Game Development Community

Space Vehicle Movement

by Dave Young · in Torque Game Engine · 03/15/2006 (5:34 am) · 9 replies

I've got some decent space vehicle movement, I amusing the independent XY steering forces resource on a FlyingVehicle, took out vertical force on thrusts. Try as I might, it doesn't feel right.

The biggest disappointment right now is that I want the ship to roll tightly around the Z-axis and it's just sliding left and right kind of, like an airplane would.

I'm going for a Wing Commander Prophecy feel for the control.

Does anyone have any pointers they can share?

#1
03/15/2006 (6:12 am)
Hi Dave,

I don't have any suggestions on this, but I'm curious about it as well for one of my side projects.

Aaron E.
#2
03/15/2006 (6:21 am)
I found a newer Flying Vehicle Resource that supports roll and am looking into it now, will post on results.
#3
03/15/2006 (6:59 am)
I as well would like to see the way to do this.
#4
03/15/2006 (7:18 am)
Dave, can you point to the newer flying vehicle resource? I'd be very interested.

Martin
#5
03/15/2006 (8:26 am)
www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=7988

This is the one I am trying, having some trouble at the moment, crashes hard on Step 0 and I'm trying to debug.

Ok, I got past the bug implementing the first part of the resource. Near line 290 of wheeledFlyingVehicle.cc, the original collision plane code is commented out, and a replacement block is put in, which always breaks. I am not sure how to fix it, and the original block works, so I uncommented out the old block. I also needed the fixes in the resource notes.
#6
03/15/2006 (8:59 am)
You better off writing your own space vehicle code, other wise the flying vehicle behaves strange, even in zero gravity
#7
03/15/2006 (12:19 pm)
Maybe you are right Alex.

I *think* what I am looking for is movement that allows 0 yaw, and only pitch and roll. I think that best simulates the flyer control in most space games.

I am going to try to modify the wheeledflyingvehicle resource (the one found in step 0 of the resource noted above), as I do want a ground/atmospheric flying mode as well.
#8
03/15/2006 (12:29 pm)
Dave, I've tried to modify it for my tests already, and it wasnt perfect, because it's still affected by air wing physics, I couldnt turn it off completely, even playing with all the parameters.

After those tests, Im going to write my own code. It shouldnt be very complex, because physics in space are simple (no wind, no gravitation, etc.) :), especially if you just want an arcade mode of flights.
#9
03/15/2006 (12:46 pm)
I do want it to be simple!

Here are the basics of what I am going to shoot for:
-Velocity stages
-No reverse thrust
-Perfect z-axis roll/No side slip
-Complete Stop
-Afterburner/thrust
-No gravity effect
-minimal drag (I've heard that eliminating it completely doesn't feel right)
-Adjustable and separate z,y steering forces

Extras:
-Ability to land

Out of all these the one I don't know how to approach yet is the exchange of roll and yaw, but I look forward to figuring it out!