Supercruise in its current form is rather limited. All you currently need to do is to point your nose at your destination and hit max speed. Once you come to around 200ls from the destination, drop speed to 75%; the game will take care of the rest, and you'll be able to drop safely off SC once you're at 1000km. This is neither challenging or fun, and traveling in SC is a chore.
Here some suggestions to improve.
MORE GRAVITY
I'd like to see the effect of gravity to be used more strongly. Currently the effect is very slight, and doesn't draw you off course even when you fly very close to a star or a planet.
I'm not suggesting to turn SC into a full Newtonian flying mode, but rather to include some Newtonian physics. With that you can't just make a beeline to your destination, and would have to make corrections to your route depending on the proximity of planets and stars. And to really optimize your speed and route, you might be able to use the slingshot effect to your advantage.
This kind of gameplay depth would separate the rookies from the pros, and would make for a more compelling and engaging SC flight.
VISUAL CUES
I've heard this is being heavily worked on, but I have a few suggestions here, mainly to better be able to estimate your speed without staring at the speed gauge.
My main one is to have a prudent amount of blue/red shift based on your speed. The faster you go, the color of celestial bodies would change depending on whether you look forward or behind you.
Also, visual stretching of planets and stars could be implemented for further cues to gauge your current speed.
This video on APOD summarizes these nicely. Note that I'm not suggesting going to the extremes portrayed in the video, but using a prudent amount of blue/red shift and perhaps visual elongation of celestial bodies.
AURAL CUES
Gravitational pull of nearby objects could be reported better using aural cues, with distance, strength/size and direction given using various low intensity sound effects.
Also, the engine "rpm" sound is misleading. When you are exiting the gravitational reach of a nearby star, the engine sounds like it is decelerating when you are actually accelerating. Only a bit later is this fixed.
Some of these and several others were included in an earlier thread which I created before I had played the game.
Here some suggestions to improve.
MORE GRAVITY
I'd like to see the effect of gravity to be used more strongly. Currently the effect is very slight, and doesn't draw you off course even when you fly very close to a star or a planet.
I'm not suggesting to turn SC into a full Newtonian flying mode, but rather to include some Newtonian physics. With that you can't just make a beeline to your destination, and would have to make corrections to your route depending on the proximity of planets and stars. And to really optimize your speed and route, you might be able to use the slingshot effect to your advantage.
This kind of gameplay depth would separate the rookies from the pros, and would make for a more compelling and engaging SC flight.
VISUAL CUES
I've heard this is being heavily worked on, but I have a few suggestions here, mainly to better be able to estimate your speed without staring at the speed gauge.
My main one is to have a prudent amount of blue/red shift based on your speed. The faster you go, the color of celestial bodies would change depending on whether you look forward or behind you.
Also, visual stretching of planets and stars could be implemented for further cues to gauge your current speed.
This video on APOD summarizes these nicely. Note that I'm not suggesting going to the extremes portrayed in the video, but using a prudent amount of blue/red shift and perhaps visual elongation of celestial bodies.
AURAL CUES
Gravitational pull of nearby objects could be reported better using aural cues, with distance, strength/size and direction given using various low intensity sound effects.
Also, the engine "rpm" sound is misleading. When you are exiting the gravitational reach of a nearby star, the engine sounds like it is decelerating when you are actually accelerating. Only a bit later is this fixed.
Some of these and several others were included in an earlier thread which I created before I had played the game.
