[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by swdw

I'll throw in some suggestions on improved physics here. I actually like the way most of the stuff in the game has been simplified to make it easy to work with, but there a re a couple of things missing or that need upgrading:

1. To enable better physics modeling- multiprocessor support!

2. Propeller drag- when you reduce the number of turns in relation to your current speed or stop the engines, the braking effect of the props occurs. Even a simple ratio based or look up table version of this would be great. Make the base drag used in the table/ratio an entry in the sim file that is adjustable

3. Riding the waves. I understand the very simplistic way the boat rides the waves was initially influenced by reducing calculations because of the common CPU's in use at the time of SH3 development. However, times have changed. The video cards now handle a greater part of the load with their GPU's and multiple processors are becoming very common..

The boat needs to have more reference points for the waves to act upon. These can be mass centers that each are acted upon by the wave action and even flooding. Plus, instead of averaging the wave height and only allowing pitch within a specific band, actually try to follow the waves, but use a mass/inertia effect that will cause large waves to wash over the top while staying in the water in a trough. A boat broaching because of large waves is fine, but flying over the trough between waves because of averaging? C'mon now.

I have a hard time believing this is too much after having been exposed and worked on the open plane physics engine. In 1999, the engine was doing things with real time mass and CG calculations with multiple aircraft in the air that even military simulators didn't do- and this was on a 200-400 MHZ CPU. It even did those kind of calcs with individual bullets.

3. Entries in the sim file for rudder angle on surface ships.

4. Oh yeah propeller slippage during acceleration. This can again be a simple ratio of amount of applied thrust/HP vs difference in current speed and actual speed.

For example if you ring up 8 knots from 6 only 70% of the thrust is available initially and it ramps up to 100% at 8 knots. If you were to ring up 8 knots from 2 knots, you may start with only 50% of the thrust/hp available which ramps up as speed increases. This would greatly reduce the speedboat effect.

Place a "max slippage" number in the sim file. Why?, because the amount a propeller slips partially depends on the type of propeller (blades, pitch, etc), and the mass of the ship you're trying to push. It would be easier to make this a simple calculation that can be adjusted than try to figure out exactly what it should be for every ship based on their props, shaft angle, etc.

An alternate, but at least workable alternative would be an rpm/min accelaration rate so the props don't instantly jump to the desired speed when a speed change is ordered. Would like this adjustable too. Although not totally realistic, the end result would be similar to prop slippage.

Just a couple of thoughts.

In short, we need a vastly improved physics model. I am with you on that, but would also expand this to include underwater hydrodynamic forces. My large and underpowered fleet boat responds to course and depth changes far too readily.