Copied and pasted from a thread in the Discussion section; here's my thoughts on a more interesting SC destination approach.
Rather than the simple timer, could we have an, er, approach vector display (if that's the right description)?
What I'm thinking is along the lines of the classic Aliens landing sequence "we're in the pipe, five by five" - very much like what's shown below:
Granted the pic shown is of a planetary descent, but the vector approach would work equally as well for a station in orbit - or any other destination while in SC.
So the two main things - your angle of deviation from the destination, and your speed, both can be more elaborately detailed in the rectangular path than with just numbers (plus it looks much prettier and more... "technical").
The rectangular path would show if you have the capability to change the craft orientation in time to reach the destination - heading straight to the target destination you would be in the middle fo the path. Veering off from the straight path would send you further towards the edge of the rectangular path - moving out of the path signifies that your craft does not have the turning speed at the current rate of deceleration to be able to pull back into line - so you must slow down or risk overshooting.
Speed (or more accurately your rate of deceleration) could be signified by rectangle colour, or distance apart - either way, a bold reference to your speed and whether you're over or under the optimal speed would be useful up on the main HUD screen as well as being down on your throttle near the scanner/radar.
The question then arises as to whether this could take into account gravitational forces from planets etc, and how easy it would be to implement given the framework that's already been set by FD.
It could also help with docking, giving the same kind of vector approach, warning if your current rate of acceleration is goign to throw you out of the "pipe" and smack into the station walls.
Maybe as an upgrade module, class 1 or 2, like the discovery scanner - not to take control of the ship like the docking computer, but to give guidelines which can help people dock more quickly and efficiently...?
Apologies if this has been mentioned before, it just seems like a really obvious, relatively simple and worthy addition to the game.
Rather than the simple timer, could we have an, er, approach vector display (if that's the right description)?
What I'm thinking is along the lines of the classic Aliens landing sequence "we're in the pipe, five by five" - very much like what's shown below:
Granted the pic shown is of a planetary descent, but the vector approach would work equally as well for a station in orbit - or any other destination while in SC.
So the two main things - your angle of deviation from the destination, and your speed, both can be more elaborately detailed in the rectangular path than with just numbers (plus it looks much prettier and more... "technical").
The rectangular path would show if you have the capability to change the craft orientation in time to reach the destination - heading straight to the target destination you would be in the middle fo the path. Veering off from the straight path would send you further towards the edge of the rectangular path - moving out of the path signifies that your craft does not have the turning speed at the current rate of deceleration to be able to pull back into line - so you must slow down or risk overshooting.
Speed (or more accurately your rate of deceleration) could be signified by rectangle colour, or distance apart - either way, a bold reference to your speed and whether you're over or under the optimal speed would be useful up on the main HUD screen as well as being down on your throttle near the scanner/radar.
The question then arises as to whether this could take into account gravitational forces from planets etc, and how easy it would be to implement given the framework that's already been set by FD.
It could also help with docking, giving the same kind of vector approach, warning if your current rate of acceleration is goign to throw you out of the "pipe" and smack into the station walls.
Maybe as an upgrade module, class 1 or 2, like the discovery scanner - not to take control of the ship like the docking computer, but to give guidelines which can help people dock more quickly and efficiently...?
Apologies if this has been mentioned before, it just seems like a really obvious, relatively simple and worthy addition to the game.
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