Realistic space flight

[TheMeq]

Hello all, im super stumped with this one.

I have my ship. I can apply acceleration to it, and I can rotate it and it will head in the direction the ship is rotated. The issue is, the ship turns instantly, instead of gliding in a sense.

Im stumped on how I can achieve this. Any ideas?

[Beelz]

Instead of forcing the ship to go whichever direction it's pointed you should have it follow whatever velocity it has gathered regardless of direction.

Try this in your update function, adjust accordingly:

Code: Select all

function love.update(dt)
	--turn CCW
	if love.keyboard.isDown("a") then
		spaceship.direction = spaceship.direction - spaceship.turnSpeed * dt
	end

	--turn CW
	if love.keyboard.isDown("d") then
		spaceship.direction = spaceship.direction + spaceship.turnSpeed * dt
	end

	--add force
	if love.keyboard.isDown("w") then
		spaceship.velX = spaceship.velX + math.sin(spaceship.direction) * spaceship.accel * dt
		spaceship.velY = spaceship.velY + math.cos(spaceship.direction) * -spaceship.accel * dt
	
	end

        --update the position
	spaceship.posX = spaceship.posX + spaceship.velX * dt
	spaceship.posY = spaceship.posY + spaceship.velY * dt
end

[TheMeq]

Thanks! But how do I backwards? I tried setting the pluses I minuses but it still goes forward on s press

[Beelz]

The only thing you do is invert the trig functions:

Code: Select all

if love.keyboard.isDown("s") then
		spaceship.velX = spaceship.velX + -math.sin(spaceship.direction) * spaceship.acceleration * dt
		spaceship.velY = spaceship.velY + -math.cos(spaceship.direction) * -spaceship.acceleration * dt
	end

[TheMeq]

Yus! Perfect!

Thank you so much!

One last thing, how can I make the ship start to slow down if it is not moving forward or backwards to a complete stop? I've tried changing the value of accelerate, but it still keeps moving. I think it needs a breaking force as well.

[bobbyjones]

You could use a dampening value that is always added to the velocity. After acceleration is stop the dampening value which should be negative will slow the ship down to 0 velocity

[Ovidios]

You could use a dampening value that is always added to the velocity. After acceleration is stop the dampening value which should be negative will slow the ship down to 0 velocity

That wouldn't happen in space though...

[zorg]

You could use a dampening value that is always added to the velocity. After acceleration is stop the dampening value which should be negative will slow the ship down to 0 velocity

That wouldn't happen in space though...

On the other hand, spaceships having a "reorienting" system isn't that bad an idea

[Beelz]

On the other hand, spaceships having a "reorienting" system isn't that bad an idea

This, great idea! I'll be adding that to my game later.

One last thing, how can I make the ship start to slow down if it is not moving forward or backwards to a complete stop? I've tried changing the value of accelerate, but it still keeps moving. I think it needs a breaking force as well.

On this note, here is what I did for that... Its the same as the back thrust code except the force is toned down.

Code: Select all

spaceship.speed = (((spaceship.velX - spaceship.x)/2) + ((spaceship.velX - spaceship.x)/2))/2
if spaceship.speed > 0 then
      spaceship.velX = spaceship.velX - math.sin(spaceship.direction) * (spaceship.acceleration/5) * dt
      spaceship.velY = spaceship.velY - -math.cos(spaceship.direction) * (-spaceship.acceleration/5) * dt
end

[TheMeq]

I've noticed an issue with the velocity code, if the ship stays on course in a certain direction, the velocity values still increase until the ship is going at a 45 degree angle, have I done something else wrong?