Something I think is missing from the Foundry, and STO in general for that matter, is the ability to get up close to a star. We can have stars in the backdrops, but that's it. Think about the cool things you could do around a star. Remember the cool episodes like when Beverly flew through one to figure out a murder mystery, or when Worf and company caused one to erupt, destroying Dominion shipyards.

So I'm issuing a challenge to all you lunatic map builders out there:

Build a map where the player can get up close to a star.

I say "close" but I leave the interpretation of that up to you since scale is a little fudged in STO. Also since in the real universe a star would be too bright to get close to, for our purposes we'll assume that the user interface includes some kind of filter to allow us to view it safely

Use whatever methods you can think of, be they particular lighting schemes on a planet model or different background combinations. Be creative! Experiment! and post your screens and exactly how you did it here, since the point is for everyone to be able to use it.

I may even come up with a prize!

There is no (dont think so anyway) star props.. and making a custom one ruins the map (imo)

though I could set the map brightness to pure yellow then use the atmospheric (white backdrop) background.... then again... pure white = headache = ouchie.... still if i could get it spotlighted I suppose the profits of paracetamol would go up.

Isn't the bepi 113 backrop available?

There isn't, that's the point of the contest. Cryptic hasn't done it, therefor we must. And yeah, doing it without giving people headaches would be a plus.

I confess I'm unfamiliar with that backdrop.

its the mission where you go back in time to Drozana.. you fly around a "star"

I'd forgotten all about that. Is that in the Foundry? I don't recall seeing it.

nope.


Changing the background colours for some reason dosn't effect planets.... so.. thats Idea number 1 gone...


I have a second idea.. but its so stupidly bright.

no no it isn't....

Oh really? Hm where did i see that then?

Idea number 2 looks promising ... that is unless you go to the edge of the map. then you'll just go.... "oh he did X and spammed Y and now I have a headache!"