klauss wrote:TBeholder wrote: How about force dependant on the relative velocity, asymptotically reaching certain value, e.g. pulsespeed or proportional?
I don't follow...
So the tractor instead of fixed force, i. e. just accelerate everything indefinitely reversely proportional to their mass, exerts a variable force, accelerating everything up to certain velocity (relative to the tractor). The main diference is that you can give them formidable enough force for moving heavy stuff, and very light objects still don't suffer hypervelocity tractor-slinging.
Perhaps, as an option.
klauss wrote: Like I said, adding the physics part, not such a big deal. But maintaining a new value (mass) in the dataset is a hassle. You say "Why not?". I say "Why yes?". Does it provide any measurable gameplay improvement? I cannot see any. If you can show us one, sure, add the feature request and it would be worked on.
More physical meaning to ships and parts. Turning forces, for one, suggest placing more recoily guns closer to the axis, or at very least balancing them, as opposed to slapping "Tractor capability" to any Light mount having exactly the same result.
For a modern hardware example, GSh-6-30 gives 3.3 tons of average thrust (0.39 kg * 845 m/s * 6000RPM / 60sec). That's for full cycle, so instant forces are big. Granted, VS massdrivers don't buzz 100 shots per second, but they hurl more considerable mass. A gnat's kick for big ships, but not little enough to ignore for small craft.
On the receiving end, missiles hit by Hephaestus PD or Stormfire (currently, 1 hit isn't enough to kill), or torpedo / drone / light fighter hit by massdrivers would be at least knocked aside in addition to damage. Also, purely kinetic part of the damage may be made dependent on the projectile's relative velocity.