Frontier is trying to prove that the flat-earthers are right after all...

[Old Duck]

One of the "proofs" that flat-earthers use to argue the earth isn't round is to say that a plane flying in a straight line, or a long bridge for that matter, would start going up into the air as the earth curves away from underneath. Ironically, this is exactly what happens in ED. When I set my pitch to 0 degrees while flying over a planet (down near the surface in normal space), if I walk away for 20 minutes and come back, I'm way up high altitude because the planet curves down from underneath me. It sure would be nice pitch would stay where I set it.

I'm not asking for autopilot, I'm just asking for my ship to act like any aircraft and maintain a tangent to the force of gravity. What do you think, Frontier, can you make this small change for us? Or do you secretly believe the earth is flat?

 

[Aashenfox]

One of the "proofs" that flat-earthers use to argue the earth isn't round is to say that a plane flying in a straight line, or a long bridge for that matter, would start going up into the air as the earth curves away from underneath. Ironically, this is exactly what happens in ED. When I set my pitch to 0 degrees while flying over a planet (down near the surface in normal space), if I walk away for 20 minutes and come back, I'm way up high altitude because the planet curves down from underneath me. It sure would be nice pitch would stay where I set it.

I'm not asking for autopilot, I'm just asking for my ship to act like any aircraft and maintain a tangent to the force of gravity. What do you think, Frontier, can you make this small change for us? Or do you secretly believe the earth is flat?

That would be just another assist that I would turn off, but I have no objection to the option 'gravity assist' existing.

 

[Captain N]

That argument might not apply to planes flying in an atmosphere, but if you had a rocket-powered ship flying over the surface of an atmosphereless planet, that's exactly what should happen.

 

[Hellakitty]

I believe flight assist has something to do with this. Scott Manley has an old video showing him orbiting a planet with FA-off after reaching escape velocity.

Plus these are airless planets we can land on, so there's one not-unsubstantial force being ignored in the OP that should be taken into consideration.

 

[777Driver]

One of the "proofs" that flat-earthers use to argue the earth isn't round is to say that a plane flying in a straight line, or a long bridge for that matter, would start going up into the air as the earth curves away from underneath. Ironically, this is exactly what happens in ED. When I set my pitch to 0 degrees while flying over a planet (down near the surface in normal space), if I walk away for 20 minutes and come back, I'm way up high altitude because the planet curves down from underneath me. It sure would be nice pitch would stay where I set it.

I'm not asking for autopilot, I'm just asking for my ship to act like any aircraft and maintain a tangent to the force of gravity. What do you think, Frontier, can you make this small change for us? Or do you secretly believe the earth is flat?

What you ask for has been in game since horizons launched, it is part of flight assist. It is disabled when flying with 4 PIPS to engines. I think also setting 75% thrust enables the automation. Basically your ship will always maintain zero degrees pitch, and will also auto roll wings level unless you are at full thrust with all PIPS to engines.

 

[Aashenfox]

Oh yeh, I just relaised now you guys mention it. If you don't have 4 pips to ENG, and you leave the joystick, you are levelled with the virtual horizon automatically. Forgot about that, so yeh, already in there!

@777driver: You must spread some rep around, etc...

 

[Hellakitty]

What you ask for has been in game since horizons launched, it is part of flight assist. It is disabled when flying with 4 PIPS to engines. I think also setting 75% thrust enables the automation. Basically your ship will always maintain zero degrees pitch, and will also auto roll wings level unless you are at full thrust with all PIPS to engines.

Yup, I really dislike that auto correction of pitch and roll, I wish it could be toggled off without going full FA-Off. Either that or I knew which CB to pull in the panel behind me.

 

[nosleepdemon]

That argument might not apply to planes flying in an atmosphere, but if you had a rocket-powered ship flying over the surface of an atmosphereless planet, that's exactly what should happen.

Not necessarily. What should happen varies on the amount of thrust produced by the rocket v.s. the force of gravity on the planet. Just the right amount of gravity and thrust will put you into orbit at your current altitude. Too much thrust and you will gain altitude until you move out of the gravity well. Too little, and you will crash into the planet. Elite probably handles the physics properly, and the OP's ship with flight assist on was able to maintain sufficient momentum against gravity to hold the ship steady and fly straight in the direction it was originally pointed in.

 

[Captain N]

Not necessarily. What should happen varies on the amount of thrust produced by the rocket v.s. the force of gravity on the planet. Just the right amount of gravity and thrust will put you into orbit at your current altitude. Too much thrust and you will gain altitude until you move out of the gravity well. Too little, and you will crash into the planet. Elite probably handles the physics properly, and the OP's ship with flight assist on was able to maintain sufficient momentum against gravity to hold the ship steady and fly straight in the direction it was originally pointed in.

Will not affect pitch.

 

[777Driver]

Not necessarily. What should happen varies on the amount of thrust produced by the rocket v.s. the force of gravity on the planet. Just the right amount of gravity and thrust will put you into orbit at your current altitude. Too much thrust and you will gain altitude until you move out of the gravity well. Too little, and you will crash into the planet. Elite probably handles the physics properly, and the OP's ship with flight assist on was able to maintain sufficient momentum against gravity to hold the ship steady and fly straight in the direction it was originally pointed in.

Read above dude.

 

[Stealthie]

One of the "proofs" that flat-earthers use to argue the earth isn't round is to say that a plane flying in a straight line, or a long bridge for that matter, would start going up into the air as the earth curves away from underneath. Ironically, this is exactly what happens in ED. When I set my pitch to 0 degrees while flying over a planet (down near the surface in normal space), if I walk away for 20 minutes and come back, I'm way up high altitude because the planet curves down from underneath me. It sure would be nice pitch would stay where I set it.

I'm not asking for autopilot, I'm just asking for my ship to act like any aircraft and maintain a tangent to the force of gravity. What do you think, Frontier, can you make this small change for us? Or do you secretly believe the earth is flat?

Thing is, ED's magical thrusters will always be capable of countering any gravitational force applied to a ship.

In real life, an aircraft's engines and lift are in a state of equilibrium with gravity when you're flying straight and level so the aircraft automatically maintains that altitude.

In ED, your thrusters are capable of generating infinite (?) thrust, which supply enough lift to ensure you continue travel in whatever direction your nose is pointing, rather than maintaining any equilibrium.

Basically, if ED displayed any kind of "thruster workload data" it would show the thrusters working harder and harder as the planet "falls away" underneath you and level flight gradually becomes an escape trajectory.

 

[Old Duck]

What you ask for has been in game since horizons launched, it is part of flight assist. It is disabled when flying with 4 PIPS to engines. I think also setting 75% thrust enables the automation. Basically your ship will always maintain zero degrees pitch, and will also auto roll wings level unless you are at full thrust with all PIPS to engines.

Really??? I had no idea! I'll have to give it a try. I'll miss the extra thrust, but if I can wiggle 3.5 pips and the pitch stays level, it's worth it for my long flights. As a flight "simmer" of days past, I sometimes just enjoy going on long flight and enjoying the view. However, I don't want to have to be stuck in my chair for an hour micromanaging the controls. For short stints, I actually prefer being in full control (so I'll need to remember 4 pips to turn this feature off).

Thanks for the tip!

 

[777Driver]

Thing is, ED's magical thrusters will always be capable of countering any gravitational force applied to a ship.

In real life, an aircraft's engines and lift are in a state of equilibrium with gravity when you're flying straight and level so the aircraft automatically maintains that altitude.

In ED, your thrusters are capable of generating infinite (?) thrust, which supply enough lift to ensure you continue travel in whatever direction your nose is pointing, rather than maintaining any equilibrium.

Basically, if ED displayed any kind of "thruster workload data" it would show the thrusters working harder and harder as the planet "falls away" underneath you and level flight gradually becomes an escape trajectory.

In a real aircraft it is stabiliser trim that keeps pitch level hands free (well actually you trim for speed and accept the resulting pitch). In ED ventral thrusters work as trim via flight assist.

 

[Old Duck]

Oh yeh, I just relaised now you guys mention it. If you don't have 4 pips to ENG, and you leave the joystick, you are levelled with the virtual horizon automatically. Forgot about that, so yeh, already in there!

So I'm trying this and it's not working for me.... Is there a setting that needs to be toggled to enable auto-leveling? (Disclaimer: I'm on PS4)

 

[777Driver]

So I'm trying this and it's not working for me.... Is there a setting that needs to be toggled to enable auto-leveling? (Disclaimer: I'm on PS4)

Give me a sec, just engineering some thrusters, I'll launch and test it. Been ages since I tested that part of the flight assist logic. Nothing needs to be toggled, it is/was related to PIP setting and throttle position.

 

[Aashenfox]

So I'm trying this and it's not working for me.... Is there a setting that needs to be toggled to enable auto-leveling? (Disclaimer: I'm on PS4)

Nope, just fly at a slight upward pitch, with 2 pips to everything and leave the joystick/mouse, you will level off. Maybe only when you are under a certain altitude? As mentioned, this was an annoyance for me more than anything else, I didn't observe very keenly its behavior if I'm honest. There may be a related option, but I don't think so.

 

[Old Duck]

Nope, just fly at a slight upward pitch, with 2 pips to everything and leave the joystick/mouse, you will level off. Maybe only when you are under a certain altitude? As mentioned, this was an annoyance for me more than anything else, I didn't observe very keenly its behavior if I'm honest. There may be a related option, but I don't think so.

I've tried above and below 2K, in the blue with 2 pips to engines, and everything is keeping the pitch and roll that I set it to. I guess the PS4 doesn't have the auto-level feature. At least I don't feel so dumb now! [haha]

 

[777Driver]

I've tried above and below 2K, in the blue with 2 pips to engines, and everything is keeping the pitch and roll that I set it to. I guess the PS4 doesn't have the auto-level feature. At least I don't feel so dumb now! [haha]

Strange, just did a quick test outside Palins. Anything below 4 PIPS and the ship automatically pitched down to 0 degrees, at 4 PIPS with 75% Thrust, the ship pitches down to Zero degrees and maintains that pitch. Strange they would remove that from the PS4.

 

[Old Duck]

Strange, just did a quick test outside Palins. Anything below 4 PIPS and the ship automatically pitched down to 0 degrees, at 4 PIPS with 75% Thrust, the ship pitches down to Zero degrees and maintains that pitch. Strange they would remove that from the PS4.

It might be a bug for us. We didn't get a beta, and so 3.0 has a ton of bugs right now. I'll be using my alt account later today, and I'll try it again then. Or it might be just some extra code they decided to take out for the sake of performance on consoles.

 

[777Driver]

It might be a bug for us. We didn't get a beta, and so 3.0 has a ton of bugs right now. I'll be using my alt account later today, and I'll try it again then. Or it might be just some extra code they decided to take out for the sake of performance on consoles.

Are you using an engineered ship with a very high top speed? I have only tested this on big lumbering freighters, perhaps it works differently on smaller faster ships?