makes dust trails look MUCH more realistic.
Colouring Dust Trails To MapsIn Serenesis, i will be using recycler variants on a per-map-colour basis, that will change the colour of dust trails for all units within the variant. Inheritance makes this much less heavy on filesize.
You dont want 'dust' on a snow map for example, you might want a more white snowy spray instead? Perhaps to leave a light indent where the snow has moved? However on youre 'mire' map, you want light brown or green dust to be kicked up right?
This is easy to achieve by making a master recycler variant, then making inherited variants that change the dust trails on a per-map basis. It is probably best NOT to use AUTOREG files in this instance, but to use a text file of the recycler list for each map, or by having a 'snow map' recycler variant, a 'grass map' recycler variant etc etc.
Weather ImprovementsMaps are nearly always missing weather. Weather will make youre map feel MUCH more interactive, and really brings you into the world. However what if a storm isnt enough? What if you want the weather to REALLY effect the playability.
Wind can be generated with weapon mines or flare mines, which fire a very light magnet ordnance at high speed. You can place these mines on cliff edges in the mountains, or in the valleys of youre map. Granted you will need to use a LOT of them, and they will NOT cope with multiplayer very well, but in single player these will GREATLY better you're gameplay
Lightning flashes that produce EMP's, Damage units, maybe even go for electronic systems before aiming pointlesly at the ground? This can be done with weapon mines and radar poppers.
It is VERY easy to make youre map MUCH more interactive. You WILL see all of this in Serenesis, now maybe you can see it in the 1.3 CP as well
