Subject
On landing on a pad only the ship tilts and then levels itself. This, if one is in the cockpit, gives the impression of the engines "dropping" the ship onto the landing gear.
Overview
Several reasons why its inconsistent with the slickness of the visuals of the game graphically; and for me lets the side down. Breaks the illusion of piloting a ship. Elite is all about ships, and docking them is exeperienced by all players many many times, so it's important.
I fear we've all so got so used to it that it is being overlooked.
Rationale/Problems
1) There is low gravity on some surface installations, but the maneauver is not tempered.
2) When viewed from outside the cockpit, from the camera angle, the rear landing gear is tilted below the surface of the pad. The landing gear is not sprung/animated.
3) Why would a ship tilt on landing? It might fall faster for a period, remaining level, that would be fine.
4) Flying without shields, my Beluga often takes damage on docking on a pad (with the docking computer), and this may be related to it.
Please note the effect is more noticeable on larger ships; e.g. on the Beluga liner the magnitude of displacement and nose and tail due to the tilt is just awful.
5) (Perhaps someone can confirm whether this tilt/drop happens on smaller stations) not sure what the lore is on artificial gravity on non-rotating stations, but I kind of expect there to be none, so how could a ship drop onto a pad.
Alternative Solutions
A) simply turn the effect off. Not massive development overhead.
B) turn the effect off for all larger vessels, (Anaconda, Type 9, Type 10, Beluga, Federal Corvette, Imperial Cutter).
C) Modify the effect for all ships to be a "rapid drop" whilst remaining level. Ensure the ships do not drop below the pad surface.
D) Modify the effect for larger ships to be a "rapid drop" whilst remaining level. Ensure all ships do not drop below the pad surface.
E) Allow players to select an option for tilt/drop landing or level landing as they prefer. (Possibly distinguish the two methods in terms of risk/returns in some way.)
F) The ultimate would be landing gear animation; the gear should touch the ground, then the ship should drop onto the gear which should contract and take the load. This seems a rather expensive solution, though.
I'd be most happy with any one of these changes.
Don't you agree...?
On landing on a pad only the ship tilts and then levels itself. This, if one is in the cockpit, gives the impression of the engines "dropping" the ship onto the landing gear.
Overview
Several reasons why its inconsistent with the slickness of the visuals of the game graphically; and for me lets the side down. Breaks the illusion of piloting a ship. Elite is all about ships, and docking them is exeperienced by all players many many times, so it's important.
I fear we've all so got so used to it that it is being overlooked.
Rationale/Problems
1) There is low gravity on some surface installations, but the maneauver is not tempered.
2) When viewed from outside the cockpit, from the camera angle, the rear landing gear is tilted below the surface of the pad. The landing gear is not sprung/animated.
3) Why would a ship tilt on landing? It might fall faster for a period, remaining level, that would be fine.
4) Flying without shields, my Beluga often takes damage on docking on a pad (with the docking computer), and this may be related to it.
Please note the effect is more noticeable on larger ships; e.g. on the Beluga liner the magnitude of displacement and nose and tail due to the tilt is just awful.
5) (Perhaps someone can confirm whether this tilt/drop happens on smaller stations) not sure what the lore is on artificial gravity on non-rotating stations, but I kind of expect there to be none, so how could a ship drop onto a pad.
Alternative Solutions
A) simply turn the effect off. Not massive development overhead.
B) turn the effect off for all larger vessels, (Anaconda, Type 9, Type 10, Beluga, Federal Corvette, Imperial Cutter).
C) Modify the effect for all ships to be a "rapid drop" whilst remaining level. Ensure the ships do not drop below the pad surface.
D) Modify the effect for larger ships to be a "rapid drop" whilst remaining level. Ensure all ships do not drop below the pad surface.
E) Allow players to select an option for tilt/drop landing or level landing as they prefer. (Possibly distinguish the two methods in terms of risk/returns in some way.)
F) The ultimate would be landing gear animation; the gear should touch the ground, then the ship should drop onto the gear which should contract and take the load. This seems a rather expensive solution, though.
I'd be most happy with any one of these changes.
Don't you agree...?
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