In space, will ships have the same optimal speed, but with a different acceleration, or simply different speed?asked by Banos
TL;DRThey are experimenting with setting normal combat speed dynamically from variables like acceleration and all thrusters, so top speed isn't an arbitrary per-ship number but comes from the ship's total movement package.
Now, this is something that we've been working on for a couple weeks now. It started with the throttle work we mentioned a few questions ago. So, we're definitely looking at that and you've actually been doing a lot more with what these masses are now, right?
Yeah, there's a lot of work that's going on right now with thrusters in general and ship movement. One of the things we've been experimenting with internally is a method of setting your maximum speed - well, it's not really your maximum speed because you can exceed it but your normal combat speed - dynamically, based on a lot of different variables. And, part of that is the acceleration of your ship does play a part into what speed you can reach. So, the goal is to get something that's really interesting and dynamic and it's not just: Oh, well you have a Hornet so your top speed is always 200. Not just using an arbitrary method of coming up with a new top speed... really having that top speed figured out by not just your main engines but the ability of the other thrusters on your ship to contribute to your handling.
Yeah, the total package of how your ship moves really should be determining it.
Right, exactly.