FLIGHT MODEL - How Did We Get Here... Can We Get it back - By Noobifier

Lorddarthvik

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I think the flight model is better than it was. It could be made even better though, and it needs to be tuned.
I was here from the start btw, still kinda remember the old days.
The oldest model was way more broken then the current one. The ships were flying like planes, but with seemingly random huge drifts/lots of sliding out of nowhere. Dual stick flying backwards was King in AC. It felt unfair and broken to plebs like me with only one stick.
They increased the slide factor again and again then adjusted thrusters to compensate on fighters to make things more "realistic" but it felt wrong, as using scm mad you stop and turn in place after a few maneuvers. It wasn't very good to pit it mildly.
Then it all went from more sliding to the "slow ages" with almost no sliding as you couldn't accelerate over scm speeds and scm was like walking pace. I found that to be more fun in Ac against ai, it felt old-school and I coikd work with that, but it was kinda lame in PU.

What we have now is a better mix of both worlds (planes flying vs "real" space flight), but it's far from ok. One huge "fix" I think is that finally you can't outturn a gladius in a beerfarer. Up until this flight model, you could basically ignore how fast or slow, and how large your ship was, as you could always just turn point and shoot. Finally that's not the case and you can't whip a 180 in a cap ship under 1/10th of a second like in the old days, and that's good. What's not good is that there is still too much drift and we are back to jousting instead of flying. It may be realistic, but the controls feel disconnected and it's more tedious than fun. It's better the it was, but it needs some tuning to differentiate more between dedicated fighter ships and others.
For those who want the old ways of fighter plane combat like in wing commander, I'm sorry to say you are shit out of luck. I would have liked that too, but I can see why they wanted to make something newer to fit the PU better. It's not the old-school space shooter we originally signed up for, but hell, what is anymore lol

As a sidenote, when it comes to PVE (especially sq42), I don't think the main issue is the flight modell. It's the AI. It's just dumb and jousty half the time, and insanely accurate and ruthlessly "dual sticking" strafing around you dickhead style the other half the time, so it feels more aggravating than fun. This should get better over time though. I hope it will lol
 

Cugino83

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I ussually like Noobifier video, but that feeals to me as the ranting of a baby....
I can't tell about the old day (I'm in just since 2.6.2), but even if I feel aa bit more of weapon range and a bit more of speed is needed I totally understand the direction CIG is going: they are making combat enjoiable for the majority of the player base and if the majority of the players are not into full time combat then they need to lower the complexity of it.

Combat need a lot of work on there is no doubt about it: UI need improvement, weapon accuracy need to be tweaked and so on, but as far as not perferct it actually work decent and with the introduction of the aiming assist I feel a lot more player are enjoing the game since they do not need to trade the HOTAS use with a more simple to aim gimbal mount (without having to add other devices like head traking system to do it...).
That is all a win for the game in the long--term even if part of the actual comunity that is dedicated to combat is pissed-off...
 

Blind Owl

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I don't know if I'm gonna get flamed here for saying this... but I kinda like the new flight model. It took a little getting used to, but I do just fine with it.
I think I just need to play with it. I honestly haven't tried it with my dual stick setup.

Does it still take 10 minutes to kill someone? And are the pips still fucked?
 

LoicFarris

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I think I just need to play with it. I honestly haven't tried it with my dual stick setup.

Does it still take 10 minutes to kill someone? And are the pips still fucked?
Not for me it doesn't, depends on the guns you're using and ship you're flying. I've mostly done space combat in my Banu Defender and Super Hornet. I'm not the most steady shot so I use gimble assist and the targets go down fairly quick. I also got into the habit of switching between de-coupled and coupled mode depending on the situation within a single fight. It feels less like a joust now and more like a dog-fight but I'd still like a target that I have to chase through an asteroid field who is using the environment to help them.
 

Jolly_Green_Giant

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I like the newer flight models. The ships feel better, the combat for me is better. I dont have my hotas hooked up so I play mouse and keyboard, and tbh, thats the audience they are targeting as its the most common way people will play SC and SQ42. If you keep having people warring about what a good flight mechanic is they would never settle on a model. The ships feel like they have weight to them, they feel fluid and not too difficult to handle. Every iteration I just jump in and get used to it. Ultimately CR will be happy with it and that will be that. You have a majority of players who really dont want to focus on space combat, I cant see them just catering to that crowd. But again, I really like where it is now. If I were to ask for anything, it would be that the larger ships feel like they have even more mass to fling around, but I get why they wouldnt want to do that.
 

Cugino83

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I think I just need to play with it. I honestly haven't tried it with my dual stick setup.

Does it still take 10 minutes to kill someone? And are the pips still fucked?
Well, that depends, the Buccaneer is still a bit fucked up with the hit box and AI some times have a strange behavior...
With my Avenger it take an everage of 1-2 minute to take down a Buc, but I'm experimenting whit ship loadout so this vary a lot.

Oh, and don't forget you are an esteemed TEST member, you are allow (end actually encurage to do so) to RAM them with your Aurora...
 

Blind Owl

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Not for me it doesn't, depends on the guns you're using and ship you're flying. I've mostly done space combat in my Banu Defender and Super Hornet. I'm not the most steady shot so I use gimble assist and the targets go down fairly quick. I also got into the habit of switching between de-coupled and coupled mode depending on the situation within a single fight. It feels less like a joust now and more like a dog-fight but I'd still like a target that I have to chase through an asteroid field who is using the environment to help them.
Yeah, I really want to try the decoupled-coupled flight. Especially in my primary, the Sentinel. I hear that's the way to go with the heavier beasts. I must admit I was having a hell of a time in Pirate swarm keeping anything in front of me, so I shall experiment with some new TTPs.
Well, that depends, the Buccaneer is still a bit fucked up with the hit box and AI some times have a strange behavior...
With my Avenger it take an everage of 1-2 minute to take down a Buc, but I'm experimenting whit ship loadout so this vary a lot.

Oh, and don't forget you are an esteemed TEST member, you are allow (end actually encurage to do so) to RAM them with your Aurora...
So the hit boxes are still a wee bit fucked. Good to know.

I must say, I was really excited for the new flight model, but I haven't really had a chance to get in and play with it. And I LOVE the way flying with sticks feels, so I really hope to hell that it's a sustainable way to fly.
 

JonSpencer

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It cracks me up how so many talk about 'realistic' space flight, when very very very few humans have ever ACTUALLY flown in space. Those that have, have not ever flow any type of craft similar to what is in game either. So essentially, all this 'realistic' talk is just theory and perception of what they think it should be like. I would also like to point out that even currently, computers on the most advanced fighter plans today assist the pilot with maneuvers. I can't see that a machine in the future would not incorporate mechanisms to assist the pilot and adhere to the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid).

My point is, this is a game, not a simulator to train space pilots. I can understand how some want that type of realistic immersion, but I think it's went way to far on that side of the pendulum and should be pulled back so a GAME can and will be fun for new/old players. Quit trying to make it so 'real' at the expense of being FINISHED for pete sakes! Just my 2 cents...
 

NaffNaffBobFace

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the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid)
Thank you for putting the brackets in, I've always thought people were talking about Knights In Satan's Service when they've been talking about KISS and their preferred flight model, and have felt too ignorant to ask how "God Gave Rock And Roll To You" could effect the flight characteristic of a hauler verses a fighter:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQRYVsqVT3M


Although I thought this intro to an episode of Cowboy Bebop kinda summed it up although strictly speaking it's not KISS:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSKwN1YIafo
 
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Blind Owl

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Thank you for putting the brackets in, I've always though people were talking about Knights In Satan's Service when they've been talking about KISS and their preferred flight model, and have felt too ignorant to ask how "God Gave Rock And Roll To You" could effect the flight characteristic of a hauler verses a fighter:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQRYVsqVT3M


Although I thought this intro to an episode of Cowboy Bebop kinda summed it up although strictly speaking it's not KISS:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSKwN1YIafo
Hahahaha, Naff Naff, your eloquence is beyond words.
 

NaffNaffBobFace

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:o7: Cowboy Bebop fan since 2003
It's a stunning series the storytelling never lets up for a single moment. I also got the movie but can never recall which episodes it's supposed to sit between. Too many favorite episodes :)
 

Cugino83

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Yeah, I really want to try the decoupled-coupled flight. Especially in my primary, the Sentinel. I hear that's the way to go with the heavier beasts. I must admit I was having a hell of a time in Pirate swarm keeping anything in front of me, so I shall experiment with some new TTPs.
I generally use de-coupled for quick direction changes: hit de-coupled, turn, re-activate coupled mode. This allow for tighter turn, whit less chances to blackout.
I don't use decoupled mode for the entire fight, especially in the asteroid zone: using an HOTAS dont give you the fine control yuo need to avoid crash, but I think it could be more controllable for a dual-stick configuration

It cracks me up how so many talk about 'realistic' space flight, when very very very few humans have ever ACTUALLY flown in space. Those that have, have not ever flow any type of craft similar to what is in game either. So essentially, all this 'realistic' talk is just theory and perception of what they think it should be like. I would also like to point out that even currently, computers on the most advanced fighter plans today assist the pilot with maneuvers. I can't see that a machine in the future would not incorporate mechanisms to assist the pilot and adhere to the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid).
So true for the computer assistance, aspecially for the combat craft: this planes are build to be in an "instable state".
Think about an umbrella balanced vertically on the point of your finger: it stay vertically but you neeed to constantly compensate any deviation to do that, otherwise it fall since the weight balance is not in the most stable situation. Combat plane are in the same situation: they are on the constant adge of being "out of control" so the flight computer need to compensate for allow the pilot to actually not crah... this on the other side allow fo a quick plane reaction in response of the pilot imput...
 
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