Voted no bar, unobstructed center view is super important for fighter craft. Lots of good suggestions here how to modify the remaining side bars and/or the glass on glass edge to make it look less weird. I also would not mind if the side bars were more slim.
Obviously no bar, having something in front of you is really bad. For an example of this go fly a Valkyri in Planetside 2 to see what is like to have a thick bar in the middle of it. I liked JB47394ās and Naibaās suggestions.
Iām not sure what we are voting exactly. Will the cockpit look exactly as the second picture if we vote no or will the design be reviewed?
I was one of the barās detractors on the last thread but that second picture looks damn weird.
Iād like to hear opinions from people who have actually tried the current version. How does the bar feel while playing? Is it really problematic?
I think the cockpitās design looks strange from the outside already:
When I see that picture it looks weird to think that the pilotās main view goes through the top glass. It doesnāt feel right and the problem shows from the inside when you see that bar on the center of the viewport.
I believe the (potential) issue can be solved while keeping the current low-tech aesthetic, be it adjusting the position of the pilot, changing the framing of the cockpit a bit, etc.
Itās problematic, the dev-tier backers have been pushing the devs into removing the bar for some time now, we are overwhelmingly in agreement that itās not functional right in the middle of the cockpit frontal view. I was actually a bit surprised that this poll was posted in the open forum section as it includes people that have not experienced the problem firsthand.
However this is a very welcoming and positive action from the devs to have presented this as a vote to the community, I hope this happens again with other issues too.
3 Likes
Hereās one possible solution that might be worth doing a mock up on.
The front glass is tilted back.
What happens when itās tilted forward, like the corvette?
While I completely agree that the bar-less version as presented looks bad, I voted āNot to barā simply as a vote for a less obstructed view.
Iām confident that the devs agree that simply chopping the bar out looks bad and would need additional work.
As others have suggested, I think further rearranging of the cockpit frame is required.
Rather than removing the horizontal bar, I think it should be lowered to be behind the top of the instruments.
The side bars should have their thickness reduced slightly and their angle made more vertical.
I believe this would be fully consistent with the exterior geometry.
Here is a rough mockup:
This is a GIMPed composite of these: Wallpaper - Give Us Your Best Shot! (Image Intensive)
Edit:
Using the source image from this thread. Please excuse the slapdash use of the clone/stamp tool 
5 Likes
I might be responsible for the crude chop, sorry. 
I donāt care what the final cockpit looks at this point, bar or no bar, but please donāt put stuff in the middle zone. It is mandatory that this zone stays clear of obstruction.
3 Likes
Keep bar but make them all thinner.
1 Like
Simply removing the bar is the easiest path towards regaining visibility in the center view, and thatās something that I greatly desire.
This creates a somewhat jarring aesthetic, though. Unfortunately, I canāt think of anyway to adjust it without requiring a certain amount of redesign of the external cockpit as well as internal, which is no small amount of work.
I do like the external aesthetic of the cockpit as it is, and the only way to keep it is to simply find a way to move the internal seat downward and possibly some forward. Alas, thereās quite a bit of detail work down there, and Iām sure itās fitted to that vertical height.
Ultimately, the devs will have to decide on how much time they can afford to spend on it versus the return on effort. I would put forward that the interceptor is ultimately going to be the most used craft in the game and likely the playerās first and most lasting impression.
1 Like
Maybe stick a video projector in the cockpit to project an image onto the back of the frame for a better view? 
tbh i think it looks perfect without the bar, it gives me the feeling that some of the mechwarrior 3 cockpits did with their geometry. maybe itās just nostalgia but i view that as a good thing
1 Like
Hereās a rough mockup of what I was thinking. Little details will help further define the identity of the cockpit and also help ālegitimiseā the structural integrity without radically changing the model silhouette from the outside.
6 Likes
That coupled with a visible bend in the glass would be the easiest way to remove the bar without ruining the cockpit IMO.
That is once again intrusive imo, if we are going for minimum work, just a bend like the one @tars suggested would be fine.
1 Like
Iām not a fan of the bend idea because distortion is just as bad as obstruction for me.
Iām surprised no one has commented on my suggestion as I think it provides the most view improvement without changing the exterior geometry.
Do people disagree?
Original:
Suggestion:
4 Likes
āNot to barā looks aesthetically WRONG, like the artist/designer didnāt finish it.
But the āTo barā is going to be horrible to fly, if that is really your normal point of view (some actual explanation would have helped, not everyone follows all the forum posts).
Some of the mock-ups of alternative solutions (by other people) might provide a good solution. Iāve ālikedā those.
P.S. I didnāt mean to vote, but apparently selecting āNot to barā does so, without even needing to select a Submit button (that Iāve seen in polls on every other website ever). Also (if you are in a hurry) itās confusing that the two voting options are the opposite way around to the two pictures.
