Inertial Dampener... where are you?

[MartinW]

Here's a question people, and don't take it too seriously, I just wondered.

Our ships are replete with all manner of fancy gizmos, frame shift drives. power distribution modules, shields, etc.

But no mention of an Inertial Dampener! Strange that, as no FTL capable space ship would survive the huge forces involved, let alone the pilot who would be rendered a pile of mush on the windscreen. Actually no, come to think of it, the forces would be so immense, that the pilot and vessel would probably be reduced to atoms... or even the atoms subatomic constituents.

 

[Unpleasant]

Here's a question people, and don't take it too seriously, I just wondered.

Our ships are replete with all manner of fancy gizmos, frame shift drives. power distribution modules, shields, etc.

But no mention of an Inertial Dampener! Strange that, as no FTL capable space ship would survive the huge forces involved, let alone the pilot who would be rendered a pile of mush on the windscreen. Actually no, come to think of it, the forces would be so immense, that the pilot and vessel would probably be reduced to atoms... or even the atoms subatomic constituents.

You'd think I have Parkinson's, the way I wobble about in my cockpit coming out of super duper cruise speed.

Do you mean we'd be gluoned to the windscreen? lol

 

[Protoplasmic traveler]

I pretend, assume even that there is an inertial dampener in effect

 

[MARPATdroid]

Could the intertial damper be integrated into the life support systems? I think I have noticed that the cockpit glass seems to be tied into this already. I would think life support could be interpreted as being more than just an atmospheric conditioner.

 

[anikaiful]

The beauty of Alcubierre drive - no inertia (not any more than what the measly 300 m/s thruster driving causes).

 

[MartinW]

The beauty of Alcubierre drive - no inertia (not any more than what the measly 300 m/s thruster driving causes).

That's a good point. I hadn't considered that. Essentially, as space is being compressed in front of the vessel and expanded behind the vessel, it's space that's moving not the space ship, frame dragging. However, if indeed there is no inertial dampener, then we would experience high g forces during combat. The thrusters would be enough to generate at least as much G force as todays combat aircraft do, say 9 G or so. But we don't have black outs and red outs in Elite Dangerous. Maybe something for the future.
Then again, you would think with such incredibly advanced technology, so advanced that today, we aren't even sure if the required exotic matter actually exists... that at least they would have developed an inertial dampener for high G combat manoeuvres.

 

[Enride]

The beauty of Alcubierre drive - no inertia (not any more than what the measly 300 m/s thruster driving causes).

Indeed! And no time dilation either!

The name kind of give it away; FRAME shift drive.
Like its just to point out that you arent moving normally through spacetime.

 

[MartinW]

Indeed! And no time dilation either!

The name kind of give it away; FRAME shift drive.
Like its just to point out that you arent moving normally through spacetime.

Frame Shift, as in frame dragging I presume.

 

[Helvellyn]

That's a good point. I hadn't considered that. Essentially, as space is being compressed in front of the vessel and expanded behind the vessel, it's space that's moving not the space ship, frame dragging. However, if indeed there is no inertial dampener, then we would experience high g forces during combat. The thrusters would be enough to generate at least as much G force as todays combat aircraft do, say 9 G or so. But we don't have black outs and red outs in Elite Dangerous. Maybe something for the future.
Then again, you would think with such incredibly advanced technology, so advanced that today, we aren't even sure if the required exotic matter actually exists... that at least they would have developed an inertial dampener for high G combat manoeuvres.

The larger ships (even some of the smaller ones) seem to have cockpits designed to be walked around and not used in a zero-G environment so there seems to be artificial gravity, and if you've got that you can apply it in different directions to counter anything from thrust. Or there's been enough genetic engineering in the future that people are much better able to stand it.

 

[AlexRyder]

Pulling some of the manouvers we do at 430m/s would result in serious injury, blacking/redding out etc. Lack of inertial dampning at speeds greater than c would result in instant liquification of the pilot as soon as you touch the controls.

 

[Bardolin]

There are no inertial dampeners and no artificial gravity that isn't generated by centrifugal forces in Elite.

The only places with gravity are stations larger than an outpost (hence why they rotate) and the rotating ring on the Empire's cruisers. As for travelling, as others have said the way the FSD works means that the pilot doesn't experience too many G-forces while supercruising.

And speaking of G-forces, did you know that on some ships (mainly Eagle and Viper) it is possible to red-out when pulling too many negative Gs?
Yup, G-forces are a thing in the game, even if they aren't noticeable normally.

 

[SchroedingersNeko]

But we don't have black outs and red outs in Elite Dangerous.

In a Viper you can cause yourself to have a black or red out if you have a grade A thruster and boost as you pitch in either direction, but you need to be pitching (turning) at the sharpest possible circle in either direction at close to maximum boost speed for this to happen.

Not yet managed to do it with any other ship so far though since launch but in beta was able to do it most of the time when I actually tried.

 

[AgamemnonWhen]

But we don't have black outs and red outs in Elite Dangerous.

I'm pretty sure we do! My screen often "reds out" when I'm pulling high-g turns in combat. I'm figuring the special shiny backlit suit we all wear stops us from blacking out completely!

 

[Helvellyn]

There are no inertial dampeners and no artificial gravity that isn't generated by centrifugal forces in Elite.

Does it say that anywhere? The cockpit designs suggest otherwise. Centrifugal may be cheaper and easier so is used by large stations but that's not the same as saying anything else is non-existant. Background material in earlier games suggested its presence although plenty of other things have been completely changed.

 

[MatuX]

The beauty of Alcubierre drive - no inertia (not any more than what the measly 300 m/s thruster driving causes).

This. Ship is probably still moving at its standard speed, space and time around the ship are being contracted and then dilated. Although that wouldn't explain SC since you shouldn't be able to perceive your surroundings in such a Newtonian fashion, but that's probably a whole different topic.

 

[Khan]

Its also possible to red out in a near stock Cobra, so there is that.

 

[AgamemnonWhen]

There are no inertial dampeners and no artificial gravity that isn't generated by centrifugal forces in Elite.

How do stations that don't rotate (like outposts and refineries) produce their gravity?

 

[SchroedingersNeko]

How do stations that don't rotate (like outposts and refineries) produce their gravity?

All the landing pads that constantly rotate power a large winder that makes a large centrifugal chamber in the middle of the station rotate, either that or some space rodents are used inside a giant hamster ball toy to generate gravity, as a final option you could ask Dr Otto Octavius if he has mass produced his artificial sun for use in outposts.

 

[Zenicetus]

Does it say that anywhere? The cockpit designs suggest otherwise. Centrifugal may be cheaper and easier so is used by large stations but that's not the same as saying anything else is non-existant. Background material in earlier games suggested its presence although plenty of other things have been completely changed.

IIRC, there was some early concept art (might even be an animation) of a pilot floating in zero-G at the back end of one of the larger ships. There is also a mention of FPS combat in a zero-G corridor, although that might have been at a station or outpost.

The cockpits do look like they're designed with a definite up/down orientation for walking around, but the last time I asked about this here in the forum, the consensus was that we'd be using magnetic or Velcro boots to walk around inside the ship.

I guess we won't know for sure until we get to that "walking around" expansion. I hope it's zero-G inside the ships, because that would help differentiate ED from the direction Star Citizen is going with ship internals.

 

[Zenicetus]

How do stations that don't rotate (like outposts and refineries) produce their gravity?

They don't; they're a full zero-G environment inside and out. The automatic latch-down on the landing pad is (supposedly) magnetic.

I just wish they'd get rid of the barrels and crates near outpost pads, that are just copies of what we see in stations. That doesn't look right for a zero-G environment. They could be "magnetic" too, but it's probably not how you'd design cargo transfer at a zero-G station.