Vector lock

[MrChaos]

QUOTE (DonKarnage @ Aug 15 2011, 01:09 AM) You are right, that is what vector lock does, it makes you keep your vectordirection and tries to maintain velocity. The little direction thingy wont move if you turn and look around. The only reason turning spinning will slow you down is because often times the side and rear thrusters are weak. This means that the weaker thrusters cannot maintain your current speed against the friction at that velocity.

However, manually thrusting will override vector lock.

This post simply asks that primary engines can override vectorlock too, but turning engines down will make vector lock actually do as it says on the label.

If anything, this could be an optional preference

First strike-through means you maintain direction not vector
Second strike-through means turns break the vector and therefore the lock so you should not maintain your appropriate path
Third strike-through means all of the thrusters would be needed to try to maintain vector
Underlined bit is my still the thrusters even try to maintain your speed but on this I'll bow to the fact you are more current on usage and run with it

OK now that I have this under control:

edit: *snip* hmmmmm let me have a think with a paper and pencil first
edit2: put back without the paper and pencil bit I'm pretty sure Ive got it right and if I don't welp live dangerously

The code works most excellent and only in trivial cases would your main thruster be able to help maintain vector <--- (I'm using it as defined). If there is ANY deviation from zero degrees angular rotation relative to the direction you're headed then ONLY the thrusters could be used to combat Allegiance Space Friction. I do mean any. The booster always applies thrust along the line the vehicle's nose points (well retro booster applies it 180 degrees in the opposite direction so there is that fly in the soup ). The main engine or boosters will overcome the thrusters and knock you of your vector <--- (I'm using it as defined again) and therefore limits the maximum availible power to maintain your vector (same thing here too ) to those of your weakest thruster.

In a nutshell only in the trivial case of continuing to fly in the same direction without spinning is there any room for change. I'd argue that auto-pilot performs this function superiorly and there is no need for code change... matter of fact it would be an undesirable one.


MrChaos

edit3 (and I win a prize): Oh @#(! your asking that when you don't spin at all that the use of the booster turns off vector lock? If that is the case then just toggle it off via the vector lock key. Is that what you were asking for all along???

[Spunkmeyer]

This thread is classic already on the first page. OP completely confuses the matter, and attempts to clarify the issue add even more confusion and go off on various tangents!

So, let me simplify this, since apparently I've got nothing better to do at 6:15 am in the morning:

1) The way vector lock works, you CAN change the DIRECTIONAL component of your vector by applying forward thrusters (or boosters). So vector lock locks against maneuvering but not thrusting.

2) The way the throttle works, it sets your desired SPEED, then the the thrusters fire to achieve that speed. It doesn't actually do any thrusting. Therefore it's completely non-functional during vector lock.

3) OP wants the throttle setting to actually fire the thrusters so he doesn't have to hold down the thruster keys. But this makes no sense, because this is EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN VECTOR LOCK IS OFF!

[Spunkmeyer]

Now....how can you actually modify vector lock?

1) You can have it re-lock onto the initial vector when you are done thrusting (instead of having to unlock, turn and re-lock manually). So you can still make limited, fine adjustments and still stay on a parallel path.

Less useful than it sounds because you usually want to be flying towards a point. And the game has no idea what point you were flying towards initially.

2) You can divorce magnitude/speed and directional components of the vector. So instead of vector lock disabling throttle control entirely (this is exactly what it does right now), it would only stop your target vector changing as you swing your ship's nose around, BUT still maintain speed IF you use the thrusters manually to fine-tune your vector after the lock.

In which case maybe it should be called directional lock, not vector lock. And this is probably what OP was asking for.

Both require quite a bit of additional code. The current vector lock is basically just an "ignore" switch with regards to the throttle setting. There isn't much to it.

[raumvogel]

[Zero_Falcon]

IS ALL CONFUS

Ok, is DonKarnage asking that the Forward Thrust Key be a kind of toggle, instead of being something that you have to hold in order for it to remain active?

*Waits and hopes for bullseye*

[Malicious Wraith]

QUOTE (Zero_Falcon @ Aug 15 2011, 09:46 AM) IS ALL CONFUS

Ok, is DonKarnage asking that the Forward Thrust Key be a kind of toggle, instead of being something that you have to hold in order for it to remain active?

*Waits and hopes for bullseye*

Trolololol. That would be a much simpler and elegant way of achieving what he is asking for.

[DonKarnage]

QUOTE (Zero_Falcon @ Aug 15 2011, 06:46 AM) Ok, is DonKarnage asking that the Forward Thrust Key be a kind of toggle, instead of being something that you have to hold in order for it to remain active?

asking that the Forward Thrust Key be a kind of toggle

Forward Thrust Key. Toggle.

Toggle.

why the $#@! didn't i just say this from the beginning

[Imago]

[Adaven]

QUOTE (DonKarnage @ Aug 15 2011, 09:09 PM) why the $#@! didn't i just say this from the beginning

Yes. That is exactly how I read it, because I've been wanting somethign similar. The whole point really wasn't vector lock, but how forward thrust works.

I hate having to hold down forward thrust all the time when I'm cruising to maintain speed while turning, or driving a bomber and want my reverse thrusters to not automatically engage when I get rammed, slowing me down even faster.

[Spunkmeyer]

n/m