I would try to initiate a discussion arround the game itself.
My first feedback : @InovaeFlavien I personally think that the atmosphere of the earth like moon should be really bigger ; even when you think you entered into, it still is really dark, like if the atmosphere was too poor, I feel.
Am I alone ?
The Earth-like moon was, dimension and atmosphere (excluding color) wise, modelled after our Earthâs. Its thickness is the same than in reality. People just donât seem to realize how thin it is in reality. Thereâs a reason why the sky becomes dark/black when youâre standing on top of Mt. Everest 
According to wikipedia, the Earthâs atmosphere is as thin as 120km, and 3/4 of this atmosphere is within the first 11km from the ground.
Both are a ridiculously small distance, especially when we consider a spaceship that can exit the planet on a straight vertical.
Yeah also consider that helicopters stop working way before the peak of Everest because the atmosphere is just too thin for them.
Youâre not alone - I have seen a handful of comments on Youtube videos thinking the same thing.
There were also various comments on what people think looks realistic in response to the 2010 tech demo. The fact is that what people think realistic looks like is very often incorrect.
It would be cool if someone with access to the prototype has the time (looking at you @TARS) could do a side by side video of the prototype against a video of a balloon ascending or footage from the ISS. - The trouble is trying to find some footage with minimal cloud cover.
Thats a cool idea, I will definitely try that.
I didnât said it was not realistic, I know that our atmosphere is thin (60km maybe ?), but it leaves a bad feeling, like if even if you entered in atmosphere, youâre still in space or the atmosphere is really poor. I just think a larger stratosphere would offer a better âsensationâ or feeling. But I know itâs because of scale.
What are the different ways to modify atmoshpere of a moon or planet for the engine ? Maybe playing with density could offer a better âcutâ between space and atmosphere ? I think this is this feeling that is a little missing.
Or maybe the probleme is beceause there isnât enough thing to understand well what is the size of the Helion. I imagine it 4m highâŚ
definitely the question is scale 
Doesnât it boil down to a personal thing then? I mean, I donât mind it how it is now and actually prefer realism when it comes to these things.
A feedback is a personal feeling. If other people had the same feeling, maybe thereâs something to study.
I prefer realism a lot too, but a game can be too much realistic.If somebody stole my Hellion because I let the keys on, Iâm not sure itâs fun (well ok this example seems fun, but you got it).
Here, Iâm sure that there is a realistic balance where parameters handling atmosphere offer a better feeling on this moon.
What we know about realism is really poor too, donât forget that.
Having a âcutâ or imaginary boundary where space ends and a thick atmosphere begins would be super unrealistic and would mean anyone trying to just fly at the planet at speed would hit a wall of atmosphere. With a realistic atmosphere that gets exponentially? thinner further out, deceleration is gradual which I think makes for better gameplay.
If you give the moon more atmosphere but keep the realistic density distribution, itâd be really dense near the ground and there would still not be this more obvious bubble/space-air-boundary that it sounds like you feel is desirable.
In summary, I think itâs good just the way it is.
What do you mean?
Our only experience of what is reality we take it from Earth.
My english doesnât help me to be understandable really sorry. I use the term cut because I donât know how to say.
I mean that I want to feel that Iâm no more in space when Iâm in low atmosphere. The problem here is that when you think you are in stratosphere your in fact much higher and because of the miss of more things like trees you donât feel the real scale of what you see.
You begin to feel it when youâre at 300m near the ground and begin to see trees popping. So, in terms of game experience, I think an increased density or at least a higher tall of this atmosphere could give a better feeling, without being unrealistic. Thereâs probably exoplanets with this kind of atmosphere somewhere in the real universe
I think the atmosphere looks really great as-is. I see no reason the game should perpetuate bad thinking on the part of the player base, especially over something that doesnât endanger game balance or core game mechanics. True scale is a major part of the marketing here. âTrue scale except when who donât know what the world looks like think it looks funnyâ is silly.
I didnât say that. I just think that something is missing to make the user feel that he really is in atmosphere. Maybe the cause is the scale of the Hellion (I would like to now its size) I misunderstood, or the fact that there is no volumetric cloudsâŚ
But something bothers me, essentially because I feel something unrealistic. So donât be haughty with me please. I grew up in the same world, I also know what it looks like.
What I want to feel is that there is a sky above clouds, and one below like in real life (Iâm talking about feelings, I know thereâs not two skies, calm down Kichae). In every video showing entry on this particular moon, something bothers me.
Just an exampleâŚ
Can somebody tell me what is the size of the Hellion according to this image ? Note that the sky (ok itâs not a photo, but still) is not completely dark. For the moment, I have the feeling that in terms of scale, this moment in the entry and after is missing.
Clouds would really help the sense of scale, but on that little diagram, clouds are around the peak of Everest. They wouldnât help the âissueâ youâre describing.
That peak dead ahead at 0:45 in this video is about the same height as Everest⌠Now rewind and imagine the clouds down there as you enter and watch the altimeter on the right.
look at 1:02 weâre under clouds (under stratus) and the sky is still really dark I think⌠if it depends of star position I agree, but I never seen a lighter (âplus clair ?â) sky at this altitude on this moon for the moment.
Maybe itâs because of the luminousity of my screen
Clouds are the only atmospheric feature that is large enough to communicate scale when viewing a planetâs atmosphere from any appreciable distance.
Thatâs whatâs missing to retain that sense of âHey, thereâs an atmosphereâ. Youâll get contact feedback from a change in handling, heating of the ship during interfaces, etc, but visually itâs all about the clouds. The shadows are the big giveaway. Shadows of the clouds on themselves and shadows of the clouds on the ground.
I doubt that making the atmosphere layer thicker or even making the whole thing dusty would accomplish much. Itâs the clouds that remind us that the air is there.
In the prototype, the contrails are definitely a great help in suggesting that the ships are in some sort of medium.
Edit: Iâll add that introducing non-cloud variation to the atmosphere would be an inexpensive way to introduce features to it. So instead of the atmosphere being uniformly transparent, muddied, dusty, etc, go with some procedural variation of that stuff. I donât know what it would end up looking like, but itâs something to try. Perhaps just layers of dustiness in different areas and at different altitudes. Not clouds, but dust or pollution or some sort.
But maybe for the moment modifying the atmosphere parameters could be a good workaround ?
Feel free for other feedbacksâŚ
About shadows, is the big shadow apearing sometimes when you fly over a mountain is a known issue ? Did anybody else seen it ?
