High Altitude Stalling

Miir · 2011-07-19, 07:24 PM

I know the dev team has mentioned that the flight model on air vehicles will be more realistic in Planetside 2. I'm really excited to see just how real it feels.

That said... I'm wondering how they are going to handle the ceiling limit this time around.

I thought it might be cool if rather than hitting an invisible barrier at a set altitude (like in the current Planetside) your air craft would instead stall out and fall back toward Auraxis. During the stall phase you would just be in a free fall waiting on an engine restart with limited controls.

If each vehicle had a slightly different stall height this would allow some interesting evasion/combat tactics.

kaffis · 2011-07-19, 07:40 PM

I could buy into this. OR, a system where when you go above "optimal atmospheric threshold" or whatever, the engine performance rapidly degrades. This way, you can push higher for a while, but your agility and speed would be lessened, allowing those below you to outmaneuver you.

Such a system would create a "soft cap" by offering your diminishing performance returns. Eventually, you'd hit the hard cap by virtue of just not being able to generate enough upward thrust to go higher, and trying would, yes, stall you out.

Hamma · 2011-07-19, 08:42 PM

I agree with all of this very good ideas. A solid cap that you just slam into sucks - losing power or something as you ascend would be awesome. It also adds another element of strategy to flying.

Lartnev · 2011-07-20, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by kaffis

Such a system would create a "soft cap" by offering your diminishing performance returns. Eventually, you'd hit the hard cap by virtue of just not being able to generate enough upward thrust to go higher, and trying would, yes, stall you out.

I prefer this idea to an instant stall since it's realistic. <science>The higher you are the lower the atmospheric pressure, and the less lift you can produce, so you fall back towards the planet until you regain enough lift</science>. Therefore I would propose a maximum cruising altitude (you start floating back down) and a maximum altitude (hard stall). That allows the warning at the ceiling cap in a more intuitive and recognisable way.

Different maximum altitudes is a cool idea too: faster aircraft should be able to fly higher. If such a thing as a SkyGuard exists it should be able to hit heavy aircraft (AA MAXs can climb towers to do the same). Using pilots for air supremacy will still be necessary because enemy aircraft will be able to attack the heavier planes from above.

Infektion · 2011-07-20, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by Lartnev

I prefer this idea to an instant stall since it's realistic. <science>The higher you are the lower the atmospheric pressure, and the less lift you can produce, so you fall back towards the planet until you regain enough lift</science>. Therefore I would propose a maximum cruising altitude (you start floating back down) and a maximum altitude (hard stall). That allows the warning at the ceiling cap in a more intuitive and recognisable way.

Different maximum altitudes is a cool idea too: faster aircraft should be able to fly higher. If such a thing as a SkyGuard exists it should be able to hit heavy aircraft (AA MAXs can climb towers to do the same). Using pilots for air supremacy will still be necessary because enemy aircraft will be able to attack the heavier planes from above.

No, what I think they should do, is that the closer to the stall point you get, the more your alarms go off(which would mean the air density has gone below recommended and stall is imminent), Which is another thing they should add. When you're going down due to heavy damage, have the alarms go off! That'd be awesome. But yea, once you go get up to the stall point, have the craft react violently due to turbulence and then once you get passed the soft point of stall, have the power cut to 20% and drop the nose till it's at 90% of stall point.

is it wrong for me to get an erection during post? :P

Sentrosi · 2011-07-19, 09:16 PM

Low power Galaxy drops. Oh man. I can see it now. Hit maximum sustained altitude, then adjust your glide slope to efficiently deliver your payload on target and quickly hightail it out of there.

Who's with me?

Lonehunter · 2011-07-19, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by Miir

I thought it might be cool if rather than hitting an invisible barrier at a set altitude (like in the current Planetside) your air craft would instead stall out and fall back toward Auraxis.

Quovatis · 2011-07-19, 10:22 PM

Would be cool if different aircraft had different flight ceilings. I bet they're going to do something like this, and be able to upgrade your aircraft with more power to reach higher altitudes.

Desoxy · 2011-07-19, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by Quovatis

Would be cool if different aircraft had different flight ceilings. I bet they're going to do something like this, and be able to upgrade your aircraft with more power to reach higher altitudes.

I agree, they could do some real nifty things with the new PhysX system, as long as we do NOT end up with this:

Hamma · 2011-07-19, 10:41 PM

You'd be dead in a quarter of a second if you were mulling around in your cockpit like that.

LordReaver · 2011-07-20, 03:14 AM

Originally Posted by Desoxy

I agree, they could do some real nifty things with the new PhysX system, as long as we do NOT end up with this:

DCS: Black Shark -Clean Start up Procedure

What are you talking about? I would fucking love that!

Infektion · 2011-07-20, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Desoxy

I agree, they could do some real nifty things with the new PhysX system, as long as we do NOT end up with this:

DCS: Black Shark -Clean Start up Procedure

If they maybe cut the complexity 3/4's, I honestly wouldnt mind having this. But if you think about it, this is a "cold start", obviously they could implement a "warm" start once it's been already flown and landed, so that next lift would just be you getting in and turning on the HUD. But that's my idea.

Frostiken · 2011-07-22, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by Desoxy

I agree, they could do some real nifty things with the new PhysX system, as long as we do NOT end up with this:

[DCS: Black Shark]

God forbid it takes some skill to fly around in circles in a Reaver killing everything you come across.

Baneblade · 2011-07-19, 11:16 PM

At least it would kill off the mossie farmers.

Quovatis · 2011-07-19, 11:20 PM

It would be cool to have aircraft require a little more skill (i.e. move toward more of a simulator than FPS). But that's a difficult thing to balance fun and simulation (see World War II Online as an example).

A somewhat unrelated feature I've always wanted in PS is the ability to turn off your engine while in the vehicle. That way you can be stealthy to ambush prey and be able to hear better (in a tank or ATV).