Recognized Thrust Profiles & Race Classes

[ToasterBorst]

Since the thrust update my regular broadcasts have seen a great deal of discussion about the update, how people feel about it and how it has impacted the game.

From these discussions it would seem the one thing those who swing through twitch and are vocal would really like is the ability to save thrust configuration profiles in order to more easily calibrate their thrust settings for various purposes. I believe this is a great idea and am curious what the larger StarMade community thinks of it and how it may be evolved.

To continue, a few folks, myself included, have been dismayed about how the thrust update has negatively impacted Skid racing and, to some extent, ship racing in general. While those organizing a race can specify some agreed upon thrust configuration, there is no way to really oversee this which negatively impacts competition. The solution our discussions on stream have reached is the notion of being able to set race "classes" in the race gate computers. This coupled with the aforementioned race profiles could potentially improve the way the new thrust management system has impacted racing in StarMade and opens up a whole realm of possibilities in regard to potentially restricting classes by thrust profile, mass and/or systems. Like the notion of thrust profiles in general, the race class idea could benefit from further discussion to flush it out and/or see what people think.

Thanks for any input and hope this can lead to improving these systems in game,
Weis / Borst

 

[Cpt_Dewdrop]

Some of the more elaborate features may take a few updates to do, if ever. I should hope, however, that the saving of thrust configuration will be implemented soon as it (i think) is easy to code.

 

[TBB]

Yeah, simple, but it makes the game a lot better. This way you could set profiles for ships of certain classes for instance.

 

[Time4Craft4]

I like it, hopefully Schine sees it

 

[jgames666]

Great plan. Totally agree with this request.

 

[nightrune]

What's wrong with people changing thrust mid race? This just seems like cannon for the game now.

 

[ToasterBorst]

What's wrong with people changing thrust mid race? This just seems like cannon for the game now.

In skid racing, for example, the slightest percent of up & down thrust allows one to leave the track which fundamentally breaks the sport. I would agree though that variations of 'unlimited' racing classes allowing that freedom would be a key to this kind of system. That said, if one wanted to allow thrust changes mid-race, thrust profiles would certainly help the cause.

 

[Super_Dork_42]

I think a system of both classes and thrust profiles enforced in the race menu would be a good idea too, that way if you're over a certain size or mass or number of thruster modules you couldn't enter certain races.

 

[Drakkart]

oh yeah i recall we had this tons of times in your stream borst...

 

[nightrune]

In skid racing, for example, the slightest percent of up & down thrust allows one to leave the track which fundamentally breaks the sport. I would agree though that variations of 'unlimited' racing classes allowing that freedom would be a key to this kind of system. That said, if one wanted to allow thrust changes mid-race, thrust profiles would certainly help the cause.

Are you generally supplying the racers?

 

[Super_Dork_42]

Are you generally supplying the racers?

That's not usually how any race ever works, the teams racing bring the craft to the race. Just saying.

 

[ToasterBorst]

Are you generally supplying the racers?

Negative, people have always built their own. In vanilla skid racing there is a standard established by Saber which entails 4.5 mass and 1 thruster, though this is up in the air (literally) since the thrust update. Likewise, in ship racing people have more or less traditionally established "classes" with similar restrictions in regard to systems and mass.

 

[nightrune]

Negative, people have always built their own. In vanilla skid racing there is a standard established by Saber which entails 4.5 mass and 1 thruster, though this is up in the air (literally) since the thrust update. Likewise, in ship racing people have more or less traditionally established "classes" with similar restrictions in regard to systems and mass.

That makes sense. I'm mainly just curious now. Wouldn't strict classes make this a problem then though? Since the mass and and thrust can change?

 

[ToasterBorst]

That makes sense. I'm mainly just curious now. Wouldn't strict classes make this a problem then though? Since the mass and and thrust can change?

Well, the whole idea is that a class restriction in a race computer would limit vessels that could compete to specific standards; your comments though do bring up the notion that this system would need to check that "class" at each gate, the finish or throughout the race (depending on how it would be implemented/coded) in order to disqualify anyone attempting to cheat the system or drastically limit the potential to cheat the system.

 

[NeonSturm]

I hope this brings an option to set a cruise profile and a docking profile.
Cruise has more speed, docking more turning or strafe ability.

I mean if you can restrict thrust slider settings for a race, why not also make named profiles which you can switch? It's not that much harder once the race restrictions are done (a few additional code lines maybe).

 

[ToasterBorst]

I hope this brings an option to set a cruise profile and a docking profile.
Cruise has more speed, docking more turning or strafe ability.

I mean if you can restrict thrust slider settings for a race, why not also make named profiles which you can switch? It's not that much harder once the race restrictions are done (a few additional code lines maybe).

This is more or less where the idea started, for players to be able to create named thrust profile saves to easily switch between thrust configurations they like and then for that to potentially be able to be assigned to a class system for racing.

Thanks for mentioning this since I was not specific enough there! Your comment also makes me realize, in reference to nightrune's point, that perhaps instead of checking thrust profile.. the race class could lock everyone in a race to that profile for the duration of the race.

 

[jayman38]

Saved and restored thrust profile templates would be great. Some enterprising players could sell highly optimized-and-tested profiles to players who would prefer to take a buy-it approach to their thrust profile over a build-it approach.

 

[Lord_Greyscale]

Chiming in to say "YES" to the overall idea.

Somewhat saddened that it was brought up by planetary racing, but to each their own.
(I've just never been fond of the concept of planet racing is all)

I'd like to see one addition to the whole thing though.
Whatever thrust settings a ship has when it was saved to a blueprint, really really need to stick to the blueprint, and be on that setting when you spawn the ship from it.
(or shipyard or Admin-loading. point is, the SMENT needs to remember this info.)

 

[TheWurm]

Negative, people have always built their own. In vanilla skid racing there is a standard established by Saber which entails 4.5 mass and 1 thruster, though this is up in the air (literally) since the thrust update. Likewise, in ship racing people have more or less traditionally established "classes" with similar restrictions in regard to systems and mass.

This is straying a little from the topic, I know, but shouldn't the size of the race gates be a pretty good restriction on class? I'm not convinced artificial restrictions are required. Also, temporary solution for skid racing: roofs.

 

[kiraen]

So, check me on this since I don't do racing. If you set your thrust to allow verticle up/down movement, you lose the potential for forward thrust?

Why is this a problem? You go to high, disqualified. Have a clock fired pulse cannon array shoot anyone that goes to high. Those that don't have verticle thrust will have faster forward thrust and win.

Did I miss something?