Horizons Flight paths for landing

[smartroad]

Since Horizons hit with the ability to land on surface ports I've always thought it would be great to have a HUD view with a projected flight path to landing. Could help finding the platform and would add a little immersion for me, knowing that the tower is actually guiding ships around.

When launching you could also select if you were going to head for orbit or heading around the planet, then a projected course for either could be offered.

I know it doesn't add much to the game, but would make me feel more part of the world, knowing that i have my path to follow (or to totally ignore, with the flight controller adding warnings when off of the path )

 

[Wescott]

For some it would be helpful/immersionist for others myself included totally non essential, while that dose not make it essentially wrong. However, lets face it there are not that many landing pads to choose from with big bright holographic numbers on them, for me its just one more thing to make the experience more "simple" less challenging and each time that happens it removes the need to think and take responsibility regarding what you are actually doing, rather like " self parking cars" clever idea but take away the drivers skill by letting the cars computer do it and the human becomes less skilful and as the old saying goes take responsibility away from people and people become irresponsible. Perhaps if it had an option to switch it on/off then all tastes are accommodated.

 

[smartroad]

As I mentioned in my post it is something that you could ignore can carry on as normal. It would take less time to just ignore it and fly straight to the pad. The challenge would come from following the flight path closely, perhaps with some incentive to do so (if you hit someone who flies into your flight path it doesn't count as much with the fine) as a thank you for flying with care and consideration.

I don't think it compares to a self parking car. You are still flying the ship, you are still responsible for how you are flying, where you are flying, how fast you are flying and how you land. To use an automotive analogy it would be more like having lane markings on a road. All they do is provide a delimited area that (assuming no other idiots on the road) is safe as long as you travel within it. It would be like taking the current docking computer and instead of it doing the work for you, it just shows a path to follow.

Hell when you request docking you could ask for a flight path or not. That way it would cover those of us who like to feel immersed in a living universe and those, like yourself, where it is the game part that is more important

 

[Alex Brentnall]

Something like this?

Spoiler

 

[JetsonRING]

Since Horizons hit with the ability to land on surface ports I've always thought it would be great to have a HUD view with a projected flight path to landing. Could help finding the platform and would add a little immersion for me, knowing that the tower is actually guiding ships around.

When launching you could also select if you were going to head for orbit or heading around the planet, then a projected course for either could be offered.

I know it doesn't add much to the game, but would make me feel more part of the world, knowing that i have my path to follow (or to totally ignore, with the flight controller adding warnings when off of the path )

Completely unnecessary, CMDRs have been landing successfully without "subways in the sky" forever.

 

[Mercury7]

Why do you want the computer to fly it for you? Entering orbit from takeoff if easy - once in SC, just climb to 200-300 km and pitch for zero pitch angle. I do wish there was an orbit-hold mode though.

 

[Tacyon]

"Completely unnecessary, CMDRs have been landing successfully without "subways in the sky" forever." basically true for space stations and surface bases. However, when approaching a outpost where your pad is NOT on the side facing you, it's not quickly evident which side its on and from which direction the "correct approach vector" is. This "feature" has been requested/suggested often by many and these are the points that are mentioned each time.
Even in a space station, you don't know for sure where the pad is going to be until AFTER you've passed the slot. Unless you just remember the placement of a particular pad due to landing repetition.

 

[smartroad]

Completely unnecessary, CMDRs have been landing successfully without "subways in the sky" forever.

Which I did kinda mention in my initial post, that it doesn't add much to the game It is just currently it is a free for all and having flight paths could add some structure to the ships moving around the port.

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Why do you want the computer to fly it for you? Entering orbit from takeoff if easy - once in SC, just climb to 200-300 km and pitch for zero pitch angle. I do wish there was an orbit-hold mode though.

It isn't about having the computer fly for you, more that the flight controller would plot a course for you to take off (and land) safely. The pilot would still be flying, just following a path that it laid out to them by the controller

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Even in a space station, you don't know for sure where the pad is going to be until AFTER you've passed the slot. Unless you just remember the placement of a particular pad due to landing repetition.

I have printed off a card with the layout of the station to easily find landing pads LOL