TL;DR
Smoke for rocket launches.What?
Rockets, at least those at lift-off from planet-surface, could use some smoke.It has been mentioned 14382 before but it was from a very old post, so i thought it might be worth re-kindling it.
Why?
For those who have yet to launch their first rocket, the experience can feel somewhat underwhelming—at times, it feels less like a grand event and more like watching a static 'PNG' slowly slide upward. You invest significant tension and resources into that moment when the gantry gates finally open, but the transition from anticipation to liftoff often lacks the cinematic punch the build-up deserves. The rocket rises, the audio swells, and it ascends toward 'engineer-gods-knows-where,' yet the climax feels strangely hollow.The excitement often dissipates long before the actual accomplishment or the 'Game Completed' screen appears. This is exacerbated by the stagnant waiting period—the rocket stands there, erect and idle, while you load cargo or fiddle with final preparations. By the time you finally press that launch button, much of the initial momentum has faded. While the audio and small visual details do some heavy lifting, the experience remains incomplete because it lacks the one 'big detail' that defines a true launch: the massive, rolling plumes of smoke that should signal a monumental departure.
I believe this could be achieved with relatively little effort. While there are certainly 'stretch goals'—such as custom sprites for smoke or launch-site effects—a base-level improvement would benefit every player. It would drastically enhance the first-time player experience. For veterans with mega-bases who might worry about obstructed vision, a simple, low-cost research tech could allow them to disable or reduce the smoke effects. This could even be paired with a 'faster launch' research node, giving players an incentive to transition toward that cleaner visual style as they progress.
