kilometers per second?

Fireskull · Post by **Fireskull** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 3:16 pm

Ships in WC dont have speeds at KPS, thats obvious, thats a fact. I dont know why Origin insists in using KPS because quite obviously we dont see our ships jumping 3000 meters each second.

Canon breaking suggestion that should be thought over for a while:

Change kps to mps, meters per second.

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 3:31 pm

I 110% agree.

Wisq · Post by **Wisq** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 4:03 pm

I always assumed they used kps to justify why ships can fly around systems in a reasonable amount of time, why they only need autopilot instead of faster than light, etc. I also always knew it made no sense... but then, neither does capping their speeds.

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 5:07 pm

Probably, but I can more easily forget about the unrealistic planetary distances, than I can forget that "kps" on my face all the time.
The other alternative would be to make the systems realistic and use spec when flying manually between planets. I wouldn't mind, myself, but probably many would. Anyhow, changing kps to mps is easy and the first thing to do, IMO.

John Cordell · Post by **John Cordell** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 6:40 pm

Fireskull wrote:Change kps to mps, meters per second.

WCU would be the only Wing Commander game which doesn't have kps.
Does the change improve the gameplay? No. So why bothering...

spiritplumber · Post by **spiritplumber** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 6:52 pm

maybe k means something else... kibbles? kudos?

Smoke me a kipper per second, I'll be back for breakfast!

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 7:21 pm

Well, k could stand for "kilo-mili-meters"

JC, get lost!

spiritplumber · Post by **spiritplumber** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 7:38 pm

please don't yell at each other guys ^^;

seriously though, kps could be any damn thing... why does it have to be kilometers per second. maybe it's kilofurlongs per semester.

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 7:48 pm

I thought furlongs go with fortnights...

Fireskull · Post by **Fireskull** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 9:07 pm

I had the same question spirit had. In star wars games they dont use kilometers, but some kind of fictional measure system where K stands for "klik". So I thought perhaps WC had a similiar system.

Then I went to read WC3 manual to find clues. There is interview with Flash, which is a test pilot that later on appears IG. Let me quote him on the excalibur starfighter, exactly as its written on the manual.

Flash: I can't disclose that information, of course. Lets just say she could hypothetically cruise at a cool 500 kilometres per second, and could afterburn at more than 250k/s2. One stat that's in the public domain is her solid shield rating - 250 to be exact.

Here we go

Its kps=kilometres per second.

My problem with this is that it puts all ships completely out of scale.

I thought it could be changed cause its just a single letter, a K. I figured it would not be too hard of a change and would give us the benefit of knowing what is the -real- scale of ships in game. Yes, i care a lot about ship scales

JC: I dont care about Origin canon when its ridiculously broken. This is the same as the righteous fire campaign conflicting with the WC3 timeline.

All: Again, those are just my opinions. This whole matter is no biggie for me.

edit: A bit more of evidence on KPS.

At ship statics, when its explaining what means what, the manual says:

Max. Velocity/Max. Afterburn Velocity. Velocity settings are governed by the ship's computer and set in relation to (a) the flagship (b) a scorted vessel (c) a nearby planetary body (d) a beacon or (e) a value derived from radar positions of all visible ships. The velocity is expressed in kilometres per second ( kps )

Acceleration. The evaluation of the shipÂ´s acceleration rate, without afterburners, given in kilometres per second squared (k/s2). Ships can accelerate and decelerate at the same rate.

Quixotal · Post by **Quixotal** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 6:16 am

The scientific world for the most part uses the metric system for indicating all measurements and is more precise than miles, lbs per sq inc etc.

Only the US has retained the miles per hour, with pretty well all other countries utilizing the metric system

Quixotal

Heltarawa · Post by **Heltarawa** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 7:25 am

there wasa satelite that blew up because of a cross between mettric and standard

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 12:03 pm

Writing from my brand new Athlon 64 1.8GHz, 1 Gig RAM, 2 Seagate Barracuda 200 Gigs, and a 6600GT PCIe videocard, Fedora Core 4..

Yeah, I think that was a probe bound for Mars; and it didn't blow up; I think it was just lost; but the point stands, and the thing is "kps" has been in use for decades as a measure of stars' proper motions, among other things. So, it's not like it could mean "anything"....

John Cordell · Post by **John Cordell** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 12:40 pm

It's fairly simple.

If you want to have the only Wing Commander game which measures the speed not in kps then go ahead and do it, break the canon from all original and fanmade games.

You know you can talk the whole day about nosense like that or you can do something and get it working ;)

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 1:39 pm

Whatever we do or don't is none of your business. GO AWAY!

John Cordell · Post by **John Cordell** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 2:10 pm

I can't hear you chuck but it looks funny ;)

Accept the facts.

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 2:19 pm

It does, eh?

John Cordell · Post by **John Cordell** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 2:24 pm

Post by **chuck_starchaser** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 2:52 pm

We'll see if you're still laughing a month or two from now.

John Cordell · Post by **John Cordell** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 2:58 pm

Why? Do you want to visit me? ;)

Post by **klauss** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 3:56 pm

I'm actually with JC in this. It doesn't make sense, but it doesn't hurt anybody. And, without "KPS", it wouldn't be WC. Anyway... of all places where canon makes no sense, the KPS issue is the least of worries.

We could easily have a patch available for download: "Fix the darn KPS".

John Cordell · Post by **John Cordell** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 4:12 pm

That's a good solution.

Fireskull · Post by **Fireskull** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 4:56 pm

uhm, erm, guys, calm down.

Its not like the whole WC universe will come crashing down over a fix on the measure system.

The main reason I posted this was because I thought the fix was as small as the issue. Getting planets into a better scale sure is more important than this, but its also a load of more work and will take time anyway.

Post by **klauss** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 5:06 pm

It's not the WC universe... it's the little details that feel like WC. And one of the more remembered ones, at least in my case, is the KPS gauge... mostly because you kept seeing it all over.

And, when canon inconsistencies are important, like RF's contradictions, it's ok by me to not respect it. But if you won't respect the tiny details that don't matter, you end up loosing all connection to WC. First the KPS, then change some weapons names that don't make sense (like tachyon guns... come on... tachyons should move FTL), and before you know it you have little left from WC games. That's why I say don't change it. And, if people are really concerned about it, having a patch is so simple...

Fireskull · Post by **Fireskull** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 5:18 pm

oh right

Point well taken.

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