Re: Vector movement

maxxon @ swob.dna.fi (Mikko Kurki-Suonio) wrote:

> To find out where you end up when you turn X and thrust Y, you don't
> need calculation, tables or measure angles.
> It's the other way around: To end up where you want to be, you need to

> calculate and measure angles.

> Example:

> You're moving at velocity 10" straight "north". If you do nothing, you
end
> up 10" north of where you are. But you don't want to be there. Let's
say
> there's an asteroid right there.  You want to be at a point 1" further
> north and 1" due east. How much thrust to apply in which direction?

> Easy (this was meant to be a simple example): Turn 45 degrees due east

> and thrust sqrt(2)".

> Now tell me how you can get there *without* measuring (or calculating)
> the angle (45 degrees) and without calculating the square root of 2?

Simple, you look at where you're going to be if you do nothing
(splattered all
over the asteroid) and you look at where you want to be. It looks
somewhere
between 1 and 2 units away from the asteroid in a direction somewhere
between
10 o'clock and 11 o'clock. You decide to play on the safe side and go
for 2 
units
in direction 10.

I know this isn't exactly on the spot you designated, but I think most
people 
are
happy with the 12 point direction system, and with keeping thrust/speed
in 
integers.

Now, try doing it in the normal FT system without any calculation.

 
> > I'm sure the guys at Wireframe/Chamaeleon won't object to me telling
you
> > that the FT/B5 rules are using BOTH movement systems; the EA and
other
> > "young" races get to use newtonian vectors, while the Minbari etc.
use a
> > development of the original FT movement to simulate their "grav"
drives.

> I'm not sure that's a good idea. The FT system is easier but not 
> necessarily more flexible. I think free spinning dreadnoughts need
> to be examined thoroughly.

I agree, I think the older races should be able to switch between
systems
as they see fit (by turning the grav systems off ?). There might be a
case for 
limiting
the ammount a ship can turn to its thrust rating (but not actually using
any 
thrust to
turn). 

Alun.