Horizons Orbital flight - stay in orbit?

[smartroad]

Just a thought. When you get close to a planet you enter 'orbital flight' but there is no way to stay in actal orbit as the ship always wants to fly in a straight line and thus the ship always wants to leave orbit. So unless you constantly adjust your flight path you just go straight and leave orbit. I was thinking, if you are in orbital flight mode and the ship is set to near 0 degree's pitch (say within a degree or two) the ship will maintain at 0 degree's, allowing you to look at the planet as you orbit it (from within the ship), without having to micromanage your flightpath. Even if you are limited to speed - say to engage you have to have your speed in the mid-blue zone or below. Or there was a button you could press and have the ship maintain orbit.

It is just odd (to me anyway) that the one thing you can't do in orbital flight is actually orbit - at least orbit like they do in shows like Startrek.

 

[EzeThieL]

This is actually a great idea. When you are at 0 degree and you don't adjust the pitch anymore, the ship could just follow the 0 degree until you adjust for leaving or landing. This could be moved to ideas forum also Have some rep

 

[smartroad]

Thanks I know it wouldn't add much to gameplay, but may help when looking for sites on planets now that you can see the planet from the system map

 

[Jukelo]

You can, however, drop out of Orbital cruise and actually orbit (although you'll need a fast ship and a not-too-massive planet)

 

[Para Handy]

Isn't there a point on the HUD grid (art horizon markers) that would indicate staying at the same altitude, i.e. in orbit although in supercruise (sort of)? Wouldn't the point where the grid changes from blue to orange indicate that yoou are maintaining altitude, I assumed that the blue meant climb and the orange dive (and red crash dive!).

Just an initial thought, not tried it.

[alien]

 

[smartroad]

Isn't there a point on the HUD grid (art horizon markers) that would indicate staying at the same altitude, i.e. in orbit although in supercruise (sort of)? Wouldn't the point where the grid changes from blue to orange indicate that yoou are maintaining altitude, I assumed that the blue meant climb and the orange dive (and red crash dive!).

Just an initial thought, not tried it.

[alien]

Yeah but you have to maintain constant input in order to stay at the middle of the blue zone. I was thinking that the ship should be able to maintain it's altitude so you can orbit the planet and monitor the surface while looking for somewhere to land.

 

[Para Handy]

Yeah but you have to maintain constant input in order to stay at the middle of the blue zone. I was thinking that the ship should be able to maintain it's altitude so you can orbit the planet and monitor the surface while looking for somewhere to land.

Yes but the middle of the blue zone is 0deg - I was referring to the bottom edge of the blue zone (can't remember the figure now).