These two ships have rear engines that rotate 30 degrees or so downward, but even with no similar rotation of engines upward, the flight model doesn't change, treating engine thrust as though it is still facing directly rearward.
Please, Frontier, if you are going to depict variable geometry craft, with engines that can change their facing, then model appropriate flight-model changes. It could be that these engines cut out when landing gear deployed, or the nacelle could rotate down and the exhaust nozzle angles upward to remain facing aft, or that other thrusters on the ship angle upwards to compensate.
I think many people prefer Elite to other spaceflight offerings because Elite offers some attempt to remain grounded in real physics, and this current dissonance between appearance and physics feels like a slap in the face to us.
The Keelback also bears rotating nacelles, but only partially modelled. When the ship rolls, they rotate just fine, but they offer no pitch response, nor do they offer any translational response or reaction to local gravity. The Keelback should also probably bear engines that rotate downward when landing gear deployed, offering a ship particularly suited to high-g environments.
Please consider updating the flight model to reflect geometric arrangement and relative size of engines. Even if all that entails is cutting rotated engines off when gear deployed.
Please, Frontier, if you are going to depict variable geometry craft, with engines that can change their facing, then model appropriate flight-model changes. It could be that these engines cut out when landing gear deployed, or the nacelle could rotate down and the exhaust nozzle angles upward to remain facing aft, or that other thrusters on the ship angle upwards to compensate.
I think many people prefer Elite to other spaceflight offerings because Elite offers some attempt to remain grounded in real physics, and this current dissonance between appearance and physics feels like a slap in the face to us.
The Keelback also bears rotating nacelles, but only partially modelled. When the ship rolls, they rotate just fine, but they offer no pitch response, nor do they offer any translational response or reaction to local gravity. The Keelback should also probably bear engines that rotate downward when landing gear deployed, offering a ship particularly suited to high-g environments.
Please consider updating the flight model to reflect geometric arrangement and relative size of engines. Even if all that entails is cutting rotated engines off when gear deployed.
