Player Features and Ideas Discussion

This is something I always wondered if could be implemented or if it is anyhow possible.

What about the possibility of having the total control of your ship's manoeuvres?

Let me clarify: this is not a proposal to change something that doesn't work, but a proposal to add something that would make the game better looking and feeling without actually change it's rules.

So, let me explain: when in space, with our ships, we have a wide range of possible commands: warp to, orbit, align, approach... Oh well wait, it's over.
But what about FLYING our ships? The only possibility is to double click in a direction and the ship will change it's route to that direction. Don't you feel something missing?

What about twisting, whirling and doing manoeuvres? It's a sci-fi game, if the damned Enterprise can decide to twist on it's horizontal axis of 180 degrees, why shouldn't I be able to do the same?

I know this is kinda difficult for a mmorpg of this size: the informations need to be processed before the system can answer you. Maybe is because of this "lag" that this has not yet been implemented. And I understand that capsuleer's ships aren't like fighters: even the smallest frigate is tens of meters long.

But what I propose is not like the Vipers' manoeuvres from Battlestar Galactica, for which the physics is perfectly simulated whit side exhaust engines that can correct the route and can accelerate the ship not only in one direction but in three. For this stuff there are fighters (maybe one day we may have pilotable fighters, but this is another story).

What I want to be able to do is fly my ship as if I had a cloche. Maybe even with my Joystick! I'd like to be able to invert my route without the ship stopping and then starting again, or without going mad with double-click a hundred times to change route of some degree per double-click. And I'd like to be able to do that in every direction. Space is big, and three-dimensional. There is no center, no preferred line. CCP is starting to understand this with the stargates POINTING to stars. I understand that all the big objects in a system would move around the system-plane. But ships may decide not to do

Wouldn't it be cooler? =P

They have fixed it somewhat, a while back they added he "drift" effect when aligning.
If they could add that to general movement it'd be great as well as remove the tendency for the ship to "settle" itself. The only time it should be planar is while in warp.

You have to realise that this game is about commanding a ship, not being the direct pilot (even though they sometimes call capuleers pilots). Basically, what happens is you tell teh crew (even if it's computer controlled) what to do and they execute. You cant directly control the guns, the engine speed or the direction all at the same time or else, it would become a fighter game with oversized ships.

I mean, the captain of a fighter carrier does'nt control it directly, in real life. He tells the crew where to go and they do it. Hes a coordinator.

We do fly our own ships, while I can't deny there are times when it would be nice if the ship could just follow the mouse cursor like other space games, I can see that would require a lot of polling the mouse for position and adjusting the server image of how my ship is flying and I can see where it would be a terrible load on the server. On the other hand if I'm traveling at over 2000 m/s and trying to maintain a range of between 13 and 15 kms of a target that I am orbiting, that is also moving in unpredictable directions at unpredictable speeds, I'm not foolish enough to think that I can do that, you need computer steering for that. It would be great if I had more control of the direction my orbit takes, ie. left or right or below or above. You should be able to enter a number between 0 and 359 for the point on a circle around your target you want your orbit to go through.

I hope I was clear: I don't propose to SUBSTITUTE the way eve navigation works now with something like Battlestar Galactica on-line or any space fly simulation video game, but to INTEGRATE the game with some of such possibilities. Obviously orbiting around a ship which is moving too is something a computer can do better than a human (or the mean player at least), but it would be cool if TOGETHER with the things we already have and the commands we can give to our ship, we could be able to "feel" like we can pilot the ship manually. Not always, only if wanted. Something better than the double click in space, and maybe something more.

Think at this like a further step in the "total and definitive Sci-Fi simulation". I think that for being a perfect simulation nothing must be ignored =) I agree this won't be a main feature, but I think it will be liked by more people than the ones who'll hate it =P And who hates it can simply not use it ;)

The best we could hope for- and this would be bloody amazing, BTW- is a Homeworld-style destination plotter in 3d space. It would effectively just be an Approach (coordinates) command with a visual interface, but that would be enough for some true amazingness.

Ive actually petitioned this a couple of times, and this is what i would love to see. I was just trying to not quote another game, because there are too many haters who'l just tell you to go play that game. but homeworld has an amazingly effective and responsive system for moving ships. and fits perfectively into the eve style of commanding ships. allow a destinations to be set, and allow you to que multiple destinations. I was only suggesting the idea of placing an arc form of travel so to stay more true to what Kujo Minowara was posting.

I understand people dont want this game to look like other space flight games. but adding in more direct control (especially if its optional) wouldnt change eve that much. it would only let some people really enjoy flying their ship around. why is that a threat to anyone?

ok i have another suggestion for you guys.
-what if there was a circle intersected by a horizontal and a verticle line. in the middle is a tiny triangle (but could be any shape, just choose triangle randomly). when the triangle is centered the the ship will fly strait. if you move the triangle up, the the ship will fly at an arc downwards. to the left, then ship will veer left. etc. for the other directions. depending on how far in one direction you move the triangle could effect how sharply the ship turns. this way it would be a small control window that wouldnt take up much room and at the same time allow you to approach or retreat from an enemy ship at an angle (rather thand strait on)
-there are more ideas out there and would love to hear some. rather than be a pointless hater, lets hear your IDEAS. telling us that the game doesnt need to change is completely misplaced as there is never a perfect game nor will there be. eve is on the top in my book, but discussing how it could be better is what these forums are for. if you like eve the way it is then leave these forums and go play the game.....

The way the game code and server architecture works prevents real-time movement, unless you enjoy massive lag. CQ only lets you walk around because it's run client-side, that's one of the reasons why there were no establishments in Incarna. Also, it's doesn't fit stylistically, with you as the commander of a huge ship (A frigate is roughly the size of a 747) and not necessarily the pilot.

I'd be satisfied with a circle around a targeted item I could click on to set the path of my orbit around it.