Orbiting

Olorin · Post by **Olorin** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:49 pm

Can you do it? I was just thinking about it and I figured with the physics modeling, planetary orbit should be doable. So, has anyone successfully done this? I know what I'm trying when I get home.

soulsacrifice · Post by **soulsacrifice** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:23 pm

I think the gravity doesn't kick in enough until you're in the atmosphere. I would love to see this feature. (that way you could use planets to gain speed).

Blackthorne · Post by **Blackthorne** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:28 pm

The suns have no atmosphere to slow you down and a pretty strong gravitational pull. I think they might be more suitable for attempting a slingshot manoeuvre.

-Blackthorne

gietek · Post by **gietek** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:35 pm

I was just thinking of the same thing!

I'd love to see that in the game too!

TGS · Post by **TGS** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:06 pm

It's certainly possible... albeit very difficult to achieve. The biggest issue with attempting orbiting is the fact that the planets aren't to scale. As such hitting that "sweet spot" to maintain an orbit even a decaying orbit is very small and would be very difficult to find.

Whytephyre · Post by **Whytephyre** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:07 pm

Yeah, being able to 'slingshot' around a planet's gravity well would rock. I tried it in EL when i first started playing but nope....

Blacktorne's right, stars are your best bet.

[Edited on 9-22-2010 by Whytephyre]

TGS · Post by **TGS** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:17 pm

There's actually a difference between orbiting something and using the gravitational pull to slingshot yourself.

To establish an orbit is basically finding a sweet spot where you can keep a forward-down momentum using the gravity of a planet. It allows you to essentially circle a planet at high speeds using minimal thrust. (Yes even the space shuttle has to thrust from time to time to maintain an orbit)

Slingshotting is merely using the gravity of a celestial body planet, moon, star to propel yourself forward by again hitting a sweet spot where you get a good chunk of gravity without actually being pulled into the object.

Neither are easily accomplished given the scale of the objects in the game. They can be though. It would just take a lot of patience

Olorin · Post by **Olorin** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:22 pm

Originally posted by TGS
There's actually a difference between orbiting something and using the gravitational pull to slingshot yourself.

To establish an orbit is basically finding a sweet spot where you can keep a forward-down momentum using the gravity of a planet. It allows you to essentially circle a planet at high speeds using minimal thrust. (Yes even the space shuttle has to thrust from time to time to maintain an orbit)

Slingshotting is merely using the gravity of a celestial body planet, moon, star to propel yourself forward by again hitting a sweet spot where you get a good chunk of gravity without actually being pulled into the object.

Neither are easily accomplished given the scale of the objects in the game. They can be though. It would just take a lot of patience

Yeah, TGS knows what I'm talking about. And, yeah...I figured it would probably be very difficult.

49rTbird · Post by **49rTbird** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 3:30 am

Hello Olorin, Welcome to the forum and the Sim. Have fun and hope to see you out there sometime.

Wasp89 · Post by **Wasp89** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 3:36 am

Hi Olorin;

I did a lot of testing of the flight mechanics in Legends, and started to write up a report but no one seemed terribly interested. I did conclude, however, that a full orbit is NOT possible. I have conducted similar tests in Mercenary and reached the same conclusion. The mechanics behind this conclusion are somewhat difficult to explain (but not terribly complicated). Basically, gravity in these games works more like a velocity vector (gravity at any point in space will impart a static velocity in a given direction) than a force vector which is applied continuously over time...

You can, however, do a quarter orbit of pretty much any body, though stars and black holes are easier.

You can also do a geocentric orbit around planets, but since planets don't turn this quickly gets boring.

Aures · Post by **Aures** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 7:47 am

Originally posted by Wasp89
You can also do a geocentric orbit around planets, but since planets don't turn this quickly gets boring.

lol, it is pretty hard not to enter geocentric orbits in Evochron.

In fact any time your velocity is 0m/s and no gravity is acting on you you are in geocentric orbit around every planet and fixed body in the Evochron universe. Though that may be stretching the use of "orbit around".

If you have a copy of whatever you did write up I would be very interested. Almost all space games make my brain hurt with their disregard for basic mechanics, one of the reasons I love the Evochron series is that my brain doesn't complain as loudly. But I can never really be satisfied until I understand the mechanics of the game universe and I shift my headspace to that and away from the pretence of playing in something like the real universe.

Post by **DaveK** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 9:24 am

I'd love to look at your research as well - I'm a scientist by training and because I just love it!

xingbing1 · Post by **xingbing1** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 6:53 pm

Well, if it means anything I managed to orbit planets, start and a black hole in legends - I'm not sure if it counts, though, I was just using up and down thrusters to keep myself where I should be, didn't use any other thrusters.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 7:21 pm

Hi Olorin, welcome to the game and forum...Hope to see you out there...

Olorin · Post by **Olorin** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:32 pm

Hey guys, thanks for the welcomes.

I hope to venture out eventually, though I'm still screwing around in single player. My main beef right now is with my joystick (as I posted in another thread, it's just way too sensitive). I'm trying to get used to it (I wish saitek had better software. I don't seem to have the options I want from the SST software I downloaded from their website).

MMaggio · Post by **MMaggio** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:35 pm

try the sensitivity adjustment in the game menu. Just clink on exit menu and look for the option.

Olorin · Post by **Olorin** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 9:14 pm

Originally posted by MMaggio
try the sensitivity adjustment in the game menu. Just clink on exit menu and look for the option.

Already set it to low. Also have tried adjusting the deadzone (though that's not the problem). Minor adjustments just have waaaay to big of an effect. It is also distinctly possible that I jsut suck with a joystick.

Post by **Marvin** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:23 am

I found that Mercenary works much like a few flight sims ... after booting the computer, start the game and do a "controllability" check: fully move the joystick thru all three axiis. With luck, it'll then behave itself ... until you reboot your computer.

BraveHart · Post by **BraveHart** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:37 am

"Welcome Aboard Olorin"....see you in MP

Atollski · Post by **Atollski** » Sun Sep 26, 2010 9:51 pm

So if the gravity effect is extended outside the atmosphere (and is strong enough), you could get into orbit? That would be a great effect to have. To be honest, just being able to descend to the planet surface is spectacular enough, I was gibbering and pointing at the screen the first time I did it...

Earl · Post by **Earl** » Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:12 pm

Originally posted by Olorin
Originally posted by MMaggio
try the sensitivity adjustment in the game menu. Just clink on exit menu and look for the option.
Already set it to low. Also have tried adjusting the deadzone (though that's not the problem). Minor adjustments just have waaaay to big of an effect. It is also distinctly possible that I jsut suck with a joystick.

I have a saitek 290 and EM was the first game I tried it on after buying it in a thrift store... It's very very jumpy. I tried setting down the sensitivity, and that made it worse actually. The profiler software doesn't load for me, did you manage to run it?
BTW even the ships with the biggest mass seem very manueverable in EM, so I just ended up with the biggest frame and it's just 'slow enough' that I can aim and shoot just like I was flying a phoenix in legends.

You enter the gravity field before you change to atmospheric flight- those radii could be changed.. Might be interesting!