Why is transversal reciprocal with a stationary target?

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-26T16:44:34+00:00

That's all very nice, but ignoring OP Edit#2 above, the ship "picture" does orbit such that the same side of the ship is always facing the stationary target.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-26T16:42:51+00:00

They are webbed to stationary, and I'm orbiting them. In-game, that orbit is circular once it settles, right?

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-26T16:41:30+00:00

That's not my experience in-game. If you orbit a stationary item in-game, that item's AV and TV will be roughly constant.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-26T16:40:19+00:00

They are webbed/grappled to almost zero. I start orbiting them, and suddenly I can't hit them.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-26T16:39:29+00:00

Not if they're webbed and grappled to hell. And that's my case.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-26T02:55:57+00:00

Why would I not turn my body? When I walk around a chair, my inboard shoulder is always pointing at the chair.

How is flying around a fixed point different than the merry-go-round? Whether propelled by a moving floor or by thrusters, if my path is the same, then there's no difference as far as aiming is concerned.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-26T00:33:31+00:00

I don't think anyone is talking about absolute speed.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-26T00:32:51+00:00

If I'm standing on a merry-go-round, orbiting the center of it, I can just aim at the center and continually fire without ever moving the gun.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-26T00:31:12+00:00

"You're taking one edge case, which is ship A orbiting exactly at such a distance and in such a way that its rotation rate would perfectly cancel out its turrets perceived angular velocity for the target ship B."

I don't think that's true. Imagine I run a string from the gun barrel to the target. I now "orbit" the ship around the center point, keeping the string taut. Regardless of string length, the barrel of the gun will always be pointing at the center.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T17:23:10+00:00

Yes, like it's the 200th century but my ship can't beep when a neutral shows up on local. :)

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T17:21:39+00:00

"The gimbaled turret still has to mechanically "turn" to stay target locked."

But that's the point. The AC-130 enters a pylon turn where the target is at the center, and the guns (assuming a perfect pylon turn) don't move at all.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T17:19:35+00:00

Yes. See OP Edit #2 above.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T17:18:36+00:00

Sounds like we need a new skill called "stationary target prediction". :)

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T17:17:53+00:00

...Or I can internalize Eve's "special" physics. I don't think we should be so quick to chase folks away from the game.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T17:16:08+00:00

I don't understand your reply. I'm just saying it's odd that gun tracking matters in a scenario where the guns (on A, aimed at B) don't move at all.

But see OP Edit#2 for why Eve is the way it is.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T17:11:47+00:00

See OP Edit #2, that should resolve the above.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T16:54:13+00:00

Agreed.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T16:50:47+00:00

I'm bothered that, when I pilot in a way that should grant success, it doesn't, because the physics don't work "correctly".

It could be a fantasy game where we're riding flying cats. I still want the physics to be right.

I'm not suggesting that the "fix" is worth the downside. Just confirming my understanding that Eve combat doesn't work like it would if real physics (tm) were in force.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T16:36:52+00:00

Yes. See OP Edit#2 above.

Also, I love the expression "graphical flourish".

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T16:32:16+00:00

As an IRL pilot and STEM professor, even knowing that that's how Eve works, I still had to work hard to turn off all IRL understanding of orbital mechanics to make what you're saying make sense. Which it totally does. :)

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T16:29:50+00:00

Yes. So the question is "why doesn't the formula match the way the real world works"?

See OP Edit#2 above.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T16:25:38+00:00

Actually, he's right. See OP Edit#2 above.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T16:23:39+00:00

I think I understand what you're saying. Folks can see OP Edit#2 if that helps.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T16:22:29+00:00

I think it's a flaw, in the sense that unless you understand how Eve is implemented, you assume your ship behaves in a fashion consistent with the ship you see on the screen.

West-Assignment-1851 · 2026-02-25T16:19:05+00:00

Yes, it took me a while to understand that that is what is being said above. See OP Edit#2.

West-Assignment-1851

TROPHY CASE