Irksome lack of suspension of disbelief

[Batoh]

I understand the need for immersion. But also there is a need for game mechanics to make sense.

When I boost in zero G and I don't keep going at the new speed I'm thinking "aircrafts in space" and I'm taken out of the game momentarily.
When I get a chance to increase rep with the top faction of the agriculture planet in the middle of the boom, and it's that faction begging for free food, I'm taken out of the game as I wonder if the devs even put any rules for what goes or doesn't go on a ports BB.
When I'm looking to lock on destinations and have to scroll through a bunch of "seeking luxury" destinations which, as far as I can tell, are orbital box malls. I wonder why the Devs wouldn't use the commodities market and increase prices (boom style price inflation) and BB to satisfy boom demand (for items not normally listed on the Market).

I'd really like to see the market/economic model and vehicle mechanics tweaked in future patches.

Is there an item that takes you, "out of the game" during play?

Cheers,

 

[Ravenov]

Finding a lone NPC sidewinder at a USS 700ly from the nearest inhabited system ... without a fuel scoop.

 

[anikaiful]

I understand the need for immersion. But also there is a need for game mechanics to make sense.

When I boost in zero G and I don't keep going at the new speed I'm thinking "aircrafts in space" and I'm taken out of the game momentarily.
When I get a chance to increase rep with the top faction of the agriculture planet in the middle of the boom, and it's that faction begging for free food, I'm taken out of the game as I wonder if the devs even put any rules for what goes or doesn't go on a ports BB.
When I'm looking to lock on destinations and have to scroll through a bunch of "seeking luxury" destinations which, as far as I can tell, are orbital box malls. I wonder why the Devs wouldn't use the commodities market and increase prices (boom style price inflation) and BB to satisfy boom demand (for items not normally listed on the Market).

I'd really like to see the market/economic model and vehicle mechanics tweaked in future patches.

Is there an item that takes you, "out of the game" during play?

Cheers,

About them Seeking Luxuries ... some of those belong to factions which have been literally kicked out of the system by the dominant faction - dominant holding 100% influence, leaving 0% for the losers.

 

[Han Yolo]

yea, the fact that you have to face your target in order to get basic sensor data like name and such.

 

[Drathmar]

When I boost in zero G and I don't keep going at the new speed I'm thinking "aircrafts in space" and I'm taken out of the game momentarily.

That was changed just because it was over powered in combat and running away with crafts that have somewhat low top speed but high boost speed (cobra). If you just mean in general and not just boost, flight assist off does everything else that it should for flying in space.

 

[Batoh]

Could be better balanced by reducing boosts, maybe?

 

[TheEponymousBob]

That was changed just because it was over powered in combat and running away with crafts that have somewhat low top speed but high boost speed (cobra). If you just mean in general and not just boost, flight assist off does everything else that it should for flying in space.

Yes, that was one of the few times I had to reluctantly agree with a semi-realistic mechanic being removed. Glad it was only the boost, though.

 

[Zvanya]

Asteroid fields strain my suspension of disbelief ever since I first saw one in Star Wars and thought "Whaaaat? That's not right!"

I've pretty much gotten past it, and I concede it makes for lots of cool gameplay. I just get a twinge once in awhile, like now when you reminded me with suspension of disbelief.

 

[Cowboy Bats]

Could be better balanced by reducing boosts, maybe?

Or they could leave it like it is. I've flown realistic zero G simulators before. It would be a snoozefest as a game. It's a math heavy science to actually fly in space. FD would sell 6 copies to NASA washouts and that would be it. Not every real world mechanic translates well to gameplay. Really, it's ok to bend the rules for entertainment.

 

[vonvonbraun]

Or they could leave it like it is. I've flown realistic zero G simulators before. It would be a snoozefest as a game. It's a math heavy science to actually fly in space. FD would sell 6 copies to NASA washouts and that would be it. Not every real world mechanic translates well to gameplay. Really, it's ok to bend the rules for entertainment.

Well said

 

[deMangler]

It is the inconsistencies that are the killer. I prefer the original still for immersion - there isn't so much "content" messing with your imagination.
I am not at all disparaging what FD have achieved - it is amazing and beautiful. I suppose the trade off is eye candy and fluff over immersion. I am not complaining.
I do hope that as the background sim evolves the inconsistencies get ironed out though.
It is early days.

 

[Queebatron]

So I ran into some of those Seeking Luxuries ships--three of them as a matter of fact. How is one supposed to interact with them? Buy something spendy, then abandon it, they scoop it up and pay you (presumably a premium price)?

 

[Dogoncrook]

Or they could leave it like it is. I've flown realistic zero G simulators before. It would be a snoozefest as a game. It's a math heavy science to actually fly in space. FD would sell 6 copies to NASA washouts and that would be it. Not every real world mechanic translates well to gameplay. Really, it's ok to bend the rules for entertainment.

Kerbal says hi

It's rather easy too I've never done a single calculation and I get around just fine.

Not that it would improve this game, just sayin.

 

[Phaedra]

So I ran into some of those Seeking Luxuries ships--three of them as a matter of fact. How is one supposed to interact with them? Buy something spendy, then abandon it, they scoop it up and pay you (presumably a premium price)?

There is a thread on this. Just fly close with some performance enhancers and the deal will happen automatically.

 

[Remiel]

Kerbal says hi

It's rather easy too I've never done a single calculation and I get around just fine.

Not that it would improve this game, just sayin.

We got a KSP warrior here. "I played KSP and that makes me a rocket scientist!" lel, no

Kerbin is also less than half the size of earth, requiring only 4500 dV to establish an orbit, whereas Earth requires 10,500-11,000. Not as easy as you think. Not to mention KSP is still just a game with a lot of physics left out, particularly aerodynamics - you need mods if you want more realism. It's not even CLOSE to what NASA does.

 

[Cowboy Bats]

Kerbal says hi

It's rather easy too I've never done a single calculation and I get around just fine.

Not that it would improve this game, just sayin.

Now you're just making a fool out of yourself. Frictionless environments allow for rapid acceleration, but kinetic energy doesn't change. A human operator of anything from a spacecraft to a eva unit has next to no sense of movement or velocity. Forget Elite speeds, in the real world the difference of a couple meters per second can be life or death for both the equipment and the operator. I'm sure you got around Kerbal just fine sans calculations, but you'd have nothing but lights on events in a genuine simulator without a timer and some way to make calculations.

Which was my point from the get go: Realism can be taken too far when it comes to entertainment. You can rent time in sims in L.A., NYC, or even Vegas, but that's entertainment that appeals to the aforementioned 6 people. I'll never fault a developer for choosing fun when it comes down to choice between fun and realism.

 

[Blast Hardcheese]

Allowing top throttle and boost to just continually accelerate without a cap is absolutely ridiculous. Makes running away too strong.

 

[Richard]

We got a KSP warrior here. "I played KSP and that makes me a rocket scientist!" lel, no

Kerbin is also less than half the size of earth, requiring only 4500 dV to establish an orbit, whereas Earth requires 10,500-11,000. Not as easy as you think. Not to mention KSP is still just a game with a lot of physics left out, particularly aerodynamics - you need mods if you want more realism. It's not even CLOSE to what NASA does.

Hang on - I don't think Dogoncrook was comparing KSP to anything NASA does. He(?) was just making the point that zero-G simulators don't have to be maths heavy. Although KSP only avoids it by having some very nice visual tools for planning trajectories and using patched conics rather than n-body physics. Try playing KSP in IVA mode only without ever looking at the map screen (I haven't!), and I suspect it would quickly get a lot more maths heavy.

 

[Geers]

Hang on - I don't think Dogoncrook was comparing KSP to anything NASA does. He(?) was just making the point that zero-G simulators don't have to be maths heavy. Although KSP only avoids it by having some very nice visual tools for planning trajectories and using patched conics rather than n-body physics. Try playing KSP in IVA mode only without ever looking at the map screen (I haven't!), and I suspect it would quickly get a lot more maths heavy.

For added realism you can try getting Scott Manley on Skype wearing a NASA shirt to act as Mission Control .

 

[Dogoncrook]

I wasn't saying this game would be good with realistic physics just that realistic space combat probably does have an audience. There's a million ways to do it gameplay wise depending on what type of weaponry they allow, but it would be fun to have a weaponized space study SIM. I'd throw money at it. I'd pay far more than I paid for this game as I know it's pretty niche but I it's doable and probably inevitable really. Evchron was partially there, and isn't space engine eventually going for it?

Anyways I'm not a ksp warrior and I know it's not even half as realistic as orbiter (which I've played a lot of sans having to calculate anything) which is probably half realistic as what NASA has, but space flight isn't hard. it's not that complicated, if you let computers crunch the numbers anybody can eventually do it. Mid flight refuelling is hard, space flight is hitting a pip and doing a burn. Currently it's only a challenge because of budgetary concerns, a game can be realistic with a much larger margin of error by calling it the future and some efficient propulsion has been discovered.