Backwards view wrong in supercruise?

[Avulon]

You aren't actually "seeing" anything... what you "See" in Supercruise is actually a computer-generated simulation of the surroundings, projected onto the cockpit panelling (or on your helmet visor if the cockpit is blown out) by your ship's computer. This is why relativistic visual effects are not apparent.

In terms of "what a faster-than-light starship would actually see", I believe the answer is "nothing". If it's faster than light, then looking behind would see nothing - but looking to the side would see nothing either, while looking in front would just be a bright point directly ahead, a singularity of extremely intense gamma radiation. Although a "warp bubble" or Alcubierre drive would separate itself from the regular normal-space universe entirely while in operation, so you would "see" absolutely nothing.

This thread should probably be moved from BGS to Lore, though. Reported for relocation.

Hi @Sapyx, Thanks for your thoughts, which are much what I was thinking, The sights to the side would go black the faster above 1c you're travelling, or rather the sight begind would be a growing circle of black as you start outrunning light from the stars behind and then the sides. The stars in front should coaliesce into a gradually smaller disc ahead (dependent on speed) and also colour shift (so could well dissappear when speed means their colour is out of visual range. As far as the canopy computer simulated view. I have experience of a blown out canopy and can confirm that this isn't what is happening. The stars ahead remain - we just lose all targetting overlay, orbit lines and gravity wells.

It's been interesting reading what everyone's thoughts are though.

The 'Matrix' simulation of in-game.... did give me a chuckle.

 

[Avulon]

Putting aside the obvious fact that this is a computer game, our ships don't actually travel faster than light.

The FSD drive works by compressing spacetime around the ship in a bubble, shortening distances between two points while the ship moves at a normal speed. That means that your ship in Elite is *not* moving above relativistic speeds -- it is indeed flying just as fast as you do in normal space -- but the compression bubble pulling space around together makes you move much further than you normally do.

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/106861-DCello-s-Science-Guide-to-the-Galaxy

@Sapyx - Where did you read about the outside visuals being simulated? I have never heard of that being mentioned.

Excellent answer - and backed up with link to canon Many thanks!