RE: FT3, details of needed changes

>>  Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 09:14:57 +0100
>>  From: Adam Delafield <A.Delafield@bolton.ac.uk>
>>  Subject: RE: FT3, details of needed changes
...
>>  >Okay, tell me what this "limited rotation" thing is all about. 
I've read
...
>>  Yes, thats how we changed it. You use the maneuvering thrusters to
rotate
>>  through a number of clock faces up to a maximum of the thrust power
>>  available. Most ships end up with a thrust rate of 2, with a larger
>>  difference being seen in the main drive.
>>  
>>  I can tell you now, from what physics I know, that this is HIGHLY
unrealistic
>>  (In the scale we use, power to rotate is insignificant compared to
the power
>>  to accelerate over the distances we use) but it preserves the 'feel'
of
>>  the game, which I consider to be much more important.

And from the physics I know, economy of scale should make the larger 
ships _faster_ since they can use more efficient drives. This dread-
naughts can only have a 2 thrust while escourts can have 6 is total 
bullshit.

I would concede that that same economy of scale would not help out 
with thrusters to spin the ship around, as you would have limits of 
how much jerking around crew and equipment could stand. There'd be 
far far greater moment on the extreme ends of a dreadnaught flipping 
end over end to make a turn, than you would feel in a corvette turning 
the same number of degrees in the same time frame.

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