Gravity( MFD Units )

Sven2157 · Post by **Sven2157** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:03 am

So if my gravity on my MFD says 750, what is that exactly? Does that mean I have to have a velocity of 750mps set in the opposite direction, to just sit still; essentially "hovering" in space?

Nigel_Strange · Post by **Nigel_Strange** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 2:00 am

I believe it is actually the velocity that you are moving toward the gravitational attraction.

So, if it is 750, it means that you are moving "down" at 750 clicks. If you apply opposite thrust, this number lowers. If you apply exactly the right amount of thrust, then this number will change to zero. However, you are still in the gravitational pull of the object: you are just not moving.

I think that's how it works, anyway.

Sven2157 · Post by **Sven2157** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 2:46 am

Thanks Nigel...

I kind of thought the same thing, but found that if I move in ANY direction, that number does not change, UNLESS I move further out of the Gravitational Pull.

This is where I started to wonder about it... I was just in a sector where I was trying to remain still, while mining an asteroid, in the outer gravitational pull of a star. I couldn't match the Pull correctly, eventually hitting the asteroid and blowing up!

My VS was at 750, the Gravity thingy said 750, and I seemed to be escaping the pull. My inertial was all over the place, and I basically thought... WHAT IS THAT NUMBER TRYING TO TELL ME?

Either way, I had a hellava time trying to mine that darn Roid! LOL!

So I ask again, what does that number tell me?

And how should I use that to my advantage?

Sven2157 · Post by **Sven2157** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 2:48 am

BTW, I like your Avatar, is that Harley?

Post by **DaveK** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 4:01 pm

From post: 136047, Topic: tid=9268, author=Nigel_Strange wrote:I believe it is actually the velocity that you are moving toward the gravitational attraction.

So, if it is 750, it means that you are moving "down" at 750 clicks. If you apply opposite thrust, this number lowers. If you apply exactly the right amount of thrust, then this number will change to zero. However, you are still in the gravitational pull of the object: you are just not moving.

I think that's how it works, anyway.

Thanks Nigel - I think that's the clearest explanation I've seen!

Nigel_Strange · Post by **Nigel_Strange** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:35 pm

Sorry, but my explanation was wrong. I am trying to correct it now.

I did a little test last night near a star, and found that even if I was throttling away from the star, the gravity unit did not zero out, so I think that the number represents the pull rather than the velocity. So, if you are not under power, it might represent the velocity due to gravity, but if you are moving away from it, it decreases slowly, as the number decreases.

The game does not use a true acceleration model for gravity, so orbiting is not possible. Otherwise, I would say that the number represents the acceleration toward the object, but that is not true in this case, either.

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 1:38 am

I think it is the Gravitational pull/force. If you get closer to the object that is causing the pull the number increases if you move away from the object causing the pull the number decreases. If the number stays constant as in your case for example at 750 then your hovering in the gravitational field and not moving closer or farther from it!....

[Edited on 4-30-2012 by Maarschalk]

Post by **DaveK** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:01 pm

Its not quite as easy as that: I tried free fall onto a planet with engine velocity = zero

The altitude reduced and gravity increased

If i increased speed towards the planet gravity dropped to zero - if I used reverse thrust away from the planet gravity dropped to zero

At the point when atmospheric flight kicked in, gravity instantly increased from 97 to 497!

when I flew parallel to the surface gravity reads zero
when I "landed" gravity reads zero

As has been mentioned in other discussion threads - in Evochron gravity is an even stranger beast than it is in RL!

More experiments are needed

so that will fill a happy hour or so for me

Maarschalk · Post by **Maarschalk** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:11 pm

DaveK, yes for Planets in the game Gravity is a different beast then for the Gravity of Stars. The example I used above is for Stars in Arvoch Alliance Game and I thought it is the same for Stars in Evochron Mercenary. Now Gravity might also be a different beast for Blackholes!....Just giving you more Experiments to do to keep you bussy!.....

:P

Nigel_Strange · Post by **Nigel_Strange** » Tue May 01, 2012 12:31 am

So...just ignore the gravity number. If it's really high, and you are around a black hole or a star, you might die. Otherwise, just ignore it.