Thrust issues?

[who?]

Anyone else think we could do with a lot more variety when it comes to thrusters?

I was watching a canyon running video a while back, and after a while the audio was really starting to grate - because the Cmdr was (obviously) spamming the boost button. That's what everyone does when they want to go fast, 4 pips to thrust and spam the boost button endlessly. Gets a bit boring after a while though. How about some outfitting (or engineering) options, spice things up? Spitballing some ideas here (apologies if I totally break combat!) :

• Faster, boostless thruster: faster than normal thrust, but without any boost.
• Long boost thruster: longer, faster boost, but with longer recharge periods in between boosts too.
• Non-topspeed-limited thruster: can reach very high speeds, but acceleration is far slower (could do a high-seed strafing attack, but speeds bleeds off quickly when turning for a 2nd run)
• Heat limited thruster: can reach high speeds, but need to manage heat @ full throttle with heatsinks or by throttling down occasionally.
• Fuel limited thruster: like an afterburner, gain a lot of speed at the cost of burning off fuel at a far higher rate.
• Agility/Speed optimised thrusters: trade speed for better combat agility (roll/pitch/yaw rate), or trade agility for speed.

I'd especially like the non-limited thruster for surface exploration.

 

[CMDR DragonHorn]

I asked a while back about why boost works the way it is. Answers were pretty vague, more like coming to "tradition" and something about PVP, which doesn't make any sense, since people would adjust very quick and easy.

It bugs me all the way. I mean, back in a day, when engineering wasn't a thing, we were restricted on how we could boost. No you can strap freaking D rated Distrie, engineer it to engine focused and boost all day with PIP recharging in an instant.

It really must re-configured into holding button and PIPs draining as you do. SRVs already work like that. Even sound doesn't need much tinkering, boost sound is already there, extend burn track duration and apply cut as you release the button, rinse-repeat.

When I fly around bodies to POIs 200-500 km away, constantly mashing boost button looks ridiculous.

 

[here_it_comes]

Yeah, more variety would be nice. But, in all honesty, I don't see them changing engineering to such a degree. I'd be amazed if we got some engineering balancing at this point.

When I fly around bodies to POIs 200-500 km away, constantly mashing boost button looks ridiculous

Re-entering supercruise is faster by an enormous margin.

 

[rrobes]

It’s like a Deadman’s Switch, FD doesn’t want players falling asleep while boosting so you have to keep pushing on it.

But on the other hand, people have nodded off in SC (stoned, drunk or just tired) and traveled way past their destination.

I guess we should be thankful that we don’t have to keep pushing a button for SC.

 

[Rock Hunter]

Yeah, more variety would be nice. But, in all honesty, I don't see them changing engineering to such a degree. I'd be amazed if we got some engineering balancing at this point.



Re-entering supercruise is faster by an enormous margin.

Absolutely this^

I think I learned this lesson years ago when I first went looking for Dav’s or some such place and dropped out way too far away.

OT -

I had wondered about a non-engineered option regarding this, one which hopefully wouldn’t have an effect on combat or require the engineering shake up that is unlikely anyway. How about if we had an option to extend our boost significantly by powering down our systems or a percentage of power draw? Perhaps even requiring a switch to FA off to extend the thrust duration - though my knowledge of both lore and physics lets me down badly should I be quizzed on either.

 

[Arindor]

Aaah, thrust issues not THRUST issues ... thought thread was discussing medical problems.

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

Aaah, thrust issues not THRUST issues ... thought thread was discussing medical problems.

Well, when I saw the thread, my first thought was that the OP was being bothered by Cmdr Thrust from Bradford.

On the actual premise though, yes some more variety on engines like that would be nice.

No boost would probably have been a good idea for those really fast little drives (can't remember what they're called, but you had to get them from engineers). That would have helped with immersion and believability in terms of handling the g-forces of acceleration too.

 

[Madrax573]

Non limited thrust won't happen.

It's not a break PvP thing it break the game engine thing as it won't be able to keep up rendering the space around you if you are doing a few hundred thousand klicks/s through space.

I would like the boost mechanic to be reworked though. I'd prefer it to be a 'charge' thing. Hold it down to get enhanced thrust out of any thrusters you are using not just the main ones etc requiring a special technique to get that boost to the lats/verts etc.
So it's more like an afterburner thing. Hold it down and press left thrust to get enhanced thrust to your left thrusters specifically type of thing.

 

[who?]

Non limited thrust won't happen.

It's not a break PvP thing it break the game engine thing as it won't be able to keep up rendering the space around you if you are doing a few hundred thousand klicks/s through space.

I would like the boost mechanic to be reworked though. I'd prefer it to be a 'charge' thing. Hold it down to get enhanced thrust out of any thrusters you are using not just the main ones etc requiring a special technique to get that boost to the lats/verts etc.
So it's more like an afterburner thing. Hold it down and press left thrust to get enhanced thrust to your left thrusters specifically type of thing.

Well, I'd imagine having high-speed passes like that where you can't be caught would be a griefer's dream.. But yeah I did think about the performance issues. I wouldn't think it's an issue in space, given there's very little being rendered - unless you're in rings or near a station. On the surface though I get your point 100%, especially in Odyssey with more detailed surfaces.

I know you can supercruise around much faster, but at a greater altitude where you're probably rendering at a lower level of detail.

 

[who?]

Yeah, more variety would be nice. But, in all honesty, I don't see them changing engineering to such a degree. I'd be amazed if we got some engineering balancing at this point.



Re-entering supercruise is faster by an enormous margin.

It definitely is, though it's also pretty awkward, you have to fly up above the drop altitude, engage the FSD, and fly around the body being careful not to accidentally hit the drop altitude marker and have to do it all over again, with cooldowns & wind-ups.

If there were an option to disengage safety and not automatically drop out of supercruise when you hit that altitude, I'd take that.

 

[here_it_comes]

It definitely is, though it's also pretty awkward...

Do you use headtracking? Makes operations like these very smooth and natural.

 

[Madrax573]

Well, I'd imagine having high-speed passes like that where you can't be caught would be a griefer's dream.. But yeah I did think about the performance issues. I wouldn't think it's an issue in space, given there's very little being rendered - unless you're in rings or near a station. On the surface though I get your point 100%, especially in Odyssey with more detailed surfaces.

I know you can supercruise around much faster, but at a greater altitude where you're probably rendering at a lower level of detail.

Also don't forget lag.

if you are travelling at 100 of km/s but you have 300+ ping that translates to silly distances just between ships... if you think ping ponging is bad currently it would be blooming impossible at those kind of intrastellar speeds..