This is what happens when a nuke goes off in an atmosphere: This is why: I've highlighted some important stuff. Mushroom clouds are mushroomy because AIR and there isn't a huge quantity of that floating around space (no that giant methane cloud you read about the other week doesn't count). So if a nuke (or a commander) explodes in space, it should be a sphere. I'm sure the art department can have fun with "nukes but different cuz SPACE". When it comes to pyrocumulus clouds of nuclear origin, there isn't mushroom for error. Hehehehehehehehehe.
Actually, a nuke in space would look like a giant bright flash, and that's about it. The mushroom cloud is a product of the dust being kicked up by the shockwave of the initial explosion and resulting updraft like you mentioned. High altitude nukes are kind of interesting, but is a compression of water vapor in the atmosphere creation clouds. The same circle of clouds you'll sometimes get on the "ground" nukes (which aren't really on the ground, they're several hundred feet in the air). Almost any nuclear explosion under several km will result in a mushroom cloud. Also, with the lack of atmosphere, technically things like rocket jets and muzzle flashes shouldn't exist either. Those exist because of atmosphere as well. But as we live in an environment with an atmosphere and if we don't see those visual cues it feels weird. (See moon landing conspiracy nuts complaining about the lander takeoff video.) That said, there does need to be a nuke explosions that's in-air at some point ... mainly because of the commander and the astraeus.
Dunno why you said "actually" but yay! Also might want to add "material-dense warhead" in the lore or something like that because otherwise people who know their stuff will be rather perplexed as to how the nuke is doing damage without air to propagate a shockwave. If the nuke is packed with "stuff" then that "stuff" can go flying in all directions upon detonation and break things.
The moon landings were faked END OF.. Because no where did we flipping see the clangers and because the moon was SUPPOSEDLY MADE OUT OF "DUST" . WHERE IS THE EFFING CHEESE? BECAUSE WALLACE AND EFFING GROMIT DO NOT LIE ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE MOON IS MADE OUT OF CHEESE !
doesn't that happen already but with the Commander nuke at the orbital layer, at least it did for me once. looks a bit odd though naturally. Edit - pic
I was thinking of stuff like this and came to the conclusion that avenger fire would have to be extremely powerful to directly kill the commander in the astraeus. Why not have the commander fall to it's death? It would be fun to see a commander flail around as it drops to the ground and finally explodes Oh yeah and also it would be fun to see a commander drop into a gas giant and a few moments later see a little blue light coming from the inside of the gas giant. hehehe But if the astraeus gets hit with a nuke while carrying a low health commander, then why not have the same looking explosions as the nuke would in space? Just my thoughts and ideas
I assume that's what was meant. So there needs to be a different graphical effect to avoid that weirdness.
Here are some things to consider though OP: There is something as an nuclear explosion in space, it has even been tested by both the US and the Soviet armies in the Cold War crisis... Here is quite an elaborate (albeit Wikipedia-) article about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-altitude_nuclear_explosion This is also what happens when a nuclear warhead is detonated into the upper atmosphere and even farther than that (highest recorded detonation was 553 km, or 343.61 miles above the planets surface). Here's a youtube vid for reference: * Watch from around 1:10min and see an explosion at around 10-15km (airliner hight), it still makes a "mushroom" cloud but just not with a solid base, as it can only gather clouds and air to make it's shape... Watch till around 2:50. * At around 4:30 you'll see the exoatmospheric effect... It still gathers whatever air and water it can find but it explodes spherically once gravity no longer has 'any' effect on the detonation... Hope you this can help solve the graphical issues, as all 3 possibilities are actully possible (mushroom, mushroom without a base, and spherical)
