Flight Direction Indicator.

[Fizzatron]

great simulation where in space the spaceship gets slower and slower as soon as you turn off the thrusters after accelerating.

With FA off you can drift continuously, though unfortunately you can't then boost to go faster and faster.

 

[Morbad]

I wonder how people managed to FA Off (most of them going full time FA Off) until now, without any other proper FDI except particles
One would say that lacking proper FDI is a non-issue.

Or as they say: We have solutions, you just need to make up problems.

There are several ways to infer ones relative vector in the current game, with particles/space dust often being below other visual cues (the first and foremost indicator is one's terrain or target, not the dust) and even the one-dimensional velocity indicator (which tells how fast you are going relative to the velocity soft-cap and whether it's broadly forward or reverse) in utility.

Being able to manage with what we have doesn't even come close to implying that what we have is ideal. I can certainly manage without a real indicator, but it's absence is still conspicuous and largely inexplicable. We have HUD indicators for direction of incoming fire, direction to target, and rotational inputs, but no indicator of current thrust vector, and the intended movement vector indicator is simulated clutter? This is nuts and always has been, no matter how good one has become with the status quo.

There was a vector indicator in the ED alpha, though it wasn't a very good one. I'd prefer a small indicator arrow as part of the HUD, preferably near the center of the screen. Jumpgate, for example, had a small, yellow 3D arrow just above the center of the screen that showed the vessel's current movement vector:

ED, or any other game that also allows one to apply thrust in any direction should also have an indicator for that, for more immediate feedback than ship motion, and more precision than making inferences purely from control inputs.

 

[Northpin]

I just said what we have (particles indicator) was enough for 7+ years. Not even i, a really mediocre FA Off dude that cannot land in FA-Off, not even i'm missing it.
And i'm not blaming my FA Off inability on the lack of a distinct FDI

I also think that sensorial overload is a thing.
The particles are quite inconspicuous while still doing their job. a distinct indicator placed somewhere not-in-our-face will be not exactly helpful since it will require our sight to be focused in that area of the screen, missing the bigger picture or it wont be seen at all if we focus on the big picture.

I might be wrong tho.

 

[LumpTheNoLeggedDog]

Another thing is, most likely they wouldn't even know how to do it and they would break some things while doing it. LOL