Elite / Frontier Physics....

[Deep Thought]

Trying not to offend anyone - Personally I think it sounds crap! You have to balance realism with playability - yes the tactical space battle thing might be great in a tactical "war" simulator game, but I dont think its really what elite is about if you get me.

No offense taken, and its basically what I was saying that despite how great the idea might sound it may not fit the gameplay intended for Elite, and however the universe is to be set up in the latest incarnation.

Remember that elite put a lot of emphasis on the Elite Rating (i.e. killing people) ...considering this it would seem kinda silly IMO to decide that you just press an "attack" button and let a computer do it for you! What is potentially "elite" about that (as far as your elite rating goes)?!

I even would the single button press and let a computer decide what to do thing to be an option. What I was more or less saying is that the person wouldn't have direct control of the weapons and defensive systems by default. I'm sure a manual overide would always be an option, however for the most part in a somewhat realistic tactical space-combat simulation one would expect to making higher level decisions, acting and reacting to an ever changing situation within the sphere of battle, such as selecting targets, weapons and defenses to deploy, and the parameters in which such engagements take place or not.

This would really be applicable only to much larger craft, frigate sized and above, while much nimbler fighter craft, would be able to slip in through passive defenses and catch a target unwares as they pounce on them from closer range utilizing a more traditional hands on approach, hoping to disable a target from the get-go and then finish them off at their leisure.

I've been reading this thread for a while and I can see the niceties of a full, complete and 100% faithful reproduction of real world physics, but I dont think it will suit the game much.

This is completely right, I'm sure myself as well as other play a game to get away from reality for a bit, not jump in to it's parallel. A game shouldn't be like work, we already waste enough of our lives doing that...

 

[RAK]

it just seems so impractical and inefficient and futuristic setting where it is more likely that the commander/pilot of the craft is only making the suggestion/request to their ship to attack a given target whilst the Targeting/combat AI systems do the actual work and resolution of combat. Combining this with deadly accurate beam/projectile weapons that do not miss, and smart missile weapons that a devastating smart platforms extremely difficult to evade, detect, destroy, and confuse.

There are various technobabble ways to circumvent the "ease-of-use" weapons systems which don't belong in an Elite-style universe.

One of them would be to say that the targeting systems need EMP shielding, because there's bound to be one hell of a fusion reactor sitting near them, firing out EMP radiation. I mean, the shielding for the main computer systems is going to be heavy enough, without introducing EMP shielding for each weapon as well.

Another, and one favoured by me in sci-fi settings, is to introduce an idea of cost - since space fighters aren't expected to last long on the battlespace, why introduce targeting systems when the weapons which the fighter is able to carry aren't very powerful anyway?

My main problem is introducing these targeting systems on light fighters or light or medium trade ships - it would make the combat awfully boring.

 

[Kipper]

Frontier already got it right whereby the ship upgrades not only cost money, but they require space in the hold/ship. Makes you think about the configuration you want your ship to be, an unarmed cargo hauler or a battleship?