Hello all,
Progress is being made on ASPEC First Assault, albeit slower than intended due to unexpected life issues that I won't be going into.
I want to show off some of the behind the scene elements that you may take for granted. Much like a car that you just get into, turn the ignition and drive off, there is a greater degree of complexity hidden under the hood that makes such an act appear simple but is quite complex and thankful don't require any inner working knowledge to use.
In ASPEC an RCS (Reaction Control System) is a computer flight assist that keeps players flying where the nose of the ship is pointed. Without this assist, zero-gravity flight becomes significantly more complicated as you handle all 6 degrees of movement and rotation manually.
To visually show what the RCS is actually doing I have added visual elements for effect. Thrusters and engine flares are made visible allowing you to see just how it's handling your input and counteracting current forces on the ship.
Just to be clear the thruster placement is not 100% accurately modeled, more an artist interpretation of what looks like a reasonable placement to me. Thrust forces are calculated based on desired maximum acceleration and rotation speeds based on meters and degrees per second, which are used to calculate the required forces based on the mass of the ship. This generates some huge values which would be unrealistic with modern technology, so remember this is set in the distant future and would be as magical to you as a car would be magical to people in the Stone Age.
Come hang out and chat with the community and me on Discord.
