Planets... or billiard balls?

[Wydraz]

I am impressed with the smoothness of the models displaying planets, and the graphics are good, but when you get close, you realize these 'planets' are rather small compared to your ship. They resemble billiard balls more than planets.

When a planet is between your ship and a star, it becomes hard to spot because its so dark. Perhaps not unrealistic, but then they become invisible death dealers.

I'd like to see planets change in three ways.

1. Make 'em bigger!

2. Give them an atmosphere! Visually representing an atmosphere will make them easier to spot from the dark side, and also make them look more like planets.

3. Have the interaction between planets and your ship a little better. There should be some kind of warning or buffer zone between being close to a planet and suddenly exploding. In reality you'd have plenty of warning. Gravity, atmosphereic buffetting, heat... your on-board computer would trigger the klaxxons and give you a chance to steer clear (if it didn't do it for you)!

On a similar note, if you run into an asteroid that is smaller than your ship, and you had powerful shields, and you went really, REALLY slow, would you explode? Maybe - if your ship was made of paper and you had nitroglycerin in your cargo hold.